Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Network operator Openreach (BT) has this week confirmed that they’ve recently started to roll-out or expand their new Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based gigabit broadband ISP network across the Somerset festival town of Glastonbury, as well as 9 more locations that stretch right across the United Kingdom.

Just to recap. Openreach is currently investing up to £15bn to expand the coverage of their new full fibre network to 25 million premises by December 2026 (here), which will include around 6.2m in rural or semi-rural areas. On top of that, they’ve also expressed an ambition to reach “up to” 30m by 2030 (there are c. 33m in the UK), albeit somewhat dependent upon a favourable outcome from Ofcom’s Telecoms Access Review 2026 (TAR).

The latest locations on Openreach’s existing roll-out plan to see the start of Street Works to build their new full fibre network have this week been confirmed as Glastonbury, Ferndown, Millport, Wemyss Bay, Ventnor, Ilfracombe, Royston, Low Moor, Padiham and Kingswinford. Sadly, the operator hasn’t said how many premises in each location will be reached.

The new service, once live, can be ordered via various ISPs, such as BT, Sky Broadband, TalkTalk, Vodafone and many more (Openreach FTTP ISP Choices) – it is not currently an automatic upgrade, although some providers have started to do free automatic upgrades as older copper-based services and lines are slowly withdrawn.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News

The move comes as the company pledges “to embed AI across manufacturing, logistics, energy, finance, retail, agriculture and healthcare” throughout India

Reliance Industries, owner of India’s biggest telco Reliance Jio, has announced plans to invest $109.8 billion over the next seven years to expand India’s AI data centre footprint.

Speaking at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi today, Reliance owner and Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, said that the investments would see the conglomerate deploy sovereign gigawatt (GW)-scale data centres to handle the country’s growing demand for AI.

“I would like to announce that Jio will play an even bigger role in India’s AI transformation,” said Ambani. “This is not a speculative investment. It is not for chasing valuation. This is patient, disciplined, nation-building capital, designed to create durable economic value and strategic resilience for six decades to come.”

During his speech, Ambani said the biggest bottleneck for AI in India was the limited availability of compute infrastructure, which risked driving up costs for consumers. By rapidly expanding the availability of this infrastructure, Reliance hopes to make AI affordable across the country.

“India cannot afford to rent intelligence. Therefore, we will reduce the cost of intelligence dramatically as we did the cost of data,” Ambani said.

Reliance Jio is already building a massive data centre campus in Jamnagar, ultimately aiming for 3 GW of total capacity. The first 120 MW are expected to come online in the second half of 2026, according to Ambani.

In addition to expanding its data centre footprint, Reliance’s investment strategy also focusses on building more localised compute infrastructure (i.e., edge computing facilities). By processing data closer to the edge, customers will be able to leverage AI with lower latency.

Of course, all this new AI infrastructure will require an immense amount of power. For this, Reliance says it is leveraging its 10 GW of renewable energy from solar farms in Gujarat and the Andhra Pradesh. This, Ambani says, is not only makes the project sustainable, but also cheaper for Indian customers.

It is worth noting, however, that Reliance is not alone in aiming to become India’s leading domestic data centre player. Earlier this week, Adani Enterprises – owned by India’s second-richest man Gautam Adani – said it would invest $100 billion to build renewable energy-powered AI-ready data centres by 2035.

The battle for AI data centre dominance in India is only just beginning.

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Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Mobile network operator O2 (Virgin Media) has today launched a bespoke family protection and security package for up to 10 devices in the shape of McAfee Protect Advanced, although it will come at an extra monthly cost for most, but not all, of their existing subscribers.

The new product is said to include updated features, such as enhanced Parental Controls, McAfee’s Text Scam Detector, Social Privacy Manager, Personal Data Cleanup, antivirus software and more. “With McAfee Protect Advanced, O2 customers can be assured that their family is shielded from viruses, scams, malware, and other online threats, whilst personal information remains safe from identity theft and fraud threats,” said the announcement.

McAfee Protect Advanced allows customers to protect up to 10 devices per household and is the latest service to join O2 Extras extensive catalogue, sitting alongside Extras including Disney+ from £5.99 per month, Amazon Prime for £8.99 per month (comes with a £2 discount), Cafeyn for £7.99 per month and TNT Sport (£26.99).

The new product replaces two previous McAfee security offerings available via Extras (McAfee Mobile Security Plus and McAfee Mobile Security Standard).

Key features include:

➤ Award-winning AI-powered antivirus – Rest easy knowing your devices are protected from the latest threats with award-winning antivirus protection for compatible Windows, Mac OS, Chromebooks, and Android devices.

➤ Parental Controls – Protect kids from inappropriate content online and help them to build good digital habits with the ability to manage both screen time and the content which is accessible. Features include the ability to apply a ‘Digital Timeout’, which pauses the child’s screen time and restricts access to installed apps and internet browsing. The software can also block inappropriate apps, content and dangerous websites, giving parents maximum control and peace of mind.

➤ McAfee’s Text Scam Detector – Scam or safe? Avoid scam texts with AI-powered protection. Text Scam Detector uses patented AI technology to proactively detect scams and automatically alerts you if it detects a dangerous link in your texts, even before you open the message. And don’t worry, it can even block sites if you accidentally click.

➤ McAfee’s Personal Data Cleanup – Know how much of your data is online, and which companies are selling it. With Personal Data Cleanup, O2 customers will also receive guidance on how to remove their data from third parties.

➤ McAfee’s Social Privacy Manager – Safeguard your privacy on social media. Social Privacy Manager helps you adjust more than 100 privacy settings across your social media accounts in just a few clicks, so your personal info is only visible to the people you want to share it with.

In terms of price, McAfee Protect Advanced is available exclusively to O2 customers at £4.99 per month, or at no extra cost for 6 months to those upgrading or taking out a new Ultimate Plan, via Extras. O2 Extras appear on a customer’s monthly bill alongside their Airtime plan.

Christian Hindennach, Chief Commercial Officer at VMO2, said:

“Helping our customers to remain safe and secure online is a top priority for O2. For us, our mission is simple – to help families feel more secure at home and confident in dealing with the modern challenges that come with being a connected household. This new package of award-winning security features by McAfee, exclusive to O2 customers, is our latest way of offering families peace of mind so they can enjoy the connection, entertainment and ease our network offers without having to worry about online risks. Whether you want greater control over your child’s online time or simply more say in how your own data is used online, every household can benefit from the security features offered by McAfee Protect Advanced.”

The launch is said to be O2’s latest way of keeping its customers, their devices and personal information safe. An automatic restriction is put in place to limit customers from accessing 18+ content on the O2 network, with age verification required in order lift this bar. O2 also provides a free opt-in Parental Control service which limits the websites children can access on the network.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Events

An impressive arrangement of local and state broadband leaders from the Lone Star State will take center stage at Connected America in Texas.

By Brad Randall, Broadband Communities

Deep in the heart of Texas this April a who’s who of Texas leaders in broadband will share their insights with attendees at Connected America, scheduled for April 14-15 at the Irving Convention Center.

Lone Star leaders to set the pace at Connected America

Along with the Bryan Clayton, the director of the Broadband Development Office in Texas, speakers from the City of Fort Worth, the Deep East Texas Council of Governments, the City of Irving, the City of Seguin, and the City of Lewisville will also be in attendance.

Meanwhile, Fort Worth is sending two key speakers to Connected America 2026: Broadband Manager Lillian Painter and the city’s chief technology officer, Kevin Gunn.

The City of Austin will also be represented with Steven Apodaca, chair of the city’s technology commission.

Apodaca will discuss how employers, educators, and policymakers collaborate to future-proof the workforce, joining panelists on Day 2 of the conference for a panel titled “Building digital skills for the AI-driven economy.”

With state and local leaders, organizations based in Texas will also be well represented among speakers.

The agenda features speakers from North Texas Fiber (Bobby Vassallo), Nextlink Internet (Cameron Kilton), and NOVOS FiBER (Rob Johnson).

The conference’s second day will also feature a discussion about smart cities in Texas, featuring Chris Lee, the chief information officer for the City of Lewisville, and Shane McDaniel, who holds the same position for the City of Seguin.

Their panel, at 2:15 on Day 2, will investigate how Texas cities are using smart infrastructure to improve transport, energy, and safety. They’ll also discuss how mid-sized communities replicate big-city innovations affordably.

Earlier that day, Rashmi Varma, a managing partner at VAJR Capital, will detail how quantum technology is no longer a distant vision, with a presentation highlighting the Texas Quantum Initiative and the Texas Quantum Corridor.

Attendees can review the full conference agenda for Connected America 2026 online.

Click here to view a full list of key speakers.

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Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The Government’s Building Digital UK agency has today published the latest Q4 2025 progress report on their £5bn Project Gigabit broadband rollout scheme. The data reveals that some 1.37 million premises have now received coverage from BDUK’s gigabit programmes since their inception, albeit only 177,840 via Project Gigabit’s GIS contracts (up from 131,090 in Nov 2025).

At present over 89.6% of UK premises can already access a 1000Mbps+ capable broadband network (here) and Ofcom separately forecasts that this could rise to between 91-97% of homes by January 2028 (here). Most of this has been delivered by commercial deployments (predominantly focused on urban and semi-urban areas), but there are some areas in the final 10-20% of premises that are simply too expensive for commercial providers.

Project Gigabit itself was originally established in 2021 to help extend broadband ISP networks capable of delivering download speeds of at least 1000Mbps (1Gbps) to achieve “nationwide” coverage (c.99%) by 2030 2032 (here) – focusing on the commercially unviable areas (usually rural and semi-rural locations). The project has already committed most of its budget up to 2030, but there are still some contracts yet to be awarded and others that have been scaled-back or switched suppliers (here, here, here and here).

The latest update builds on BDUK’s prior report and covers the period between 1st October and 31st December 2025, although it should be noted that the agency tends to publish a separate and more regular monthly update in order to cover the progress of individual contracts under the Project Gigabit scheme (here). Today’s report is thus more of a general overall progress update, without any individual contract specifics.

The latest Q4 2025 BDUK data

Of the premises delivered by BDUK between 1 October 2025 and 31 December 2025: 

• • 75% (41,830) were delivered under Gigabit contracts, or Government Infrastructure Subsidy (GIS) 
  • 18% (10,150) were delivered by vouchers 
  • 7% (4,050) were delivered by Superfast (e.g. the prior SFBB programme) & Hubs (e.g. Local Full Fibre Networks for the public sector)
• 90% (50,200) of the premises delivered between 1 October 2025 and 31 December 2025 were classified as residential premises and 10% (5,400) were classified as commercial premises.  
• The highest delivery between 1 October 2025 and 31 December 2025 was in England (80%, 45,100 premises), followed by Scotland (11%, 6,200 premises), Wales (9%, 4,800 premises), and Northern Ireland (< 50 premises) 
• Yorkshire and the Humber had the highest delivery between 1 October 2025 and 31 December 2025 among English regions (19% of England, 8,700), followed by the East of England (18%, 8,100) and the North West (17%, 7,700). 

The spreadsheet also includes some additional data and a regional breakdown of the figures, some of which we’ve included below. One key thing to note below is that Project Gigabit itself has still only delivered a relatively small amount of gigabit coverage, with the earlier Superfast Broadband Programme (SFBB) continuing to hold the lion’s share (largely because that ran for many years longer and Project Gigabit is much more recent).

Gigabit Premises passed by year and BDUK intervention

Gigabit Premises Passed by Year, Country and Region

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Market regulator Ofcom has this morning published their latest quarterly Q3 2025 study of UK consumer telecoms and TV complaints, which jointly names EE, TalkTalk and Vodafone as attracting the most moans from customers for fixed broadband services, while Sky Mobile took the most flak for Mobile services and EE did the same for Pay TV.

Take note that the regulator’s report only covers complaints that Ofcom itself has received and not those sent directly to an ISP, the ISPA or an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) complaints handler (i.e. Communications Ombudsman or CISAS). Ofcom does not deal with individual complaints, but they do monitor them and can take action if enough people raise a concern.

Otherwise, the results below reflect a proportion of residential subscribers (i.e. the total number of quarterly complaints per 100,000 customers per provider), which makes it easier to compare providers in a market where ISPs can vary significantly in size. But sadly, the study only covers feedback from the largest ISPs due to limited data (i.e. those with a market share of at least 1.5%).

Just for some extra context. Ofcom’s most recent May 2025 study of telecoms provider quality (here) revealed that the proportion of UK consumers who were satisfied with their communications services stood at 73% for landline services (down from 77% two years earlier), 84% for broadband (up from 82%) and 88% for mobile services (up from 87%).

Fixed Line Home Broadband Complaints

EE, TalkTalk and Vodafone jointly attracted the most broadband complaints in Q3 2025, with between 37% and 45% of them being driven by faults, service and provisioning issues. On the flip side, Plusnet attracted the fewest complaints of all the listed providers (although NOW Broadband didn’t attract enough complaints to be included this time around). Virgin Media also continued to show a fall in complaint volumes.

Fixed Line Phone Complaints

TalkTalk also attracted the most complaints for fixed line (landline) phone services, which were once again mainly driven (38%) by faults, service and provisioning issues. By comparison, Utility Warehouse continued to attract the fewest complaints, followed Sky.

Mobile Complaints

Mobile operators still enjoy lower complaint levels than fixed line providers, but Sky Mobile did still attract the most moans, and ironically 33% of those were about their complaints handling process, while 25% had issues with changing provider.

Pay TV Complaints

Finally, EE attracted the most complaints for Pay TV services by far – mostly (33%) due to problems with complaints handling and changing provider (32%), while TalkTalk received the fewest complaints.

Ofcom’s Consumer Complaints Report Q3 2025
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/../telecoms-and-pay-tv-complaints

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Network access provider Openreach has moved to improve how they engage with UK communication providers (e.g. broadband ISPs) and their customers by making a series of organisational updates, which they hope will deliver an “even sharper focus on customer experience and end to end operational performance“.

The first step in this involves the creation of a new Customer Experience team, bringing together several parts of the business already dedicated to service and transformation. Surinder Khatter, Managing Director within Service Delivery, has thus been appointed Chief Customer Experience Officer (CCEO) to lead this new unit. “Surinder will oversee how we manage every stage of the customer journey, from getting customers onto our network quickly and easily to the communications they receive and the behind-the-scenes processes that keep services running smoothly,” said the announcement.

Openreach are also unifying all their service engineering capability into a new Service Operations team. This will be led by Pete Stewart, currently MD of Service Delivery, GB Operations. The new unit will bring together UK Operations, their FTTP service engineering teams, the Complex Engineering teams responsible for maintaining the copper network, and their Civils teams.

Openreach Statement

By bringing these teams together, we aim to deliver an even more joined up, efficient and responsive service. This will help us connect customers faster and more effectively, while continuing to improve the day-to-day experience for the people who rely on our network.

Engineers in this structure will benefit too, with access to a broader mix of work and more opportunities to build new skills. This approach helps us preserve essential copper expertise while continuing to grow and strengthen our fibre capability across the network.

The changes will come into effect on 1st April 2026.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Shropshire-based independent ISP Aquiss has called for the abolition of “unnecessary and unjustifiable” Broadband Cease Charges across the industry, which reflects charges that are typically imposed by wholesale network operators on retail service providers when a customer disconnects from their network.

Aquiss states that, in the “vast majority of cases“, particularly with modern Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) deployments, the disconnection involves “nothing more than a simple software-based network stop or configuration change“.

The disgruntled provider then adds that no physical network equipment is removed or recovered from the customer’s premises during a cease, while new occupants of the same property can simply get the Optical Network Terminal (ONT) reactivated without additional effort or expense (when required).

However, despite this “minimal operational impact“, cease charges continue to be levied – often passed on to end customers or absorbed by retail ISPs. Aquiss says they see “no credible justification for their persistence” in an era of efficient, software-driven network management and widespread full fibre rollout.

Aquiss Statement

As a provider committed to fair, transparent, and customer-focused broadband services, delivering ultrafast full-fibre connections over networks such as Openreach and CityFibre, to name but a couple, Aquiss urges the wider UK broadband industry, including wholesale operators, other ISPs, and regulatory stakeholders, to move decisively towards the complete removal of these charges.

Eliminating Broadband Cease Charges would:

– Reduce unnecessary costs for service providers and, ultimately, consumers

– Support the UK’s ongoing transition to full-fibre connectivity by removing outdated legacy frictions

– Align industry practices with the low-effort reality of modern network disconnections

Aquiss stands ready to collaborate with industry partners and welcomes dialogue on this important issue to drive positive change for customers nationwide.

Practical examples of this aren’t always visible to the public (only some wholesale providers openly publish their pricing), although we do note that BT Wholesale charges ISPs a flat one-off “cease charge” of £35.59 +vat regardless of whether you have an ADSL, FTTC, SOGEA or modern FTTP broadband line. CityFibre and other networks do seem to apply a similar charge.

BTW’s charges apply when the broadband service is terminated at an end user premises either as a result of an end-user requested activity, or a system’s generated activity as part of a migration. But such charges are often waived for service regrades/upgrades or switches that take place on the same network.

We do think that Aquiss has a valid point about such charges on modern FTTP lines, although it’s worth considering that they might still have some application for some older copper-line based broadband products that may, in some cases, still require a physical change to disconnect the line. Equally, such charges do form a part of how wholesale providers model their overall pricing, thus by removing them we might well see price increases occurring in other areas to compensate.

We should add that, under Ofcom’s rules, ISPs that pass on such charges to consumer must usually make them transparent at the point of sale (only sticking them in the small print might not be good enough) and cannot charge excessive amounts that put them in a better financial position than if the contract continued.

Finally, a small apology for not covering this sooner, as the news actually came in last week but was overlooked in our already busy inbox (only spotted it by chance today).

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Press Release

Boldyn Networks (Boldyn) today announced that it is delivering a major connectivity upgrade at Silverstone, one of the world’s most iconic motorsport venues and home to the Formula 1 British Grand Prix. Boldyn will deploy a new, permanent high-capacity 5G mobile network that will provide fans, race teams, and broadcasters with seamless connectivity all year round.

The new network, capable of supporting all UK mobile network operators, is designed to provide a faster, smoother and more reliable mobile experience across the venue. It uses advanced connectivity technology to handle the huge amount of sharing, streaming and real‑time engagement. This ensures fans can stay connected, capture every moment, and enjoy the day without frustrating signal drop‑outs.

Once live, the new network will deliver high-quality 5G mobile coverage across Silverstone not only on a race weekend, but also year-round. Visitors enjoying the brand-new karting facility, staying overnight at Escapade or visiting the Wing for a conference or dinner will all enjoy reliable high-speed connectivity.

Stuart Pringle OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Silverstone, said: “With more than 1.5 million visitors each year, reliable mobile connectivity is essential to the customer experience at Silverstone. This new network delivers the performance and resilience we need to support fans, customers and partners and allows us to share information and unforgettable iconic moments that will enhance their visit.  We’re delighted to be working with Boldyn to bring world-class connectivity to everyone who comes through our gates.”

In the past, Silverstone has relied on temporary mobile infrastructure deployed for just a few months each racing season. These short-term solutions were not designed for big crowds and often meant that connectivity was constrained by tens of thousands of people connecting simultaneously to the network.

To address these challenges, Boldyn will deploy its state-of-the-art hybrid active Distributed Antenna System (DAS). By replacing the previously deployed temporary systems with a permanent, high‑capacity network, Silverstone will also benefit from improved operational efficiency, reducing setup time, minimising seasonal engineering work, and ensuring consistent performance for every event throughout the year.

The technology will be rolled out across 25 locations around the circuit, and the architecture features 57 high-capacity sectors across 87 DAS zones, ensuring reliable connectivity even during peak attendance. The 2025 Formula 1 British Grand Prix welcomed 164,000 spectators on raceday alone, with total attendance reaching 500,000 across the full four-day weekend.

Brendan O’Reilly, Chief Executive Officer UK & Ireland, Boldyn Networks, said: “As the legendary home of the British Grand Prix, and the venue for the first Formula 1 World Championship over 75 years ago, Silverstone is a place where excitement and expectations are at their highest every race weekend. Boldyn is very proud to be supporting this iconic venue with connectivity infrastructure built to match its world-famous reputation. The deployment will provide Silverstone with a future-ready mobile network designed to continue pleasing fans, teams and broadcasters for years to come.”

The network will also support Silverstone’s future needs, both during race weekends and outside of busy event periods. It marks a significant step forward in improving the circuit’s digital capabilities, providing a robust foundation for Silverstone to continue delivering world-class motorsport races and events.

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The post Boldyn puts pedal to the metal with Silverstone’s 5G network appeared first on Total Telecom.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

France-based internet connection benchmarking firm nPerf has this morning published the results from their annual 2026 crowdsourced study into fixed broadband ISP speeds across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The results cover Sky Broadband, Virgin Media, Vodafone, TalkTalk, Fibrus (NI) and Ogi (Wales).

The latest nPerf studies (here, here, here and here) are based on masses of tests carried out – between January and December 2025 – exclusively by customers of the aforementioned internet providers – using tools on both nPerf’s website and via their dedicated mobile testing apps for Android and iOS. But we don’t get any hard stats on the sample sizes or structure.

However, the UK’s largest broadband provider – BT (inc. EE and Plusnet) – is nowhere to be found in any of the summaries. The company states that they “only include national internet service providers with a test share above 5%“, which suggests that BT somehow ended up, in every nation, with a very small sample of results and that seems implausible.

Suffice to say that we recommend taking these results, which we’ve summarised below, with a pinch of salt. Overall, Virgin Media scored the highest in England and Scotland, while Vodafone came top for Northern Ireland and Wales.