Xantaro Partners with Freedom Fibre to Accelerate Full Fibre Network Rollout Across Shropshire

Xantaro, Europe's leading solution provider for high-performance networks, IT security solutions and managed services, has been selected by Freedom Fibre to deliver an integrated, end-to-end solution that accelerates the rollout of gigabit-enabled full-fibre networks across Shropshire. This partnership is central to Freedom Fibre’s ambition of becoming one of the top five altnets (alternative network providers) in the UK.

The deal involves Xantaro providing its “Cabinet-as-a-Service” street cabinet solution, alongside fixed and IP services from Nokia. As part of this collaboration, Xantaro has implemented a “Golden Cab” concept—taking street cabinets to a staging facility for rigorous testing before field deployment. This proof-of-concept approach ensures the Nokia kit, known for its futureproof capabilities, is fully tested and configured, ready to be installed with minimal disruption. 

In addition to the physical cabinet services, Xantaro is also providing its professional services team, the High Level Design (HLD) and Low Level Design (LLD) for the active network, including the configuration of the network elements and the installation and commissioning of the Nokia Altiplano management platform.

As part of the Project Gigabit initiative, Freedom Fibre has been awarded a contract to provide connectivity to underserved communities in Shropshire. Xantaro’s expertise will certify a smooth and accelerated rollout of these services as well as ensuring integration of assets from Freedom Fibre’s recent merger with VX UK, consolidating and future-proofing its network for large-scale deployment.

David Hough, Network Operations Director at Freedom Fibre, said: “We sought a partner that could provide an end-to-end solution and Xantaro brings a wealth of experience to the table. Their agility, responsiveness, and strong ties across Nokia will help us accelerate our network rollout and support our ambition to become one of the top five altnets in the UK.”

Paul Alexander, Vice President and Country General Manager UK&I at Nokia, said: “We are pleased to help Freedom Fibre connect more people to high-quality internet services using our interconnect routers, high-capacity fiber access nodes and suite of network management and automation tools.”

Xantaro is supporting over 40 altnets across the UK to build high-quality networks for hard-to-reach and underserved communities. Xantaro was chosen for this project due its strong track record of delivering projects for service providers and extensive in-house technical expertise and consultancy. 

Stephen Kingdom, Chief Technology Officer of Fixed Networks at Xantaro, commented: “Xantaro is delighted to have been selected by Freedom Fibre for this project. We know the company’s growth plans and are excited to scale their network with cutting-edge technology that will bring advanced connectivity to their customers.”

About Xantaro
Xantaro is a leading international solution provider for carriers, service providers and enterprises. As a trusted advisor to more than 300 customers, Xantaro offers an end-to-end service portfolio covering the planning, design, delivery, implementation, operation and maintenance of components and services of completely different network layers and manufacturers: from optical transport systems to IP/MPLS service platforms, Carrier Ethernet products, data centre and virtualisation solutions, voice and video applications through to complete product life cycle management. Services include independent advice on investment decisions and the selection of system technology, delivery and smooth integration of components as well as specially developed value-added services for the operation, further development and security of existing network infrastructures. The Xantaro Group employs a total of over 160 people at locations in Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, Hamburg and London.

About Freedom Fibre
As a UK FTTP wholesaler, Freedom Fibre is building a reliable, resilient, and lightning-fast full-fibre network for homes and businesses across the North West and West Midlands.

Founded by industry pioneer Neil McArthur, Freedom Fibre has positioned itself as a leader within the AltNet sector, accelerating the UK-wide rollout of gigabit-capable infrastructure. After a strategic merger with VX UK in early 2024, Freedom Fibre has continued to take an innovative approach to designing complex networks and has onboarded a range of internet service providers, including Freedom Fibre’s owned retail subsidiary, LilaConnect.

With further significant growth on the horizon as a result of Project Gigabit contracts awarded from Building Digital UK, Freedom Fibre is rolling out gigabit-capable broadband in North Shropshire.

About Nokia
At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs. 

With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

Media contact:

Xantaro Group
Evelyn Ode
Phone: +49 1520 457 1161
eode@netdescribe.com