Scottish comms provider to create 'UK's largest private network'

New deals will see Commsworld build its own network across the UK

Scottish telecoms provider Commsworld is set to create what it claims will be the largest privately owned network in the UK.

The Edinburgh-headquartered company is set to build its own national optical core network, which will see it connect with more than 20 of the UK's cities, including Manchester, London and Birmingham.

Commsworld - which also has offices in Glasgow and Aberdeen - has agreed 10-and 12-year deals with Zayo and CityFibre, respectively, allowing it access to long-distance fibre networks.

Ricky Nicol, chief executive at Commsworld, called it a "milestone" that brings the company from a predominantly Scotland-centric provider to a UK provider.

"Previously, outside Scotland, we've used fibre networks owned and managed by others, but this development means we have full control - and the bandwidth available is only determined by the equipment we use on the end of the fibre," he said.

"While we've been able to comfortably provide fast speeds and a high level of service, this expansion of our network opens up so many more possibilities to us to transform the amount of business we will do south of the border."

The news comes three months after the company reported a record turnover of £15m in 2017, after securing a number of large public sector contracts. It expects revenue to top £20m this year.

Commsworld's network will comprise a 2,058km service across the UK, with access to CityFibre's 830km metro network, which services cities such as Sheffield, Leeds and Bristol.

The Scottish provider will also have access to Zayo's London metro network, along with the option of utilising its subsea links to the US and Europe.

As a result of this expansion, the telecoms firm will open another 30 points of presence in datacentres across the UK.

"Working with Commsworld's established systems integrator partners, and in conjunction with G-Cloud 10 and other framework accreditations, this gives us the opportunity to significantly grow revenues across England," Nicol said.