AT&T drops DEI to get $1bn spectrum deal approved | Total Telecom
Original article Total Telecom:Read More News The FCC has approved AT&T’s $1.02 billion spectrum acquisition from UScellular on the condition that the company terminates its DEI initiatives, amid concerns over industry consolidation and its impact on rural connectivity and competition. The Federal Communications Commission has approved AT&T’s $1.02 billion purchase of spectrum licenses from UScellular, conditional on AT&T’s formal commitment to end its Diversity, Equity and...
Netgem TV PLEIO Streaming Box Back in Stock with 12-Months Free Sub | ISPreview UK
Original article ISPreview UK:Read More Digital entertainment platform Netgem TV has today announced that their recently launched (here) next gen IPTV box – PLEIO, which includes support for the UK’s new broadband-based live TV streaming service – Freely, will be back in stock for retail customers sometime today. The updated deal also includes 12 months free subscription to their premium content. Just to recap. PLEIO was initially made available both at retail via Amazon (affiliate link) and...
SpaceX Hint at Launching Own 4G via LEO Satellite Based Starlink Mobile Service | ISPreview UK
Original article ISPreview UK:Read More Mobile operators across the world, including some of Starlink’s own partners, have been put on notice of greater competition after SpaceX’s CEO, Elon Musk, hinted he might use his mega-constellation of ultrafast broadband satellites to launch his own mobile network. Musk has now filed to trademark the name “Starlink Mobile“. Starlink currently has around 9,100 satellites in orbit (c.5,600 are v2 / V2 Mini) – mostly at altitudes of c.500-600km....
Building Digital UK Agency to Change CEO in 2026 as Dean Creamer Exits | ISPreview UK
Original article ISPreview UK:Read More The Government’s Building Digital UK (BDUK) organisation, which has responsibility for delivering gigabit broadband and better mobile connectivity across the nation (e.g. the £5bn Project Gigabit and Shared Rural Network schemes), have confirmed that existing boss (CEO) Dean Creamer is to be moved into a new role – his last day will be 9th January 2026. The move comes after the government announced (here) that BDUK, which under the previous government...
UK Homes with Out of Range Energy Smart Meters Get Reprieve from 2G Switch Off | ISPreview UK
Original article ISPreview UK:Read More Some 46,000 consumers have been given extra time to resolve connectivity problems with their Energy Smart Meters, which were previously at risk of losing 2G based mobile data connectivity to the Data Communications Company‘s (DCC) wide area network on 1st January 2026. But Ofgem has now extended the service coverage until 1st June 2026. Just to recap. The ongoing efforts to switch off older 2G and 3G based mobile networks across the UK will ultimately...
London ISP Community Fibre Deploy New Linksys WiFi 7 Broadband Routers | ISPreview UK
Original article ISPreview UK:Read More Alternative broadband ISP CommunityFibre, which has invested c.£1bn to deploy a 5Gbps Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network across 1.342 million UK homes (inc. 185k businesses within 200 metres of their network) – mostly in London, have today announced that new customers on their fastest 2.5Gbps and 5Gbps package will now get a WiFi 7 capable Linksys router. The official announcement doesn’t clarify exactly which models the provider has chosen to bundle,...
BT unveils new ‘sovereign platform’ for enterprise customers | Total Telecom
Original article Total Telecom:Read More News BT has unveiled a new “sovereign platform” designed to give UK businesses and public bodies greater control over their networks, data, and emerging services such as cloud-hosted applications and AI. The platform, announced on Monday, consolidates a suite of services that BT says will be delivered from UK-based infrastructure and supported only by staff located in the UK. The company frames the move as a response to growing geopolitical uncertainty...
Freely’s UK Broadband TV Streaming Service Adds More Channels | ISPreview UK
Original article ISPreview UK:Read More Broadband-based live TV streaming service Freely, which is supported by most of the major UK TV broadcasters (BBC, ITV etc.) and is an evolution – not (yet) a replacement – for the existing Freeview service (inc. Freeview Play and Freesat), has said they’re adding another 7 channels to the free platform via partnerships with Warner Bros. Discovery UK & Ireland and CNN. The first of these channels, CNN Headlines (channel 305), has already gone live...
New HBO Max Streaming Service to Get UK Launch in March 2026 | ISPreview UK
Original article ISPreview UK:Read More Get ready for yet more online video content fragmentation as the CEO of American TV and Movie streaming giant HBO Max, Casey Bloys, has announced that its service will finally go live in the UK and Ireland during March 2026. But the platform will be going live in Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein first, on 13th January 2026. Historically, if you wanted to watch HBO’s content in the UK (e.g. “It: Welcome to Derry,” “House...
Vodacom buys $2.1bn stake in Safaricom, gains majority control | Total Telecom
Original article Total Telecom:Read More News The shares, purchased from the Kenyan government and Vodacom’s parent company Vodafone, give it a 55% stake in the business This week, South Africa telecoms giant Vodacom has announced a deal to increase its stake in Kenya’s Safaricom to 55%, in a deal worth $2.1 billion. The deal would see Vodacom acquire a 15% stake in the business from the Kenyan government and a further 5% stake from its parent company Vodafone. Acquiring a controlling stake in...