Eclipse Internet History
Eclipse Internet are a true gem, providing inspiration to budding UK entrepreneurs everywhere thanks to their humble beginnings which have blossomed into the market-leading company we see today. Started up by a single man in sleepy(ish) Exeter in 1995 with nothing but a £20,000 investment, Eclipse Internet opened its virtual doors in 1996.
In this early period it was a simple regional broadband provider for the South West of England, offering dial up internet to customers using an 0845 number. Things started to pick up and of course Eclipse wasn't just going to stick with its little lot, so they began to investigate the possibility of starting up a new type of internet service that few had heard of called 'broadband'.
Before broadband was so widely available, back in 2001, Eclipse launched their first broadband internet service thanks to BT selling off their ADSL lines at wholesale prices to enterprising third party companies. Though Eclipse Internet wasn't unique in offering this service, they were savvy enough to make their broadband easy enough to be installed without the need for an engineer to be sent out to every home. This cut costs and attracted more business their way. So far so good.
By 2003 Eclipse had established themselves as one of the best in the business, and all their hard work and understanding came to fruition when they were awarded the 'Best Business Broadband Provider' trophy at the ISPAs (That's the Internet Service Provider's Association Awards to you and me).
2004 became a year of firsts for Eclipse Internet. They were amalgamated into the KCOM group to become part of a growing family of UK based communications companies. Then they offered a 2Mbps service to their customers. This was unique at the time because it was just £14.99, a very attractive price when you look back to the 2004 market.
2005 saw yet more gongs hit the bricks of the Eclipse Internet trophy wall (which by this point it must surely have been). They got an ISPA for Best Heavy Business Broadband, and as if to cement their position they multiplied the download speed of the unlimited broadband services for home users by 2. All of this had been achieved within a 10 year operating window, and media outlets around the country were singing their praises.
In 2006 things kept on improving over at Eclipse, with another two ISPAs for both business and consumer broadband excellence, as well as the introduction of the 8Mbps ADSL service keeping them competitive. All this was performed and juggled with a complete re-brand to keep things sparkly and modern.
2007 saw what might be for some the most important move that Eclipse Internet has ever made. They became a carbon neutral company, giving piece of mind to the eco-friendly out there that their broadband is delivered to their home as economically and ethically as possible.
So what next? With more awards piling up every year, Eclipse have gone for another fresh look for 2009 with a new website, and expect lots more goodies and services to crop up throughout the year. You may be interested in their growing network of Wi-Fi hotspots around the country, titled 'ROAM', to which you can connect when you're on the go. Keep your eyes peeled and look out for more great Eclipse Internet products and no doubt loads more awards heading their way soon.
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