Introduction
Following approximately £40 billion in investment into UK fibre infrastructure, the UK sector is now entering a new phase. The focus is no longer on network deployment, but on commercial performance, customer retention, and service differentiation in an increasingly competitive and consolidating market. For many ISPs, this transition presents a new set of challenges. Their operational systems, fragmented processes and manual workflows - once sufficient during the build phase - are now creating barriers to operational efficiency and customer retention right when these capabilities are most critical.
One of ISPA's newest partners, gaiia, is perfectly positioned to examine the systems challenge underpinning commercial performance, and to explore how modern OSS/BSS systems, automation, and AI-enabled operations are reshaping what efficient ISP operations look like in practice.
A Case Study with LilaConnect
LilaConnect migrated to gaiia in 16 weeks and automated its entire customer onboarding flow. By replacing a constrained in-house system with an API-driven OSS/BSS, LilaConnect reduced customer self-onboarding time from 19 minutes to just 4, eliminated most manual processes, and launched a scalable foundation for rapid regional growth.
LilaConnect, the retail subsidiary of The Freedom Fibre Group, delivers full-fibre broadband to communities across the North West of the UK. With a strategy of rapid growth across multiple towns and regions, the company needed a modern operations platform that could scale as fast as its network.
After challenges with an internal system that had reached its limits and a failed migration to another platform, LilaConnect turned to gaiia to modernize its operations and create a better customer experience.
LilaConnect required a flexible, API-driven OSS/BSS that could integrate seamlessly with its network operator’s systems and support an efficient, scalable retail ISP experience. Key considerations included:
After evaluating multiple vendors, LilaConnect chose gaiia for its open, modular architecture, proven delivery timelines, and collaborative implementation model designed for complex integration environments.
Read the full blog - discover how gaiia delivered business value in 16 weeks