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Giffgaff rolls out fiber on Nexfibre as UK market faces uneven growth

The Giffgaff launch comes as the U.K. broadband market is experiencing uneven fiber dynamics

In sum – what to know:

Expansion into broadband – Best known as a mobile-only brand, giffgaff has launched its first full-fiber service using Nexfibre’s wholesale XGS-PON network.

U.K. market is mixed – Fiber coverage is growing rapidly, but subscriber numbers are stagnating, with net losses in recent quarters.

Giffgaff has launched its first full-fiber broadband service in the U.K., delivered over Nexfibre’s wholesale fiber network. The rollout extends giffgaff’s business beyond its mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) roots into fixed broadband.

The service runs on Nexfibre’s all-XGS-PON platform, providing symmetrical speeds and capacity for scaling. Nexfibre is a joint venture between Liberty Global, Telefónica and InfraVia Capital Partners, with Virgin Media O2 as its anchor wholesale tenant and network construction partner.

Rajiv Datta, CEO of Nexfibre, said the network was designed to support a range of providers and services. “Our all XGS-PON network provides symmetrical high-bandwidth connectivity, and also offers the agility to support the member co-created products that differentiate giffgaff in the marketplace,” he said.

Ash Schofield, CEO of giffgaff, said the launch reflects the company’s effort to bring the same approach it has applied in mobile to broadband: “a fair value, simple and flexible product.”

The service was developed with more than 500 trial users and launches with three rolling monthly plans priced from £34, offering speeds between 200 Mbps and 900 Mbps. There are no setup or installation fees. The packages include One Touch Switch for easier transitions and Amazon’s eero technology for whole-home Wi-Fi, security, and parental controls.

Earlier pilots took place in the northeast and northwest of England. Installations are carried out by Virgin Media engineers, and the broadband service does not require a bundled phone line.

The launch comes as the U.K. broadband market is experiencing uneven dynamics. Fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) coverage reached 77.8% of U.K. premises as of August 2025, according to Point Topic, with Ofcom targeting around 96% within the next few years. However, subscriber growth has slowed, with the market losing 14,000 customers in the second quarter of 2025, leaving 28.91 million total connections.

Nexfibre is among several alternative network providers, or “altnets,” expanding wholesale full-fiber access. This approach enables retail brands such as giffgaff to offer broadband services without building their own infrastructure, adding to competition in the UK market.

ABOUT AUTHOR

Catherine Sbeglia Nin
Catherine Sbeglia Nin
Catherine is the Managing Editor for RCR Wireless News, where she covers topics such as Wi-Fi, network infrastructure, AI and edge computing. She also produced and hosted Arden Media's podcast Well, technically... After studying English and Film & Media Studies at The University of Rochester, she moved to Madison, WI. Having already lived on both coasts, she thought she’d give the middle a try. So far, she likes it very much.