Press Release

UScellular, the fourth-largest full service wireless carrier in the country, this week announced “Let’s Find US,” its goal is to inspire people, who on average spend more than five hours a day staring at their phone screen, to reset their relationship with technology. “Let’s Find US” is focused on being a leading voice in addressing the problem of over-connection.

It all kicked off last night with “Missing the Big Game,” a first-of-its-kind AI application that shared real-time data of how many fans in the stadium were looking at their phones instead of the field. This social experiment revealed that, even at the biggest, most exciting sporting events of the year, we are all still over-connected:

Over 16,000 fans missed touchdowns throughout the game
During halftime, 6,182 fans were watching their phones instead of the show
In the final stretch, 4,347 fans were looking at their phones instead of the winning field goal

“Let’s Find US”: Phones Down For 5

UScellular’s “Let’s Find US,” includes a deeply personal experiment called Phones Down For 5. It challenges people to voluntarily stop using their phone to reveal how addicted they are to it. The challenge is built on a simple action: taking a phone break for 5 days, 5 hours, or even just 5 minutes, to reset your relationship with technology.

The company is inviting everyone to participate in Phones Down For 5 by going to uscellular.com/findus to set a personal goal and share their experience using #PhonesDownFor5. The website will also offer tips to successfully make the most of the Phones Down For 5 challenge, including putting your phone where you can’t see it, turning off notifications, getting creative, and spending time outside.

“Through “Let’s Find US,” we are addressing the serious issue of over-connection with technology and lack of connection with one another,” said Eric Jagher, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for UScellular. “At UScellular, our goal is to help people connect to what matters most. We want to inspire connection by inviting everyone to have a reset moment with technology, the first step in having a healthier relationship moving forward.”

UScellular’s “Let’s Find US” is also being brought to life through a fully integrated advertising campaign  featuring a brand TV spot entitled “This Isn’t US,” captivating out of home advertising, social media, influencer activations, and additional programming launching throughout the year to inspire people to disconnect from their devices and reconnect with each other.

Are operators doing enough to ensure their customers maintain a healthy relationship with the technology their connectivity enables? Join the experts in discussion at this year’s live Connected America conference

Also in the news:
China Mobile and China Telecom withdraw from Sea-Me-We 6 project
CityFibre’s network up and running in Inverness
KDDI selects Samsung for its 5G Standalone core

Press Release

Traquair in Peeblesshire and Balmacara in Ross-shire have benefited from a partnership between Vodafone, Virgin Media O2, the Shared Rural Network and the Scottish Government

Virgin Media O2 and Vodafone have expanded their 4G networks to two rural Scottish communities, Traquair (Peeblesshire) and Balmacara (Ross-shire), as part of a collaboration between the Scottish Government’s Scottish 4G Infill Programme (S4GI) and UK Government’s Shared Rural Network (SRN).

Upgrade works have been completed at a mobile site in Traquair and a new mast has been built at Balmacara – both of which now host Virgin Media O2 and Vodafone 4G network equipment. The new equipment means residents, businesses and visitors in the area are now benefiting from better mobile coverage as well as greater choice of provider.

The roll-out is part of a commitment to the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme. Created and funded by the mobile industry, Ofcom and UK Government, the SRN programme invests in new and existing phone masts to increase operators’ UK 4G coverage footprint in rural areas and signal not-spots.

The masts at Traquair and Balmacara follow upgrades at other sites such as New Luce (Dumfries and Galloway) and Ettrick (Scottish Borders), where both Virgin Media O2 and Vodafone have recently boosted coverage in partnership with the Scottish Government. The Government’s S4GI programme is delivered in partnership with WHP Telecoms and Scottish Futures Trust, and is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Business Minister Ivan McKee MSP said: “This is great news and will be welcomed by the local communities. Our successful S4GI programme continues to deliver life-changing mobile connectivity to 55 rural and island communities that wouldn’t otherwise get access to this vital service.

“Thanks to the infrastructure deployed by our S4GI programme, Vodafone and Virgin Media O2 are now able to provide improved connectivity to local residents, businesses and visitors in these communities, enhancing the way they work, communicate and access public services.”

Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “We’re committed to investing in our network and providing seamless connectivity for all our customers across the UK. By working closely with industry partners and across government, we are delivering upgrades that will significantly improve 4G networks in rural communities, providing local people and businesses with faster and more reliable coverage than ever before, while also delivering benefits for the local economy and tourism.”

Andrea Dona, Vodafone’s UK Network and Development Director, said: “We remain committed to improving rural connectivity across Scotland. Vodafone played a leading role in the conception of the Scottish 4G Infill Programme when it was the first to go live with 4G at the New Luce site and that, alongside the Shared Rural Network programme is ensuring that we can now bring connectivity to the remotest parts of Scotland – connecting places for the first time and offering communities a wider choice of networks.

“We’re looking forward to announcing more locations going live as part of the programme in the future.”

Are the UK’s operators doing enough to ensure rural communities across the country have access to high quality connectivity? Join the experts in discussion at this year’s Connected North

Also in the news:
China Mobile and China Telecom withdraw from Sea-Me-We 6 project
CityFibre’s network up and running in Inverness
KDDI selects Samsung for its 5G Standalone core

UK ISP Giganet has today announced that their gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband service, specifically the part that is served via CityFibre’s network, has been extended again and is now also available to 360,000 premises across Scotland (Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee, Renfrewshire, Stirling, Glasgow and Edinburgh). Just to recap. Giganet is currently investing £250m with Fern Trading […]

The Shropshire County Council in England has allocated another £500,000 (total so far of £2.5m) to help boost the value of gigabit broadband vouchers for rural areas, which means that local homes and businesses will now be able to apply for vouchers worth up to £7,000 to help them get a faster connection installed. The […]

Press Release

BT today switched on its IoT National Roaming SIMs for businesses across the UK, allowing them to keep smart devices connected wherever they are

IoT national roaming SIMs allow smart devices to connect to mobile networks ensuring they stay connected while on the move or in remote locations. BT’s IoT national roaming SIMs will connect devices to the UK’s best and largest network, EE, meaning data is quickly and reliably relayed where it’s needed most. As well as a primary connection to EE, part of BT Group, the SIM can connect to multiple other major UK networks, helping to keep smart devices online.

The rollout of BT’s new service is set to benefit courier and delivery companies in particular by giving them reliable, fast network access no matter where they are – whether in cities, rural areas, or by the coast. Just last week EE announced the arrival of 5G to over 500 new, predominantly rural locations, bringing the total number of UK cities, towns and villages where customers can access the service to over 1,000. At the same time, EE’s leading 4G network coverage is on track to reach 90% of the UK’s geographic landmass by the mid-2020s.

The new IoT service will help end users such as drivers and delivery workers improve accuracy and efficiency by giving them access to important information in real-time. An example of this would be providing visibility of fuel efficiency, changes to a delivery schedule and cold chain management so temperatures can be constantly monitored on a refrigerated vehicle.

IoT national roaming ensures that devices can continue performing to a high standard even in the harshest remote conditions thanks to the enterprise-grade IoT sims, offering reliable, fast connectivity. BT is also offering the product at the same competitive price as its existing pay-as-you-use IoT SIM service, meaning businesses only pay for the data they use rather than risking underutilising data on a fixed rate.

Marc Overton, Managing Director, Division X at BT, said: “Businesses across the UK are increasingly understanding the benefits of using IoT devices in running their operations. And now, with the unveiling of our IoT national roaming SIMs, we’re making sure those connections stay strong no matter where business takes you. Whether in the heart of a bustling city or out in the countryside, our solution ensures data is transmitted quickly and reliably. We’re excited to help both our existing and new customers fully harness the power of their smart devices with lightning-fast mobile connectivity.”

In addition to the improved connectivity, BT’s IoT national roaming service will offer a secure management portal with full security measures to protect important data and help businesses keep track of all their smart devices. The added security helps to ensure the safe and efficient use of devices, allowing companies to focus on their core operations without worrying about data breaches or device mismanagement.

The launch of BT’s IoT offering is poised to shake up the B2B IoT market thanks to its connectivity capabilities, powered by the UK’s largest and most reliable network, EE. The added benefit of being able to switch to other operator networks, when necessary, also offers greater simplicity for businesses with many currently negotiating separate deals with mobile network operators depending on where they have operations in the country.

To find out more about how you can utilise BT’s IoT national roaming SIMs, please visit here.

Want to keep up to date with all of the latest news from the UK telecoms industry? Join the telecoms ecosystem in discussion around some of the sectors biggest issues at this year’s Connected North

Also in the news:
China Mobile and China Telecom withdraw from Sea-Me-We 6 project
CityFibre’s network up and running in Inverness
KDDI selects Samsung for its 5G Standalone core

Press Release

Point Broadband Fiber Holding, LLC, a provider of high speed fiber-to-the-premise internet services to residential and business customers in select small town and rural markets in the United States, today announced it will receive a significant growth investment from funds affiliated with Berkshire Partners, a leading private investment firm with deep experience in digital infrastructure. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Opelika, Alabama, Point Broadband today serves approximately 75,000 customers and growing, primarily in rural areas and small city communities in nine states. The Company focuses on providing multi-gig fiber internet connectivity solutions to homes and businesses at the speeds needed to be successful and competitive in today’s connected world. The Company is backed by GTCR, a leading private equity firm, which made a strategic investment in the business in 2021. Since that time, the Company has added over 100,000 additional fiber passings and entered two new states.

“As we continue to prioritize growth and extend access to our 100 percent fiber optic internet service, the sector expertise and resources Berkshire Partners brings in digital infrastructure are the perfect fit to help expand our reach and bring quality service to customers in underserved markets,” said Todd Holt, CEO of Point Broadband. “Together with our continued partnership with GTCR, this investment will accelerate the deployment of our all-fiber Gigabit broadband solutions to a wider array of residential and business customers in rural communities.”

“We believe that access to reliable high speed broadband is a fundamental underpinning of economic opportunity,” said Beth Hoffman and Drew Walker, Managing Directors at Berkshire Partners. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Todd and his team, alongside GTCR, as Point Broadband expands its fiber-based internet access and exceptional customer service to many more underserved communities across the U.S.”

“Point Broadband has achieved impressive growth since we first partnered with the team in early 2021, and it continues to deliver excellent local service to its customers,” said Stephen Jeschke, Managing Director at GTCR. “This additional investment will significantly increase the Company’s ability to bring critical fiber-based broadband access to underserved rural communities across the nation.”

Bank Street Group LLC served as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal advisor to Point Broadband and GTCR. Ropes & Gray LLP served as legal advisor to Berkshire Partners.

Point Broadband operates in a number of locations, including the states of Georgia, Texas and Virginia which are represented by speakers at Connected America, March 28-29, 2023 – Irving Convention Center, Dallas. Make sure you attend to understand the development of broadband solutions across America and see what you can learn from your colleagues and friends in the industry

Internet traffic across UK broadband ISPs surged to a new peak on Wednesday night (15th Feb 2023), with customers of TalkTalk setting a new record of 10.25Tbps (Terabits per second) and the London Internet Exchange (LINX) reaching a peak of around 7.87Tbps. In both cases, the records were set at between 8pm and 10pm. All […]

Broadband and mobile giant BT (EE) has today launched their new IoT National Roaming SIMs for businesses across the UK, which are designed to help firms keep their smart Internet of Things (IoT) devices connected “wherever they are” by harnessing several different wireless and mobile network technologies. The IoT National Roaming SIM is designed to […]

Rural UK broadband ISP Gigaclear has announced that, as part of their ongoing £39 million project to deploy a gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network across Cambridgeshire in England, the provider intends to cover another 10,000 premises across four neighbouring villages. The four villages include Warboys, Sawtry, Ramsey and Stilton. The first of 1,400 homes in Stilton […]

Broadband ISP TalkTalk UK has today moved to promote their latest Pay TV Hub by partnering with mural artist Qubek (Russell Meheen) to create a “live street art stunt” (Dish it Out), which turns old satellite TV dishes into art. The aim is to highlight how people are “spending unnecessarily” on “expensive” TV plans (wink.. […]