Belfast-based Barclay Communications has announced a new partnership with Fibrus that will make it easier for businesses across Northern Ireland to access full fibre broadband through its wholesale channel, Hyperfast Networks, delivered as part of the government backed Project Stratum.
Through the partnership, Barclay Communications will utilise full fibre broadband via Hyperfast Networks, giving Barclay’s business customers support to order, install and manage full fibre connectivity that was previously difficult or unavailable in many areas.
John Roulston, Sales Director at Barclay Communications, said the partnership removes many of the barriers that have slowed uptake of full fibre among businesses.
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“Many organisations know faster broadband exists but are unsure what they can access, who to speak to or how disruptive the process will be. By partnering with Fibrus, we can bring full fibre to more businesses and manage everything on their behalf. It means one conversation, a single supplier and ongoing local support, rather than multiple touchpoints and unnecessary complexity.”
He added, “We are delighted that this partnership allows us to speak to more organisations across Northern Ireland and help accelerate their technology, WiFi and IT. Barclay Communications shares the same goal as Fibrus, which is to bring the highest speeds to businesses and support their growth.
“Our teams will be notifying organisations when fibre is available through various campaigns and we encourage businesses to get in touch to find out more and check availability. To mark the launch, we are also offering six months’ free broadband, giving organisations the opportunity to reinvest those savings into their operations, people and future growth.”
Fibrus has played a central role in extending full fibre infrastructure to rural and hard-to-reach parts of Northern Ireland, rolling out a network that brings gigabit capable broadband to rural or previously unserved areas. The Fibrus network has now passed over 325,000 homes and businesses, with Project Stratum alone connecting over 81,000 premises across the region.
Fibrus is an alternative supplier, supporting central and competing areas as well as rural locations, ensuring businesses have access to supplier choice rather than relying solely on legacy networks.
While Northern Ireland now leads the UK for gigabit availability overall, many businesses still rely on older copper-based connections or fixed wireless services that were designed for much lighter internet use. In practical terms, that means slower upload speeds, more disruption and increasing pressure as cloud services, video calls and digital systems become standard for everyday operations. Openreach is starting to switch off old copper broadband in more parts of the UK and replace it with full fibre. The newest batch covers 132 areas and about 1.23 million properties, showing how quickly the move to fibre-only networks is happening.
Neill Patterson, Head of Wholesale and Product at Hyperfast NI, commented:
"Our partnership with Barclay Communications marks a major step forward in bringing full fibre broadband to more businesses across Northern Ireland. Together, we’re delivering the speed, reliability and best-in-class service organisations need to compete and grow in a digital economy.”
Full fibre broadband delivers higher speeds and greater reliability, benefiting businesses that send large files, use cloud software, host video meetings or rely on VoIP. Through Fibrus, companies can choose packages from entry-level for small offices to high-capacity connections offering up to 1,000Mbps download and upload.
Many Barclay Communications customers already using Fibrus are experiencing positive operational impacts across reliability, performance and business continuity.
As Northern Ireland’s largest locally owned telecoms wholesaler, and a family-grown business with in-house engineering and support teams, Barclay Communications positions itself as a long-term partner rather than a transactional provider.
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The partnership also supports wider economic goals here. Fibrus has reported a significant contribution to the Northern Ireland economy since 2020 through infrastructure investment, job creation and supply chain activity. By working with local partners like Barclay Communications, that investment is translated into practical outcomes for businesses on the ground.
To encourage adoption, Barclay Communications is announcing a unique offer in collaboration with Fibrus; six months’ free broadband that can be reinvested into operations, staff and growth. Barclay Communications has identified around 7,000 businesses in Northern Ireland that are not utilising full fibre even though it is available in their area.
Businesses can check availability through the Hyperfast NI network and speak directly with Barclay Communications to assess the most suitable option for their size and requirements.
https://barclaycomms.com/fibrus/
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