Grain Connect
Grain Connect Limited is a UK-based internet service provider delivering Full Fibre (FTTP) broadband over its own Point-to-Point network to residential and business customers across 60+ UK towns and cities, generating revenue through monthly subscription packages.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersCarlisle, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Grain Connect does
Grain Connect Limited is a UK-based internet service provider delivering Full Fibre (FTTP) broadband to residential and business customers across more than 60 towns and cities in England, Wales, and Scotland. The company owns and operates its own end-to-end fibre network using Point-to-Point (PTP) architecture, in which each premises receives a dedicated fibre link rather than sharing capacity with neighbours on a Passive Optical Network (PON). This avoids reliance on Openreach wholesale and gives Grain direct control over performance, reliability, and pricing.
The consumer product portfolio spans entry to premium tiers: Full Fibre 250 (250Mbps), Full Fibre 500 (500Mbps), Full Fibre 1000 (900Mbps), and the recently introduced Full Fibre 2000 (up to 2Gbps). All packages include unlimited data, free installation, a Wi-Fi 6 router, and contractual commitments to no in-contract price rises, supported by a Price Match Guarantee. Two social tariffs (Social Basic at £12.50/month and Social Plus at £22.50/month) serve benefits-eligible customers. The company also operates dedicated sub-brands for high-street businesses, business parks, landlords, students, and home workers, and offers add-on modules including static IP, phone packages, Wi-Fi extenders, and entertainment bundles.
Revenue is generated through recurring monthly subscriptions across the residential and business segments. Distribution is direct-to-consumer, driven by an online sign-up flow with a postcode-based availability checker, One Touch Switch integration for provider transitions, and a UK-based 7-day call centre. Network rollout is operationally managed through sister company Grain Communications, which coordinates third-party contractors and streetworks. Grain Connect is privately held, headquartered in Carlisle, Cumbria, and regulated by Ofcom as an Electronic Communications Services provider.
Grain Connect firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Grain Connect
- Legal name
- Grain Connect Limited
- Website
- https://grainconnect.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Grain Connect Limited is a UK-based internet service provider delivering Full Fibre (FTTP) broadband over its own Point-to-Point network to residential and business customers across 60+ UK towns and cities, generating revenue through monthly subscription packages.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Grain Connect industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Broadband Internet Services
- NAICS
- Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711)
- SIC
- Computer Communications Equipment (3576)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers) (HDAIADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Small Business/SoHo Routers & Gateways (HDAFAIAH)
Keywords
Where Grain Connect is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Carlisle
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Grain Connect business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Residential Full Fibre Broadband: Monthly subscription revenue from residential broadband packages. Packages include Full Fibre 250, 500, 1000 with optional phone service, Wi-Fi extender, and static IP add-ons.
- Social Tariff Subscriptions: Affordable broadband packages for eligible customers receiving government benefits. Social Basic at £12.50/month and Social Plus at £22.50/month.
- Business Broadband: Broadband packages for high street businesses, business parks, and landlords with tailored solutions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Social Basic - 15Mbps symmetrical |
| Subscription | Monthly | Social Plus - 30Mbps symmetrical |
| Subscription | Monthly | Full Fibre 250 - 250Mbps |
| Subscription | Monthly | Full Fibre 500 - 500Mbps |
| Subscription | Monthly | Full Fibre 1000 - 900Mbps |
| Subscription | Monthly | Full Fibre 2000 - up to 2Gbps |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Grain Connect product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Grain Connect Limited is a UK-based Internet Service Provider that delivers Full Fibre (FTTP) broadband to residential and business customers using its own Point-to-Point (PTP) network architecture. The company owns its end-to-end fibre infrastructure rather than relying on Openreach's shared network, offering symmetrical speeds ranging from 250Mbps to 2Gbps across 60+ UK towns and cities.
Product overview
Grain Connect is a UK-based Internet Service Provider offering full fibre (FTTP) broadband services delivered over its own dedicated PTP (Point-to-Point) fibre network. The product portfolio consists of three main consumer broadband tiers: Full Fibre 2000 (up to 2Gbps), Full Fibre 1000 (900Mbps), and Full Fibre 250 (250Mbps), all featuring unlimited data, free installation, and no in-contract price rises. These are complemented by two social tariff options (Basic at 15Mbps and Plus at 30Mbps, both £12.50-£22.50/month) for qualifying customers. Optional add-ons include Wi-Fi extenders, static IP addresses, phone packages, and entertainment packages. The company also offers specialized sub-brands for student broadband, home working, and business segments including high street and business park offerings. All services use dedicated full fibre connections without shared bandwidth with neighbours.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Full Fibre 250
- Full Fibre 500
- Full Fibre 1000
- Full Fibre 2000
- Social Basic Tariff
- Social Plus Tariff
- Business Broadband
- Wi-Fi Extender
- Static IP Address
- Phone Packages
- Entertainment Packages
Quantifiable outcome
- Speeds up to 13x faster than UK average broadband
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Grain Connect
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Grain Connect technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Grain Connect partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Grain CommunicationscoreGrain Communications is described as a 'sister company' that works with third-party contractors to install the broadband infrastructure on Grain's behalf. They handle the physical network rollout and streetworks in new areas.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Grain Connect competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Trooli: Kent-based UK FTTH altnet building its own fibre network to serve residential customers in the South East. Comparable as a regional fibre-owning ISP in the altnet category.
- Hyperoptic: UK FTTH altnet offering gigabit symmetrical broadband to residential and business customers using its own fibre network. Directly comparable as a fibre-owning altnet targeting similar urban residential and MDU segments.
- Fibrus: Northern Ireland FTTH altnet deploying its own full fibre network to residential customers. Comparable as a regional fibre-owning ISP with similar product positioning and GTM.
- Community Fibre: London-focused FTTH altnet providing symmetrical gigabit broadband to residential and business customers on its own fibre infrastructure. Closely comparable operating model and target customer base.
- CityFibre: UK wholesale and retail FTTH altnet operating its own fibre network across 60+ towns/cities. Highly comparable in scope and footprint, with overlapping geographic markets to Grain.
- Gigaclear: UK FTTH altnet focused on rural and semi-rural broadband delivery on its own fibre network. Comparable as a fibre-owning altnet selling FTTH directly to residential customers.
Broad incumbents
- Virgin Media O2: Major UK ISP and network operator offering gigabit broadband via its own cable/fibre network. Comparable as a large-scale UK retail ISP competitor, though with a much broader footprint and product portfolio.
- Vodafone UK: Major UK ISP with Full Fibre broadband packages, partnered with CityFibre for altnet access and selling over Openreach. Comparable as a large UK retail broadband competitor with overlapping product tiers.
- BT (Openreach / BT Consumer): Dominant UK incumbent owning the Openreach wholesale fibre/copper network and selling FTTP retail via BT Consumer. Comparable as the leading UK retail FTTP competitor whose network buildout directly shapes Grain's addressable market.
- Sky Broadband: Major UK ISP selling broadband packages bundled with TV/entertainment. Comparable as a UK retail broadband competitor that increasingly sells FTTP services over the Openreach network.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Grain Connect social profiles
Digital presenceGrain Connect financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Grain Connect leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Grain Connect funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Grain Connect M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Grain Connect
What does Grain Connect do?
Grain Connect Limited is a UK-based Internet Service Provider that delivers Full Fibre (FTTP) broadband to residential and business customers using its own Point-to-Point (PTP) network architecture. The company owns its end-to-end fibre infrastructure rather than relying on Openreach's shared network, offering symmetrical speeds ranging from 250Mbps to 2Gbps across 60+ UK towns and cities.
Is Grain Connect a public or private company?
Grain Connect is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Grain Connect founded?
Grain Connect was founded in 2017. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Grain Connect based?
Grain Connect is headquartered in Carlisle, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Grain Connect make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Residential Full Fibre Broadband is the primary driver. The others are social Tariff Subscriptions and business Broadband.
Who are Grain Connect's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Trooli, Hyperoptic, Fibrus, Community Fibre, CityFibre and Gigaclear. Broad incumbents are Virgin Media O2, Vodafone UK, BT (Openreach / BT Consumer) and Sky Broadband.
Does Grain Connect have an API?
No public API is recorded for Grain Connect.
What industry is Grain Connect in?
Grain Connect's product category is Broadband Internet Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIADAE, Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers), with a secondary code of HDAFAIAH, Small Business/SoHo Routers & Gateways. Its NAICS code is 517111 and its SIC code is 3576.