Community Fibre: Committed to Bridging the Digital Divide

With a focus on delivering high-speed, affordable internet services to residents and businesses across England’s capital city, London-based Community Fibre has fast established itself as a leading provider of full-fibre broadband. 

The organisation’s services are designed to offer reliable, ultra-fast internet connections, with speeds reaching up to 3 Gbps for consumers and 10 Gbps for businesses. It operates its own full-fibre network, extending fibre optic cables directly into homes and businesses to ensure maximum speed and reliability, as well consistently providing customers with the lowest prices and best customer service on the market.

As the Best Internet Provider network on Trustpilot, commanding an ‘Excellent’ rated service with more than 40,000 five-star reviews, Community Fibre also achieved the top ranking by Which? in its March 2024 broadband customer satisfaction survey. In November 2023, Community Fibre was recognised at the Internet Service Provider Association (ISPA) Awards as the UK’s Best Consumer ISP in its category for the fourth consecutive year and Best Business ISP for the second year in a row.

Today, Community Fibre is serving 1.3 million homes and has a strong social mission, offering free high-speed broadband to more than 650 community centres and providing digital skills training through its Digital Ambassadors programme. 

Ultimately, the firm is committed to bridging the digital divide by providing affordable and accessible internet services to underserved areas, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to thrive in today’s connected world. 

It’s this unrelenting dedication that first attracted Mike Brooman, Director of Procurement, to Community Fibre back in 2020. 

“My decision to join Community Fibre was driven by the company's ambitious growth plans and its commitment to delivering high-quality, high-speed internet services to underserved communities,” explains Mike. 

“I was particularly drawn to the opportunity to contribute to a company that is not only innovative but also focused on making a positive impact. Our commitment to customer satisfaction and community engagement is at the heart of everything we do.”

Community Fibre’s exponential growth

Plenty has changed at Community Fibre since Mike joined exactly four years ago.

The business has undergone significant transformation, expanding its network coverage extensively, investing in cutting-edge technology and scaling operations to meet increasing demand. 

Mike estimates that the company is almost 30 times the size it was in 2020, with a customer base that continues to grow exponentially, and substantial strides made in improving service offerings.  

“When I joined four years ago, we were really only finding our feet,” he says. “We’d passed around 160,000 homes and 20,000 customers; now, we serve in excess of 1.3 million homes and our customer base is growing super-fast. 

Community Fibre also operates in parts of Surry and Sussex under its own brand. Prior to May 2024 it was operating as Box Broadband, which it acquired in 2021.

“It’s gone from a small alt-net to one of London’s – and arguably one of the UK’s – largest challenger ISPs,” Mike continues.

“Additionally, we’ve strengthened our partnerships and enhanced our sustainability efforts, all while maintaining our focus on delivering exceptional service.”

Continuous learning

Mike might already be a seasoned procurement and supply chain executive, but he abides by a policy of continuous learning and improvement. 

In a bid to enhance his strategic and business management skills, he is currently pursuing an MBA at Warwick Business School (WBS) and, at the time of writing, working on his dissertation entitled, ‘Strategic Supply Chain integration: A Cornerstone of Post-Merger Value Generation’.

Mike chose the topic due to the inherent complexities associated with integrating the supply chains of two merging companies, which involves the alignment of various systems, processes and cultures.

As he points out, it’s a challenge amplified by the need to maintain operational continuity. Disruption during this phase can have severe financial and operational repercussions. 

Mike writes in his dissertation that integrating supply chains is multifaceted and primarily requires three things to succeed:

• Harmonisation of different supply chain strategies;

• Integration of technology systems;

• Reconciliation of corporate cultures.

“Supply chain strategies may have been developed independently to serve distinct business models, customer bases and market positions,” Mike explains. “The goal is to design a unified supply chain strategy that supports the objectives of the new, combined entity.

“Integrating technology systems, such as ERP systems, warehouse management systems and supplier relationship management platforms, presents significant technical challenges. These systems are often deeply embedded in each company's operations, making alignment both technically difficult and time-consuming. The integration process can reveal inefficiencies or redundancies, further complicating the task.”

“Cultural differences, if not managed effectively, can hinder the creation of a cohesive and efficient supply chain organisation.”

Mike points out that regulatory and compliance issues add another layer of complexity, particularly if merging companies operate in different regions or industries with distinct regulatory environments. 

He adds: “Ensuring that the integrated supply chain meets all relevant legal and regulatory requirements is a critical challenge that requires meticulous attention.”

Leveraging synergies during integration

Leveraging the synergies that exist between the supply chains of two merging companies is essential for realising the full value of the merger. 

That’s the argument Mike puts forward with urgency in his dissertation, which outlines several strategies for achieving this and emphasises the importance of a detailed analysis to identify areas of potential synergy. 

He contends that one of the most significant opportunities lies in consolidating suppliers and procurement activities.

“By combining their purchasing power,” Mike writes in his paper, “the merged entity can negotiate better terms with suppliers, leading to cost savings and improved supply chain efficiency.”

He mentions logistics and distribution networks, too, stating that their integration can reduce redundancy, lower transportation costs and improve delivery times, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction.

“Streamlining these operations not only reduces costs but also strengthens the supply chain’s ability to respond to market demands,” Mike continues. 

He also harks back to technology systems and the opportunity their integration presents for value creation. 

Achieving harmony in this area creates potential for enhanced data visibility, streamlined operations and reduced complexity in supply chain management, in turn allowing better-informed decision making and improved overall performance. 

“Finally,” Mike says, “the integration of supply chain teams can lead to improved collaboration and problem-solving. Bringing together diverse perspectives can foster a culture of continuous improvement, leading to the development of new products, services and supply chain strategies that create value for the company and its customers.”

Committed to sustainability

Community Fibre recognises the immense importance of integrating sustainable practices throughout its supply chain. 

Various initiatives have been implemented with the aim of reducing the business’ environmental impact, including optimisation of logistics to minimise carbon emissions and forming partnerships with suppliers who share its commitment to sustainability. 

More specifically, Community Fibre has transitioned its vehicle fleet to electric, improved route planning and worked alongside suppliers to remove single-use plastic from installations. 

Quarterly ‘green’ team meetings are hosted with suppliers, during which they are encouraged to share industry best practices to reduce the wider carbon footprint of the supply chain.

“This isn't just a one-on-one meeting with a supplier, telling them how we want them to do better,” says Mike. “This is all our suppliers – often competing suppliers working in the same area within the same industry – coming together in pursuit of a common goal.

“Everybody's told us how unique this is. They don’t have anyone else doing it.”

In fact, Community Fibre’s full-fibre network uses 70% less energy than traditional copper, helping the firm’s green agenda given its lower carbon footprint than copper predecessors. 

Mike adds: “As we bridge the digital divide and provide high-speed fibre broadband to customers, it also allows a greater opportunity for home-based working which lowers an individual's carbon footprint.

“We’re continually exploring new ways to incorporate sustainable materials and practices into our operations, ensuring that we contribute positively to the environment and the communities we serve.”

Supply chain partnerships ‘essential’

What Community Fibre has achieved over the past decade – in terms of both service offerings and sustainability efforts – simply would not have been possible without a host of key partners across its supply chain. 

They include Dex Green, an Irish design and manufacturing company with expertise in telecommunications access network products. 

Despite being a relatively new partner, Dex Green is already helping Community Fibre to reduce the whole-life cost of its product and, in turn, deliver increased value to customers.  

It also sets high standards when it comes to ethical and environmental controls across the supply chain, something that resonates with Community Fibre. 

“Dex Green offers something a bit unique,” Mike emphasises. “They bring a fast-paced, innovative product to market, they’re very cost-effective in terms of telecoms products and they bring a collaborative relationship. 

“They’ve been able to pivot to meet full-fibre demand and continue to bring great products to market.”

Summarising, Mike adds: “Supply chain partnerships are essential to our ongoing success, as they enable us to leverage external expertise, expand our capabilities and achieve our strategic objectives. 

“By working with partners which share our vision and values, we’re able to deliver enhanced services to our customers, innovate more effectively and drive continuous improvement across our operations.”

A trifecta of ambitions

Mike and the entire Community Fibre organisation remain laser-focused on a trifecta of ambitions over the next couple of years: continued customer growth, increasing revenues and higher profitability

Complementing these goals is a desire to provide flawless customer service and carry on working closely with supply chain partners to deliver a high-quality product to customers. 

Mike also hopes the UK’s growth outlook continues to improve, and that funding keeps flowing into the telecoms industry.

He concludes: “We’re going to focus on integrating emerging technologies into our supply chain to improve efficiency and resilience. Sustainability will remain a key priority as we work to reduce our environmental impact and contribute positively to the communities we serve.

“On a personal level, I’m looking forward to continuing my professional development, hopefully completing my MBA and driving further improvements in our supply chain operations.”

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