A bold London-based broadband provider is facing an unexpected—and rather gnawing—obstacle: rats.
G.Network, a company once hoping to challenge giants like Openreach and Virgin Media, has now gone into administration, and rodents may have played a surprisingly big role in its downfall.
The provider had built a network of fibre-optic cables across London, aiming to offer high-speed internet packages for as little as £25 a month.
But a rescue deal from rival Community Fibre fell through, largely because of concerns that the cables might have been chewed to pieces by rodents, making repairs prohibitively expensive.
An Expensive Gamble on Fibre Infrastructure
G.Network spent millions digging up roads across London to lay its own cables, rather than using existing pavement ducts from Openreach under the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) agreement.
While this approach gave them control over their network, it came with a major downside: any damage to the cables—whether from rats or accidents—meant costly roadworks to fix them.
Community Fibre’s CEO Graeme Oxby explained the dilemma: “Rodents like ducts and they like fibres, which are very tasty.
It’s not something we’ve been particularly interested in because we think it’s got quite a lot of structural issues and would be quite an expensive fix.”
Rats: The Hidden Enemy of Fibre Networks
Rats have increasingly become a headache for broadband providers.
Fibre ducts are cozy nesting spots, while the thick cable materials are perfect for gnawing, helping keep rodents’ teeth sharp.
As fibre networks expand and copper wires are phased out, the problem has only grown.
Recent incidents illustrate the scale of the issue.
In November, around 100 households in Askern, Doncaster lost internet service after a rat chewed through cables, prompting local MP Ed Miliband to intervene.
In 2023, engineers in Tring, Hertfordshire had to reroute 650 metres of cabling around a rat’s nest, captured on camera by Openreach.
Local Disruption Adds to the Strain
G.Network’s decision to dig up roads rather than use existing ducts did not win it any fans among Londoners.
The company even marketed its works with the cheeky slogan: “Fantastic news, we’re digging up your street.”
Residents, especially during lockdown, were less than thrilled.
One Camden resident told the local press, “Everyone is working from home and having to listen to this all day. I’m already going mad. The vibration is shaking our kitchen.”
Administration and the Road Ahead
Despite its challenges, G.Network’s network still spans around 420,000 homes, though only about 25,000 were paying customers at the time of its administration appointment with Alvarez & Marsal Europe.
The administrators have assured customers that services will continue as usual, saying: “The company benefits from a robust network and a strong customer base.
The administrators do not anticipate any adverse impact on customers.”
While the company’s ambitious plans for London fibre internet may have been derailed, the case highlights a growing problem for the industry: rats are turning out to be unexpected but formidable competitors in the race for fast, reliable broadband.
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