What SAQ does

SAQ (Service Access Quality) is a UK-based, privately held internet and IT services provider established in 1996 and headquartered at Langstone Technology Park, Havant, Hampshire. The company delivers a broad portfolio of connectivity and infrastructure services to UK residential customers, UK businesses of all sizes, and a small international customer base. Core offerings centre on broadband (ADSL, FTTC, FTTP, leased lines up to 330Mbps), web hosting, and email services, with domain registration enabled through its Accredited Nominet Registrar status and a RIPE NCC partnership (AS29219) for IP allocation. The platform extends into dedicated co-located servers at the Telehouse data centre in London Docklands (HP partner infrastructure) and Virtual Private Servers (VPS) on rolling monthly contracts, supporting CentOS, Debian, and MS Windows Server environments.

The business is monetised through recurring subscriptions (broadband, hosting, backup, security) and managed/usage-based services (technical support at £50/hour remote and £75/hour on-site, plus same-day urgent call-outs). Add-on modules include Avast/AVG antivirus, GDPR-compliant encrypted email, anti-spam and email archiving, and a three-tier Website Maintenance subscription (£35-£75/month). The company also sells hardware and provides custom website design, development, and SEO services. Distribution is sales-led via a UK-based phone team and a self-serve website with online ordering for broadband, hosting, and security products; remote support is delivered using AnyDesk, TeamViewer, and Microsoft Quick Assist.

Operationally, SAQ runs with a headcount of 1-10 employees, has no disclosed external funding, and has remained independently held since founding. Its competitive positioning rests on personal, real-person customer service, one-call resolution, and bundled IT services under a single UK-based provider, targeting customers who want to avoid large call-centre experiences. Customer logos span communications, waste management, publishing, tourism, crewing, arts, industrial, and environmental sectors, consistent with a horizontal SMB and residential customer base rather than anchor enterprise accounts.

Name

SAQ

Legal name

SAQ

Website

https://saq.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SAQ is a UK-based, privately held ISP and IT services provider founded in 1996, offering broadband, web hosting, email, VPS/dedicated servers, cloud backup, security, and managed technical support to residential customers and SMBs primarily in the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Internet and Managed IT Services

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Data Center Operations & Managed Services (Remote Hands, NOC/SOC) (HDABANAA)

Keywords

• Broadband services
• Managed IT support
• Web hosting services
• Domain registration
• Cloud backup

Headquarters

HQ city

Havant

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Broadband Services: Recurring subscription revenue from broadband packages including ADSL, FTTC, FTTP with varying speeds and pricing tiers
2. Web Hosting & Domain Registration: Monthly hosting packages and domain registration/renewal fees for web hosting services
3. Technical Support Services: Per-incident and contract-based technical support including remote assistance, on-site visits, and managed IT services
4. Hardware & Equipment Sales: Sale of computers, printers, routers, and other IT hardware and peripherals
5. Website Development & SEO: Custom website design, development, coding, and search engine optimization services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SAQ provides UK-based internet connectivity (ADSL, FTTC and FTTP broadband up to 330Mbps, leased lines and VoIP phone lines), web hosting and domain registration (as an accredited Nominet .uk registrar), virtual and co-located dedicated servers, email hosting, cloud backup, encrypted email, and managed IT support covering networking, workstations and servers. The company bundles these with web design, development, SEO and tiered website maintenance services aimed at UK businesses that want one provider to handle connectivity, hosting, security and support.

Product overview

SAQ (Service Access Quality) is a UK-based ISP and IT services provider established in 1996 offering a comprehensive portfolio of internet and IT solutions. The core offerings centre on broadband connectivity (ADSL, FTTC, FTTP, leased lines) and web hosting/domain services (Nominet-accredited .uk registrar), supplemented by dedicated server and VPS infrastructure managed at Telehouse London Docklands. The product range is structured around a unified service delivery model where technical support, security, backup, and communications services integrate with the connectivity and hosting platform. Security products (Avast/AVG Antivirus, Encrypted Email, AntiSpam) and cloud backup services are offered as add-on modules that complement the core connectivity and hosting infrastructure, while website development and maintenance services extend the platform into managed digital presence. Email services support POP3/IMAP protocols with Office 365 compatibility, and VoIP phone lines are available where BT copper lines are no longer supported.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Broadband Connections Internet connectivity services ranging from standard ADSL and SuperFast Fibre FTTC/FTTP to leased lines with download speeds up to 330Mbps, plus VoIP phone lines for business and residential customers.
• Websites & SEO Full-service web development including design, programming, SEO marketing and mobile-optimised responsive builds, plus ongoing website maintenance.
• Hosting & Domains Web hosting packages on London servers supporting WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Magento, DokuWiki, MODX and custom PHP sites, plus .uk domain registration through SAQ's accredited Nominet Registrar status.
• Servers and VPS Dedicated co-located servers managed at Telehouse data centre in London Docklands and Virtual Private Servers (VPS) on rolling monthly contracts supporting CentOS, Debian and MS Windows Server with RIPE NCC IP allocations (AS29219).
• Email Services POP3 and IMAP email hosting on customer domains, compatible with Windows Live Mail, Mac Mail, Outlook and mobile devices, including webmail and professional setup by SAQ technicians.
• Technical Support Managed IT support offering instant remote and on-site technical assistance for home and business customers covering workstation and server support, networking, managed updates and help desk, available per-incident or under contract.
• Website Maintenance Three-tier website maintenance service (Lite £35/month, Standard £55/month, Pro £75/month) covering content updates, core/plugin updates, backup, database optimisation, uptime monitoring, security scanning, SSL certificates and W3C compliance.
• SAQ Cloud Backup Encrypted cloud backup service with set-and-forget client and daily reporting, supporting Windows, Apple, Linux, SQL/MySQL Server and Windows Server with in-file delta, priced from £4/month for Personal up to £45/month for Business+.
• AVG Antivirus Security suite offering identity protection, data encryption, server security, file shredding, Linkscanner Surf-Shield, firewall and ransomware protection, with fully managed deployment and configuration by SAQ technicians.
• AVG Cloud Backup Secure automated backup solution providing policy setup, alerts, file restore, SQL and Exchange backup, and ShadowProtect server imaging to protect against hardware failures and data loss.
• AVG Encrypted Email GDPR-compliant policy-based and transparent encrypted email service with automatic encryption controls and compatibility with iPhone, Samsung, Blackberry and other smartphones/devices.
• AVG AntiSpam and Email Archive Cloud email security service providing spam, virus and phishing protection with 10-level in-depth defence plus email archiving for continuity, secure long-term storage and eDiscovery.
• Avast Business Security Industry-leading security platform for business and personal use providing virus, malware and ransomware protection, with SAQ technicians deploying software and updates from a central management portal.

Quantifiable outcome

• Broadband speeds up to 330Mbps available through Fibre (SoGEA) connections
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NominetcoreTechnology or IntegrationSAQ is an Accredited Nominet Registrar for .uk domain names. This partnership enables SAQ to register and manage .uk domain names for their customers as an official registry member.
• RIPE NCCcoreTechnology or IntegrationSAQ is a RIPE NCC partner (AS29219). RIPE NCC is the Regional Internet Registry providing IP address allocation and related services in their service region.
• HP (Hewlett Packard)coreTechnology or IntegrationSAQ is an authorised HP partner and typically supplies HP systems for dedicated server infrastructure. Servers are hosted at Telehouse data centre in London's Docklands.
• AvastcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSAQ distributes Avast (formerly AVG) security products including antivirus, anti-spam, email archiving, encrypted email, and cloud backup solutions. SAQ technicians can deploy software and updates from Avast's central management portal.
• International Domain PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSAQ partners with one of the biggest domain name companies globally to ensure quality service for international domain registrations (.com, .net, .org, and many country-specific TLDs).

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• GoDaddy: Global domain registrar and hosting provider with a UK-facing business selling domains, shared hosting, VPS, email, security and website builder tools — broad incumbent covering most of SAQ's product portfolio.
• Redcentric: UK managed services provider delivering connectivity, cloud, hosting, security and managed IT support to mid-market and public sector — comparable managed-IT-and-connectivity bundle but serving larger customers than SAQ.
• IONOS: Large European hosting, domain, VPS, dedicated server and cloud provider with a UK storefront — overlapping hosting, domain and server product lines with SAQ but operating at hyperscale.
• Plusnet: Established UK consumer and SMB broadband provider (BT-owned) selling ADSL, FTTC and FTTP packages — same connectivity products as SAQ but at materially greater scale and brand recognition.

Direct peers

• Zen Internet: UK independent ISP and business connectivity provider offering broadband, leased lines, VoIP and hosting to SMBs and consumers — directly comparable to SAQ's broadband-led product set and SMB focus.
• Heart Internet: UK hosting, domain registration, VPS, dedicated servers and email provider targeted at SMBs and resellers — directly comparable to SAQ's hosting, domain and server offerings with similar target market.
• Namesco: UK-focused domain registrar and web hosting provider offering .uk registration, shared hosting, VPS, email and SSL, directly comparable to SAQ's hosting-and-domains product line and SMB customer base.
• 123-reg: Large UK domain registrar and hosting platform selling .uk and generic TLDs, shared hosting, VPS, WordPress and email to SMBs and consumers — same horizontal bundle as SAQ but at much greater scale.
• M247: UK and European connectivity, hosting and managed services provider selling broadband, colocation, cloud and managed IT to businesses — overlaps with SAQ's broadband, VPS/dedicated server and managed services portfolio.
• UKFast (ANS Group): UK managed hosting, cloud and managed services provider serving SMB and mid-market customers with bundled connectivity, hosting, security and support — closely aligned with SAQ's managed IT and hosting positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 SAQ