Focus: Telecoms
Jonathon Burrows, 26
Company: Ask4
Web: www.ask4.com
By operating its own national network, Ask4 offers the fastest residential broadband in the UK, as well as a range of value-added services, such as VoIP and IPTV. Burrows launched Ask4, which supplies telecoms services to multiple-tenanted buildings, such as student halls of residence and apartment blocks, in 2000, when he was just 18. This followed three and a half years spent building Ask4’s own infrastructure to deliver these services, funded by £750,000 angel investment. Since then, the business has been self-financing. It has doubled in size profitably each year for the last three. This year’s turnover will be £2.5m – double that achieved in 2007 – and is expected to hit £4.5m in 2009. Ask4’s 35,000 end users will also double next year, due to the addition of 60% more outlets.
