Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The latest Q2 2025 results from Virgin Media and O2 today have revealed that their gigabit broadband network increased by 114,900 premises in the quarter to cover 18.53 million UK homes. But related customers suffered another fall to total 5,643,500 (down by -51.4k in Q2 vs -44k in Q1) and O2’s mobile base also suffered a fall (albeit with positive results in wholesale).

The new results confirm that the combined Virgin Media and nexfibre fixed broadband network now reaches a total of 18,535,800 Homes Serviceable (up from 18,420,900 in Q1). As before, the vast majority of the new quarterly UK network build is from nexfibre’s full fibre FTTP lines (this network alone now accounts for around 2.3 million premises of the total), although the recent impact of Telefonica’s strategic review has significantly slowed their roll-out (here).

The results reveal that a total of over 7 million Virgin Media and nexfibre premises (footprint) are now covered by FTTP lines (XGS-PON and RFOG), which is up from 6.8m in Q1. But this figure also factors in Virgin Media’s ongoing upgrade of existing Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) areas to FTTP under Project Mustang (i.e. aiming to convert all of Virgin’s existing HFC and RFOG lines to XGS-PON by 2028).

Finally, a tiny portion of the quarterly nexfibre build figures (shown below) may also include infill deployments from Virgin Media itself, which usually takes place on sites for existing property developments (i.e. the legacy of long contracts with housing developers for new build homes). But otherwise, the Q2 pace of build continues to slow, which reflects the expected fallout from Telefonica’s ongoing strategic review (here and here).

Nexfibre Rollout Progress
Q2 2025 = 114,900 Premises
Q1 2025 = 165,000 Premises
Q4 2024 = 485,500 Premises
Q3 2024 = 281,100 Premises
Q2 2024 = 295,300 Premises
Q1 2024 = 194,000 Premises
Q4 2023 = c.299,000 Premises
Q3 2023 = 250,800 Premises
Q2 2023 = 175,500 Premises
Q1 2023 = 107,800 Premises
Q4 2022 = 24,000 Premises

Just for context. Telefónica, Liberty Global and InfraVia Capital Partners established a new £4.5bn joint venture called nexfibre in 2022 (here), which originally aimed to deploy an open access full fibre (FTTP) network to reach “up to” 7 million UK homes (starting with 5m by 2026) in areas NOT served by Virgin Media’s own network of 16m+ premises.

Elsewhere, Virgin Media has long stopped giving any solid figures for their Pay TV (video) base, which often happens when a base is in decline. But their mobile base has grown, albeit primarily due to their wholesale (MVNO) providers (increased by 480k in Q2), since O2’s own contract base reduced by 73,600 in Q2.

VMO2 Q2 2025 UK Customer (Connection) Figures
5,643,500 Fixed Broadband – (down from 5,694,900 in Q1)
46,165,200 Mobile inc. Wholesale – (up from 45,685,000)

On the financial front, VMO2 reported total revenue of £2,526.8m in Q2 2025, which is up from £2,480.1m last quarter.

Lutz Schüler, CEO of VMO2, said:

“Against a tough trading environment, we have continued to be disciplined delivering growth in profitability which means we are reconfirming our guidance for the year.

We are carefully balancing volume and value through a multi-brand strategy in both fixed and mobile, underpinned by a continued improvement in customer service and one of the country’s best loyalty programmes with Priority from O2. In B2B, our new company with Daisy Group has received all relevant approvals and is now ready to go with an imminent launch, creating a dedicated entity with the scale, focus and expertise to deliver a great service for British businesses and drive long-term enterprise growth for Virgin Media O2.

Our significant network investments are continuing, as we leverage our scaled gigabit broadband network today and rollout fibre for future, and on the mobile side we continue to boost our network across the country, expand 5G Standalone to more areas and have announced a significant spectrum acquisition that will materially enhance our network performance in future, further improving customer experience.”

Sadly, the latest results didn’t include much in the way of any useful updates on Virgin Media’s plans for opening their existing fixed broadband network up to wholesale via their new NetCo (originally intended to launch during the first half of 2025), or the future of their roll-out via nexfibre. All of this remains somewhat dependent upon what happens with Telefonica’s strategic review.

In the meantime, we suspect Virgin Media will be concerned at the level of ongoing decline in their broadband base, which is being eroded by more competitively priced alternative networks. Something that isn’t helped by the high post-contract pricing that the provider continues to adopt. In the past, Virgin could rely on being considered more of a premium brand and the fastest widely available broadband provider, but today’s market is much more diverse.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The UK communications and media regulator, Ofcom, has today published its Media Nations 2025 report, which reveals how linear TV viewing continues to decline in favour of broadband-based video streaming platforms (particularly YouTube and Netflix). But broadcast TV currently still accounts for the majority (56%) of in-home viewing (down from 57% last year).

The full report covers a mass of different aspects and figures for national TV, video, radio and audio consumption, but we’ll only focus on a few of the headline details below. For example, individuals (aged 4+) spent on average 4 hours 30 minutes per day watching video content at home in 2024, only one minute less than in 2023.

The humble TV set also remains central to video viewing in the home, with some 84% of in-home video viewing taking place on it. But people also spent 4% less time watching broadcast TV on TV sets than in
2023.

The BBC was still the most-watched broadcaster/service in 2024 among all individuals, accounting for 19% of all in-home video viewing, which was followed by YouTube and ITV. But among young adults aged 16-34 and children 4-15, YouTube was the most-watched service, accounting for 22% of video viewing for the former and 28% for the latter. Netflix was the next most-watched service for both age groups, accounting for 13% of video viewing.

However, a small proportion of audiences (7%) did not watch any PSB content on TV sets in Q1 2025. They tended to be younger and less likely than the average population to have traditional TV platforms like Freeview (through an aerial), cable or satellite, opting for TV delivered over the internet. They watched significantly less broadcast content and any video in the home overall, mainly viewing YouTube and other VSPs (78% of their total in-home video viewing). SVoD/AVoD viewing took up the next largest proportion of their viewing (17%). Netflix was their most viewed SVoD/AVoD but they watched less of it than the non-PSB viewers group in Q1 2023.

Ed Leighton, Ofcom’s Interim Group Director for Strategy and Research, said:

“Scheduled TV is increasingly alien to younger viewers, with YouTube the first port of call for many when they pick up the TV remote. But we’re also seeing signs that older adults are turning to the platform as part of their daily media diet too.

Public service broadcasters are recognising this shift – moving to meet audiences in the online spaces where they increasingly spend their time. But we need to see even more ambition in this respect to ensure that public service media that audiences value survives long into the future.”

Elsewhere, the proportion of UK households receiving any subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) service in Q1 2025 continues to plateau, and was at the same level as it was (at 68%) in 2021. Some two-thirds of UK households subscribe to at least one of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or Disney+. Netflix remains the most subscribed-to service, present in almost six in ten UK households and it accounted for nearly half of total SVoD viewing in 2024.

In addition to cultivating direct-to-consumer relationships, SVoD platforms are increasingly leveraging bundling partnerships to broaden their reach. This includes integration with pay-TV operators, such as Sky (Sky Broadband) and Virgin Media offering customers the option to add on SVoD subscriptions, and telecom providers bundling services with mobile or broadband plans, like O2’s inclusion of Disney+ with selected mobile packages.

According to Ofcom’s VoD Survey, 30% of Netflix subscribers now pay for their subscription as part of their household pay-TV service bill, or as part of a bundle with another service. The equivalent figure was nearly as high for Disney+ subscribers (27%), but lower for Amazon Prime Video subscribers (13%). So clearly those telecoms providers that allow you to bundled streaming subscriptions have had an impact.

Finally, it’s worth noting that consumer expenditure on recorded music in the UK continued its steady growth in 2024, rising by 5.7% year-on-year to reach £2.36bn. This reflects the ongoing strength of subscription
streaming, modest gains in physical formats (mainly vinyl LPs), and a continued decline in digital music download revenues.

Not that our readers will care, but Gavin & Stacey, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Mr Bates vs The Post Office were the most-watched TV programmes/films of 2024. Broadcasters accounted for half of the top ten most-viewed titles in 2024, taking the top three positions. Gavin & Stacey: The Finale was the most-watched programme of the year, averaging 18.6 million viewers across BBC One and BBC iPlayer on TV sets.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The ITS Technology Group, which has deployed various open access full fibre broadband and Ethernet networks across parts of the United Kingdom, has today announced that they’ve appointed Charlie Versi to be their new Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Charlie is said to be bringing with him more than two decades of operational leadership experience across construction, development, and technology. Most recently, he served as COO at innDex, a global construction technology company. Prior to that, he held senior roles at ISG Ltd and Multiplex, where he led large, diverse teams and delivered complex transformation programmes.

The new COO will take charge of ITS’s end-to-end operational delivery, with a “focus on service excellence and delivering an outstanding experience for both partners and their business customers“. As such we suspect he’ll also have some input into the delivery of their future 50G PON network and services, which could be launched during early 2026 (here).

Daren Baythorpe, CEO of ITS, said:

“Charlie’s appointment marks a significant milestone for ITS as we continue to evolve and grow at pace. We’re strengthening the foundations of our business to deliver consistently, reliably, and with excellence – no matter the scale or complexity of the challenge. Charlie brings the operational leadership, strategic mindset, and values-driven approach that will be instrumental in this next phase. We’re delighted to welcome him to the team.”

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The UK Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) has this morning revealed the shortlist of finalists for their 2025 annual industry awards event, which sees a record of 50 separate organisations (broadband ISPs, network builders etc.) being nominated across 17 categories. Except the “Internet Hero” and “Digital Inclusion” categories, which will be announced later this year.

The winners of the previous 2024 awards event were unveiled back in November 2024 (here), which among other things saw several ISPs taking home two awards each across various categories, including Brsk, CommunityFibre, and Vorboss. By contrast, this year’s event will add five new categories – ‘Best Wholesale Platform’, ‘Best Network Integration’, ‘Best Technology Partnership’, ‘Engineer of the Year’, and ‘Best Customer Loyalty’.

Otherwise, taking the lead in this year’s shortlist of possible winners are Gigabit IQ, Glide and KCOM, who all received 5 nominations; special mentions to CommunityFibre and WightFibre with 4 nominations and Cerberus Networks, Exa Networks and Truespeed who received 3 nominations.

Steve Leighton, Chair of the ISPA UK, said:

“The 2025 ISPA Awards are fast approaching, and I’m incredibly excited for what is always a standout moment for our industry. Our 30th year has been a great success so far, with numerous conferences and the launch of our consumer report on priorities for the telecoms sector. The Awards will provide a fantastic conclusion to this year, with a shortlist that truly showcases the strengths and innovations that are driving our industry forward.

I am very much looking forward to joining colleagues and peers on the 13th November. It will be a wonderful occasion to toast these incredible achievements and collectively celebrate the successes of our industry.”

The winners are set to be announced on Thursday 13th November 2025 at City Central at the HAC in London.

2025 ISPAs Award Shortlist

Best Business ISP

• Cerberus Networks

• Community Fibre

• Exa Networks

• Glide

• KCOM

Best Consumer ISP (over 100k customers)

• CommunityFibre

• EE

• KCOM

• Sky Broadband

• TalkTalk

Best Consumer ISP (under 100k customers)

• 4th Utility

• Connect Fibre

• Lightning Fibre

• Truespeed Communications

• WightFibre

Best Rural ISP

• Gigabit IQ 

• Gigaclear

• Quickline

• Wessex Internet

• WightFibre

Best Voice Provider

• bOnline

• Dial 9 Communications

• Microtalk Europe

• Voipfone

• VoIPstudio

Best Technology Partnership

• BT & Broadpeak

• Calix & CityFibre

• Sonalake & AllPoints Fibre Network (APFN)

• Strategic Imperatives Fibre Café

• Vetro & AllPoints Fibre Network (APFN)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Champion

• KCOM

• LXS Consulting

• Openreach

• Vorboss

• Women in Telecoms Group

Best Wholesale Platform

• Glide 

• PXC

• RETN

Best Customer, Network and Data Security

• Cerberus Networks

• Exa Networks

• Gigabit IQ

• RM

• Talk Straight/Schools Broadband

Most Innovative Fibre Deployment

• 4Fibre

• Glide UK

• Xantaro

Best Fibre Infrastructure

• Glide 

• Ogi

• WightFibre

Best Customer Loyalty

• 4th Utility : Rise

• Gigabit IQ

• Glide

• Truespeed Communications

• Wessex Internet

Best Network Integration

• AllPoints Fibre Networks

• Freedom Fibre

• Strategic Imperatives

Best Customer Experience

• 4th Utility : Rise

• Exa Networks

• Gigabit IQ 

• Lightning Fibre

• WightFibre

Best Community Engagement

• Community Fibre 

• Country Connect

• Gigabit IQ

• KCOM

• Wifinity

Engineer of the Year

• KCOM

• Ogi

• RM

• Truespeed Communications

Sustainability Champion

• Cerberus Networks

• Community Fibre

• Freedom Fibre

• Openreach

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The UK telecoms and media regulator has today fined alternative rural broadband ISP Gigaclear £122,500 after they were found to have failed to “provide accurate and reliable caller location information to emergency services,” which could have made it more difficult for the police, fire and ambulances to find callers.

The alternative network provider, which has 150,000 customers, currently covers 600,000 premises across rural parts of England with their gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network (i.e. 25% take-up, with a goal of reaching 29% by the end of this financial year). In addition, they also offer customers a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) based Home Phone service

Last year ISPreview noted that the small print on Gigaclear’s website stated that they “do not recommend you purchase home phone if you are reliant on your landline due to disability or accessibility requirements and do not have alternative means to contact emergency services in the event of a power outage” (here).

However, under Ofcom’s rules (General Conditions A3.5 and A3.6(a)), when someone calls 112 or 999 using a landline with a VoIP connection, the telecoms provider must – to the extent it is technically feasible – make accurate and reliable information about the caller’s location available to the emergency organisation handling the call, at the time it is answered.

Ofcom has now found that, between January 2022 and 11th March 2024, Gigaclear “provided either inaccurate caller location information, or no caller location information“, to emergency organisations for all emergency calls made by its VoIP customers. This affected a total of 948 calls to emergency organisations. This came after the provider self-reported the issue to Ofcom in April 2024.

Ofcom Statement

As a result, our investigation has found that Gigaclear has breached General Conditions A3.5 and A3.6(a). We consider this to be a serious breach of these conditions, which are set by Ofcom to ensure that emergency organisations are provided with accurate information about a caller’s location, wherever possible. This information is important because it helps assist the relevant emergency services in locating a person requiring emergency assistance.

Our investigation found that Gigaclear failed to test or monitor the availability of accurate caller location information to emergency organisations, prior to launching its VoIP service and while the service was live. Gigaclear also failed to ensure its third-party supplier configured the systems involved in the provision of caller location information to emergency organisations correctly.

Gigaclear missed an earlier opportunity to identify the issues by failing to appropriately investigate a customer complaint it received in 2023 concerning caller location information.

Gigaclear has since taken action to remedy the contravention and ensure accurate caller location information is now made available for calls to emergency organisations.

According to Ofcom, no members of the public reportedly experienced significant harm as a result of this serious breach, although the regulator has resolved to fine the company £122,500. Gigaclear must pay the fine within four weeks of this decision, and it will then be passed on to HM Treasury. It includes a 30% reduction as a result of Gigaclear’s admission of liability and agreement to settle the case.

Gigaclear’s Statement

Gigaclear deeply regrets the historic configuration issue with our VoIP service, described in Ofcom’s decision published today.

By the time we self-reported the issue to Ofcom in April 2024 we had already identified and rectified the error. We have undertaken a full post incident review to implement the learnings from this incident and put in place processes to ensure that no similar issues arise again.

At all times before and after the issue was fixed, all emergency calls placed by our VoIP customers were successfully connected. We are not aware of any actual harm to customers as a result of the issue, but we acknowledge the seriousness of the error and the importance of ensuring accurate caller location information is available to emergency services.

Gigaclear is committed to providing high-quality service to its customers and maintaining full compliance with all regulatory obligations and we apologise for having fallen short of the high standard which we strive to maintain.

George Lusty, Ofcom’s Enforcement Director, said: “Providing the emergency services with accurate location data can mean the difference between life and death. So it’s vital that telecoms companies set up their systems correctly and test them thoroughly to make sure this happens. We won’t hesitate to hold companies to account, and Gigaclear fell short on a number of basic levels, putting its customers at unacceptable risk for a prolonged period of time.”

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News

The board will now begin searching for a permanent replacement

Today, Hull’s incumbent telecoms operator KCOM has announced that its CEO, Tim Shaw, will be stepping down from the role in August.

Shaw has been part of KCOM for 6 and a half years, serving as CEO for the last three. During his tenure, the business has significantly expanded its fibre broadband network coverage across East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, now topping 305,000 premises, as of November 2024. He has also overseen the company’s ongoing £17 million initiative to upgrade its existing copper network to full fibre.

But while KCOM’s network continues to expand and become more advanced, Shaw’s time as CEO has also seen KCOM’s market dominance increasingly come under threat. Local altnet like MS3 and Connexin are reducing KCOM’s dominance in Hull and the surrounding counties, while telecoms regulator Ofcom is pressuring KCOM to make its infrastructure more accessible to rivals. In fact, KCOM published a pricing scheme for its own Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) services for the first time earlier this month.

While these factors are unlikely to be disastrous for KCOM, they represent a market growing increasingly competitive. In fact, this increase in competition was a major factor in the decision from KCOM’s key investor Macquarie to explore a potential sale last year, according to reports. No further updates have been given regarding the strategic review, which appears to be ongoing.

All of this, in addition to mounting debt, will present a significant challenge for Shaw’s would-be replacement.

“Our huge thanks go to Tim. He has led KCOM through a period of significant change, both for the business and in the wider UK telco market. Throughout this, he has always kept the customer and service innovation at the heart of what we do,” said Richard Greenleaf, Chair of KCOM.

CFO Richard Schäfer will take over duties as interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent replacement.

How is the UK connectivity ecosystem changing in 2025? Join the discussion at Connected Britain, the UK’s largest digital economy event

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

Broadband and mobile operator EE (BT) has today responded to the UK government’s drive to wrap everybody under the age of 18 in cotton wool by becoming the “first major network” to launch a dedicated Smartphone proposition (mobile plans) for U18s, called “Safer SIMs” – part of its commitment toward “being the UK’s best network for families“.

The new plans are designed with network level website content controls, scam call protection, spending caps and “Stay Connected Data” (allows you to stay online after you’ve used up all your data, albeit at a speed of 0.5Mbps).

Safer SIMs plans are available on any smartphone device and are being supported by the option of new in-store online safety appointments with expert trained guides in over 400 EE retail stores who can provide “online safety support and practical guidance to parents and carers, as well as advice on setting-up device level controls“.

The new initiatives come as a new study conducted for EE by Opinium claims to have found that only 52% of parents feel they have the right tools and guidance to manage their child’s smartphone and social media usage, and 78% of children admit they conceal some of their online activity from their parents (aka – privacy).

A total of three new 30-day “Safer” SIM-only plans are due to launch “next month“, which will be tiered with different levels of controls and start from £7 per month.

Safer SIM Plans

Protected Plan: Ideal for the first few years of secondary school, with strict mobile network content controls when accessing websites, unlimited calls/texts with premium numbers, 150 text services and charge to plan blocked, reduced speeds (0.5Mbps) to limit streaming, as well as scam call protect

Guided Plan: Supports growing independence, and ideal for early teenage years with moderate mobile network content controls when accessing websites, 3GB data at 10Mbps, unlimited calls/texts with premium numbers, 150 text services and charge to plan blocked, and scam call protect. A pay-as-you-go version of the Guided Plan will also be available at launch

Trusted Plan: Ideal for older teenagers, with moderate mobile network content controls when accessing websites, 10GB data at 100Mbps, unlimited calls/texts with premium numbers, 150 text services and charge to plan blocked, and scam call protect

EE is also launching The P.H.O.N.E Chat, a content resource created to help parents explain the responsibility of smartphone ownership. This guide has been designed with support from Internet Matters, children, and their parents, to aid conversations about owning a phone, and includes details of how to talk about using their first handset. This is already available online, and in-store in the coming weeks.

Claire Gillies, CEO at BT Group’s Consumer Division, said:

“As the UK’s best network for families, we understand that while smartphones offer many benefits to people, there are also very real risks and challenges, especially for young people. As a parent of a teenager, I too have had to balance the benefits and challenges that come with giving our children their first smartphone.

I am proud that EE has consistently been an industry leader for online safety and today’s announcement is yet another example of our commitment to providing helpful tools and guidance to families. Our new initiatives and resources are there for parents at every stage of their child’s adolescence, so they can safely and confidently make the choice about smartphone usage that is right for them and their family”.

We should point out that the big mobile operators already offer network-level content filtering controls and tech-savvy parents will no doubt already be able to figure out how to setup a Smartphone to be safe for their children, without needing to take out a special mobile plan. But clearly that knowledge isn’t going to be universal and this is where EE’s new plans may help to simplify.

However, we can’t help but think that the government’s root and branch approach to introducing age-based restrictions (verification) across the internet is both needlessly excessive (it’s impacting all sorts or regular services and messaging systems) and easily defeatable (VPN). Not to mention the notion of treating young adults aged 15-18 in roughly the same way as much younger children is a touch insulting for people in that age group.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News

The move comes as part of new CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s strategy to monetise “non-core assets”

Intel is set to spin off its networking and communications business, Network and Edge Group (NEX), as a standalone entity.

The plan was initially revealed in a memo to customers from NEX’s general manager Sachin Katti but was later confirmed by Intel spokespeople.

“We plan to establish key elements of our Networking and Communications business as a stand-alone company and we have begun the process of identifying strategic investors,” said Intel in an official statement. “Like Altera, we will remain an anchor investor enabling us to benefit from future upside as we position the business for future growth.”

Altera, Intel’s field programmable gate array business, was spun off last year, with the move being viewed as one of the company’s first efforts to monetise its non-core business assets. The decision quickly proved successful, with Intel selling a 51% stake in Altera to US-based private equity firm Silver Lake Partners for $4.46 billion in March. It seems likely that Intel is aiming to replicate this model with NEX.

Intel will remain an anchor investor in the spun off business, with Katti noting that the company had already begun “identifying additional strategic and capital partners to support the growth and development of the new company”.

Exactly how NEX would be valued, and the identity of potential buyers is so far unclear. In 2024, NEX contributed $5.8 billion of Intel’s total revenue of $53.1 billion.

A specific timeline for the spin off was not announced.

The decision to spin off the networking unit should come as little surprise. Intel’s new CEO Lip-Bu Tan, who took over the business from previous CEO Patrick Gelsinger in March, had reportedly been considering the spin off since May as part of an overarching strategy to return the company to growth.

Tan’ aim is to refocus the company around its core segments, PC and data centre infrastructure.

In the company’s latest quarterly results, released last week, Intel booked a $2.9 billion net loss.

In a note to staff following the company’s quarterly results, Tan emphasised that the business would need to make significant changes moving forward.

“I know the past few months have not been easy. We are making hard but necessary decisions to streamline the organisation, drive greater efficiency and increase accountability at every level of the company,” he said, adding that the company needed to be “laser-focused on strengthening our core product portfolio our AI roadmap.”

Unsurprisingly, this streamlining effort also includes job cuts, with Tan reiterating plans to reduce the company’s headcount by 15% (roughly 24,000 employees) by the end of the year.

In addition, Intel says it will not proceed with previously planned foundry projects in Germany and Poland.

Keep up with all the latest telecoms news with the Total Telecom newsletter

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 has today revealed that UK broadband ISP and phone giant BT (inc. EE and Plusnet) have now refunded or credited £18m back to customers. This follows last year’s Ofcom ruling (here), which found that the provider had “failed to provide” 1.1 million customers with clear and simple contract information before signing up to a new deal.

Just to recap. Since June 2022 broadband and mobile operators have been required to provide customers with a short, one-page summary of the main contract terms of their chosen package before entering into a contract, including clear examples of how any price increases might impact the price they pay. But Ofcom’s investigation found that EE and Plusnet had failed to do this for a sizeable number of customers and fined BT £2.8m.

As well as fining BT, Ofcom also required the provider to amend its sales process and refund any affected customers who may have been charged for leaving before the end of their contract period. “We told the company that if it was unable to refund any money, it must donate it to charity,” said the regulator.

As a result of this enforcement action, Ofcom has today posted a brief after action report that reveals how BT has now refunded or credited £18 million back to customers and donated £440,000 across 17 charities where refunds or credits were not possible.

Ofcom Statement

The company broke our consumer protection rules designed to ensure telecoms customers get clear, comparable information about the services they are considering buying.

Following engagement with Ofcom, BT contacted the majority of affected customers, explaining that it had not provided them with the information to which they were entitled, and giving them the opportunity to request the information and/or cancel their contract without charge.

However, before these communications were sent, some customers affected by the breach left BT before the end of their contract and may have been charged an early exit fee. Our rules are clear that if the required contract summary and contract information is not given, the contract is not binding on customers. As a result, an early exit fee should not have been payable by these customers.

As well as fining BT, we also required it to amend its sales process and refund any affected customers who may have been charged for leaving before the end of their contract period. We told the company that if it was unable to refund any money, it must donate it to charity.

As a result of this enforcement action, BT has now refunded or credited £18 million back to customers and donated £440,000 across 17 charities where refunds or credits were not possible.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Edinburgh-based UK broadband provider GoFibre has today announced that they’ve begun to expand their new full fibre (FTTP) network into the rural village of Witton-le-Wear in County Durham. The build forms part of their state aid supported Project Gigabit contract with the government.

Just to recap. The Government’s £5bn Project Gigabit scheme is currently working to extend 1Gbps download speeds (200Mbps+ uploads) to reach “nationwide” coverage (c. 99%) by around 2032. As part of that, GoFibre has already secured three smaller ‘Local’ (Type A) deployment contracts for Teesdale (Lot 4.01), North Northumberland (Lot 34.01) and the Scottish Borders and East Lothian (Scotland Lot 5) area. On top of that, they also hold the £105m regional (Type B) contract for North East Scotland.

The deployment in Witton-le-Wear thus forms part of their Teesdale (County Durham) contract and GoFibre’s network has already reached around 150 homes and businesses in the community, with a further 118 premises due to be added before build completion is reached in August 2025. Since commencing the wider project, over 4,000 funded premises are now ready for connection in the Durham-Teesdale contract area (close to the original target for Lot 4.01).

Despite a challenging crossing of the Witton Bridge which required the use of civil engineering avoidance techniques to avoid impacting the Grade 2 listed structure, the build has run to schedule so far.

Andy Hepburn, COO of GoFibre, said:

“We’d like to say a huge thank you to the local community for their support and patience throughout the build. Their cooperation allowed us to complete the project with minimal disruption, particularly when working around the historic Witton Bridge.

We know firsthand how frustrating poor internet can be, so it’s incredibly rewarding to deliver a service that’s fast, reliable, and built to last. This is a proud moment for our team and for the community. We hope you can join us at our event on the 12th to celebrate and learn how full fibre broadband can transform your online experience.”

Customers of the new GoFibre service, once live over the next few years, can expect to pay from £22.50 per month for a 150Mbps (30Mbps upload) package on a 24-month term with an included wireless router, which rises to £33 for their top 1000Mbps (100Mbps upload) plan. The latter also comes with a bonus Wi-Fi extender (this can optionally be taken on other plans at extra cost).