Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The UK government has begun consulting on new proposals aimed at speeding up the process of home buying and selling, while also improving the material information that Estate Agents are required to provide for every transaction. The availability of broadband, as well as mobile signal and coverage, are some of the data points proposed for inclusion in future guidance.

As above, the main focus of the government’s reform in this area (here) is on finding a way to speed up the process of buying and selling UK homes, which currently takes an average of 120 days to complete and around 1 in 3 transactions fail. As part of this, they’re also consulting on new guidance to help estate agents meet their legal obligations and improve the “material information” they provide (here).

At present quite a few estate agents already include some details, albeit often quite limited, on the broadband capabilities of the homes they list for sale. Similarly, many online property comparison websites also list such details, even if some estate agents don’t always go that far.

However, this detail rarely extends to include mobile signals and coverage, while alternative broadband networks can sometimes be overlooked due to limited research (i.e. there’s still a tendency to focus on only the biggest ISPs and networks).

Government Statement (Ministry of Housing)

​The home buying and selling process is long, complicated and frustrating for both consumers and property professionals. A key reason for these inefficiencies is that both consumers and professionals often struggle to access the right information at the right time. Significant problems which might affect a buyer’s decision only emerge after their offer has been accepted.

​​We recognise that obtaining, interpreting and publishing material information can be challenging in the context of property sales. We therefore intend to produce new guidance that indicates what is likely to be considered material information, helps professionals meet their legal responsibilities and results in a better quality service for consumers.

As part of this the government have also published a list to show the categories that “we think may be considered material information“, based on previous guidance and engagement with industry stakeholders. The list mentions broadband and mobile connectivity.

Proposed Material Information for Property Sales

• price
• council tax and domestic rates
• tenure, including time remaining on lease (if applicable)
• ground rent or service charges (if applicable)
• electricity supply
• water supply
• sewerage
• heating type
• broadband
• mobile signal and coverage
• property type (for example, terraced, detached)
• number and types of room
• parking
• accessibility and adaptations
• rights and easements
• flood risk
• property construction (for example, standard, thatched roof, prefabricated)
• issues with property (for example, damp, subsidence, asbestos, Japanese knotweed)
• building safety defects, including fire and structural risk modifications
• restrictions (for example, listed property, conservation area, restrictions on usage)
• coastal erosion
• planning permission
• coalfield or mining area
• any other category

Naturally, the issue of including digital connectivity is not always an easy one to resolve, particularly in areas where copper lines with variable broadband speeds are still a factor or locations where the availability of smaller broadband networks may not always be apparent; especially if estate agents only look at data from commercial comparison sites, which often excludes the presence of smaller networks.

Extending this to include mobile connectivity can be an even bigger challenge, not least due to variability of that environment (e.g. local spectrum band assignments and cell sites do change and vary between operators) and the fact that you need to consider the importance of indoor vs outdoor reception. But Ofcom’s new Mobile Coverage Map might be able to provide a limited non-commercial basis for achieving this, even if it’s far from perfect.

Suffice to say it will be interesting to see what approach the government ends up taking, but we won’t learn that until later in 2026.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has today confirmed that the final bidders due to take part in their auction of the 26GHz and 40GHz millimetre wave (mmW) bands for faster 5G data (mobile broadband) services will include BT (EE), Telefonica UK (O2 / Virgin Media) and Vodafone (VodafoneThree). No surprises this time around.

The major mobile network providers currently already have access to several 5G capable bands between 700MHz and 3.8GHz. Such frequencies reflect the same sort of low and mid-band radio spectrum that mobile operators have been using since the advent of the first 3G and 4G networks.

The move to auction off 26GHz (25.1-27.5GHz) and 40GHz (40.5-43.5GHz) will complement those existing bands by providing lots of additional spectrum frequency, which means more data capacity for extremely fast speeds (e.g. multi-Gigabit). But such signals tend to be very weak and can’t cover a wider area without a much denser / more expensive network, which in practice means they’ll primarily be used for serving busy urban areas (shopping malls, airports etc. – “High Density Areas“) and fixed wireless broadband (FWA) links.

Ofcom plans to make this spectrum available in a clock auction (200MHz lots) with 15-year licences across 68 “high-density” areas (i.e. cities and select transport hubs). Interestingly, the UK is one of the first countries in Europe to award spectrum in the 40GHz band for mobile, although the 26GHz award is much more in keeping with the EU’s existing approach and many operators can already access it.

The first bidding or principal stage is currently still expected to take place this month (an exact start date will be confirmed soon), although we won’t learn the final outcome until a little bit later. Ofcom’s reserve prices for this spectrum also appear to be modest when compared with other European auctions (£2m per 26GHz lot and £1m per 40GHz lot).

As usual, winning the auction is only part of the challenge. Network operators will then need to update and adapt their networks to support the new bands, and not all UK devices (Smartphones etc.) are currently able to harness them; this is particularly true of the 40GHz band.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Digital infrastructure firm Boldyn Networks has this morning announced that they’ve so far deployed over 200 5G capable small cells across busy parts of London, which can be harnessed by all the major mobile network operators (i.e. Vodafone / Three UK, O2 and EE) to boost their coverage, local capacity and mobile broadband performance.

Small cells are shoebox sized mobile (radio) base stations, which are designed to deliver limited coverage (usually up to around 100+ metres) and thus tend to be more focused on busy areas, specific sites or even indoor locations – it’s not uncommon to find these sitting on top of lampposts, CCTV poles or old payphone cubicles (i.e. more cost-effective than building new street assets or trying to secure wayleaves to access buildings etc.).

The ongoing deployment is part of a “broader initiative to enhance mobile connectivity in high-footfall urban areas through scalable, shared infrastructure, supporting London’s smart city ambitions“, said Boldyn Networks. It also supports the London Mayor’s manifesto to improve digital connectivity in London.

The new cells have thus been installed across some of the capital’s busiest areas, such as King’s Cross, Waterloo, London Bridge, Old Street, The Shard and Hyde Park Corner. Most of these have also been deployed at quite a rapid pace, with the operator often targeting a 3-month order-to-activation timeline.

The rollout is partly underpinned by Boldyn’s existing 20-year exclusive concession agreement with Transport for London (TfL), which includes work to build a new fibre network through the re-use of existing TfL ducts etc. This gives them access to more than 80,000 fibre-connected street assets, including on lighting columns, 2,000km of ducts and 400km of underground fibre, without the need for new planning permissions.

Brendan O’Reilly, CEO of UK & Ireland at Boldyn Networks, said:

“By overcoming traditional barriers such as planning delays and high deployment costs, we’ve unlocked a new model for rapid, sustainable connectivity. Through our partnership with TfL, we are delivering high-performance connectivity in high-footfall areas while preserving the city’s aesthetics and minimising disruption. Our small cell strategy is accelerating MNOs 5G rollout today across London and laying the foundations for the smarter, more connected capital of tomorrow.”

What’s not so clear from today’s announcement is the question of how many more small cells are likely to be deployed by Boldyn in London over the next few years, although some of this work is perhaps more demand-led and so tricky to predict.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Alternative network ISP Quickline, which is rolling out a new gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) and wireless (FWA) broadband network across rural parts of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in England (3-Year Rollout Plan), has published their accounts to the end of 2024 and revealed revenues grew to £3.9m (2023: £3m). But they had an operating loss of £33.1m (2023: £28.8m).

Just to recap. Quickline’s network rollout is currently aiming to extend gigabit-capable broadband to a further 360,000 UK premises across thousands of rural communities (roughly 170k via publicly funded projects and almost 200k from commercial builds) and the provider hopes to end 2025 with a total of 200,000 premises passed.

Sadly, the latest results don’t provide any updated totals for current premises passed or customers, but we do learn that the company now has total assets worth £156m (2023: £86m) and total liabilities of -£97.7m (2023: -£136m). This gives them positive net liabilities of £58.6m (2023: -£49.7m).

The average number of people employed by the company (inc. Directors) during the year reached a total of 334 (2023: 251). Quickline also received some other operating incoming from public funding, including £297k (2023: £0) from government grants, £1.235m from broadband contracts via the Building Delivery UK agency (2023: £686k) and £1.942m from the gigabit broadband voucher scheme (2023: £700k).

Finally, it’s worth pointing out that Quickline’s ultimate parent company is QCL Topco Limited, although they’re currently a few days overdue on their own accounts.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Broadband and mobile giant Virgin Media and O2 has this morning published new research, which claims to reveal that more than 1.8 million people over the age of 65 have been scammed online in the past year, with the average victim losing £831. In response, they’re launching a free Scam Schools programme with sessions “across the UK” to help Brits get safer online.

According to a new Censuswide survey of 3,004 UK respondents (1,004 of which were aged 65+), which was commissioned by VMO2, some 55% of respondents fear their older relatives could lose their life savings to fraudsters and 39% are not confident that they could spot a scam. Unsurprisingly, some 73% believe vulnerable older people are being deliberately targeted by scammers.

Latest Scam Messages in Circulation Today

VMO2 highlights some of the latest scam messages currently being identified through their network.

• Criminals posing as banks or HMRC 

• BARCLAYS BANK: A suspected fraudulent attempt for 199.99 has been made. If this was not you, respond N. 

• ThinkMoney: Transfer of 329.99 to HMRC ROAD TAX on hold. We would need to verify this activity. If it was not you, call us on X

• Bogus winter fuel or pension support offers 

• DWP official reminder: 
  According to DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) records, you have not submitted an application for the 2024-2025 Winter Heating Allowance, or the application information submitted previously is incorrect. To ensure that you can receive the ¬£300 allowance, please complete the application before July 3, 2025. 
  If you fail to submit an application before the deadline, you will lose your eligibility for this allowance. Please act now and complete the application through the following link:  

• Fake investment and pension schemes 

• Hope you’re well. If facing difficulties, I hope this helps. and I sincerely invite you to join our Stock Wealth group.  
  WHATSAPP LINK REMOVED 

• This smart investing system can make you 8-15% monthly returns. 
  Sign-up how: LINK REMOVED

• Parcel delivery scams  

• EVRI: Nobody answered when our driver attempted to deliver your parcel. Please Visit X to schedule a redelivery. 

• Impersonation scams where criminals pose as children or grandchildren 

• Hi dad save my new number x 

Such fears have even driven 29% of respondents to tell loved ones to stay offline to avoid being tricked, while 60% have taken on online tasks for their family members, such as managing banking or financial services (22%), paying household bills (21%), and booking medical appointments (20%). 

On the flip side, the data shows that 40% say the fear of being scammed prevents older relatives and friends living life to the fullest, while 45% agree it stops them enjoying simple things online (shopping, banking, or staying in touch with family) and 42% say they feel guilty they can’t do more to keep their older relatives safe online. 

When asked about the scams they fear could most easily trick older people, respondents pointed to familiar – and increasingly sophisticated – tactics, including:  

• Criminals posing as banks or HMRC (80%) 

• Phishing texts and emails carrying unsafe links (79%) 

• Fraudsters posing as tech support (76%) 

• Parcel delivery scams (76%) 

• Bogus winter fuel or pension support offers (74%) 

• Fake investment and pension schemes (73%) 

• Social media competition or giveaway scams (68%) 

• Impersonation scams where criminals pose as children or grandchildren (65%) 

• Romance scams (59%) 

The network operator has today responded to this by teaming up with the Good Things Foundation to launch a series of free “scam schools” across the UK, which are designed to help Brits swerve the scammers and get online safely.

Murray Mackenzie, Director of Fraud Prevention at VMO2, said:

“Scammers are becoming ever more convincing and anyone can fall victim. From fake investment opportunities to messages claiming to be from trusted banks or delivery companies, fraudsters are always changing their tactics. Worryingly, it’s often-older people who are most at risk.

At Virgin Media O2, we’re committed to keeping people safe online by blocking millions of fraudulent texts before they reach our customers, and by helping communities build the skills and confidence they need to spot and avoid scams. Scam School is the latest example of how we’re stepping up to protect people from fraud – because everybody deserves to feel safe online and to use the internet to make the most of every day.”

Unfortunately, there are only a few of these scam school events occurring, and seemingly only in England. People can find out more, and sign-up to existing, or new sessions, here.  

Scam School Dates and Locations

Smartlytes – Birmingham – 21st October 2025

Ladywell Unit – Lewisham – 22nd October 2025

Formby Library – Liverpool – 22nd October 2025

Whitley Community Development Association – Reading – 29th October 2025

FareShare Midlands – Birmingham – 28th October 2025

Delamere School – Manchester – 17th November 2025

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News

Oaktree Capital Management is actively seeking new minority investors in its data centre development arm, Pure Data Centres Group, to support ambitious expansion plans.

The investment firm aims to raise at least £800 million ($1.1 billion) by selling a 20-40% stake in Pure DC, which is currently valued between £4 billion and £5 billion.

According to reports, the formal fundraising process could commence as early as November, although discussions remain in preliminary stages, meaning the final size and timing of the deal may evolve.

Pure Data Centres Group operates over 500MW of capacity either in operation or under development across a the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The company’s most recent development is its £1 billion joint venture with property investment firm SEGRO PLC, aimig to develop a fully fitted 56-megawatt data centre in Park Royal, London.

For Oaktree, the stake sale is indicative of the bullish outlook on the expanding data centre market. The firm is positioning Pure DC to capitalise on the increasing demand for hyperscale data infrastructure amid growing digitalisation and cloud adoption trends, both in the UK and internationally.

Keep up to date with all of the latest telecoms news from around the world with the Total Telecom newsletter

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Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Alternative network operator and UK ISP Briant Broadband has informed ISPreview that customers covered by their own Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network around the seaside town of Worthing (West Sussex, England), which now reaches 10,500 properties passed (and serviceable), can access symmetric speeds of up to 5,000Mbps (5Gbps).

Eagle-eyed readers may recall that we first wrote about Briant’s plans to deploy their own full fibre network all the way back in 2021 (here), although this effort was mostly focused upon Sussex and, for the rest of the UK, they’ve tended to harness CityFibre’s much larger network.

However, despite keeping somewhat of a low profile, Briant Broadband hasn’t been standing still and have been slowly building across parts of Worthing and surrounding areas by running new fibre via Openreach’s existing cable ducts and poles (PIA). “We [now] have 10,500 properties passed (and serviceable) and 35km of fibre in the ground,” said one of Briant’s Directors, Gavin Cox to ISPreview.

The operator’s own-built fibre tends to run across parts of Lancing to Rustington and the good news is that they’ve just made symmetric speeds of up to 5Gbps available via this infrastructure, albeit currently only available to business users (residential areas can get speeds of up to 2.5Gbps – mix of on-net and CityFibre off-net). The top 5Gbps tier will set businesses back £121.45 +vat on a 12-month term, including free installation and a WiFi 6 router.

As for local homes, broadband packages seem to cost from £29.99 inc. VAT for symmetric speeds of 150Mbps on a 24-month term, which rises up to just £49.99 for their top 2.5Gbps tier. The fastest tiers also attract a one-off installation fee of £40 (free on slower packages) and all packages include a WiFi 6 router.

“It’s been a slog and we have in some cases learnt the hard way, but slowly and surely we have built a nice network down here,” said Gavin. Briant may be one of the smallest altnets in this field, but they’ve clearly made some good progress and it’ll be interesting to see how that evolves over the next few years.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

A new study has been published today that ranks the top 11 out of 28 UK train operators for onboard connectivity to identify which ones are the best for working on the go. The study examines everything from WiFi quality to the availability of plug sockets, punctuality, passenger satisfaction, complaints, rolling stock quality, crowding and cleanliness.

The research, which was commissioned by Uswitch, is based on feedback from the train operators, ORR Passenger Rail Performance data, rail user surveys, RailsMartr data and more. But it should be stated that the assessment of Wi-Fi quality doesn’t appear to have involved any actual internet connectivity testing and is thus more a summary of the service’s onboard capabilities (i.e. free vs paid wifi access, usage caps, the use of speed throttling etc.).

All the metrics were then standardised on a 1-10 scale for direct comparison. Each factor contributed equally to the overall weighted score, which is a little odd as we’d have thought WiFi quality to be of higher value than some of the other fields. Finally, the scores were summed to produce a ranking of operators from highest to lowest, highlighting the UK’s most work-friendly trains out of a top score of 70. Final figures were rounded to the nearest whole number.

In addition, the study also included the results from a short survey of 500 UK train passengers, which was conducted in September 2025. The survey found that 86% of train users work at least ‘sometimes’ on their commute, while 33% stated they worked ‘very regularly’ and a further 14% said that they do so ‘every workday’. But this survey wasn’t used to help form any of the final scores below.

The Results

The best performing rail operator for working commuters was named as Greater Anglia, which offered free Wi-Fi on all trains with data allowances of 90-125MB and almost universal access to power sockets. Punctuality was found to be strong too, with trains arriving on time 83.8% of the time. Passengers also rated crowding (8/10) and cleanliness (7/10) highly.

The operator also uses modern rolling stock (10/10) and returns very low complaints per passenger-kilometre (9/10).

Table 1: The top UK train operators for working on the go

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The Oak Tree Housing Association, which provides social housing across parts of Inverclyde in Scotland and owns 1,960 homes, has reached a new access agreement (wayleave) with Openreach (BT). The deal will enable the operator to extend their Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP network across numerous buildings in the town of Greenock.

According to the announcement, the partnership will work to deploy their new full fibre network into around 400 flats across 39 buildings in the town. The properties will join some 11,000 other homes and businesses in Greenock that have already gained access to the same network.

A spokesperson for Oak Tree Housing Association said: “We were pleased to work with Openreach to enable the installation of broadband infrastructure across our properties. By making this available at residents’ front doors, we are giving tenants and owners more choice and flexibility in how they connect to digital services. Supporting improved digital access is one of the ways we can help our communities to thrive.”

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The not-for-profit London Internet Exchange (LINX), which handles a large chunk of UK and global data traffic through their switches via around 900 members (broadband, mobile, CDN providers etc.), has celebrated achieving a “major milestone” after they deployed their 25th 400GE (Gigabits per second) port across their global network.

The first 400GE port was provisioned several years ago in 2021, largely as a response to rising demand for ultra-high bandwidth connectivity, which in turn was being driven by the rapid growth in cloud services, video streaming, gaming and AI workloads.

LINX added that they’ve “invested heavily” in Nokia’s next-generation hardware optical technologies to enable 400GE delivery across its interconnection ecosystems in both London and Manchester. This investment ensures members can scale quickly and efficiently while maintaining the resilience and reliability that underpin the global internet.

Jennifer Holmes, CEO of LINX, said:

“Reaching 25 active 400GE ports is a testament to the evolving needs of our members and the strength of our technical infrastructure. We’ve seen a clear shift towards high-capacity services, with our larger delivery networks upgrading first to 400GE.

In the last 12 months UK ISPs are now seeing the demand for the service and are upgrading in London and Manchester, a positive sign of effective network traffic management or regional peering. This evolution demonstrates how network operators of all sizes are adapting to keep pace with the demands of modern digital services.”