Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Long-running UK ISP VISPA, which was first launched way back in 1999, appears to have begun informing customers that they’ve “ceased trading and decided to commence liquidation proceedings“. The provider’s remaining broadband subscribers have been told they will need to “immediately” find an alternative.

The small and previously Manchester-based ISP had recently tried their hand at building full fibre (FTTP) broadband networks, such as in the town of Marple (here), and they’ve also run their own Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) network around parts of Cheshire. On top of that they’ve long sold a variety of Openreach based broadband packages via ADSL, FTTC and FTTP technologies.

However, regular readers of ISPreview will know that we recently wrote about some of the problems VISPA appeared to be facing (full summary). In short, the company’s accounts (06921088) were roughly a year overdue, and they’ve also been facing their fourth separate “First Gazette notices for compulsory strike-off” since March 2022 (latest petitioner: HMRC). Not to mention some issues with the company’s legal address and a barrage of negative reviews on Trustpilot.

Suffice to say that the provider, which on their website claim to be home to “thousands of happy customers throughout the UK“, appeared to be experiencing some difficulties and our attempts to reach them for comment have continued to go unanswered (we’ve been trying since December last year). The latest development is that several customers (credits Dan and others) have now reported receiving the following email from the company’s boss.

VISPA Customer Email

From: Vispa <sales@vispa.net
Sent: 04 February 2026 XX:XX
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject: Urgent: Vispa has now ceased trading. Please cancel your Direct Debit!

Dear Customer,

We are writing to inform you that Vispa Limited has ceased trading and decided to commence liquidation proceedings.

As a result, we regret to advise that Vispa will no longer be able to continue providing broadband services. To avoid any interruption to your connectivity, you will need to immediately choose a new Internet Service Provider (ISP) as soon as possible.

Most providers on the Openreach network are able to take over your existing line with minimal disruption. You can find a list of alternative suppliers here:

https://www.openreach.com/help-and-support/service-providers-on-our-network

We also strongly recommend that you cancel any active Direct Debit or standing order you have in place with Vispa Limited to prevent any further payments being taken.

We understand this news may be inconvenient and we sincerely apologise for the disruption this causes. We would like to thank you for your custom and support over the years.

Kind regards,

James Ormerod

Director

The message provides remaining customers with no firm date for the service’s disconnection and suggests that VISPA has not been able to find, or didn’t attempt to find, a provider that could take on their base as part of a smoother migration process.

As previously reported, VISPA had allegedly previously encouraged at least a few of their customers to switch to a new company called Gig Fibre Ltd, which was incorporated on 16th May 2024 by the same owner as VISPA and, until 20th August 2025, had previously been known as “VISPA GROUP LIMITED“. But there’s no mention of that being an option above either, and we have yet to find a website for the service.

At the time of writing, VISPA’s website is still online, although their service status page (https://status.vispa.net/) has been “down for Maintenance” for a few days now.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

A new mobile virtual network operator service has just launched on the Channel Islands called Coop Mobile, which some readers might recall is partly the product of last year’s £48m deal to build a new “world-class” 5G mobile broadband network across the islands (reflecting Sure‘s acquisition rival Airtel Vodafone).

Just to recap. The original deal (here) only became possible after the States of Guernsey voted to temporarily suspend local competition law in order to allow the merger (here). The agreement required Sure to make several legally binding commitments to help protect local competition, which among other things included some pricing protection measures and a requirement to launch a new virtual mobile operator (mvno) with the Channel Island Co-Op (Coop Mobile).

The new Coop Mobile service has now gone live, offering consumers flexible SIM only price plans that customers can change month to month. In addition, customers who link their Coop membership number to their mobile account will be given a 10% discount voucher once a month that can be used on a grocery shop. A launch offer of 25% off all plans is also available until the end of April 2026.

The launch, which follows the introduction of travel eSIM products in 2025, promises to “shake up the market by offering islanders something completely different” and giving customers the freedom to change their plan when they want and get rewarded for their continued loyalty.

The service itself offers four flexible SIM only plans, with prices starting from £13.50 per month including 5GB of data (mobile broadband), unlimited calls and texts across the Channel Islands, UK and ROI.

Coop Mobile Plans (Channel Islands only)

Essential £13.50pm (£10.12 with 25% discount)
5GB Data

Everyday £16.50pm (£12.37)
10GB Data

Extra £19.95pm (£14.96)
15GB Data

Unlimited £24.95pm (£18.71)
Unlimited Data

The pricing above is for Jersey customers, while Guernsey pricing is adjusted for tax (GST) and thus a bit different (see website).

David McGrath, Chief Marketing and Membership Officer, said:

“Following focus groups and research with islanders, we’ve made it our mission to simplify the way people buy and use mobile services. People are fed up with being tied in to get rewarded for their loyalty, and they want to be able to use apps to manage their plan.

So today, we’re changing the tired model of how mobile is done by launching four great value SIM-only plans that can be changed every month online or by using the Coop Mobile app. It’s a simple idea combining fair pricing and flexibility.

If you need more data one month you upgrade your plan, and if you want to reduce the data the next month, or take a break, you can. Our plans offer a choice of data from 5GB to unlimited, to suit individual usage and budgets, and all plans come with unlimited texts and calls.

..

Islanders told us they don’t like monthly plans that include roaming because they don’t represent good value – no one leaves the islands 12 times a year! We agree it’s nonsense to pay for something you don’t use every day, so Coop Mobile will be different. You’ll add roaming booster when you need them, with a choice of 2GB, 5GB or 10GB.”

The operator estimates that a family spending the average £112 a week on groceries could save £11 a month using the aforementioned Coop Mobile voucher. Finally, Coop Mobile will also sell a range of new and refurbished handsets in a ‘like new condition’. All phones, provided by Grade Mobile, will be available to buy from dedicated Coop Mobile touchscreens in Coop’s largest stores, or online via their website.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Telecoms giant BT Group just published a short trading update to the end December 2025 (Q3 FY26), which reveals that Openreach lost a total of 210,000 broadband lines to rivals over the past quarter (down from 242k in Sept 2025). But their “full fibre” (FTTP) coverage grew to 21.4 million premises (up from 20.3m) and take-up increased to 38% (up from 37.66%).

Firstly, our usual reminder that the BT Group now only publishes a short trading update for Q1 and Q3, thus we only get a very limited summary this time around – the full half-yearly reports come in Q2 and Q4. As such, we’ve opted to do a similarly brief update on the key details below.

In terms of the other headline changes, Openreach noted that some 5.9 million of the premises they’d covered with FTTP were in rural areas and that their full fibre network had now connected a total of 8.2 million premises. Suffice to say that their level of take-up in such a competitive market is still fairly strong and continuing to grow. BT’s own retail FTTP customer base also grew 32% year-on-year to 4.2m.

Otherwise, on those broadband line losses, Openreach has previously stated that around 80% of those usually come from areas where they haven’t yet deployed their new FTTP network (e.g. areas with older ADSL, FTTC broadband or phone-only lines). This underlines the importance of Openreach’s rapid roll-out, but it also highlights the benefits of a first-mover advantage for rival networks in targeting such areas. Openreach said they now expect full year broadband line losses of c.850k for the year, which is said to be “better than our previous estimate“.

However, despite the challenges, BT’s CEO can probably still feel reasonably confident of the operator’s direction, particularly after having somewhat succeeded in getting the stock market to better recognise the value of the fibre they now have in the ground (here and here). The group’s share price has gone from around 140p in January 2025 to around 202p this morning, but this is down from the c.220p peak they saw in July 2025.

As usual, it’s worth contrasting the latest results against BT’s future targets for 2030, which among other things have predicted that their total labour force would shrink to between 75,000 and 90,000 (i.e. many of the engineers they have today won’t be needed post-2030) and FTTP coverage would grow to between 25-30 million premises, while delivering take-up of around 40-55% (this will grow faster once the roll-out pace slows).

BT also holds a target of 13.0-14.5 million retail 5G mobile connections via EE and today’s update reports that this base has already reached 14.3m (up 10% year-on-year), while coverage of their 5G+ (5G Standalone) network reached 69% of the UK’s population.

BT Group’s Dec 2025 Performance Summary

• More than 1m premises passed with FTTP for an eighth consecutive quarter, continuing the fastest build any company has achieved in Europe; FTTP footprint at 21.4m premises, of which 5.9m in rural locations; on track to achieve up to 5m this fiscal year and reach 25m by December 2026

• Record customer demand for Openreach FTTP with net adds of 571k, up 21% year-on-year; total premises connected 8.2m, increasing our market-leading take up rate to over 38%; Openreach broadband ARPU grew 4% to £16.8, driven by higher FTTP take-up, speed mix and price increases

• Openreach broadband lines fell 210k, down quarter-on-quarter and at a similar rate to last year; we now expect full year losses at c.850k for the year, better than our previous estimate

• Retail FTTP base grew 32% year-on-year to 4.2m, of which Consumer 3.9m and Business 0.3m

• UK’s best mobile network for a record 11th consecutive year as awarded by Umlaut Connect, extending EE’s lead over the second placed network; Opensignal placed EE first in 11 of 15 categories in its January report and yesterday RootMetrics named EE the UK’s best network for the 25th time; 5G base reached 14.3m, up 10% year-on-year; 5G+ coverage at 69%

• All Consumer customer bases grew for a fourth consecutive quarter in broadband, up 8k, a third consecutive quarter in postpaid mobile, up 55k, and a sixth consecutive quarter in TV, up 22k

• Consumer service revenue was flat year-on-year and remains on track for growth in H2; Consumer broadband ARPU was down 1% year-on-year to £41.8 and postpaid mobile ARPU was down 1% to £19.2; Consumer fixed and mobile convergence grew to 26.2% from 25.9% last quarter

• Business continues to make progress on its transformation; Q3 year-on-year performance was impacted by contract milestones, mainly in the financial and public sectors and wholesale, as well as the phasing of costs across quarters

• All five targeted disposals in International are now complete with the last, BT Radianz, closing on 1 February; disposals reduced International revenue in the quarter by £45m

• Cost transformation delivered efficiencies across all units, offsetting higher employer costs of National Living Wage and National Insurance; the year to date energy usage in our networks was down 6%, total labour resource was down 7% to 108k and Openreach repair volumes were down 18%

• Record BT Group NPS of 31.4, up 2.1pts year-on-year, demonstrating further improving customer experience

On track to achieve full year guidance:

• Q3 reported and adjusted revenue1 £5.0bn, down 4% year-on-year due to service revenue declines, lower equipment revenue, primarily handset trading, in Consumer and Business and the impact of divestments; Q3 adjusted UK service revenue1 £3.8bn, down 2%, due to the ongoing drag from legacy voice of over one percentage point as well as the phasing of trading in the prior year

• Q3 adjusted EBITDA1 £2.1bn, down 1% and broadly flat excluding the impact of prior year one-off other operating income, with lower revenue offset by continued strong cost transformation

• Q3 reported profit before tax of £183m, down £244m, driven by a £214m share of losses from the Sports JV

• We remain on track for our financial outlook and guidance metrics, including our cash flow inflection to c.£2.0bn next year, and to c.£3.0bn by the end of the decade

BT’s CEO, Allison Kirkby, said:

“BT continues to deliver on its strategy – building and connecting the UK to the best next-generation networks at record pace, while accelerating our transformation. Our network leadership strengthened further in the quarter, with full fibre broadband now reaching more than 21 million homes and businesses, and our 5G+ network accessible to 69% of the population. Openreach achieved record full fibre connections and our Consumer division again added customers in broadband, mobile and TV, as we make the most of all our brilliant brands – EE, BT and Plusnet.

Customer satisfaction reached an all-time high this quarter, and with our transformation building momentum, we are delivering ahead of plan. We remain on track for our financial outlook and guidance metrics for this year, our cash flow inflection to c.£2.0bn next year, and to c.£3.0bn by the end of the decade.”

At the end of the day, there’s still a long way to go, and many uncertainties remain about how today’s market will evolve over the next few years, particularly with respect to consolidation and Ofcom’s looming Telecoms Access Review 2026 (TAR). But the relative fibre build stagnation among many altnets and Virgin Media’s (O2) nexfibre slowdown does perhaps give the BT Group a bit more of an edge than they’ve had for a while, but they’ll need to keep reducing those line losses to rivals.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Broadband and mobile operator Vodafone (VodafoneThree) has today published their latest Q3 FY26 financial results. The figures show that they now have 1.768 million fixed broadband customers (up strongly by 64k in Q3 vs 50k in Q2) and a huge combined mobile base of 28.619m (down from 28.824m).

In terms of their fixed broadband lines, Vodafone reported further growth, with a quarterly addition of 64,000 customers – thanks in part to being widely available across Openreach, CommunityFibre (mostly London) and CityFibre’s UK networks. The provider’s full fibre (FTTP) coverage can now reach a combined total of 22 million UK households (up from 21.8m last quarter).

As for their mobile base, the combined operator reported a quarterly fall of -73,000 in Pay Monthly customers (vs +14,000 in Q2), which is said to be “primarily driven by the disconnection of 53,000 very low-value Business SIMs” and some consumer losses at Three UK. Elsewhere, there was another fall of -132,000 in Prepaid / PAYG customers (vs +45k in Q2).

In addition, quarterly mobile broadband (data) usage across their UK network fell slightly to 771,600 TeraBytes (down from 771,882 TB last quarter). The operator also reported that some 705,000 of their consumer customers were now converged (up by 15,000 in Q3) – taking both a broadband and mobile bundle.

Margherita Della Valle, Vodafone Group CEO, said:

“We maintained good service revenue momentum in the third quarter across both Europe and Africa, supported by top-line growth in Germany, and strong contributions from Türkiye and Africa. After a fast start, we are making very good progress with the integration of our UK business.

Looking ahead, we are on track to deliver at the upper end of our guidance range for both profit and cash flow.”

The update also included a brief update on the progress that they’ve been making in allowing customers of both networks to use the best available mast/signal: “Our spectrum and network sharing activation is ahead of plan, with 28.6 million Vodafone and Three customers already benefiting from seamlessly using both networks and we have upgraded over 8,000 radio sites, removing a total of 16,500 km2 of ‘not spot’ areas. Seven million Three and SMARTY customers are benefiting from improved 4G speeds of up to 40%, through sharing of combined spectrum.”

Finally, the operator saw their quarterly UK service revenue fall slightly to €1,975m (down from €2,018m in the previous quarter). The full report is here (PDF).

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Some of ISPreview’s readers (credits Jade and Mike) have spotted that mobile network operator Vodafone (VodafoneThree) appears to have quietly added a new ‘Speed Boost’ add-on (Extras), which promises that data usage will be “prioritised on our network giving you the fastest speeds available in busy areas like train stations, stadiums, and crowded places.”

The Speed Boost itself appears to be time based, thus you’ll pay £3 (one-off) for 1 day of boosting, £5 for 7 days, £10 for 30 days (you can optionally also take the £10 option as part of a reoccurring payment). The daily option seems rather pricey for a feature with no clear guarantee of performance increase, but the value does improve for longer periods. The feature seems to be available to both Pay Monthly and PAYG plan users.

Vodafone’s product summary doesn’t provide any technical explanation for what they’re actually doing or enabling with Speed Boost. But digging into the link to their T&Cs did reveal some extra detail: “Speed Boost gives you network priority in busy locations, like train stations or events. With a Xtra Global Roam plan, you’ll get prioritisation in the UK only, for up to 200GB per month; any data used beyond this won’t be prioritised until the next billing cycle. Speed caps still apply. Speed Boost is compatible with 5G devices only.”

Somewhat confusingly, Vodafone then buries some key details about Speed Boost right down at the very bottom of their ‘Extras’ page. Seriously, Vodafone, why can’t you just put these key details right where the product is actually displayed, instead of splitting it across three different locations?

Speed Boost

Xtras: Compatible with 5G devices only. Users are prioritised as:

up to 10GB for 1 day

50GB for 7 day

200GB for 30-day

This is subject to your plan’s max speeds. Pay monthly plan required.

The reference to “5G devices only” makes us think that Vodafone might be utilising Network Slicing technology to give customers a dedicated data link, although that’s more of a 5G Standalone (5GSA) feature, yet they don’t specifically mention that as being a requirement (i.e. you’d need a Smartphone that’s 5GSA capable, not merely 5G capable). We’ve shot off a request to Vodafone in order to hopefully gain some clarification.

One other question mark is over whether customers with the operator’s Xtra Global Roam plan get Speed Boost included by default, since the T&C’s could be open to interpretation. According to one of Vodafone’s customers, Jade, they still had to add the boost to their plan. This thus also needs some clarification.

Otherwise, it sounds like an interesting feature, although we’d like to think that customers wouldn’t need it. Ideally, the operator should already be doing enough to ensure that there’s plenty of data bandwidth available for all of its customers in busy areas to receive a good service.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Press Release

Grid Telecom, a wholesale telecommunications provider and subsidiary of IPTO, has announced the construction of ARTEMIS, an ultra-high-capacity subsea optical fiber cable system that will link Crete with mainland Greece.

As a new strategic digital corridor in the Eastern Mediterranean, ARTEMIS is set to strengthen decisively regional connectivity, enhance Greece’s geopolitical footprint, and accelerate the country’s ongoing digital transformation.

The ARTEMIS system will be equipped with subsea repeaters and will span approximately 280 kilometres, including its terrestrial segments linking the cable landing stations. Ιt will interconnect all landing stations and data centers in Crete and Attica region, enabling data transmission rates of up to 30 Tbps per fiber-pair. With a minimum of 24 fiber-pairs, ARTEMIS will deliver an overall design capacity of at least 720 Tbps, more than meeting all medium‑ and long‑term digital infrastructure needs.

Engineered to support the next generation of cutting‑edge technologies, ARTEMIS will take full advantage of the relatively short transmission distance and the capability to expand the optical spectrum. As a result, the system is poised to become the first petabit-class subsea cable in Greece and the Mediterranean, with a potential total capacity exceeding 1 petabit per second, pushing well beyond the performance limits of today’s subsea optical fiber systems, setting a new benchmark for regional and international digital connectivity.

Grid Telecom continues to invest in state‑of‑the‑art infrastructure with the goal of transforming Crete into a strategic digital hub, delivering network reliability, flexibility and diversity. Grid Telecom will leverage the synergies between the new ARTEMIS system and its existing Minoas East‑West and Apollo East‑West systems, which already connect the island to mainland Greece through four independent routes and a total of 96 fiber-pairs. The Minoas East‑West system links Chania to the Peloponnese, providing a low‑latency alternative route, while the Apollo East‑West system provides a direct connection between Heraklion and Attica, with no intermediate cable landing stations, adding another critical alternative path.

In line with its commitment to advancing next‑generation telecommunications services, Grid Telecom is proceeding with the immediate construction of new cable landing stations in Chania and Attica. These facilities will serve both as landing points for the ARTEMIS cable system and as critical gateways for international subsea fiber cables traversing the Eastern Mediterranean, linking Greece with the Middle East and Western Europe. ARTEMIS will incorporate Open Cable Interface Equipment (OCIE), enabling seamless integration with all international cable systems, eliminating the need for additional transmission terminal equipment and providing direct, cost‑efficient backhaul access to all data centers.

With these infrastructures in place, Grid Telecom as the premier neutral provider of wholesale telecom services in Greece, will deliver secure, open‑access landings and highly resilient connectivity through diversified fiber routes to both existing and emerging data centers in Crete, mainland Greece, and neighbouring countries. By fully leveraging its integrated terrestrial and subsea network assets, the company will ensure robust, scalable, and carrier‑grade connectivity across the region and provide comprehensive technical support and maintenance services at both infrastructure and operational levels.

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Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News

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.