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The Independent Networks Co-operative Association (INCA) has announced their intention to launch a national week-long campaign commencing on 4th July 2026 called Broadband Independents’ Day, which aims to raise awareness about alternative broadband networks (altnets) to help homes and businesses discover what ISP options are available.
According to INCA’s data, altnets now account for more than 3.6 million live broadband connections in the UK, while more than 850,000 customers switched to an independent provider during 2025 alone (here). The latter figure is roughly equivalent to how many broadband lines Openreach lost over the same period.
Research commissioned by INCA, and conducted by Whitestone Insight, also claims to have found that around two-thirds of independent customers feel that smaller internet providers care more about their customers – and close to half of national customers say they expect the same.
Altnets are also said to deliver an average Trustpilot rating of around 4.4 out of 5, which compares well with 1.8 for Sky (Sky Broadband etc.), 1.3 for BT, 2 for TalkTalk and 2.4 for Virgin Media / O2.
Paddy Paddison, Chief Executive of INCA, said:
“Across the UK, independent providers have spent years building world-class full fibre networks, supporting local communities and delivering strong service, yet many consumers and businesses still default to the same handful of familiar brands.
The sector is no longer a fringe part of the market. Millions of premises can now access an independent broadband provider, hundreds of thousands of customers switched last year alone, and the evidence increasingly shows strong performance on customer satisfaction and community impact, alongside being the only part of the market offering 100% full fibre.
Broadband Independents’ Day is about making people aware that they have more options than they may realise and helping them discover the provider that may already be available right on their doorstep.”
The new awareness campaign will thus be designed to highlight the role altnets now play in the UK broadband market and encourage households and businesses to look beyond ‘big-name’ brands. “It spotlights how Altnets are bringing more choice than ever before, while competing with incumbent providers on connectivity and customer experience, and delivering local community benefits through jobs, skills, local supply chains and social impact,” said the announcement.