The UK Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, has today published a new Growth Plan 2022, which proposes to “liberate the private sector” by encouraging investment (i.e. removing barriers to the flow of private capital) and boosting infrastructure by “liberalising the planning system and streamlining consultation and approval requirements“. The CEO of CityFibre, Greg Mesch, was quick to […]
Mayor of Greater Manchester launches Social Housing Digital Inclusion Pilot at Connected Britain 2022
NEWS
At this year’s Connected Britain conference, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, announced a new digital inclusion pilot programme, pairing five ISPs with five social housing providers to help thousands of residents
With the cost-of-living crisis only growing more severe in the UK, the question of digital exclusion was a major theme of discussion at this year’s Connected Britain conference in London. While the coronavirus pandemic has shed light on the now essential nature of connectivity for daily life, as inflation soars many people could soon be forced to choose between heating their homes or their broadband access.
This is why, earlier this week, Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, took to the Connected Britain stage to unveil a new pilot programme that will see five ISPs matched with five social housing providers, aiming to better understand and mitigate digital exclusion throughout the region.
Greater Manchester has around 260,000 residents living in social housing – around 20% of the region’s population – with estimates suggesting that around 60% of these residents face the risk of digital exclusion.
The pilot scheme will see BT, Hyperoptic, TalkTalk, Virgin Media O2, and Vodafone each join forces with one of five social housing providers – Bolton at Home, Southway Homes, Stockport Homes, Wigan and Leigh Housing, and Wythenshawe Housing – to provide digital support to residents and work to gain a deeper understanding of the digital issues facing these communities.
This support provided will vary depending on the ISP in question but will likely take the form of digital skills training and discounted broadband packages and devices. Particular focus will be given to supporting some of the most vulnerable demographics in society, including those ages over 75, those with disabilities, and vulnerable young people.
Each of the five partnerships will explore digital inclusion issues and interventions for up to 1,000 residents via each of these five partnerships, with the pilot aiming to reach a total of 5,000 households. The project is thus the largest digital inclusion social housing intervention in the UK.
“We estimate up to 60% of social housing residents in Greater Manchester face levels of digital exclusion. I firmly believe that digital connectivity should be recognised as a basic human right – and treated as a utility like water, gas, and electricity. By bringing together five of the UK’s biggest internet service providers with five social housing providers from across the region, we’ll be able to understand better the challenges behind that belief, as we attempt to tackle digital exclusion within social housing setting,” said Burnham.
Vodafone, the only solely mobile operator of the ISP group, has already announced that it will provide free SIM cards to up to 1,000 residents, in conjunction with its everyone.connected scheme.
Further details from the rest of the ISPs are expected to be announced soon.
If the pilot programme proves successful, it is hoped the scheme will be expanded to other parts of the UK, with more ISPs and social housing providers joining forces to help close the digital divide.
For now, Burnham hopes that Great Manchester can be transformed into a UK-leading digital city, where no one is left excluded from the digital world.
“To get that crown of the UK’s leading digital city, what actually should that mean? It’s more than just the number of digital and tech jobs or the number of blue-chip players you have within the city region, it’s more than the infrastructure,” said Burnham. “We aspire to be a city region where everyone has got day-to-day connectivity so that they can take care of their finances, do their homework, find work, find opportunity, and book appointments from public services.”
The post Mayor of Greater Manchester launches Social Housing Digital Inclusion Pilot at Connected Britain 2022 first appeared on Total Telecom.
Startup Stories: the new age of surveillance
STARTUP STORIES
Historically video surveillance has been built on a complicated and expensive network of cables and low autonomy. TelWAI believes the future of surveillance is built on wireless mobile networks that can be rapidly deployed at low cost.
Tell us about your start up
TelWAI enables the autonomous detection of security and safety threats by utilising its wireless, Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven surveillance camera. TelWAI’s surveillance camera consists of edge-based video analytics, combined with mobile network data transmission. TelWAI’s proprietary surveillance camera offers the reliable detection of pre-defined security and safety risks, such as trespassing on rail networks and the illegal dumping of waste. Offering cost savings and the ability to redeploy surveillance assets across the users’ network, TelWAI cuts out the requirement for costly network cabling.
TelWAI’s customers include private land and critical infrastructure owners, security and policing agencies, city councils and transportation providers such as Network Rail. Operating in a global market, TelWAI has an initial focus on the UK and USA markets. TelWAI enables its customers to enhance safety and security and obtain critical video data of illegal activity for prosecution.
What is your USP, how do you stand out from your competition?
One of TelWAI’s primary USP’s is its ability to transfer video data across wireless networks (3G, 4G and 5G networks). This capability allows our customers to cut costs relating to laying expensive network cables and installation costs. In addition to this, it allows our customers to relocate cameras across their network, as installation and removal costs are significantly decreased.
Another USP is TelWAI’s utilisation of AI driven video analytics on the edge. This capability enables our customers to automatically detect potential safety or security risk. Fully configured based on the end-user’s requirements, alarm deluge is mitigated against, and false positive rates are reduced.
What is your relationship with the telecom sector?
TelWAI utilises wireless networks (3G, 4G and 5G networks) provided by telecom companies to transmit video data to central control rooms and hand-held devices.
How have you got to your current stage of development?
TelWAI is a spin out of its parent company Aralia Systems. In 2020 Aralia received funding from Innovate UK funded by Network Rail to develop a standalone surveillance camera. Having successfully developed and deployed this camera, Aralia proceeded to enrol in Wayra’s 5G smart cities program. Having founded TelWAI in 2022, additional VC funding is sought to accelerate the commercialisation of the wireless AI camera.
Why did you establish the business?
The business was established because of the market demand for standalone surveillance systems, combined with the requirement for additional commercialisation funding. Managed and driven by Eleanor Wright and Dr.Laurence Broadbent, TelWAI’s core team members obtain skills across business and engineering. Achieving a BA in Marketing and a MSc in Business Management, Eleanor has over eleven years of experience working in the surveillance sector across multiple business roles. Having achieved a BEng in Robotics and Automated Systems, and a PhD in 4D Facial Expression Recognition, Dr.Laurence Broadbent leads all technical aspects of TelWAI’s wireless AI camera.
Who inspired you?
We are inspired by technology and innovation and all business leaders that have managed to successfully commercialise innovation into profitable sustainable businesses. Inspirational individuals for us include Jack Welch whose innovation in business practices transformed GE. Steve Jobs, who’s understanding of marketing and product positioning saw Apple differentiate itself in a highly competitive market. Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger for identifying value in companies, how to maximise this value and generating educated predictions on the future value of these companies.
What does the future hold for your business?
We believe that TelWAI will become a market leader in the wireless surveillance sector. Initially focussed on the UK and USA markets, we will achieve the position of market leader, within our key addressable markets, within the next five years.
COMPANY CV
HEADQUARTERS – Bristol, England
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES – 2
LAST FUNDING TYPE – No previous funding round
WEBSITE URL – www.telwai.com
FOUNDERS
Eleanor Wright
Laurence Broadbent
You can meet TelWAI in the Startup Village at Total Telecom Congress in London on the 1-2 November 2022. Find out more about attending or bringing along your own startup at www.totaltele.com/congress
The post Startup Stories: the new age of surveillance first appeared on Total Telecom.
Ryse Energy appoints new CEO for Europe & Americas
PRESS RELEASE
Ryse Energy, the global leader in Telecoms renewable energy systems with over 4,000 installations across all seven continents, has appointed small wind energy executive, Richard Caldow, as CEO for Europe & Americas.
Richard has more than 30 years’ experience in the distributed renewable energy space, joins Ryse Energy from competitor and small wind turbine manufacturer, SD Wind, where he was responsible for building a global installed base of small wind turbines in various industry sectors.
The strategic hire is part of Ryse Energy’s expansion plans, which have seen the business grow exponentially in Europe and in both North and South America, winning major projects in the telecoms, critical infrastructure, and industrial and commercial sectors.
Ryse Energy incorporated in the US earlier this year and has already secured initial contracts from one of the largest owner and operators of communication infrastructure in the country. In addition, Ryse Energy has secured major contracts with US distributed renewable energy companies and mini-grid installers using small wind turbine technology to build more resilient mini-grids.
Speaking on the new role, Richard Caldow, CEO for Europe & Americas said;
“I’m delighted to be joining Ryse Energy at this time of growth within the renewables industry. Being a manufacturer of a range of turbines from 3kW to 60kW, coupled with solar and battery storage, allows Ryse Energy to meet the diverse requirements for distributed generation.”
Commenting on Richard’s appointment, Alistair Munro, Group CEO of Ryse Energy said;
“The hire of Richard Caldow from SD Wind shows the strength of the brand we’ve built and the technology Ryse Energy possesses. Richard built SD Wind from the ground up, creating a major player in the small wind sector.
As the global leader in small wind and distributed renewable energy, Ryse Energy is very excited to see what Richard will create with a company already engrained in the space and with huge ambitions.”
Ryse Energy is a primary manufacturer of small wind technology with manufacturing capabilities in the UK, Spain, and India. Ryse Energy offers wind and solar as standalone technologies, either grid-connected or off-grid with energy storage, and hybridize their innovative and unique wind technologies with solar PV and energy storage to create bespoke and reliable hybrid renewable solutions across a variety of sectors, from decarbonizing infrastructure in the telecoms and oil & gas industries, to community power for rural electrification.
The post Ryse Energy appoints new CEO for Europe & Americas first appeared on Total Telecom.
Spring Fibre to Deploy Full Fibre to 1 Million Premises in England
New alternative network operator Spring Fibre has announced that they’ve secured an investment of “up to” £155 million from R&M’s (River and Mercantile) Infrastructure business, which will support their plan to build a new 10Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP network to cover 1 million premises in England. The new operator – initially backed by […]
Sky UK Reportedly Plan to End Satellite TV Dish Installs in 2023
Sky (Sky TV, Sky Broadband etc.) has reportedly informed its trade suppliers that they will cease installing “new” satellite TV dishes on customer homes by the end of 2023, which is widely understood to reflect their increasing adoption of broadband internet based IPTV (video streaming etc.) delivery methods. At present most of Sky’s TV services […]
UK consumers aren’t seeing the value of 5G – and it’s up to the telco industry to address this
Contributed Article
Jasmeet Singh Sethi, Head of ConsumerLab at Ericsson, shares insights on UK consumer perceptions of 5G and the reasons for its sluggish uptake across the country
Consumer adoption numbers for 5G services in the UK make for sobering reading. According to our ConsumerLab research, UK customer numbers lag behind leading markets such as the US and Asia, almost half of non-5G smartphone users have no plans to upgrade, while the cost-of-living crisis has already led to 15% delaying plans to purchase a 5G device.
When you consider that we’ve passed the three-year anniversary of 5G’s UK launch, flagship phones from major manufacturers all have 5G capability, and coverage is available from all UK operators in almost every major city, this lack of interest in the UK is concerning.
The reality is that only hardcore early adopters have signed up for 5G in the UK. This leads us to an obvious question. Why has the public been so slow in adopting a technology that promises so much?
It is within the question that we see an answer. 5G’s promise, more specifically the fact that consumers in the UK are yet to see much of a difference from 4G, is the crux of the issue. It’s a catch-22 situation for operators, who can’t convince consumers to buy exciting new services built on 5G if such services don’t exist in any meaningful way, but can’t justify the creation of such services without strong demand…
Population coverage is no longer King
The first thing telco operators need to do is to wean themselves off the idea that success means covering large swathes of the population with 5G.
In truth, even this has yet to be fully achieved, as the UK’s total population coverage stands at 54 percent, while our ConsumerLab research shows that only 13% of consumers perceive being connected to 5G more than 50% of time.
The fact is the telco industry has sacrificed performance in its focus on coverage. We have relied on low-band spectrum, Non-Standalone Core and Dynamic Spectrum Sharing, all of which combine to deliver an experience only marginally better than 4G. When you look at benchmarking from Opensignal, the UK is not in the top 15 countries when it comes to 5G performance and user experience.
Part of 5G’s real potential lies in better performance and content-rich experiences in densely populated areas, the type of service you can achieve with targeted, smaller-scale coverage and mid-band spectrum.
Sports stadia, airports and other congested areas would benefit hugely from such deployment, while consumers would see a real difference in mobile performance. Operators need to deliberately consider the places where people use mobile broadband and focus on delivering real step-change 5G experiences in those locations.
Converting customers and reaping the rewards
Operators in leading markets show the way forward. For example, SK Telecom in South Korea has a growing portfolio of immersive 5G services and platforms, notably its metaverse platform, ‘ifland’. The first month after its launch, the download rate doubled and its active users increased by over 24 percent.
Leading operators from across various markets that offer differentiated 5G experience and valued services see a rise in customer loyalty. They enjoy an NPS on average 4.9 points higher compared to competitors, a much higher rating for brand quality (32 percent more) and are three times more likely to retain their subscribers.
They also benefit from a notable commercial bump, driving significant ROI. Operators offering strong 5G performance and services are twice as likely to grow ARPU and mobile service revenues through a smart blend of pricing innovation and bundling of 5G services. Our research shows that while consumers aren’t willing to pay a premium for just speed and connectivity, they will pay up to 20 percent more if innovative 5G services are offered as an add-on.
Until UK operators launch similar rich, enhanced applications and services that can really showcase the technology’s true power, why should consumers switch from 4G?
Enabling and promoting step change 5G
We have to be clear that if we fail to turn the tide on consumer interest in 5G quickly, we are going to miss out on the biggest benefits of the technology. More customers will be lost during the cost-of-living crisis, investment in the sector will dwindle, and 5G innovation will occur outside of the UK.
However, there is also a fantastic opportunity – the consumer demand for the ‘promise of 5G’ remains strong, and the UK market is primed for a step-change 5G experience with feature-rich services and applications. The operator(s) that can deliver and market it will emerge as the true winners of this mobile generation.
For insights on how leaders in other countries have achieved increased customer loyalty and ROI from 5G, along with detailed insights on what matters most to consumers, visit Ericsson’s ConsumerLab.
The post UK consumers aren’t seeing the value of 5G – and it’s up to the telco industry to address this first appeared on Total Telecom.
Connected Britain Awards Winners 2022
We are delighted to announce the winners of the Connected Britain Awards 2023, celebrating excellence throughout the UK’s connectivity industry and beyond.
The winner of each award can be found below, alongside the judges’ commentary.
B2B Service Provider of the Year
Winner: Pangea Connected
Highly commended: Giganet B2B Service
“The judges called this an important set of IoT services for the industry, with clear evidence of customers’ problems being taken into account during design.
With great customer retention and NPS score demonstrating excellent customer service, this is a service that is thriving in a competitive, high-growth part of the industry.”
Broadband Provider of the Year
Winner: Broadband for the Rural North (B4RN)
“The winner in this category has always had a commitment to ‘leave no-one behind’ and deliver quality service in challenging rural areas through community engagement. 10 years after connecting their first customers, this company looks sustainable – and now even scalable.
One judge called this company “a leading light in the fibre industry”, with their entry showing great evidence of excellent customer service, innovative packages, and effective local partnerships below Council level.’”
Digital Skills Award
Winner: BT Skills for Tomorrow
Highly commended: Good Things Foundation
“The winner in this category demonstrated a diverse programme already having a wide impact across the UK, with an ambition to go considerably further by 2026. This is a project reaching many varied communities, including parents, children, job seekers, the elderly, vulnerable people, and even small businesses, bringing major benefits to communities on a national level.”
Enterprise Solution of the Year
Winner: Nokia, Vodafone UK & Kinected Solutions – Banshee Mobile Radio
“The winner of this brand new award featured a very interesting and innovative set of partnerships, bringing together an important solution for humanitarian disaster. This collaboration between the armed forces and technology companies has produced an advanced and rapidly deployable mobile private network.”
Project Rollout Award
Winner: CityFibre
“The winner of this award presented the judges with solid evidence of their numerous initiatives, which included improving deployment, deliverability, network quality, and acceleration of their fibre rollout.
One judge described the winning company as ‘trailblazers in rolling out gigabit connectivity’, while another noted the company’s ‘outstanding progress to become the #2 UK network’.”
The Access Innovation Award
Winner: 5G RuralDorset
“Judges described the winner of this brand new award of having “ground-breaking ideas for addressing how to reach difficult-to-reach coastal and offshore areas”, backed up by a great case study with impressive results.
One Judge went so far as to say that similar rural regions in the UK should look to the winner of this category as a role model in the field of access innovation.”
Connected Britain Awards Winners 2022 celebrate on stage
The Barrier Removal Award
Winner: Trenches Law
“Another tough category here, with the winner demonstrating fantastic innovation to a long-standing manual process, rapidly accelerating one of the most significant barriers to connectivity, with tangible benefits to its users.
When it comes to wayleaves, one of the biggest barriers to infrastructure deployment in the UK, this company has become unbeatable.”
The Community Improvement Award
Winner: Broadband for the Rural North (B4RN)
“The Connected Britain judges were full of compliments for this company’s entry, with one describing it as ‘a legendary scheme that shows how to engage communities through volunteering to build out a future-proofed network.’
This company is famed for helping rural communities to take connectivity matters into their own hands.”
The Full Fibre ISP Innovation Award
Winner: Wessex Internet
“This was a highly competitive category with a myriad of entrants from all over the country.
The winner here told a great story, supported by comprehensive evidence, showing how a successful rural ISP can be grown to solve one of the most challenging problems in rolling out fibre to rural areas.”
The Industrial Innovation Award
Winner: South Gloucestershire Council & Toshiba Europe Ltd, Bristol Research and Innovation Lab
“The winner in this new category presented an important contribution in stimulating technology development, business start-ups, and growth.
By creating one of the world’s largest open, programmable, smart city and industrial IoT testbeds, the winner of this award continues to drive innovation in the journey towards Industry 4.0.”
The Smart Places Award
Winner: South London Partnership InnOvaTe project – with DORIS care
“The Smart Places Award winner showcased an excellent project that has deployed IoT solutions at scale, creating real impact for local authorities.
Tackling real world problems for people across their target region, the winning entry was even shown to be saving lives through their impressive use of the IoT.”
The Sustainability Award
Winner: BT’s ECO Programme
“The winner of this important award demonstrated a broad variety of sustainability initiatives, including recycling e-waste at scale and a deeper engagement with the circular economy.
The project recycled over 2,500 tonnes of equipment last year, with the judges saying that the company’s overall approach and understanding of these issues should be applauded.”
Startup of the Year Award
Winner: Curvalux
Unlike the other awards, which were chosen by the judges weeks in advance, the new Startup of the Year Award was decided at the Connected Britain conference itself. Ten shortlisted startups were invite to pitch their products and services directly to a panel of four judges live at the event, with the judges scoring on a variety of metrics, including creativity, scalability, and real-world impact.
“Curvalux has developed and deployed a patented multi-beam technology that pushes the envelope on current solutions and improves connectivity in suburban and rural areas, as well as enabling FWA. Their energy efficient solutions and experience in both Mobile and Satellite connectivity and field trials with MNO’s and ISP’s in US, Africa, Latin America, and Asia will help connect the 3.2 billion unconnected and poorly connected populations worldwide and enable digital services such as education, healthcare and communication with friends and family.”
The post Connected Britain Awards Winners 2022 first appeared on Total Telecom.
Gov Finalise Rules Mandating Gigabit Broadband for New Build Homes
The UK Government has issued their response to last year’s technical consultation on changes to the existing ‘Building Regulations 2010‘, which sets out their final position on the legal framework for making it mandatory for property developers to ensure that new build homes are constructed with support for faster broadband. As it stands today around […]
Q2 2022 Openreach Progress Update on FTTP Rollout in Wales
The Welsh Government (WG) has shared a Q2 2022 progress update on their £52.5 million Phase 2 Superfast Cymru contract with Openreach (BT), which reveals that a total of 32,949 extra premises (up from 29,959 in Q1) have now gained access to a 1Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP network. The original deal consisted of […]