NetSurf

What NetSurf does

NetSurf (НЕТ-СЪРФ.НЕТ ООД) is a privately held Bulgarian regional telecommunications company headquartered in Montana, Bulgaria, providing fiber optic internet, interactive digital television, and related services to residential and small business customers in northwestern Bulgaria. Founded in the late 1990s and operating for over 25 years, NetSurf serves approximately 23,000 active subscribers across 9 cities (Montana, Vratsa, Berkovitsa, Kozloduy, Lom, Blagoevgrad, Oryahovo, Valchedram, Varshets) using proprietary GPON fiber-to-the-home infrastructure spanning 200+ km. The company delivers internet speeds of 200 Mbit/s to 1000 Mbit/s alongside 200+ digital TV channels on its proprietary Aurora TV interactive platform with TimeShift (7-day archive), voice search, and multi-device streaming via the NetSurf Play mobile app.

The core technology stack combines GPON fiber last-mile infrastructure, Huawei OptiXstar ONT hardware with integrated battery backup for outage resilience, Wi-Fi 6 mesh systems, and an AI-powered customer service diagnostics system (NetSurf Assistant) launched in late 2024. NetSurf generates revenue primarily through pre-paid monthly subscriptions for internet (standalone or bundled with TV), premium content add-ons (HBO/Cinemax via Warner Bros. Discovery partnership, MAX Sport/Diema Xtra via Nova Broadcasting Group partnership), and modular security software (Zakrilnikat/Zakrilnikat+ at 1.97 BGN/month). Distribution is sales-led, combining 9 physical retail showrooms, a call center operating 24/7, a website (netsurf.bg), a customer self-service portal, and mobile apps on iOS and Android, supported by an active customer referral program. Hardware dependencies on Huawei and content partnerships with major media groups are central to the service portfolio.

The company is founder-controlled (Tsvetomir Tsvetkov) with no known external institutional investors and has historically supplemented operating cash flow with non-dilutive EU co-financing across multiple Operational Programmes (Competitiveness 2014–2020 and 2021–2027, Human Resources, Energy Efficiency) — funding AI R&D, workforce training, an energy-efficiency photovoltaic project, and a 2018 mechatronics product (Smart Cabinet). NetSurf's strategic positioning emphasizes regional infrastructure ownership, battery-backed connectivity during power outages, and community engagement through its affiliated NetSurf Foundation Montana (established 2006), distinguishing it from national telecom competitors in its service territory.

Name

NetSurf

Legal name

НЕТ-СЪРФ.НЕТ ООД

Website

https://netsurf.bg

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

NetSurf is a privately held Bulgarian regional ISP offering fiber optic internet (200–1000 Mbit/s via GPON) and interactive digital TV to approximately 23,000 residential and SMB customers across 9 cities in northwestern Bulgaria, using proprietary infrastructure and bundled subscription pricing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Internet Service Provider

NAICS

Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711)

SIC

Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841), Communications Services, Nec (4899)

akta.pro primary industry

Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers) (HDAIADAE)

Keywords

• Fiber internet services
• Digital television provider
• GPON broadband networks
• Interactive TV platform
• Telecommunications subscriptions

Headquarters

HQ city

Montana

HQ country

Bulgaria

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Internet Subscription Services: Monthly recurring subscriptions for GPON fiber internet at speeds from 200 Mbit/s to 1000 Mbit/s. Pre-paid model with services purchased 1+ months in advance. Bundled packages with TV offer cost savings vs. standalone subscriptions.
2. Interactive Digital TV: Recurring TV subscriptions across multiple packages with 200+ digital channels including premium content (HBO, Cinemax, MAX Sport, Diema Xtra). Additional revenue from add-on sports and movie packages. Includes HBO MAX online streaming access for bundled customers.
3. Bundled / Packaged Services: Combined internet + TV packages at discounted rates compared to standalone services. Represents the preferred and most economical offering for customers.
4. Additional Services (Zakrilnikat+, MAX Sport, Diema Xtra add-ons): Optional premium add-ons including internet security software (Zakrilnikat+ at 1.97 BGN/month), seasonal sports packages (MAX Sport, Diema Xtra), and premium movie channels (HBO, Cinemax) that can be activated/deactivated per month.
5. Mobile App / NetSurf Play: Mobile application for TV streaming on-the-go, with in-app payment processing via ePay.bg. Supports prepaid top-up for services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NetSurf delivers high-speed GPON fiber-optic internet (200–1000 Mbit/s) and interactive digital television through its proprietary Aurora TV platform to residential and small business customers across northwestern Bulgaria. Service delivery relies on a proprietary fiber network with battery-backed ONT routers, complemented by the NetSurf Play mobile app for multi-device streaming, optional premium content add-ons (HBO, MAX Sport, Diema Xtra), and an AI-driven customer diagnostic system.

Product overview

NetSurf is a leading Bulgarian internet and television provider offering a unified portfolio of services combining high-speed fiber optic internet (GPON technology, 200-1000 Mbit/s) with interactive digital TV. The core offering centers on the Aurora TV platform with TimeShift recording capabilities and the NetSurf Play mobile app for multi-device access. Additional services include internet security products (Zakrilnikat/Zakrilnikat+), mesh Wi-Fi systems with Huawei hardware, and premium content packages (HBO, Cinemax, Diema Xtra, MAX Sport). The company also developed an AI-powered customer service system for automated diagnostics and troubleshooting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aurora TV: Interactive TV platform with features including TimeShift, TV Archive, and program recording.
• NetSurf Play
• NetSurf Assistant
• Закрилникът+

Products and services

• Optical Internet (GPON) High-speed fiber optic internet access delivered over NetSurf's proprietary GPON network with downstream speeds from 85 Mbit/s (legacy packages) to 1000 Mbit/s, including battery-backed ONT routers for continued connectivity during power outages. Available to residential and business subscribers across NetSurf's covered settlements in northwestern Bulgaria.
• Aurora TV (Interactive Digital Television) NetSurf's interactive digital television platform with 200+ channels including premium content (HBO, Cinemax, MAX Sport, Diema Xtra), 7-day TimeShift archive, program recording, electronic program guide, and voice search. Delivered to subscribers via set-top boxes and the NetSurf Play mobile application.
• NetSurf Play Mobile App Cross-platform mobile application (iOS/Android) that allows NetSurf TV subscribers to stream live and recorded television on smartphones and tablets, with support for up to three devices per account (primary username/password device plus two access-code devices). Replaces/extends home TV viewing to mobile environments.
• NetSurf Assistant (AI Diagnostic Tool) AI-driven customer service and self-diagnostics tool that helps NetSurf subscribers identify and resolve common technical issues in their internet network, with intelligent routing to human agents and video-call support when needed. Developed as part of EU co-financed innovation project.
• Zakrilnikat+ Internet Security (Закрилникът+) Subscription-based internet security add-on providing active online traffic filtration, malware/phishing protection, and (in the enhanced "Zakrilnikat+" tier) parental controls including social media restrictions, chat-app filtering, and website/application blacklisting. Available to NetSurf internet subscribers at 1.97 BGN/month.
• MAX Sport (Sports Channel Package) Premium sports content add-on for NetSurf TV subscribers, featuring live broadcasts of Bulgarian football championship, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A, and ATP tennis tournaments. Activatable/deactivatable per month.
• Diema Xtra (Sports Channel Package) Sports channel add-on for NetSurf TV subscribers providing live HD broadcasts of football, basketball, and motorsport events. Available as a monthly subscription that can be activated only during desired sports seasons.
• HBO & Cinemax Premium Movie Packages Premium movie channel subscriptions (HBO and Cinemax) available to NetSurf TV customers as monthly add-ons; HBO subscriptions include free access to the MAX streaming platform via registration codes generated in the NetSurf user portal.
• Set-Top Box (STB) Hardware Digital TV set-top box hardware provided to subscribers with bundled TV packages for decoding and displaying NetSurf's interactive television service. Free replacement offered for defective units.
• ONT Huawei (Optical Network Terminal) Main optical network terminal (fiber modem/router) deployed to subscribers, combining fiber termination with Wi-Fi and Ethernet switching and routing the TV signal to set-top boxes. Battery-backed variants keep internet online during power outages.
• Huawei OptiXstar K562e-10 Mesh Wi-Fi System Wi-Fi 6 mesh peripheral router (Huawei OptiXstar K562e-10, AX3000) used to extend seamless wireless coverage throughout subscribers' homes, with both wireless and Ethernet backhaul support and dual-band operation.
• Svoboda (Freedom) Loyalty Program Loyalty subscription program ("Svoboda"/Freedom) offering flexible pricing and reward benefits to long-term NetSurf customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Internet speeds of 85–99% uptime reliability during the contract period
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Best Partners (Бест Партнърс) OODminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting company specializing in European programmes and projects. Assists NetSurf with the management and implementation of EU-funded projects, including the Technological Modernisation project under the Recovery and Resilience Facility.
• HBO / MAX (Warner Bros. Discovery)coreTechnology or IntegrationContent partnership: NetSurf distributes HBO and Cinemax premium movie channels as part of TV packages. Customers with HBO-inclusive packages receive free HBO MAX (now Max) online streaming access. NetSurf provides access code generation through its customer portal for registration on max.com. Also offers standalone HBO & Cinemax subscriptions with monthly activation.
• Diema Xtra / MAX Sport (Nova Broadcasting Group)coreTechnology or IntegrationSports content distribution: Diema Xtra and MAX Sport premium sports channels available as add-on packages. Customers can activate/deactivate per sports season (e.g., Champions League, Formula 1). Content partnership with Nova Broadcasting Group for sports programming.
• Huawei TechnologiescoreTechnology or IntegrationEquipment partnership: Huawei ONT devices (Huawei OptiXstar) serve as the optical network terminals (fiber modems/routers) provided to customers. Huawei OptiXstar K562e-10 mesh system used for Wi-Fi 6 whole-home coverage. Old ONTs are replaced free of charge to ensure compatibility with new packages.
• NetSurf Foundation (Фондация NetSurf Montana)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate foundation established in 2006 in Montana, Bulgaria. Objective: developing civil society, supporting NGOs, promoting arts/crafts, culture, healthcare, sports, social welfare, ecology, and human rights. Governed by a 3-member Board: Stefan Georgiev Tsvetkov (Chair), Maya Silvieva Markova, and Martin Lyubomirov Vasilev. Funded through private and business donations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Yettel Bulgaria: Yettel Bulgaria offers mobile, fixed internet, and TV services with growing FTTH and 5G FWA presence. Comparable in offering fiber internet and pay TV bundles, and competes with NetSurf on fixed-line and increasingly on wireless substitution in NetSurf's northwestern Bulgaria footprint.
• A1 Bulgaria: A1 Bulgaria is a leading converged telecom operator (mobile, fixed internet, TV) and direct national competitor in FTTH and pay TV. Comparable in product portfolio (fiber internet, digital TV, content bundles) but at much larger scale across all Bulgarian regions, including northwestern Bulgaria.
• Vivacom (Bulgaria Telecom Company AD): Vivacom is Bulgaria's largest fixed and mobile telecom operator, offering GPON fiber internet, pay TV, and mobile services nationwide. It is the primary competitor to NetSurf in the regions where NetSurf operates, with substantially greater scale, content licensing power, and quad-play bundling capability.

Emerging players

• Starlink (SpaceX): Starlink delivers LEO satellite broadband across Bulgaria, including in rural northwestern settlements where NetSurf's fiber economics are weakest. Comparable as a competing residential internet access channel, and a key emerging threat to NetSurf's fixed-line subscriber base in low-density areas.

Others

• HBO Max (Warner Bros. Discovery): Warner Bros. Discovery's Max streaming platform is a content partner to NetSurf and is integrated into HBO channel packages. Comparable as a content ecosystem participant whose direct-to-consumer streaming can either complement or compete with NetSurf's bundled pay-TV offering depending on consumer preferences.
• Nova Broadcasting Group: Nova Broadcasting Group is a major Bulgarian media group and content partner to NetSurf (provides Diema Xtra and MAX Sport sports channels). Comparable in business adjacency as a content/TV distribution counterpart, and a key ecosystem participant influencing NetSurf's pay-TV competitiveness.
• Blizoo Bulgaria (now part of A1): Blizoo was a major Bulgarian cable and internet provider focused on pay TV and broadband, acquired by A1 Bulgaria in 2019. Highly comparable historically in product and customer profile, now a useful benchmark for the regional-cable consolidation path that may be relevant to NetSurf's future.
• Telekom Austria (A1 Telekom Austria Group): A1 Telekom Austria Group is the parent of A1 Bulgaria and an established European telco with FTTH, mobile, and TV operations across multiple CEE markets. Comparable as a strategic reference point for what scaled, EU-region fiber+pay TV operators look like operationally, though not a direct Bulgarian retail competitor to NetSurf.

Regional players

• Cooolbox: Cooolbox is a Bulgarian regional fiber ISP operating in select cities with GPON infrastructure. Comparable business model (FTTH retail, bundled TV, regional focus) and competes in some of the same mid-sized Bulgarian cities where NetSurf operates, though with a different geographic footprint.

Direct peers

• Bulsatcom: Bulsatcom is a Bulgarian pay-TV and fixed internet provider with satellite and IPTV distribution, particularly strong in regional and rural areas. Closely comparable in product mix (TV-led subscription, broadband, regional Bulgaria focus) and a direct competitor for residential subscribers in secondary cities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/netsurfpage
• Xx.com/netsurfbg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/net-surf-net-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 NetSurf