RiPWiRE
Founder & Managing Director, 2008–2012
Building a telecommunications business
from the ground up.
Founded in 2008, RiPWiRE grew into an independent UK telecommunications and technology business generating approximately £3 million in annual turnover, employing around 80 people and serving thousands of customers across multiple regions of the UK.
As founder and managing director, I led the development of the company across technology, commercial strategy, partnerships and operations, building the infrastructure and capabilities needed to deliver fixed, wireless and mobile telecommunications services.
- Approximate annual turnover
- £3m
- Employees across Sheffield and Manchester
- 70–80
- Telecommunications network operations
- Multiple UK regions
01
Building the network
RiPWiRE was established to develop and deliver connectivity services at a time when wireless and broadband technologies were creating new commercial opportunities.
Rather than operating simply as a reseller, we built an independent, RIPE-registered internet service provider with our own point of presence in Sheffield and network interconnections across the UK.
Our infrastructure and network operations extended across South Yorkshire, Manchester's M60 corridor, central London, the Rhondda Valleys and Clackmannanshire.
Building these capabilities required a combination of technical development, infrastructure investment, wholesale agreements and partnerships with specialist engineering organisations.
I was closely involved in the technology architecture, commercial arrangements and strategic decisions that enabled the business to grow.
02
Developing products, services and partnerships
As the business developed, we expanded into mobile telecommunications, fixed-line voice services, wholesale connectivity and software development.
RiPWiRE Mobile operated through arrangements involving Three and Vodafone. We established wholesale relationships with BT, including PSTN interconnection and call-detail-record billing capabilities.
We also secured access to licensed 3.4GHz wireless spectrum through UK Broadband and worked with specialist partners, including Networks by Wireless, to develop and deploy wireless infrastructure.
These relationships were often reciprocal. Our partners provided specialist engineering and infrastructure capabilities, while RiPWiRE supplied network services, IP connectivity and supporting infrastructure.
Alongside our telecommunications operations, our software development teams built network access management systems and user interfaces for customers, including NHS organisations and student accommodation providers.
The result was a business that combined network infrastructure, software, engineering and commercial services rather than simply reselling connectivity.
03
Customers, people and delivery
RiPWiRE supported thousands of customers and many more individual end users.
Our customers included businesses, residential subscribers, NHS organisations and emergency services, with some dedicated connectivity contracts carrying stringent service-level commitments.
At its height, the company employed approximately 70–80 people across Sheffield and Manchester.
Growing and operating the business involved much more than identifying commercial opportunities. It meant building teams, developing technology, negotiating agreements, managing financial commitments and ensuring the organisation could deliver what we sold.
My responsibilities spanned technical and commercial leadership, customer relationships, partnerships, product development and the practical realities of running a substantial telecommunications business.
04
The next chapter
After building RiPWiRE into a substantial telecommunications business, I exited in 2012 through the sale of its customer portfolios.
The experience of founding, growing and operating the company shaped my approach to technology commercialisation and business development. It also gave me firsthand experience of managing commercial risk, navigating changing circumstances and making difficult decisions as a business owner.
I subsequently returned to independent commercial and technology development, working directly within businesses to identify opportunities and deliver new products, services and commercial growth.
I understand what it means to build and run a business, not simply advise someone else on how to do it.