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The joint proposition will provide customers with a powerful AI-based analytics tool to extract value from their digital images and videos

As part of a multi-million pound partnership, BT and Atos today launch Digital Vision — a new computer vision solution that will help revolutionise industries, including manufacturing and logistics among others.

Computer vision is a field of artificial intelligence (AI) that enables computers and systems to interpret information from digital images, videos and other visual feeds (including live video streams from a fixed camera or a moving drone) and take automated actions or make recommendations based on the information.

It will combine BT’s leading digital connectivity with Atos’s Computer Vision Platform, a scalable end-to-end solution, providing pre-trained & customizable AI models developed by more than 300 computer vision experts in labs around the world.​

AI video and image analysis is used industry-wide in applications such as transport safety and traffic monitoring, quality control in manufacturing, and location tracking. The joint BT-Atos solution will improve security and monitoring for customers by enabling effective, real-time use of video and image data.

Digital Vision will use BT’s 5G/FTTx multi-access connectivity and edge computing. This ensures business customers receive a scalable, ready-to-deploy service with round-the-clock support and expertise.

The partnership comes after BT recently announced it was investing almost £100 million over the next three years in its ‘Division X’ unit to accelerate the development of customer solutions which integrate emerging technologies like 5G, IoT, Edge Compute, Cloud and AI.

Marc Overton, Managing Director for Division X, part of BT’s Enterprise unit, said: “This partnership with Atos gives us access to the Computer Vision market for the first time, providing us the opportunity to play an even bigger role in the digital transformation of businesses around the world. 

“Working together, we have been able to combine our skillsets to create an innovative platform that provides a host of potential use cases for facilities such as smart ports and transport hubs, to retail and fuel forecourts, to manufacturers. Utilising cutting edge technologies such as 5G, AI and edge computing, this new platform is linked to our wide partnership with Atos and we see huge potential for growth in this space over the next few years.

“Not only will businesses be able to better leverage their video stream data, improve their operational efficiency and enhance their monitoring, but they will also be able to mitigate risk, increase revenue through data monetisation, unlock new applications and open new channels to market.”

Jean-Claude Geha, Global Head of Telecom, Media & Technology at Atos commented: “As our clients are going through their digital transformation, they need the right and best digital services to accelerate the next step of their journey. As a global leader in digital transformation, Atos plays an essential role in co-developing innovative use cases with CSP (Communications Services Provider) for real-time businesses, thanks to its extensive knowledge of Edge and AI technologies and its deep expertise in system integration. We are excited to work, once again, with BT to unlock new capabilities for the Enterprise market where BT is seeking to offer much needed Vertical Digital use cases to increase efficiency, boost productivity, and to improve business opportunities and customer experience.”

BT and Atos have a long-standing relationship with a major outsourcing agreement signed in 2013 and extended in March 2022 until 2026. BT provides Atos with network and communication services to connect its own operations as well as network infrastructure and service to support its customers. Earlier this year, the companies expanded their relationship to co-develop solutions with a focus on sustainability that will combine BT’s capabilities in secure connectivity and infrastructure, including private 5G and edge computing, with Atos’ digital expertise in sectors such as manufacturing.

Connected Britain 2022 is right around the corner! It’s not too late to secure your ticket to join the UK’s largest digital economy event 

Also in the news:
UK telcos to face stricter cybersecurity obligations under new govt rules
Jio prepares to plough $25bn into 5G
VMO2 activates first open RAN sites in live network

 

The post BT and ATOS strike computer vision partnership first appeared on Total Telecom.

Residents in parts of the Bournemouth and Poole area on the South Coast of Dorset (England) have expressed frustration over ongoing delays in CityFibre’s local deployment of a new gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP network, which was due to go live in some areas several months ago. At present the operator is investing a total […]

NEWS

Truespeed were founded in 2014 and are based in Bath in the South West of England. They deliver full fibre broadband to hard to reach homes and businesses connecting direct to premises. To drive growth they have secured two rounds of funding totalling £175 million from Aviva Investors, the most recent in January 2022.

They have now appointed ex-BT executive, Lisa Harrington as a Non-Executive Director to help drive the rollout of ultrafast, ultra-reliable broadband across the South West of the UK.

Lisa brings 25 years of experience to the Truespeed Board, including 10 years at BT including the role of Chief Customer Officer BT Group, and a stint as Interim MD Of Infrastructure for Hyperoptic.

On her appointment, Lisa commented: “I was drawn to Truespeed’s mission of ensuring whole communities can benefit from ultrafast broadband, and I am pleased to have joined the energetic and ambitious company at such a pivotal time having recently passed 50,000 premises. It’s great to be part of a regional, purpose-led business and I look forward to enabling its accelerated growth in the future.”

James Lowther, Truespeed CEO said: “Lisa is a great addition to the Truespeed Board, whose knowledge and expertise will prove indispensable as we rapidly expand our network and continue to evolve and grow as a company. Lisa’s valuable perspective and future vision will be a huge attribute to Truespeed and I look forward to working alongside Lisa as we move towards reaching our next milestone.”

James Lowther speaks in the Project Rollout track at Connected Britain on the 20 September 2022. Book your place HERE

 

The post South West ISP, Truespeed appoints non-exec to accelerate rollout first appeared on Total Telecom.

Contributed Article

by VX Fiber

Fast, reliable broadband is vital to the UK’s ‘Levelling Up’ strategy. And its importance is increasing exponentially. The UK is facing economic uncertainty, and as a potential recession looms the cost of living squeeze is having an impact on citizens from John O’Groats to Land’s End. However, even in this climate, internet connectivity is an absolute priority – and a necessity – for UK households.  

In a recent poll, more than 1,600 members of the public had their say on how their lives would change if they lost digital access – and the findings proved that being able to afford and use the internet is a necessity for creating an equal society. The testimonies flagged fears of losing jobs, incomes and the ability to get back on the employment ladder. This was closely followed by worries around how difficult it would become to manage the crucial parts of everyday life, such as banking, but also keeping connected to family and friends. 

Despite this, recent figures showed that nearly five million people can not go online at all. Around 8% of the country’s population could still be digitally disengaged by 2030, despite government estimates that 90% of all jobs in the next two decades will require some form of digital knowledge.  

It’s fair to say this is a slightly different perspective from the usual “turbocharged progress” rhetoric we hear in the media.  The reality is that the latest data shows that 70% of UK premises have access to gigabit broadband that comes from DOCSIS 3.1 or full fibre to the premises (FTTP). When it comes to premises passed by one or more FTTP networks – the real ‘future-proofed’ connectivity that UK homes and businesses need and deserve – the figure actually stands at 40%. With this in mind, it doesn’t really come as a surprise that recent research finds, average speeds in the UK are roughly 73% of the western European average of 99Mbps. Perhaps all isn’t as well as it seems?   

A clear indication of this is financing. The budget set by the government to achieve nationwide 1Gbps coverage – £5bn – remains. Yet, only £1.2bn of this budget will be made available before 2024. Further, there is industry concern that, despite public sentiment and need, the upcoming economic crises will see connectivity slip down the priority list for further allocation of this budget.  

Of course, stopping spending in a crisis is a natural response. And in some cases, these are stark choices people are making, between having the data they need and heating their house or feeding their family. Government will have to respond to this sensitively and appropriately.  

But the money is there – we need to be leveraging it more efficiently and effectively. Otherwise, the digital divide will only become more prevalent. In particular for rural and hard-to-reach areas, where digital exclusion has been deeply entrenched and profoundly impacted people’s lives. We can’t keep waiting on the government forever, and especially not if we are to meet its (twice) watered-down target of nationwide coverage by 2030.  

Fortunately, there is another way. Increasingly, municipalities are taking ownership of their own digital connectivity. And it makes sense. Not only does the delivery of broadband infrastructure projects often involve devolved responsibilities such as building regulations, planning and business rates, but their position at the heart of communities means that local authorities are ideally placed to ensure these networks fit the needs of the people using them.  

However, it’s not easy to know where to begin. Working hand-in-hand with a fibre operator can support them with removing roadblocks such as how to access – and where to allocate funding. The answer lies in the financing and business model of the “Open Access” Model, in which the fibre operator partners with a local third party, such as a local authority, and invests jointly in installing gigabit fibre.  

Stoke-on-Trent City Council, for example, appointed VX Fiber as their partner to deliver the DCMS-funded LFFN. Stoke-on-Trent City Council owns the city network, whilst VX Fiber has been contracted to build and operate the infrastructure in the public domain. VX Fiber has also invested its own money in the build of the necessary access infrastructure to connect premises. 

An open access full fibre gigabit network creates multiple opportunities for the partners involved. The local authority can monetise their fibre assets directly by working with specialist providers like VX Fiber to launch services such as broadband for residential and business customers. In doing so, the partners generate extra revenue that works to repay the cost taken to finance the network in the first place. 

This is a dynamic approach to delivering gigabit broadband across the UK, where communities are in charge of a very lucrative digital asset. Levelling up will only be successful if local actors are empowered to develop solutions that work for their communities. It requires strong leadership, effective decision-making and harnessing wider private-sector leadership.  

The processes we have so far are not working effectively or efficiently, and after all, ‘nothing changes, if nothing changes’. We needed ubiquitous connectivity years ago – we cannot afford another watered-down or missed target. And to the benefit of their own regions, local authorities, with the help of the right partner, can play a big role in preventing this from happening. 

Want to learn more about the realities of ‘Levelling Up’ when it comes to fibre broadband in the UK? Join VX Fiber in discussion at this year’s live Connected Britain conference

Also in the news:
UK telcos to face stricter cybersecurity obligations under new govt rules
Jio prepares to plough $25bn into 5G
VMO2 activates first open RAN sites in live network

The post Nothing changes, if nothing changes: The UK’s full fibre rollout cannot rely solely on central government   first appeared on Total Telecom.

Network operator and UK ISP Zzoomm has today announced a further £44 million expansion of their effort to deploy a new gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network, which will add another 8 market towns across parts of Yorkshire and the Midlands this Autumn. Until now the provider, which launch in 2020 and aims to reach 1 […]

Alternative network provider Truespeed, which is deploying a new gigabit speed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network across rural parts of South West England, has today appointed Lisa Harrington to be a Non-Executive Director and to help the company accelerate its rollout of ultrafast broadband. Lisa’s previous experience includes 10 years at BT in a range of senior […]

Linksys has today announced that they’ve started offering a suite of WiFi 6 products to broadband ISPs in the UK, including routers and mesh systems. The provider has traditionally targeted the country’s consumer and business market at retail, but due to “strong demand” they’re now also partnering with full fibre altnets. Over the past few […]

We’ve had it confirmed from various credible sources that Openreach (BT) are planning to launch a new pilot in the near future, which will enable UK ISPs to test faster broadband tiers on the operator’s Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network. Download speeds faster than 1Gbps are expected, and a new ONT will also be involved. Openreach’s national […]

Buckingham-based Village Networks, which operates a number of Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) and full fibre (FTTP) broadband networks across parts of Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire and the Thames Valley, has announced that they’ve acquired Hampshire’s Viridian Communications, better known as ISP Gigabeam. Founded in 2002, Village Networks is a small alternative network that has been around […]

Property management firm Tower Hamlets Homes (THH), which looks after social housing across the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, has launched a new scheme that will offer a “limited number of free internet connections” for 12 months to residents (this will include free a router and installation). The announcement doesn’t state how many of these […]