Ofcom – UK Gigabit Broadband Cover Rises to 84% as 5G Hits 90-95%
Ofcom has published their annual Connection Nations 2024 digital infrastructure report, which among many other things finds that residential gigabit-capable broadband ISP networks now cover 84% of the UK (up from 78% in 2023), while outdoor 5G mobile cover from at least one operator is available to 90-95% of premises (up from 85-93%). But rural cover remains poor. The latest CN2024 report typically offers a general overview of fixed line broadband and mobile network availability, as well as...
OTA Identify Areas Needing Improvement in UK Broadband Switching Process UPDATE
The UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has revealed the outcome of the Telecoms Adjudicator‘s (OTA) recent review into the remaining problems (i.e. the matching process) with the new One Touch Switching (OTS) system, which was intended to make it easier for consumers to change broadband ISPs but is still somewhat of a work-in-progress. At present, the OTS process is being implemented by both communications providers directly and a centralised messaging platform via the industry-led One Touch...
Ransomware Group Claims to Have Breached One of BT’s UK Systems
Broadband and telecoms giant BT Group has confirmed that a ransomware gang made an “attempt” to compromise their BT Conferencing business platform. The group, which calls itself Black Basta, claims to have stolen 500GB (GigaBytes) of sensitive and financial data, although the UK operator has yet to confirm this. According to the FBI, Black Basta is a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) group that was first identified in April 2022 and is known to have targeted over 500 private industry and critical...
Vodafone and Three UK Mega Mobile Merger Gets Final Approval
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has today finally granted approval for mobile operators Vodafone and Three UK to proceed with their merger deal (here), which will result in an expansion of their 5G Standalone (SA) network (broadband) coverage. But the merged company will have to comply with new legal obligations and consumer pricing controls. The merger, which is said to be worth £15bn+ and will see Vodafone retain a 51% slice of the business and CK Hutchison (Three UK) hold 49%,...
Study Finds Patchy Mobile Coverage on the East Coast Mainline
Network analyst firm Streetwave has surveyed UK mobile coverage (4G, 5G etc.) and mobile broadband speeds along the East Coast Mainline – as operated by the London North Eastern Railway (LNER), which found that passengers can face “hours without mobile coverage access” while travelling between London and Edinburgh. But EE delivered the best service. The East Coast route is said to connect London and Edinburgh via Yorkshire, York, Durham and Newcastle. According to Network Rail, over 20 million...
The DIME project concludes with key innovations set to transform Edge Artificial Intelligence
Edge artificial intelligence (AI) is enabling real-time data processing and decision-making directly on devices, reducing latency and bandwidth usage while enhancing privacy by minimizing data transmission to the cloud. However, its widespread adoption has faced significant technical obstacles. The DIME project, led by a research team at IMDEA Networks and coordinated by Joerg Widmer, Research Director, and Jaya Champati, Research Assistant Professor, concluded this year, achieving a critical...
TFL announces full 4G coverage on London’s Elizabeth Line
News The milestone means passengers traveling through central London stations can enjoy reliable 4G coverage on their journeys Transport for London (TFL) and neutral host provider Boldyn Networks have completed the rollout of high-speed mobile coverage across the entire Elizabeth Line. This marks another step in TfL’s ongoing efforts to improve connectivity across London’s transport system. All UK mobile network operators — Three UK, EE, Vodafone, and Virgin Media O2 — are participating in...
Vodafone to sell off last remnant of Indus Towers stake
News The operator says it values its remaining 3% stake at around $330 million This week, Vodafone has announced that it is looking to sell its final 3% stake in Indus Towers, which it values at around $330 million. The sale will be achieved through an accelerated book build offering. Vodafone has been actively seeking to sell down its stake in Indus Towers since 2022, gradually reducing its stake from 28% to 21.5% earlier this year. In June, the company announced it was looking to sell a...
EE airdrops mobile tower into Isle of Skye
News The new tower is already being used heavily by the local community, with EE calling it “one of the busiest EE mobile sites in the area” This week, EE has announced the deployment of a new mobile tower in the remote Scottish Isle of Skye, having flown it in via helicopter. The new mast, which has been nestled in a forested area to lower its visual impact, now provides 4G coverage to 330,000 square metres of the central and northern parts of the island. The primary focus of this deployment,...
China Mobile makes $1bn offer for HKBN
News US investment firm I Squared Capital has also filed a non-binding offer for the company, opening the door to a potential bidding war China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile operator, has launched a HK$6.86 billion (US$881 million) bid to acquire Hong Kong Broadband Network (HKBN), one of Hong Kong’s top internet service providers. According to stock market filing, this offer could increase to HK$7.8 billion (US$1 billion) when factoring in unvested share units and vendor loan notes. HKBN...