Be Broadband had one of the best reputations of any UK internet provider during its eight-year existence, and one of the shorter independent lives. Founded in 2005 by Boris Ivanovic and Dana Tobak, the company built an ADSL2+ (a faster version of the standard telephone-line broadband technology, capable of delivering speeds up to 24Mbps where BT's older infrastructure topped out at 8Mbps) local loop unbundled network from scratch, becoming one of the first mainstream UK ISPs to offer speeds that would not look out of place today. O2 bought Be just a year after it launched. For the next seven years the brand operated as a technically superior sibling to the O2 consumer broadband service, before both were sold to Sky in 2013.
What made Be different
Be's distinguishing feature was its commitment to LLU (local loop unbundling; the process of installing a provider's own equipment inside BT's telephone exchanges, bypassing BT Wholesale's retail pricing and typically delivering faster, cheaper connections). By building its own infrastructure inside exchanges rather than reselling BT's wholesale service, Be could offer ADSL2+ speeds and configure its network in ways that BT Wholesale customers could not. This gave Be customers speeds up to 24Mbps downstream (the speed at which data arrives at a customer's device) and up to 2.5Mbps upstream (the speed at which data leaves it), using a technology called Annex M which allocated more of the phone line's capacity to uploads.
The technical flexibility extended to features rarely offered by mainstream providers: static IP addresses (fixed internet addresses that do not change, useful for home servers and remote access), configurable line profiles, a low contention ratio (the number of customers sharing a given section of network, a lower ratio meaning less congestion), and a fastpath option that reduced latency (the delay between sending and receiving data, important for online gaming and video calls). Be also resold wholesale access to its network to other ISPs from 2008, giving several smaller providers a route to ADSL2+ services.
Be Broadband packages and pricing
Be offered two main tiers. Be Broadband was the standard residential package, delivering speeds up to 16Mbps and priced competitively against the market. Be Pro was the more technically configured variant, offering the full ADSL2+ 24Mbps capability alongside Annex M for higher upload speeds, no traffic shaping (the practice of deliberately slowing certain types of internet traffic during busy periods) and the static IP and fastpath options. Both packages required the customer to have a compatible phone line, either through Be's own line rental service (introduced in 2010) or through BT.
At peak Be coverage the network reached over 1,250 UK exchanges. Customers who lived close to one of those exchanges, typically within 500 metres, could achieve connection speeds close to the ADSL2+ maximum. Beyond that distance, speeds fell as the signal weakened over the copper phone line. Be was candid about this: its network tools allowed customers to check their expected speed before signing up, an approach that was more transparent than many rivals of the time.
Customer service consistently earned strong ratings. Independent review sites placed Be near the top of UK ISP rankings throughout its independent and O2-owned existence. The combination of fast speeds, honest communication and technical flexibility built a loyal base that was disproportionately made up of technically aware users, developers and home workers who needed reliable, configurable connectivity.
Life under O2 and Telefonica
O2 acquired Be in June 2006 for £50 million, less than eighteen months after the company was founded. The acquisition was largely benign for Be customers: the brand was kept separate, the product was not watered down, and the company continued to expand its exchange coverage. O2 launched its own consumer broadband service in October 2007 using the Be network, but the two products were kept distinct. Be retained its pro-user identity while O2 broadband was marketed as a mainstream bundle alongside mobile.
The challenge came as the market shifted towards FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) broadband from around 2010 onwards. BT and Sky were investing heavily in a new fibre infrastructure that could deliver 40Mbps or more. Be's ADSL2+ technology, once ahead of the market, began to look less competitive as fibre became widely available. Telefonica, already committed to large 4G mobile network investments, chose not to invest in building Be's own fibre capability at scale. The service fell behind.
The sale to Sky and closure
In March 2013, Telefonica agreed to sell the O2 and Be consumer broadband businesses to Sky for up to £200 million. At the time the combined customer base totalled around 500,000. Sky completed the acquisition in mid-2013 following regulatory approval and spent 2014 migrating customers onto Sky's own LLU and Openreach-based infrastructure.
For many Be customers the closure was unwelcome. The features that Be had offered, particularly static IPs, Annex M and configurable line profiles, were not part of Sky's standard offering. Sky launched Sky Broadband Unlimited Pro partly in response to this feedback, offering some of the technical options that Be users had relied on. Customers could also take a MAC code (a number used to switch broadband provider without losing service) and move to another provider, and a significant minority did. The Be brand formally ceased operations in 2014, and its nine-year existence closed as the LLU era it had helped define gave way to the fibre rollout.
In summary
Be Broadband's history is unusual among defunct UK ISPs: it was admired rather than criticised, closed for commercial rather than service reasons, and mourned by the customers who lost it. Its contribution to the UK broadband market was real. By demonstrating that ADSL2+ LLU could deliver genuine high speeds and honest customer service, Be raised the expectations of technically aware consumers and helped push the wider market towards better performance and more transparent communication about what broadband could actually deliver.
Key dates in Be Broadband’s history
Be Un Limited founded; ADSL2+ LLU network built
Boris Ivanovic and Dana Tobak found Be Un Limited as an independent company. Be sets out to build an ADSL2+ LLU network offering speeds up to 24Mbps, significantly faster than the 8Mbps ceiling on BT's standard wholesale service. The service is targeted at technically aware residential customers who want speed and flexibility rather than the cheapest possible price.
O2 acquires Be Un Limited for £50 million
O2, part of Telefonica since January 2006, buys Be for £50 million. The Be brand is retained as a separate product. O2 gains access to Be's growing LLU network, covering hundreds of exchanges and capable of speeds and technical configurations not available through BT Wholesale. Be customers see no immediate change to their service.
O2 Home Broadband launches separately, using the Be network
O2 launches its own consumer broadband service, running on the Be LLU infrastructure but marketed separately to O2 mobile customers. The two products co-exist: Be retains its technical features and pro-user identity, while O2 broadband is a more mainstream consumer offer with bundle discounts for existing O2 mobile subscribers.
Be begins reselling wholesale access to its network
From March 2008, Be opens its network to other ISPs on a wholesale basis. Several smaller business and residential providers use Be's infrastructure to deliver ADSL2+ services to their own customers. This expands the footprint of the Be network and generates additional revenue. Andrews & Arnold is among the notable wholesale users.
Be launches its own line rental service
Be introduces its own telephone line rental product, giving customers the option to move their entire home connection away from BT. Previously Be customers needed a BT or other provider's line. The addition of line rental simplifies the product and reduces customer reliance on third-party line providers.
Core network overhaul; IPv6 and resilience improvements
Be completes a major upgrade to its core network, increasing available bandwidth, preparing infrastructure for a transition to IPv6 (the next generation internet addressing system) and improving network resilience. The work reflects continued investment in the Be product under Telefonica ownership, though FTTC fibre is not added to the network at scale.
Telefonica sells O2 and Be broadband to Sky for up to £200 million
Sky agrees to buy both the O2 and Be consumer broadband businesses from Telefonica. The combined base of around 500,000 customers is acquired for £180 million upfront with up to £20 million more on completion. Telefonica exits fixed-line broadband to focus on 4G mobile rollout. Be's wholesale network is to close as part of the transaction.
Customers migrated to Sky; Be brand retired
Sky migrates Be customers onto its own LLU and Openreach-based infrastructure. Features specific to Be, including static IP addresses, Annex M and line bonding, are discontinued. Sky launches Sky Broadband Unlimited Pro partly to retain technically demanding Be users. The Be name ceases to exist as a trading brand. Wholesale partners on the Be network must find alternative infrastructure.