Broadband provider, Broadway Partners, has appointed Steve Haines as CEO to fulfil its pledge of establishing 250,000 connections across Wales and Scotland in the next five years.
Haines, formerly CEO of Lightspeed, and an MD in BT Group and Openreach, brings 35 years of Telecom experience in fixed and wireless and has joined the senior board of the specialist rural broadband provider. In this new role, Haines will work alongside Broadway Partners’ founders Michael Armitage and Barry Weaver, who now sit in respective roles as Chief Development Officer and Chief Technology Officer.
Haines joins the business after Downing LLP, a London-based sustainable investment manager closed a £145m deal in October 2021 with Broadway. This investment will help deliver connectivity to isolated communities and will help Broadway to succeed in its ambition to deliver 250,000 connections in the next five years. Haines will use his expertise to drive the business forward and to find creative solutions to connect even the most difficult to reach communities across Wales and Scotland.
Committed to delivering digital freedom to rural communities, Broadway will be investing in Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) gigabit-ready infrastructure and connect communities across rural areas of Wales and Scotland. Areas already undergoing connections include the Isle of Arran off Scotland’s West Coast, and Pembrokeshire, Monmouthshire and Powys in South and Mid Wales.
Steve Haines, CEO of Broadway Partners, said:
“I am hugely proud to have joined Broadway as its CEO and to be part of a project that will see 250,000 homes and businesses connected. We are dedicated to delivering broadband to some of the remotest parts of the UK, and to ensure that communities are supported throughout the process – from consultation to delivery and final connection.
“I joined the business as I firmly believe in what Broadway stands for. I’m proud to be working alongside such an experienced board and leadership team and use my 35 years of experience in this industry.
“I am also proud we are investing in local people and their skills, along with new engineering offices, training centres and depot locations in Wales and Scotland, greatly benefitting the local economies and well-being in these areas.
“Installing fibre in rural areas and working with communities to help deliver what matters to them is at the heart of what Broadway offers, and we have already seen the impact of what delivering connectivity can do. From allowing families to video call far away loved ones, connecting those to education online and even allowing for simple everyday tasks like online banking and video doctors’ appointment,; we’re excited to be able to focus on delivering connections to those who need it.”
About Broadway
When it launched commercial service in 2016, deploying the pioneering TV WhiteSpace technology on the Isle of Arran in Scotland, Broadway’s mission was to serve the connectivity needs of rural communities across the UK.
The company has since developed network coverage across large swathes of Monmouthshire and Pembrokeshire in Wales, and in Ayrshire, Perth & Kinross, Inverness-shire and Stirlingshire in Scotland.
With an initial Fixed Wireless focus, Broadway has now incorporated Full Fibre into its technology toolkit, allowing it to offer the most appropriate technology wherever it goes.
About Downing LLP:
Downing is a sustainable investment manager established in London in 1986. We currently manage £1.8 billion of assets under a broad range of investment mandates across our funds, investment trusts and tax-efficient products. As a certified B Corporation, we are focused on creating a sustainable future and our key investment areas are renewable energy, infrastructure, property and healthcare.
