News 

In the first year of the collaboration, Telenor has said that it will invest 100 million NOK ($9.4 million) in the project

Norwegian telco Telenor has announced that it will expand an existing partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to expand its sovereign cloud capabilities. 

The investment will see the implementation of AWS’s sovereign-by-design technology in Skygard – a data center currently under construction in Oslo, which is a joint venture between Telenor, renewable energy company Hafslund, and investor HitecVision. 

“Telenor is strengthening its collaboration with AWS to power our next wave of growth and innovation,” said Amol Phadke, Telenor’s Executive Vice President and Group Chief Technology Officer in a press release. 

“Building on our sovereign cloud posture, Telenor will unlock new opportunities to drive value for our customers and wider society,” he continued. 

“Telenor and AWS have a shared commitment to innovation”, said Jan Hofmeyr, VP AWS EC2 Edge. 

“We are excited to strengthen our collaboration by accelerating Telenor’s cloud transformation on AWS, and modernize Telenor’s data centres with AWS infrastructure, starting with Sweden and Finland,” he continued. 

Telenor will scale its cloud footprint across Sweden, and then expand into Finland. 

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

Also in the news:
Nokia and Google Cloud expand partnership for telco APIs
Nvidia and HPE team up for gen AI solution
Microsoft to invest $7.16 bn in Spanish data centres 

UK ISP Zen Internet today says they’ve become the first broadband wholesaler to offer the latest 1.2Gbps and 1.8Gbps download speed capable packages (uploads of 120Mbps) over Openreach’s Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network. But the announcement doesn’t say precisely when Zen’s own retail customers will be able to order it.

Openreach officially launched the two new multi-Gigabit tiers on 1st April 2024 (summary). But so far the lack of support by key wholesale suppliers (here) has meant that only a tiny number of retail broadband ISPs have been able to launch related packages for consumers and businesses (e.g. EE and Freeola). Zen’s latest move may help to change that.

One of Zen’s Partners (they’re home to over 700), business provider PCQ, recently became the first on their platform to trial the product with an end-user, connecting a golf resort to 1.8Gbps broadband. At present the new products are still limited in their availability by Zen’s own platform, which means that they’re only available to 5.5 million premises, but this should rise.

Andrew Sayle, Zen’s Connectivity Portfolio Manager, said:

“I am thrilled that Zen was the first broadband wholesaler to offer Openreach’s latest speeds. It really solidifies our commitment to providing the best service and value add we can to our partner base.

We are also looking at introducing the multi-gig broadband technology to our consumer base, the details of which we will share when available.”

Sadly, there’s still no word on precisely when Zen’s own consumer packages will introduce the new tiers, but it shouldn’t be too long. Similarly, the provider has yet to introduce 2Gbps services via CityFibre’s network, which they also harness.

Alternative network operator and ISP LightSpeed Broadband, which was last year acquired by Kompass Kapital (here) after suffering job cuts and a build slowdown in the East of England (here), has today relaunched itself with a new 2Gbps full fibre package, branding, home security solution and network expansion plans.

The operator currently claims to have already expanded their gigabit-capable broadband network to cover 250,000 premises in the East of England and West Midlands (unchanged from May 2024) – reflecting builds across parts of 32 market towns in South Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Rutland. But they also previously held an aspiration toward reaching 1 million homes in the future.

Lightspeed has now announced that, over the next 3 years (i.e. by 2027), they will aim to extend their full fibre network to cover “more than 150,000 new premises” across 21 new towns (i.e. a total of 400,000 premises passed), while also adding 38,000 residential customers and serving 47 total towns, including 6,000 businesses. This is being supported by fresh funding from Kompass Kapital.

On top of this, the provider has today introduced a new 2Gbps symmetric broadband package, which costs £64.99 per month on a 24-month term (their cheapest residential plan starts at just £24.99 for 150Mbps). In addition, customers will still have access to the provider’s Digital Voice range with home phone line company KIT.

Brett Shepherd, LightSpeed CEO, said:

“Our development of the LightSpeed brand this year is a game changer for our existing and future customers. Symmetrical upload and download speeds of up to 2,000Mbps, alongside an expanded offering and coverage area, means there’s never been a better time to join our growing family of satisfied customers.

We now cover more than 250,000 homes and businesses across the East of England and West Midlands, with plans to expand to more than 400,000 by 2027.

Broadband is just the beginning; we’re immediately offering LightSpeed customers the option of top-of-the-range home security systems. Houses with ultra-fast broadband are future-proofed, and security is a crucial consideration for a comfortable, happy home.

And that’s just the start. Our ambition is to become a one-stop shop, simplifying the management of all household digital services in one convenient place.”

Finally, LightSpeed has rounded off a busy re-launch by introducing some new Home Security bundles – in partnership with SimpliSafe (they have more plans to expand this offering in the coming months). Three systems will be on offer with the SimpliSafe range and we’ve summarised them all below.

· The Starter is SimpliSafe’s introductory system – earning Best Buy status from Which? – including an entry sensor, motion sensor and wired HD indoor camera, controlled via a keypad sensor and managed by a base station with backup battery.

· The Tower with all the features of the Starter package, an extra entry sensor and a wired HD outdoor camera to monitor visitors (whether welcome or not!), plus a complimentary SimpliSafe bell box deterrent with flashing light and 105db siren, which activates if a sensor is triggered

· The Edinburgh – SimpliSafe’s premium system – including all the above features, plus two key fobs, an extra motion sensor and entry sensor, a temperature sensor (warning of freezing pipes) and water sensor (detecting leaks)

Overall, this sounds like LightSpeed Broadband has been reinvigorated by their recent investment boost and are thus returning to a more positive build trajectory. But we still don’t know precisely which new towns they’ll be covering, while the wider economic challenges of the current market may continue to put pressure on their efforts, just as it does for all operators.

News 

“Never before have Nvidia and HPE integrated our technologies so deeply,” says Nvidia boss Jensen Huang 

Nvidia and HPE have announced a partnership to co-develop AI solutions and joint go-to-market integrations to help businesses accelerate their adoption of generative AI. The partnership is a deepening of a decades-long collaboration between the two companies. 

The announcement was made in Las Vegas at HPE’s Discover event by HPE’s President and CEO Antonio Neri, who was joined on stage by NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang. One of the key offerings is HPE Private Cloud AI, which will integrate Nvidia’s software and computing technologies with HPE’s storage solutions, which will allow customers to run generative AI workloads efficiently and securely. The companies say that this is the first time the companies have integrated their solutions so fully. 

“Generative AI holds immense potential for enterprise transformation, but the complexities of fragmented AI technology contain too many risks and barriers that hamper large-scale enterprise adoption and can jeopardize a company’s most valuable asset – its proprietary data,” said Neri. 

“To unleash the immense potential of generative AI in the enterprise, HPE and NVIDIA co-developed a turnkey private cloud for AI that will enable enterprises to focus their resources on developing new AI use cases that can boost productivity and unlock new revenue streams,” he continued. 

According to the announcement’s press release, the HPE Private Cloud AI will offer: 

Support for inference, fine-tuning and RAG AI workloads that utilise proprietary data.
Enterprise control for data privacy, security, transparency, and governance requirements.
Cloud experience with ITOps and AIOps capabilities to increase productivity.
Fast path to consume flexibly to meet future AI opportunities and growth.

“Never before have NVIDIA and HPE integrated our technologies so deeply – combining the entire NVIDIA AI computing stack along with HPE’s private cloud technology – to equip enterprise clients and AI professionals with the most advanced computing infrastructure and services to expand the frontier of AI,” confirmed Huang. 

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

Also in the news:
Nokia and Google Cloud expand partnership for telco APIs
Microsoft to invest $7.16 bn in Spanish data centres
Vietnam suffers three subsea cable outages

The Rydal Group, which is a UK telecommunications and managed IT provider, has announced that they’ve moved to boost their presence in the market by acquiring Cambridge-based provider My Communications Ltd for an undisclosed sum, which offers an array of business-focused broadband and phone services.

The “strategic move” is said to enhance Rydal Group’s presence in the telecom industry, while also expanding its client base to over 2,500 (i.e. the deal adds 400 telecom clients to the Rydal Group family) and boosting its annual turnover to over £11 million.

Under the deal, My Comms will continue operating from its Cambridgeshire office, with no changes. The existing management team and employees of My Comms will then be integrated into Rydal Groups’ structure, with a primary focus on helping them further expand their Telecoms Services to their clients.

Alex Mason, Director of My Communications Ltd, said:

“Having known Steffan and his team for years and witnessing their industry success, I am confident in this acquisition’s fit and its benefits for all parties involved. Rydal Group’s experienced support desk, dedicated account management team, and broader national support from their multiple offices will enhance My Communications offerings.

Additionally, integrating Rydals top-tier products and services will further meet our clients’ needs and strengthen our existing partnerships. I’d like to say a huge thank you to our staff for their dedication and to our customers for their loyalty, both of which are greatly valued.”

Steffan Dancy, Group MD of Rydal Group, said:

“We’re thrilled to announce the acquisition of My Communications Limited, based in Newmarket, Cambridgeshire. Big thanks to Alex Mason, the Director of My Communications, for building an incredible business with a loyal client base.”

The Scottish National Party (Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba) has today published details of their 2024 Manifesto for the 4th July UK General Election, which sets out plans for a seemingly cheaper “statutory” social tariff for broadband and mobile services.

The SNP is the current party of government in Scotland and therefore we already know something about their approach to digital infrastructure, which is being headlined by their £600m Reaching 100% (R100) project. The R100 scheme largely involves working with Openreach to extend “full fibre” (FTTP) networks to another 114,000 premises – in areas that lack access to “superfast broadband” (30Mbps+) – by 2027/28.

In addition, they’re also in the process of harnessing an investment of £450m from the national £5bn Project Gigabit programme (example), which should help to spread 1Gbps broadband speeds into some of the most remote rural areas of Scotland (benefitting up to around 410,000 premises). But this is a UK government programme and so doesn’t count as one of the SNP’s own policies.

Suffice to say that we were interested to see what today’s SNP 2024 Manifesto (PDF) document might contain, at least in terms of any new commitments for digital infrastructure. This is particularly true after all the recent talk of a social tariff for broadband and mobile (here), which caused a bit of controversy because such tariffs already exist (Guide to UK Social Tariffs) and it’s unclear how the SNP’s approach would differ.

The bad news is that their document doesn’t add much to yesterday’s news. The only mention of broadband and mobile connectivity in the whole document was this little sentence: “Call for a statutory social tariff for energy, broadband and mobile charges for all who need one.” The key bit of new detail here is that use of the word “statutory“, while the current social tariffs have all been introduced under a voluntary model.

However, it remains unclear whether the SNP would force all ISPs to adopt one or only the largest players, as well as what practical differences the SNP may ask providers to make. Not to mention the question of how ISPs will introduce a tariff that, if required to be different, may only be available to people in Scotland. The latter would be tedious for ISPs to juggle, especially around the border communities, where the dividing lines of availability could become contentious or confusing.

Press Release  

Three UK and Ericsson have improved energy efficiency by up to 70 per cent at selected sites

Combination of hardware and software upgrades deliver energy efficiency benefits and lower CO2 emissions

Artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics and Micro Sleep features allow radio components to autonomously deactivate during low traffic hours or when not active

19 June 2024 – Three UK has hit a new milestone in its network sustainability journey thanks to the deployment of next-generation AI-powered hardware and software solutions from Ericsson. As part of an ongoing network modernisation initiative over the last 18 months, Three UK has worked with Ericsson on improving network energy performance thanks to a combination of industry leading energy efficient radios and the use of AI and data analytics.

Late in 2023, Three UK became one of the first major operators in the UK to deploy Ericsson’s award-winning dual-band Radio 4490, which consumes less power and is 25% lighter than previous models, simplifying site access and speeding up site upgrades.

Combined with the deployment of more energy efficient radios, Three UK has also implemented a series of software features that consume less power per radio during low traffic hours. Thanks to advanced machine learning, passive cooling and power-saving features, the new generation of radio works autonomously across 4G and 5G networks to switch off radio components when not active, while having the capability to switch on again in microseconds for the next service request.

So far, the partnership between Three UK and Ericsson has resulted in an improvement of network energy efficiency of up to 70 per cent at selected sites, all completed while improving network performance but reducing site footprint and lowering CO2 emissions.

Iain Milligan, Chief Network Officer, Three UK, said: “Three UK’s collaboration with Ericsson marks a milestone in our commitment to sustainability. We’ve achieved excellent improvements in energy efficiency while expanding network capabilities for our customers. We plan to take these learnings on board for future projects, ensuring that we continue to improve the environmental impact of our network.”

Evangelia Tzifa, Chief Technology Officer, Networks & Managed Services, Ericsson UK and Ireland, said: “Together with Three UK, we are redefining the network of the future and making it both smarter and more energy efficient. To increase network availability and performance while reducing network energy consumption is a testament to the technology and expertise of our two great teams. I am both excited and proud to know that we are building a modern digital infrastructure together that brings not only superior performance for Three customers, but also helps to make the future more promising and sustainable.”

Mobile operator Three UK has announced that they’ve been able to work with strategic supplier Ericsson to improve the energy efficiency of their national 4G and 5G (mobile broadband) network by up to 70% “at selected sites“. This is largely thanks to the deployment of next-generation AI-powered hardware and software solutions.

The mobile operator has spent much of the last 18 months delivering a network modernisation programme, which has included various changes. For example, at the end of 2023 Three UK became one of the first major operators in the UK to deploy Ericsson’s latest dual-band Radio 4490, which consumes less power and is 25% lighter than previous models (i.e. easier to install on some rooftop sites).

The operator has also upgraded some of their existing software, which introduced features that have enabled some of their kit to consume less power per radio during low traffic hours (i.e. advanced machine learning, passive cooling and power-saving features). In simple terms, this switches off radio components when not active, while having the capability to switch them on again in microseconds for the next service request.

Iain Milligan, Chief Network Officer of Three UK, said:

“Three UK’s collaboration with Ericsson marks a milestone in our commitment to sustainability. We’ve achieved excellent improvements in energy efficiency while expanding network capabilities for our customers. We plan to take these learnings on board for future projects, ensuring that we continue to improve the environmental impact of our network.”

As well as helping to save money on electricity, this also means that Three UK’s network will produce lower CO2 emissions and all without comprising on their network performance. But it should be said that other network operators have been deploying the same or similar solutions, and the removal of older 3G services will also be contributing to greater energy efficiency and performance.

Ofcom has just confirmed that they will revoke the current mobile operator licences – held by EE (BT), Three UK and O2 (Virgin Media) – for the unpaired part of the 2100MHz band (1899.9 – 1920MHz) by 3rd April 2029, which was originally auctioned off in April 2000 to support the rollout of 3G mobile (mobile broadband) networks.

All four of the major mobile network operators (inc. Vodafone) already make use of paired radio spectrum in the 2100MHz band (see below). But today’s update on Ofcom’s plan from last year concerns the smaller 20MHz frequency slice of unpaired spectrum in that same band.

The unpaired part is currently largely unused and the operators don’t have any plans to deploy higher-power services in the spectrum, which is largely due to the lack of a supportive ecosystem, as well as the need for a guard band against paired spectrum (used to reduce the risk of interference) and the limited bandwidth it offers. But this approach also contributes to a reduction in an already limited pot of spectrum.

The regulator is naturally seeking optimal use of the unpaired 2100MHz spectrum, which at the end of 2023 resulted in their decision to revoke all of the existing licences. Ofcom believes the spectrum due to be freed could be better used by the emergency services, railways or the utilities sector (the latter has a spectrum requirement for a secure wireless network).

Ofcom has now confirmed this move and formally given five years’ notice to the operators, which means the revocations will take effect on 3rd April 2029.

Energy and communications provider Telecom Plus, which trades as Utility Warehouse (UW), has just published their latest Full Year Results and revealed that their broadband ISP grew its total UK customer base to 374,792 (up by 20.67k in the year) and their mobile base hit 466,216 (up by 72k).

As previously reported (here), the company recently passed the 1 million customer milestone (currently 1,011,489, which is up from 886,579 in 2023) and are now setting their sights on “doubling in size to two million customers … over the medium term“. Most of those take their residential energy services, but we should add UW also has a shrinking base of 20,047 legacy phone line-only customers (down from 21,827).

The main developments – on the telecoms side – for UW over the last year have included the launch of their first 5G tariff, building out CityFibre as a full fibre (FTTP) broadband partner and improving their Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems by introducing ‘one-way’ video (i.e. allowing advisors to understand and resolve energy and broadband queries faster by enabling them to see the problem the customer is having).

UW Summary of Broadband and Mobile Services

Broadband

The broadband market remains highly competitive although switching levels remain low. With many people still working from home at least part-time, there remains an added reliance on broadband and WiFi making many consumers fear switching. This reluctance to switch has tempered our broadband growth, although we are pleased to have increased our broadband service numbers to 374,792 over the course of the year.

We are optimistic that the imminent retirement of old legacy copper broadband services in favour of full fibre broadband will give many consumers a reason to switch, and we are already seeing around 48% of new customers now taking a full fibre service.

At our Amplify event in September, we announced the launch of CityFibre which added an additional 3 million properties to our addressable full fibre market. To support this launch we organised a number of ‘town takeovers’ where Partners worked together in areas where full fibre had recently been made available, with more localised campaigns being planned.

Unlike most major broadband providers, we do not impose ‘in contract price rises’ for broadband customers, and we applied a lower price increase to those who are not in contract compared with most other leading suppliers, increasing our relative competitive position. With consumers still focused on a reliable service, we were pleased to be voted 4th in Which? 2024 Best Broadband Survey, and with our WiFi home hub retaining its Which? Best Buy status.

Mobile

The trend in the mobile market continues to be led by ‘SIM only’ plans with many customers choosing to keep their handsets for longer, making our simple sim only offering very attractive. Our competitive and straightforward proposition has led to further strong growth in our mobile business of over 18%, ending the year with 466,216 services.

We introduced 5G on our new Unlimited+ tariff making it one of the best value unlimited deals in the UK, delivering 99.6% population coverage on the EE network. We also increased the amount of data on our Essentials tariff from 5GB to 8GB making it more suitable and competitive for many less intensive mobile users. Customers now also benefit from coverage on some of the London Underground as well as WiFi calling when they are connected to broadband.

We expect mobile service growth to further accelerate during FY25, as we evolve our multiservice offering to give customers access to our multi-service discounts when they take a second mobile sim in their bundles, whereas previously only the first sim counted

Meanwhile, on the financial front, the operator saw total revenue shrink sharply to £2,039.1m (2023: £2,475.2m) – mostly due to the headwinds from a reduction in Ofgem’s energy price cap. Meanwhile gross profit was up 16% to £355.2m (2023: £306.2m) and adjusted pre-tax profit went up 21.5% to £116.9m (2023: £96.2m).