TalkTalk Group is acquiring Virtual1, a wholesaler of high bandwidth connectivity services.
Virtual1 presents an opportunity for TalkTalk Group to increase its scale as a national provider of Ethernet-based (EAD/leased lines) solutions, with TalkTalk Group and Virtual1 saying they will achieve a combined EAD market share of 25% in the UK.
The deal will also allow TalkTalk partners to benefit from Virtual1’s capabilities in automation, APIs and portal technology, all built off software-defined network services, TalkTalk said.
Virtual1 CEO and founder Tom O’Hagan will continue to lead the stand-alone business of 200 people as part of the TalkTalk Group.
Tristia Harrison, TalkTalk CEO, said: “Since taking the company private in February 2021, we have looked to invest to strengthen both our B2B and wholesale platforms. As all businesses continue to experience increasing demands for high bandwidth services, we see huge benefits in acquiring Virtual1, coupling our national scale network with their market-leading APIs and software capabilities.”
O’Hagan added: “We have built an award-winning self-service portal and suite of APIs to enable businesses to virtually manage their networks with complete visibility of real-time bandwidth, reducing partners' manual intervention and cost, whilst improving the customer experience.”
