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Who is KCOM?
KCOM is a regional broadband provider based in Hull that serves the city and parts of East Yorkshire.
It is best known as the UK’s longest-standing Altnet, delivering residential and business broadband services over its own full fibre network, independently of Openreach.
In this article, we explore KCOM’s services, its unique history, and how its role in Hull has shaped the region’s connectivity and customer experience.
Contents:
KCOM: Hull’s own broadband provider
KCOM is a regional telecoms provider based in Hull, delivering broadband and networking services across the city, Beverley, and parts of East Yorkshire.
It is the UK’s first and longest-standing Altnet (since 1902), meaning it owns and operates its own fibre optic infrastructure, separate from Openreach, which manages the majority of the UK’s broadband infrastructure.
In other words, it has never been absorbed into the national telecoms network, allowing it to retain complete control over its infrastructure and the services delivered.
This vertical integration (from the physical fibre lines that carry data to retail broadband products) has allowed KCOM to be consistently one of the best providers.
In 1989, Hull became the first UK city to fully switch to digital telephony. By 2019, it was the first to achieve 100% full fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband coverage.
Today, KCOM continues to deliver high-performance, low latency broadband through its own full fibre network, having completely phased out services that rely on legacy copper cables.
KCOM is also the designated Universal Services Obligation provider for Hull and the surrounding area and is a key delivery partner in regional fibre rollout and public connectivity schemes.
Since its delisting from the London Stock Exchange in 2019, KCOM has been privately owned by Macquarie Group.
KCOM Services
KCOM provides a full suite of telecom services across residential, business, and wholesale markets, all running on its own alternative full fibre infrastructure (Altnet).
The map below shows where KCOM broadband services are available:
Residential broadband
Provided by: KCOM Consumer
KCOM offers full fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) residential broadband exclusively to homes in Hull and surrounding areas, with ongoing expansion into parts of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
All connections are FTTP. There are no copper-based services like SoGEA or ADSL, meaning lower latency, higher reliability, and no broadband contention from legacy infrastructure.
Here is a summary of their currently available plans:
| Plan Name | Download Speed | Upload Speed | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Fibre Lite | 30 Mbps | 5 Mbps | Light use (browsing, email, small households) |
| Full Fibre 100 | 100 Mbps | 30 Mbps | Streaming, online learning, small families |
| Full Fibre 300 | 300 Mbps | 100 Mbps | HD streaming, smart homes, work from home |
| Full Fibre 500 | 500 Mbps | 150 Mbps | Households with multiple heavy users |
| Full Fibre 900 | 900 Mbps | 180 Mbps | Power users, media creators |
| KCOM Flex (Social) | 30 Mbps | 2 Mbps | Low-income households needing basic access |
Business broadband
Provided by: KCOM Enterprise
KCOM offers retail business broadband tailored to the needs of SMEs.
These plans use the same fibre infrastructure as residential connections, but are configured to prioritise business traffic and avoid broadband throttling during peak hours.
Here are their currently available full fibre business broadband plans:
| Plan Name | Download Speed | Upload Speed | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Full Fibre 300 | 300 Mbps | 150 Mbps | Sole traders or small premises using PoS, Guest Wifi email, and web browsing. |
| Business Full Fibre 500 | 500 Mbps | 250 Mbps | Teams of up to 10 using video conferencing, VoIP, cloud storage, and CRM tools |
| Business Full Fibre 900 | 900 Mbps | 500 Mbps | Offices with 15–30 users, multiple SaaS platforms, large file transfers |
| Landlord 100–900 | 100–900 Mbps | Scaled per tier | Multi-tenant buildings needing high-uptime, shared bandwidth, and support |
💡 Use our business broadband comparison tool to check the availability and costs of these plans in your area.
Dedicated business services
Provided by: KCOM Enterprise
For organisations requiring high availability and guaranteed performance, KCOM offers leased line business broadband services with dedicated, symmetrical bandwidth and robust Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
A KCOM leased line delivers:
- Speeds: 10 Mbps to 10 Gbps, fully symmetrical.
- SLAs: Guaranteed 100% uptime with a 5-hour fault resolution target.
- Support: 24/7/365 monitoring and support services.
- Scalability: Easily upgradable (within the chosen bearer capacity).
Note that leased line installations are bespoke for each business, so leased line costs vary on a case-by-case basis.
Business networking and IT services
Provided by: KCOM Enterprise
Beyond broadband, KCOM delivers enterprise-grade connectivity and networking solutions for multi-site businesses, public institutions, and highly digital companies.
This includes the following:
Point-to-point Ethernet: Dedicated link between two sites using leased lines.
Business Ethernet: Dedicated multi-site and cloud connectivity. Can make dedicated links with CRMs, business VoIP phone systems, cybersecurity SaaS, etc.
Network overlay services: Performance and security overlays like SD-WAN to encrypt and optimise data across any available connection and SASE to incorporate Zero Trust Network Access security.
Local Area Network services: Fully managed LAN offerings in partnerships with other provided including:
- Mesh networks, network switches, firewalls
- In-house servers and business broadband routers
- Load balancing, broadband redundancy
- Business satellite broadband failover options
Wholesale services
Provided by: KCOM Wholesale & Networks
As required by Ofcom, KCOM offers regulated wholesale access to its infrastructure, enabling other domestic and business broadband providers to deliver their own broadband services over KCOM’s network.
Key wholesale products include:
- FibreLine Local Access (FLLA): Wholesale FTTP access
- Wholesale Ethernet Assured Services (WEAS): For business-grade Ethernet, MPLS, and VPN backhaul
Several providers already use KCOM’s infrastructure to serve local customers, including Eclipse broadband, Home Telecom, Fleur Telecom and Connexin.
KCOM FAQs
Our business broadband experts answer commonly asked questions about KCOM.
Does BT own KCOM?
No. KCOM is independent and not owned by BT Group or any of its divisions. Openreach, BT’s infrastructure arm, manages most UK broadband networks, but not in Hull, where KCOM owns and operates its own full-fibre infrastructure.
BT business broadband services may run over different networks, including KCOM’s, via wholesale agreements depending on location.
Is KCOM listed on the London Stock Exchange?
KCOM Group was listed on the LSE for twenty years, from 1999 to 2019. It was then delisted following its acquisition by Macquarie Group, which turned it into a private entity. At the height of the dotcom bubble, KCOM’s stock reached a value of £15.90, seven times its initial listing price. It was also a part of the FTSE 100 index for a period.
Is KCOM the only broadband provider available in Hull?
While KCOM is the primary infrastructure provider in Hull, other providers like Connexin, MS3 Networks, and Hull Fibre offer services in the area, either through their own networks or by using KCOM’s infrastructure.
Does KCOM offer mobile broadband?
No. KCOM does not provide business mobile broadband services or operate a cellular network.
How can I switch to KCOM?
You can easily switch business broadband providers on our site. Simply enter your postcode to see all the providers available in your area, including KCOM.
Does KCOM own Hull City Football Club?
No. Allamhouse Limited, a private company, owns Hull City A.F.C.. KCOM was previously a sponsor, and the club’s stadium was named the “KCOM Stadium” during that partnership. It has since been renamed the “MKM Stadium.”
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