Lee Houston on expanding The Fibre Hub and making connectivity simpler for partners

Speaking at our 2026 Partner Event, head of product Lee Houston explored one of the biggest opportunities for partners today.

Full fibre availability continues to grow, more networks are becoming available, and the PSTN switch-off is less than a year away. The opportunity’s there, but making the most of it means being able to reach more customers without taking on more complexity.

Zen’s focus through all this remains on making it easier for you to access more networks, connect more customers and grow your business.

More coverage. More opportunities

Openreach has now passed more than 23 million premises and remains on track to reach 25 million by the end of the year. Alongside that, alternative networks continue to expand their footprint, creating new opportunities in more parts of the country.

At the same time, the PSTN switch-off is getting closer and closer. Barring anything completely unforeseen, it’s going to happen in January 2027.

And that brings up that word again: opportunity.

Many businesses still have migration work ahead of them, while others have access to full fibre but haven’t yet made the move. For partners, the opportunity is there to start conversations, modernise customer connections and help businesses prepare for what’s next.

The opportunity is the easy part though. The challenge is making it easy to access, easy to sell and easy to support.

One platform. More networks

A major focus of Lee’s session was the continued growth and importance of The Fibre Hub.

Launched in May 2025, The Fibre Hub was built around a simple idea: one platform, multiple networks, maximum geographic reach and minimal complexity.

Over the last 12 months we’ve continued to expand the platform, bringing together:

• Openreach
• CityFibre
• Trooli
• Freedom Fibre
• ITS
• MS3

The addition of MS3 was announced during the event, further extending coverage across parts of northern England, including East Yorkshire, Grimsby and the East Riding.

But the real value isn’t just the number of networks available.

It’s being able to reach more customers without taking on the extra complexity that comes with managing multiple networks. Instead of dealing with multiple suppliers, systems and integrations, you get easy access to a growing range of opportunities through a single, easy-to-use platform.

Why getting there first matters

Consolidation remains a frequent topic of conversation. One of the biggest questions is what that means for partners.

As networks merge, expand and acquire additional footprint, partners need a way to benefit from those changes without continually needing to adapt their own processes.

That’s one of the advantages of the aggregation model.

When networks connected to The Fibre Hub grow, the integration work has already been done. You automatically gain access to new opportunities without additional onboarding, development work or operational overhead. And when new networks are added – as they will be - you get instant access to them.

More ways to connect customers

While full fibre continues to be a major growth area, Lee also highlighted the ongoing importance of Ethernet.

Over the last year, we’ve expanded the portfolio with new options including Sky Ethernet, CityFibre Ethernet and greater availability of 10 Gig services.

Lee also pointed to growing interest in Ethernet over FTTP (EoFTTP) products.

Historically, businesses have faced a choice between broadband and traditional leased lines. EoFTTP helps bridge that gap, giving customers access to stronger service levels and performance without the cost of a fully dedicated leased line.

That gives you more flexibility when you’re looking for the right solution for a customer, whether they’re moving away from legacy services or need something that better fits their changing requirements.

Making it easier to do business

Alongside new products and network expansion, Lee highlighted improvements designed to simplify how partners work with us.

These include:

• Faster, more flexible quoting
• API access for Ethernet services
• Enhanced self-service capabilities
• Improved order tracking
• Greater visibility of service performance

Individually, each improvement makes a difference. Together, they give you more control, reduce manual effort, and make it easier to support your customers.

Making migrations easier

Lee also shared an update on Simple Switch, a new capability designed to make customer migrations easier.

Moving services between providers can often be a time-consuming process involving router changes, customer reconfiguration and engineer visits. For larger migrations, that complexity quickly adds up.

Simple Switch is designed to remove much of the friction by authenticating services at line level rather than through router credentials. That helps eliminate many of the practical challenges traditionally associated with switching providers, reducing disruption for both partners and customers.

The result is a simpler migration experience that requires less manual effort and makes larger migration projects easier to manage.

Looking ahead

Throughout his session, Lee was keen to point out the importance of simplicity.

More networks, more products and more choice create new opportunities, but they also naturally create more complexity.

That’s why Zen is continuing to invest in platforms, products and tools that help you reach more customers and grow your business all while making life easier behind the scenes.

Whether that’s through The Fibre Hub, expanded connectivity options or improvements to make Zen easier to do business with, the goal remains simple: helping you make the most of the opportunities ahead.

If you’re not already a Zen partner and want access to the growing range of networks and opportunities available through The Fibre Hub, get in touch with the team.