In a strategic move towards transforming the UK broadband landscape, nexfibre, a fibre network operator, has appointed Rajiv Datta as its Chief Executive Officer.
The announcement was made today, signaling a significant step in nexfibre’s journey to achieve its mission of connecting 5 million premises to their network by 2026.
Rajiv Datta, a seasoned veteran with over 25 years of experience in the digital infrastructure and fixed telecoms sectors, is well-versed in building and managing large fibre-based networks and services across the US, Europe, and Asia. He has held pivotal roles at Colt Technologies and AboveNet Communications (now Zayo).
With Rajiv Datta at the helm, nexfibre is set to leverage the latest XGS-PON architecture, capable of symmetrical speeds of up to 10 Gbps. The ambitious goal of reaching 5 million premises by 2026 is backed by a fully-financed plan involving a £4.5 billion investment. This initiative is supported by major stakeholders including Infravia Capital Partners, Telefonica, and Liberty Global.
The outgoing interim CEO, Bernardo Quinn, will continue to advise the board through the remainder of the year, ensuring a smooth transition of leadership. Rajiv Datta expressed his enthusiasm for his new role, emphasizing nexfibre’s exceptional positioning in the UK broadband market, equipped with a robust financial plan and strong industry partnerships.
Andrea Salvato, Chairman of nexfibre, also conveyed excitement about the collaboration with Datta and their partners at Virgin Media O2, envisioning a national-scale challenger that will enhance wholesale competition, provide consumer choice, and drive substantial value to the UK economy.
nexfibre is a joint venture between InfraVia Capital Partners, Liberty Global, and Telefonica, with a formidable £4.5 billion equity and debt investment. The initial goal is to connect 5 million homes that are currently underserved by Virgin Media O2’s network, with plans to extend to an additional 2 million homes in the future.
This substantial investment by nexfibre will significantly bolster the UK’s digital economy, aligning with the government’s ambitious gigabit broadband plans. Virgin Media O2 stands as nexfibre’s anchor wholesale tenant, with both entities committed to wholesaling their networks to other third-party internet service providers. This collaboration aims to establish the UK’s first national-scale challenger to BT Openreach, stimulating choice and competition in the market.
