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Customers of Sky’s broadband-based Sky Glass and Sky Stream pay TV streaming devices and service may like to know that the media giant has recently released an updated Sky Remote app for Android and iOS (Apple) based Smartphones, which finally turns your mobile phone or tablet into a remote control for both platforms.

The new app recently popped up on both the Google Play Store (Android) and iTunes (Apple) as the v1.0.7291 release and comes in at around 28MB (MegaBytes) in size. At the time of writing, it’s only been downloaded over 100 times from the Play Store, so it’s clearly fairly recent or not yet very well known (Google says it was updated on 17th November 2025).

The app’s description says: “Enjoy all the entertainment you love, even without the physical remote. Change channels, navigate menus, search, pause and play. Even quickly switch between compatible TV devices in your home. Simply make sure devices are on the same WIFI so they can be controlled from the app.”

We’d also suggest using the direct links in the paragraph above to get the correct and official Sky app for Glass and Stream support, which avoids confusing it with several other (mostly unofficial) apps of a similar name. As above, the key consideration is to make sure that everything is using the same WiFi network, otherwise it won’t work.

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The Scottish Government (SG) have published an interim evaluation report for their ongoing £697m Reaching 100% (R100) project with Openreach, which has so far helped to deploy full fibre (FTTP) broadband to 93,800 extra premises in remote rural areas. The report finds benefits in terms of “business productivity, enhanced personal wellbeing and strengthened resilience for households and communities“.

The R100 scheme currently aims to cover around 113,000 premises – split across three contracts – in areas that lack access to “superfast broadband” (30Mbps+) by March 2028. The most challenging LOT 1 (North Scotland and the Highlands) area is expected to cover around 61,000 premises by 2027/28, while LOT 2 (Central Scotland) was due to reach 32,000 by 2023/24 and LOT 3 (South Scotland) targeted 22,000 by 2024/25.

Just for some wider context. At the end of June 2025 some 81.89% of premises in Scotland could access a gigabit-capable (1Gbps download) broadband ISP network and this fell to 70.20% when only looking at FTTP technology (here); most of that has been delivered via commercial investment. Ofcom predicts that Scotland’s full fibre (FTTP) coverage will reach somewhere between 81-93% of homes by January 2028 (here), rising to 87-94% for gigabit-capable broadband (FTTP + Hybrid Fibre Coax / cable).

The new R100 evaluation report, which involves a lot of different data sources and surveys, is a whopping 172 pages long and makes for quite a laborious read. But it broadly found that 76% of businesses connected via the R100 programme reported increased productivity, with 52% citing improved innovation and 69% experiencing overall performance gains.

The programme is also said to have delivered wellbeing and social impacts. Of residents connected via R100, 49% reported improved wellbeing with benefits cited including reduced isolation, better access to healthcare and education, and stronger community engagement.

On the flip side, the report suggests that a lack of awareness of R100 is the “primary barrier to up-take“, with more than 85% of Group 2 households eligible for the voucher scheme, 50% of Group 2 households eligible via the main contracts, and 81% of Group 2 businesses unaware of R100.

Furthermore, for the large majority of households who were unaware, the lack of awareness was the only barrier to take-up with the majority of those in the sample who were unaware (89% of households with a current connection and 74% of those without a current household connection) stating that they intend to apply now that they know about the programme.

The evaluation findings demonstrate that infrastructure improvements alone are insufficient to deliver equality of outcome. “Affordability, digital skills, confidence and service reliability remain key challenges, particularly for older adults, disabled people, low-income households, children and young people, and those in rural and island communities,” said the report, which includes a few recommendations.

Key R100 Recommendations

To ensure that equality is central to delivery and that the programme delivers not only on connectivity targets but also on Scotland’s broader commitments to equality and social justice, the following measures should be considered:

➤ Targeted communications: Deliver awareness campaigns in accessible formats and through trusted intermediaries, including schools, GP practices, libraries and community groups, particularly in rural and island areas.

➤ Application and switching support: Provide dedicated support to residents and microbusinesses in navigating voucher applications and provider switching, ensuring older adults and those with limited digital literacy are not excluded.

➤ Affordability measures: Strengthen promotion of social tariffs, explore targeted subsidies or device loans for low-income and disabled households, and consider funding for assistive technologies.

➤ Parity of outcome assurance: Introduce clear quality standards for voucher-based solutions, supported by monitoring of service reliability and consumer satisfaction across geographic areas.

➤ Support for children and young people: Work with schools and youth services to combine connectivity improvements with access to devices, skills development and safe online environments.

➤ Inclusive service design: Ensure that digital public services retain telephone or face-to-face options, particularly for older adults and disabled people in rural communities.

➤ Ongoing equality monitoring: Track awareness, take-up and satisfaction by age, disability, income and geography. Regular reporting can identify emerging gaps and inform responsive action.

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Network operator Openreach (BT) has issued a progress update on their deployment of a new Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based gigabit broadband ISP network across rural parts of Devon and Somerset (South West England), specifically those areas that form part of their related Project Gigabit contracts with the UK government.

For context. Openreach was recently chosen to deliver all of Project Gigabit’s Cross-Regional (Type C) procurements (here, here and here) via a Single Supplier Framework (here) – currently reflecting £745m in total public subsidy to help upgrade 297,000 premises to full fibre technology in some of the hardest to reach parts of rural England, Scotland and Wales (i.e. premises with no prior access to gigabit connectivity). The total value of this could also be raised up to £1.2bn in the future as more builds are added (here).

The areas covered by these Type C contracts typically reflect locations where no or no appropriate market interest had previously been expressed before to the Government’s Building Digital UK (BDUK) agency, or areas that have been de-scoped or terminated from a prior plan. Areas like the ones above are often skipped due to being too expensive (difficult) for smaller suppliers; all the other contracts have gone to smaller alternative networks.

Openreach has today issued a progress update on their related Project Gigabit contracts for Devon and Somerset, which form part of their “Call off 4” contract. In Somerset, the operator’s engineers are about to reach more properties in and around Watchet, Clevedon, Walton-in-Gordano, Clapton in Gordano and Walton Bay.

As for Devon, they’re about to reach Spreyton, Coldridge, Chulmleigh, Roborough, Broadwoodkelly, Beaford, Dolton, Monkokehampton, North Tawton, Bondleigh, Folly Gate, Merton, Meeth, Exbourne, Meldon, Lydacott, Southcott, Kentisbury, Landkey, Swimbridge, Combe Martin, Burrington, Frithelstock, Langtree, Stibb Cross, Creedy Bridge, Shobrooke, Crediton, Barnstaple Cross, Upton Hellions, Poughill, Sandford, Cheriton Fitzpaine, Neopardy, Gunstone, Nadderwater, Pinhoe, Broadclyst, Cowley, Doddiscombsleigh, Lower Ashton, Higher Ashton and Longdown.

In total, Openreach’s Full Fibre network now reaches more than 230,000 properties across Somerset and 385,000 properties across Devon, although this reflects a mix of both their commercial (most of the work) and publicly subsidised deployments.

Telecoms Minister, Liz Lloyd, said:

“Whether it’s families streaming together, farmers being able to use new technology, or businesses reaching more customers online, this upgrade creates real opportunities for communities across Devon [and Somerset]. By delivering infrastructure that will serve these communities for decades to come, we’re making sure everyone can benefit from the digital world, no matter where they live.”

The new service, once live, can be ordered via various UK ISPs, such as BT, Sky Broadband, TalkTalk, Vodafone and more (Openreach FTTP ISP Choices) – it is not currently an automatic upgrade, although some providers have started to do free automatic upgrades as older copper-based services and lines are slowly withdrawn. But it’s important to reflect that Openreach won’t always reach 100% of premises in every location they target on the first pass.

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The Independent Networks Co-operative Association (INCA), which represents many of the UK’s alternative broadband networks, has today warned Ofcom “not to relinquish statutory price regulation” on Openreach via recently proposed changes (here) to their Wholesale Local Access (WLA) pricing remedies under the 5-yearly Telecoms Access Review 2026 (TAR).

Just to recap. The regulator recently proposed an alternative approach to setting charge controls for Openreach’s regulated 80Mbps broadband product. “Openreach has suggested that, rather than Ofcom imposing charge control regulations on its 80/20 product, they instead amend their contracts with customers to achieve the same outcome,” said Ofcom, which views the proposal as being “likely to achieve similar outcomes to the charge control and therefore could be a more proportionate way of meeting our objectives.”

However, INCA is naturally wary of any change that would relinquish statutory price regulation in favour of relying on Openreach’s private contractual mechanisms, which they claim “amounts to the regulator stepping back from its duty to enforce fair pricing and support competition in the UK broadband market“. But Ofcom contends that the outcome for consumers and ISPs would be similar to the regulated approach.

Nevertheless, INCA believes this shift would reduce regulatory certainty, as “contract-based mechanisms are not directly enforceable by Ofcom in the way statutory price controls are“. But Ofcom’s consultation stated that Openreach would have “no ability to unilaterally change” the conditions during Ofcom’s 5-year market review period, until 2031.

Paddy Paddison, Chief Executive of INCA, said:

“This proposal asks the entire market to place trust in the incumbent. BT Openreach has no incentive to promote competition, yet Ofcom appears willing to rely on a contract-led workaround rather than the statutory powers designed to protect consumers and ensure a level playing field.

INCA also notes a broader pattern in recent consultations, where major changes have been introduced late in the process based largely on submissions from the incumbent operator. INCA believes that such late-stage adjustments, without adequate time for industry scrutiny, risk creating unnecessary uncertainty for investors and operators.

INCA has further highlighted concerns about the cashflow effects of Equinox’s quarterly refund structure, which requires operators to carry costs for several months before discounts are applied – an arrangement that can disproportionately impact Altnets.

Our intention is to work constructively with Ofcom. We want to ensure that any new approach supports competition, continued investment and strong consumer outcomes that Altnets provide.”

Ofcom has yet to make a final decision on what approach they will take, but the outcome is expected to be revealed alongside their final TAR statement in March 2026.

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Amazon Leo (formerly Project Kuiper) has today announced that they’ve opened up their new constellation of ultrafast broadband satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to early testing by selected enterprise customers. The move is being supported by the launch of their new Leo Ultra terminal, which offers download speeds “up to” 1Gbps (400Mbps uploads).

The company currently has approval to deploy and operate their own constellation of 3,236 LEO satellites as part of Project Kuiper Amazon Leo (altitudes of between 590km to 630km). A total of over 150 satellites have already been placed into orbit via six successful rocket launches, which includes two of their initial prototypes – Kuipersat-1 and Kuipersat-2. But many more are due to follow over the next few years.

The full commercial launch of this service, which will ultimately sell products direct to consumers, businesses and the public sector via a selection of different terminals, isn’t expected until sometime in 2026 (they need to launch more satellites first to reach a basic level of global coverage and network capacity). But before then they’ve today carried out their promise to launch an “enterprise preview” (beta test) of the service with “select business customers“.

The preview will allow their early enterprise customers (JetBlue, Hunt Energy Company etc.) to “begin testing the network using production hardware and software“, while also giving the Amazon Leo teams “an opportunity to collect more customer feedback and tailor solutions for specific industries ahead of a broader rollout“.

Some of the company’s enterprise-grade features including network management tools, advanced encryption across the network, and 24/7 priority customer support. The service is designed to support critical business applications including real-time data processing, remote operations management, and secure communications for teams working in field locations.

The enterprise solution also connects directly to Amazon Web Services (AWS), as well as other cloud and on-premise networks, allowing customers to securely move data from remote assets to private networks without touching the public internet.

Amazon Leo’s Two Primary Private Networking Solutions

Direct to AWS

With Direct to AWS (D2A), AWS customers can connect directly to their cloud workloads using an AWS Transit Gateway or AWS Direct Connect Gateway through a point-and-click interface on the Amazon Leo web console, simplifying network management and lowering latency.

Private Network Interconnect

Enterprises and telecommunications providers can also establish private network interconnects (PNI) at major colocation facilities to connect remote locations directly to their data center or core network, enabling Private Networking in days rather than the weeks or months typically required to deploy traditional private circuits.

In addition, Amazon are supporting this with the launch of their new 1Gbps capable Leo Ultra terminal, which appears to share the same core performance specs as the Pro terminal that was previously announced, albeit with a sleeker design. Confusingly, Amazon Leo then states that it will be shipping units of both “Leo Pro and Leo Ultra” to select companies as part of this new enterprise preview.

The announcement also includes a video of the new terminal, which pitches the kit as the “world’s fastest satellite antenna” (difficult to substantiate as “antenna” is quite a broad definition), albeit still too early for any details on the price of their Enterprise solution and hardware.

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News

The mobile operator says the upgrades will help facilitate the rollout of electric vehicles across the country

Virgin Media O2 (O2) has announced 4G and 5G coverage improvements on more than 40 major UK motorways and A roads, spanning almost 600 miles. The improvements cover routes including the M1 (London to Leeds), M4 (London to Bristol), M6 (Coventry to Carlisle), and M8 (Glasgow to Edinburgh).

The improvements include the improvement of  4G at over 300 mobile sites and construction more than 330 new 5G sites along these key transport routes.

This initiative forms part of O2’s £700 million Mobile Transformation Plan, which broadly targets enhancing 5G and 4G network coverage across the UK, including dense urban centres, transport hubs, stadiums, and major roads. The operator plans to extend similar enhancements to other key routes such as the A14 (Rugby to Ipswich), M20 (London to Folkestone), and A75 (Gretna to Stranraer) in the future.

In tandem with these upgrades, O2 has expanded its 5G Standalone (5G SA) network to cover over 70% of the UK population, enabling faster speeds, lower latency, and broader outdoor network coverage in 500 towns and cities, a move designed to future-proof connectivity standards nationwide.

O2 is positioning the upgrades as a key enabler for the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). National polling conducted by the operator revealed that 76% of EV drivers are concerned about losing mobile connectivity, which can hinder their ability to locate and pay for public charging points. This anxiety about signal reliability even surpasses ‘range anxiety’, the worry about depleting battery before reaching a charger, which affects 68% of EV drivers.

O2’s press release also notes that the EV charging company Believ – backed by O2’s owner Liberty Global – is concurrently deploying up to 30,000 new public charging points across the UK, including in areas where O2 has enhanced mobile coverage.

“Connectivity underpins a huge part of the driving experience today, but particularly for EVs. By optimising coverage on more than 40 motorways and A roads as part of our £700 million investment in our Mobile Transformation Plan, we’re helping make every journey safer and more reliable. Alongside Believ’s new charging points, this is about removing barriers so more people can make the switch to electric with confidence,” said Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2.

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London-based broadband provider Pulse Fibre, which focuses on deploying Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) internet connections into new build UK home developments and MDUs (here), have recently enhanced their existing financial support incentives by launching a £100 million rebate programme for property developers.

Pulse Fibre have long offered a rebate program, primarily for property developers, to help offset costs when integrating their full fibre broadband infrastructure into new developments. But the provider has now announced that they intend to underwrite a £100m investment in “substantial rebates” over the next 5 years.

“By partnering with Pulse Fibre, developers can offset development costs through a rebate programme that helps reduce the financial burden of fibre installation, freeing up capital for other key areas of construction. Each property is delivered with full-fibre connectivity from day one, ensuring fast, symmetrical broadband that enhances both sales appeal and buyer satisfaction,” said the announcement.

The provider points out that the installation of Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) technology often represents a “small percentage of total build costs“, albeit one that can have a “disproportionately large impact on buyer satisfaction and property value“. Naturally, homes with access to full-fibre broadband are almost always more attractive to purchasers.

Pulse Fibre Statement

The company works closely with construction partners to streamline installation, coordinate with site timelines, and ensure minimal disruption during the build process.

With infrastructure costs rising and digital expectations higher than ever, now is the time for developers to explore Pulse Fibre’s rebate initiative. Whether planning the next site or already breaking ground, partnering with Pulse Fibre ensures that every home is equipped with the connectivity needed for a truly modern lifestyle.

The announcement dropped into our inbox today, but according to their website the new rebate was actually first launched around the end of July 2025. What’s less clear is how a smaller business like Pulse Fibre (company accounts) can underwrite such developments by often bigger businesses, although they could be doing this by assuming the risk for larger entities in the context of specific commercial arrangements.

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News

The system, dubbed TalayLink, will connect South Thailand to Western Australia, with a stop at Christmas Island, where Google is building an AI data hub

Today, Google Cloud has unveiled TalayLink, a new subsea cable linking Australia and Thailand. The system, Google says, will help improve digital connectivity, reliability, and network resilience across the Asia-Pacific region.

This initiative builds on Google’s earlier announcements under the Australia Connect project, with TalayLink charting a new route via the Indian Ocean west of the Sunda Strait. By avoiding heavily congested paths, this new cable system will strengthen the fabric of Google’s global network, particularly connecting to its planned data centres and cloud region in Thailand.

The name TalayLink is derived from the Thai word for “sea,” a fitting title for a cable designed to reinforce vital undersea infrastructure in a region where digital growth and cloud adoption are accelerating rapidly. In addition to the cable itself, Google will set up two new connectivity hubs in Western Australia (Mandurah) and South Thailand.

According to Bikash Koley, Vice President of Google Global Infrastructure, the combinaton of the new cable systems and these data hubs represent a strategic effort to future-proof connectivity for the region, particularly with regard to the growth of digital and AI services.

“When they’re complete, TalayLink and the connectivity hubs will support network resilience across Australia, Africa and Southeast Asia. When combined with our previously announced connectivity hubs in the Maldives and Christmas Island, these investments will provide onward connectivity across the Indian Ocean and beyond to the Middle East,” he said in a company blog post.

Source: Google CloudThis announcement complements other recent efforts by Google and allied partners to bolster subsea infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific region. Google’s Australia Connect initiative, for example, includes the Bosun subsea cable linking Darwin to Christmas Island, contributing to more resilient pathways connecting Australia to Asia and beyond.

Moreover, Google’s broader subsea network expansion extends into the Pacific and even between continents, exemplified by the forthcoming Humboldt cable linking South America with the Asia-Pacific region, signalling a global vision for highly interconnected and resilient internet infrastructure.

The submarine cable industry is evolving rapidly. Join the sector’s leading voices in discussion at Submarine Networks EMEA 2026

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Some of ISPreview’s readers have spotted that the broadband availability checker on Openreach’s UK site has stopped displaying results for older ADSL and FTTC (VDSL2 / SOGEA) technologies, albeit only in areas that now have access to full fibre (FTTP) lines. This occurs even if the older services aren’t yet on a “stop sell” due to existing switch-off programmes.

The move makes sense as it aligns with Openreach’s overarching move toward the gradual retirement of legacy copper-based broadband services and the desire to push everybody over to full fibre networks once they become available. This will help to ease the pressure on the operator as copper-to-fibre migrations become more urgent.

The downside is that this may lead to some consumer confusion about what is and is not available at their property (e.g. FTTC may still be available, even if FTTP is present). Not to mention that local FTTP availability doesn’t always translate to a deliverable service, due to issues with local pole capacity and problems/obstructions when reaching specific properties. In the latter sense, having knowledge that an alternative still exists would be helpful, especially if there are no other gigabit-capable broadband options in the area.

Consumers can of course still conduct checks using the BT Wholesale Checker and some retail ISPs do show all of the available product options, even in FTTP enabled areas on Openreach’s network. But we should point out that quite a few ISPs – particularly larger players – have already transitioned their own checkers to an FTTP-only focus.

Credits to ‘Some Edinburgh Guy‘ on our forum for noticing the change (here).

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Alternative provider Quickline, which is building a mix of full fibre (FTTP) and fixed wireless (FWA) broadband networks across rural parts of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in England (3-Year Rollout Plan), has today continued their recent changes in senior leadership (here) by appointing Becki Smith as their new Chief Commercial Officer (CCO).

Becki is said to have held senior leadership positions at a number of major UK brands including Three UK, TalkTalk and the N Brown Group. Her career spans both start-up and large-scale environments, from scaling Boohoo’s international eCommerce operations to leading integration and growth strategies for multimillion and multibillion-pound organisations.

In her new role, Becki will lead the company’s sales, marketing and customer success teams. Quickline is currently aiming to extend gigabit-capable broadband to a further 360,000 UK premises across thousands of rural communities (roughly 170k via publicly funded projects and almost 200k from commercial builds) and the provider hopes to end 2025 with a total of 200,000 premises passed.

Mark Bowden, Quickline’s New CEO, said:

“Becki’s appointment marks an important milestone in Quickline’s next phase of growth.

She brings outstanding commercial acumen, proven leadership and a deep understanding of customer-focused transformation.

Her experience will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our brand, attract more customers, and expand our reach across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.”