KCOM nominated for national awards for Lightstream rollout

The Hull-based company has been shortlisted in two categories in the Independent Networks Cooperative Association’s Altnet awards – which celebrate excellence in the development of digital communication networks in the UK.

KCOM’s Lightstream rollout has been nominated in the Altnets’ urban impact and outstanding contribution categories.

Sean Royce, KCOM’s managing director, said: “I’m delighted that we’ve been nominated for two awards that recognise the huge steps we’re making here in Hull and East Yorkshire to give the region a truly world class ultrafast fibre broadband network.

“We’re now well and truly into the final phase of our fibre roll out which will bring Lightstream to more than 200,000 homes and businesses by next March.”

KCOM is now in the final stage of its £85m Lightstream rollout which will bring Fibre To The Premises (FTTP) broadband to 100 per cent of its network by March 2019. This is compared to just five per cent of properties that can access full fibre broadband nationally.

Unlike other providers’ fibre services which only install fibre as far as street cabinets - with the broadband making the final leg of its journey on copper wiring - KCOM’s full fibre Lightstream brings the internet straight into customers’ homes.

Sean, said: “It’s been a long and occasionally challenging journey to get where we are today – but the finishing line is in sight and I believe we’ve made the right decision to invest in what is the gold standard of fibre, making ours one of the best broadband networks in Europe.

“Our investment is already bearing fruit, underpinning the region’s burgeoning digital economy, and to see that recognised by industry experts with two Altnet nominations is fantastic news.

“Fingers crossed we can now bring the awards home to Hull.”

Malcolm Corbett, CEO at INCA, said: “We were overwhelmed by the response we received to these awards and by the quality of entries – the judges certainly had a tough job.

“However, there were a handful of entries that really stood out, both for their innovation and the results achieved. We look forward to recognising the whole altnet industry at the awards ceremony which marks the start of a new era where altnets start to receive the celebration they deserve.

“It is an honour for us to be able to commend those making such important and innovative progress in building the UK’s digital infrastructure.”

The Altnet winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony in London on Monday, 5 November.