UKWISPA and INCA Alliance - Bringing the best of Fibre and Wireless together
INCA and UKWISPA form strategic alliance to strengthen the independent telecoms network sector

Responding to changing industry realities and preparing for a sustainable future
LONDON, 23 APRIL 2026 -The Independent Networks Co-operative Association (INCA) and the UK Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (UKWISPA) today announced a strategic alliance that brings together fibre and wireless trade bodies under a shared operational platform, while preserving each organisation’s distinct brand, governance, and membership.
The announcement was made at the UKWISPA annual member event and marks the first time the two trade bodies have formalised their working relationship to present a coordinated independent sector voice to Government, Ofcom, Local Authorities, and the broader market.
Responding to changing industry realities
The alliance is a direct response to the conditions now facing the independent network sector. After a decade of rapid fibre build and wireless network expansion, the sector is consolidating. Financing conditions have tightened, and operators of all sizes are focused on operational discipline, customer take-up, and sustainable growth.
The premises still waiting for gigabit-capable connectivity are, by and large, the hardest to reach. Delivering to them increasingly requires the right mix of technologies: fibre where it works, wireless where it is faster or more practical, and hybrid approaches where the local conditions demand it. The independent sector has been saying this for some time; what has changed is the availability of licensed spectrum, which now makes gigabit wireless a credible and reliable option at scale.
At the same time, many Local Authorities are sitting on clawback funding that must be spent on connectivity projects, but lack the internal technical capacity to define, measure, and procure the right solution. The alliance gives the independent sector a coordinated route to help them.
How the alliance is structured
This is a strategic alliance, not a merger. Both organisations remain separate legal entities, each with its own brand, governance, and membership proposition:
• Separate brands: INCA remains INCA. UKWISPA remains UKWISPA. Both identities, and the distinct member communities they represent, are preserved.
• Separate memberships: There is no combined membership. Members of either organisation stay where they are. Where a member belongs to both discounts to be offered
• Separate governance: UKWISPA continues through its policy and advisory board. INCA continues through its co-operative governance with one member, one vote.
• Shared operational platform: INCA provides back-office services to UKWISPA under a shared secretariat model- invoicing, bookkeeping, membership administration, website and CRM support, communications, and event support; giving UKWISPA operational stability without compromising its independence.
What the alliance will deliver
The two organisations have identified a set of early joint activities where coordinated action is expected to deliver greater value for members and the wider sector:
• A joint approach to Local Authority funding. INCA and UKWISPA will work together to help Local Authorities define connectivity problems in their areas and identify the most effective technology mix to solve them, unlocking clawback funding for projects that might otherwise go undelivered.
• A shared policy platform. Where issues affect the whole independent sector - rural and urban delivery, the hardest-to-reach premises, spectrum access, and infrastructure resilience; the two organisations will present a single, coordinated position to DSIT and Ofcom.
• A combined event calendar. Both organisations’ events, including UKWISPA’s technical meeting and awards and INCA’s flagship conference, will be coordinated to avoid clashes and create richer opportunities for members and supplier partners.
• A broader independent sector narrative. Fibre and wireless operators together tell a more complete story of what the independent sector delivers: competitive, resilient, locally relevant connectivity across the whole country.
Why the future is bright for the independent network sector
The alliance is not only a response to current pressures. It is preparation for an increasingly optimistic future in which independent operators are distinctively well-placed to lead. Modern, software-defined networks built in the last decade are ready to take advantage of AI-driven operations, predictive maintenance, and next-generation customer experience tools. Smaller operators with direct local relationships can deliver the kind of personalised, responsive service that larger incumbents struggle to match. And the agility that comes from being independent means new technologies, from AI to quantum-safe network layers, can be adopted at pace rather than stalled by legacy systems.
The independent network sector already represents a substantial share of the UK's fibre and wireless footprint. The next phase is about turning that footprint into enduring, customer-centred businesses that lead on innovation as well as competition. A stronger collective voice accelerates that.
Quotes
“The independent sector is at its strongest when it speaks as a whole. Fibre and wireless operators face common challenges: the hardest-to-reach premises, the need for scale, the shift from building networks to running them well, and the opportunity to unlock sources of funding for the parts of the country that still need it most. But we are also at the start of something genuinely exciting. Independent operators have the modern networks, the local customer relationships, and the agility to lead the UK into an AI-enabled, customer-centred future for telecoms. By working together through this alliance, while keeping our separate identities and memberships, we create the broader independent sector voice that backs both the here-and-now and what comes next"
Paddy Paddison, Chief Executive, INCA
“Helping INCA and UKWISPA members to work together will make the UK Government’s goal of ubiquitous gigabit broadband coverage in a timely and cost-effective way far more realistic. I am delighted to be a part of this next step which brings together some of the UK’s most innovative and agile telecoms providers for the first time. This alliance protects UKWISPA’s identity and technical community while giving our members structured access to INCA’s regulatory capability and a louder voice on the issues that matter to wireless operators. It is the right step at the right time, and I am pleased to be handing over operational responsibility to INCA with a meaningful transition period in place.”
David Burns, Chair, UKWISPA





















