The national campaign comes after 850,000 customers switched to an independent provider last year alone
The UK’s independent broadband sector is rolling out a new national awareness campaign designed to help households and businesses discover alternative network providers (Altnets) delivering full fibre services across the country.
Broadband Independents’ Day, a week-long campaign commencing on 4 July, has been launched by the Independent Networks Cooperative Association (INCA) amid continued momentum for the sector.
Fresh evidence reveals Altnets now account for more than 3.6 million live broadband connections in the UK, while more than 850,000 customers – enough to fill nine Wembley stadiums – switched to an independent provider during 2025 alone.
Research commissioned by INCA, and conducted by Whitestone Insight, also found that around two-thirds of independent customers feel that smaller providers care more about their customers – and close to half of national customers say they expect the same.
Altnets also continue to record strong customer satisfaction performance with an average Trustpilot rating of around 4.4 out of 5, compared with 1.8 for Sky, 1.3 for BT, 2 for TalkTalk and 2.4 for Virgin Media O2.
The new awareness campaign is designed to highlight the role independent providers now play in the UK broadband market and encourage households and businesses to look beyond ‘big-name’ brands.
It spotlights how Altnets are bringing more choice than ever before, while competing with incumbent providers on connectivity and customer experience, and delivering local community benefits through jobs, skills, local supply chains and social impact.
Paddy Paddison, Chief Executive of INCA, said: “Across the UK, independent providers have spent years building world-class full fibre networks, supporting local communities and delivering strong service, yet many consumers and businesses still default to the same handful of familiar brands.
“The sector is no longer a fringe part of the market. Millions of premises can now access an independent broadband provider, hundreds of thousands of customers switched last year alone, and the evidence increasingly shows strong performance on customer satisfaction and community impact, alongside being the only part of the market offering 100% full fibre.
“Broadband Independents’ Day is about making people aware that they have more options than they may realise and helping them discover the provider that may already be available right on their doorstep.”
As part of the campaign, consumers and businesses are being encouraged to visit BetterFibre.uk, a postcode-based comparison platform that helps users identify which independent full fibre providers are available in their area.
