APFN Sells Brillband's retail broadband customers to Olilo

AllPoints Fibre Networks (APFN, part of Fern Trading) has confirmed the sale of the retail customer base of its last consumer broadband ISP, Brillband, to provider Olilo for an undisclosed sum. The deal completes APFN's shift to a fully wholesale-focused business.

The move follows a similar arrangement earlier in the year, when APFN sold the retail base of Cuckoo to Onestream. That prior sale had signalled that Brillband's days as a retail brand were numbered.

Brillband, based in Glasgow, is a full fibre (FTTP) provider that APFN acquired in October 2024. It sells packages to homes over APFN's wholesale platform. The base now sold to Olilo mostly reflects customers on the national full fibre networks of Openreach and CityFibre.

The final stage of a wholesale strategy

APFN describes the sale as the final stage of its strategic move away from retail services. That shift follows the launch of its aquila wholesale platform, which aggregates connectivity from several alternative networks, including APFN's own full fibre network, and makes it available to retail internet providers.

The aquila platform delivers connectivity via Openreach, BT Wholesale, CityFibre and Sky Business Wholesale through a single API integration aimed at channel partners.

Nisreen El Kaloush, chief commercial officer at AllPoints Fibre Networks, said the sale marked a "final step" in fully aligning APFN behind the vision of having a single route to market through aquila.

What happens to Brillband customers

Existing Brillband customer contracts, pricing and broadband services will continue to be honoured by Olilo. Customers are not required to take any action as part of the transfer, though contract terms may change over time as deals reach their end and re-contracting offers differ.

Olilo said the acquisition broadens its customer base and strengthens its position in the UK broadband market. It will continue to support those customers through aquila, using APFN's connectivity footprint.

Liam Mulryan, chief executive of Olilo, said: "Brillband has built something really special, and we're not coming in to rip everything up. The product, pricing, and contracts stay the same. We've always tried to do broadband a bit differently. Clear costs, honest answers, proper support and no hiding behind jargon or small print. Broadband without the B.S. And yes, I was told to tone that down. This is a massive moment for Olilo, but the most important thing is making sure Brillband members feel looked after from day one. We're excited to build on what's already there and give the community a proper long-term home."

Duncan Di Biase of Brillband said: "What this team built goes far beyond a network. They showed up every day for our customers with a level of care you rarely see in this industry, and I'm enormously proud of them. That's the real legacy of Brillband."

Losses behind the exit

Brillband's most recent accounts recorded a total loss for the year ended 30 June 2025 of £892,700, up from a loss of £729,900 the year before. Those figures may have helped drive APFN's decision to leave the retail business.

It is not clear how many customers are affected by the agreement. Brillband was smaller than Cuckoo, which is estimated to have had around 75,000 customers.

The deal also raises questions about APFN's own full fibre network, formed from the former Giganet, Jurassic Fibre and Swish Fibre operations, which was due to go live via Brillband last month. The press announcement did not mention that network.