Original article Total Telecom:Read More

The award followed a thorough evaluation of MLL’s business, financial and compliance credentials, including adherence to education standards, as well as the quality, innovative features, value for money and breadth of its portfolio of services. These are now available via the DfE approved Everything ICT service including not only networks provision and professional services but also its wide range of market leading cyber, voice, cloud and broadband solutions. 

“Strategically, as a growing supplier of technology solutions to MATs and schools, Everything ICT is a prerequisite framework for MLL,” said David Robson, Head of Bid Management, MLL Telecom. “It is one of only a handful of DfE-approved frameworks for Telecoms and Broadband and is therefore widely known as a trusted source of supply for MATS and schools nationwide.”

He added: “We will be working hard to leverage the advantages it offers us including the benefit of allowing our products and services to be accessible to other public sector key markets served by MLL, such as healthcare and local councils. Furthermore, the Direct Award facility will be attractive to those of our customers looking to easily extend existing network services contracts or to add new services.”

A DfE-approved Framework for schools, Everything ICT can be used by any public sector organisation. It has become popular with areas such as Health because of the ease of use, the wide range of trusted suppliers and compliance with procurement regulations.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Openreach is calling on businesses across the UK to accelerate their migration to digital

networks as the January 2027 PSTN switch-off deadline approaches. With the transition

now in its final phase, businesses and Communications Service Providers (CSPs) still

relying on legacy systems risk being left behind.

Many businesses continuing to rely on outdated PSTN infrastructure risk both their

operational effectiveness and bottom lines. As legacy networks are decommissioned,

systems such as payment terminals, security alarms, ISDN systems, and landline phones

will cease to work, potentially leading to significant disruptions.

James Lilley, Director of All IP at Openreach, said: “The nationwide transition to an All-

IP network is a huge undertaking, and ensuring vulnerable users are protected during the

shift has been a priority. Now that we are confident we have addressed those needs and

can safely transition vulnerable customers, the deadline is set. It’s time for businesses to

act and unchain their networks from legacy infrastructure. The digital world won’t wait for

those that stall. Every day of delay risks disruptions, higher costs, and missed

Opportunities.”

The steps to make the transition are clear: Review, Test, and Switch. Businesses should

start by reviewing their connectivity estate to identify any equipment still relying on PSTN.

Testing this equipment can be done for free at Openreach’s test labs, ensuring

compatibility with All IP networks. Finally, businesses should switch to a digital solution as

soon as possible. Openreach is offering a range of resources to help businesses through

the transition, including support for edge cases and temporary solutions if needed.

Businesses still unsure how they are impacted by the switch-off should contact their service

Provider.

The PSTN switch-off deadline is set for January 2027, although some CSPs have earlier

dates including December 2025, and businesses that wait will face mounting costs, security

risks, and missed growth opportunities. Openreach urges all businesses to make the move

today and unlock the full potential of next-gen communication technologies that will power

the future of business.

For more information on how to start the transition, visit our website

About Openreach

We’re the people that make the net work.

Our wholesale broadband network – the UK’s largest – supports more than 680 service providers like BT, SKY, TalkTalk, Vodafone and Zen to provide broadband, TV, phone, data and mobile services to their customers.

Any company can access our network through equal pricing, terms and conditions, and our team of around 28,000 people help deliver services to every community in the UK.

Right now, we’re investing £15bn to build a new ultrafast, ultra-reliable Full Fibre broadband network to 25 million homes and businesses by the end of 2026. Work is on track, with the company intending to go even further – to as many as 30 million premises by the end of the decade – assuming conditions for investment remain supportive.

We’ve already reached 18 million premises and we’re passing thousands more every week. And we’re retraining thousands of our existing engineers to help build, connect and maintain the new network.

Our new network will help Openreach and its customers to dramatically cut emissions, with research suggesting nationwide Full Fibre broadband could save 400 million commuter trips every year. We’re also switching our commercial fleet – the UK’s second largest – to zero emissions by 2031.

We’re a wholly owned and independent subsidiary of the BT Group and for the year up to the end of March 2025, we reported revenues of £6.157bn.  

Find out more at www.openreach.com.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Indianapolis, IN – June 11, 2025 – Rural Tower Cooperative, a for-profit agricultural cooperative dedicated to bridging the digital divide, announces its portfolio of GIS-qualified rural parcels available for telecom companies seeking to expand broadband infrastructure. With pre-screened sites across the midwest including Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Virginia, the cooperative offers telecoms a streamlined path to deploy 5G towers and fiber networks in unserved BEAD and RDOF zones.

Rural Tower Cooperative connects motivated landowners with telecom providers at no cost to farmers, using advanced GIS analysis to identify parcels with optimal terrain, road access, and power proximity. “Our mission is to accelerate rural broadband by providing telecoms with ready-to-lease sites,” said David Christophersen, General Manager. “Our parcels are vetted to meet ISP needs, saving time and costs in site acquisition.”

Telecom companies, including ISPs and tower operators, can access these parcels through Rural Tower Cooperative’s efficient lead generation process, ensuring exclusive, high-value opportunities. The cooperative’s model supports federal initiatives like USDA ReConnect, positioning it as a key partner for broadband expansion.

For inquiries or to explore available sites, contact David Christophersen at info@ruraltowercoop.com Visit http://www.ruraltowercoop.com for more information.

About Rural Tower Cooperative
Rural Tower Cooperative is a for-profit agricultural cooperative based in Indiana facilitating rural broadband deployment by connecting landowners with telecom providers. Our database of GIS pre-screened sites combined with motivated landowners is designed to help telecom companies accelerate deployment for RDOF/BEAD projects nationwide.

Media Contact
David Christophersen
General Manager, Rural Tower Cooperative
(317) 606-1025
info@ruraltowercoop.com

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News

The newly merged operator has rival BT (EE) firmly in its sights, dubbing itself ‘The Nation’s Network’

Last week, after nearly three years of regulatory scrutiny, the £16.5 billion merger of Vodafone UK and Three finally closed. The move creates the UK’s largest mobile operator, with 27 million customers, and reduces the number of national operators from four to three.

But what does this all mean for customers?

Quite a lot, as VodafoneThree’s CEO Max Taylor was quick to emphasise at a launch event in London yesterday.

“The industry has lost pace and purpose. Meanwhile, our country has never needed this more. To help fix the digital divide and to support UK PLC with the digital transformation needed to drive productivity and growth. This is the moment when everything changes,” he said.

Within the next two weeks, existing customers on the Three network are expected to begin feeling the impact of the merged company’s newly combined spectrum holdings, resulting in ‘reliable speeds in more places, with an improvement in 4G data speed of up to 20%’.

Within months, customers on both networks will be able to begin roaming between the two at no additional cost, representing the first step in the networks’ long-term integration. By the end of the year, this process is expected to remove roughly 16,500 sq/km of ‘not spots’ for customers.

Customers of rival networks will have the opportunity to test out VodafoneThree’s improved network, with the company offering a free seven day ‘try before you buy’ eSIM to customers in London, Liverpool, Sheffield, and Belfast. Trial availability will be expanded to new locations in future.

Finally, by next year, VodafoneThree will commercially launch direct-to-device satellite connectivity via their partnership with AST SpaceMobile. This will allow customers to access mobile services anywhere in the country, essentially eliminating not spots entirely.

“[This service will] complement the existing network build, eliminating coverage gaps in places that otherwise couldn’t be reached, leaving no one behind,” said Taylor.

Taylor reiterated the company’s pledge to invest £11 billion to expand and improve its mobile network, ultimately aiming to provide 5G standalone coverage of 99.95% by 2034. Roughly £1.3 billion of this total is expected to be invested this year.

“We will connect every nation, every community, in every corner of the UK. We will build the UK’s best 5G network with an unprecedented £11bn privately funded infrastructure project, laying the digital foundation for our country’s growth ambitions. Benefits for our 27 million mobile customers will start within months, with access to roam across both networks at no extra cost. From big cities to small towns, and everywhere in between, our mission is to build the UK’s best network,” said Taylor in a press release.

“We’re the only operator with a plan like this,” he added on stage at the launch event.

Broadband drive

In addition to dominating the UK’s mobile market in terms of coverage and 5G, Taylor highlighted the opportunities the enhanced network will create for Vodafone’s broadband business.

Vodafone’s ISP business currently has around 2 million subscribers, a market share of roughly 6%. By leveraging Three’s substantial fixed wireless access (FWA) business and cross selling aggressively, Taylor says this figure could be more than doubled to 4.3 million over the next eight years.

To support this goal, VodafoneThree also announced a new wholesale agreement with London-based altnet Community Fibre, making Vodafone’s broadband service available to roughly 1.3 million additional customers.

When combined with Three’s FWA availability, VodafoneThree’s broadband offerings are now available to over 22.5 million homes across the country.

Supporting the growth of the UK economy

Throughout the regulatory approval process with the Competition and Markets Authority, Vodafone and Three had continued to emphasise how beneficial the merger would be for the UK economy. At the launch this week, this messaging was once again front and centre – even including a video message of praise from UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

“I’m delighted that that this huge investment is being made in mobile phone network infrastructure, better connecting people with families, loved ones and work by providing stronger, more widespread 5G coverage. Our Spending Review is all about growing our economy and attracting private investment to deliver on our Plan for Change, and it’s fantastic that VodafoneThree have chosen to join us on our mission of national renewal,” she said.

The merger will reportedly create up to 13,000 new jobs across the UK, including the creation of two new contact centres in Belfast and Sheffield, creating 400 new permanent positions. In contrast, Taylor acknowledged that some retail stores would likely close as a result of the merger but insisted that are “no plans for retail redundancies”.

How is the UK telecoms landscape evolving? Join the dicussion at Connected Britain, 24-25 September in London. Tickets available here  

Also in the news:
SWR deploys Europe’s first ’Rail-5G’ Wi-Fi  
BT accelerates fibre rollout amid cost cuts
AT&T agrees $5.75 billion deal for Lumen’s consumer fibre asset

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

New ISP Carnival Internet UK, which first went live last month (here) and is being backed by global tech company Dotlines (Dotlines UK), has announced that it’s integrating a new suite of hardware and software security products from fellow company Audra Security to “deliver a seamless and secure online experience for households“.

Audra is apparently designed to protect families and small businesses without the hefty price tag or the need for extensive IT expertise. For home users, there will be Audra Safe and AudraVPN, while business customers will get Audra Secure. This reflects an affordable, plug-and-play suite of home and small business internet security products, including routers, VPNs, and firewall solutions designed for easy, IT-free setup

Audra Safe is a Wi-Fi router that makes it easy for households to manage the security of their smart devices and their family’s online safety. It combines standard capabilities of a typical router with enhanced security features and app-based controls. This allows parents to group devices and set rules, such as blocking certain types of content or setting time limits, helping to protect their families and encourage healthy online habits.

AudraVPN is a freemium virtual private network that ensures secure browsing and high-speed streaming for users on the go, across five devices in a single subscription. Finally, Audra Secure is a portfolio of business-specific 2-in-1 router and firewall devices that provide a scalable solution, supporting up to 250 concurrent connected devices.

Users of Audra Secure can manage the devices and rules across multiple locations from a cloud-based central dashboard. With a simple subscription model and pricing plans that span from 1 to 5 years.

Matin Mahbubul, Chairman of Dotlines Group, said:

“We’re pleased to officially launch Audra in the UK, helping individuals and small businesses safeguard their online presence with an easy-to-use, cost-effective solution. Our goal is to provide the best protection at a price point that anyone can afford, whether you’re a busy parent or a small business owner just starting to secure your digital assets.

We know that many households and small businesses are targeted by cybercriminals simply because they don’t have the resources or knowledge to implement advanced security systems. Audra changes that by making security straightforward and accessible, so no IT expertise is required.”

We ran a quick check of Carnival’s consumer broadband packages and found we could add AudraVPN on a 24-month term for £3 extra per month, but there’s no option to add any of the other Audra features to packages that come bundled with Amazon’s eero routers. But you do get the Audra Safe Router and security features included on their cheapest ‘Essentials’ plans.

Dotlines UK has partnered with The Kenton Group for all this, which will serve as the national distributor of Audra Security products throughout the UK.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The Independent Networks Co-operative Association (INCA), which represents many of the country’s alternative broadband operators, has today set out how it believes the UK should deliver on the government’s recently proposed Digital Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) to help get more UK people using the internet and improve digital skills.

Just to recap. At the start of 2025 the UK government proposed to address the lack of digital inclusion in some areas via a series of “urgent actions” that it hopes will “begin fixing digital exclusion“. The DIAP includes various things, such as funding for local initiatives targeted to the most digitally-excluded groups (e.g. the elderly and low-income households) and partnering with inclusion charity Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA) to provide laptops to people who are digitally excluded.

The plan has also managed to extract pledges from key technology and telecoms companies (e.g. BT, CityFibre, Vodafone, Virgin Media, Openreach etc.) to help the Government achieve its mission. But some of those were just a continuation of what such operators have already been doing for the past few years.

The government is currently consulting on all of this and considering what more could be done, which is where today’s list of related proposals from INCA could come in handy.

INCA’s Proposals

• The independent network sector working closely with government to develop a plan-of-action to meet 100% coverage and encourage adoption of networks.
• Making tackling data and device poverty as the foundational priority for dealing with digital exclusion – without reliable, fast and affordable access to the internet and access to suitable devices, efforts to upskill individuals or build their confidence to engage with digital services will be fundamentally limited.
• Establish government partnerships with industry to improve digital inclusion and skills at pace. This should focus on areas such as access, participation, and a digital landscape where users feel safe in accessing digital services.
• Government playing a key role in facilitating interaction between industry and local authorities to support digital inclusion actions such as providing free broadband provision to lower-income households.
• Ensure funding from the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund is awarded to companies and charities that are operating in local areas as they know their communities and therefore will have a greater chance of successful outcomes.
• National public awareness campaigns to support groups who would gain the most from digital inclusion, including refugees and asylum seekers, carers, and care leavers.

INCA CEO, Paddy Paddison, said:

“Our members are already doing incredible work to bring full fibre broadband to underserved regions. But access alone isn’t enough. We need a joined-up national strategy that supports people to get online, stay online, and thrive online.”

Over the years we’ve seen lots of initiatives aimed at improving digital skills and getting more people online, but they often struggle when it gets to the more challenging questions. For example, it’s often overlooked that not everybody actually wants to go online and nobody should be forced to use the internet, even if this may leave them at a disadvantage.

Furthermore, digital skills can change over time with age, as well as disability (the two are often associated). For example, you might be digitally skilled today, but this can go in reverse when you develop a disability (loss of sight, strokes etc.), which can make life a lot more difficult. Society must also have manual backups in the event that our reliance on digital services ends up being lost.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The Falkland Islands Government (FIG) has, after plenty of confusion earlier this year (here), finally agreed to introduce a number of key changes that will allow both residents and businesses on the remote Falkland Islands, which is a British Overseas Territory, to finally be allowed to use Starlink’s (SpaceX) ultrafast LEO satellite broadband network.

The islands, which reside nearly 500km off the South American coast and are home to 3,700 people, have long suffered from poor digital connectivity and that’s partly due to the political fallout from the 1982 Falklands War. As a result, local residents often have little option but to connect via an extremely slow and expensive satellite data link from the dominant provider, Sure (Sure Falklands Islands).

Locals have long been campaigning for the local government to work with SpaceX in order to approve the use of its Starlink based broadband service on the island, which reflects a mega constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). This would be able to offer a significantly faster and more flexible service for a lot less money (note: we don’t know if Starlink will do a Falklands-specific plan, so its packages may not match the UK).

The good news, according to the Open Falklands blog, is that residents belonging to the Starlink Petition Group recently proclaimed 10th June 2025 to be Starlink Freedom Day. This came after the local government finally approved some crucial changes that will make it possible for an official Starlink broadband service to go live.

Statement by the Starlink Petition Group

The Starlink Petition Group welcomes and celebrates the announcement that the Falkland Islands Government has formally revised the VSAT policy and fee level.

This decision marks a historic step forward for connectivity in our community. After nearly a year of persistent, coordinated advocacy from islanders, FIG’s approval is a powerful affirmation of democratic engagement and public will. We thank all members of the Legislative Assembly and all those involved in the process for their careful deliberation and ultimate support of the petition.

The Starlink Petition Group also welcomes the Government’s agreement to the second element of the petition: a reduction in the licence fee for operating a VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal). Historically, the Falkland Islands Government had set an annual fee of £5,400, which was intended as a deterrent to prevent consumers and businesses from circumventing the exclusive licence held by the local telecommunications provider.

We are also profoundly grateful to all the engaged people of the islands, as well as public servants and the Communications Regulator, whose dedication made this approval possible. Your contributions throughout the process have been invaluable. Thank you.

Just to be clear, as well as improving the policy rationale for the issuing of personal VSAT licences, the cost of such licenses has now been slashed to just £180 per year – bringing it within the realm of consumer affordability. But the Communications Regulator will still need to go through the usual motions in order to get all of this formally introduced, which could also mean some difficult discussions with Sure (the Sure South Atlantic exclusive telecommunications licence isn’t set to expire until 29th December 2027).

SpaceX itself has previously indicated that it would look to officially make Starlink available to the Falklands during 2025, although they’ll first need to receive written confirmation of this week’s decision. After that it will then take a bit longer for them to agree terms, package/price details and any issues of spectrum licensing with the FIG etc.

Some of these processes will occur over the next few weeks, but we’re not yet sure exactly how long it will be before residents can officially take the new service (the community expectation seems to be 2-3 months for the regulatory side of things). SpaceX itself has previously indicated that it would look to officially make Starlink available to the Falklands during 2025, which still seems plausible.

Legalising and normalising access to Starlink for all users could also help to make the Falklands a much more attractive place to both visit and do business. Thanks to one of our readers, Chris, for the news tip.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

VodafoneThree, which reflects the now finalised c.£16bn merger between Vodafone and Three UK (here), has this morning set out a set of post-merger plans for their 4G / 5G mobile (mobile broadband) network coverage, performance and branding. Starting with a 20% average speed boost on 4G for Three and SMARTY customers, and a new broadband partnership with CommunityFibre.

At this point we already know, from prior announcements, that VodafoneThree plan to invest £11bn to upgrade the UK’s 5G mobile infrastructure and coverage over the next ten years. The combined business has also previously stated that it aspires to reach more than 99% of the UK population with their 5G Standalone (SA) network by 2034 and push fixed wireless access (mobile home broadband) to 82% of households by 2030, among other things.

The hard part of this process, which involves integrating teams (some potential for redundancies in this area), networks and offices, has now begun. As a result of that, VodafoneThree has this morning set out a refined set of post-merger plans and network targets.

The move highlights just how quickly the operator intends to bring everything together; while also respecting the binding commitments they made as part of the agreement. The announcement includes quite a lot of sporadic detail, so we’ve opted to shrink this down into a bullet point summary below. It’s worth a read, due to so many changes being introduced.

Max Taylor, CEO of VodafoneThree, added: “A new era of connectivity has begun. We will connect every nation, every community, in every corner of the UK. We will build the UK’s best 5G network with an unprecedented £11bn privately funded infrastructure project, laying the digital foundation for our country’s growth ambitions. Benefits for our 27 million mobile customers will start within months, with access to roam across both networks at no extra cost. From big cities to small towns, and everywhere in between, our mission is to build the UK’s best network”.

VodafoneThree’s Plan

➤ Over time, Vodafone and Three UK will integrate into one physical network, which will be called: The Nation’s Network.

➤ The new company will operate a multi-brand mobile strategy in their consumer business, with Vodafone, Three UK, VOXI, SMARTY and Talkmobile remaining (on the same single network).

➤ Vodafone will be the only brand for business customers, with one team able to tailor solutions to a customer’s needs.

➤ Over the next 12 months, VodafoneThree will bring Three’s mobile broadband (Fixed Wireless Access) products together with Vodafone’s Full Fibre (FTTP) into one home broadband portfolio, under the Vodafone brand. There will only be one converged brand for both businesses and consumers.

➤ Aims to reach 99.95% UK population coverage of their 5G Standalone (5G SA) network by 2034. The network will be built at speed, with the 5G SA build plan being front-loaded so that, by the end of the third year, it will hit 90% population coverage from a current baseline of 47%. Around 71% of the UK population (circa 50 million) will have access to their fastest 5G speeds by the end of year one.

➤ Within just two weeks, through the sharing of combined spectrum, 7 million Three UK and SMARTY customers will receive an improvement in 4G data speeds (mobile broadband) of up to 20% (average).

➤ Within a few months, 27 million Vodafone and Three UK mobile customers will start to benefit from unrivalled access to roam on each other’s networks at no extra cost. It will happen automatically, with no need to change a thing (phones will connect to the best coverage available). By the end of the year this will remove a total of 16,500 sq/km of not spots – equivalent to 10x the size of London – with the first sites already having been turned on.

➤ By this time next year (June 2026), VodafoneThree will launch beta trials on a ‘first-of-its-kind’, space-based satellite mobile network, thanks to Vodafone’s partnership with AST Space Mobile. This will complement the existing network build, eliminating coverage gaps in places that otherwise couldn’t be reached.

➤ Within two years, the company will open two new customer care centres in Belfast and Sheffield, bringing 400 sales and customer service roles back to the UK, alongside the existing call centres in Stoke and Glasgow. Crucially there are “no planned retail redundancies“.

➤ VodafoneThree will launch a new ‘Just Ask Once’ Promise on the Vodafone brand from July 2025. ‘Just Ask Once’ will aim to resolve any query, quickly and painlessly, with a dedicated advisor who proactively updates the customer, and if the issue isn’t resolved to the customers satisfaction, they will be able to simply part ways without penalty.

➤ VodafoneThree has today announced a new partnership with CommunityFibre in London, bringing faster fixed FTTP broadband speeds to even more homes. This builds on existing agreements with Openreach and CityFibre.

➤ Over the entire 8-year build period, VodafoneThree will create and sustain demand for, on average, 9,000 jobs, with peak investment years (years 2-6) seeing as many as 13,000 jobs created across the UK (74% outside London and the South East).

➤ By consolidating networks, VodafoneThree’s energy consumption will be around 31% lower than it would have been as two separate networks. In addition, VodafoneThree will reduce emissions from operations to net zero by 2027 and look to achieve the same across the full value chain by 2040.

➤ This August, VodafoneThree will be the first to exclusively range the first phone from HMD’s Better Phone Project in the UK, with a new innovative on-device AI application called HarmBlock. This software (built by SafeToNet) means that that harmful content can’t be seen, shared, or created. The phone also features real-time location tracking, contact safe-lists, parental controls for apps and online access.

Overall, this all sounds very promising, at least in terms of network coverage and service, although it won’t be enough to placate the concerns about future consumer pricing beyond the initially protected period of 3 years. The fears of future price hikes and the gradual removal of their cheapest plans from the UK market, either directly or via MVNO providers (e.g. iD Mobile, Smarty etc.), seem unlikely to go away.

In addition, some might find VodafoneThree’s decision to name their combined network infrastructure ‘The Nation’s Network‘ a little bit too presumptuous or possibly even worthy of some cringe, although such thoughts may subside if they’re able to deliver on their coverage and performance improvements.

Separately, VodafoneThree today announced that the south coast (Devon) town of Brixham has recently received a 30% uplift in network capacity. The hope is that this will help balance against some of the expected network load during the busy summer months, when visitor numbers tend to climb.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Network operator VodafoneThree UK has today announced that they’ve begun a “feasibility study” to explore the possibility and cost of deploying a new subsea fibre optic cable system to help transform broadband and mobile connectivity in the Shetland Islands – a remote subarctic archipelago that resides some way north of Scotland.

Shetland is currently already connected by two major subsea fibre cables, including the SHEFA-2 (Faroese Telecom) submarine (subsea) and the R100 North cable that was recently built by broadband giant BT as part of the Scottish Government’s £600m Reaching 100% (R100) project (here). The R100 project also deployed a number of smaller subsea fibre links between mainland Shetland and its smaller islands.

Despite this, Vodafone Business has proposed a plan that would involve running a new cable from mainland Scotland to Shetland. But the operator states that such a cable would “provide essential infrastructure for high-speed internet and telecommunications services for local communities, as well as businesses“. This would no doubt also support VodafoneThree’s plan to boost 5G Standalone coverage (here).

We think greater resilience should also be mentioned as one of the above highlights, particularly in today’s climate of rising conflict and security concerns around subsea infrastructure (example).

Richard Lochhead MSP, Minister for Business, said:

“High-speed connectivity is a necessity in today’s world – both for economic growth and everyday life. It is particularly important that residents, businesses and visitors to our rural areas and islands are not left behind in the digital age.

Private investment is critical to delivering this mission and I welcome VodafoneThree’s renewed commitment to help deliver the infrastructure needed to support our island communities, including its intention to undertake a feasibility study into a subsea connection between Shetland and the mainland.”

Nick Gliddon, Director of Vodafone Business, said:

“During our meetings in November 2024, with Shetland Islands Council, it was really apparent to me that connectivity is essential for everything from daily transactions to the growth of businesses and the economy.

Through initiatives like the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme, we are providing strong and reliable 4G coverage to our customers living in, working in, and visiting Shetland. The proposed cable could transform the connectivity landscape for the islands further, bringing significant economic and social benefits. We remain committed to delivering the necessary infrastructure to ensure the continued prosperity and growth of the islands.”

The timing of all this is quite interesting, not only because of the current climate around subsea security and the fact that it follows so soon after the completion of Vodafone and Three UK’s mega-merger. On top of that, the Scottish Government are also in the process of hunting out a supplier for their £40.7m (state aid) Project Gigabit broadband roll-out scheme for Orkney & Shetland (Lot 6).

The deployment of a new subsea fibre link to Shetland, if approved, would however be an extremely expensive project and it’s difficult to see where the return for VodafoneThree would come from for this without additional support (e.g. state aid or other investors). In 2023 Shetland had just 11,567 domestic properties, as well as 259 hotels / guest houses and 1,655 registered private businesses (most of these are small businesses, but they do now have the SaxaVord Spaceport).

At present this is just a feasibility study and so it remains uncertain whether it will be turned into a serious deployment.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Network access provider Openreach (BT) has today warned businesses across the UK that they must “act now” in order to be ready for the old Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to be switched-off in favour of IP-based digital phone (VoIP etc.) services. But many are leaving it until the last minute, “risking network outages and malfunctioning systems“.

Just to recap. The legacy phone switch-off was last year delayed to 31st January 2027 in order to give broadband ISPs, phone, telecare providers, councils and consumers more time to adapt (details). The main focus of this was the 1.8 million UK people who use vital home telecare systems (e.g. elderly, disabled – vulnerable users), which aren’t always compatible with digital phone services because telecare providers were slow to adapt. But this overlooks that, for everybody else, many providers will still be working to the original Dec 2025 deadline to have their customers off the PSTN network.

According to Openreach, “many businesses” (we don’t get a solid estimate) are continuing to rely on outdated PSTN infrastructure and thus “risk both their operational effectiveness and bottom lines“. As legacy networks are decommissioned, systems such as payment terminals, security alarms, ISDN lines, and landline phones “will cease to work, potentially leading to significant disruptions“.

James Lilley, Director of All IP at Openreach, said:

“The nationwide transition to an All-IP network is a huge undertaking, and ensuring vulnerable users are protected during the shift has been a priority. Now that we are confident we have addressed those needs and can safely transition vulnerable customers, the deadline is set. It’s time for businesses to act and unchain their networks from legacy infrastructure.

The digital world won’t wait for those that stall. Every day of delay risks disruptions, higher costs, and missed Opportunities.”

The industry-led shift is being driven by a combination of factors, such as the looming retirement of copper lines in favour of full fibre (FTTP), as well as future exchange closures and the declining reliability of the old phone network (Ofcom states that related fault rates substantially increased by 45% in 2024). Not to mention that it is not economically feasible to maintain both the old and new networks side-by-side long term.

The government and ISPs have already introduced various measures to protect consumers, particularly vulnerable users. But businesses don’t benefit from this and need to ensure that their own systems are up-to-date ahead of time. The best way to start this process is by contacting your current provider to discuss the issue.

Openreach said businesses should start by reviewing their connectivity estate to identify any equipment still relying on PSTN. The network operator added that testing this equipment can be done for free at their test labs, ensuring compatibility with All IP networks (details here). Openreach are also offering a range of resources to help businesses through the transition, including support for edge cases and temporary solutions if needed.