Our Story - ITS Technology

Take me to...

Our vision is simple yet extraordinary

We help UK businesses exceed their full potential through connection. We exist to ensure the UK has the best full fibre networks and to provide the best gigabit-capable connectivity to UK businesses through our growing partner community.

This enables opportunity, progress, exploration, creativity, innovation and commerce. Rapidly advancing technology means there’s never been a more exciting time; for you, for your business, and for the future.

We are determined to maximise the potential of our capabilities and to create a nationwide full fibre network that ensures UK businesses, communities and our partners are always at the forefront of those advances.

ITS Technology Group partners with InnovateHer to champion the next generation in Telecommunications.

Building social value and making a difference for the next generation

Founded in 2013, ITS is now an industry leader, providing UK businesses with super high bandwidth gigabit connectivity and broadband via a vibrant and dynamic wholesale and reseller partner programme.

A significant milestone was reached in early 2020 when investment giant, Aviva, injected £160M into the business to fast-track our full fibre rollout plans. Since then, deploying a further £115M investment, we’ve built our Faster Britain network to pass nearly 450,000 UK business premises with an ambition to pass 1 million in the next few years, building social value and making a difference for future generations.

ITS is proud and passionate about our cause – including making sure that the next generation will benefit from these opportunities.

For example, we’re committed to supporting local school programmes in areas where we’ve built new networks. Plus, we’ve teamed up with InnovateHer, to bring a digital skills programme to female students of Blackpool, Liverpool & Manchester and promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) to students in Bristol.

Learn More

Our Proposition

Our proposition is all about partnering in a way that suits you – from local resellers to multi-national players who have bespoke needs, to public sector organisations or businesses looking to take control of their own destiny with dark fibre infrastructure.

We’re proud to connect a nation of trailblazers, innovators and entrepreneurs, ensuring they have access to the fastest, most robust and future-proof full fibre networks out there, and we’re doing it our way.

We’ll always think bigger and more creatively, we come at things from our own angle.

We create the absolute BEST, most cost-effective ultrafast fibre networks.

Become a partner

Why we're different?

Our UK-wide network is open access and available to any partners on our programme. This allows you to compete in your chosen market, no matter your size or reach.

Relationships are everything

From partner listening events to continual feedback which feed service improvements, we’re in it together.

Levelling the national playing field

Our network is open access so once you’re signed up, any partner can use it.

People pushing boundaries

We’re excited by innovation and we want to be at the very forefront of new and developing technologies.

We’re an accredited civil networks builder

Think of it like having the “key to the city” in terms of access to building new gigabit-capable networks and using existing infrastructure.

The fibre itself is pretty modest, fine flexible strands of glass brought together in an awe-inspiring network, like a hidden city right beneath our feet. The super exciting part is that the network carries infinite possibilities, potential and opportunities to engage in the world we live in. We know a little creative thinking goes a long way.

The ITS teams take our job very seriously and work in total partnership with local authorities

Laying networks (like any infrastructure) can be messy and disruptive, and we’re certainly not fans of rolling roadblocks.

We like to keep things moving whenever possible, making it our business to minimise disruption and re-use existing infrastructure when we can, to maximise speed and efficiency. We can offer complete flexibility to our customers and even activate dormant existing lines of dark fibre that are lying in wait.

Our Products

ITS offers an exciting range of gigabit-capable, full fibre and ultrafast connectivity solutions, firmly supporting the government’s pledge to provide 100% gigabit capability by 2030. We deliver our solutions over networks using the latest design and technology, offering more flexibility than alternatives.

ITS core connectivity services can be delivered as Layer 3 or Layer 2 depending on whether a fully configured service is required. Layer 3 includes IP (Internet Protocol), while Layer 2 comes without IP, and you as an operator will interconnect your network with ours.

Faster Britain

We launched our ‘Faster Britain’ brand to make it easier for Partners and their end-users to access gigabit-capable internet connections.

The business now operates over 80 networks in areas of high business premise concentration across England, as well as providing services via a select number of network partners elsewhere for ‘off net’ provision.

ITS is a one-stop shop for all fixed connectivity needs across the UK. We also support specific service providers operating in segments such as multiple dwelling units (MDUs) and student accommodation.

Even against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, our journey continued to gather pace. During this period, we:

Designed and built a full fibre network to support real-world testing of connected and autonomous vehicles
Agreed a £15M partnership deal with another major provider
Launched a wholesale division
Were awarded a joint venture contract to lead the build and management of a 212km gigabit-capable network across the Liverpool City Region

The Future of ITS

Our aim is to be the best wholesale UK connectivity provider to businesses, offering a great combination of price, flexibility and service. To support this we’re rapidly growing, and aim to be a fun, dynamic, innovative organisation both to do business with and to be a part of. We are enthusiastic and driven – but these are more than words to us, but the values we live by.

If you want to join our Partner Programme or think you have the talent, drive, ambition, and creativity to be part of our team and help innovate our future, then get in touch with us today.

Our History

November 2013

June 2017

July 2017

December 2019

January 2020

February 2020

March 2020

January 2021

October 2021

April 2022

June 2021

August 2021

September 2022

December 2022

February 2023

ITS Technology Group is founded

ITS had the ambition to become an industry leader in providing UK businesses with ultrafast gigabit-capable connectivity and broadband via a vibrant and dynamic wholesale and reseller partner programmer.

1st Maven Investment

Maven Capital Partners announced they would support ITS with a £2.25 million funding package.
The investment was used to continue the expansion of our fibre network and to strengthen the sales and operational capabilities of the business.

New Management team was brought in to lead the business

CEO Daren Baythorpe’s appointment was a huge turning point for ITS.
Daren soon welcomed new recruits including Carl Kameen, current Strategic Finance Director and Philip Lee as Head of Channel.

Aviva Investment

We secured a £45m investment from Aviva Investors to fast-track our full fibre build.
Speaking at the time, CEO Daren Baythorpe said it “allows us to connect more customers to full-fibre quicker than the industry norm”.

Network build gathers pace

Thanks to our ever-growing expert team and secured financial investments, our full-fibre network builds started to grow at a significant pace.

Further business progression

With continued growth comes more exciting changes.
ITS launches its indirect sales model in addition to Code Powers and Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA).

First self-hosted all partner event

On 12 March 2020, we held our very first Annual Partner Event in Manchester.
Partners received an exciting sneak peek of our brand-new partner portal.

Launch of Faster Britain brand

The Faster Britain brand was launched to make it easier for partners and end-users to sell and access ultrafast connectivity.
At the time of launch 19 networks existed and Faster Britain continues to underpin everything we deliver.

Launch of ITS wholesale

The launch of ITS’ wholesale division enabled us to work with resellers, carriers and operators in the UK to make our Faster Britain brand available to more customers and partners.

Launch of partner portal/API solution

As our Faster Britain full fibre network continued to expand at pace across the UK, we launched our new API and portal to integrate with partners’ own back-end systems to make pricing and ordering from ITS even easier.

LCR Connect Launched

The 212km network is a £30m joint venture, 50% owned by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, in partnership with ITS and construction partner, NGE.
The Economic boost is expected to be worth up to £1 billion.

2nd Aviva investment

ITS secured £100m in our second round of investment funding from Aviva.
The hard work of ITS was acknowledged at the time, including the growth of our highly skilled team and full fibre footprint.

New Daresbury HQ established

ITS’ new home was officially opened in Daresbury in June 2021.
The stunning modern office was required to fit the ever-expanding team and remains the hub of all the ITS action.

New London office opened

As with our new HQ in Daresbury for our Northwest team, we needed somewhere for our southern colleagues to work from.

Acquisition of NGA

ITS acquired dark fibre specialists NextGenAccess, enriching our infrastructure offer with an extended dark fibre portfolio of 28,000 business premises passed.
We were delighted to welcome the NGA team to the ITS family.

Continued Growth

By the end of 2022, ITS has grown significantly, welcoming 100 new starters over the course of the year.
In addition, the Faster Britain footprint had also grown to 68 gigabit-capable networks.

Launch of Digital Greenwich Connect

Our joint venture with the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s DG Cities officially launched.
The regional backhaul network spans 22km of fibre in the Woolwich area and is the first joint venture of its kind in London.

SparkingInnovation