Astro Communications

What Astro Communications does

Astro Communications Ltd (trading as Astro Technology Group) is a UK-headquartered IT managed service provider founded in 1984 and based in Dartford, Kent. The company designs, deploys and manages end-to-end communications and networking solutions for small, medium and large organisations, with field engineering coverage across the UK, Ireland and northern Europe and a 24x365 service desk for global desktop support. Its product portfolio comprises eight interlocking offerings: Managed Services, Network Solutions, Infrastructure, Connectivity (WAN, Ethernet Access Direct, managed broadband), Procurement, Desktop Support, Consultancy, and Field Engineering, supplemented by a Cyber Resilience Services line covering security configuration, phishing simulation, Cyber Essentials and Zero Trust implementation.

The company operates on a hybrid revenue model combining recurring managed service contracts, time-and-materials or fixed-price project work (priced via Specification Documents), hardware procurement through distributor networks, and professional/consultancy services. Go-to-market is direct and relationship-led, positioning Astro as "part of their team rather than just a supplier" — evidenced by enterprise customers such as TGI Fridays, Barchester Healthcare, Oakman Inns, UNiDAYS, Wightlink, London & Partners, Elite Hotels, Azzurri Group and The Kennel Club. The firm is privately held, founder-influenced (Steve Smith as CTO/Founder, Steve Hodges as CEO since 2013), ISO 9001:2015 certified, and a Corporate Associate of the Institute of Telecommunications Professionals (ITP).

Strategically, Astro has layered community and ecosystem partnerships (Dragons Rugby, WCIT, Charity IT Association) and a technology partnership with Aruba Networks onto its core MSP offering, while running a structured ITP apprenticeship pipeline. The business is profitable and operationally stable but small in absolute scale (11-50 employees), with no disclosed external funding, acquisitions, or AI/ML capabilities evident in the source material.

Name

Astro Communications

Legal name

Astro Communications Ltd

Website

https://astro.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Astro Communications is a UK-headquartered IT managed service provider (founded 1984, Dartford) delivering managed IT, networking, connectivity, cybersecurity and field engineering services to small, medium and large organisations across the UK, Ireland and northern Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dartford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Managed IT Services: Recurring managed service contracts providing fully managed IT solutions from first line desktop support through to monitoring and response, including 24x365 service desk operations.
2. Network Solutions and Infrastructure: Design, deployment and management of network infrastructure solutions including connectivity services (WANs, Ethernet Access Direct, broadband).
3. Hardware and Procurement: Supply of hardware through distributor network including peripherals, desktops, and server environments.
4. Professional Services: Consultancy services, field engineering deployment, and project-based IT organizational structure and best practice advisory.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Astro Communications is an IT managed service provider and connectivity company that designs, deploys, and manages end-to-end communications and networking solutions for organizations. Its portfolio spans managed IT services, network design and delivery, infrastructure deployment, managed broadband and Ethernet connectivity, hardware procurement, 24x365 desktop support, IT consultancy, and field engineering across the UK, Ireland, and northern Europe.

Product overview

Astro Communications (Astro Technology Group) is an IT Managed Service company and Connectivity provider offering a portfolio of eight interconnected technology solutions. The core offerings include Managed Services (fully managed IT from desktop support to monitoring), Network Solutions (design, delivery, and diagnosis), Infrastructure (secure environments with on-premise and off-site backup), and Connectivity (managed broadband and Ethernet including WAN services). These are supported by Procurement (hardware distribution), Desktop Support (24x365 service desk), Consultancy (network and IT organizational expertise), and Field Engineering (on-site engineering across UK, Ireland, and northern Europe). The company has been solving business challenges since 1984, positioning itself as an end-to-end communications and networking solutions provider.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Managed Services Fully managed IT solutions spanning first line desktop support through to monitoring and response, providing end-to-end IT management for business customers.
• Network Solutions Complete range of network solutions covering design, delivery, and diagnosis of network issues for business environments.
• Infrastructure Delivers solutions into secure environments and provides both on-premise and off-site backup capabilities for organizations.
• Connectivity Public and private managed broadband and Ethernet services including WAN and Ethernet Access Direct solutions for businesses.
• Procurement Hardware procurement services through a network of distributors providing peripherals, desktops, and server environments.
• Desktop Support 24x365 service desk providing reliable managed services including desktop support to customers wherever they are in the world.
• Consultancy Expertise in global network and high performance computing deployments, IT organisational structure, and best practice implementation for clients.
• Field Engineering Field-based engineering resource supplied across the whole of the UK, Ireland and northern Europe for on-site deployment and support.
• Cyber Resilience Services Security configuration assessments, staff cyber security awareness training through simulations, Cyber Essentials preparation, Zero Trust implementation, and strategic IT security leadership for organisations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced overall running costs for businesses
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dragons RugbycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Community partnership with Welsh regional rugby team Dragons, providing valuable support to their Community and Inclusion team. Partnership began in 2020 and continued in subsequent years, supporting grassroots rugby initiatives.
• Aruba NetworkscoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partnership for wireless network deployments. As Aruba Networks partners, Astro frequently engages in wireless deployments and designs, including home working solutions that extend corporate networks seamlessly.
• Worshipful Company of Information Technologists (WCIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSteve Smith, CTO and Founder, is a Court Liveryman and Panels Warden of WCIT. Company involved in pro-bono IT initiatives, Charity IT Association, Livery Schools Link career showcase events, and various charitable activities through this Livery Company connection.
• Charity IT Association (CITA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCIT volunteers are involved in CITA which matches IT volunteers to charities in need across the UK. Steve Smith is a Trustee. CITA has helped over 600 charities since 2015.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Gamma Communications: UK-headquartered provider of communications, connectivity and cloud services to SMB and mid-market. Directly comparable to Astro as a UK managed communications and connectivity MSP serving similar enterprise and mid-market customers with Ethernet, broadband and SIP/trunking.
• Daisy Communications (Daisy Group): One of the largest UK managed service providers offering connectivity, unified communications, cloud and IT managed services. Overlaps directly with Astro's managed IT, network and connectivity portfolio for UK enterprise and mid-market.
• Exponential-e: UK provider of managed connectivity, cloud, and IT services with private Ethernet network. Comparable to Astro on managed Ethernet/WAN, infrastructure and cyber services for mid-market and enterprise.
• TalkTalk Business: UK business connectivity and communications provider (Ethernet, broadband, SIP) serving SMB and enterprise. Highly comparable to Astro's connectivity and WAN/Ethernet portfolio.
• Trustmarque Solutions: UK IT managed services and solutions provider offering cloud, managed services, cyber security and network services to enterprise and public sector. Direct overlap with Astro's managed services and cyber resilience offerings.
• Littlefish: UK IT managed service provider specialising in managed IT support, cyber security and cloud services for mid-market and enterprise. Highly comparable in service mix and target customer profile to Astro.
• Foehn (formerly Vanilla Electronics) / Charterhouse Group: UK IT managed services and connectivity provider offering unified communications, networks and managed IT. Comparable to Astro on connectivity, managed services and UK enterprise mid-market focus.

Broad incumbents

• Softcat: Large UK IT infrastructure provider and reseller offering networking, datacentre, software licensing and managed services. Overlaps with Astro's network solutions and procurement streams but operates at significantly broader scale.
• GCI (DXC Technology): UK managed service provider (now part of DXC) with extensive managed cloud, connectivity and IT services capability. Comparable managed services portfolio for UK enterprise customers though much larger in scale.

Emerging players

• Zen Internet: UK business connectivity and broadband provider that increasingly bundles managed network services. Overlaps with Astro's Ethernet/broadband connectivity and managed network layer for UK SMB.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/astrocommsuk

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Astro Communications