Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Broadband ISP and mobile operator EE (BT) has this morning announced that they’ve just expanded the coverage of their latest 5G Standalone (5GSA / 5G+) mobile network to reach 20 new UK locations – reflecting a total additional population reach of more than 1.6 million people.

Just to recap. Earlier deployments of 5G were largely Non-Standalone (NSA), which meant they were partly reliant upon slower 4G infrastructure. But SA networks are pure end-to-end 5G that can deliver ultra-low latency times, greater energy efficiency, better mobile broadband speeds (particularly uploads), network slicing, improved support for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, increased reliability and security etc.

EE officially began launching a range of new 5G SA supporting mobile plans across 15 major UK cities in September 2024 (here) and they’ve since been rapidly expanding upon that (example). The operator has previously informed ISPreview that they only announce 5GSA availability once a location has “at least 95% outdoor coverage“, which helps to ensure a good level of connectivity.

“This time of year is all about connecting with the people and things we care about most. With millions of people travelling to visit family, heading to the high street for their gifts, and enjoying the best festive events the UK has to offer, we’re expanding EE’s 5G+ network so the nation can benefit from its high capacity, ultra-reliable connectivity and stay connected to what matters to them this Christmas,” said Greg McCall, Chief Networks Officer at BT Group.

EE’s 20 New 5G+ Locations

1. Ballymena
2. Burton-on-Trent
3. Chelmsford
4. Dewsbury
5. Ellesmere Port
6. Gateshead
7. Greenock
8. Hamilton
9. Hartlepool
10. Hatfield
11. Hereford
12. Londonderry
13. Newark
14. Oldham
15. Rochdale
16. Solihull
17. Stafford
18. Stevenage
19. Tamworth
20. Warwick

Device compatibility is of course still an issue for 5GSA adoption, although such things will resolve themselves with time as consumers gradually upgrade – many modern Smartphones do now support it on EE’s network. But overall, today’s announcement represents more news for consumers who will benefit from the increased performance that 5G+ brings, particularly in urban areas.

The new 5G+ network is now said to be available on all EE Pay Monthly handset plans, as well as its Full Works and All Rounder SIM-only plans. In addition, the operator confirmed that more than 15% of all their Pay Monthly customers are now accessing 5G+. Furthermore, more than 500,000 EE customers who took out a pay monthly handset plan between September 2024 and March 2025 have been given access to EE’s 5G+ network.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The latest annual report from analyst firm Enders Analysis – seen by ISPreview – has calculated that the UK’s largest alternative gigabit broadband networks (i.e. BT / Openreach challengers) collectively suffered losses of £1.5bn in 2024 (up from £1.304bn in 2023 and £755m in 2022) – driven by high interest rates and rising build costs. But it suggests that many may never make a profit.

According to Enders, the industry has now accumulated a total debt pile of £9bn and financing costs equated to an average 121% of revenue being generated last year. The average FTTP network penetration rate across the industry now stands at about 15% (up slightly from 12% in 2023), with most being a long way from the 40% seen by Enders as the level needed to become sustainably profitable (take note that 40% is not a hard rule and will vary, depending on cost to build and the type of areas being built across – e.g. rural often delivers higher take-up, but costs much more to build).

Regular readers won’t be surprised by this, as ISPreview has often reported on the challenges being experienced by network operators over the past three years. The situation has been fuelled by rising build costs, strong competition from rivals (i.e. overbuild and the challenges of growing take-up) and the difficulties of securing fresh investment during a period of high interest rates (not to mention rising debt repayments).

In response, many altnets have adopted a more protectionist strategy, which involves scaling-back or pausing new fibre deployments and switching their focus to growing customer take-up (commercialisation). Some other network operators and investment firms have also gone on a consolidation drive in an effort to capitalise on the difficult climate and grow scale to hopefully generate better returns (e.g. CityFibre), but this has gone slower than some expected.

Extract from Enders Analysis Report

Looking forward, for retail altnets (i.e. all except CityFibre) the outlook remains very bleak. The ISP incumbents are starting to respond to market share losses to the altnets, with average incumbent new customer pricing down c.7% year-on-year in the September 2025 quarter, and some altnets having to respond with even cheaper prices of their own, so improved ARPU [Average Revenue Per User] looks unlikely, and increasing use of contract buy-outs is putting upwards pressure on SACs [Subscriber Acquisition Cost]. By our estimates, at current ARPU and SAC levels even a theoretical highly efficient altnet cannot make a return on new customer acquisition even with all network coverage capex written off.

…

CityFibre, the largest altnet and the only one purely focused on wholesale, is in a slightly different position, with the Sky wholesale win giving it a realistic prospect of getting to 40-50% penetration levels, and its Q3 subscriber net adds nearly doubled on recent trends. Its economics based off 2024 metrics are still very weak, with ARPU of £15 and a calculated £240 connection ‘bonus’ per new subscriber, which make it very hard for it to make money even if it writes off its coverage capex.

One catch is that consolidation remains a very complex business, not least due to the inevitably slow and expensive process of needing to integrate different networks that may not have been built to the same standard. In addition, some network operators, such as those that exist in more heavily overbuilt areas, may have an inflated opinion of their own asset value, which can make it harder to reach an agreement.

In addition, it’s also clear that some major UK banks have scaled back their support for altnets, with NatWest and Lloyds being two examples that now seem to be expecting to take some losses on related loans (here and here). “It’s difficult to see a scenario in which retail altnets generate cash returns, even before interest costs on their debt,” said Karen Egan, Head of Telecoms at Enders Analysis.

Overall, it remains a tough environment and there’s still a long way to go before we can see how all of this is going to pan out, but the feeling is that all of the above factors may be starting to reach a crunch point that should help focus minds, drive realism where it’s needed and produce more consolidation. But before that we may yet see more painful restructuring and job cuts, even from some of the bigger altnets.

All the recent talk of consolidation around Gigaclear, Netomnia, CityFibre, nexfibre (VMO2) and others helps to illustrate some of the above points (here and here). But the longer this all takes, the harder the hit for many investors.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Edinburgh-based UK alternative network GoFibre, which is rolling out a gigabit broadband (FTTP) network across remote rural parts of Scotland and Northern England, has today announced that they’ve completed a second publicly funded contract – worth £7m – under the government’s Project Gigabit scheme for Teesdale (Lot 4.01 in County Durham).

The original Type A (Local Supplier) deployment contract for Teesdale was first announced all the way back in late September 2022 (here), which committed GoFibre to build their Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network to reach slightly more than 4,000 premises over the following four years.

Since then around 8,100 homes and businesses, including 4,400 funded by the aforementioned contract, can now access gigabit‑capable broadband via GoFibre. The work has upgraded digital connectivity for rural communities in and around Barnard Castle, Mickleton, West Auckland, Middleton‑in‑Teesdale and surrounding rural villages.

Over the course of the rollout, GoFibre has also expanded their full fibre connectivity to more than 80 local businesses and village halls. The overall build also involved the installation of more than 600km of fibre cable and complex engineering work within multiple Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Upper Teesdale.

The announcement marks the company’s second successful Project Gigabit completion in recent months – following their £7.3m North Northumberland build in August (here).

Neil Conaghan, CEO of GoFibre, said:

“For us at GoFibre, this isn’t just about faster broadband – it’s about making sure people in Teesdale have the same connectivity as people in bigger towns and cities. It means a family can stream without the screen freezing, a farmer can get the services they need online and a small business can reach customers miles away. Full fibre really does open doors, and the amount of interest we’ve had shows just how much people here have been waiting for it.”

As an independent broadband network and provider, this is another outstanding achievement in delivering on our Project Gigabit contracts. We’ll now focus on delivering our two other major projects in Scotland. My thanks go to the Durham and Teesdale communities, our partners and everyone who rolled up their sleeves to make this happen.”

Telecoms Minister, Liz Lloyd, said:

“Fast, reliable broadband connects people, helps businesses thrive and creates new opportunities. Through Project Gigabit we’re improving infrastructure across every corner of the UK, ensuring rural communities don’t get left behind in the digital age.

Connecting these hard-to-reach communities to future-proofed broadband is a huge milestone for Teesdale and exactly the kind of progress we need to kickstart the economy and renew our country.”

Customers of the service typically pay from £21 per month for speeds of 150Mbps (30Mbps upload) on a 24-month term with free installation and an included router, which rises to £29.95 for their top 1000Mbps (100Mbps upload) package. But this price will increase by £3 each December. Customers can also take advantage of up to £200 in Switching Credit if they need to leave their old ISP early.

The operator currently expects to deploy their new full fibre based broadband network to reach a footprint of 250,000 premises “in the next 3 years“ (i.e. around mid-2028) and they’re home to a total of 10,597 customers.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Network access provider Openreach (BT) is in the process of facing one of the most difficult challenges with their pilot UK exchange closures – the question of how to handle situations where some consumer broadband and phone lines remain active by the final product switch-off date (i.e. they’ve not been migrated).

Openreach currently has c.5,600 UK exchanges, but only c.1,000 of these are needed to provide nationwide coverage of modern “fibre broadband” based services (FTTC, FTTP etc.) – the Openreach Handover Points (OHPs). However, the rollout of Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) technology, combined with the retirement of copper lines and legacy services (ADSL, WLR etc.), will soon make it economically unviable to support both the old and new exchanges.

The operator has thus long since developed a gradual plan for closing the other 4,600 exchanges – known as the Exchange Exit Programme, which starts with an initial pilot of 3 exchanges (see below) and then extends to a closure of 105 “priority exchanges” by 2030 (i.e. taking place in four phases over the next 5 years), with the rest then following through the early 2030s.

As mentioned above, three pilot exchanges have already been in this process for a while, with Deddington (covers 1,200 premises) due to reach the final product switch-off on 28th November 2025. The much larger Ballyclare (9,500 premises) and Kenton Road (9,500 premises) exchanges will reach this point just two days later (aka – Network Cease Date).

Closing an exchange and migrating affected customers is a highly complex process, which typically takes around 4-7 years (depending upon the complexity of each exchange) – starting with a Stop Sell of old products and eventually ending with everything being switched off (only after this do Openreach and ISPs remove their physical kit).

So what’s the problem?

One of the expected challenges of this process has always been the question of how to deal with any consumer lines that remain active once the switch-off date is hit. This is something that is currently causing issues for Openreach’s two biggest pilot exchanges – Ballyclare and Kenton Road.

The issue was initially raised by internet and phone providers, which identified that some of their consumer customers did not yet seem to be ready or able to migrate their lines to a different exchange/service. Openreach were similarly concerned about the number of lines with no orders after their recommended last order date.

The operator has thus been busy working closely with Ofcom, the Government (DSIT) and the Office of the Telecoms Adjudicator (OTA) to find solutions. Openreach informed ISPreview that the numbers we’re talking about here would be a small proportion of those normally served by the pilot exchanges, albeit “enough to hinder the closure” (i.e. the final switch-off date may have to be pushed back a bit for some lines).

One of the obstacles is that Openreach doesn’t yet have visibility to see what kind of users theses are (they’re currently investigating that alongside retails providers), since nobody wants to disconnect customers, particularly if some of them may turn out to be classified as “vulnerable“, or part of any other high risk group.

In the meantime, Openreach have informed providers to continue with their migrations and execute any existing plans to cease customers and get to zero on the exchange(s). At the same time, the network operator is now reviewing their position with respect to potentially ceasing consumer customers after the switch-off date and is continuing to work with everyone involved to exit the pilot exchanges safely.

In addition, the operator has made their SOGEA (standalone FTTC broadband) service available on the Ballyclare exchange, and they will also continue to allow migrations to SOGEA in Kenton Road. Consumers that already have an in-flight order won’t be ceased after 1st December, but the worry above is more around those who don’t yet have an in-flight order to be transferred.

Just to be clear, business lines aren’t so lucky, with Openreach’s latest private industry briefing making clear that disconnection will be the outcome: “If a CP fails to cease and/or migrate the services by the end of 30 November 2025, any live business assets which do not have an inflight order or have not been agreed as critical life impacting services, will be ceased by Openreach from the 1 December 2025“.

The key thing to remember here is that these are Openreach’s pilot exchanges, thus the issues being faced now are exactly the sort of ones that the operator will need to tackle in the future when they come to close thousands more exchanges. Suffice to say that the goal is to learn and identify these problems so they can refine the best solutions, before starting to exit many more exchanges in the very near future (here).

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Satellite operator AST SpaceMobile, which is working with Joint Venture (SatCo) partner Vodafone to launch a space-based 4G and 5G mobile (mobile broadband) service to connect with everyday Smartphones on the ground, has announced that their first commercial BlueBird 6 spacecraft will launch on 15th December from the Satish Dhawan Space Center (India).

Just to recap. Over the past few years’ AST SpaceMobile has conducted several trials of the new platform, including via their prototype 1.5-ton BlueWalker 3 satellite (here) that orbits at an altitude of a little over 500km and features a huge 693-square-foot (64.4-square-meter) phased array antenna (here). The satellite was specifically designed for sending and receiving mobile signals between the space-based platform and regular mobile handsets.

The platform was originally developed with support from Vodafone and thus nobody was surprised to see the pair signing a long-term commercial agreement at the end of 2024 (here), which will run until at least 2034. This will support AST’s efforts toward launching a total of 100 similar satellites (BlueBirds) over the next few years (future models will be larger and more capable).

BlueBird 6 will be the first of AST SpaceMobile’s next-generation satellites, which features the largest commercial phased array in low Earth orbit at nearly 2,400 square feet. This represents a 3.5 times increase in size over BlueBirds 1-5 and supports 10 times the data capacity. Admittedly, this is also something that may be giving both radio and observational astronomers a few sleepless nights, as such things risk disrupting their research work.

Abel Avellan, Founder, Chairman and CEO of AST SpaceMobile, said:

“Our next-generation satellites will soon enable ubiquitous cellular broadband coverage direct to everyday smartphones from space. As an American company, we are proud to demonstrate U.S. leadership in space innovation while pioneering the next era of global connectivity.”

The company added that they’re now “accelerating production” with 40 satellites on track to be completed by early 2026. The company expects five orbital launches by the end of Q1 2026, with launches occurring every one to two months on average, to reach 45–60 satellites launched by the end of 2026 and support continuous coverage across the United States and select markets.

The first commercial services are still expected to launch in 2026, although it’s currently too early to say precisely how much related mobile roaming / add-on plans will cost in the UK, USA and other countries. But the new SatCo will also be going up against a similar Direct to Cell (DtC) service from Starlink (SpaceX). A number of other satellite networks are also looking to introduce similar functionality in the near future.

Members of the public will be able to watch a live broadcast on the launch day on AST SpaceMobile’s YouTube channel.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Internet access and online security provider Gigabit IQ (formerly Grayshott Gigabit) has launched a beta (test) version of its latest product – Parentline, which is described as being an AI-powered online safety assistant “designed to help parents navigate the digital world with confidence, clarity, and trusted guidance“.

The new solution, which draws its information from leading national and international safeguarding organisations, claims to provide instant support – via both voice and chat AI (in over 20 languages) – on key online safety issues including screen time, social media, gaming, harmful content, digital wellbeing, and step-by-step device safety settings.

In short, it sounds like an AI chat system that has been trained to answer questions specifically on this topic. The announcement states that more information and beta access are available at www.parentline.ai, although at present that seems to just be redirecting to a login screen and concealing the rest of the information behind first needing to part with your personal details.

As part of the rollout, Gigabit IQ are also launching the Parentline Safety Advisory Council, which brings together parents, educators and community representatives to help shape new features, advise on emerging risks and contribute to national online safety research. Council members will receive “early access to new tools and direct involvement in product development“.

Mashood Ahmad, Founder and CEO of Gigabit IQ, said:

“With children spending more time online than ever before, parents often don’t know where to turn or who to trust for guidance. As both a parent and broadband founder, I saw that online safety advice was scattered, inconsistent and often reactive. Parentline brings everything together into one place, making safety support proactive, accessible and available on demand. During this beta phase, we’re working closely with parents, safeguarding leads and partner organisations to refine Parentline ahead of its full public release.”

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Information allegedly leaked from inside broadband ISP BT (inc. EE and Plusnet) suggests that customers may in the future have to face a charge of £50 for a missed appointment, such as when the engineer turns up on time to find that the customer is not present. But the provider doesn’t currently plan to enforce this.

At present, the telecoms giant’s policy is that if an engineer (usually from Openreach) misses a customer’s scheduled appointment, or changes it with less than 24 hours’ notice, then customers will receive £31.19 for each missed appointment. This charge aligns with Ofcom’s system of Automatic Compensation. Openreach have, in recent years, also helped to reduce missed appointments by improving direct customer communications (here).

The problem is that this door swings both ways – sometimes engineers turn up to find nobody is home, which can be a costly waste of their time. According to the leak, some 10% of fibre broadband (FTTC/P/SOGEA) installs are allegedly missed on the day by customers, despite various reminders being sent.

The indication seems to be that BT are planning to get a bit tougher with this, but they won’t hit anybody with the charge itself.. yet: “The “possible” charge is being advised to encourage customers to re-book appointments if they cannot meet it. At this point we won’t be adding the charge while we work through the finer details and impact of the charges, but we do reserve the right to charge and may do so in the future,” said an allegedly internal BT email.

The policy would not actually be all that unusual for the industry. A number of internet providers already take a similar approach, and a few years back Virgin Media took plenty of flak from customers when they introduced a £25 charge for missed appointments (here). As we said back then, it’s easy to see why such a charge might be greeted negatively, particularly as some people can easily take longer than others getting to the door (e.g. disability, being on the toilet / in a shower or being at the wrong end of the garden etc.).

Part of the problem is that, after ringing the doorbell and knocking on the door, engineers are sometimes too quick to leave the premises and mark the event as a missed appointment. Sometimes a quick call to the customer’s phone and then mobile number, especially if done beforehand, is all that it would take to avoid this happening, but not always.

What’s BT’s position?

Naturally, ISPreview queried this with BT. The provider did not furnish us with a comment, but they did state that this is not a new charge and that they have always had a policy in place that if you agree to an engineer appointment slot and are not available for this, BT may raise a charge on your account. But the provider said it remained at their discretion whether to raise the charge or not.

The general home broadband T&C‘s do state that “if you need to change or cancel an appointment, you must tell us at least two working days beforehand“, although they don’t appear to explicitly state a “missed appointment fee” for customers in those general terms. No specific figure, like £50, is mentioned anywhere, but in some places there are suggestions of potentially charging a fee similar to the installation cost (note: their broadband packages currently have an upfront fee of £0).

BT told us that they are not threatening customers, but instead aim to make them aware of a potential charge if they are not available for their engineer appointment. BT added that it was in their interest to connect customers as soon as possible and avoid any delays.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News

In a statement to the House of Commons, Minister Al Carns declared that the United Kingdom is committed to defending “every inch” of its territory, including its critical undersea networks and coastal security.

The comments came after the Russian spy ship Yantar entered UK waters earlier this week and was accused of shining lasers at military pilots. The vessel is being closely monitored by the Royal Navy, having previously been accused of attempting to map the UK’s submarine cable infrastructure,

The incident follows growing concerns about foreign interference and potential sabotage to the UK’s undersea infrastructure, which forms the backbone for the nation’s energy supplies and communications.

The parliamentary exchange was prompted by warnings from MP Nick Timothy, who outlined the escalating threats posed by Russia and China targeting subsea cables. Timothy highlighted disquieting reports suggesting Russian devices had allegedly been placed on offshore infrastructure to monitor British submarines. He went on to press the government as to why responsibility for the security of this infrastructure remains fragmented across different ministries.

Minister Carns acknowledged these past shortcomings in coordination but insisted that recent reforms had begun addressing these gaps. According to Carns, a recent review has established “very clear lines of accountability” for the security of submarine infrastructure.

The ongoing Strategic Defence Review also notably includes expanded capabilities dedicated to offshore security.

“Be in no doubt. We will defend every inch of this country and our territorial waters,” said Carns.

The security of submarine cable infrastructure has been thrust into the limelight in recent years by rising geopolitical tensions between East and West. In late 2024, cuts to cables in the Baltic Sea demonstrated the vulnerability of this critical infrastructure, as well as highlighting the threat posed by so-called ‘shadow fleets’ – state-run ships, often masquerading as commercial vessels, that are being used to evade trade sanctions and conduct surveillance and covert operations.

A report by the China Strategic Risks Institute (CSRI) examining 12 incidents between January 2021 and April 2025 found that most suspect vessels involved in undersea cable interference were linked to China or Russia.

Both Russia and China deny any involvement in state-sponsored subsea sabotage.

How is the submarine cable security landscape changing? Join our inaugural Subsea Security Summit in May 2026

Also in the news
Connected Britain Award winners 2025 announced!
Netomnia announces ‘powerful and ambitious’ rebrand ahead of Connected Britain
VodafoneThree drops Samsung, relies on Nokia and Ericsson for £2bn network upgrade

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Consumer mobile provider giffgaff, which is a virtual mobile operator (MVNO) on O2’s national 4G / 5G network that is also owned by Telefónica UK, has this afternoon finally expanded the availability of their eSIM (Embedded SIM) support to all customers – both new and existing subscribers alike.

Just to recap. The eSIM standard is an alternative to physical SIM cards, which works by essentially embedding a digital SIM into your device (Smartphone) that could – once fully implemented – make it easier and quicker to switch between operators (e.g. not having to wait for a SIM card to arrive), as well as to use additional networks alongside your main mobile plan (e.g. eSIMs for travel when abroad).

Regular readers might recall that giffgaff originally began introducing eSIM support back in 2023 (here), although this was initially only made available to existing customers and on certain devices. But so far as we can tell, both new and existing customers have now been given access to this feature.

Giffgaff Announcement

We’ve got some exciting news to share with you all today in the world of eSIM. Just like with our app, we’ve rolled out the option of getting connected with an eSIM to all members when using our website, making it easier than ever to get hold of an eSIM.

Whether you’re on Android or Apple, when you select your SIM-only mobile plan, you’ll be asked if you want to proceed with a physical SIM card or an eSIM and get connected in minutes! When starting the eSIM installation process in the app, there will be a handy self-help video coming next week to guide you through the set-up process.

Setting yourself up with an eSIM is easy as pie, too.

If you’re already a member, all you need to do is:

• Log into the giffgaff app
• Head over to Account > SIM > Replace my SIM > Switch to a new eSIM
• Follow the on-screen instructions, and voila!

If you’re a new member:

• You can start your journey on the web, or log into the giffgaff app, to create a new account
• Activate your eSIM from the app dashboard
• Follow the on-screen instructions, nice and easy

Let us know how you get on.

As usual, you’ll first need to double-check that your mobile phone is actually eSIM compatible. The easiest way to do this is by dialling *#06# into your keypad. If you then see a pop-up that includes an EID number on the screen, your device should be compatible. Credits to Kane for spotting the development.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Podcasts

AI is here to stay. Telecoms need to adapt, says Abhishek Sandhir, the managing director of telecommunications at Sand Technologies

By Brad Randall, Broadband Communities

The telecommunications industry sometimes gets a reputation as being slow to adapt new technologies. It’s one that Abhishek Sandhir, the managing director of Sand Technologies‘ telecommunications division, says is not wholly earned.

There’s a lag between other industries because of the investment required to fund technological transformations, Sandhir said while speaking to Beyond the Cable at Connected Britain.

Instead, telecommunications investments are focused on building new infrastructure.

“That’s why you see that lag in adopting the technology because the focus is on maintaining the lead compared to the competitors,” he said. “That only comes with investment in the current way of thinking. That’s what we’re trying to change.”

Sandhir also said his job is partly to raise awareness of technological options that can help telecoms increase revenue and customer experience.

Regarding telecoms that resist AI transformations, Sandhir said they’ll likely eventually perish.

Listen to this episode on Spotify!

“You have to be at the forefront,” he said, adding that lots of telcos now want to be known as “techcos.”

“While saying it is one thing, it can only happen with adoption,” Sandhir said. “And that’s why you see a lot of consolidation and a lot of (merger and acquisition) activity. Because the boundaries of a telcos original abilities, they are fading away.”

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