Zen Internet has become the first national ISP to sign a wholesale agreement with Trooli, an altnet with a full fibre network passing 370,000 homes and businesses.
This is pretty big news… Previously, Zen only operated on Openreach and CityFibre. I’ve wondered for a while if Zen would continue to enter the altnet arena after they announced their nationwide interconnect with CityFibre back in March 2022. Clearly, they are, with this latest announcement, but the question is, will they continue?
In my opinion, Zen doesn’t tend to follow industry trends, nor do they rush into unfamiliar territories. For example, they have never lowered their prices to compete in the “fast-paced” rivalry to win customers; they rely solely on service.
They haven’t interconnected with as many open-access alternative networks as possible when the real “boom” hit in 2022/2023.
They’ve built an incredible B2B wholesale business in an overwhelmingly competitive space, which, again, is very much driven by service, not price.
They seem to be somewhat of an unsung hero in the broadband space, largely due to the people within the business, especially the founder, Richard Tang. This latest news leaves me wondering what we can expect next, but of course, with their “un-trend-setting” moves, I really have no idea.
Will they look to interconnect with another “heavy hitter” like nexfibre or Netomnia/BRSK? Or will they continue with the mid-size range altnets, which have yet to announce a “wholesale” model?
Who knows.
Anyway, here are some words from the CEOs of both brands…
Andy Conibere, CEO of Trooli, said:
“We are delighted to be partnering with Zen, one of the largest retail ISPs in the UK, as our businesses are so well aligned. Our network is ready for service so this new partnership allows Zen Internet to expand its customer reach and quickly connect its customers to a high performing network.
Our teams are leaders in their field, very experienced at exceeding the needs of wholesale partners and this partnership is a significant step for Trooli’s wholesale business. Unlike many altnets we are continuing to build our network to areas of the UK that will benefit from it the most and are dedicated to the innovation required to provide access to the fastest and most reliable full fibre broadband.”
Richard Tang, CEO of Zen Internet, said:
“This is an exciting time for our industry as we are experiencing the last major infrastructure rollout of our generation. By joining forces with Trooli as a wholesale partner, we’re enabling access to high-quality broadband infrastructure for homes and businesses in previously underserved areas.
Trooli’s commitment to delivering essential infrastructure to rural and semi-rural regions is facilitating digital access to communities that would otherwise be left behind. Through this partnership we’re proud to offer our award-winning services as an attractive alternative, providing greater consumer choice for these premises.”
