Latest in the Telecoms Trailblazers series
Hello, I’m Steve Haines and I am the CEO of Broadway Partners. I have been in the telecoms industry for over 30 years, spending a large part of my career in the BT Group and working with everything you need from fixed to mobile communications.
Building networks and offering internet service since 2016, Broadway Partners is delivering high-speed dependable fibre broadband to communities across Scotland and Wales, succeeding where others had failed. Our team is driven by the philosophy that everyone should have access to a fast and fairly priced network. I like to think of us as an “alternative provider”, connecting those areas that the bigger suppliers have left behind.
We aim to deliver Gigabit-capable networks to 100% of our initial communities by 2025. Alongside this, we hope to build up to 250,000 homes over the next few years and open up a depot in South Wales and Scotland. Much of this work involves collaborating with local authorities, a significant partnership on which our success often depends.
Currently, we employ 120 people or 200 including subtractors. We have grand ambitions and need all hands on deck. This is a big task we are facing. Our ambition is to grow to upwards of 250,000 rural customers.
1/ What do you enjoy most about working in this space?
Working with like-minded purpose-driven people helping local communities.
2/ What’s a ridiculous thing you’ve done in the name of work?
I was once on a Zoom call with a client in Canada while he was skiing down a slope in Europe. It was very impressive but perhaps not the wisest idea.
3/ What excites you most about working in telecoms?
Solving customer problems. Telecoms is an important utility and delivering that service is really satisfying.
4/ What would you like people to know about your work?
Broadway goes the extra mile, always. We help people connect and introduce forgotten communities to the wonderful digital world, plentiful with opportunities and innovation.
5/ Why is a vibrant, flourishing telecoms ecosystem important for the UK?
To remain competitive and connected. Digital communication is just as important as other essential services, even for personal well-being. We live our lives on smartphones, or on a data server somewhere in the world —and nobody should be left behind.
