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Neos Networks, Cornerstone and StonesThro power UK sovereign edge cloud
Strategic collaboration designed to enable distributed microscale AI compute with national, resilient connectivity for critical sectors
As it furthers its journey into providing critical infrastructure throughout the UK, business connectivity provider Neos Networks has teamed with mobile infrastructure services firm Cornerstone to provide connectivity services to UK “microscaler” StonesThro to support distributed sovereign edge cloud infrastructure.
Seeking to establish a difference between StonesThro and hyperscalers that centralise infrastructure in major datacentres, Neos noted that microscalers distribute cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) compute power to localised sites.
By connecting these regional hubs into its national, business‑dedicated network, Neos assured that StonesThro and Cornerstone could serve users in key urban and industrial areas. The planned deployments will also use Cornerstone’s national infrastructure footprint, enabling distributed cloud nodes to be deployed at scale.
The partners believe that such a distributed model is already unlocking new capabilities for sectors where proximity is important for functionality, ranging from autonomous vehicles and large enterprises to local authorities and high-security sovereign software providers. Additionally, they say that for critical national infrastructure (CNI) customers handling sensitive data, the UK sovereign model offers an alternative to international cloud providers.
In 2025, in partnership with Network Rail, Neos Networks announced Project Reach, claimed to be the biggest core fibre network deployment in decades. Neos’ UK-wide network will support Cornerstone and StonesThro in delivering secure connectivity to CNI operators, such as those in the rail industry, which often require domestic infrastructure.
Supporting UK digital ambitions
In what the firms believe will be another key advantage, they stressed how they are supporting the UK government’s AI and datacentre ambitions through an alternative infrastructure model. Rather than concentrating compute power in large southern datacentres, they believe that StonesThro’s distributed approach moves AI capabilities closer to where they’re needed and closer to where power is generated, addressing both the UK’s datacentre capacity shortage and grid transmission challenges.
“Our national footprint is the ideal backbone for Cornerstone and StonesThro’s edge AI cloud,” commented Neos Networks CEO Lee Myall. “Through our high-capacity connectivity, we are providing the UK-wide sovereign coverage, optionality and technical resilience required for high-security projects. We are proud to power the infrastructure that will enable the next generation of real-time applications and critical national services.
“Working with Neos Networks and Cornerstone allows us to develop and scale sovereign edge AI infrastructure with national reach,” added StonesThro chief information security officer Andy Bates. “Its position as the UK’s largest B2B connectivity provider, alongside its access to the rail network through Project Reach, makes it the ideal collaborator to help us deliver a local solution for local people.”
Specifically designed to end the worst signal blackspots on the major rail arteries of Britain and no less than rewire the UK for the next decade of digital growth, Project Reach’s nationwide roll-out will see at least 1,000km of high-grade fibre laid alongside Britain’s railways. By using the rail network as a national corridor for new fibre, Neos stated that it was taking advantage of the most direct, secure and future-proof routes available.
The infrastructure will support everything from rail operations and transport digitisation to the surging demand created by AI, cloud and datacentre expansion. Structurally, the project brings together public and private sector investment and infrastructure, and its developers claim they will be able to save taxpayers around £300m while delivering substantial benefits to rail users.
The scheme also aims to create a high-performing digital connectivity backbone for businesses, providing connectivity to datacentres and high-performance edge facilities, supporting the UK’s digital ambitions and driving innovation.
Read more about UK critical network infrastructure
- Zayo provides critical connectivity infrastructure for AI, cloud datacentres: Enterprise network provider deploys connectivity infrastructure to one of the UK’s largest AI cloud datacentre campuses to support up to 720 MW of AI-ready infrastructure.
- Render Networks unveils synchronised agentic critical infrastructure: Critical infrastructure execution and intelligence software provider unveils agentic AI architecture designed for dynamic, scalable execution at infrastructure operators and constructors.
- Cisco shapes up for delivery of critical infrastructure in the AI era: Annual European expo reveals what IT and networking behemoth claims will be a leap forward in AI adoption, with new products encompassing switches, optics, agentic operations and SASE.
- £3bn opportunity in digital network upgrade of UK critical infrastructure: Study from BT highlights multibillion-pound net benefit that could be unlocked by upgrading critical services to digital platform.
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