News

Rural focused UK ISP Quickline, which is deploying gigabit-capable broadband networks (FTTP and wireless) across remote parts of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in England, has today announced that they’ve welcomed their first cohort of eight in-house trained telecoms apprentices to help build the new network. In case anybody has forgotten. Quickline previously won four Project Gigabit contracts from the Government to help expand their network (here, here and here), which will bring full fibre...

Satellite operator AST SpaceMobile has today signed a “definitive” long-term commercial agreement that will allow Vodafone to harness their new network of cellular broadband satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) until 2034. This is essentially a space-based 2G, 4G and 5G mobile broadband service that can connect with regular handsets around the world. Over the past few years’ we’ve already seen AST conduct several trials of the new platform, including via their prototype 1.5-ton BlueWalker 3...

Broadband network operator and UK ISP Lightning Fibre, which has been building a new “full fibre” (FTTP) network across parts of Sussex and Kent in England, has today revealed that their deployment in the Old Town area of Eastbourne has covered 6,574 (87%) premises and seen 2,021 of those take their service (31% of connectable premises or 27% of the total area). Just to put this in some context, the Old Town area of Eastbourne first started to go live on their new network in August 2021 and...

Sky (Sky Broadband etc.) has this afternoon announced that they’ve signed an expanded partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery in the UK and Ireland, which means that existing Sky TV and NOW TV customers (e.g. Sky Glass, Sky Stream) will gain free (non-exclusive) access to the new ad-supported streaming service (app), Max (HBO Max), when it launches in 2026. The deal means that Sky’s existing agreement has been extended until “early 2026“, with the new Max service set to become available “at no...

Edinburgh-based UK ISP GoFibre (BorderLink) has today confirmed that they’ve “completed” their roll-out of a new full fibre (FTTP) broadband network across the rural Northumberland village of Harbottle, which is home to over 250 people and forms part of their £7.3m Project Gigabit delivery contract (here) to cover 3,750 hard-to-reach premises in the county. The announcement means that around 90 additional premises are now ready to connect to their new FTTP network, which adds to the over...

Abingdon-based rural ISP and full fibre network builder Gigaclear has today celebrated a “record year of growth in 2024” after adding 40,000 new customers (up almost 50% in the year) to total over 130,000, while also extending their network coverage to 580,000 premises as ‘Ready for Service’ (up by 100k in the year). Nathan Rundle, CEO of Gigaclear, said: “Our mission is to bring the fastest full fibre broadband to rural Britain so I am delighted to report that we have connected more hard to...

Contract-free UK mobile provider VOXI, which is a virtual network operator (MVNO) sibling of Vodafone, has today announced the introduction of eSIM (Electronic SIM) support to their mobile service for both new and existing customers who take one of their SIM Only mobile plans. Just to recap. The eSIM standard is an alternative to physical SIM cards, which works by essentially embedding an electronic SIM into your device (Smartphone) that could – once fully implemented – make it easier and...

News  Shareholders are scrambling to keep the company afloat   TalkTalk has reported deepening financial woes, with losses reaching £72 million in the six months to August 2024, up from £47 million in the same period last year, according to its latest accounts which have been seen by The Telegraph.   Revenues also fell 6% to £700 million, reflecting a shrinking customer base and the  sale of its business division for £95 million last year.  Analysts warn that TalkTalk could lose up to 250,000...

News  The news comes after BT signed a separate ESN contract last week  IBM and Samsung are set to secure a £895m contract to deliver user services for the UK’s new Emergency Services Network (ESN), leaving BT and its Italian partner Leonardo out of the deal, according to a recent Telegraph report.  The Home Office’s decision marks a key step in the long-delayed and over-budget ESN project to modernise communication systems for police, fire, and ambulance services in the UK.  BT had been...

Broadband ISP and mobile operator Vodafone UK has this morning announced a new “strategic alliance” with Gigs, which provides a kind of operating system for mobile services that can help startups and large tech companies across the country to launch their own virtual mobile operator (MVNO) style services. The move, which follows close behind last week’s complementary partnership with eSIM Go (here), is aimed at “drastically lowering the barriers to entry and reducing operational overhead” for...