What greater infrastructure competition means for businesses

For many UK businesses, access to full fibre has felt out of reach. Residential streets have moved quickly, while business premises, particularly on high streets, in shared buildings or business parks, have often been left relying on legacy connections.

That is now changing UK-wide, and in particular for those with access to the Freedom Fibre network in locations around Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Warrington, North Staffordshire and Shropshire, namely:

• Leigh, Urmston, Eccles, Walkden, Irlam, Atherton
• Northwich, Stockton Heath, Hartford, Weaverham, Comberbach, Ellesmere Port, Culcheth
• Stoke-on-Trent, Leek
• Whitchurch, Shropshire
  

New investment from alternative fibre networks is expanding what is available to local organisations, and through partnerships with providers such as Freedom Fibre, we are now delivering full fibre business connectivity in more locations than ever before. The result is greater choice, stronger performance and access to connectivity that supports how modern businesses operate.

Why full fibre matters more than ever

Reliable connectivity is no longer a nice to have. For most organisations, it underpins day-to-day operations. From cloud applications and digital payments to video calls, cyber security and hybrid working, businesses increasingly depend on fast, stable and responsive connections.

Historically, organisations seeking guaranteed performance often had to consider costly leased lines, while standard broadband could struggle to deliver consistency at busy times. Full fibre is closing that gap.

By using full fibre infrastructure, we can now offer solutions to many more businesses in these areas that deliver high speeds, low latency and defined fixed times, without the traditional cost barriers that have held many businesses back.

More choice at a local level

One of the biggest shifts for businesses in these areas is the growth of real infrastructure competition. Our partnership with Freedom Fibre is creating options in areas that previously had little or no choice.

And for businesses, that competition translates into tangible benefits including faster speeds, improved resilience, clear service commitments and better value over the long term.

Designed for modern working environments

Full fibre performance is not just about what reaches the building. Advances in business-grade routers, managed WiFi and security services mean performance inside the premises can now keep pace with the network itself.

This is particularly relevant for high street locations, shared offices and business parks, where reliable connectivity supports everything from customer transactions to internal collaboration.

Despite these advances, many organisations are still using legacy connectivity simply because they have not revisited their options. With multiple networks now live across the region, working with a provider such as Zen can help businesses understand what is available locally and how different connectivity choices align with their operational needs.

The focus is not switching for the sake of it, but making informed decisions that support performance, resilience and long-term growth.

A long-term commitment to businesses

As a certified B Corp, the team at Zen believe that access to high-quality connectivity should not depend on postcode.

Jon Nowell, Managing Director of Zen’s Business Division, commented: “For more than 25 years Zen has provided reliable connectivity solutions to UK businesses at every stage of their growth, from first premises and start-up teams to expanding regional and national operations.

“Small businesses are the backbone of many communities and play a huge part in underpinning the UK economy. From independent retailers to ambitious start-ups, we’re proud to support thousands of SMEs across the country. Their success matters to us.

“As full fibre availability continues to expand, businesses now have more opportunity than ever to access connectivity that matches their ambition, without being limited by legacy infrastructure.”

If you're part of a businesses that wants to learn more about the full fibre options available locally, check out: zen.co.uk/FF-business-broadband.