Private equity companies KKR and Warburg Pincus are exploring potential sales of their UK fibre broadband units. According to the Financial Times, Warburg has engaged investment bankers and reached out to possible buyers for its London-based ISP, Community Fibre, while KKR has contacted prospective acquirers for its broadband provider, Hyperoptic. Community Fibre has around 450,000 customers, while Hyperoptic serves more than 400,000. According to the FT, both KKR and Warburg have explored the possibility of merging the two companies, although neither private equity firm is in any hurry to pursue a deal. Last month Community Fibre announced plans to expand its fibre network to two million premises by 2028-29, having already passed around 20 million. This week’s report comes at a challenging time for the UK fibre sector, where several alternative network providers (altnets) are competing for customers while funding costly network roll-outs. The market has already experienced consolidation, with major players such as BT’s Openreach and Virgin Media O2 dominating fibre broadband. The FT does not identify potential buyers but says Virgin Media O2 is unlikely to be among them as it focuses on completing its purchase of Netomnia from Substantial Group. Other large altnets, including CityFibre, have also faced difficulties maintaining the pace of deployment, although CityFibre did secure a £2.3 billion ($3.08 billion) financing package last year to support its expansion. Another altnet, G.Network, emerged from administration in March after being bought by FitzWalter Capital. More in Investment / M&A / Financing. 30 April 2026. Additional coverage in Telecoms & 5G. 28 April 2026. 20 May 2026. 23 April 2026
