Vorboss expands managed service and cybersecurity offerings, closes three strategic acquisitions

The problem with ‘business broadband’

Most people search for ‘business broadband’ when they’re looking for internet for their office. Fair enough, it’s the term that’s been marketed to death. But here’s the thing: business broadband isn’t the only option, and most of the time, it won't meet the needs of a modern business. If you need a connection that actually keeps up, a leased line is the answer; reliable, secure, and built for multiple users.

In this blog we explain the differences between the two connections.

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Broadband vs leased line explained

• Broadband: A standard, shared internet connection typically designed for home use, but sometimes used in small offices. Speeds can vary, especially during busy times, and upload speeds are often much lower than downloads – which can limit performance for modern business applications.
• Leased line: A private, dedicated connection between your premises and your provider. Symmetrical speeds, guaranteed performance, and no sharing with neighbours - specifically designed to meet the demands of modern business connectivity.

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Business broadband: a closer look

Most of the time, business broadband is the same product that an ISP (Internet Service Provider) sells to their residential customers, but more expensive and probably bundled with a low-level cyber security product.

It has a dedicated web page, with stock photos of people doing business. And it comes with some comforting words to tell you that they know how hard business is. Excruciating.

Your traffic isn’t prioritised. Your connection isn’t dedicated. And if you have an ‘account manager’, they’re probably responsible for literally thousands of customers like you.

If you pay more, you might get a commitment to investigate faults within a given time – usually within a day.

When you’re looking for business broadband, bear these things in mind. Look at the details to see if you’re simply being sold a standard home broadband package disguised as a business solution.

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What does great internet connectivity for business look like?

It’s very easy to call something business broadband. But it’s a very different thing to provide internet connectivity that’s genuinely fast and reliable enough for London business in 2025.

One of the fundamental features of an internet product for business is a dedicated connection.

‘Broadband’ or ‘FTTP’ (that’s Fibre to the Premise) means that the service you’re paying for is shared between you and typically 30 of your neighbours – whether they’re houses or other businesses.

So when you have a broadband or FTTP connection, don’t expect to get the Gbps speeds you’ve paid for at busy times (which is most of the working day). It’s cheap, and it connects. But it’s not a product that you can rely on to keep your business running.

At the busiest times, you'll have to hope that it’ll give you what you need. That might mean putting up with a poor-quality video call, a painful wait downloading a PowerPoint, or an eternity for every employee to log in to Teams at 9am.

Internet connectivity that you and your business can rely on is going to be dedicated to you, and that means taking a leased line (also known as DIA, or direct internet access).

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What are the benefits of a leased line?

A dedicated connection means guaranteed bandwidth

With a leased line, you get every bit you pay for, unlike a shared ‘broadband’ connection, where you can pay for 1Gbps but it’s highly unlikely you’ll ever see that speed.

A connection you can rely on

Always the speed you’ve paid for and infrastructure that’s backed up by an SLA (Service Level Agreement) – and automatic compensation if you choose a really good ISP. And the ability to order a back-up line, to increase the resilience of your service.

Lower latency

The more direct architecture and quicker route to a data centre (where your connection hits the internet) means a leased line will almost always offer lower latency than a broadband connection.

Upload that matches download

Most broadband, FTTP and cable services advertise the download speed but keep quiet on upload – that’s because upload is significantly slower in these services, often as little as a tenth of the speed. Leased lines have ‘symmetrical’ download and upload.

Enhanced security

Security can never be taken for granted, so check on the Infosec and compliance qualifications of your provider – typically, those selling residential-grade services won’t invest in this area, but serious business providers recognise the huge benefit to their customers.

• Broadband: speeds vary, especially during peak times when many users share the line
• Leased line: your own private connection with speeds that never slow down
• Why it matters: faster speeds mean quicker file sharing, uninterrupted calls, and no buffering

How the two really compare

Leased line vs broadband, 13 key differences

1. Shared vs dedicated connection

• Broadband: line is shared with up to 30 users, meaning speeds vary
• Leased line: your own private, dedicated connection with speeds that never slow down
• Why it matters: a dedicated connection keeps critical work flowing without interruptions or slowdowns

2. Upload vs download speeds

• Broadband: downloads are fine, uploads are often much slower
• Leased line: symmetrical (equal upload and download speeds)
• Why it matters: symmetrical speeds mean quicker file sharing, uninterrupted video calls, and seamless cloud uploads/downloads

3. Reliability

• Broadband: line shared with others, so performance can be unreliable when usage is high
• Leased line: dedicated, uncontested connection that stays reliable
• Why it matters: a stable connection doesn't disturb business operations and maximises productivity

4. Service level agreements (SLAs)

• Broadband: uptime and fix times are not guaranteed; outages take longer to resolve
• Leased line: 99.9%+ uptime with fixed repair times, usually within a few hours
• Why it matters: no guaranteed repair times mean more downtime and distruption

5. Proactive monitoring

• Broadband: reactive, your provider might prioritise other issues over yours
• Leased line: 24/7 monitoring; problems often fixed before you notice
• Why it matters: proactive fixes mean fewer outages and smoother operations

6. Dedicated point of contact

• Broadband: no dedicated contact; expect long calls, chat bots, and slow complaint handling
• Leased line: you get a dedicated account manager you can reach directly, usually within minutes
• Why it matters: dedicated point of contact means faster responses, fixes, and no endless chasing

7. Latency (the time it takes for data to travel between you and the person or system you’re connecting to)

• Broadband: higher latency and prone to more network congestion
• Leased line: minimal delay for smooth, instant calls, file uploads etc.
• Why it matters: low latency prevents frozen video or slow cloud uploads

8. Traffic prioritisation

• Broadband: provider decides what gets priority
• Leased line: you control which activities come first (e.g., video calls, file transfers
• Why it matters: without control, important tasks can slow during busy periods

9. Truly unlimited

• Broadband: “unlimited” may come with data caps or throttling (slowing speeds after a threshold
• Leased line: No data limits or throttling; full speed at all times
• Why it matters: no data limits mean no surprise slowdowns mid-project

‍10. Installation time

• Broadband: a couple of weeks
• Leased line: depends on provider; Vorboss offers “Rapid Install” in as little as 48 hours
• Why it matters: slow setup can delay your business getting online

11. No phone line required

• Broadband: often tied to phone rental
• Leased line: internet-only, perfect for internet-based phone systems (VoIP)
• Why it matters: save money by ditching old-style phone lines while still making calls‍

12. Cost

• Broadband: cheaper monthly fees
• Leased line: higher cost, but delivers fast, reliable, uninterrupted service
• Why it matters: paying more is worth it if slow internet or downtime is slowing your team, delaying projects, or costing your business money

13. Scalability

• Broadband: limited options for upgrading bandwidth
• Leased line: easily upgraded as your business grows
• Why it matters: leased line supports business growth without needing a completely new internet connection

Feature comparison at a glance

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The difference that matters: reliability

That’s the key difference between the experience of these two technologies: how much you can rely on your connection, and how that impacts your business. We see it in every customer interaction as they move from broadband to direct internet – the shackles are off.

While business broadband infrastructure is shared with the businesses and houses around you, leased line (or direct internet) infrastructure is dedicated to you – it isn’t shared with anyone.

It’s your connection, and every bit of the bandwidth you’re paying for is yours. It’s guaranteed. Always giving you the internet speed and capacity you need, no matter how busy things get.

The whole Manchester office coming down for a team day? No problem. Sending a broadcast-quality video file to a client on a deadline? Easy. Worrying about signing up to a new cloud-based software for project management? Don’t. Putting the CEO on a video call that has to be perfect? Do it.  

A 10Gbps leased line ensures you always have the speed you need. It’s a service you and your business can rely on.

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Installation time

• Broadband: a couple of weeks
 
• Leased Line: depends on provider; Vorboss offers “Rapid Install” in as little as 48 hours
 
• Why it matters: slow setup can delay your business getting online
  

11. No phone line required

• Broadband: often tied to phone rental
 
• Leased line: internet-only, perfect for internet-based phone systems (VoIP)
 
• Why it matters: save money by ditching old-style phone lines while still making calls
  

12. Cost

• Broadband: cheaper monthly fees
 
• Leased line: higher cost, but delivers fast, reliable, uninterrupted service
 
• Why it matters: paying more is worth it if slow internet or downtime is slowing your team, delaying projects, or costing your business money
  

13. Scalability

• Broadband: limited options for upgrading bandwidth
 
• Leased line: easily upgraded as your business grows
 
• Why it matters: leased line supports business growth without needing a completely new internet connection
 

Feature comparison at a glance

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The difference that matters: reliability

That’s the key difference between the experience of these two technologies: how much you can rely on your connection, and how that impacts your business. We see it in every customer interaction as they move from broadband to direct internet – the shackles are off.

While business broadband infrastructure is shared with the businesses and houses around you, leased line (or direct internet) infrastructure is dedicated to you – it isn’t shared with anyone.

It’s your connection, and every bit of the bandwidth you’re paying for is yours. It’s guaranteed. Always giving you the internet speed and capacity you need, no matter how busy things get.

The whole Manchester office coming down for a team day? No problem. Sending a broadcast-quality video file to a client on a deadline? Easy. Worrying about signing up to a new cloud-based software for project management? Don’t. Putting the CEO on a video call that has to be perfect? Do it.  

A 10Gbps leased line ensures you always have the speed you need. It’s a service you and your business can rely on.

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Breach breakdown

In April 2025, Marks & Spencer (M&S) was hit by a serious cyberattack, and not by amateurs. The group behind it, known as Scattered Spider (also known as UNC3944 or Octo Tempest) has a track record. They’ve already taken on major U.S. giants like Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts.

Our 40Fi DFND team has done a deep dive into what happened and, more importantly, how businesses like yours can stay protected.

Want practical, jargon-free cybersecurity advice tailored for your business?
Join our free workshop with the City of London Police. Register now.

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How they got in

Scattered Spider used smart, targeted phishing emails and impersonated IT staff to trick people into handing over their credentials. They even used a tactic called "MFA fatigue", which consisted of spamming employees with repeated login requests until one was mistakenly approved.

Threat intelligence researcher, Lontz reported on suspected Scattered Spider infrastructure (see figure 2), involving fake domains designed to mimic legitimate login pages of well-known websites. A spoofed company login page could have been created to get access to M&S employee login details.

What happened after they got in

Initial access to M&S systems is believed to have been as early as February. Once in, the attackers used stolen administrative credentials to deploy legitimate remote administration tools (RATs). This gave them ongoing control over key systems (including employee devices), helping them stay hidden while moving through the network.

Here's what they did:

• Installed remote desktop access tools like AnyDesk and TeamViewer - the same kind real IT teams would use
• Moved around through different M&S’s internal systems to grab as much data as possible
• Targeted critical assets like password databases and user credentials

Finally, they created secret access points, hidden accounts, and scheduled tasks to make sure they could stay inside the company's network without getting noticed.

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The attack

On April 24, Scattered Spider launched the DragonForce ransomware attack on M&S’ VMware ESXi servers, encrypting virtual machines that powered key systems for e-commerce, payment processing, and logistics (see figure 3).

As a result, M&S had no choice but to shut down key systems entirely (including online orders and contactless payments), and call in top cybersecurity experts from CrowdStrike, Microsoft, and Fenix24 to contain the damage and start the recovery process (see figure 4).

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What this means for you

While M&S is a major player, the tactics used in this breach aren’t just for corporations, they work just as well against small businesses. Groups like Scattered Spider rely on common tools and stolen identities to gain trust and slip past normal security. The key lesson? Always verify the people and systems you rely on, whether they’re inside your team or external partners.

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What you can do to improve cybersecurity for your business

5 quick wins to protect your business

1. Train your team – teach employees to spot dodgy emails, spoofed links, and sketchy login pages.
2. Use strong passwords – create long, complex passwords that include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Never reuse passwords across different accounts.
3. Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) – this adds an extra layer of security beyond just a password.
4. Stay vigilent – do not open email attachments or click on links unless you are certain of their legitimacy. If you have any doubts, report the email to your security team immediately.
5. Report suspicious activity fast – if you receive unexpected MFA prompts, suspicious login alerts, or calls requesting your credentials, report them to your security team as soon as possible.

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Additional information

• Marks & Spencer breach linked to Scattered Spider ransomware attack
• M&S ransomware hack: Active Directory security lessons
• Scattered Spider laying new eggs

‍London, 17 July 2025

Vorboss, London’s leading fibre network built exclusively for business, today announced the expansion of its managed services portfolio, reinforcing its position as the trusted single provider for the city’s enterprise connectivity needs. This strategic move reflects the growing demand for comprehensive, resilient services from a single, expert partner – particularly in light of the increasing complexity of cybersecurity threats and IT infrastructure.

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• ‍London businesses can now consolidate connectivity, managed services, and cybersecurity, backed by the fastest fibre network built exclusively for businesses
• Completed acquisitions of 40fi (cybersecurity) and Optimity (managed services), and strategic investment in Layer8 (network management for commercial real estate)
• 80+ new specialists join Vorboss, expanding total workforce to nearly 400

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As part of this strategy, Vorboss has closed three acquisitions designed to broaden its capabilities beyond its core strength in managed network infrastructure. Among these are 40fi, a respected cybersecurity business, and Optimity, a leading provider of managed IT services. Together, these acquisitions bring an additional 80 experienced professionals into the Vorboss team, significantly enhancing the company’s ability to deliver end-to-end solutions for London’s most demanding businesses. Vorboss is excited to welcome the hundreds of customers that Optimity and 40fi serve across the UK today, and look forward to continuing the high levels of customer service and technical expertise currently provided.

This expansion addresses a clear and urgent need from Vorboss customers: the ability to consolidate connectivity, IT, and security under one accountable provider. By integrating cybersecurity expertise and managed IT services capabilities into its offering, Vorboss is now uniquely positioned to provide a comprehensive suite of services – spanning secure network infrastructure, endpoint management, threat mitigation, and strategic IT and cybersecurity consultancy.  

Tim Creswick, CEO of Vorboss:

“Vorboss has a long history in managed services, but for the last 6 years, our focus has been on delivering the best enterprise fibre network London has ever seen. That has been a huge project, commanding millions of hours of labour from our team, and we are now connecting thousands of business customers to that network – all at 10Gbps and above. I’m excited that we’re now able to return to some of our managed services roots, with the timely addition of cybersecurity services. These are things that our customers and partners ask us about all the time. As operators of extensive, high-capacity infrastructure, we have a huge amount of real expertise in-house already, so customers know that they’re getting advice from real practitioners, not just consultants.

The addition of the Optimity and 40fi teams gives us some immediate scale to address those customer needs, with the same vertically integrated, high quality approach that they’ve come to love from us”.  

In addition, Vorboss has also invested in Layer8, a first-of-a-kind software platform enabling building operators to automate, manage, and monetise their networks. Designed for commercial real estate environments, Layer8 gives building managers, managed service providers (MSPs), and non-technical users simple, secure control over on-site network infrastructure.‍

London’s still the UK’s economic engine and one of the most innovative cities on the planet. But what’s keeping it ahead? And what needs to change to make sure it stays there?

Recorded live at Vorboss HQ during London Tech Week, this panel brought together influential figures from tech, property, and investment to talk recent news, the challenges businesses face, and the biggest opportunities shaping the future of London’s economy.

If you run a business in the UK, you’ve probably heard of 'fibre broadband'. But what does that mean – and are all fibre services the same?

The short answer: no.

Two companies might both be sold ‘fibre’ but get very different results. Speed, reliability, and consistency vary wildly depending on the underlying engineering.

Why? Because some connections still rely on outdated infrastructure. Others are shared with your neighbours, and often with residential customers too. Most don’t come with the guarantees modern businesses need.

Let’s break down the three most common types of connection you might be offered:  

• FTTC
• FTTP
• Direct Internet Access (DIA)  

and why the difference between them matters.

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1) FTTC (fibre to the cabinet): fibre, kind of

FTTC runs fibre from your provider’s network to a street cabinet near you, then uses copper wires to reach your premises (while still selling you ‘fibre’).  

Copper = outdated. Which means slower speeds, interference, and fluctuating performance – especially if the cabinet’s a few blocks away or shared by lots of users. And those cabinets? They’re exposed to weather and vandalism, adding yet another layer of risk.

FTTC might work for casual browsing, but if your business depends on video calls, cloud platforms, or remote collaboration, expect slow uploads, dropped connections, and no guarantees when things go wrong.

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2) FTTP (fibre to the premises): better, but not ideal

Unlike FTTC, FTTP is a fibre connection that runs straight from the exchange to your building. With no copper cabling involved, it offers better speed and stability.

But here’s the catch: while this is often what internet service providers call ‘business broadband’, you still share your connection with up to 30 others. And while the average speed range is typically quoted as 150 to 900Mbps, the reality is, you often won't always experience those speeds, particularly during peak times because you share your bandwidth with others.

For micro businesses or early-stage start-ups, FTTP may provide a half workable solution, especially as a stepping stone. But be prepared for pixelated, laggy video calls or a long wait to download a pitch deck during busy times and sometimes, for no apparent reason at all.  

As we put it in our earlier blog comparing broadband to leased lines: ‘If it’s broadband, it’s shared’. FTTP is still broadband and not something that provides a genuine solution for reliable connectivity.

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What to be aware of if you are considering buying FTTP

FTTP can sound a lot like a high-end business service. It’s full fibre. It promises impressive speeds. And it often comes with confident-sounding terms like ‘uptime guarantee’ or ‘symmetrical speeds’. But these features deserve a closer look, because what they offer in theory isn’t always what they deliver in practice.  

Take ‘symmetrical speeds’. FTTP can technically offer equal upload and download speeds, but only if the network isn’t busy and your plan allows it. Most of the time, upload speeds drop off when everyone’s online.

Then there’s the ‘uptime guarantee’. Sounds great. But without automatic compensation for downtime or real SLAs, they're often just marketing phrases – not a sign of real accountability. Many providers only commit to a response or investigation window, rather than to actual fix times.

Other elements that sound impressive but don’t necessarily reflect business grade standards. Static IP addresses are promoted as a ‘business’ feature, but these are widely available as standard on home broadband. ‘Priority fault handling’ usually just means you’re ahead of domestic users - not first in line for a fix.

So, while FTTP is better than FTTC, it is still very much part of that ‘broadband’ family. It’s a strong consumer-grade product, but not a substitute for a business-grade connection.

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3) Direct internet access (DIA): fibre built for business

DIA, sometimes known as a ‘leased line’ or ‘dedicated internet’, is a full fibre connection exclusively allocated to a single business. Unlike FTTC or FTTP, it isn’t shared with neighbouring offices or homes, and it isn’t affected by the demands of other users on the network.

It’s your own, dedicated connection, built for performance, reliability, and security.

With DIA, you always get ‘actual’ symmetrical speeds, meaning your uploads are just as fast as your downloads. This makes a big difference for real-time communication, file transfers, and cloud tools. You also benefit from 1:1 contention, meaning your bandwidth is always your own and performance doesn’t drop at peak times - because there’s no one else on your line.

Most importantly, DIA comes with robust service-level agreements (SLAs). These go beyond vague promises, offering clear commitments on uptime guarantees, target fix times, and - with a good provider - automatic compensation if things go wrong.

It’s not just about speed; it’s about having trust in the service that underpins your operations.

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DIA is especially valuable in scenarios where reliability directly impacts productivity:

• Cloud-heavy workflows: platforms like Salesforce, Azure, AWS, or cloud CRMs need reliable 24/7 access. Outages or slow speeds mean lost hours and lost business.

• Creative and media teams: agencies and production houses transferring large design files or uploading media to the cloud need fast, stable upload speeds. DIA’s symmetrical performance makes that possible.

• Security-focused organisations: if your business runs VPNs, firewalls, or handles sensitive data, you need a connection that supports uptime and compliance without compromise.

• Hybrid/remote teams: distributed workforces need reliable video calls, collaboration tools, and seamless file sharing. DIA keeps everyone connected – consistently.  

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At a glance: FTTC, FTTP, and direct internet (DIA)

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The right fibre for the right job

FTTC, FTTP and DIA each have their place, but they’re not interchangeable. Unfortunately for many businesses, the differences become visible the moment the connection is put under pressure.

For businesses in this day and age, FTTP and FTTC are not fit for purpose. And being overly reliant on outdated infrastructure costs London businesses billions a year in outages.  

DIA (whether you call it a leased line or dedicated internet) is designed with business in mind. For teams working in the cloud, relying on uptime or collaborating in real time, it offers a level of confidence that shared broadband simply can’t match.

Choose with care. The best internet solution is the one that will support the way your business works not only now, but also as it grows.

If you want to find out if DIA is right for your business, get in touch with our team. We're always happy to chat through your options.

At May's biquarterly Women in Telecoms meetup, hosted at Vorboss HQ, women from across the industry came together to share experiences, reflect on progress, and explore what real inclusion looks like.

The session, led by Natalie Strange, MD of RPS Telecoms and Head of the Women in Telecoms group, included a panel discussion with our colleagues at Vorboss about their experiences in the industry, the steps we’re taking to make telecoms more inclusive, and what's next.

Here’s how the discussion went

Meet the panel

Jade, Team Lead Engineer
Joined Vorboss at 18 as an apprentice. Now leads on-site fibre installation teams across London.

Tamryn, People & Culture Manager
Originally joined as a Training Administrator. Now helps embed inclusive policies and support systems across the organisation.

Taylor, Head of Operations
Leads the teams that connect customers and deliver our service end-to-end.

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Q: What has your journey been like as a woman in telecoms?

Jade shared her positive experience:  

“It’s been amazing. I knew I didn’t want to go down the university route; I wanted to get stuck in and work. Vorboss trained me from the beginning, and now I lead my own team. I genuinely love what I do.”

Tamryn, who recently came back from maternity leave, shared:

“Coming back was a big worry for me – would I still fit in? Would I be supported? The answer’s been yes. We have a parent room, a fridge for milk, and my son’s even visited the office. My son’s even visited the office!”

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Q: What hiring barriers still exist in telecoms, and how are we addressing them?

Tamryn:  

“For engineering roles especially, we had to rethink the language we used. The old versions were unintentionally harsh and often male-coded. Once we made them clearer and more neutral, more women applied”

Some practical changes discussed included:

• Remove industry jargon from job descriptions

• Manually review CVs instead of relying on (often biased) AI-driven filtering

• Eliminate unnecessary degree requirements

• Run diverse interview panels

Q: How can companies like Vorboss foster more inclusive environments that attract, support, and retain women – from technical roles to leadership positions?

Tamryn:  

“We’ve made training fully in-house through the Vorboss Academy, so no previous experience is required. That’s opened doors to people who wouldn’t normally apply. We’ve also built internal career tracks, flexible policies, and training for inclusive management.”

Vorboss has launched these initiatives to retain talent and progress women into leadership roles:

• Internal secondments: opportunities to explore other career options internally.

• Training: manager training on inclusive team management plus annual DE&I and menopause awareness training for all staff.

• Flexibility: accommodating workforce needs, e.g. part-time contracts.

• Internal promotion: fostering internal growth means more women in senior roles, helping us retain talent.

• Listening and acting on feedback: from uniform design to policy, we want to ensure everyone feels seen.

Other policies include paid period days, free sanitary products, IVF and adoption leave, domestic abuse support, free breakfast and welfare vans.

Jade completed a secondment with our data centre team. Though she stayed in her role, she found the experience valuable:  

“It was such a good learning experience. It gave me more context and helped me feel more confident in my role.”

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Q: What barriers have you encountered (or seen others face), and what helped you or your teams overcome them?

Tamryn:  

“Workwear. It seems small, but early on we realised all the uniforms were made for men; gloves, trousers, fireproof kit. We redesigned it all. It took time, but it meant that everyone could work more effectively.”

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Q: What advice would you give to the next generation of women pursuing careers in telecoms?

Taylor had clear advice:  

“Don’t assume the person you’re talking to knows more than you. Say yes to opportunities. If you fail, that’s fine. Ask for help and keep moving.”

Jade:  

“Do it! It’s been life changing for me. I’m so grateful I took the chance.”

Q: What’s next for Vorboss?

We want to keep growing - not just in size, but in diversity, inclusion, and opportunity, and inspire others to follow suit.

We’ve set measurable goals for diversity and inclusion, including:

• Today: more than 1 in 3 of our technical and engineering roles are held by women.

• By 2027: we aim for 50/50 gender parity in technical and engineering roles.

• By 2028: we aim for gender parity company-wide.

We’ve signed Ofcom’s Women in Tech pledge and publish our gender pay gap annually.

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About Women in Telecoms

Women in Telecoms is an initiative by Comms Council UK, created in response to growing demand from its members for regular opportunities to network, share experiences, discuss key industry topics, and exchange ideas.