Airband is an independent internet service provider, who is transforming connectivity for people and communities who deserve better. All too often, urban areas are prioritised for high-quality internet connectivity. This leaves rural, hard-to-reach areas with poor quality, or in some cases, no connectivity. This isn’t fair, and rural communities deserve a better service. At Airband, our goal is to bridge the digital divide between rural and urban areas.
We specialise in turning some of the hardest to reach parts of the country into some of the best connected, using technology like Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) broadband. As businesses, homes and infrastructure increasingly adopt smarter technologies, full connectivity is essential. That’s why our focus is on delivering ultra-high-speed broadband which will not only allow homes to stay connected, but will help grow rural economies.
How did the company start?
After a number of years working in wireless broadband technology, it became clear to me that the majority of network providers were concentrating infrastructure development efforts in densely populated areas. While on the surface this approach may seem the most logical from a commercial standpoint, it meant that people living in rural communities were missing out on opportunities due to poor connectivity.
This didn’t sit right with me, so in 2009, Airband was created to address this imbalance. The founding philosophy is to enable better connectivity for those who have been left behind in the focus on urban.
Since then, I am proud to say that Airband has grown considerably and is now one of the UK’s leading rural broadband providers.
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What advice would you give to other aspiring entrepreneurs?
The most important advice I can offer to aspiring entrepreneurs is to pursue a cause that you care about. For me, it has always been my passion to help individuals and communities in rural areas improve their quality of life through better connectivity.
Secondly, is to surround yourself with a great team. This is essential when it comes to building a successful business that reflects your vision. I can honestly say that we have some of the industry’s top talents working at Airband, both on the leadership team and our highly skilled engineers. Without the dedication, passion and skill that each employee brings, this company would not be where it is today.
What can we hope to see from Airband in the future?
This is an incredibly exciting time for Airband, and you can expect to see big things in the coming years. We recently received a substantial investment from Aberdeen Standard Investments (ASI), which will help us to deliver FTTP ultra-high-speed broadband services to more communities in the near future. It also means that we are able to invest in growing our teams and operations, which will empower us to further expand our reach.
Another big focus for us is creating employment opportunities – we plan to create and facilitate over 1,000 jobs over the next few years, both on a national level and also for individuals in the areas where we are installing broadband.
Looking further ahead to 2025, our goal is to serve more than 500,000 additional premises and introduce resilient and accessible broadband across the UK.
