06 October 2021

Broadband and communications provider KCOM has completed the sale of its national ICT business to Nasstar, the companies confirmed.

The deal, which was announced in June 2021, has made the buyer one of the largest independent providers of managed services in the UK with more than 1,200 employees.

Nasstar will also become part of the NHS Health and Social Care Network (HSCN) with it fully accredited to provide and deploy HSCN network services to the health and care sector across the UK.

The existing KCOM National ICT services business will fall under the Nasstar brand within three months.

KCOM said the sale would allow it to focus on its core strategy as a regional provider of full fibre broadband to retail and wholesale customers.

“The sale of our national business reflects a refocusing of our business on our core priorities of expanding our regional network, developing our wholesale business and providing high quality, award-winning services to our retail customers across Hull, east Yorkshire and north Lincolnshire,” said KCOM chief executive Dale Raneberg said. “Over the past 18 months we have made full fibre broadband available for the first time to homes and businesses in 20 towns and villages across East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire as part of our £100m investment in our network expansion.”

Wayne Churchill, chief executive at Nasstar, added: “We have been delighted with the feedback from customers since we announced the acquisition, and this has helped move the deal to completion quickly. We now look forward to the future and realising the value and opportunities the combination of KCOM’s people, capabilities and customers represents.”