Internet provider Virgin Media (O2) has finally fixed a fault that left a small number of their broadband customers, specifically some of those on top tier packages (e.g. 1Gbps), with half their normal upload rate (i.e. 50Mbps instead of 100Mbps). But it’s unclear why the seemingly simple problem took over a month to resolve.

The issue, which was raised by a couple of ISPreview’s readers (special credit to David) and via Virgin Media’s Community Forum, first appears to have started at the very beginning of June 2024 – after a period of normally routine network maintenance. This left some customers with a stuck c.55000000 bps (55Mbps) upload profile instead of c.1230000000 bps (123Mbps).

Problems with stuck or incorrect speed profiles do sometimes happen on Virgin Media and in theory they should be a quick fix on the network side (note: a hard reset of the router won’t resolve this). But what’s surprising is how many weeks and hoops the customers had to jump through just to get the fault both recognised and then resolved.

The provider’s support team initially denied that there was a problem and even questioned whether one of those affected needed 100Mbps uploads: “I called support to inform them, but they seem clueless and could only say they will monitor for 24 hours, and think it’s fine, and even asked why I needed more speed as if I should be happy with 50Mb (even though I’m paying for double),” said phonic2k.

One of the other customers was also sent a new router, which is unnecessary for resolving this sort of problem. But the good news is that, after a long battle, Virgin Media informed those affected on Tuesday this week that they’d finally managed to resolve the issue.

A spokesperson for Virgin Media told ISPreview:

“Due to a fault, a small number of customers were not receiving their normal upload speeds. This has now been fixed and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

As usual, VM gave no details to explain why the problem had occurred, how it was resolved or why it took so long to fix (stuck profiles should be an easy fix). Sadly such ambiguity is not uncommon among major ISPs.

News 

The dispute relates to major planned job cuts following Vodafone Spain’s acquisition by Zegona last month 

Spanish trade unions have accepted the workforce reduction plans offered to them by Vodafone Spain’s new owner Zegona Communications, who acquired the company back in June. 

The Spanish trade union UGT had scheduled strikes for the 9th and 11th of July – with partial strikes being carried out on various days throughout the month – in protest against a redundancy plan announced by Zegona.  

The new owner had originally planned to cut 1,198 jobs as part of the takeover’s restructuring, with the company citing the “strong financial and commercial deterioration” of the business,, according to local reports. 

Now, following negotiations, it has instead been agreed that only 898 employees will be made redundant, 25% less than the original target.  

“By a very large majority (1,821 votes in favour of the agreement versus 468 votes against) the Vodafone Spain workforce has chosen to accept the latest offer presented and, consequently, tomorrow UGT will sign the agreement that sets the conditions for the collective dismissal process presented by the company,” said UGT sources speaking to Europa Press. 

Zegona spent €5 billion on the purchase of Vodafone Spain, €4.1 billion in cash and €0.9 billion in preference shares. The dismissals come just after Zegona announced its refinancing of the acquisition.  

“With Zegona’s long-term financing now secured, we have a capital structure that is fit-for-purpose and we can now focus on the continued execution of our strategic plans to improve Vodafone Spain, driving growth and creating value for all stakeholders,” said CEO Eamonn O’Hare in a press release. 

Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter   

Also in the news:
Australian Government and AWS Collaborate to Strengthen country’s Cybersecurity
Solving congestion challenges in FTTP deployment
Vodafone Invests £120m in AI Chatbot ‘SuperTOBi’ 

News

The $20.5 billion deal would see the parent company of Advanced Info Service (AIS) combined with Gulf Energy Development

This week, Thailand’s seventh-richest man, Sarath Ratanavadi, has revealed ambitious plans to merge his energy company Gulf Energy Development with its telecoms subsidiary, InTouch Holdings, the parent company of Thailand’s biggest telco AIS.

The move would see the formation of a new public limited company with an estimate value of $20.5 billion.

Gulf already owns a 47.37% stake in Intouch, with the restructure seeing Gulf’s existing shareholders receive 1.02974 shares per stock held in the merged company, while Intouch shareholders will receive 1.69335 shares per stock held.

Singtel is Gulf’s second largest shareholder with a 24.99% stake, which will be converted to a roughly 9% stake in the combined business.

Alongside this restructure, the deal will see Gulf and Intouch make an offer for the 36.25% of AIS shares not already held by Intouch and Singtel, at a 216.30 baht ($6.02) per share. They are also offering to buy a 58.9% stake in Intouch’s subsidiary and local satellite operator, Thaicom, for 11 baht ($0.31) per share.

Thaicom operates four satellites that provide TV and communication services in Asia, Oceania, and Africa.

By combining the telecoms unit and energy company into a single entity, the companies claim they will benefit from improved operational efficiency, flexibility, and more accessible resources. This, they say, will leave the company well positioned to achieve growth in the energy, infrastructure, and digital services sectors.

“The combined expertise will benefit both companies and all stakeholders, increasing the potential of the new company to be a leader in the energy and telecommunications business,” explained Ratanavadi in a joint statement from both companies.

The deal is expected to close in 2025, subject to typical regulatory clearances.

Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter  

Also in the news:
Australian Government and AWS Collaborate to Strengthen country’s Cybersecurity
Solving congestion challenges in FTTP deployment
Vodafone Invests £120m in AI Chatbot ‘SuperTOBi’

The State Opening of Parliament – often referred to as the “King’s Speech” – took place today, which saw the new UK Government set out their agenda for the coming session. The speech included mentions of several bills that could potentially support the expansion of gigabit broadband and 5G mobile networks, as well as toughen cyber security and Digital Verification Services.

Just to recap. The Labour Party’s 2024 General Election Manifesto (here) has previously made clear that they would be making a “renewed push to fulfil the ambition of full gigabit and national 5G coverage by 2030.” The party has already given mild support to Project Gigabit and appears to be aware that any big changes would risk adding further delays to the roll-out, but solid details of their actual plan have been few and far between.

The first hints of at least one significant change came after they set out their desire for more flexibility in the planning system (here), which might make it easier to deploy new digital infrastructure – those who oppose new telecoms poles and mobile masts will be watching very closely. On top of that, there has also been some prior talk about trying to encourage greater infrastructure sharing or co-operative build between network operators, albeit supported by precious little substance.

Suffice to say that the King’s Speech typically provides the opportunity for a new government to flesh out their forthcoming plans with a little more detail, and we were watching closely to see if any of the c.35 draft laws might be of relevance. Sadly, there were no specific mentions of either “broadband” or “mobile” in the briefing documents, but three of the bills do have the potential to touch digital infrastructure and internet connectivity.

However, we were a little bit surprised to see the new Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, particularly as it will be coming so soon after the passing of similar telecoms and internet security laws under the previous government – the industry is still in the early stages of adapting to those. We’ve summarised the three bills of relevance below.

Planning and Infrastructure Bill

“My Ministers will get Britain building, including through planning reform, as they seek to accelerate the delivery of high quality infrastructure and housing”

● The current planning regime acts as a major brake on economic growth. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will play a key role in addressing this constraint, unlocking more housing and infrastructure across the country and supporting sustained economic growth. The planning system must be an enabler of growth – enabling democratic engagement with how, not if, homes and infrastructure are built.

● Reforming the planning system is key to unlocking our country’s economic growth – enabling us to deliver both the housing and critical infrastructure that communities need. The Bill will speed up and streamline the planning process to build more homes of all tenures and accelerate the delivery of major infrastructure projects in alignment with our industrial, energy, and transport strategies.

What does the Bill do?

● The Bill will make improvements to the planning system at a local level, modernising planning committees and increasing local planning authorities’ capacity to deliver an improved service.

● The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will accelerate housebuilding and infrastructure delivery by:

o streamlining the delivery process for critical infrastructure including accelerating upgrades to the national grid and boosting renewable energy, which will benefit local communities, unlock delivery of our 2030 clean power mission and net zero obligations, and secure domestic energy security. We will simplify the consenting process for major infrastructure projects and enable relevant, new and improved National Policy Statements to come forward, establishing a review process that provides the opportunity for them to be updated every five years, giving increased certainty to developers and communities.

o further reforming compulsory purchase compensation rules to ensure that compensation paid to landowners is fair but not excessive where important social and physical infrastructure and affordable housing are being delivered. The reforms will help unlock more sites for development, enabling more effective land assembly, and in doing so speeding up housebuilding and delivering more affordable housing, supporting the public interest.

o improving local planning decision making by modernising planning committees.

o increasing local planning authorities’ capacity, to improve performance and decision making, providing a more predictable service to developers and investors.

o using development to fund nature recovery where currently both are stalled, unlocking a win-win outcome for the economy and for nature, because we know we can do better than the status quo. Our commitment to the environment is unwavering, which is why the Government will work with nature delivery organisations, stakeholders and the sector over the summer to determine the best way forward. We will only act in legislation where we can confirm to Parliament that the steps we are taking will deliver positive environmental outcomes. Where we can demonstrate this, the Bill will deliver any necessary changes.

Territorial extent and application

● The majority of the Bill is expected to extend and apply to England and Wales. Some measures may also extend and apply to Scotland

Digital Information and Smart Data Bill

● The Government wants to ensure we harness the power of data for economic growth, to support a modern digital government, and to improve people’s lives.

● The Bill will enable new innovative uses of data to be safely developed and deployed and will improve people’s lives by making public services work better by reforming data sharing and standards; help scientists and researchers make more life enhancing discoveries by improving our data laws; and ensure your data is well protected by giving the regulator (the ICO) new, stronger powers and a more modern structure. These measures start delivering on the Government’s commitment to better serve the British public through science and technology.

What does the Bill do?

● The Bill will harness the power of data for economic growth. We are giving a statutory footing to three innovative uses of data that people can choose to participate in and which will accelerate innovation, investment and productivity across the UK. This includes:

o establishing Digital Verification Services, which make people’s everyday lives easier through innovative and secure technology. These measures support the creation and adoption of secure and trusted digital identity products and services from certified providers to help with things like moving house, pre-employment checks, and buying age restricted goods and services.

o developing a National Underground Asset Register, a new digital map that is revolutionising the way we install, maintain, operate and repair the pipes and cables buried beneath our feet. It gives planners and excavators standardised, secure, instant access to the data they need, when they need it, to carry out their work effectively and safely.

o setting up Smart Data schemes, which are the secure sharing of a customer’s data upon their request, with authorised third-party providers.

● The Bill will improve people’s lives and life chances. The Bill will enable more and better digital public services. By making changes to the Digital Economy Act we will help the Government share data about businesses that use public services. We will move to an electronic system for the registration of births and deaths. And we will apply information standards to IT suppliers in the health and social care system.

● The Bill will help our scientists make better use of data for world-class research by reflecting the realities of modern interdisciplinary science research in our data laws. Scientists will be able to ask for broad consent for areas of scientific research, and allow legitimate researchers doing scientific research in commercial settings to make equal use of our data regime.

● The Bill will ensure your data is well protected. We are modernising and strengthening the ICO. It will be transformed into a more modern regulatory structure, with a CEO, board and chair. And it will have new, stronger powers. This will be accompanied by targeted reforms to some data laws that will maintain high standards of protection but where there is currently a lack of clarity impeding the safe development and deployment of some new technologies. We will also promote standards for digital identities around privacy, security and inclusion.

● The Bill also establishes a Data Preservation Process that coroners (and procurators fiscal in Scotland) can initiate when they decide it is necessary and appropriate to support their investigations into a child’s death. This will help coroners get access to online information they need when investigating a child’s death.

Territorial extent and application

● The Bill will extend and apply UK-wide.

Cyber Security and Resilience Bill

● Our digital economy is increasingly being attacked by cyber criminals and state actors, affecting essential public services and infrastructure. In the last 18 months, our hospitals, universities, local authorities, democratic institutions and government departments have been targeted in cyber attacks.

● Our essential services are vulnerable to hostile actors and recent cyber attacks affecting the NHS and Ministry of Defence show the impacts can be severe. We need to take swift action to address vulnerabilities and protect our digital economy to deliver growth. The Bill will strengthen the UK’s cyber defences, ensure that critical infrastructure and the digital services that companies rely on are secure.

What does the Bill do?

● The Bill will strengthen our defences and ensure that more essential digital services than ever before are protected, for example by expanding the remit of the existing regulation, putting regulators on a stronger footing, and increasing reporting requirements to build a better picture in government of cyber threats.

● The existing UK regulations reflect law inherited from the EU and are the UK’s only cross-sector cyber security legislation. They have now been superseded in the EU and require urgent update in the UK to ensure that our infrastructure and economy is not comparably more vulnerable.

● The Bill will make crucial updates to the legacy regulatory framework by:

o expanding the remit of the regulation to protect more digital services and supply chains. These are an increasingly attractive threat vector for attackers. This Bill will fill an immediate gap in our defences and prevent similar attacks experienced by critical public services in the UK, such as the recent ransomware attack impacting London hospitals.

o putting regulators on a strong footing to ensure essential cyber safety measures are being implemented. This would include potential cost recovery mechanisms to provide resources to regulators and providing powers to proactively investigate potential vulnerabilities.

o mandating increased incident reporting to give government better data on cyber attacks, including where a company has been held to ransom – this will improve our understanding of the threats and alert us to potential attacks by expanding the type and nature of incidents that regulated entities must report.

Territorial extent and application

● The Bill will extend and apply UK-wide.

UPDATE 12:23pm

We’ve had the first comment come in from alternative network operator All Points Fibre.

Jarlath Finnegan, Group CEO of All Points Fibre Networks, said:

“The new government’s commitment to boosting productivity and growth is welcome, and connectivity should be at the heart of that plan. There are changes the government could make in planning and tenants’ rights that would make it easier to build and install broadband to millions more people. We hope they’ll seize the opportunity to use fibre in accelerating the digital economy to fulfil the country’s potential.”

Contributed Article

by Gavin Miller, CEO, Asurion Europe

Over the last decade or so, we’ve seen an increasing reliance on our digital devices, with the average UK user now spending close to six hours per day on the internet.[i] Additionally, we are seeing more household items than ever before with connectivity capabilities. Appliances such as TVs, speakers, thermometers and even microwaves now often include a ‘smart’ element that sees them become part of our network of online devices in the home – saving us money, improving the quality of our lives, and strengthening our security. These items are gaining popularity, with the global smart home appliance market projected to be worth over $143 billion by 2030 – a massive growth from the $59 billion in 2022.[ii]

This growing dependency on digital devices and online services is radically changing our behaviours, leading many to predict a drastic decline in traditional activities and channels. Ironically though, book consumption has risen.[iii] And for certain items, we still want to go to the shops. As businesses, how then can we truly understand the impact of digital dependency and what trends should we monitor to take advantage of this rapidly growing market?

Analysis: Usage vs adoption

Firstly, our familiarity with smart home technology is certainly increasing. Comparing attitudes in 2016 and 2023 shows a gradual increase in consumers knowledge of smart homes, and a reduction in people saying they know nothing about it.[iv] What is interesting is the length of time it takes for awareness to be followed by actual use of new products and technologies.

Asurion Europe’s recent study examined the adoption and usage rates of smart devices in the home. Our Adoption Index represents access to devices and channels, and is based on factors such as the number of internet users, adult social media users, mobile internet users, wearables owners, and penetration of smart home devices. On the other hand, our Usage Index represents how much time is actually spent on these digital devices and channels, for activities such as streaming TV, browsing the internet and social media platforms, playing on games consoles, and shopping online.

What is the relevance of these indices?

Owning a smart watch or having a social media account does not necessarily mean that the watch or account is being intensively used. This is why usage rates typically lag behind adoption, with this gap growing in recent years, as we get used to a variety of new devices and what these devices can offer us. The Usage Index therefore indicates current dependency, while the Adoption Index represents potential future dependency. As smart technology becomes more familiar, we’ll start to see the gap closing between usage and adoption. And the more usage of smart devices grows, the more our dependency on smart home devices will increase.

Across all age groups, adoption of some form of smart connected devices sits at around 80%.[v] However, real differences among the population emerge when we analyse multi-device ownership. When looking at ‘advanced adopters’ – those owning more than three connected home devices – we see a skew towards young adults, with 43% of 16-24 year-olds and 45% of 25-34 year-olds in this category.[vi] This is compared to the overall UK average of 34%. As these younger generations gain increasing spending power and start to move into their own homes, we are likely to see an even greater surge in demand from these age groups.

Digital dependency – the positive impact

This brings us back to the impact of digital dependency on our daily lives. Of course, there are many points of discussion here. However, it is interesting to observe the positive impact of connected home products in improving quality of life, by helping to battle the rising cost of living, generating more leisure time and improving home security, for instance. Through this lens, it is perhaps less surprising that consumers are still enjoying trips to the shops and taking the time to select physical books.

Home connectivity

More consumers are spending time working from home, thanks in part to better internet and other advancements in remote working tools that allow us to be just as (if not more) efficient[vii] away from the office. It means that the home and its maintenance are receiving more attention than previously. Smart devices can be critical in this transformation, allowing us to eliminate completely, or spend less time on, menial chores.

Home entertainment

In many ways, whether by enabling remote working or simplifying home maintenance, connectivity has created more time in our lives for leisure – and digital platforms for gaming and streaming are a growing component of that leisure time. Since Netflix launched their streaming service in 2007, the medium has only grown in popularity, with nearly half of UK internet users using two or more streaming services as of October 2022.[viii] This has to be in large part due to the development of smart TVs bringing together multiple entertainment options, so that consumers can watch a show or resume gaming in one place. A wider variety of streaming services and the ensuing competition has also made the price of these services more accessible to all.

Home efficiency

As well as freeing up time, connected products may also produce financial economies in the long-term. For instance, high energy costs have made smart utility goods especially attractive. In one survey, around two in five owners of energy savings devices said they expected to recover the initial costs of the device itself through energy savings within a year.[ix] Smart thermostats with the ability to control hot water and radiators are becoming increasingly intelligent, learning when users are likely to be at home and therefore when they will want heating or hot water[x], helping to build a more energy-efficient – and as a result, cost-efficient – home.

Home safety

Finally, smart devices providing security to homeowners are rapidly growing in popularity. Around one in five households own smart doorbells and security systems,[xi] while almost two-thirds want some sort of security system in their smart homes.[xii] Perhaps a less well-established use of smart security devices is supporting those who are elderly, unwell or have a disability. One company has designed sensors that can be connected to fridges, kettles, or toilets to help indicate healthy food and water consumption among other behaviours – allowing those who are less able to live independently but with critical monitoring. [xiii]

Supporting a digitally dependent society

The inevitable rise in the usage and range of smart home devices is creating efficiencies that we’re becoming used to. This creates new opportunities and interest, in further efficiency-producing tech and new game-changing applications, but also in related services and subscriptions, whether this is to create a premium experience, enjoy the latest upgrades, or access speedy support when needed. Tech providers who are monitoring awareness, interest and actual usage are best placed to develop these offerings, constantly taking the smart experience to new heights. However, increasing digital dependency means that the risk of device failure can bring our connected lives to a crashing halt. So it is essential nowadays to have a comprehensive (but affordable) tech partner that can make sure all devices in the connected home stay up and running.

As CEO of Asurion Europe, Gavin Miller is leading the expansion of the global tech care company in the region. Gavin started his career at global customer experience company Sitel (now Foundever) before moving on to C-suite roles supporting rapid growth and acquisition in a range of businesses, including the largest telephone fundraising specialist in the UK, a commercial contact centre business and a provider of debt management services.

[i] Statista. (2023). Average daily time spent using media in the United Kingdom (UK) in the 3rd quarter 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/507378/average-daily-media-use-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/

[ii] Yahoo! Finance. (2023). Smart Services Take the Lead: Services Segment Shows Highest CAGR of 11.98% During Forecast Period in Global Smart Home Appliances Market. https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/smart-services-lead-services-segment-124900989.html

[iii] The Reading Agency. (2022). A quarter of UK adults started reading more during lockdowns and have continued to, finds new survey to mark World Book Night 2022. https://readingagency.org.uk/news/media/a-quarter-of-uk-adults-started-reading-more-during-lockdowns-and-have-continued-to-finds-new-survey.html

[iv] Tech UK. (2023). State of the Connected Home 2023. https://www.techuk.org/resource/state-of-the-connected-home-2023.html

[v] Tech UK. (2023). State of the Connected Home 2023. https://www.techuk.org/resource/state-of-the-connected-home-2023.html

[vi] Tech UK. (2023). State of the Connected Home 2023. https://www.techuk.org/resource/state-of-the-connected-home-2023.html

[vii] https://www.forbes.com/sites/glebtsipursky/2022/11/03/workers-are-less-productive-working-remotely-at-least-thats-what-their-bosses-think/

[viii] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1356593/number-video-streaming-platforms-uk/

[ix] Tech UK. (2023). State of the Connected Home 2023. https://www.techuk.org/resource/state-of-the-connected-home-2023.html

[x] The Independent. (2022).  How to save money on your energy bills with smart home devices. https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/gadgets-tech/energy-prices-smart-home-devices-b2235191.html

[xi] This is Money. (2023). Could your smart doorbell land you in court? How to keep your home safe AND stay on the right side of the law. https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-12271963/Smart-doorbells-break-law-safe.html

[xii] Tech Report. (2023). 37+ Smart Home Statistics and Facts (2023 Updated Data). https://techreport.com/statistics/smart-home-statistics/

[xiii] MedTech Innovation. (2022). Meet the start-up: Sensing smarter care. https://www.med-technews.com/medtech-insights/medtech-start-up-insights/meet-the-start-up-sensing-smarter-care/

Insight

This article was written by VanillaPlus

Increasingly prominent and controversial, in almost equal measure, AI engines are redefining all manner of work functions and human tasks (ChatGPT) and even reinventing our understanding of art (Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, etc.). This technology marks a paradigm shift in our ability to predict, analysis, create and control content, processes and events with far greater potential than current applications suggest, and, extrapolated over time, will almost inevitably redefine every area of our existence.

But what about its role in a 5G enabled world? Indeed, AI is quickly becoming one of the most important technological advancements for the telecom industry. Recent Gartner analysis on AI and its impact on the telecom industry has shed light on the latest trends and themes in this space, including helping product and service leaders gain a better understanding of the realistic adoption times for AI and its subsequent impact on the telecom industry.

With the advent of 5G and other cutting-edge technologies driving rapid technological growth, the telecom industry is undergoing a major transformation. So, to stay ahead of the curve, telecom companies are exploring the use of AI to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and increase their market share.

The potential of AI in the 5G revolution and its role in the telecom industry

Customer Experience

The success of the telecom industry heavily relies on delivering an outstanding customer experience, underperformance loses subscribers with a rapidity that is never experienced on the customer acquisition side of the business. To protect customer retention numbers, Communication Service Providers (CSPs) need to enhance their daily customer interactions and gain a deeper understanding of who these subscribers actually are. This is where AI can make a significant impact.

Chatbots and virtual assistants, powered by AI, are leading the way in transforming customer interactions. These AI applications use machine learning (ML), augmented analytics, and natural language processing (NLP) to turn customer interactions into valuable insights. They enable CSPs to come markedly closer to offering existing and potential customers exactly what they want, when they want it.

Operational Efficiency and Automation

With the deployment of new technologies like 5G and network slicing software, the telecom industry is facing increased network complexity. This brings with it new challenges that demand the real-time capturing, analysis and action on, terabytes of data. To address this, companies need to massively enhance the intelligence of their short and long-term network operations and planning.

AI is playing a pivotal role in this roadmap, principally in the areas of: Fault detection, prediction and resolution; Network optimisation & Network planning and upgrades. Accumulatively, this is massively reducing CSPs’ labour costs, decreasing their mean time to repair and improving customer experience. And, this is not anecdotal, this is all demonstrable against key KPIs.

Edge AI

The growing use of edge devices is transforming the way data is collected and processed. By aggregating sensor data through devices such as modems, routers, and gateways, organisations can gain deeper insights into their operations and make better-informed decisions. This has led to a surge in demand for edge AI solutions that can help manage on-premise data and unlock valuable insights from it.

Edge AI not only improves data management but also offers financial benefits, particularly for cloud service providers, by reducing the cost associated with cloud computing, network transport, and storage. By processing data at the edge, organisations can minimise the amount of data that needs to be transmitted to the cloud, reducing network transport and storage costs.

Cloud service providers are taking notice of this trend and are extending their services to customer premises and private clouds to provide edge AI solutions. Additionally, new players such as communications platform-as-a-service (CPaas) and content delivery network (CDN) vendors are entering the market, offering their versions of near and far-edge solutions.

Potential Dangers of AI

While AI has the potential to bring many benefits to the telecom industry, there are also an almost equal number of risks. One of the main concerns is the risk of human error being replaced by machine error. In addition, AI-powered systems may be vulnerable to hacking and cyber-attacks. Companies must be cautious and adopt strong security measures to mitigate these risks.

Furthermore, there is the human redundancy factor to consider – AI has the potential to potentially decimate workforce numbers as we see them today. Whilst profit margin is king, the ethical debates around the role and control of AI has only just begun.

AI does indeed have a key role in the birth of a 5G enabled world, both commercially and for the consumer. By improving customer experience, operational efficiency, and sales and marketing activity, AI can hugely increase a Telco’s market share. However, companies need to adopt a strategic approach to AI, considering both its potential benefits and dangers at an economic and human level. In doing so, they can ensure that AI is an integral part of their future success.

This article first featured in the VanillaPlus magazine. Subscribe here for your free digital issue:  https://www.vanillaplus.com/digital-edition/

Homes in the Suffolk (England) village of Felsham have been left without access to broadband and phone services for over a week because, allegedly, Openreach (BT) are unable to fix the problem – a damaged telecoms pole that was struck during a car accident on Cockfield Road – until they’ve received “an estimate” from the driver’s insurance company.

According to the Suffolk News (via Thinkbroadband), a Ford Fiesta collided with a pole last Monday, which was then hit again by an unfortunate motorcyclist as it lay across the road. The female driver of the Fiesta was later arrested on suspicion of drink-driving, while the motorcyclist was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

The damage has caused a protracted outage of broadband and phone services to a number of homes and the odd business in the area, which has been extremely disruptive, particularly to vulnerable users. But interestingly, one local customer of broadband ISP BT was told by support staff that the reason it was taking so long is because “Openreach was waiting for ‘an estimate’ from the driver’s insurance company before it could complete works.”

At this point people might logically assume that Openreach would have fixed the problem with their critical network infrastructure first and then resolved responsibility for the costs later, to avoid any of the often-inherent delays that can occur when dealing with insurance companies. But this appears not to be the case and Openreach has yet to comment (we’ve asked and will report back soon).

However, it is worth noting that BT itself might not be giving a full appraisal of the facts when they gave this as the excuse, since Openreach has previously informed ISPreview that it typically takes around 20 days to fix damaged poles (here) and we’re only around 8-9 days in to that window.

Pole repairs can also depend upon wider issues of road permits/permissions, availability of engineering resources and the level of local damage etc. We’ve seen before how some homes in remote rural areas have been left to wait for up to 8-12 weeks before repairs, such as in cases of extreme damage (rare). But in urban areas a downed pole may be a matter of hours or just a few short days.

A collaboration between IT consultancy firm CGI and the Norfolk County Council (NCC) in England has leveraged a hybrid approach to help bring “ultrafast” broadband speeds to several remote industrial sites in the county, which uses a mix of wireless networking and Starlink’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.

The announcement is somewhat light on any useful technical details about the hybrid solution, which has been built in collaboration with suppliers Ingen and Onwave. But it’s said to have involved both Starlink’s global mega constellation of LEO broadband satellites and a “free-to-use public wireless service“, which suggests to us that they’re probably using Starlink for backhaul and WiFi for local distribution (likely with a premium wireless link for nearby businesses).

The NCC last year adopted a similar Starlink-based approach (LEO satellite + FWA wireless) to help bring faster broadband to a number of extremely remote rural communities (homes and businesses), which was trialled across ten village halls and nearby premises.

Councillor Jane James of NCC said:

“Digital connectivity is central to the prosperity of Norfolk as we look forward to the future, but also to the quality of life of most of our residents. CGI has partnered with us to develop a well thought out, innovative approach to ensuring improved connectivity across our county, particularly in those communities that have previously proved hard to reach.”

Ian Dunbar, Senior VP Consulting Services at CGI UK, said:

“This project supports NCC’s programme for connecting rural communities, enhancing everyday life through digital connectivity. Having fast, stable, and reliable connectivity is also necessary for NCC to deliver key critical services to rural communities and CGI’s solution also significantly benefits industries located in remote areas, from agriculture and utilities to manufacturing.”

We should point out that Starlink’s broadband service can also be purchased and installed independently by individual businesses and homes, although it’s not the cheapest of monthly rentals and we’re unsure of how the prices / performance would compare with the above hybrid approach.

Customers in the UK typically pay from £75 a month for a 30-day term, plus £299 for hardware, (one-off), on the ‘Standard’ Starlink plan, which promises internet latency times of 25-60ms, downloads of c. 25-100Mbps and uploads of c. 5-10Mbps.

City-focused gigabit broadband ISP Hyperoptic, which has already extended their full fibre (FTTP / B) network to cover “more than” 1.73 million UK homes in parts of 64 towns and cities, has launched a new promotion that discounts all of their top plans (150Mbps, 500Mbps and 1Gbps) to just £15 per month for the first 6-months of service.

The new deal means that, for example, customers taking out their 150Mbps packages on a 24-month term will pay £15 for the first 6-months (£29 thereafter), plus a £19 one-off activation fee. The same £15 offer also applies to their 500Mbps and 1Gbps tiers, which return to £35 and £39 per month respectively, after the first 6-month offer period.

The packages include a wireless router and you can optionally add a home phone service for an extra £2 per month. The same discount also exists on their 12-month contracts. The offer is expected to remain available until 22nd July 2024, but make sure you use the HYPERDEAL promotion code on checkout to benefit.

All of the shares belonging to Swindon-based fibre optic kit and cable supplier AFL Telecommunications Europe have recently been acquired by Italian firm Tratos Cavi Spa, which is a similar supplier. The acquisition deal aims to increase TRATOS’ footprint in the UK alongside its existing electrical cable manufacturing facility in Knowsley.

The purchase is said to include all fibre optic cable product lines for the power utility, rail, and oil and gas markets, including the SkyWrap® attached fibre optic solution for overhead power lines, ruggedised trackside fibre optic cables and subsea umbilical optic cable components.

The merged company will continue to operate from its recently expanded facility in Swindon, South West England.

Elisabetta Bragagni Capaccini, CEO of TRATOS, said:

“TRATOS and AFL’s Swindon plant share a strong commitment to quality products and services to core customers in the power utility, rail and oil and gas markets. Adding their unique product capabilities, staff technical expertise and EMEA sales team to our company will strengthen TRATOS’ position in these markets enabling us to offer a combined portfolio of market-leading electrical and optical cables to our customers.”