Full fibre operator and broadband ISP Brsk, which now covers 573,050 UK premises (RFS) with their FTTP network and is in the process of being merged into Netomnia (here), has today boosted the speed of their entry-level ‘BetterNet100‘ package from 100Mbps to 150Mbps (symmetric) at no extra cost for new customers.

New residential customers would have previously paid £23 per month (normally £25) for a 100Mbps (symmetric) package on a 24-month term and this rises up to £32 (normally £45) for their top 900Mbps tier, which includes a router, free installation and a pledge of “no mid-contract price rises“. But we’re told you’ll now be able to get 150Mbps for the same price as their old 100Mbps service.

Existing customers of the old 100Mbps tier will not be getting an automatic upgrade to the new speed, but they will be able to choose it when their packages come up for renewal.

The Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) project in England has re-opened their Mobile Boost Voucher Scheme (MBVS) after receiving £430,000 of fresh funding. The scheme works to improve rural 4G mobile (mobile broadband and voice) availability by offering vouchers (up to £1,300) to help deploy indoor signal boosters or repeaters.

The MBVS, which is being funded through the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership’s (HotSWLEP) Growth Deal, is targeted at those premises which have no adequate access to indoor 4G coverage from any operator or only one operator.

The original scheme, which ran for two years, eventually closed in March 2023 after using up over £1.1m of investment and helping over 1,700 residents and businesses to benefit from a better mobile phone signal (some said this “transformed” their lives).

Businesses and residents that make use of this scheme, including those in Somerset, Devon, Torbay and Plymouth (South West England), are also required to make a modest contribution which, depending on the option chosen, will range from up to £400 +vat for installation to a monthly fee for a SIM card (averaging c. £30 per month). This is because the main cost, as covered by the voucher, is largely in the expensive hardware itself.

Councillor Rufus Gilbert (Devon), CDS Board Member, said:

“The Mobile Boost scheme has been hugely popular and it’s extremely rewarding to hear from people that it’s made such a difference to their business or their daily lives. People in some rural areas continue to struggle with their mobile signal so I’m pleased that this new funding support will enable more people to benefit from improved connectivity.”

One catch with all this is that you can only buy from a list of three registered suppliers, and most of those hide the actual hardware/kit details and prices behind registration forms. This makes it harder for those with an interest to investigate the details and costs before deciding whether to pursue a voucher.

News 

The new tech is set to enhance the safety of the bank’s digital customers in over 25 countries 

BBVA, the multinational Spanish bank, has entered into a strategic alliance with Telefónica Tech to bolster its global cybersecurity efforts. The partnership is expected to use advanced AI and process automation technologies to prevent cyber threats across BBVA’s global operations. 

Telefónica Tech will provide nearly 50 services for BBVA, “ranging from solutions for the proactive anticipation of threats, definition of operational tactics, strategies to strengthen BBVA’s resilience or protection for Data Processing Centres (DPCs)”.  

As part of the collaboration, a new specialised cybersecurity centre will be established in Mexico, which will be designed to function alongside BBVA’s existing Global Cybersecurity Centre in Spain. Together, the two hubs will be staffed by 200 Telefónica Tech employees, making them two of the ‘largest cybersecurity centres in the financial industry.”  

Beyond the staff located at the sites themselves, the two hubs will also be supported by 1,500 cybersecurity experts and ten secure operation centres across Europe and the Americas, serving to monitor BBVA’s security 24/7. 

“These two hubs specialising in cybersecurity are unique in the financial industry and represent a new step towards protecting our infrastructures with the latest technological advances. Our goal is to be a bank that is increasingly secure and prepared to respond to all types of attacks and to offer the best service to our customers with the best security guarantees in the market,” said Sergio Fidalgo, BBVA’s Global Chief Information Security Officer in a press release. 

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Also in the news: 

City-focused broadband ISP Hyperoptic, which has so far extended their full fibre (FTTP/B) network to cover “more than” 1.73 million homes and 340,000 customers in parts of 64 UK towns and cities, has this afternoon informed ISPreview that they’re launching a new router – a branded version of the Zyxel EX3301.

The Zyxel EX3301 is a dual-band router with the built-in 2×2 802.11ax WiFi 6 (theoretical wireless speeds of up to c.1800Mbps) and Zyxel MPro Mesh support. As well as the usual support for VoIP, a built-in firewall, IPv6, WPA3 and multiple SSIDs, the device also features 5 x Gigabit ports (4 x LAN and 1 x WAN), 1 x USB2.0 port (file storage, 3G/4G dongles etc.) and 2 x FXS (phone) ports.

The router will also work with Hyperoptic’s Total Wi-Fi (mesh) service, which uses the provider’s Minihub Wi-Fi extenders to extend wireless coverage around your home. Overall, it’s a reasonably capable piece of kit, albeit nothing too special by modern standards. But it should do the job until they start offering packages faster than 1Gbps.

Duncan MacDonald, CTIO of Hyperoptic, said:

“We’re excited to introduce this new Zyxel router, which represents our ongoing commitment to providing the best possible broadband experience for our customers. With the latest technology and enhanced security features, the router is designed to meet the evolving demands of today’s connected homes.”

The new Zyxel router is now available to all new Hyperoptic customers, with existing customers eligible for an upgrade (it’s unclear if this will be free or at extra cost).

Mobile network operator 1p Mobile appears to have recently refreshed their range of SIM Only mobile plans, which now start at £6 per month for a 2GB data (mobile broadband) allowance and rise up to just £25 per month for “unlimited data” alongside all of the usual extras (unlimited UK calls, texts and inclusive EU roaming etc.).

The mobile plans only attract a basic 30-day contract term, as well as support for 4G, 5G, Tethering, fully itemised bills, Wi-Fi and VoLTE Calling etc. But take note that the inclusive EU roaming feature still attracts a Fair Usage Policy data cap of 14GB (GigaBytes).

In addition, new customers who take their £25 per month unlimited data and calls plan can add additional SIMs for extra family members from just £12.50 each, which is something that parent EE pioneered a few years back and can be quite useful. Credits to one of our readers (Gareth) for spotting the change.

The Northumberland County Council (NCC) in Northern England and mobile operator Vodafone UK have revealed that, thanks to the aid of bin lorries, they’ve been able to confirm that their network coverage improved in the county after 3G was retired in February 2024. Mobile signals now reach 92% of the county (up from 89%) and mobile broadband speeds improved by 10%.

The idea of using bin collections to map 4G and 5G mobile coverage is one that has only recently started to become popular (examples here and here). In this setup, bin collection vehicles are installed with four off-the-shelf smartphones using software from Streetwave on top, which run continuous tests of signal coverage and network performance (once every 20 metres in rural areas and 5m in urban areas) as the vehicles go about their routes.

The mapping data this produces is typically much more accurate than the flaky estimates of mobile coverage that are so often produced by network operators and Ofcom. The NCC are now using this data to help investigate options, such as small cells, for plugging some of the highly localised coverage gaps that have been revealed.

Councillor Wojciech Ploszaj said:

“It’s very rural. Something like 95% of the population lives in about 5% of Northumberland. We’ve got places where there is no mobile connectivity and very, very limited broadband as well.”

As for Streetwave, the company has already conducted similar bin lorry-based surveys in 30 local authority areas during 2024 (many of these are ongoing) and they’re now in discussions with another 50 councils. “It’s not a one-and-done hobbyist project. We’re on the path to mapping the whole country”, said George Gibson, one of Streetwave’s co-founders.

However, we should point out that Vodafone doesn’t specifically say what the figure of 92% actually represents (i.e. is it 2G or 2G+4G+5G etc.), and their report naturally excludes similar data for other operators like EE, O2 and Three UK.

Network operator Openreach (BT) has issued a progress update on their state aid supported £600m Reaching 100% (R100) project with the Scottish Government, which has now extended their gigabit-capable full fibre (FTTP) broadband network to more than 57,000 of Scotland’s hardest to connect homes and businesses.

The project has already extended FTTP to rural properties in over 200 places during only the first half of this year, from the Shetland islands of Yell and Whalsay to Stranraer and Wigtown in Dumfries and Galloway and across the Atlantic to Argyll’s Isle of Seil. The R100 build is next due to start in dozens more places before the end of 2024, including the Hebridean island of Mull, Westray and Rousay in Orkney and Kilchoan in the Highlands.

Just to recap. The R100 project ultimately aims to reach another 114,000 premises – split across three contracts – in areas that lack access to “superfast broadband” (30Mbps+) by March 2028. LOT 1 (North Scotland and the Highlands) is expected to cover 60,764 premises (100% via FTTP) by 2027/28, while LOT 2 (Central Scotland) will reach 32,216 (95.6% via FTTP and the rest FTTC) by 2023/24 and LOT 3 (Southern Scotland) targets 21,889 (100% via FTTP) by 2024/25.

However, the figure of 57,000 premises being given out by Openreach today (up from 52,000 in April 2024) almost certainly includes more than just the contracted R100 build, which is because the Scottish Government have recently made a habit out of including the impacts from gigabit vouchers and overspill into their R100 total (explainer).

Katie Milligan, Openreach CCO and Chair of its Scotland Board, said:

“The R100 build is a monumental effort to upgrade and connect Scotland’s most challenging locations. More than a thousand people are working on the build, with three million metres of new cable installed so far this year – enough to run up and down the A9 seven times.

Our teams are all set for a busy summer, expanding full fibre infrastructure in areas like Moray and Stirling alongside more island upgrades. Protecting nature and wildlife is paramount in these sensitive rural and remote environments. We’re seeing really positive, steady growth in take-up across the country, so I’d encourage people to check our website to see if they can upgrade.”

Tom Arthur, SG Employment and Investment Minister, said:

“The R100 programme is a critical part of the upgrade to full fibre technology. As one of the most ambitious and complex digital infrastructure programmes in Europe, it is delivering future-proofed digital connectivity across the country and enabling more homes and businesses – including in our island and rural communities – to access a fast and reliable connection.

It’s exciting that thousands more premises are now able to access a full fibre connection, and we’ll continue to work with Openreach to deliver further connections up and down the country.”

At present 77.6% of premises in Scotland can access a gigabit-capable (1Gbps download) broadband ISP network and this falls to 61.3% when only looking at FTTP technology (here). Ofcom predicts (here) that Scotland’s full fibre coverage will reach around 78-83% by May 2026, while gigabit-capable broadband (FTTP and Hybrid Fibre Coax / cable) should deliver 83-85% by that same date.

Naturally, the eventual completion of R100 will still leave a gap to fill, but resolving that will fall to the UK Government’s £5bn Project Gigabit broadband roll-out scheme. Some £450m (here) has already been allocated for this and several procurements are now underway (example). The associated BDUK agency has previously estimated that some 410,000 premises across Scotland may need support from public funding to help them gain access to such speeds (here).

News

The official launch is planned for September 

The Port of Blyth in the Northeast of England is set to be transformed into a ‘premier technology hub’, according to neutral host provider Boldyn Networks, which is deploying a dedicated private 5G network for the site. 

Funded through half a million-pound investment from the North East Combined Authority’s 5G Innovation Acceleration programme, Boldyn Networks will build a secure and high-bandwidth private 5G network that will be used to test smart manufacturing technologies. This will allow businesses to test and develop solutions in real-world conditions without needing costly investments upfront. 

The lab aims to drive economic growth in the region by providing businesses with access to ultra-fast connectivity and advanced innovation facilities, including co-working spaces. 

“It demonstrates the Combined Authority’s commitment to growing our region’s innovation potential – to create high-skilled jobs, grow our green economy and support offshore energy to get us to net zero,” said Councillor Nick Kemp of the North East Combined Authority. 

“The project complements the work already being done by the ORE catapult in robotics, autonomous systems, big data, AI, and next-gen tech – and will reduce the likelihood that businesses based in the region fall behind the curve on 5G adoption,” he continued. 

“We are delighted to welcome the first ever 5G Innovation Lab to Blyth. At the Port of Blyth, we pride ourselves on offering turnkey solutions to our customers. The Innovation Lab will provide a unique digital offering, enabling the exploration of innovative 5G technology solutions for the offshore renewable energy sector from a state-of-the-art facility on site,” added Alasdair Kerr, Commercial Director at Port of Blyth. 

Private 5G network deployments are increasingly popular in the UK. In the North of England, the Port of Tyne, one of the UK’s biggest and most important ports, deployed a 4G and 5G private network connectivity back in November. Together with BT and Ericsson, the port became the UK’s first site-wide deployment of 4G and 5G standalone connectivity for smart port applications. 

“I believe that 5G is going to play a crucial role in helping Port of Tyne achieve our goals. We can streamline our operations, improve safety and sustainability, and drive growth and innovation throughout the entire maritime industry and beyond. With seamless connectivity, we can link shipping companies, logistics providers, and regulatory bodies from around the world, enabling us to work together more effectively,” said Matthew Beeton, Chief Executive Officer, Port of Tyne. 

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Telecom Egypt readies for country’s first 5G services

The UK communications and media regulator, Ofcom, has today begun seeking feedback on the potential and demand for satellites, aircraft and other airborne platforms to help improve mobile (4G and 5G) network coverage – also known as Direct to Device (D2D) and Mobile-Satellite Services (MSS).

The timing of this ‘Call for Input‘ is rather handy as it comes on the same day as we wrote a related piece about the new service being developed by Stratospheric Platforms (here), which could in the future deliver a 5G broadband service via an unmanned aircraft.

Not to mention the satellite broadband based services being developed by Starlink (Direct to Cell), OneWeb (Eutelsat), AST SpaceMobile and others that can directly connect to unmodified consumer Smartphones via regular mobile spectrum bands. In fact some phones, like the latest iPhone series from Apple, already have a very basic emergency communication system that can work via satellite.

Services like this have the potential to improve connectivity in the UK by extending mobile coverage and providing a degree of back-up connectivity when there are outages on the terrestrial networks. In addition, MSS solutions have enabled the development of the European Aviation Network (EAN), a variety of emergency services, and provide connectivity for location trackers and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

However, all of this could create new demands on radio spectrum, which is a limited resource and thus Ofcom are now considering whether to develop new specific authorisation proposals for this type of spectrum access.

Ofcom’s Statement

In this document we are seeking stakeholder views on the potential supply of, and demand for, direct to device services (D2D) and MSS in the UK, and the associated spectrum needs. We also set out our initial thinking on the implications for how we manage spectrum that these services might use.

We are seeking views from stakeholders on:

• The interest in offering D2D services in the UK, delivered by satellites or airborne platforms;

• The potential demand for spectrum to support D2D services;

• The potential for new technology developments to improve spectrum sharing between D2D services and spectrum sharing between D2D services and existing spectrum users; and

• Potential demand changes for Mobile-satellite service (MSS) spectrum for existing, or developing, mobile satellite services (such as the European Aviation Network and IoT applications).

• The role that High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) might play in delivering D2D type mobile services.

The call for input closes on 13th September 2024 and Ofcom then plans a further publication on their next steps in Q4 2024.

News

Advertisers had previously argued that removing cookies from Google’s browser Chrome would destroy their business models

Google has scrapped plans to phase out the use of tracking cookies, instead saying they will prompt users to turn them on or off.

The move comes as a significant U-turn on the company’s approach to consumer privacy, having said as recently as February that they were still planning on removing cookies from Chrome.

Following the lead of competing browsers including Apple Safari and Mozilla Firefox, Google first pledged to remove third-party cookies back in 2020, saying they would do so within two years.

Cookies – small text files inserted into users’ browsers to track their browsing habits – have long been a cornerstone of the advertising industry, allowing for the delivery of more targeted ads. As such, the decision to remove cookies entirely was met with strong resistance by the advertising industry.

Anti-competition regulators proved similarly uneasy about the decision, suggesting that the ban on cookies would allow Google to charge advertisers even more for ad-targeting services.

Following the opening of an official antitrust investigation by UK regulators in 2021, Google’s plans for the switch-off quickly fell behind schedule. The company’s initial technology expected to replace cookies, called ‘Floc’, was found to be incompatible with privacy policies. Instead, a ‘new path for privacy’ was quickly formulated, centred around Google’s new ‘Privacy Sandbox’.

The Privacy Sandbox is a broader move by Google to create web standards that will allow websites to access user information without compromising privacy. This approach focusses on the removal of third-party tracking cookies while still allowing for a subset of user private information to be shared with advertisers.

However, initial testing of the new Privacy Sandbox last year has failed to convince regulators of its effectiveness, with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office describing the technologies used a “deeply flawed”.

Google argues that the Privacy Sandbox still represents an effective long-term solution to the issues of consumer privacy, but more work is still required before a global rollout.

“We recognise this transition requires significant work by many participants and will have an impact on publishers, advertisers and everyone involved in online advertising,” said Anthony Chavez, Google’s manager in charge of its Privacy Sandbox project. “In light of this, we are proposing an updated approach that elevates user choice […] We’re discussing this new path with regulators and will engage with the industry as we roll this out.”

The decision will likely to be met with jubilation by advertisers that rely on third-party cookies, but privacy regulators are less enthusiastic, with the UK’s Information Commissioner Office saying it will monitor the situation closely.

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Also in the news:
Power play: Thailand’s biggest telco to merge with energy giant
Germany implements long-awaited Huawei ban
Telecom Egypt readies for country’s first 5G services