The channel’s Women in Technology agenda has hit an inflection point where heightened awareness must be converted into tangible progress – and men need to play their part.
Thu, 31/03/2022 - 11:32
In 2018 Daren Baythorpe took the helm of ITS Technology Group and began refocusing the company as a specialist full fibre provider to UK businesses, swiftly securing £45m funding from Aviva and launching its Faster Britain brand.
Fast forward four years and ITS has onboarded more than 250 partners and aims to pass more than 25% of the UK’s business premises by the end of the year. ITS’s success so far has been predicated on one idea that will remain at the heart of the company’s strategy throughout 2022. “We build where there is business demand and density,” said Baythorpe.
“This year we will build out from our established footprint (the north west, the midlands and London), and enter new areas that fit this criterion. Our priority is to continue to rollout our Faster Britain Network open access wholesale networks while supporting our partner community to sell connectivity and install their customer connections.”
ITS provides open access wholesale networks and simultaneously operates an indirect model. All 250 partners can access ITS’s networks as layer 1 (dark fibre), layer 2 (wholesale) or as a fully managed layer 3 (active) connection. “Our aim is to make it easy for our partners to sell connectivity,” said Baythorpe. “We have created flexible solutions that will scale with a customer as their needs change over time.” Between its own networks and through its operator partnerships ITS can connect and provide connectivity services to any business in the UK.
The rapid expansion of ITS’s fibre network has been aided by a method that reuses public and private infrastructure. This method was first used by ITS in Hammersmith and Fulham where CCTV ducts were utilised. “Reuse has matured since we first pioneered this method,” said Baythorpe. “PIA has opened a vast infrastructure but imagine if we could make better use of widespread utility assets to build fibre.
“Extending current initiatives, such as Western Power’s sharing of electricity poles, would open significant reuse opportunities, reducing build times and disruption to local communities. We fully support the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) project and the review of the Access to Infrastructure Regulations. We will continue to participate in initiatives that expand the use of existing assets.”
Launching the Common Wholesale Platform (CWP) in late 2021 alongside Wight Fibre, County Broadband and Airband highlights ITS’s commitment to strengthening a more collaborative approach. The CWP represents a common marketplace that gives ISPs access to a combined altnet footprint that passes more than one million FTTP premises and complies with Ofcom’s One Touch Switching (OTS).
According to Baythorpe the CWP will act as a central hub to serve all the UK telecom industry, or communicate with other OTS hubs, and accelerate gigabit adoption by making access provider networks visible to contracted resellers in one central location. These standards facilitate the wholesale requirements needed to respond to BDUK Gigabit tenders.
The intention is that CWP will be opened out and launched as a member-owned, not-for-profit organisation. Baythorpe said: “A more collaborative approach is beneficial to the overall target of getting fibre to where it is needed but also to the end customer by creating access, healthy competition, and choice. The tide is turning from a sole focus on building infrastructure to the wider issues of access and building infrastructure.”
“It is this type of thinking that makes the combined reach of the altnets a credible alternative to the incumbent providers,” said Baythorpe. “It is important that the policymakers hear the altnet’s voice as our collective investments are now on a par with those made by BT and Virgin. Our contribution to full fibre UK is significant.”
Baythorpe’s voice certainly holds weight in the industry, having served in many roles across the utility and telecoms sector having held leadership and advisory positions for several organisations. Before joining ITS Baythorpe was MD of Openreach’s Business Division and a board member.
Since joining the company Baythorpe has stacked the ITS deck with other industry heavyweights. Mike Goodwin joined early into Baythorpe’s tenure from CityFibre to be Head of Network Architecture and Operations, as did Dave Hudson from Zen Internet who was recently announced as Head of Partnerships and Alliances. Darren Shenkin was named Director of Strategy & Innovation. His prior roles include stints at Hyperoptic, Community Fibre, Plusnet and BT.
In 2021 former Openreach finance director, Andrew Simpson was named CFO, and Philip Lee was promoted to Head of Channel earlier this year. “What the full fibre marketplace lacks in age, it more than makes up for in technical experience, engineering and delivery capabilities,” said Baythorpe.
