Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has today published their annual 2025 monitoring report into Openreach’s independence from BT, which found only a “low number of breaches of compliance” and noted that, overall, “compliance appears to be well-established and well-embedded“.

Just to recap. The annual report (PDF) process was established some years ago as part of Ofcom’s effort to monitor Openreach’s progress toward becoming a distinct “legally separate” company away from BT, which in turn stemmed from the original 2016 Strategic Review of Digital Communications (full summary). The report also covers compliance with the regulator’s last fixed telecoms market review for the 2021-26 period (here).

The 2016 review concluded that Openreach previously had an “incentive to make decisions in the interests of BT, rather than BT’s competitors, which can lead to competition problems” and that BT had failed to “sufficiently” consult rival ISPs, such as those that piggyback off their network, on future “investment plans that affect them.” They were also deemed to have under-invested in their network.

In response, BT and Ofcom reached a voluntary agreement in 2017 (here), which sought to boost competition by giving rivals easier access to the operator’s infrastructure and fostering an independent governance structure for Openreach. On top of that there were also tougher minimum service quality standards, separate branding, new consumer protection measures and better information sharing etc.

Since then much has changed and the operator is now rolling out FTTP broadband to an additional 1 million+ premises per quarter (total of c.20 million premises now passed), while enabling rivals to harness their cable ducts and poles with much greater ease.

Fibre build by rival networks has so far led to a significant increase in the number of premises with a choice of network, with 74% of premises now having access to at least two networks (one network from another provider in addition to Openreach), and 27% of premises have access to at least three networks as of January 2025.

Ofcom’s annual monitoring reports on all this have thus been fairly uneventful for the past few years, and 2025 is no exception.

Ofcom Statement

Since our last report, we have observed that the Commitments continue to be working well. We have seen BT and Openreach continue to demonstrate compliance with the Commitments in a proactive and vigilant manner. We have had positive levels of engagement with both organisations and the importance of the OMU’s work is well understood. From our monitoring activities, compliance with the Commitments appears to be well-established and well-embedded across both organisations.

We have also engaged with industry stakeholders throughout the year and welcomed their views on whether BT and Openreach are complying with the Commitments and the WFTMR. Although stakeholders did not raise specific concerns about the overall effectiveness of the Commitments, some expressed concerns that certain Openreach operational processes and decisions have the potential to raise issues in relation to its Commitments obligations. Examples include the exchange exit programme and the Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) rollout. We will continue to monitor these issues closely and welcome continued insights from stakeholders as these programmes progress.

Over the last year, BT and Openreach’s respective Commitments monitoring offices each reported a low number of internal breaches of compliance with the Commitments by BT and Openreach employees. We considered these breaches both individually and taken together. We concluded that their low-risk nature and overall level do not call into question whether the Commitments overall are working as intended.

Each of the breaches was promptly detected and corrected. We have observed that when a breach has occurred, regardless of the risk level or nature of the breach, both Openreach and BT have adopted a thorough approach to investigating what happened and considered taking remedial steps to address or remedy the breach. This is consistent with the approach we have seen them take in previous years and we expect this to continue in the event of any future breaches.

Although we have not opened any new formal investigations following the reporting of breaches to us by BT and Openreach over the last year, we have continued to carefully scrutinise matters reported to us to ensure there is no complacency, and we remain ready to hold BT and Openreach to account when necessary.

One crucial thing to point out is that Ofcom are currently in the process of conducting a new Telecoms Access Review 2026 (TAR), which will set out revised rules and regulations for the fixed broadband and telecoms market – particularly Openreach – to cover the next 5-year period from 2026 to 2031. The outcome of this is due soon and so the regulator’s next annual monitoring report in 2026 is likely to be of greater interest.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Rochdale-based UK broadband ISP Zen Internet has today revealed that they’ve acquired the consumer customer base of Fibrehop. The development came to light as part of Richard Tang’s (Zen’s CEO) latest interview with the boss of business connectivity provider Triangle Networks, Paul Anslow – the now former owner of Fibrehop.

At the time of writing we don’t have any solid details on the agreement itself (financial or otherwise) or know how many customers are involved in this transaction. But Fibrehop was known as a relatively small provider that primarily sold full fibre (FTTP) broadband packages to consumers via CityFibre’s network.

According to the new interview, Triangle Networks have decided that being a consumer broadband provider isn’t the right approach for them and they’ve thus opted to re-focus back toward their business base.

“We realised [about 18 months ago] that we wanted to provide a really good quality of service, but to do that at scale … is a lot harder than people think it would be,” said Paul about their Fibrehop decision. “I feel that if we’d of gone for a more mass market appeal, we would have eroded that [existing quality].”

Richard Tang, CEO of Zen Internet, said:

“We’re very much looking forward to welcoming Fibrehop’s customers over the coming weeks.

We don’t do any mid-contract price hikes or impose a loyalty penalty on our customers.

We’re looking forward to providing a really really good service to you.”

The full interview can be found below, and no doubt Fibrehop’s customers will soon be notified with more details of the planned migration.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News

The Space-IX initiative will work to outline how best to connect the ever-growing orbital infrastructure ecosystem

This week, the world’s largest Internet Exchange (IX) operator, Germany’s DE-CIX, has announced it is setting its future goals sky-high – literally. With its new Space-IX initiative, the Frankfurt-based company says it is not only exploring how best to provide interconnect services to orbiting satellites, but even the merits of putting IX infrastructure itself into space.

The goal of the project, as outlined on the company website, Is to ‘enable intelligent interconnection between LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites and ensure efficient integration with terrestrial infrastructure, cloud platforms, and content providers’.

“Wherever networks are created, interconnection should follow,” says Ivo Ivanov, CEO of DE-CIX. “We’ve spent 30 years building the backbone of the Internet here on Earth. Now we’re bringing that same neutral, high-performance interconnection model to the next layer of digital infrastructure, above the clouds and to the stars.”

LEO satellites, such as SpaceX’s Starlink constellation, are playing an increasingly large role in the global connectivity ecosystem, delivering connectivity to places hard to reach for traditional, terrestrial infrastructure. However, interconnection with terrestrial networks can be challenging, particular when delivering latency-sensitive services.

As a result, DE-CIX is increasingly focussing on connecting to satellites using emerging technologies. For example, as part of the European Space Agency’s OFELIAS project, DE-CIX is collaborating with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to explore laser-based communications between satellites and ground stations. These optical data links are becoming increasingly popular for intersatellite communication, offering significantly higher data rates and lower latency than traditional radio frequency links. Connecting satellites to Earth via laser, however, is more complicated, requiring smarter protocols and algorithms overcome cloud cover and atmospheric interference.

But what if we could remove the need to beam some of that data back to Earth entirely? This is the core premise behind the idea of launching orbital data centres, both for compute and storage purposes. Such deployments would have some attractive advantages, including access to near-limitless solar energy and server racks being cooled by the vacuum of space. On the other hand, launch costs for such infrastructure is still largely prohibitive, and maintaining or upgrading the physical equipment would require a significant leap in autonomous robotics technology.

Nonetheless, the global tech industry is taking this possibility very seriously; Axiom Space, for example, have announced plans to launch their first two Orbital Data Center (ODC) nodes before the end of 2025.

For DE-CIX, this seemingly inevitable deployment of yet more satellites and space-based data centres will necessitate a seismic change in IX architecture.

“As satellites become part of the digital supply chain, whether delivering broadband to underserved communities, powering AI for businesses, or enabling orbital analytics, we need an architecture that unites space and Earth into one seamless ecosystem,” said Ivanov. “This collaboration is the very beginning of our answer to that challenge.

In related news, last month DE-CIX added Starlink to its interconnection system in India, becoming the first IX platform in the world to do so.

Also in the news:
US judge rules Huawei must face charges of fraud and racketeering
Optus ditches football rights to focus on telecoms
Nokia launches digital twin platform Enscryb to digitalise energy sector

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Interview

We caught up with Joaquim Croca, Senior Vice President at global engineering and technology company Cyient, to discuss the pressures facing telcos and their automation journey

For the most part, the 2020s have not been a kind to telco network operators, particularly in Europe. The start of the decade saw them racing to pour billions of euros into their new fibre and 5G networks, betting heavily on the ‘build it and they will come’ mantra made famous by the 1989 film Field of Dreams.

Unfortunately for telcos in 2025, the resulting environment has proven less a field of dreams than a quagmire.

Traditional revenues have remained relatively flat for years in both the fixed and mobile sectors, often bogged down by heavy-handed regulation and fierce competition. At the same time, new revenue streams at scale remain elusive, despite the vastly improved technical capabilities of these new networks.

Against this challenging backdrop, as Cyient’s Senior Vice President Joaquim Croca points out, operational efficiency has never been more important.

“Telco business is fighting not to get fully commoditized,” said Croca. “All of the operators are looking towards becoming more streamlined, more cost-efficient… It’s a matter of survival.”

AI: Unlocking efficiency

At the heart of this drive for efficiency is the rapid evolution of AI in recent years, enabling a level of automation previously unattainable. Today, advanced AI analytics can rapidly compile data from numerous siloes into actionable data points, pre-empting network incidents and triaging problems in real time. Meanwhile, specially designed AI agents can work alongside network engineers, responding to queries in plain language and autonomously making resolving issues.

“AI is no longer just a buzzword; it’s starting to prove its value,” said Croca. “The question of 2025 is really: how can I use AI to release human intelligence to go and do something else?”

“We have been using AI for many years, but now it’s at the forefront of conversations with our customers. They want to know how much AI we are bringing to help overcome their challenges,” he continued.

For Cyient, this concept of freeing engineers to perform more high value tasks is at the core of their VISMON™ platform, a suite of AI-driven tools that enable zero-touch, closed-loop network automation, from planning and deployment through to optimisation and operations. According to the company, this platform is already delivering reductions in network operation time and resources by up to 40% and saving engineers numerous hours every day through autonomous site management.

“Our VISMON platform has been around for 20 years, evolving alongside the industry,” said Croca. “We have a stream of AI-powered scripts that are looking at how the network is performing, what are the issues, what are the fake alerts… ensuring we only call in the network engineer when it’s absolutely necessary.”

Increasing market complexity

In addition to automating network operations directly, part of what makes AI-powered OSS so effective is the smoother integration of these networks within the wider telco operating environment.

In recent years, an increasingly popular monetisation strategy for telcos has been to spin off their infrastructure, aiming to offload some of the operational complexity and serving to attract fresh investment. This, the telcos argue, will allow them to streamline their service operations and better focus on their customers. However, as Croca highlights, this type of fragmentation is making the telco market even more complex.

“We’ve seen a major trend of operators splitting between infracos, netcos, surfcos, etc. It’s all driven by the financial incentive,” explained Croca. “But this approach also creates a more complicated ecosystem. In Europe there are dozens of operators, each of which can divide into two or three different entities, each with their own processes and relationships. It rapidly becomes a very complex world.”

Handling this complexity on an international scale requires careful data management, another area where AI can perform. In a partnership announced this summer, Vodafone is using VISMON for just this purpose, helping to harmonise its network operations across its numerous markets. The platform provides unified network visibility across Vodafone’s markets, enabling them to benchmark configurations, detect anomalies, and track deployments.

The benefits are significant. According to the partners, their collaboration is delivering a 70% reduction in time spent compiling cross-market reports and three times faster decision-making. They also expect to see a 50% decrease in errors caused by inconsistent configuration.

“VISMON provides the strategic foundation to oversee configuration data across all markets, enabling us to harmonize practices, identify best-performing setups, and optimize our networks more effectively than ever,” said Mostafa Noureldien, Manager, Network Development Digital Strategy at Vodafone in the company release.

“We are already deploying AI NOC (Network Operations Centre) agents and rollout agents across two of Vodafone’s operations,” added Croca. “These are fully autonomous and very intelligent. They bring a big gain not just in efficiency but in quality, in terms of First Time Right and First Time Resolved. We’re delivering much faster resolutions to network issues.”

The road towards fully autonomous networks

Of course, the long-term dream for telcos is full network autonomy, requiring the bare minimum of human oversight. For Croca, this goal remains firmly on the horizon due to challenges both technical and philosophical.

“We are still going through existential doubts around how much of the network and its operations can be handed over to AI. There are technical questions and regulatory questions to be addressed, so we will be handing over the reins gradually,” he explained.

Nonetheless, the industry is making blistering progress, with Croca highlighting the need for effective and agile leadership in this rapidly changing landscape.

“To succeed, you need to find the CEOs and CFOs that are really driving new ways of operating, as well as finding some evangelist CTOs that are very keen to look at things in a different perspective,” said Croca. “It’s not just about technological maturity, but our own mindset towards embracing it.”

Find out more about Cyient and the journey towards autonomous networks here

Also in the news:
US judge rules Huawei must face charges of fraud and racketeering
Optus ditches football rights to focus on telecoms
Nokia launches digital twin platform Enscryb to digitalise energy sector

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Rural UK ISP Quickline, which is busy rolling out their new gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network across rural parts of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in England (3-Year Rollout Plan), has revealed that their deployment in East Yorkshire has now covered around 8,500 premises in East Riding.

Just to recap. The provider has so far secured several Project Gigabit deployment contracts for the West Yorkshire and the York area (Lot 8), North Yorkshire (Lot 31) and East Riding of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire (Lot 23) under the Project Gigabit scheme (here, here and here). This reflects a total public investment of around £300m to help expand their Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network into disadvantaged areas.

In today’s case, we’re talking about their £118.9m East Riding of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire (Lot 23) contract, which was announced back in July 2024 and aims to reach around 72,000 additional premises over the next few years. Quickline has now delivered gigabit-capable broadband to around 8,500 homes and businesses across the East Riding area, with a “portion enabled through Project Gigabit funding” (they don’t state the portion size, but we assume the rest is their commercial build).

In the North Cave area, to the west of Hull, more than 800 homes now have gigabit-capable connectivity, with Broomfleet, Ellerker, Newport and Hotham all live, along with parts of North Cave itself. In Holme-Upon-Spalding-Moor, over 1,100 homes and businesses can now connect to Quickline’s full fibre network and another 600 addresses are now being served in Patrington.

Earlier this summer, Gilberdyke, west of North Cave, went live, giving more than 1,350 homes and businesses access to gigabit speeds. The hamlet of Newport also benefited, with more than 700 addresses able to get connected and the rollout to the remaining 10 per cent of the village due soon.

Lauren Robson, Project Manager at Quickline, said:

“I’m thrilled to see such strong progress across the region. Some truly rural communities are now receiving service thanks to the Project Gigabit contract being delivered by Quickline, and it’s making a real difference.

Our outreach activity in these communities is a hugely important part of our mission, ensuring we not only provide the means for decent connectivity, we also help to educate and inform at the same time by engaging with different groups and organisations.

Our aim is simple – to lift people out of digital poverty by giving them the connectivity they deserve. I’m proud to be part of that, alongside the wider Quickline team.”

Over the next three years, Quickline’s rollout is aiming to extend gigabit-capable broadband to a further 360,000 premises across thousands of rural communities (roughly 170k via state aid projects and almost 200k from commercial builds). To date, the company has already invested more than £107m into rural areas. But before that the provider expects to end 2025 with a total of 200,000 premises passed.

Residential customers reached by their new full fibre network are typically charged from £22 per month on a 24-month term for 100Mbps (50Mbps upload) speeds with free installation, which goes up to £49 for their top 1000Mbps symmetric speed tier (you also get the first 8 months of service for free on their top tier).

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Network access provider Openreach (BT) has revealed to broadband ISPs that they will begin the next phase of their UK exchange closure programme in Q3 2025/26 (i.e. roughly this time next year), which will impact a further 12 exchanges. This follows their initial closure pilot with 3 exchanges (Deddington, Ballyclare and Kenton Road), which has nearly completed.

The operator currently has around 5,600 UK exchanges, but only c. 1,000 of those are used to provide nationwide coverage of modern “fibre broadband” based services (FTTC, FTTP etc.) – the Openreach Handover Points (OHPs). However, the rollout of full fibre (FTTP), combined with the retirement of copper lines and legacy services (ADSL, WLR etc.), will make it economically unviable to support both the old and new exchanges.

The operator thus has a long-term plan for closing the other 4,600 exchanges – known as the Exchange Exit Programme, which starts with their initial pilot of 3 exchanges (see above) and then extends to a closure of 105 “priority exchanges” by 2030 (i.e. taking place in 4 phases over the next 5 years), with the rest gradually following through the early 2030s.

Openreach has now confirmed (credits to Thinkbroadband) that the next 12 exchanges to begin the exit process will include the following sites from Q3 2025/26. In theory, all of these sites should then reach their Network Closure point by April 2028 and be completely closed by September 2028. Openreach has in fact also revealed details of all the Phases for their initial batch of 108 exchange closures – here (Excel sheet).

Phase 1 – Exchange Exit Programme
Staines
Thames Ditton
Baynard
Wraysbury
Nazeing
Langford
Allestree Park
Beacon
Childwall
Lundin Links
Carrickfergus
Glengormley

Take note that closing an exchange and migrating affected customers is a highly complex process, which typically takes around 4-7 years (varying by the complexity of each exchange) – starting with a Stop Sell of old products and eventually ending with everything being switched off (Openreach and ISPs then remove their physical equipment over the remaining months to ultimately vacate the building).

The other phases are currently dated as follows, but these timings should perhaps be considered tentative (subject to change).

Phase 2 (Closure by April 2029)

WEWBLO	Howland Street
LSWAN	Wandsworth
CLMON	Monument
LNLVY	Lea Valley
WEWNPN	North Paddington
WRPIM	Pimlico
LWUXB	Uxbridge
LNEDM	Edmonton
EAGRA	Grays Thurrock
CLNEW	New Cross
LSWOO	Woolwich
NDMED	Chatham
WSMOT	Motherwell
SDWTHDN	Brighton Withdean
LSSUN	Sunbury
WMHX	Headless Cross
CLSOU	Southwark
MRBRA	Bramhall
SLDCN	Doncaster North
WRKGDN	Kensington Garden

Phase 3 (Closure by April 2030)

SWPN	Pontypridd
CLHOL	Holborn
WEWMAY	Mayfair
LWWEM	Wembley
CLWAP	Wapping
CMMLD	Midland
LSPUR	Purley
WEWPAD	Paddington
ESCRA	Edinburgh Craiglockhart
SSLON	Long Ashton
LSMOG	Mogador
WRSKEN	South Kensington
CLSHO	Shoreditch
LWPIN	Pinner
LSWEY	Weybridge
LWSKY	Skyport
THAD	Aldershot
LNCED	Crouch End
LSSTR	Streatham
EMSOSHM	Somersham
LWCHI	Chiswick
LNSTF	Stratford
LSCTHM	Caterham
LSESH	Esher
LNFIN	Finchley
WMWR	Worcester
LSFARB	Farnborough; Kent
LSNCHM	North Cheam
WEWBAY	Bayswater
EAHTF	Hertford
WEWPRI	Primrose Hill

Phase 4 (Closure by Dec 2030)

LVCEN	Liverpool Central
LSBKM	Bookham
THHN	Headley Down
EARDH	Ramsden Heath
CMDD	Dudley; West Midlands
WWSOME	Somerton
LVGAT	Gateacre
EABRI	Brightlingsea
EACHF	Chafford
LWHARR	Harrow
WSPRO	Glasgow Provanmill
NDNEI	Newick
SMHGN	Holmer Green
CMWDGT	Woodgate
SMLEA	Leagrave
WWMSMT	Mawnan Smith
NESU	Sunderland
SLHX	Haxey
LWHOU	Hounslow
MRCHI	Chinley
LSRIC	Richmond Kew; Surrey
SSSHM	Shepton Mallet
SDBRCKL	Bracklesham Bay
WWWBAY	Widemouth
MYRPP	Ripponden
EAWRI	Writtle
WNM	Mold
SSSOF	Stratton On The Fosse
THIP	Iver
LVAUG	Aughton Green
LSBET	Betchworth
SDWSWND	Worthing Swandean
CMKNO	Knowle
THBW	Blackwater
EMCOGEN	Cogenhoe
NDGUE	Guestling
NDOTF	Otford
LWCHO	Chorleywood
WWCHEL	Chelston
MYADD	Addingham
NDSHO	Shorne
LSKIN	KINGSTON SSC (Taverner House)

Check out the full excel sheet, as linked earlier, for extra details on each.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News

The partnership aims to tackle digital povery by making free connectivity more widely available

This week, Newcastle City Council has announced a new partership with global digital connectivity firm Purple to launch a unified city-wide Wi-Fi network.

The initiative provides free Wi-Fi access across various council buildings, gyms, libraries, commercial properties, and public spaces, positioning Newcastle among the UK’s most digitally connected cities. Users can access these hotspots through Purple’s ConneX App, guaranteeing users access to hundreds of Wi-Fi sites through a single sign-in.

“Even with near-universal broadband coverage, not everyone can afford reliable access on the go. We’ve used government funding to improve our free public Wi-Fi offer to improve performance for residents, and this new partnership will enable us to further tackle digital poverty and give residents free access in more places,” said said Cllr. Paul Frew, Newcastle City Council cabinet member for Resources and Performance. “This project is about fairness as much as technology.”

To encourage adoption and engagement with this new digital infrastructure, Purple is launching a city-wide digital ‘Egg Hunt,’ featuring five hidden eggs worth £1,000 each. Participation requires connecting to the Wi-Fi via the ConneX App or adding new venues to the network, creating an interactive incentive for users to explore and benefit from the expanded service.

As part of the initiative, Purple is also distributing £120,000 worth of free Wi-Fi hardware and licences to 1,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Newcastle. This not only enables businesses to offer free connectivity to customers but also gives them access to location analytics and customer insights.

“Newcastle is home to more than 53,000 businesses, including one of the fastest-growing SME sectors in the UK,” said Purple CEO Gavin Wheeldon. “Local businesses face mounting pressures from rising costs, and this initiative arms them with the digital intelligence to attract more customers and compete in a tough market.”

This project builds upon Newcastle’s long-standing efforts to enhance public connectivity. Since 2015, the city has expanded free Wi-Fi across public buildings, including the Civic Centre, libraries, and museums, with outdoor coverage extending to pedestrian routes through partnerships with local councils and infrastructure providers like BT. In 2018, Newcastle introduced ultrafast free Wi-Fi and free phone services through the InLinkUK initiative, further broadening digital access and convenience for residents and visitors.

How is the public sector tackling connectivity challenges in 2025? Join the discussion at Connected Britain later this month!

Also in the news:
US judge rules Huawei must face charges of fraud and racketeering
Optus ditches football rights to focus on telecoms
Nokia launches digital twin platform Enscryb to digitalise energy sector

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has today confirmed that they will “move ahead with plans” to make the UK the “first country in Europe” to authorise Direct to Device (D2D) satellite services for use in regular mobile bands via “standard smartphones“. The change could be used to help mobile operators improve their 4G and 5G coverage and roaming features.

Several satellite-based broadband operators are currently developing services that can directly connect to unmodified consumer Smartphones via regular mobile spectrum bands. Some examples of this include Starlink (Direct to Cell) and AST SpaceMobile. In fact, some phones, like the latest iPhone series from Apple, already have a basic communication system that can work via satellite (e.g. for emergencies).

However, the licences held by UK mobile operators to provide communications services do not currently authorise transmissions from space. The introduction of D2D services in terrestrial mobile bands would also raise a number of other issues, such as through the potential for an increased risk of interference between the satellite and the ground infrastructure of the mobile operators. But Ofcom says they can solve this.

The regulator’s previous work has uncovered plenty of support for D2D satellite services within the UK market, and they’ve today issued a statement that confirms their intention to authorise the aforementioned change(s).

Ofcom’s Changes (Full Statement)

• We want to secure the benefits of D2D services for UK citizens and consumers as soon as possible and our ambition is to facilitate the introduction of D2D services in the UK in early 2026.

• We have decided on an authorisation framework that requires a variation to an MNO’s existing licence and new exemption regulations that will enable end users to lawfully connect to D2D services.

• We have decided to consult on proposed exemption regulations.

• We are giving notice now (as required under section 122 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006) of Ofcom’s proposal to make Regulations which would create a new exemption to permit mobile handsets and other sim-enabled devices to connect to a D2D services.

• We are seeking views on proposed technical conditions to protect Air Traffic Control radar systems from potential interference from D2D services operating in the 2.6 GHz band.

• We also seek any further views from stakeholders on the non-technical licence conditions which we would include in the MNO licence variation. These differ very slightly from those set out in our earlier consultation.

• We welcome comments on all proposals by 5pm on Friday 10 October 2025

The new approach could be particularly useful for helping to connect people in some of the remotest rural parts of the UK, as well as around coastal waters, and to act as a backup in case of terrestrial network outages or when needing to contact the emergency services. Some mobile operators, such as Vodafone’s deal with AST SpaceMobile, are currently looking to offer such features as a premium add-on (e.g. global or domestic roaming enhancements).

Speaking of which, Ofcom are today also inviting any mobile operators that plan to offer a D2D service to come forward to the regulator, with a request for a licence variation in relation to their specific bands of interest (although the regulator’s focus seems to be on most of the spectrum bands licensed to EE, Vodafone / Three UK and O2 below 3GHz). Any licence variation will however still be subject to the “comments we might receive on our proposed non-technical and technical conditions“.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Contributed Article

By Pete England, Product Director, ITS

For decades, the business connectivity market has been defined by compromise. Organisations were forced to choose between two technologies: copper, cheap but unreliable, or leased lines, reliable but unaffordable for most businesses.

Neither option truly reflected what businesses needed. Copper couldn’t deliver consistency. Leased lines often meant overpaying for bandwidth that was only essential during peak usage. Connectivity was a limiting factor, not an enabler.

Today, that dynamic is changing. As the UK fibre rollout shifts into a “fibre utility” phase, the opportunity lies not just in building networks, but in designing products that match the way businesses and public services now operate.

A market transformed by digital society

Every aspect of modern work is underpinned by reliable connectivity. From cloud-based CCTV and IP-enabled cameras, to collaboration platforms like Teams and SharePoint, to guest Wi-Fi and cashless point-of-sale terminals – connectivity is no longer a utility, but the foundation of digital society.

This creates new demands:

• Scalability, to grow as application use increases.
• Reliability, because downtime is no longer an option.
• Security, as every connection point becomes a potential risk.

Traditional products can’t keep pace. Many businesses find themselves paying for capacity they only need at peak times, or trying to stretch inadequate services across mission-critical applications. As digital convergence accelerates, those compromises are no longer acceptable.

That’s why product innovation has to move faster than traditional providers can adapt. At ITS, we’ve made it our mission to design services that evolve with applications, not against them.

Smarter by design

Connectivity should not be a hard-coded, one-size-fits-all commodity. It should be agile, consumable, and customisable.

Our modular product framework gives partners and customers the ability to:

• Shape solutions for specific needs, sectors, and use cases.
• Flex bandwidth, service levels, and commercial models.
• Integrate seamlessly with partner platforms for quoting, ordering, and lifecycle management.

This approach removes the perennial issue of overselling. Instead of locking customers into a leased line at 1Gbps when they only need 100Mbps, our products can be tuned and scaled remotely. No truck roll, no wasted spend – just a right-sized service that can grow as demand grows.

We’ve also invested heavily in rapid provisioning through our partner portal. By cutting fibre lead times and enabling full integration with partner systems, we’re giving resellers the tools to compete harder in a market where speed of delivery is a true differentiator.

This isn’t just infrastructure. It’s infrastructure designed for outcomes.

Closing the gaps: A three-tiered portfolio

Our product ladder has been deliberately shaped to address every segment of the business market, without forcing compromise.

• FibreOne – A reliable entry-level FTTP business broadband service. Perfect for organisations with basic connectivity needs, such as payment terminals or internet radio. It runs at consistent speeds and provides a clear upgrade path when requirements grow.
• FibreLight – The missing middle ground. Businesses that outgrow FTTP shouldn’t be forced into costly leased lines. FibreLight fills this gap, offering scalability, reliability, and performance at a price point that makes sense. It’s a commercial innovation that allows customers to unlock cloud-based applications without overspending. In many ways it’s the “EFM killer” – removing the awkward choice between too little and too much by creating a product that truly sits between.
• FibreBright – For those who demand absolute certainty. FibreBright is our premium leased line service, delivering dedicated, uncontended performance around the clock. It supports customers that require mission-critical resilience, with clear paths to higher speeds and optical services.

What makes this portfolio powerful is not just the breadth of choice, but the designed-in upgrade paths. Businesses can start small, grow, and adapt without having to rip and replace, often as the competition needs to. Partners, meanwhile, can approach their customers with a suite of options that are both commercially compelling and technically future-proof.

Looking ahead: From connectivity to smart infrastructure

The next phase of our innovation journey is about making connectivity smarter, not just faster. That means embedding intelligence, security, and automation into the core of our services. It means designing for compliance and ESG goals, not as bolt-ons but as part of the network’s DNA.

It also means recognising that, in a market where competitors still build siloed services, ITS has done something different. We’ve created a singular, software-configurable network that delivers economies of scale and allows for modularity at the service-spec level. In practice, this means:

• Care packages and service levels can be added like software modules.
• Speeds can be flexed remotely, without a site visit.
• Capacity can be reused rather than wasted.

This is the connective tissue that enables partners and end customers to consume connectivity more like a cloud service: buy what you want, when you want it, and flex it as your needs change.

Redefining the market

Connectivity isn’t “done.” The market doesn’t need more commodity bandwidth layered with bolt-on services. It needs connectivity that is inherently better: faster, smarter, more flexible, and ultimately more affordable.

By understanding the traditional pain points and addressing them with flexible, modular design, ITS is creating a portfolio that sets a new benchmark. It’s not about competing with incumbents on their terms. It’s about redefining the terms altogether – closing market gaps, making connectivity more equitable, and creating infrastructure that’s ready for the next decade of digital society.

Want to learn more about the future of smart infrastructure? Stop by for a drink at the Dog & Duct pub at Connected Britain, sponsored by ITS

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Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Rochdale-based UK broadband ISP Zen Internet has announced that they’ve appointed Jon Nowell to be the new Managing Director (MD) of their business division. Jon will be responsible for overseeing the related sales, engineering, architecture and business development functions.

Jon is said to have more than 20 years’ experience in telecoms and technology, having previously held senior roles at ‘if Consulting’, Talk Talk Business, Redstone and more. He will now lead the next phase of Zen’s growth across their range of connectivity products and services – accessible to all UK-based businesses.

Richard Tang, Founder and CEO of Zen Internet, said: “We’ve always believed there’s a better way to do business, where success isn’t just about profits, but about doing right for people and planet. Jon brings that same philosophy, alongside deep industry knowledge and a drive to make things better for customers. Whether it’s a sole trader looking for dependable broadband, or a national enterprise building SD-WAN, Cloud or Voice solutions, Jon’s leadership will help us deliver real value that our customers can trust.”