GlobalConnect FFTH customers base increased with 60% in 2022 – now amounting to 725.000 in total

GlobalConnect keeps expanding its customers base and fiber network rapidly across all its markets in Northern Europe. In 2022, GlobalConnect signed several new contracts, reached new milestones, and announced numerous ambitious initiatives, cementing GlobalConnect’s position as one of Europe’s leading and fastest growing digital infrastructure providers.

During 2022, GlobalConnect expanded its FTTH (fiber-to-the-home) customer base with 60%, with the total number now amounting to 725,000 customers connected, an 60% increase YoY 2022 vs 2021, including the acquisition of communications operator Open Universe from Telenor Sweden. In addition, the group’s total fiber footprint spans over 155,000 km, of which more than 105 000 km is wholly owned. The 17 datacenters throughout the group now mounts a total of 35 000+ square meters (an increase of 16,6% YoY), catering for robust cloud services and the continuously increasing international demand for high capacity.

“The milestones we have achieved in 2022 truly show that GlobalConnect has become a major international connectivity challenger, and one of Europe’s fastest growing and leading digital infrastructure providers. We are on a growth trajectory, which we intend to continue in 2023”, says Martin Lippert, Group CEO, GlobalConnect.

GlobalConnect Group in 2022

New contracts
Several new contracts were signed throughout 2022, such as public sector deal including Viken county in Norway. GlobalConnect will deliver fiber and network services to the largest county in the country, consisting of 180 locations and 1.2 million residents throughout the region. GlobalConnect will deliver connectivity services supporting the region’s schools regional development and planning, culture, transport, public health work and dental services. The agreement covers all 75, 000 employees and students in the region.

GlobalConnect Denmark signed a deal with Silvan, a construction market chain, to deliver datacom and M-LAN Services for 43 locations, including its head office. As a geographically spread-out retail chain, Silvan is dependent on a secure and stable network at all its locations across Denmark.

“App restaurant” Pinchos signed a long-term Nordic agreement with GlobalConnect to provide a range of IT solutions, enabling Pinchos to ensure and streamline network communication throughout the chain’s operations in the Nordics. GlobalConnect will provide Pinchos with SD-Wan through fiber, back-up by 4G and Managed-LAN in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland.

Acquisitions of fiber network
In Q1, GlobalConnect Sweden completed the acquisition of communications operator Open Universe and SDU fiber assets from Telenor Sweden. The acquisition included approximately 200,000 connected homes on Open Universe’s platform and 14,000 connected homes in Telenor Sweden’s SDU fiber infrastructure. The integration has been ongoing during 2022 and will continue in 2023. In addition to the major acquisition in Sweden, GlobalConnect’s grew its fiber footprint in Denmark and solidified its ambitions to digitize society with future-proof fiber infrastructure across Northern Europe by acquiring Danish Wizer, covering approximately 20,000 homes in the country.

Sustainability
GlobalConnect Group accelerated its Sustainability efforts and reached several important milestones during 2022. In addition to joining the United Nations’ Global Compact program in April, pledging to align its operations and strategies with the UN Global Compact’s ten principles that address human rights, labor law, environment, and anti-corruption – the Group also submitted its first ever Science Based Targets which are awaiting final approval in 2023. Lastly, Ørsted + ATP signed an agreement with GlobalConnect to bid the world’s first North Sea Energy Island a backbone in the future digitization of Northern Europe and attract large-scale digital investments to Denmark.

Digital infrastructure
GlobalConnect is building the largest digital infrastructure project in the Nordics, a 26,00 km long “super mega fiber cable” from northern Sweden to Berlin. The cable can carry all data currently produced in the Nordics, enabling a more robust and safe infrastructure, and attract more global tech investments into the Nordic region. In 2022, several stretches, across sea and land were completed. The ambition is to finalize the project in H1 2023. In addition to the major infrastructure project, GlobalConnect’s interconnected fiber network also reached the massive milestone of 100,000 km fully owned fiber, covering the Nordics and northern Germany.

GlobalConnect 2022 achievements

• GlobalConnect Sweden completes acquisition of Open Universe | GlobalConnect (globalconnectgroup.com)
• GlobalConnect Denmark acquires fiber infrastructure from Wizer, substantially growing its FTTH footprint | GlobalConnect (globalconnectgroup.com)
• GlobalConnect reaches milestone as its fiber network passes 100,000 km across Northern Europe | GlobalConnect (globalconnectgroup.com)
• GlobalConnect accelerates efforts in sustainability – joins the UN Global Compact initiative | GlobalConnect (globalconnectgroup.com)
• Ørsted + ATP will work with GlobalConnect on the North Sea Energy Island (globalconnectgroup.com)
• GlobalConnect commits to join the Science Based Targets initiative | GlobalConnect (globalconnectgroup.com)
• GlobalConnect restructures organization to accelerate growth ambitions | GlobalConnect (globalconnectgroup.com)
• GlobalConnect launches SmartConnect – first fully integrated connectivity service for enterprises | GlobalConnect (globalconnectgroup.com)
• GlobalConnect harmonizes consumer brands across markets | GlobalConnect (globalconnectgroup.com)

GlobalConnect in numbers, 2022 vs 2021 YoY
Total fiber: 155 000+ km, of which 105 000 km I wholly owned
Homes connected: 725 000, +60% YoY (2021: 453 148)
Datacenters: 35 000 square meters, +16,6% YoY (2021: 30 000 sqm)