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Network access provider Openreach (BT) has today announced the launch of a new range of new Optical Network Terminals (ONT) from Nokia – the wall-mounted optical modems that get installed alongside their Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP lines, which use re-engineered casings made from 85% recycled plastic.

The development was actually touched on a bit last month after we summarised a range of the operator’s new ONTs (here), although at the time we didn’t know about the recycled aspect of their latest kit. The move is one of a number of initiatives under Openreach’s “Let’s Reach Zero” strategy — a commitment to reach Net Zero emissions in its operations by 2031.

Breaking news.. more to follow..

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Broadband network benchmarking firm Ookla, which collects data from consumers via their popular internet Speedtest.net website and App, has published the results of a new Q2 2025 study that ranks European countries by their level of 5G mobile network availability. But the UK somewhat unsurprisingly comes in near the bottom with an availability level of 45.2%.

The worst performing European country in the ranking was Belgium, which sits on a truly abysmal 5G availability score of just 11.9%, while the top country is Denmark on 83.9%. But the UK’s position remains particularly poor when you consider that we were one of the first countries in the world to start deploying the technology. We’ve previously explored some of the reasons for why it all went wrong in another recent article (here).

However, it’s not all bad news. Several key European economies, such as the United Kingdom and Germany, are said to be “achieving stronger progress” in 5G SA (Standalone) deployments than their overall 5G Availability figures, which are heavily skewed by Non-Standalone networks, might indicate.

The majority of 5G mobile networks today are still Non-Standalone (NSA), which means they are partly reliant upon older and slower 4G infrastructure. But SA networks are pure end-to-end 5G that can deliver ultra-low latency times, greater energy efficiency, better speeds (particularly uploads), network slicing, improved support for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, support for 5G Voice and increased reliability and security etc.

For example, the UK’s Wireless Infrastructure Strategy previously set out a national ambition to achieve 5G SA coverage in all populated areas by 2030, while the VodafoneThree merger aims (here) to reach 99.95% UK population coverage of their 5G SA network by 2034 (71% by the end of the first post-merger year).

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Roughly three years have passed since CityFibre first started rolling out their 10Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP network across the West Sussex seaside town of Bognor Regis (here). But the operator has today revealed that they’ve so far laid over 286km of new fibre in the town.

Large sections of Bognor Regis have already been completed and have been designated ‘Ready For Service’ by supportive broadband ISPs, including across areas of Hotham, Berwick, Bersted and parts of Aldwick and Felpham. But it still remains unclear precisely how many premises will be reached by this build and when it will complete.

The work forms part of CityFibre’s aspiration to cover up to 8 million UK premises with their new FTTP (XGS-PON) broadband network – representing c.30% of the UK. But their original target of hitting that by the end of 2025 will be missed. The operator has instead shifted their strategy to focus less on build and more on growth via mergers and acquisition (M&A) of alternative networks (e.g. the deals to acquire Connexin [here] and Lit Fibre [here]).

Adrian Smith, CityFibre’s Partnership Manager for Bognor Regis, said:

“Bognor Regis is making great strides toward achieving world-class digital infrastructure. As our rollout progresses, residents will soon enjoy access to faster, more reliable broadband services.

We sincerely thank residents for their patience and support throughout this process. This state-of-the-art network has the potential to transform the local area, driving productivity, fostering innovation, and attracting new investment for years to come.”

The operator’s main FTTP competitor in the town is Openreach.

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Mobile operator O2 (Virgin Media) and UK tech charity Jangala have worked with the Newcastle City Council (NCC) to connect more than 1,000 local residents living in housing plus schemes at 30 different locations to a “free internet” service, which harnesses their special GetBoxes (a type of portable WiFi broadband router that uses mobile data).

Just to recap. Jangala’s approach typically involves providing internet-enabling “GetBoxes” to charities and local authorities across the country (here), which has so far delivered free WiFi hotspots to help thousands of people affected by “data poverty” to get online. The GetBoxes are effectively small (book sized) WiFi routers – pre-installed with O2 SIM cards – that can each connect up to around 20 people (there’s a larger Big Box unit for connecting up to 5,000 users).

The idea is that these routers can be posted to a user, who can then simply plug it into mains electricity and establish a secure Wi-Fi network instantly – linked back to O2’s mobile broadband (4G) connectivity, using data from the National Databank. But it’s unclear whether these were restricted by a data allowance (we’ve seen mentions of 25GB before, which is easily consumed today).

In this case, VMO2’s engineers volunteered to install 30 Jangala GetBoxes in communal areas across NCC’s Housing Plus schemes (VMO2’s Take FIVE scheme gives employees five paid volunteering days per year to support community initiatives). The connectivity is helping residents get online to access essential services, stay connected with loved ones, and build digital skills through council-run courses.

The initiative supports NCC’s “Get Online Newcastle” programme, which offers free classes and resources to help residents develop basic computer literacy, access vital online tools, and learn how to stay safe online.

Dana Haidan, Chief Sustainability Officer at VMO2, said:

“Digital inclusion is more important than ever, and we’re proud to play our part in helping Newcastle residents get online.

Through partnerships like this, and initiatives like Take FIVE and our Essential Services, we’re helping to bridge the digital divide and empower communities with the tools they need to thrive.”

Dame Chi Onwurah, MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West, said:

“Connectivity is not just about cables and routers – it’s about people. It’s about ensuring that my constituents can access the services, opportunities and communities that many take for granted. I commend all the partners involved for their commitment to bridging the digital divide and making Newcastle a more inclusive, connected city.”

Residents also received information about Virgin Media’s Essential Broadband tariffs, which typically enable those on state benefits to take an unlimited 15Mbps (2Mbps upload) connection on a 30-day rolling contract for just £12.50 per month, rising to £20 per month if you opt for their faster 54Mbps (5Mbps upload) tier. Plus, if you pay an extra £10 one-off, then you’re also able to add their new STREAM TV box (Flex).

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The UK Government has this morning revealed that a total of 30 publicly-funded rural 4G (mobile broadband) mast upgrades have now gone live across Wales as part of the industry-led £1bn Shared Rural Network (SRN) project, which recently succeeded (here) in extending geographic 4G coverage to 95% of the UK (aggregate) by the end of 2025.

The SRN – originally supported by £501m of public funding from the government and £532m of private investment from UK network operators – involves both the reciprocal sharing of existing masts in certain areas and the demand-led building and sharing of new masts in others between the operators.

Most of the early work on this project typically involved private investment from the main mobile network operators, but over the past two years we’ve also seen government-funded mast upgrades and new site builds taking place in other parts of the country. A total of 56 mast upgrades have now gone live across the UK via government funding, and 30 of those are in Wales.

This phase of the work focuses on the part of the SRN that sees the government providing a total of £184m from their pot to the Home Office and mobile network operators, which is helping to upgrade Extended Area Service (EAS) masts being built as part of the 4G Emergency Services Network (ESN) – these masts previously only connected EE customers and anyone making 999 calls. But the upgrade means that all mobile operators can now benefit from these sites.

Residents, local businesses and community organisations in areas including Llangernyw, Pandy Tudur, Gwytherin, Cwmystwyth, Llanymawddwy, can now take advantage of better mobile connectivity (inc. over 2,500km of roads across Wales). These activations also bring enhanced connectivity to the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, Eryri National Park and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, including Wye Valley and Bryniau Clwyd a Dyffryn Dyfrdwy.

Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens, said:

“Funded by UK Government investment, 30 new sites in Wales now have fast and reliable mobile internet access in areas which were previously poorly served. Reliable connectivity improves every aspect of day-to-day life in rural Wales and makes a huge difference for local businesses, residents, and visitors.

This is an important step forward in our mission to kickstart the economy and unlock opportunity in rural areas across Wales.”

Since the SRN programme began in 2020, an additional 34,000 square kilometres are now receiving 4G coverage from all four operators (inc. an additional 280,000 premises and 16,000km of the UK’s roads) – EE, Three UK, O2 and Vodafone across the UK.

4G Mobile Coverage (SRN) Progress – 29th June 2025

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Consumer magazine Which? has this morning named the winners of their Shoddy Awards 2025, which lists the companies that have done poorly through the year. The bad news is that broadband ISP Virgin Media was awarded a Shoddy for the third year running due to poor ratings and price rises, while EE picked up an award for its mid-contract price rises on mobile bundles.

Just to be clear. In order to be nominated for a “Shoddy“ companies must typically fall short on one of the following criteria: failing an industry standard, offering poor value for money, making false claims or regularly underperforming in the magazine’s consumer champions research. A judging panel from across Which? then selected this year’s winners based on the findings of past studies and their “in-house experts“.

Harry Rose, Which? Magazine Editor, said: “Our third annual Shoddy Awards call out the products, services and companies that have fallen short and let consumers down over the last year. Consumers rightly expect high-quality products and services for their money. All the companies named and shamed in this year’s Shoddy Awards need to up their game and offer people the value for money they rightly expect.”

2025 Shoddy Award Winners

Sugary snacks: Kiddylicious

Kiddylicious sells snacks aimed at babies from six months up to children aged four to five years old. It promotes its products as being allergen free, convenient and promoting self-feeding but research from the University of Leeds, which was funded by the Which? Fund, found that the majority of its snacks are high in sugar and marketed in misleading ways. Many are more akin to sweets, with several classified as confectionery under World Health Organization guidelines. These snacks offer little nutritional value and for babies under a year old, they risk displacing breast or formula milk in their diet.

Exercise at extortionate prices: David Lloyd

David Lloyd has been awarded a Shoddy for its poor value for money. In the consumer champion’s most recent gym survey, Which? members rated it just two stars for value for money. The consumer champion found that the average ‘Plus’ membership costs £131.50 a month – and in some locations, platinum memberships can cost £259.

Rip-off merchant of the year: Ticketmaster

Ticketmaster’s pricing practices for ticket sales to the Oasis reunion tour may have breached consumer protection law for two reasons. Firstly, some seated tickets were labelled as platinum, and sold for nearly two and a half times the standard ticket price. It was not sufficiently explained that there were no extra benefits for buying these seats.

Secondly, customers were not notified that ‘in demand’ pricing would be used – meaning fans had to queue without knowing exactly what they would be paying. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigated and agreed that these practices might have broken consumer law. Which? is calling for the CMA to make sure that Ticketmaster refunds the customers who paid more than expected.

Dodgy deals: Sports Direct

Which? believes some of Sports Direct’s uses of Recommended Retail Prices (RRP) as reference prices may be breaking the law. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) says an RRP should reflect the price a product is generally sold at across the market.

However, the consumer champion’s research found examples where no other online retailers were selling at the RRP price shown by Sports Direct. Often, their prices were the same as Sports Direct’s selling price, or lower. This could mislead shoppers about the true value of a product, and the savings they are actually making.

Many brands sold by Sports Direct are owned by its parent company, Frasers Group, and for a majority, Which? could not find them for sale anywhere else online besides Frasers-owned retailers. The ASA says that “if a marketer is the only seller of a product, and so has set the price themselves, it’s unlikely to be acceptable to refer to the price as RRP.” It is unclear if this is the case here and if it applies to brands owned by the same parent company. Which? is calling on the CMA to investigate these pricing tactics.

Biggest collective failure: home insurance companies

Which? has collectively awarded all home insurers a Shoddy as this market ‘leads’ on declining claims according to Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) data. The latest FCA data from 2023 shows that over a third of buildings insurance claims were declined, while over a quarter of claims made on combined buildings and contents policies were turned down.

While not all providers are terrible, standards are currently so poor that this is the first year that the consumer champion has not awarded any Which? Recommended Provider endorsements since 2010. Which? is campaigning to End the Insurance Rip-Off and calling for the FCA to take tough action against any insurance firms falling short of required standards.

Excluding teenage customers: Tesco Clubcard

Supermarket loyalty cards have become essential to cutting the cost of regular shopping. However, some retailers have age, address and digital requirements that limit accessibility to these savings.

Tesco has the largest market share of UK supermarkets, and its age restriction for a Clubcard is 18, compared to other supermarkets where it can be 16, or even younger. This blocks access for younger shoppers to thousands of discounted prices.

Dangerous domains: AliExpress, Amazon, Ebay, Temu and TikTok

Online marketplaces are failing to prevent the sale of unsafe goods from third-party sellers on their sites. In 2024, Which? listed an unsafe plug-in heater that appeared identical to one recalled as far back as December 2022. The consumer champion is disappointed by Amazon, eBay, Etsy, TikTok Shop’s failure to prevent the heater being listed for sale.

More recently, Which? found dangerous ‘energy saving’ plugs widely available on sites such as AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, Temu and TikTok Shop. These devices make false energy saving claims and fail to meet basic electrical safety standards. Which? is calling for the government’s Product Regulation and Metrology Bill to be followed up with a duty so marketplaces have a clear legal responsibility to stop dangerous products appearing on their sites.

Soft on scams: Booking.com

Booking.com came out best in Which?’s accommodation booking site survey – with the highest customer score. However, when things go wrong, the situation is less rosy. The consumer champion has received dozens of complaints about scam messages and seen hundreds of online reviews from people who say they have been scammed. This Shoddy is awarded specifically for Booking.com’s approach to minimising and handling scams.

A recent Which? investigation found that Booking.com does not run proper identity checks on accommodation hosts. It has been far too easy to hack its messaging system and the reviews system too often shows positive reviews, rather than recent ones that warn a property is a scam. When contacted to say a scam has occurred, Booking.com will chase your money, but it will not necessarily refund you itself.

Cancel culture: British Airways

For the first time, British Airways was joint-bottom of Which?’s long-haul airlines survey. It did not fly particularly high in the consumer champion’s short-haul rankings either, landing far nearer the bottom of the table than the top and only scoring two stars for value for money, seat comfort, food and drink, and cabin environment.

Separate Which? research in May 2024 named it the worst-rated airline for customer service over the previous year. It also cancelled far more flights than many of its rivals – 2.55 per cent of all flights from May 2024 to April 2025. As other airlines look to innovate and improve, the consumer champion is awarding British Airways a Shoddy and challenging it to raise its game.

Hat trick of horrors: Virgin Media

Poor customer ratings and an expensive price rise sees Virgin Media awarded a Shoddy for the third year running. Virgin Media was the worst-ranked provider in Which?’s annual broadband survey, with poor ratings for customer service and support.

This year, Virgin Media also introduced the biggest mid-contract price rise for broadband-only customers of £3.50 a month, compared with the £3 a month announced by most other providers. The company has also been under investigation by Ofcom since 2023 following customer complaints that Virgin Media is making it difficult for them to cancel their services. This case is still ongoing.

Bundled contract baddies: EE Mobile

EE used the new Ofcom rules on mid-contract price rises to levy a £4 a month annual increase for bundled contracts, which include both a phone and Sim. No other network is doing this and the next highest rise is £1.80. Mobile providers say they need to invest in their networks, which could be an argument for increasing airtime call, text and data prices but the phone cost is fixed at the start of the contract.

Which? also suspects bundled contracts are being offered when customers fail the credit check for a Flex Pay contract to pay for the phone and airtime separately – so while this increase may only impact a small number, it could be a significant cost.

Prone to breakdowns: Range Rover Evoque plug-in hybrid

The Evoque became Land Rover’s fastest selling car ever after its launch in 2011 and is beloved by celebrities but if it breaks down, it is likely to be off the road for some time. In Which?’s 2024 car survey, this plug-in hybrid spent the longest amount of time off the road for repairs of any car. When faulty, it spent more than 20 days in the shop – well above the average of 4.8 days – with some owners unable to drive their car for nearly a year.

Botched bots: iRobot Robot vacs

After spending hundreds on a robot vacuum, owners would expect to be able to get it going, then sit back and relax. However, Which? testing found robot vacuums can be temperamental, often do not follow app instructions, and in many cases, are not particularly good at vacuuming. In this underwhelming market, iRobot makes the two worst-scoring models that the consumer champion tested.

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Mobile network operator O2 (Virgin Media) has today revealed that over the last 12-months they’ve upgraded the network capacity and coverage of their 4G and 5G mobile (mobile broadband) services at a total of over 2,000 postcodes across the West Midlands (England) city of Coventry.

The upgrades form part of O2’s Mobile Transformation Plan, which is investing around £700m this year into their mobile network – “ensuring it is fit for the future and can keep up with increasing customer demand“. All mobile operators typically conduct similar work, so this is not unusual and comes against a backdrop of rising demand (i.e. the amount of mobile data traffic more than doubling in the past 5 years).

Not to mention the need to withdraw their old 3G network, which also plays a role.

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Internet provider Yayzi Broadband has this afternoon informed ISPreview that they’ve begun to deploy Internet Protocol v6 (IPv6) addressing across their entire network as part of a step toward “future-proofing our infrastructure and enhancing network performance, scalability, and connectivity“. But it will take a few “days” longer before it reaches every user.

Just for context. IP addresses help to connect your software and devices with others around the online world – like an ID number for your internet connection. The issue these days is that the existing IPv4 address space has been exhausted, which makes it difficult to add new connections without compromising by sharing IPs between many users (CGNAT, MAP-T etc.) or spending big to buy additional v4 addresses.

The long-term solution to the above challenge is adoption of IPv6 addresses, which are not directly compatible with IPv4 and so require a bit of an investment in order to make both work properly side-by-side (e.g. Dual Stack or other methods).

According to Yayzi, the changes will be deployed in a rolling schedule, beginning in the early hours of Monday 21st July, and should be completed by the following morning (8am Tuesday 22nd).

 During this time, as connections are moved to the new v6 configuration, customers may lose connectivity for up to 10 minutes. “This is normal and expected – please do not raise a ticket, your connection will return automatically,” said Yayzi.

Otherwise, no action will be needed for most customers, although those on third-party routers have been advised to “consult your router manufacturer for IPv6 setup instructions“. But Yayzi added that they “will provide only limited technical support for IPv6 configuration” and “does not support individual software application setups for IPv6“.

Enabling IPv6 on Yayzi-Supplied Routers

1             Log into your router.

2             Go to the Advanced page.

3             Click on the Network tab (left side), then select Internet.

4             Under “Modify,” click the pencil and paper icon.

5             Scroll to the IPv6 section and check the tick box.

6             Click OK at the bottom to save your settings.

 7             Reboot your router to apply the changes.

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The UK Government’s Department for Education (DfE) has today set out “six standards” that it hopes will end the “postcode lottery of school technology” and help to close the digital divide. The standards cover broadband internet, wireless networks, network switches, digital leadership, plus two safety requirements: cyber security and filtering and monitoring to keep pupils safe online.

The government states that, across the country, there are still “stark inequalities” where some pupils suffer from basic digital access whilst others benefit from cutting-edge technology, including AI – creating unfair barriers to learning and future opportunities. The goal of the new standards is to help ensure that every school has access to “reliable, safe tech” in classrooms and to “ensure no child is left behind“.

Schools and colleges will be expected to meet these new expectations by 2030, although it’s unclear what happens if they don’t. One possible catch here is that the government recently delayed their plan for achieving nationwide (99%) UK coverage of gigabit-capable broadband from 2030 to 2032, which now seems to be out of alignment with the six standards (most likely only impacting a few rural areas).

To support schools, the government will expand its Plan technology for your school service to give every school tailored support and guidance on how and where to make lasting, cost-effective improvements to their technology. This comes alongside a £45m investment from government this year to boost school infrastructure, including upgrades to fibre optic and wireless networks.

Minister for Early Education, Stephen Morgan, said: 

“Every child deserves access to the digital tools that will prepare them for the modern world, regardless of which school they attend. For too long, we’ve seen a postcode lottery where some pupils thrive with cutting-edge technology whilst others are held back by outdated equipment.

Meeting our six digital standards will ensure that by 2030, all schools have the digital provision they need. We’re investing in our children’s futures, supporting pupils to get the digital access they need to succeed whilst keeping them safe online.

This is a key part of our Plan for Change – ensuring every child has the chance to reach their full potential and no pupil is left behind in the digital age.”

The work forms part of the Government’s wider plan to break down barriers to opportunity, as too many pupils currently miss out on digital skills that are essential for modern careers, creating lasting disadvantage and impacting their future. The Connect the Classroom programme has so far improved connectivity for more than 1.3 million pupils in 3,700 schools.

Jisc will also continue to support colleges with advice on the use of technology and access to Janet, the UK’s National Research and Education Network. But that’s all the info. we get from the government’s announcement.

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Network access provider Openreach has decided to extend the ongoing UK pilot of Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based broadband lines for “Uninhabitable Locations” for a further 12-months (i.e. where the service is used to connect non-traditional end points such as CCTV cameras, bus shelter signs, EV charging points, lift lines etc.).

The pilot, which uses a “Ruggedised” Optical Network Terminal (ONT) for outdoor use (pictured above), originally began on 1st September 2024 (here) and was due to last for a year. Sites like those mentioned above might ordinarily be catered for by wireless solutions (e.g. 4G/5G small cells), but in some cases there may be a desire to use FTTP if the infrastructure is present nearby.

The pilot was intended to both confirm the viability of the new Uninhabitable Locations order journey with Ruggedised ONT and the estimated service costs. But Openreach has now extended this pilot to run for a further 12-months until 31st August 2026, although the operator added that it “may look to exit the pilot early” if it’s able to meet their objectives sooner (it’s unclear why the extension is necessary).

The only change this time around is that the one-off connection charge (inc. 1Gbps, 2.5Gbps, and multiport ONT) for speeds of 1Gbps (220Mbps upload) and 500Mbps (165Mbps), currently at £1,030 excluding VAT, will be reduced to £650 from 1st September 2025, aligning it to the connection charge for other bandwidths (slower ties exist down to 0.5Mbps). The fairly high cost reflects the fact that this isn’t intended for the domestic market, and such installs may have unique considerations.

ISPreview previously suggested that there may be scenarios where complex home or office installs might also benefit from a Ruggedised ONT deployment, such as for certain exterior installations. Openreach last year informed us that they were open to considering this for the future, but at present the focus remains on connecting uninhabitable locations/sites.

Fixing an ONT to the exterior of a building or structure typically adds complications, not least because you now need to consider the need for running power cables outside and adding extra protection for that, as well as the splice point of the fibre cable etc.