As the UK gears up to deliver on the government’s promise to bring full fibre networks to the whole of the nation by 2025, the company is expanding to keep up with customer demand and assist internet service providers (ISPs) in reaching this vital milestone.

Leigh Buckwell joined as Technical Sales Manager and will be using his extensive expertise of telecoms infrastructure products to support customers throughout their procurement journey. Having previously worked for the Prysmian Group, a world leader in the energy and telecom cables industry, Leigh’s knowledge of fibre optic telecoms products is second-to-none.

Leigh will be working closely with ISPs to overcome potential hurdles in product specification in order to meet the required cabling system performance, as well as ensuring compliance with recognised UK standards such as Construction Products Regulations (CPR) and UKCA (UK Conformity Assessment) for internal cabling installations.  

His role at Altnets involves working with customers and alongside manufacturing partners to deliver innovative products and bespoke, flexible, scalable supply chain solutions.

Leigh says: “Joining Altnets is a really exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of the UK’s full fibre rollout. I’ve worked in the telecoms industry for my whole career, providing technical support to customers and UK sales teams, managing global supply chains and distribution networks. My expertise lies in my in-depth knowledge of fibre optic products and product development. 

“I’m impressed by Altnets’ team mentality. The company understands that success is not just about the individuals they employ, but the way they work together. This was shown earlier this year when they won ‘Top Performing Team’ in Start Up Magazine’s Hustle Awards. I was also taken aback by the amazing knowledge and experience possessed by the everyone at Altnets. I knew immediately I was joining a business which will go from strength to strength, and always go the extra mile for their customers.”

Jordan Collins is Altnets’ new Business Development Director. With over 10 years’ experience in the tech industry as a project manager, Jordan brings a realm of training and qualifications in fibre optics and distribution to the company. His role will be largely focused on nurturing customer and partner relationships, crucial at a time when the telecoms industry is growing so rapidly.  

Jordan says: “I am very excited to add my experience in fibre optics to the vast pool of knowledge already within the Altnets team. As Business Development Director, my role is to draw upon my previous background with global supply chain management, end user engagement and project management for large fortune 500 corporations to continue the exponential growth at Altnets.

“I am thrilled to be part of such a dynamic company, working with our customers to achieve the best possible network deployment as part of the UK’s full fibre broadband rollout.”

Company Director Paul Britnell, who spearheaded the recruitment process, says: “We are delighted to add Leigh and Jordan to our already strong team. Altnets is going from strength to strength and adding another two crucial employees means that we can offer so much more to our customers. Our consultative approach to telecoms distribution is what separates us from other UK suppliers. Real Industry knowledge goes a long way and Jordan and Leigh have it in abundance. 

“Leigh brings with him 20 years of fibre optics knowledge and will support our communication partners with his wealth of knowledge around standards and compliance. As the industry matures and telecoms builds start to focus on connecting customers at pace in a variety of applications, it is vital that installation quality, standards and fibre performance are all known and met.  

“Jordan has vast experience working to support multiple major accounts in the European Data Centre market. His ethos and conviction to offer first class account management to our customers is the reason we were so keen to bring him in to lead our team of business development managers.” 

Altnets was launched in late 2020 by Co-Founders Paul Britnell and Sam Bangle to support the needs of the UK telecoms market as the nation upgrades to full fibre broadband networks. The company’s strategic approach to who it works with and its specific offerings enables Altnets to assist and support UK communication partners to the highest level.