The inside of 21 Soho, with plants and decor and warm lighting.

21 Soho

Coffee, Cocktails and Comedy – how G.Network serves 21 Soho’s every need.

The Challenge

Opening just before the pandemic, 21 Soho needed reliable internet to support a multi-use space. From hosting Zoom calls to live-streaming comedy shows, a fast and dependable connection was crucial for the success of their workspace and entertainment venue.

In their own words, 21 Soho is “more than just a coffee shop that masquerades as a bar and Soho’s largest comedy stage at night.” It’s a space for people to work, connect, create, play, eat, drink, and laugh. Everyday, so much is happening at 21 Soho – they’re a busy business that needs always-on broadband.

The challenge

21 Soho opened its doors in 2020, just 5 days before the first lockdown. Despite that, they’re going strong today, with a workspace that champions independent London businesses, like Climpson & Sons and the iconic Beigel Bake on Brick Lane, and a comedy club that hosts 300 people almost every night.

“We try to represent as many London independents as we can in our workspace. It’s a big, open plan space where people can work all day, before the evening people come in to enjoy a date night or pre-show drink. We’ll have people working in the same space, on Zoom calls, and they need to be able to do that with ease, otherwise they won’t come and work here,” says Dan Fry, Co-Founder of 21 Soho.

But 21 Soho doesn’t stop there. With their comedy club and podcasting studio, they’re also live-streaming and recording, hosting big names from Romesh Ranganathan to Sara Pascoe.

“When we need fast and reliable broadband, we really need it. Podcasting and livestreaming are our most data-hungry activities – in that sense, we become a production company. We’ll have massive files that need to be uploaded or downloaded, transferred and processed.”

“To other businesses I would say if you have any doubt or issues with your current broadband supplier, then switch. Ever since we plugged in G.Network, the service has been great and we don’t have to think about it. As a business owner, that’s just what you need.”

Dan Fry, Co-Founder of 21 Soho

The solution

As soon as they found their perfect location in Soho, they knew they wouldn’t be able to rely on the old, copper telephone lines to power their business needs. So, the team jumped at the chance to get connected to G.Network.

21 Soho say that switching to G.Network’s full fibre broadband was a no brainer. For them, it’s a crucial tool that allows them to do bigger and better things.

“Having full fibre broadband has allowed us to do so much more with our business. We can sell an unlimited amount of tickets to our live streaming events, where all the proceeds go to charities such as Reclaim the Streets and Action Aid. This is a really important part of what we do. And as we keep growing, I feel confident that our connectivity will be able to keep up."