Hyperoptic to extend reach using Openreach network

Hyperoptic, the - previously - independent full fibre network, has announced plans to expand their reach by reselling access to the Openreach network.

With a full launch expected in Q1 2026, Hyperoptic aim to serve at least an additional 1 million customers in the coming year.

The provider has also revealed they've hit a key milestone of 400,000 customers, with 1.9 million premises passed.

Openreach reseller

Hyperoptic are underway with preparations to become an Openreach full fibre reseller in the coming year.

The provider plans to launch new packages to at least 1 million customers in the first quarter of 2026, and it sounds likely that expansion could well continue across the entire Openreach network of 18.3 million premises.

CEO and co-founder, Dana Tobak CBE, said, "We have built a solid reputation of delivering best-in-class customer experience to our current footprint of 64 towns and cities, placing us in a unique position within the market. To support our growth ambition, and to bring the Hyperoptic experience to more consumers, we have taken a strategic decision to make our services available via the Openreach platform from next year.

"This expansion is good news for both existing consumers and new customers looking to improve their service. Our research highlights that most customers who leave us do so because they're moving home. We understand home movers would prefer to take their Hyperoptic service with them so today's announcement will make that possible, and our customers can continue to enjoy Hyperoptic for many years."

Hyperoptic have also revealed they've passed a strategic milestone of acquiring 400,000 customers on their own network, with over 1.9 million premises now passed.

That's up from 1.73 million as of July 2024, so suggests a small but steady continuation of their existing FTTB/H network expansion.

Pricing changes

There are, as yet, no details given on the packages and prices of the new Openreach connections to be made available by Hyperoptic, although we can expect them to be in a similar vein to other resellers like Vodafone, Sky and BT.

As a result, its likely prices for Openreach-delivered Hyperoptic connections could be more expensive than packages on their own network, which currently start from as little as £17.99 per month, or £26 per month for 159Mbps.

More competitive pricing is not impossible however, with Sky's pricing currently sitting in line with or just below that of Hyperoptic. Sky Full Fibre 150 currently costs £2 less per month than Hyperoptic Superfast, and Sky Gigafast costs the same as Hyperoptic Hyperfast at £35 per month.

The announcement to become a retail Openreach provider also comes just one week after Hyperoptic dropped their policy for no mid-contract price hikes.

While there may have been other factors at play, it's certainly a change that will streamline their contracts with Openreach wholesale pricing, who themselves impose CPI-based annual price rises on their resellers.

BT, EE, Plusnet, TalkTalk and Vodafone who all resell Openreach connections all charge an annual price rise policy of £3 per month in March or April of each year.

Hyperoptic contracts taken out from 3rd June 2025 will also now follow this approach, ending one of their unique selling points in favour of moving the provider closer to the mainstream.