TOOB BROADBAND HISTORY
FROM SOUTHAMPTON START-UP TO FULL FIBRE CHALLENGER
How toob went from local challenger to serious full fibre name
toob did not arrive with the baggage of an old cable empire. It started with a much cleaner pitch: build proper full fibre, keep pricing simple, and make fast broadband feel less like a premium extra. From its base in Portsmouth, the company set out to prove that an alternative network provider could be both affordable and ambitious.
That idea first took shape in Southampton, then spread across Hampshire and beyond. Since then, toob has grown through its own network build and through CityFibre, turning what looked like a regional start into a much bigger UK story. If you want the present-day verdict rather than the backstory, our toob Broadband review breaks down how the service stacks up in real life.
2017: THE EARLY IDEA
toob says it was founded in 2017 from a simple idea: ultrafast internet should be available and affordable for everyone. That sounds straightforward now, but at the time the UK market still leaned heavily on confusing bundles, legacy copper and patchy gigabit plans. toob’s pitch was refreshingly direct.
| YEAR | MILESTONE | WHY IT MATTERED |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | toob is founded | A new alt-net enters the market with a full fibre first approach and a strong affordability message. |
| 2019 | Southampton chosen as flagship city | This gave toob a real launchpad and a place to prove the model at scale. |
| 2019 | First customer connected | The business moved from promise to reality, with live service on its own network. |
A cleaner start than the old household names
Unlike providers built on old phone or cable networks, toob came in with full fibre at the centre of the offer. That gave it a different tone from day one. It was less about legacy migration and more about giving areas a fresh option.
2019: SOUTHAMPTON GETS THE FIRST ROLLOUT
Southampton was where the brand really became visible. toob announced a £50 million investment into the city’s digital infrastructure and aimed to pass more than 100,000 premises there by the end of 2021. The first live customer connection followed later in 2019, which turned the company from another ambitious broadband pitch into a real operator.
| LAUNCH DETAIL | WHAT TOOB OFFERED | WHY PEOPLE PAID ATTENTION |
|---|---|---|
| Southampton rollout | 900 Mbps average download and upload speeds | Symmetrical speeds at a sharp price stood out straight away. |
| Simple pricing | £25 per month at launch | It undercut the idea that gigabit-style broadband had to feel expensive. |
| Full fibre build | Direct fibre rather than old copper into the home | That meant better upload performance and fewer compromises. |
- Simple, easy-to-understand offer
- Proper full fibre, not part fibre
- Very strong upload speeds from the start
- Coverage was limited in the early years
- Brand awareness was still low outside the South
- Expansion depended on building and funding at speed
WHY TOOB STOOD OUT EARLY ON
What made toob memorable was not just speed. It was clarity. At launch, the company sold a simple symmetrical full fibre service with no line rental and no cluttered product ladder. In a market where plenty of providers still leaned on old copper or part fibre wording, that felt different.
That simplicity also helped with word of mouth. Once neighbours started seeing the network appear in their streets, the brand’s local reputation grew quickly. If you are looking at what that means for a buyer today, the latest toob Broadband deals page is the easiest way to see current pricing and offer structure.
2022: THE CITYFIBRE PARTNERSHIP CHANGES THE SCALE
The biggest turning point came in late 2022 when toob agreed a strategic relationship with CityFibre. That mattered because it let toob go beyond being only a network builder in its own footprint. Suddenly, it had a route to reach far more homes through CityFibre’s wider network.
In plain English, this is where the story changed from local challenger to broader retail contender. The company could still build its own full fibre network in the South, but it could also extend its offer into new locations much faster than a stand-alone rollout would allow.
| BEFORE THE DEAL | AFTER THE DEAL | WHY IT MATTERED |
|---|---|---|
| Own-build footprint | Access to CityFibre's national network | Much wider potential reach without waiting for every street to be built by toob itself. |
| Strong regional presence | More credible national growth path | It moved the brand out of the "interesting local provider" category. |
| South-focused momentum | A platform for faster expansion | This is the point where toob’s story gets much bigger. |
2025: RAPID EXPANSION AND 100,000 CUSTOMERS
By September 2025, toob said it had connected more than 100,000 customers. It also said it was operating across 28 counties and 89 towns and cities, with customers split between its own network footprint and CityFibre areas. For a provider founded in 2017, that is serious pace.
That same month, toob also announced expansion to another 1.1 million homes across 33 towns and cities, including new areas in Scotland. At that point, the company was no longer just a South Coast success story. It had become one of the more visible names in the UK alt-net space.
- 100,000+ connected customers
- Presence across 28 counties and 89 towns and cities
- 33 more towns and cities added through expansion plans
- Service now stretching beyond England into Scotland
WHAT TOOB LOOKS LIKE NOW
Today, toob sits in an interesting spot. It still has the feel of an ambitious challenger, but its footprint and brand recognition are now far bigger than the early Southampton days. It is known for straightforward full fibre, a no in-contract price rise promise on many plans, and a service model built around speed and value rather than endless upsell.
Availability is still the key question, because no alt-net is everywhere. That is why it makes sense to compare your options by location, not just by headline speed. Our UK broadband comparison by area is the quickest way to check what else is realistically available alongside toob where you live.
| ERA | KEY SHIFT | DETAILS |
|---|---|---|
| THE START | Founded in 2017 | Click for the short version. |
| THE PROOF | Southampton launch in 2019 | Click for why this mattered. |
| THE TURNING POINT | CityFibre partnership in 2022 | Click for the expansion story. |
| THE SCALE-UP | 100,000 customers in 2025 | Click for the latest milestone summary. |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHEN WAS TOOB FOUNDED?
toob says it was founded in 2017, with the business later describing its mission as making ultrafast internet affordable and available for all.
WHERE DID TOOB FIRST ROLL OUT?
Southampton was the first flagship city for toob’s full fibre rollout, and the company connected its first customer there in 2019.
DOES TOOB USE ITS OWN NETWORK OR CITYFIBRE?
Both. toob has its own network footprint, especially from its earlier South of England build, and it also expanded over CityFibre’s network after their strategic agreement in 2022.
IS TOOB ACTUALLY FULL FIBRE?
Yes. toob’s proposition is built around full fibre connectivity direct into the home rather than older copper-based delivery.
SUMMARY: A SMALLER BRAND THAT GREW UP FAST
toob’s history is short compared with giants like BT or Virgin Media, but that is partly what makes it interesting. In less than a decade it went from a new full fibre idea to a provider with six-figure customer numbers, a recognisable brand and a much bigger map than its Southampton roots might have suggested. If you are weighing up whether that history translates into a good choice now, start with our toob Broadband review, then compare the latest toob Broadband deals against what else is available in your area.