‘Our heart is in the local community - and that makes KCOM pretty special’
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As KCOM turns 120, CEO Tim Shaw discusses the importance of the anniversary, what makes the company different from other broadband providers, and what the future holds
Q: How significant is KCOM's 120th anniversary?
A: We’ve been celebrating all year, so we’re taking it pretty seriously!
A milestone year is always a good opportunity to take stock, reflect on what’s been achieved and look ahead to where we go next.
One-hundred-and-twenty years is an impressive anniversary to reach in any industry but, as one of the oldest telcos in the world, we’ve seen some pretty amazing changes in technology and the world around us since we started out in 1904.
Q: What have you done – and what are you doing – to mark the anniversary, and how would you sum up the year?
A: The year has been fantastic. We decided early on to focus our efforts on local fundraising and our teams have really gone above and beyond – including both walking and cycling 120km.
We’ve been able to raise thousands for our three 120th charities – the HEY Children’s University, Hull and East Yorkshire Mind and Age UK Hull and East Yorkshire.
On the day itself, November 28, we’re having a party at Carr Lane. Forty children from the Children’s University will come to celebrate with us.
There’ll be cake, of course – and I’m reliably informed it’s going to take the shape of one of KCOM’s iconic cream phone boxes.
Q: How does it feel to be at the helm of KCOM in this landmark year?
A: It’s a real privilege to be honest, and I’m immensely proud of everything the team is achieving.
Obviously, connectivity has changed drastically since we started out life as the Hull Corporation Telephone Department but even in the past three to five years there’s been massive changes for the telecoms sector.
It’s been great to see KCOM pivoting and pioneering still, to make sure we stay competitive and offer customers what modern-day connectivity now demands.
Q: How important is KCOM as a business to the region's economy?
A: We’d say we’re a critical part of it. When you think about it, there’s not a lot you can achieve without an internet connection these days – whether that’s running a business, studying or having fun at home.
Thousands of households, businesses, public services and charities rely on us each day. Our priority is to provide them with fast, secure and reliable connectivity and make sure that every interaction with us is a positive one, so that they can go about their day and not even think about their broadband.
Not to mention, Hull’s got one of the UK’s best full fibre networks that makes it a perfect place for businesses to locate.
Just look at the amazing successes of places like C4DI, in the Fruit Market, which shows that Hull can really be at the vanguard of a booming digital and tech sector.
Q: KCOM is a local institution – describe the role it plays in the local community.
A: I’d sum it up as digital empowerment. We provide grants to charities to help them get connected or do more with their connection, and we run workshops with people aged eight to 80 to help them navigate the online world.
I’m particularly proud too of our outreach work to get more young people and women interested in careers in STEM.
KCOM people also just love getting stuck in and our employees volunteered more than 800 hours to local community projects alone last year.
We’re also really connected to events like Pride. We had almost a hundred people join Pride this year, our biggest crowd ever, and it makes such a statement about who we are as a business and what’s important to us.
Q: How is KCOM different to other telcos?
A: I think the fact that our heart is in the community makes KCOM pretty special.
We never stop thinking about what more we can do for customers, and how we make sure we have the best customer experience – from their very first enquiry, to installation, to when their contract comes to an end.
We might not always get it right but it’s what gets us out of bed in the morning, focused and moving forwards.
Q: It’s a very different commercial world to what it was just a few years ago – lots of new competition in the region and nationally – how has KCOM responded and adapted to that?
Frankly, it’s made us more agile and more ambitious. We have to respond to customers’ increased expectations on value, while delivering them a better all-round experience.
The tough economic climate too over the past few years has made us think differently and provided new pressure points as costs increased.
So, we’re doubling down on customer service and promoting features of our network like seamless streaming and greater security. Hopefully readers will have seen the ‘Power is all Yours’ campaign, which has been exciting to roll out this year.
Without giving anything away too soon, there’s plenty more to come on improving the in-home experience. We want customers to take even more control of their connected home and customise their internet experience with greater prioritisation, personalisation and protection for their online lives.
Q: One of the stories that has been on many people’s radar in the past year/18 months is the proliferation of poles being put up by new broadband providers – what’s the latest on this and is there a solution in sight?
A: Yes, we’ve been working hard over the past few months with other companies in the area and a trial is currently underway giving access to our infrastructure.
That’s going to tell us a lot about what’s needed longer-term, so we can make sure any solution is sustainable and works for residents.
Q: On a personal level, you've been in Hull for five years now – what do you make of the city and its people? Do you feel at home here?
A: Yes, definitely. I’ve always found it a friendly and welcoming place to be – big city ambition with a community feel. And it’s got creativity, entrepreneurialism and drive that make it really vibrant.
I’m at the MKM pretty regularly to watch the Tigers – we both turn 120 this year – and also the races at Beverley is a good day out, or down at the marina for a pint and a meal.
I get a great insight into the huge potential of Hull’s young people as a governor at Ron Dearing, and as a director at Future Humber I’m involved in setting the future for the region.
Hull’s been a hidden gem for too long and we really need to shout about what it has to offer on a national scale. The new mayoral combined authority should help with that – I’m a big advocate.
Q: What does the future hold for KCOM?
A: In short, more pioneering connectivity, more exciting in-home experiences and, of course, more cheerleading for Hull and our community.