Telecoms firm hit by £200,000 fine

GREATER Manchester-based telecoms company Unicom has been hit with £200,000 fine and could jeopardise its reported potential £300m flotation.

The company headquartered in Northenden has been punished by industry regulator Ofcom for misleading business customers between 2013 and 2014 over costs and disruption they would face if joining the company.

Unicom, which is in direct competition with BT and XLN in the market which supplies SMEs has been under fire for some from MPs and consumer groups.

The Times has reported the company’s private equity owners have considered a float of the company but the fine could have disrupted the move.

The company is owned by Vitruvian Partners, which bought it for £136.5m in 2011.

No-one was available to comment on behalf of Unicom.

However, a press release issued by the company earlier this week trumpeted the creation of 100 new jobs and expansion into a newly refurbished 12,647 sq ft office, a stone’s throw from its headquarters in Sharston.