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Fibre optic network technology provider Relativity Networks has entered into a strategic partnership with UK-based Network Planning Solutions (NPS), an international provider of fibre installation and support services, in order to support commercial deployments of Hollow-Core Fibre (HCF) cables and infrastructure.

Conventional single mode optical fibre cables work by guiding laser light through solid glass (silica) cores, which need to be extremely transparent in order to avoid signal loss. But even the clearest of fibres can still suffer a slight loss over distance and researchers have thus long been refining a possible alternative for the future – HCF.

HCF cables have an air-filled central core (i.e. light travels faster through the air than glass), with an outer ring of glass to help guide the beam, which helps to resolve some of the aforementioned issues – improving latency, reducing signal loss and potentially also boosting data speeds a bit too. But refining this technology for commercial deployment has taken a bit of time.

The new partnership being announced above will see Relativity Networks’ patented HCF cable benefitting from having NPS as the inaugural member of their Trusted Installation Partner (TIP) program. Under this program, Relativity Networks closely collaborates with installation companies to train them in the specifics of deploying their HCF technology.

As part of the partnership, Relativity Networks and NPS have worked through hundreds of splices of the company’s fibre, applying the latest methods including rotational alignment and interferometer inspection of cleaves. These efforts are a critical aspect of commercialisation, demonstrating to customers how HCF can be deployed and seamlessly integrated into their existing infrastructure.

Daniel Preston, CEO of NPS, said:

“We are excited to bring our international expertise to Relativity Networks and its customers. By working together, we can meet the most demanding needs of digital infrastructure customers and help them realise the significant benefits of hollow-core fibre.”

Jason Eichenholz, CEO and Founder of Relativity Networks, said:

“Everyone in the industry is struggling to understand how to integrate something new into their ecosystem. There are many questions about HCF and how it connects to existing systems. We are addressing this by having a trusted installation partner like NPS, that has significant experience installing HCF across multiple installations and is an important part of Relativity’s ecosystem, which includes everything from fiber to cabling to connecterization to network design. NPS is our boots on the ground for our final phase of installation for our customers, offering a streamlined and reliable path as the industry moves toward a new era in optical communications.”

However, it’s important to caveat that HCF cables aren’t going to be used to replace all of today’s optical fibres – at least not for many decades (if ever). The reason for this is that, firstly, we aren’t even close to maximising the capability of existing solid core fibres. The improvements that HCF brings also lend itself more to ultra-low latency environments, such as connectivity for High Frequency Trading (HFT) over long distances or Data Centres etc.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Carlisle-based alternative broadband operator Grain, which in July 2025 secured a major £225m funding boost (here), has announced that they’re expanding the coverage of their gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network deeper into one of their original deployment towns – Grimsby in Lincolnshire.

The operator’s broadband network, which is home to over 43,000 customers and covers 270,000 UK premises (aiming to reach 600,000 in the future), first began deploying across Grimsby a few years back and ended up covering around 15-20% of local premises before stopping. But Grain is now in the process of expanding upon this, primarily by moving westward from the town centre (e.g. the streets around Haven Avenue and Vera Terrace).

The official announcement doesn’t say much more than to confirm that “even more homes in town can now get connected,” although it’s an unusual move given the presence of so many rivals. The town is already well covered by FTTP from Openreach, Virgin Media and MS3. Not to mention some more limited network builds, such as from KCOM.

So far as we can tell, Grain’s expansion area is largely already being covered by three of their rivals, which makes it difficult to understand their rationale. Sadly, the announcement doesn’t mention how many premises they’re aiming to cover.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The Common Wholesale Platform (CWP), which is a non-profit member-owned organisation that helps alternative broadband networks to connect with the retail ISP market, has said that it plans to preview its new Business Switching solution for ISPs and UK businesses at next week’s Connected Britain 2025 event.

The goal of the new system is to give businesses a “faster, simpler, and more reliable way” to change telecom providers while ensuring compliance with Ofcom rules. The regulator technically only requires residential providers to adopt their One Touch Switching (OTS) solution, and business connections have tended to be treated differently. But business providers are still required to follow many of the core OTS rules.

A number of groups, including the One Touch Switching Company (TOTSCo) and others, have thus been developing their own competitive switching solutions for business providers and CWP is one of those. The solution they’ve developed also builds on the new Connected Services Framework (CSF) – the open industry standard for business switching and collaborative processes, developed by the Technical Architecture Group (TAG).

Unlike consumer switching, where the OTS Hub became the mandated centralised model, the CSF “avoids the limitations of a single hub, offering a distributed, extensible, and cost-efficient framework for the UK telecom market“. The CWP says CSF has been designed to overcome challenges seen with OTS and to empower providers with greater flexibility.

Key Innovations Include:

1. A secure, distributed directory of ISPs, maintained without reliance on a central hub.

2. Lower costs for providers, removing barriers faced by smaller ISPs. Something that is a challenge for consumer switching using OTS.

3. Enhanced messaging between providers, including CP-CP communications and outage notifications.

4. An extensible framework, paving the way for future services like improved number porting and wholesale capabilities.

However, it’s too early to judge what ISPs will make of this, and we’re expecting there to be several different switching solutions for business connectivity providers to consider. Unlike the service that underpins consumer switching, business switching is a competitive market.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Contributed Article

By Richard Moyes, Digital Solutions Business Director at Prysmian

With universal broadband access now recognised as a vital enabler of economic growth, some challenging targets remain.

At present, 86% of homes can connect to gigabit-capable broadband, but the remaining 14%—largely rural and remote properties—remain underserved. By 2032, the target is for 99% of premises to be connected.

Achieving this will require thousands of kilometres of new fibre, but equally significant is the need for upgrades to existing networks to meet rising demand.

Rising demand, shrinking copper

Households are now full-time bandwidth hubs, with simultaneous gaming, streaming, video calls, and online schooling. The copper switch-off by 2027 will transition legacy phone lines to digital solutions such as VOIP, further increasing reliance on broadband networks. In 2023 alone, UK broadband use rose by 10.5%.

This growth places increasing pressure on existing fibre infrastructure. Inferior fibre that cannot support higher bandwidths may soon face obsolescence, driving the need for network upgrades.

Smaller, more efficient cables are key to these improvements: they allow operators to retrofit new high-performance fibre into already congested ducts through a process known as overblowing, saving time and cost.

Prysmian’s Sirocco Extreme 864f microduct cable, for example, packs 864 fibres into just 9.8mm, achieving a record density of 11.5 fibres per square millimetre. This makes it possible to install in ducts as small as 12mm, unlocking greater network flexibility without disruptive civil works.

Beyond traditional fibre: The promise of hollow-core

The next frontier in broadband performance lies in hollow-core fibre technology. Unlike traditional glass-core fibres, hollow core features an air-filled core supported by precision-engineered anti-resonant structures.

This groundbreaking design creates a near-perfect mirror effect, enabling data transmission at transmission speeds nearly 50% faster and distances extended by 1.5 times. That means lower latency and connectivity stretching from 60km up to 90km. Prysmian, in partnership with Relativity Networks, is at the forefront of this development.

The economics of longevity

While innovation promises exciting future capacity, the durability of today’s fibre infrastructure is just as critical. Longevity is important because of the serious consequence of cable failure.

Cable replacement can be expensive: up to 60% of the total investment cost of a fibre optic network, particularly one in a congested urban environment, can be attributable to cable installation. As a comparison, the capital cost of the cable itself and connectivity hardware is about a fifth of that, at around 12% of the total investment.

Installing inferior quality fibre could result in some ISPs facing expensive rebuilds sooner than anticipated, rather than undertaking simple equipment upgrades. Where cable replacement is needed, innovative installation techniques, such as overblowing, will allow for retrofitting cable in existing ductwork without the need for extensive ground works.

Prysmian’s high-quality Sirocco fibre has been designed to be overblown. It has been tested for a 50-year field lifespan, giving ISPs confidence in its resilience.

For investors, longevity is equally important. As the UK broadband sector consolidates, Alt-nets with inferior quality networks risk devaluation, while robust networks built with premium fibre offer stronger long-term value.

Building for tomorrow

Quality is the foundation of longevity. Using high-grade materials and ensuring system compatibility between cables and connectivity components minimises faults and maximises efficiency. Prysmian, as one of the few manufacturers able to deliver complete solutions, provides operators with not just the products, but also the technical expertise to future-proof networks.

The UK’s broadband ambitions rest on more than just hitting coverage targets—they depend on building networks that can withstand decades of growth, demand, and technological change. With the right fibre, Britain can create an inclusive, resilient digital infrastructure fit for the next half-century.

Want to learn more about Prysmian and the networks for tomorrow? Join them on Stand 141 at Connected Britain 2025 taking place next week! Free tickets are available 

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Press Release

Gigaclear becomes the first retail fibre provider to harness Vyntelligence AI technology, transforming rural broadband installations. This makes Gigaclear the first retail fibre provider to adopt Vyntelligence’s Agentic AI-powered Vyn® platform, setting a new benchmark for innovation in the UK fibre industry. 

Since launching the initiative, Gigaclear has already seen impressive results. To date, over 1,100 customer submissions have prevented nearly 200 avoidable site visits, saving time, improving first-time installation success rates, and minimising disruption for customers in some of the UK’s hardest-to-reach areas. 

In fact, the partnership has been so successful that the technology will now be rolled out to all Gigaclear customers.  

The technology enables Gigaclear customers to capture short guided videos of their homes and preferred installation routes using just their smartphones. Vyntelligence’s Agentic AI then analyses the footage, summarising key information and automatically assessing installation complexity. As a result, Gigaclear engineers and contractors can prepare more effectively, cutting down unnecessary visits, reducing costs, and ensuring smoother, faster connections for rural households and businesses. 

Ben Woods, Chief Operating Officer at Gigaclear, said: “As the UK’s largest rural-focused full fibre provider, we’re committed to removing barriers to connectivity. Partnering with Vyntelligence puts customers in control of their installation journey while helping our teams deliver a faster, more reliable service.  

“Being the first retail fibre company to adopt this technology underlines Gigaclear’s commitment to innovation and to bridging the digital divide in rural communities.” 

The collaboration also supports Gigaclear’s sustainability goals. By reducing the number of unnecessary callouts, the partnership cuts vehicle journeys, helping to lower carbon emissions and lessen the environmental impact of fibre rollout. 

Vyntelligence, which has delivered similar solutions in utilities, renewable energy, mobile & fixed networks, and retail, is excited to extend its award-winning platform into retail fibre for the first time. 

Vyntelligence CEO, Kapil Singhal, commented: “We are excited to welcome Gigaclear as a ‘game changer’ partner committed to improving experience for its customers. Our purpose is to make everyday customer and field processes simpler, smarter, and more sustainable. By deploying Agentic Video Intelligence into Gigaclear’s customer journey, we’re proud to support both efficiency and sustainability, while enhancing the experience for rural communities that have traditionally been underserved.” 

This partnership will be showcased at Connected Britain 2025, where Gigaclear CEO Nathan Rundle will join a panel on rural connectivity, highlighting how innovation can unlock greater broadband adoption across the UK’s countryside. 

With a network that already covers over 600,000 premises across 26 counties, Gigaclear continues to lead the way in connecting rural Britain – now with the added advantage of AI-powered customer journeys that make installation simpler, faster, and greener. 

To find out more about Gigaclear, visit www.gigaclear.com. 

Meet us at Connected Britain – Booth 328

Register for a Connected Britain ticket here 

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Internet retail giant Amazon recently turned up at the UK’s DSEI 2025 Defence Exhibition & Trade Show in London to showcase their Project Kuiper network of ultrafast broadband satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The good news is that some of ISPreview’s readers were there and managed to collect a few new details on service speeds and network terminals.

Amazon currently has approval to deploy and operate their own constellation of 3,236 LEO satellites as part of Project Kuiper. The company has in fact already launched 104 satellites into orbit (altitudes of around 590km to 630km), including two of their initial prototypes – Kuipersat-1 and Kuipersat-2. The operator plans to begin a beta test around the end of 2025, but the commercial launch isn’t expected to start until March 2026 – initially in the US, Canada, UK, Germany and France.

Each spacecraft can technically process data traffic at speeds of up to 1Tbps (Terabits per second), albeit shared between many users. Back in 2023 we also learnt that the company were planning to deploy three ground terminals (dishes) to cater for different types of customers (here) – Compact (residential and roaming), Standard (residential and business) and Pro (high demand enterprise, telecoms and governments etc.).

Amazon has previously revealed some of the details for each terminal, such as their size and theoretically download speeds (i.e. clear sky rates on a network with minimum contention). But the details displayed at DSEI included some new information that we hadn’t seen before, such as the upload speed capability of each terminal and a few additional specs. We’ve summarised these further down the page.

Before we get started, it’s worth reminding that the Head of Project Kuiper, Rajeev Badyal, recently conducted an initial round of speed tests using their enterprise-grade customer terminal (Pro). The test clearly showed their ground-based setup hitting a download speed of 1.29Gbps and latency times of 47-48ms (milliseconds), which indicates that the terminals have the ability to perform better than advertised (Pro is designed to handle 1Gbps).

In terms of the new data, we’ll start with a summary of the “Environmental Operating Specs” because they’re virtually identical for each of the three terminals. The exception being the Pro unit, which can deliver a slightly higher (99.5% vs 99%) “Link Availability” during extreme global weather conditions.

Project Kuiper Terminals – Environmental Operating Specs

Link Availability: >99% in extreme global weather conditions (>99.5% on Pro)

Operating Temperature: -30c to +50c (-22f to +122f)

IPRating: IP66

Storage Temperature (Power OFF): -40c to +60c (-40f to +140f) ETSI EN 300 019-1-1 Class 1.2

Operating Humidity: Relative humidity: 5% to 100%

Storage Humidity: 0% to 100% condensing. ETSI EN 300 019-1-1 Class 1.2

The other specs for each of the three terminals can be found below. Credits to ISPreview readers Nat and Tom for providing the photos and specifications from the aformentioned event.

Project Kuiper Customer Terminal Specs (GEN1)

Compact

Peak Download Speed: 100Mbps
Peak Upload Speed: 20Mbps
Size: 18cm x 18cm x 2.5cm
Weight: 1Kg
Data & Power Ports: Ethernet/POE
Antenna: Single Phased Array – Shared (Tx/Rx) Aperture

Standard

Peak Download Speed: 400Mbps
Peak Upload Speed: 100Mbps
Size: 28cm x 28cm x 3.3cm
Weight: 2.5Kg
Data & Power Ports: Ethernet/PoE
Antenna: Single Phased Array – Shared (Tx/Rx) Aperture

Pro

Peak Download Speed: 1,000Mbps
Peak Upload Speed: 400Mbps
Size: 50.5cm x 77.8cm x 5cm
Weight: 17Kg
Data & Power Ports: Ethernet (data) + Ethernet (Mgt)
Antenna: Dual Phased Array – (Tx/Rx) Solution

At present we don’t know how well this service, at least in its first generation (GEN1) form, will actually perform once it’s placed under real-world load. In addition, Amazon has yet to release any details about their consumer broadband packages and prices, which will no doubt follow in the near future. But the above information does at least provide a useful indication of what we might be able to expect, performance wise, from the service when operating at its best.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Business Ethernet and broadband ISP TalkTalk Business (TTB), which was demerged from the TalkTalk Group in 2023 and thus hasn’t mirrored the new branding from their consumer division, has today announced that they’ve restructured their operations function and appointed Dean Giblin to be their Director of Operations to “enhance client-centricity“.

Dean will replace Romy Thorpe in the role, who has been acting as the provider’s Interim Director of Operations since it was demerged. Romy has already overseen the development and implementation of a new target operating model for the business (replacement of legacy systems, refreshing processes and procedures etc.), while Dean will have the task of trying to “improve agility and further establish itself as an independent provider.”

Dean brings with him plenty of industry experience from his previous position as Director of Service at PXC (formerly Talk Talk Wholesale), and more than a decade of customer and partner management at Vodafone. The new appointment is also being supported by a series of internal promotions, which we’ve listed below.

Dawn Curtis has been appointed as Head of Delivery, Jane Tighe is now Head of Billing, Fraud and Collections, Michelle Prudhoe joins as Head of Service, and Katie Hughes and Simon Hickey are leading on Partner Operations Performance. Finally, TalkTalk Business was also recently re-accredited with its ISO 9001 certification.

Ruth Kennedy, CEO of TalkTalk Business, said:

“Putting customers front and centre has been a key aspect of our demerger journey. Romy recognised this early on and drove essential operational changes to make it a reality. With our ambitious growth strategy shaping how we work, we are positioning ourselves strongly within the MSP and connectivity world.

Having worked closely with Dean for a number of years, we had every confidence that he has the right experience, leadership style and entrepreneurial mindset to take the business from strength to strength, sitting alongside the senior leadership team.”

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Independent broadband mapping experts Thinkbroadband have today launched a useful new tool that allows you to subscribe to receive notifications about any changes to local fixed broadband availability within a postcode area. Users of the service can track up to 5 postcodes and it will send an email when changes occur.

The new tool can track key changes in the local postcode area, such as when an alternative network puts a new broadband service live or Openreach introduces a “stop sell” flag on certain services/products. The data for this is of course based off TBB’s own database, which requires a lot of manual checking/updating to stay current, and so the changes won’t all be identified in real-time (expect a time lag).

Naturally it’s important to remember that some postcode areas can be quite large and so this won’t necessarily reflect changes for your specific property (house, MDU, office etc.) as it doesn’t drill down to the per-premises level. But it is a useful indication of local activity, and many people will thus find it useful.

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Infracapital-backed ISP Fibrus, which has been rolling out a full fibre broadband network across N.Ireland and Cumbria (England), has published their audited accounts for the year to March 2025. The results reveal that their network now covers 440k premises (up from 410k on 2nd May 2025) and EBITDA improved by £13m year-on-year, but they also made a pre-tax loss of £57.6m.

The vast majority of this network coverage has been delivered via the operator’s own commercial investment, although they also recently completed their state aid funded deployment to reach 81,000 addition premises in poorly served rural parts of Northern Ireland (Project Stratum) and have an active contract for Cumbria (see below).

Otherwise, the latest company results represent somewhat of an update and refinement on the preview they gave back in June 2025 (here), which also saw Fibrus announce that they had reached the “breakeven” point on EBITDA (i.e. earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation). But quite a few of the details still remain broadly the same or similar to that report.

The main focus of Fibrus’ remaining broadband network build is now on Cumbria, where they’ve already covered 100,000 premises (August 2025) and are aiming to reach 140,000 “by the end of the financial year” (i.e. March 2026). So far, their Project Gigabit contract in this county has accounted for about 12,500 premises of that total (May 2025) and rising.

Key Results from Fibrus (End of March 2025)

➤ Annual revenue rose by 67% year on year to £29.5m

➤ Customer numbers leapt 45% year on year to 113,500, representing take up of 28% of connectable homes [aiming to hit 30% by the end of the year].

➤ Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) was up 8% year on year to £25.89, as more customers moved from introductory discounts.

➤ EBITDA Improved by £13m year on year and Fibrus became EBITDA positive from March 2025.

➤ Capital spend dropped 25% to £115m as the company completed its Northern Ireland build, offset by expansion in Cumbria.

➤ Subsidies were flat at £55.8m, but support for Fibrus’ Project Gigabit programme increased as network footprint grew.

➤ Fibrus secured £20m fresh equity from investors, raised £61m in senior debt, and agreed an extra £100m debt facility extension to fully fund nationwide build programme.

At the time of writing the full company accounts still don’t seem to be available online, thus we only have Fibrus’ own somewhat sanitised summary to go off, although other outlets have reported that they also made a pre-tax loss of £57.6m for the year.

The network operator is now understood to be targeting 150,000 customers for the near future (possibly by the end of this financial year), with talk of reaching the 180k to 190k mark in 2027 – by this point they’ll also have about 500,000 premises passed with FTTP.

Colin Hutchinson, Group MD and Chief Financial Officer, said:

“We’re building more than a network – we’re building a movement. This year’s performance proves that people are ready for something better: faster broadband, fairer prices, and a provider that actually delivers. Hitting positive EBITDA in March shows our model is strong, and our customers are right behind us.

Northern Ireland is now fully connected, Cumbria is charging ahead, and with our funding secured, we’re ready to keep pushing into new areas and drive forward our ambitious growth strategy.”

Customers of the service currently pay from £19.99 per month for an unlimited 159Mbps (34Mbps upload) package with an included router and free installation, which rises to just £34.99 per month for their top 982Mbps (310Mbps upload) tier on a 24-month contract term. Service discounts may vary between different parts of their build.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Network operator PlatformX Communications (PXC), which is a trading name of TalkTalk that sells wholesale solutions to broadband ISPs and other network providers, yesterday notified hundreds of staff that they could be made redundant by around the end of this year. Some support teams will also be moving offshore from the UK.

ISPreview started to notice problems yesterday after a number of PXC’s staff suddenly began reporting that they expected to be made redundant and were now open to work elsewhere. The expectation is that around 350 workers could be on the chopping block and technical support is also expected to be moved largely offshore (a small number will stay on in the UK’s Network Operations Centre).

The move comes shortly after the group secured another £100m funding deal (here), which itself following last year’s £400m refinancing package and related job losses (here, here, and here) – necessary to avoid a default on its debts. Suffice to say that the group is still doing everything it can to cut costs and tackle the underlying debt problem.

On the flip side, we understand that approximately 70 new roles may also be created by the business, which means that the net figure for job losses is more likely to settle at somewhere around the 280 mark.

A PXC Spokesperson told ISPreview:

“PXC continuously reviews its operations to ensure it remains efficient and dynamic in an evolving marketplace. The company’s ongoing focus is on rolling out new product innovation and delivering exceptional service for its partners.”

The risk with offshoring support as part of this is that it could potentially result in degraded quality, which is something that PXC’s partners may not appreciate. We should point out that PXC currently has roles in both the UK and North Macedonia.