London, UK: After a year in which altnets received record levels of investment and showed how important they are going to be in the delivery of Gigabit Britain and bridging the digital divide in 2021, more and more companies are joining the sector’s representative body, the Independent Networks Cooperative Association (INCA).

So far 19 new members have joined since the end of 2021 from various areas of the sector and from all over the world. They include powerful industry stakeholders alongside new market entrants, major suppliers and local authorities. The list of new members includes Nokia, Lightspeed, KCOM, MS3 Networks, Wurzel, J Bayliss Consulting, Siklu, Frontier Networks, Precision Optical Transceivers and others.

Malcolm Corbett, CEO at INCA said, “We’re thrilled to welcome these new INCA members to join us at the forefront of the industry. As we continue to grow year on year, our collective strength makes us ideally positioned to represent the interests of our sector and to press both government and Ofcom to respond to the fundamental transformation that the telecoms industry is going through, and the essential role that the altnets are playing in the delivery of Gigabit Britain.”

INCA believes that government and regulators need to work more closely together and with the industry to ensure a competitive playing field where the independent sector can continue to thrive.

Tim Shaw, Managing Director of KCOM Wholesale & Networks, said: “We’re excited to have joined INCA and lend our voice to the association. Together we can highlight the amazing things happening in the independent sector. The data speaks for itself, and investment figures showcase the industry confidence and support that the altnets have achieved. We’re proud to be involved and trust INCA to represent the interests of the altnets.”

The rate at which INCA is welcoming important stakeholders reflects the group’s growing influence and coincides with the effort to build upon the impressive findings of last year’s Point Topic report.

The nearly £12bn estimated to be invested before the end of 2025 in that report is expected to be closer to £15bn, given recent investment pledges, ahead of 2022’s Point Topic survey which is currently being compiled.

For more information about their work or of INCA in general, please visit: https://www.inca.coop/.