UK AltNet profile
Netomnia (Substantial Group)
Netomnia is one of the UK's fastest-growing altnet network operators, with 3 million premises passed and a multi-gigabit XGS-PON wholesale network feeding YouFibre and partner ISPs.
Headline numbers
| Founded | 2019 |
|---|---|
| HQ | York |
| Region of focus | Nationwide UK (build footprint) |
| Premises passed | Approx 2.7 million premises passed (mid-2025 combined Substantial Group footprint) |
| Premises ready for service | Targeting 3.0 million by end-2025 |
| Customers (latest) | ~375,000 combined retail customers across YouFibre and brsk (mid-2025) |
| Take-up rate | Approx 11.5 percent at end-2024 (combined group) |
| Network tech | XGS-PON full fibre |
| Funding raised | Backed by Advencap, DigitalBridge (£295m equity led Q2 2022) and Soho Square Capital, plus £25m National Wealth Fund loan (October 2024) and £300m of junior debt in 2025 led by I Squared, Palistar, Bain and RMB |
| Last funding round | nexfibre agreed to acquire Substantial Group at a £2bn enterprise value on 18 February 2026; YouFibre and brsk retail brands to pass to Virgin Media O2 for £150m on completion (expected Q3 2026 subject to CMA clearance) (February 2026 (agreed; pending CMA)) |
| INCA member | Yes |
| Last updated | May 2026 |
About Netomnia (Substantial Group)
Netomnia is one of the most rapidly-scaling altnet operators in the UK, with 3 million premises passed across a national footprint and an XGS-PON network capable of multi-gigabit tariffs including a headline 8 Gbps consumer offer. Retail distribution runs primarily through YouFibre, with a growing list of partner ISPs. Backed by DigitalBridge among others, Netomnia has been a focal point of UK altnet consolidation discussions in trade press over the past two years.
Coverage notes
National build covering Yorkshire, North East, North West, Midlands, South East and selected Scottish markets. Build cadence has accelerated significantly in 2024 and 2025.
Major build areas
York, Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle, Sunderland, Coventry, Liverpool, Doncaster and dozens of smaller towns.
Partnership opportunities
Wholesale to retail ISPs. Co-marketing in Netomnia footprint via the FBRE network.
FBRE supports AltNets with geo-targeted tenancy, comparison site builds for resellers, and co-marketing collaborations. Network reach is verified at 12,000,000+ impressions and 730,000+ network clicks in the 12 months to 24 May 2026 (rolling average of 2,000+ clicks per day, rising fast). See AltNet marketing for placement and pricing.
How to reach Netomnia (Substantial Group)-footprint switchers
- Geo-targeted tenancy on the FBRE network, single site from £99 per month.
- Postcode checker build that surfaces Netomnia (Substantial Group) where available, from £4,500.
- Co-marketing on the FBRE AltNet Tracker.
- Comparison engine build for partner resellers, from £7,950.
Data and methodology
This profile uses INCA member published data where available, the operator's published trading updates and press releases, Ofcom Connected Nations data, and Companies House filings. Figures marked "data pending" reflect commercially confidential or not-yet-published numbers. See methodology for sourcing detail.