Chief Executive Outlook
Welcome to Geo.
In the six years since our business was created, we have witnessed a revolution in the data networking market in the UK. With our customers, we have helped deliver fundamental changes such as the rapid development of residential broadband; the explosion of data usage by mobile users; the ongoing desire of businesses to outsource their fast-growing IT requirements and take advantage of the new data centre market; and a rapid proliferation of innovative new companies supplying content, software and services to data-hungry users in all parts of our modern economy.
These changes show no sign of stopping. If anything, we are simply in the middle of a tidal wave of change where the ongoing development of the internet and ultra-fast data networking is causing a realignment of business models and the creation of new opportunities on a scale never seen before. Just look at the music or retail industries.
At the heart of all this change lies one of the 20th Century’s greatest inventions: optical fibre. Stable, future-proof and capable of transmitting enormous quantities of data in both directions at the same time, it has no challenger as the transport mechanism of choice for today’s (and tomorrow’s) critical data networks.
We and other countries are now reaching a key watershed as the national copper infrastructure built largely in the immediate post-war period to deliver voice calls can no longer meet our need for high capacity data networking and is reaching the end of its useful life. An exciting new world is upon us. We have the opportunity to build the new infrastructure required to deliver these services for our generation and that of our children, and we can do this using business models which deliver what users want. For the first time, this opportunity could come without the need for regulation to stop whoever builds the network simply preferring their own businesses, and without the fear that they will limit the full potential that unlimited access to optical fibre can bring to our country.
Optical fibre has the potential to become the fourth utility but only if we allow it to be accessed in the same way as we can currently access the other three.
Geo is at the forefront of this evolution. Our business model was designed six years ago to support this vision of a new relationship with the users of data networks: to use our ownership and expertise in optical fibre networks to allow our customers to have full and open access to the potential of optical fibre – as if they were a telecoms company themselves but without the cost of having to build their own assets.
So why is Geo so successful?
Our bespoke network solutions provide customers with the lowest cost of ownership; the ultimate in scalability; market-leading service levels; and choice and control over the way their data networks are run, on day one and into the future.
We own the highest quality and most reliable optical fibre networks in the UK which we are constantly extending to new markets such as Dublin. We also own the most reliable optical fibre network in London, buried deep in the city’s sewers. We use and develop these assets to deliver dedicated optical fibre networks to our customers.
Critically, compared to our rivals, we charge very little for all the subsequent upgrades in bandwidth which our customers need over the lifespan of their networks. For those customers who are happy to run their own equipment over the fibre, we get out of the way completely and allow them to do this.
This flexible approach has proven to be very important to our customers. Our services range from providing customers their own dedicated dark fibre network right through to tailored, fully-managed solutions for those who would prefer to outsource all of this activity. Every network starts with a blank piece of paper and we simply design what our customers want to wherever they want to go.
Perhaps most important is our commitment behind the scenes. We employ talented, passionate people and inspire them to deliver excellence in everything we do. Our reputation for building long-term, collaborative relationships with our customers stems from a history of doing what we say we will – individually-tailored solutions delivered on time, within budget.
We live in challenging times and are witnessing dramatic changes in the way in which data networks are provided and used. If you would like to find out how Geo can help you save money and develop your network, I would love to hear from you.
Chris Smedley
Chief Executive
September 2010
