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Tesco Mobile, which is a virtual mobile operator (mvno) on O2’s national 4G and 5G network, appears to have confirmed that it will continue its tradition of freezing contract prices for Clubcard customers for another year, which guarantees that “your monthly costs stay the same for the entire length of your contract“.

However, this does mean that non-Clubcard Price deals are still subject to an annual price increase. For example, Tesco Mobile are currently offering their 12GB plan (inc. unlimited calls and texts) for £9.50 per month to Clubcard customers with frozen prices for a 12-month term, while non-Clubcard customers pay £11 per month for the same deal and will then see a price increase to £11.66 from 1st April 2026.

The catch is that not all of Tesco’s mobile plans and handset bundles seem to offer exclusive Clubcard Price deals, which means that annual price rises on those will still apply even if you have a Clubcard.

Laura Joseph, Chief Customer Officer at Tesco Mobile, said:

“As the UK faces a cold snap, Tesco Mobile is putting mid-contract price rises firmly on ice. We’re proud to offer frozen prices on our exclusive Clubcard Price deals, guaranteeing that your monthly costs stay the same for the entire length of your contract.

For anyone reconsidering their options after recent price hikes across the market, Tesco Mobile provides a simple alternative: transparent pricing, frozen costs, and genuine value through Clubcard. Whatever the weather, at Tesco Mobile we help families stay connected without the stress of unexpected increases.”

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News

The decision comes following complaints from EE that the advert could mislead customers

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled that Vodafone’s use of the slogan “The Nation’s Network” in a series of UK adverts was potentially misleading, and has banned the campaign, finding the tagline could be read as an unsubstantiated claim of comparative superiority over rival mobile networks.

In its announcement, the ASA concluded the phrase could be interpreted by consumers to mean Vodafone offered more reliable connectivity or wider coverage than other providers, a claim the regulator said Vodafone had not adequately proven.

The six banned ads spanned television, online video, and outdoor posters released across 2025.

These ads had resulted in numerous complaints, most notably from EE, which argued the slogan implied objective network advantages without clear, verifiable evidence to support such a comparison.

Vodafone defended the line as a reflection of its brand heritage rather than a direct technical comparison, but the ASA said that a “significant minority” of consumers were likely to interpret the wording as a factual claim about performance versus other UK networks.

The ASA has instructed Vodafone to avoid implying comparative superiority unless specific claims were supported by relevant and verifiable features.

Vodafone is no stranger to tussles with the ASA over advertising language. In fact, it was only last year that the ASA had banned a similar advert on the Vodafone website (showed during December 2024) that used the contentious ‘The Nation’s Network’ slogan on the Vodafone website. At the time, the ASA warned Vodafone about using language that could be implied to contain a comparative claim – a warning that Vodafone clearly did not heed.

Prior to this, the company also had a trio of adverts banned in 2024 for claiming that “millions of BT customers across the UK” could “switch from BT to Vodafone and get the same broadband for less”. The ASA ruled that Vodafone could not credibly promise customers the same experience,

Ultimately, as is often the case with these advertising clashes, the result is somewhat moot. The ads in question have long since stopped running, replaced by a more recent campaign. Similarly, the ASA has no real power to impose penalties, financial or otherwise, on companies that break advertising standards, even if those companies are repeat offenders; it can only elevate the issue to higher regulatory bodies, like Ofcom, which would require yet another investigation.

Thus, the ruling today represents little more than a rap on the knuckles. It is in the mobile operators’ best interest to push the envelope with their marketing claims and it seems likely we will see another breach from Vodafone or its rivals before too long.

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Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The UK telecoms regulator has responded to recent concerns that BT’s switch to broadband-based Digital Phones may have left some vulnerable customers without access to a working service. Ofcom warns that they could potentially “step in” and investigate the operator (such things sometimes lead to a significant fine), but it’s not yet clear if they will.

At present a big chunk of the UK fixed line telecoms industry, particularly larger players with significant legacy bases of landline-only users like BT and Virgin Media, are currently having to deal with the challenge of migrating old analogue based landline phone services to newer Internet Protocol (IP / VoIP) based digital phone services. This is a complicated process and one that does sometimes run into problems.

For example, we recently reported on a situation where a customer found the battery back-up that BT supplied for their Digital Voice service didn’t always function during power cuts (here). The Telegraph (paywall) has also reported on a few cases where pensioners and vulnerable residents in rural communities were left without connectivity over Christmas for various different reasons.

However, the government and Ofcom have set out clear guidance and rules for the best process to follow when switching to digital phone services, which is particularly tough on the need to identify and protect vulnerable users from harm (e.g. those with telecare devices).

“If we see evidence of widespread issues, we’ve shown we’ll step in. Earlier in December, we fined Virgin Media £23.8m for putting vulnerable customers at risk of harm during its programme to migrate customers to digital landlines,” said Ofcom while referencing the recent fine (here). But Virgin Media’s case was, arguably, a bit more problematic than those highlighted today and had even been linked to some deaths (we’ll come back to this).

A BT spokesperson said:

“We’ve reviewed the customer cases shared with us. Our investigation indicates delays in Mr Farrah’s and Mr Barker’s switchovers were linked to number transfer and setup issues, some involving other suppliers. We’re working with both customers to resolve these issues. Mr Goodhart’s enquiry relates to a business phone line service provided by a third party.

We continue to encourage our customers experiencing issues to contact us directly so we can review their setup and provide the best solution for their needs. For customers with additional needs, we offer free battery back-up units, hybrid phones and in-home assistance. We’re also investing in improving mobile network resilience in rural areas.

Anyone with questions or concerns about the switchover should contact their landline provider, who can make sure they have the right solutions in place.”

The newspaper article doesn’t provide enough detail on the cause of the latest faults to be able to assess whether they’re something Ofcom would actually be worried about. But it’s worth pointing out that switching between providers and setting up new phone lines, whether via digital or older analogue methods, has never been a completely perfect process.

Technical issues have always emerged that sometimes cause short-term connectivity problems for a minority of users, not only with BT (all providers have experience unexpected problems). The question is often whether those faults could have reasonably been avoided or not, which can be hard to judge without more detail.

Ofcom does recognise that sometimes problems do happen that could not be avoided or foreseen beforehand. But it’s a very fine line and the recent move to hit Virgin Media with a hefty fine revealed how they have a low tolerance for mistakes where vulnerable consumers are concerned (that’s a good thing), particularly those with telecare devices.

In particular, the regulator is likely to take a dim view of providers that fail to correctly identify vulnerable users with telecare systems, or if a provider disconnects such users simply for not engaging in the migration process (such users might not have been able to engage, due to disability). This is why network providers now have to be VERY careful about cutting customers off from a vital service during major network migrations.

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A new report from the Digital Communities All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) has warning that the “ongoing lack” of mobile (4G/5G) and broadband coverage in parts of the country (urban, rural and coastal) are “undermining national ambitions“. The solution, they suggest, could be found in planning reform, breaking down monopolies, stronger regulatory scrutiny by Ofcom and more strategic investment.

At present, nearly 90% of premises can already access a fixed gigabit broadband network (here) and Ofcom forecast this rising to around 91-97% (homes) by Jan 2028 (here). As for 5G, the regulator found (here) that it is available from at least one mobile operator at around 94-97% of UK premises or 64-89% from all operators combined.

The government has supported this through some key targets and other changes, such as the £5bn Project Gigabit programme and its aim of helping to extend gigabit broadband (1000Mbps+) ISP networks to “nationwide” coverage (c.99% of UK premises) by 2032, focusing mostly on the final 10-20% in hard-to-reach areas.

On top of that we’ve also got the £1bn industry-led Shared Rural Network (SRN) scheme to expand 4G into remote rural areas and the Government retains an ambition “for all populated areas” to have access to Standalone 5G (5G SA) based mobile broadband technology by 2030. Such networks are already available across 83% of areas outside of premises in the UK, or 47%-65% when looking at the range across different mobile operators.

However, the new APPG report, which has brought together MPs and Peers from the main political parties (led by Helen Morgan MP), has said the United Kingdom now “risks falling behind other countries unless more is done to boost adoption of high-speed broadband and 5G networks” (particularly closing the remaining gaps in rural coverage). The group has thus called on the government to commission an urgent, independent review of the country’s digital connectivity landscape.

Systemic Weaknesses Identified by the Inquiry

➤ Transparency and accountability:

Current coverage data relies heavily on operator-supplied modelling, which often fails to reflect real-world experiences. This disconnect has led to policy decisions and investment strategies that do not align with actual need. The report calls for Ofcom to adopt a more robust, independent approach to data collection and regulatory scrutiny.

➤ Market structure and competition:

The UK’s digital infrastructure remains dominated by a handful of major operators, limiting competition and slowing progress. Structural barriers—including inefficient planning processes and outdated legal frameworks—continue to stifle innovation. Breaking down monopolies and fostering a level playing field is critical to accelerating rollout.

➤ Economic imperative:

Delays in infrastructure deployment could cost the UK tens of billions in lost productivity. Conversely, successful adoption of 5G and full fibre could deliver gains worth over £200 billion by 2035. Closing the digital divide is not just a social imperative—it is an economic necessity.

The full report doesn’t really mention the monopoly issue much, but when it does it’s usually in reference to Openreach’s impact on the fixed line telecoms market. “Market saturation may cause some altnets to exit or be acquired by bigger firms. This will, to an extent, impact consumer choice and accessibility, but it also represents natural market churn. The Government must keep this in mind, particularly when reflecting on concerns raised during this inquiry about the significant influence of Openreach and its monopoly in the sector,” said the report.

Helen Morgan MP, Chair of the Digital Communities APPG, said:

“Digital connectivity is the backbone of modern Britain and is an essential lifeline – a piece of critical national infrastructure – for communities and businesses.

People in areas with persistently poor broadband or mobile coverage are left at a digital, social and economic disadvantage and risk losing out on opportunities for skills development, employment, and community engagement.

Without reliable access to high-speed services, the UK cannot achieve its economic ambitions or deliver inclusive growth. An urgent, independent review of the nation’s digital landscape is essential to restore trust, ensure transparency, and unlock the full potential of our economy.”

In fairness, a lot of the areas covered by the APPG seem to be ones that the government and Ofcom are already mindful of, or which they’ve already actioned. For example, Ofcom is already working to improve their data and mapping of mobile coverage (here) and the regulator’s imminent Telecoms Access Review 2026 (TAR) will update regulation for the fixed line sector to hopefully help foster a level playing field.

On top of that we’ve also recently had the government’s 10-Year UK Infrastructure Strategy (10YIS), which among other things confirmed a plan to “bring forward“ a more flexible permitting system (aka – flexi-permits) to boost street works across England and, following that, to ease the process of delivering gigabit broadband for leaseholders in blocks of flats (here).

The Government has also just kicked off a new consultation (here) on reforming more planning rules, which is seeking feedback on whether they should further change planning rules and update policy guidance to help “accelerate the deployment” of digital infrastructure (full fibre broadband and 5G mobile etc.).

Suffice to say that there’s already a fair bit of activity in this field, and thus it’s difficult to escape the feeling that the APPG’s report may, at least to an extent, be playing catch-up with current events.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Hundreds of customers connected to the internet via rural full fibre ISP County Broadband (Truespeed) in Norfolk (England) have finally been reconnected after suffering several days of disruption. The situation began after rodents decided to avoid the snow storm and instead adopted a high fibre diet by chomping through both a main and backup fibre link.

According to feedback from some of those impacted by the connectivity loss and the ISP, the problems appear to have started on Saturday night (provider puts it at 9:10pm) after a spokesperson said that an “unusually persistent rodent somehow managed to damage both the main and backup fibre” for an area that served 442 of their customers.

NOTE: The picture on this article is AI generated for ISPreview because we didn’t have any images from the incident itself, and it made us laugh .

The internet promptly dropped faster than a wheel of cheese in a mouse trap, with the rodents avoiding the need for a WiFi password by simply gnawing their way directly into the network. None of this should come as a surprise because rodents often target telecoms cables (another recent example), with their favourite part being the byte (sorry.. I’ll stop the puns now).

A spokesperson for the provider told ISPreview:

“Our teams worked through Saturday and Sunday but because of the weather, issue complexity, (needed to re-plug 600 metres of optical fibre), location (single track road, rural area, road closure needs etc.) and weather conditions / visibility, we had to suspend work on Sunday night. The repair work resumed on Monday AM and all customers were online by 1400 hours on Monday.”

The provider said they kept customers informed by SMS every 3 hours regarding the status of the issue until resolution (not everybody within this area may have had working access to a mobile signal). But they do acknowledge and apologised for the fact that their call-centre (support) was closed on Sunday, which likely caused some frustration.

Conducting such repairs during snowy conditions often adds an extra layer of considerations, such as the need to operate within health and safety guidelines, which can sometimes – as in this case – cause delays to new network builds and also repair work.

However, feedback from some residents in the area suggests that a few users were still offline until yesterday evening (Tuesday), partly because they apparently needed to conduct a factory reset of their broadband router before it would reconnect; for some reason a simple power cycle wasn’t enough.

At this point, people often comment that network operators should try to do more to stop rats from getting into ducts in the first place, which is a fair point. However, such things are often easier said than done across a large network, where operators often share some of the same physical infrastructure. Rats are also notoriously difficult vermin to stop, like mini tanks with teeth that often seem able to cut through almost anything.. even concrete.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News

Starlink has offered free internet access across Venezuela through February 3, the company announced earlier this week

Starlink has announced that they will provide free internet to users in Venezuela until February 3.

The announcement, posted on Starlink’s website, comes in the wake of the U.S. military’s capture and arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Since the operation to capture Maduro, President Donald Trump has repeatedly affirmed that the U.S. is in charge of Venezuela.

However, Maduro’s regime has remained defiant and firmly planted in Caracas.

Since Maduro’s capture and arrest by U.S. authorities, Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice president, has been sworn in as Venezuela’s acting president.

International leaders, meanwhile, have largely condemned the U.S. action in Venezuela, which reportedly caused scores of Cuban and Venezuelan deaths.

Since Starlink’s announcement, Maduro has also been arraigned on a series of charges in federal court.

He has entered a plea of not guilty.

In their statement Sunday, Starlink said their focus in Venezuela “is on enabling connectivity for new and existing customers to support the people of Venezuela with free service credits.”

With the move, inactive Starlink customers in Venezuela will have free credits applied to their account, Starlink said.

Additionally, free credits will be applied to the accounts of active users, Starlink announced.

The company, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, said users with a Starlink kit in their possession can select a “Roam” plan to use Starlink in Venezuela.

Starlink’s announcement comes as Trump and Musk were pictured dining together recently at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

It’s the latest development in their rocky relationship.

Musk, a noted Trump supporter, famously feuded with the president last year, accusing him of being named in files related to the deceased convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Musk has since retracted some of his statements.

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Mobile operator Lebara, which harnesses a mobile virtual network operator (mvno) platform from Vodafone UK, has today rejected the rising culture of mid-contract price hikes among their rivals (e.g. O2, EE, Three UK, Sky Mobile etc.) that they say are “penalising people for staying loyal” and committed to “never raise prices mid-contract“.

Lebara, which typically offers customers a mix of mobile plans on 30 day and 12-month minimum terms, has long made a point of promoting their packages alongside a commitment of “no yearly price increases like the Big Mobile Networks“. But lately we have seen some other mobile and broadband ISPs do U-turns on similar positions, so it’s always welcome when a provider renews such commitments for the New Year.

Mayur Jauhari, Commercial Director at Lebara Mobile UK, told ISPreview: “Sky Mobile joins O2 in increasing prices mid-contract for their millions of existing customers. Price hikes like this have become all too common across major networks, penalising people for staying loyal. At Lebara, we believe in fairness and transparency, which is why we never raise prices mid-contract. The price you agree to is the price you pay – no surprises, no hidden hikes. We remain committed to keeping things simple and affordable for our customers.”

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The UK telecoms and broadband giant, BT Group, has today continued to reduce their international operations by announcing the complete sale of US government contracting subsidiary, BT Federal Inc., to 22nd Century Technologies, Inc. (TSCTI) – a public-sector IT systems integrator – for an undisclosed sum.

The transaction will expand TSCTI’s managed network services capabilities, including coverage across all 50 states of the USA, with BT Federal’s telecommunications and networking expertise. But for BT, this move marks yet another milestone on their road to pursuing a more UK-focused strategy (i.e. exiting many of their international / global businesses).

The telecoms giant said it would also allow BT International, now a standalone unit, to build on its position in the market as it serves the needs of multinational customers and aims to become a global leader in secure multi-cloud connectivity. “BT International will continue to have a strong presence in the US with regional offices and employees based in New York, Dallas and Reston,” said the announcement.

Bas Burger, CEO of BT International, said:

“Today’s announcement is another milestone in delivering on our strategy to focus our international business on what it does best: providing secure multi-cloud connectivity to large organisations globally. Our BT Federal unit, which has been a leading provider of services to US federal agencies, will enter a new era with 22nd Century Technologies. We are confident that 22nd Century Technologies will continue to build on the excellence and commitment of BT Federal to the US government sector.”

Satvinder Singh, President of 22nd Century Technologies, said:

“This acquisition is a growth catalyst for us, our customers, and the agencies we have yet to serve. The expansion of solutions and reach allows us to bring more innovation and reliability to a wider set of federal missions that depend on secure, high-performance network infrastructure.”

Both organisations said they were “committed to ensuring a seamless transition for employees, customers and partners, with no immediate changes to ongoing operations“. The transaction was cleared by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Internet retail giant Amazon has announced that owners of their Fire TV line of broadband streaming sticks and internet-connected televisions will in the near future receive a major software (firmware) update, which will deliver a new and faster User Interface (UI), as well as a “transformed” Fire TV mobile app. But UK users will have a longer wait.

The “redesigned user interface” is said to be “cleaner, faster, and better organized“. For example, in some cases, Amazon are claiming to see up to 20–30% gains in speed when using the new UI after their development team rebuilt the underlying code.

The new UI also makes it easier to search for content across all your subscriptions (e.g. you’ll see titles from all the apps you use) and, on top of that, they’ve given it a more modern design with improved layouts, rounded corners, redesigned colour gradients, updated typography, and more optimized spacing.

Amazon has also increased the number of apps you can pin to your home screen from 6 to 20, and you can now press the ‘Menu’ button on your remote to quickly get to Games, Art & Photos, and the Ambient Experience. And with Amazon Photos on Fire TV, you can connect your personal photos so they show up on the biggest screen in your home.

“We’ve also added a shortcut panel you can access by long-pressing the Home button on your remote. It gives you quick access to the most-used controls on Fire TV, including audio and display settings, your connected Ring cameras, and smart home device management,” said the announcement.

Finally, the redesigned Fire TV App adds the ability to browse content, manage your watchlist, and play titles on your TV — all while adopting the same look and feel as the new Fire TV design. You can also use your phone as a second screen to discover what to watch next or add a friend’s show recommendation to your watchlist when you’re away from home.

All of these improvements will be made available to existing customers via a free software update. The new Fire TV UI and mobile app will launch starting in February 2026 on the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen), and Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series in the USA, while people in the UK and those with other / older Fire TV devices will need to wait until “later this spring” (older devices include Fire TV 4K streaming media players and TVs like the Fire TV 2-Series, Fire TV 4-Series, Fire TV Omni QLED Series; TVs made by partners like Hisense, Insignia, Panasonic, and TCL).

Sadly, there’s no mention of Fire TV’s streaming sticks receiving support for the UK’s broadband-based Freely TV streaming service, although it’s already on some of their newer 2024+ TV sets – here.

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Some readers might recall that the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banned an advert on mobile and broadband ISP Vodafone’s website in April 2025 after EE complained about the operator describing itself as “The Nation’s Network” (here), which was ultimately deemed to be a misleading claim. The ASA has now banned another six ads for doing the same sort of thing.

The six adverts reflected a mix of TV and YouTube promotions, as well as posters, Meta website banners and other ads seen between February 2025 and July 2025. All made general references to Vodafone being “The Nation’s Network“, albeit without fully explaining what that really meant, and often accompanying it with small text like: “Supporting the nation since 1984“.

As before, EE (BT), who believed the claim “The Nation’s Network” was an implied comparative superiority claim, challenged whether the ads were misleading due to the lack of clear substantiation. But Vodafone disagreed and instead said that the term merely reflected a “corporate positioning statement or strap line that was not capable of objective substantiation“.

Vodafone added that it was intended as a “brand platform that reflected Vodafone’s legacy, cultural sponsorships and emphasised their role and reach” and they pointed to how the ASA’s prior ruling, in April 2025, had deemed one of their TV ads (a Christmas 2024 ad), which used the same claim, to be acceptable. The provider said they “understood that the April 2025 Ruling permitted the use of “The Nation’s Network” when it was clearly conceptualised as a heritage-based message“.

The ASA disagreed and found that the ads did not include a clear contextual basis for the claim.

ASA Ruling Ref: A25-1300811 Vodafone Ltd

In the absence of a clear explanation for the basis of the claim in the ads, we considered that there were several possible consumer interpretations for it. For example, we considered that some consumers might understand that Vodafone were expressing their subjective view that they were “the Nation’s Network” because they were a UK-based network, which provided services to the UK since 1984. However, we considered at least a significant minority of consumers were likely to interpret the claim as being an objective comparative claim against the UK’s other network providers. For example, we noted the ads did not state Vodafone was “one of the nation’s networks”, or “a network serving the nation”, which would be unlikely to be considered as comparative, depending on the context in which they appeared.

One such interpretation, that we considered that a significant minority of consumers were likely to hold, was that Vodafone was more popular than, or had more customers than, other networks that also provided telecoms services to UK consumers. We considered that the scenarios presented in ads (a) and (b), of groups of people enjoying leisure activities, added to that impression.

We also considered that some consumers were likely to view the claim, particularly in the context of the ads which referred to “99% population coverage”, “the nation’s most valuable UK telecoms provider” and “London’s Best Network”, to mean that Vodafone was the nation’s network because it was more reliable or offered better connectivity or coverage than other network providers.

The CAP and BCAP Codes required that comparisons with identifiable competitors must objectively compare one or more material, relevant, verifiable and representative features of those products. As such, we expected the ad to objectively compare one or more verifiable feature. Because we considered that was likely to be understood by consumers in a range of ways (including as a comparison against all other UK networks, for example that Vodafone was the most popular network in the UK or had the most customers), we considered the ads failed to objectively compare one or more material, relevant, verifiable and representative feature and concluded that the claim “The Nation’s Network”, as it appeared in the ads, breached the Code.

Ad (a) breached BCAP Code rule 3.36 (Comparisons with identifiable competitors).

Ads (b), (c), (d) and (f) breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rule 3.34 (Comparisons with identifiable competitors).

Ad (e) breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rule 3.35 (Comparisons with identifiable competitors) [rule as worded pre-7 April 2025].

As before, the ASA banned the adverts in their current form and warned Vodafone to ensure that, in future, they “objectively compared one or more material, relevant, verifiable and representative feature[s] if making an implied comparative claim in future“. Judgements like this show that there can be a very fine line between what is and is not deemed acceptable under the rules.

As we always say, it’s usually best for providers to avoid making any generalised claims like this as they’re often hard or even impossible to truly substantiate in such a diverse, complex and competitive market.

On the flip side, the ASA’s ruling arrives far too late to really have much impact, since the related ad campaigns have long since run their course. Vodafone is now more focused on pushing the benefits of their merger with Three UK.