Original article Total Telecom:Read More

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The deal transfers more than 4 million customer locations and an estimated more than 1 million fiber subscribers into AT&T’s footprint.

Edited by Brad Randall, Broadband Communities

AT&T has completed its acquisition of Lumen Technologies’ Mass Markets fiber business for $5.75 billion in cash, the company announced Monday.

The deal transfers more than 4 million customer locations and an estimated more than 1 million fiber subscribers into AT&T’s footprint across 11 states, expanding the telecom giant’s fiber network and customer base.

AT&T said the purchase will accelerate its plans to expand fiber coverage, including a target to reach more than 60 million total fiber locations by the end of 2030.

“AT&T Fiber, America’s best and top-rated technology for getting on the internet, will be available to millions more people as we expand the service in 32 states,” AT&T CEO John Stankey said in the statement.

He added the acquisition will create jobs, “boost U.S. connectivity” and give more consumers the option to purchase both fiber broadband and AT&T’s 5G wireless services from a single provider.

AT&T also linked the transaction to its broader commercial strategy, saying that combined fiber and wireless offerings can increase customer retention and generate higher returns from converged relationships.

The announcement contained the customary caveat that forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and that actual results may differ. AT&T said it will integrate the acquired assets and expects to grow fiber penetration in the new footprint over time, positioning the company to strengthen its competitive standing in the U.S. broadband market.

Some AI tools were used in the crafting of this report.

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Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News

Experts warn that the hacker group linked to the Chinese state may remain active in US networks

Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell said on Tuesday that both AT&T and Verizon had refused to hand over key security documents related to the Salt Typhoon cyberattack in 2024.

In a letter to Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, Cantwell said the telecoms giants are not being transparent about the security of their networks and called on their CEOs to attend a Committee hearing.

“For months, I have sought specific documentation from AT&T and Verizon that would purportedly corroborate their claims that their networks are now secure from this attack,” wrote Cantwell. “Unfortunately, both AT&T and Verizon have chosen not to cooperate, which raises serious questions about the extent to which Americans who use these networks remain exposed to unacceptable risk.”

The documents in question relate to the highly publicised cybersecurity breach of numerous telecoms companies by China-linked hacking group Salt Typhoon in 2024.

The attack compromised the metadata of calls and text messages from millions of customers, notably including those of politicians such as Donald Trump and JD Vance. It also gave the hackers access to company-run law enforcement wiretapping systems.

By December 2024, AT&T said it had “no activity by nation-state actors in our networks”, while Verizon said it had “contained the activities associated with this particular incident”.

In June 2025, however, Cantwell wrote to AT&T and Verizon to demand answers, saying that experts feared Salt Typhoon was still operating within the companies’ networks.

“Current and former government experts continue to indicate that Salt Typhoon may remain active in U.S. networks,” she wrote in a letter to AT&T CEO John Stankey and Verizon Chairman and CEO Hans Vestberg (replaced by Dan Schulman in October 2025).

This claim was reiterated in her letter to Cruz this week.

“Expert witnesses warned this Committee about the ongoing security risks posed by Salt Typhoon, while reports indicate that Salt Typhoon hackers are likely still inside U.S. telecommunications networks and may have even breached email accounts used by congressional staff,” she wrote.

Reviews of the Salt Typhoon breach for both AT&T and Verizon were carried out by Google-owned cybersecurity business Mandiant. Now, Cantwell says Mandiant is refusing to share their findings, following orders from the mobile operators.

“AT&T and Verizon apparently intervened to block Mandiant from cooperating with my requests,” said Cantwell in her letter.

Verizon, AT&T, nor Mandiant have publicly commented on the allegations.

Cantwell is now urging the Senate Committee to convene a hearing in which the AT&T and Verizon CEOs can testify about the incident publicly.

“The American public deserves transparency and certainty that our nation’s major telecommunications networks are not currently exposed to unacceptable risks,” Cantwell wrote. “This oversight hearing would be an opportunity to provide precisely that.”

Salt Typhoon remains a major threat to Western companies worldwide. Last year, an FBI report said that the hacker group had targeted over 600 organisations in over 80 countries.

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

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The post Verizon and AT&T refuse to release documents on Salt Typhoon attack appeared first on Total Telecom.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Customers of broadband provider Virgin Media (O2), specifically those who also take their Pay TV services via their TV 360 or Stream (Flex) platforms, may like to know that the ISP has today added support for three new Rakuten TV based FAST channels to their TV service “at no extra cost” – Rakuten TV Drama (Ch 462), Comedy (Ch 463) and Sci Fi (Ch 464).

VMO2’s David Bouchier, Chief TV and Entertainment Officer, said: “We know that amazing content and value are a priority for our customers, and the launch of these exciting new streaming channels provides exactly that – unmissable entertainment, including great Hollywood blockbusters, at no extra cost. From drama to comedy and everything in between, our line-up of streaming channels offers something for everyone, and these exciting additions will provide our customers with everything available from Rakuten TV, all in one place”

As usual, all the new channels will be visible using Virgin Media’s TV guide and searchable via voice control. Virgin TV customers can also access hundreds of related TV episodes and movies on demand via the Rakuten TV app, which is accessible via the Virgin TV app store. The platform now carries a total of 40 FAST channels.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

A new OnePoll survey of 1,000 small and medium-sized UK businesses (leaders and decision makers), which was commissioned by broadband and mobile provider Sky Business, has claimed that 66% of them have “run out of mobile data in the last two years“, resulting in missed sales and lost productivity until resolved (i.e. an estimated average revenue loss of £3,462 a year).

The survey also found that 73% experience a “Fear of Running Out” (FORO) of mobile data, rising to more than 8 in 10 among millennial-led businesses. At the same time, some 56% of SMEs that have run out of mobile broadband data say they have lost business to the tune of £3,462 on average a year in missed sales, bookings and opportunities.

Similarly, 45% said running out of mobile data would be worse than running out of stock, while more than a third report being unable to process payments when data runs out. The disruption is so severe that 49% say losing mobile data would be worse for their business than losing Wi-Fi for an entire day.

On the flip side, businesses were said to spend an average of £477 a month on mobile data, yet 33% of that data is said to go unused – equivalent to nearly £1,900 per business each year. Mayuresh Thavapalan, Commercial and Marketing Director for Sky Business, said: “UK businesses are effectively paying twice – once for data sat unused across their team, and again if someone unexpectedly runs out. Mobile connectivity should flex around how a business actually operates.”

Suffice to say that Sky Business has a vested interest in all of this as their new SIM-Only mobile service, which launched last year (details), has partly been designed to tackle this sort of problem. So, take with the usual pinch of salt.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Mobile network benchmarking firm RootMetrics (Ookla) has today published their H2 2025 study of UK mobile networks (calls, texts etc.) and mobile broadband (4G, 5G) speeds. The results once again name EE as the best mobile operator after they scooped up the highest scores and fastest data speeds across most categories, while O2 languished at the bottom but has improved.

The study itself is based on the results of over 619,000 tests (some 786 indoor locations were tested and 22,800 miles driven on roads), conducted by a team of testers using off-the-shelf Smartphones between July and December 2025 (drive and walk tests), to measure the real-world performance of mobile operators in the United Kingdom. However, this study is focused on the results from 16 of the UK’s largest metropolitan markets, which isn’t much good at reflecting the impact of slower connectivity in rural areas.

The results shown below are typically split into several categories (network reliability, speed, data, call and text quality etc.) and each is assigned a score out of 100 (higher numbers = better). In terms of the UK-wide results, EE came top in every single category, with Three UK supplanting Vodafone as the runner-up (ironic perhaps, given their merger). By comparison, O2 echoed their results in other studies by coming bottom of almost everything.

In terms of the overall results, all but one mobile operator managed to improve their scores over the previous biannual study, with the biggest improvement being recorded by O2. By comparison, Vodafone was the only operator to see a fall in their score, although it wasn’t a huge fall. Otherwise, EE delivered the fastest median mobile broadband download speed of 114.1Mbps (up from 110.8Mbps), followed by Three UK on 53.8Mbps (up from 45.7Mbps), Vodafone on 47.7Mbps (down from 48.4Mbps) and O2 on 44.1Mbps (up sharply from 36.2Mbps).

Overall Scores for H2 2025 (vs H1 2025)
1. EE – 94.1 (93.2)
2. Three UK – 85.2 (84.2)
3. Vodafone – 84.2 (85.8)
4. O2 – 82.7 (80.1)

The below results summary also includes a performance split between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The study also provided some results when looking at 5G-only mobile connections, which saw EE deliver the fastest median average download speeds of 236.7Mbps, followed by Three UK on 189.3Mbps, then Vodafone on 144.3Mbps and finally O2 on 111Mbps.

Mobile operators also continued to expand 5G availability for users across the UK. At the UK-wide level, both EE and O2 recorded a little over 75% 5G availability in 2H 2025, while Three UK followed at 66.1% and Vodafone trailed at 57.0%.

Looking back one year for greater context, UK-wide 5G availability among the operators ranged from 48.3% to 66.8% in 2H 2024, compared with 57% to 76.1% in 2H 2025, highlighting the continued expansion of 5G across the country.

However, Ookla’s RootMetrics report only provides bits and pieces of selected information, while we would have preferred to see a bit more detail (e.g. upload performance and latency) and a reflection of performance in rural areas too. But that is often the caveat with this type of scientific, albeit very manual, testing – there’s simply not enough data to give a complete picture of the UK.

One final point to make is that the results for Vodafone and Three UK are likely to go through some big changes over the coming year(s) as the two continue their post-merger network integration.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Mobile operator O2 (Virgin Media) has announced that they’re working with Zinkworks to deploy AI-driven automation technology to “minimise downtime” across their 4G and 5G mobile network. The move is said build on “proven results” with their fixed broadband network, where similar automation has already had a big impact.

The expansion to the mobile side of their network means that the new Artificial Intelligence (AI) based monitoring tools will be used to predict and prevent network issues. This is said to work by “identifying patterns and behaviours, detecting and resolving issues faster, and anticipating faults before they escalate into service issues.”

The system will be particularly useful during periods of high demand, allowing operational decisions to be made “before customers are even impacted“. By comparison, the same sort of solution on their fixed broadband network is said to have reduced repair times by more than a third and cut the need for engineer visits by 12%.

The new technology is set to be deployed across key parts of O2’s mobile network, including radio access, core systems and network operations. “By combining real-time network data with intelligent automation, the network can continuously monitor itself, anticipate potential problems, and take corrective action, with engineers retaining complete oversight,” said the announcement.

Jeanie York, CTO of VMO2, said:

“At Virgin Media O2, we are investing every single day to improve our mobile network and provide a more reliable experience for our customers. Greater automation will help us predict and prevent issues and allow us to better spot and fix problems when they arise, reducing downtime and ensuring customers can trust us to deliver the dependable mobile experience they rely on.”

The initiative, which is leveraging the core Google Cloud platform and features such as Gemini and Vertex AI to deliver autonomous network capabilities, sounds as if it could be one of the better examples of how such technologies can be used to enhance existing broadband and mobile networks. The announcement doesn’t mention it, but we suspect there may also be a cost-cutting angle too.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Customers of Sky UK’s (Sky Broadband, Comcast etc.) internet, phone and TV products are being informed about the provider’s latest round of annual price hikes, which will once again be introduced from 1st April 2026. For example, broadband customers will face a flat hike of £3 to their monthly bills, which is the same as or lower than most of their largest rivals.

As for Sky’s Pay TV services, Cinema will be subject to a £1 increase per month when taken with a TV product, and Triple Play packages will see a £3 increase per month (as per the Broadband price rise). The move is different from last year, when Sky imposed a percentage based average annual price increase of 6.2% (Ofcom banned that approach), which at least had the benefit of being able to scale across lower cost and more expensive packages.

By comparison, a fixed price increase like the new one for 2026 tends to hit those on cheaper packages the hardest. The good news, if you can call it that, is Sky will give their broadband and talk (phone) customers who are unwilling to accept this hike some 31 days from the point of being notified to terminate their contract early without penalty (not applicable to their TV customers, unless bundled with broadband).

Consumer who are hit by mid-contract hikes like this could alternatively try haggling for a lower price when the notification drops (Retentions – Tips for Cutting Your Broadband Bill), which Sky does usually entertain. Meanwhile, those on benefits (Universal Credit etc.) also have the option of taking a cheaper Social Tariff – see our Quick Guide to UK Social Tariffs (Sky have these too and they’re not impacted by today’s hike).

However, it’s worth remembering that broadband, phone and TV providers are NOT immune to cost increases. Providers, much like consumers, are also suffering under the burden of rising supplier (e.g. wholesale) and lease costs, high inflation, high energy prices, the cost of adding all sorts of new services (e.g. FTTP) and catering for new regulations etc.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Several weeks have now passed since ISPreview revealed that one of the UK’s largest alternative full fibre broadband networks, Netomnia (Substantial Group), had decided to merge their two retail broadband ISPs – Brsk and YouFibre – into a single brand (here). Brsk have now begun to notify customers that they’re adopting YouFibre’s name.

Netomnia (YouFibre) and Brsk originally operated as separate companies – both with their own full fibre networks and vertically integrated retail ISPs. But this changed in June 2024 after the two operators, which shared a connected investor in the shape of Advencap, announced their intention to merge and create one of the market’s largest altnets (here).

Since then there’s long been somewhat of an expectation that the two retail brands might be merged, particularly since they’ve been gradually coming closer together over the past year. Brsk’s recent data breach may well have encouraged that process a bit too (here).

As previously reported on these pages, the business will continue to be led by Group CEO, Jeremy Chelot, and joint Managing Directors, Ryan Battle (Marketing and Sales) and Giorgio Iovino (Customer Experience and Field Services).

In addition, the previous update noted that there would be “no immediate changes” to Brsk customers’ contracts, plans or pricing, points of contact, or day-to-day operations. A phased transition to the unified brand will take place over H1 2026 (our sources said it would begin from 1st March), ensuring a “smooth and considered experience for Brsk customers“.

The main development this week is that Brsk have begun informing their customers of this change, although the new letter doesn’t add much to what we already reported and doesn’t clarify whether YouFibre plans to adopt Brsk’s Netgem based pay TV solution. Credits to marcusnaw and Shaukat for the tip.

Brsk’s Customer Email

What’s pink is becoming green – still the fastest on the scene.

Hi XXXXXXXXXXXXXX,

We burst onto the broadband scene in 2021 and since then have grown quickly, bringing better broadband to over 160,000 happy customers, all whilst keeping up an Excellent Trustpilot rating. I am so proud of what we have achieved.

We’re now at the next stage of our journey, and to strengthen our impact in the UK and our service to you, we are joining forces with another provider who has had similar success to Brsk.

I am excited to announce that soon Brsk is becoming YouFibre.

What does this mean for you?

Don’t worry, your broadband stays on. Your price stays the same. Nothing is switching off or slowing down, and your contract terms continue.

For now, you do not need to do anything, we just wanted to let you know about the change, because you will soon start to see YouFibre in the area, selling to new customers.

We’ll share more details soon, including what to expect and when. In the meantime, please rest assured that you’ll continue to receive the same reliable service from the same teams you know and trust.

Who is YouFibre?

YouFibre is a fast-growing full fibre provider, delivering fast, fair broadband to over 280,000 customers in nearly 100 towns across the UK. Recently, they were crowned Uswitch Regional Provider of the Year 2025.

We’ve been working alongside YouFibre since we announced a merger in 2024, so you will be in safe hands. This change will now bring us together under the single YouFibre brand, strengthening our UK-wide presence.

YouFibre offer everything you’re used to with Brsk, plus a few extras:

➤ A fixed price promise: No surprise price rises mid-contract.

➤ Rewarding your loyalty with great deals when it’s time to renew.

➤ Excellent Trustpilot score.

➤ Brilliant support from boffins, not bots.

➤ YouFibre App including a range of features like checking your broadband status, making a payment and App Chat.

What happens next?

This is the first step to let you know what is coming, we will keep you informed every step of the way, whilst pink becomes green.

Thank you for being a valued customer and for coming on this journey with us. We look forward to creating an even bigger story together, with you at the centre.

Giorgio Iovino
CEO

(For more FAQs, visit this link)

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Sky (Sky Broadband, Sky TV etc.) has this morning announced that they’re bringing back the once popular Sky One channel to their Pay TV platform, which was the oldest non-terrestrial TV channel in the UK until Sky retired it in 2021 as part of a key branding and channel shake-up of their Electronic Program Guide (EPG).

In case anybody has forgotten, Sky One used to be home to some of Sky’s most popular TV shows and originals, although in the years leading up to its demise it became ever more diluted as Sky increasingly split their content across an ever-increasing array of other premium channels (e.g. Sky Atlantic, Sky Showcase etc.). Until eventually Sky One itself was retired in September 2021.

Since then, Sky has increasingly moved away from satellite-based TV provision to focus more on broadband-based disruption via their Sky Glass and Sky Stream platforms, although they continue to face growing competition from rival streaming providers and now appear to be looking to the past for inspiration.

Sky has thus announced that Sky One is to return to its channel 106 position on 24th February 2026. The channel is to play host to new shows, such as “The Dyers’ Caravan Park” and “Gemma Collins: Four Weddings and a Baby”, as well as “Rob & Romesh Vs..”, “The Paper” and “Ted”. Sky One will also host comedy show Saturday Night Live UK (SNL UK), launching “later this year“.

Carli Kerr, MD of Sky TV & NOW TV, said:

“Our goal is to make it easier than ever for Sky TV customers to find and enjoy the shows they love. Building on the iconic heritage of Sky One, the channel will be a one-of-a-kind destination that’s big, bold and bursting with energy.”

The return of Sky One replaces Sky Showcase and Sky Max, although Sky Atlantic, Sky Comedy, Sky Witness, Sky Crime, Sky Nature and Sky Documentaries will remain separate. Sky One will be available for Sky Ultimate TV, Sky Signature and Sky+ customers.

Changes to channel numbering are as follows:

➤ For Sky Q: Sky Comedy moves to channel 113, Sky Documentaries moves to channel 114, Sky Crime moves to channel 121, Sky Arts moves to channel 122, Challenge moves to 130, and Sky Sci-Fi moves to channel 145

➤ For Sky Glass and Stream: Sky Comedy moves to channel 109, Sky Documentaries moves to channel 110, Sky Crime moves to channel 111, Sky Arts moves to channel 112, Challenge moves to channel 116, and Sky Sci-Fi moves to channel 114.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Carlisle-based alternative broadband ISP Grain, which has so far rolled out their point-to-point full fibre (FTTP) network to cover 270,000 UK premises (aiming for 600,000 in the future) and in 2025 secured a £225m funding boost (here), has today doubled their top symmetric package speeds to 2Gbps (2,000Mbps).

The new package starts at just £29.99 per month, plus a six-month introductory offer of £10 off, meaning six months at just £19.99. The new Full Fibre 2000 package also comes with all of Grain’s usual features, such as a fixed price 18-month minimum term contract, unlimited downloads, included installation and router, no up-front costs or credit checks and a fibre that is not shared with your neighbour (direct point-to-point).

The new package doesn’t yet appear to be available across Grain’s entire network footprint, with the altnet instead saying it “will be rolled out widely across Grain’s network throughout 2026“.

Richard Cameron, CEO of Grain, said:

“We are constantly reviewing our products alongside customer needs and expectations. In today’s modern, tech-heavy homes, customers demand a first-class broadband experience – this means fast, reliable and hassle-free service that can cope with gaming, streaming, working and multiple users at once. We are proud to be the lowest priced UK network for speeds up to 2000Mbps.

Customers can optionally add either a Static IP address or Wi-Fi extender for just £3 more (or +£5 if you want both at the same time).