Case Study: Foresight Group Commissions Cambridge Management Consulting for Technical Due Diligence

Creating a detailed report for towns in the South East on behalf of a regional-focused alternative network provider

Foresight Group is a sustainability-led alternative assets and SME investment manager. They commissioned Cambridge Management Consulting to conduct a detailed Due Diligence report for one of their fibre portfolio assets in the South of England. This report would recommend strategic towns in the South East that are potential targets for their growth strategy. 

The Request

The challenge from Foresight Group was to quickly mobilise a survey team and create a detailed Due Diligence assessment on a number of key expansion areas. The report had to establish the following:

1. The current deployment of BT Openreach in the area, including signs of recent activity.
   
   
2. The current deployment and connectivity status of other altnets, including signs of recent activity and an estimation of current live customers.
   
   
3. The proportion of overhead to underground fibre build, with approximate split between underground ducts and armoured buried cable (direct in ground).
   
   
4. Availability of PIA infrastructure, including DP poles, splitters, ducts, swept tee, chambers/nodes/CBTs etc.
   
   
5. Potential problems in the network, e.g., blockages, gaps between poles that have not been spanned and cannot be serviced by the underground network etc.

The Approach

Foresight Group and the alt-net's leadership teams required thorough technical due diligence, but accurate information on network condition, existing infrastructure, and presence of competing networks (including signs of recent activity) could only be gathered by cross-referencing public data and on-the-ground visual observations at the site. The survey team established a visual topology and methodology that could be used to analyse and answer the points above.

The survey team comprised of specialists from Cambridge MC spent a number of days on-site, conducting a thorough sweep of the area while recording the visual topology in real-time using the ArcGIS app. Our team in the office used PIA data from the Openreach portal to guide the survey, and they were able to corroborate observations made on the ground. 

Advantages of this Approach

• An on-the-ground survey team can verify and investigate network inconsistencies and establish how active an ISP is in a particular area, i.e., the team can determine when a ‘homes passed’ strategy has been accelerated to show network presence in an area despite the fact there are large gaps that do not have light and/or few live customers.

• The team gathers information in real-time via the ArcGIS app.

• The findings and visual observation record are presented to senior management and leadership in a detailed report that makes a final ‘go/no go’ recommendation based on a set of justifications and a timeframe.

• The report includes photos and examples, as well as a background on the location and a summary of PIA data.

Foresight Group said: "Working with the Cambridge MC team was a huge pleasure. The Due Diligence team were fast and delivered what we needed to help shape our strategic planning."

Outcomes & Results

1. Cambridge MC provided clear recommendations based on a strong justification from the evidence and data gathered.

2. The client received a full, detailed report to discuss with the senior leadership team and the Board.

3. The decision was presented with a timeframe based on the activity of other fibre providers. The timeframe was essential for a final decision by the leadership teams.