Pine Media expands fibre broadband coverage to 40,000 premises in South Yorkshire

Alternative network providers, or ‘alt-nets’, are increasingly challenging major telecommunications companies in the UK by building their own full fibre broadband infrastructure. Unlike traditional providers that may rely on legacy copper networks or wholesale agreements, alt-nets often own and operate their own fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) networks, which can offer lower latency and faster speeds.

Pine Media, a UK-based ISP, recently announced it has expanded its FTTP coverage to 40,000 premises across Sheffield and South Yorkshire. This milestone brings the company closer to its target of 50,000 premises. CEO William Dear noted that the company builds, runs, and supports its own network without a wholesale layer or subcontracted engineers.

While large telecom companies maintain advantages in scale, coverage, and established customer service systems, smaller alt-nets provide competition in areas where service has historically been thin. These smaller operators often market themselves through more direct support chains and localized infrastructure deployment.