Home » UK ISP News Archive » ISP News (17997 Posts)

Latest ISP News

Analogue-uk-phone-handset-on-red-background 123rf

Openreach Offers Free PSTN Migrations for Voice Only UK Phone Lines

8th May, 2026 (7 Comments)

Network access provider Openreach (BT) has today moved to help facilitate the closure of the old analogue phone network (PSTN/WLR) in favour of digital (IP-based) alternatives, which they’ve done by making it free for broadband and phone providers to migrate WLR Solus (i.e. voice-only lines) to MPF (fully unbundled) or SOTAP (data-only copper broadband for areas without fibre) lines.

Alternative Broadband Network Pulse Fibre Falls into Administration

8th May, 2026 (6 Comments)

London-based broadband provider Pulse Fibre, which focuses on deploying Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) internet connections into new build UK home developments and MDUs (here), has become the latest altnet to hit troubled times after they issued a “Notice of Intention to appoint an administrator“.

Revealed – the UK’s Worst Areas and ISPs for Evening Broadband Speed Drops

8th May, 2026 (12 Comments)

A new study from Broadband Genie has analysed 144,509 broadband speed tests over a 12-month period to find the best and worst locations and ISPs in the UK where your internet download speed drops at peak times. Overall the report finds that Wigan experienced the biggest drop at peak times (average fall of -55%), while Airband saw the biggest fall for ISPs (-45%).

Study Highlights UK Competition Challenges of Netomnia’s Acquisition by Nexfibre

8th May, 2026 (24 Comments)

A new study from Point Topic has examined the impact on infrastructure level competition from nexfibre’s £2bn move to acquire full fibre broadband operator Netomnia (here). The analyst suggests that consumers in overlapping areas could see reduced infrastructure-level competition and less aggressive pricing over time, which may impact the Competition and Markets Authority‘s (CMA) assessment of the deal.

TalkTalk Business HQ Exchange Quay in Salford

UK ISP TalkTalk Business Set to Relocate to a New Salford Headquarters

7th May, 2026 (2 Comments)

Business broadband and Ethernet provider TalkTalk Business (TTB), which in 2023 was demerged from the TalkTalk Group and sold to the same group’s own shareholders for £95m (here), has today announced their plans to relocate to a new headquarters at Building 1, Exchange Quay in Salford.

Broadband ISP Aquiss Refreshes FullFibre Limited Plans and Offers 2.5Gbps

7th May, 2026 (2 Comments)

Shropshire-based independent ISP Aquiss has this afternoon launched a refreshed range of full fibre broadband packages delivered over the FullFibre Limited network, which currently reaches around 600,000 premises (ready for service) across the United Kingdom.

BT Refreshes UK Consumer Brands and Relaunches BT Mobile Service

7th May, 2026 (42 Comments)

Broadband and telecoms giant BT Group has this afternoon confirmed last week’s leak (here) by announcing somewhat of a UK consumer brand resuscitation for BT and a refresh for their other consumer divisions (EE and Plusnet). The move will, among other things, revive their BT Mobile brand for basic 30 day rolling SIM Only contracts and introduces free security upgrades for home users.

CEO of Alternative Network UK ISP LightSpeed Broadband Steps Down

7th May, 2026 (1 Comment)

Alternative network provider LightSpeed Broadband, which has already deployed their full fibre (FTTP) network to cover 250,000 premises across the East of England and Midlands, has this morning confirmed to ISPreview that Brett Shepherd, the CEO of LightSpeed – the group behind LightSpeed Broadband and LightSpeed Networks – has “stepped down“.

Virgin Media O2 UK Sees Record Broadband Traffic Spike from Footy Streaming

7th May, 2026 (5 Comments)

Internet provider Virgin Media (O2) has reported that their fixed broadband network just recorded the “biggest broadband traffic spike in its history“, which occurred after customers streaming the ‘Arsenal v Atletico Madrid’ Champions League semi-final pushed traffic 4.2% higher than the previous peak and 17% higher than an average Tuesday evening in 2026.

MS3 Recovers After Melted Cable Knocked Out Broadband Across Scunthorpe

7th May, 2026 (5 Comments)

Hull-based alternative network operator MS3, which has built a full fibre (FTTP) broadband network across 234,000 premises (213k RFS) in the North of England and connected 20,000 customers via various retail ISPs, have managed to restore services across the Lincolnshire town of Scunthorpe after one of their core fibre cables melted.

Gold Award Trophy Held in Hand 123RF - 166249402

Broadband Provider Finalists for the UK Fibre Awards 2026 Named

6th May, 2026 (7 Comments)

The shortlist for the fifth annual UK Fibre Awards event, which will take place next month (4th June 2026) at the London Marriott Grosvenor Square Hotel, has been released. The event sees various broadband ISPs and full fibre network builders across several categories pick up awards for their achievements.

UK ISP Fibrus Deploys RAGE ROOM for Broadband Consumers to Vent Frustration

6th May, 2026 (11 Comments)

Alternative network ISP Fibrus, which is building a full fibre (FTTP) broadband network across parts of Northern Ireland and Cumbria (England), has launched an unusual new campaign that takes a swipe at its competitors by inviting their angry customers to let out their frustrations in a rage room (i.e. a place where you go to smash up poor defenceless electrical devices etc.).

O2 UK Switches On 5G Standalone Mobile Broadband Network in Wales

6th May, 2026 (9 Comments)

Mobile operator O2 (Virgin Media) has this morning announced that they’ve switched-on their next-generation 5G Standalone (5GSA / 5G+) mobile broadband network in Wales, which is said to reach more than 800,000 residents and businesses across 9 large towns and cities, 18 smaller towns, and 133 villages.

Fibre optical network cable close-up by 123rf ID245596935

Fibre Broadband Set for Boost as UK Scientists Uncover Hidden Property of Light

6th May, 2026 (4 Comments)

A team of researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich, England, has “uncovered a hidden property of light” that allows it to controllably twist, spin and behave differently – without mirrors, materials or special lenses. In theory this could allow future optical (fibre optic) based broadband connections, among other things, to carry significantly more data.

Censorship image of hands bound by rope by 123rf (133819162)

Tech and Civil Society Groups Warn Against Blanket UK Internet Restrictions

5th May, 2026 (2 Comments)

The Open Rights Group, Index on Censorship, Mozilla, Tor Project, Big Brother Watch, plus many other technology and civil society groups, have signed a new statement that urges UK policymakers to reconsider their approach to online safety legislation – warning that proposed age-gating measures and access restrictions threaten to fragment the open internet and erode the rights of all users.

Rural Broadband ISP Airband Appoint Paula Strickland as CFO

5th May, 2026 (0 Comments)

Alternative internet provider Airband, which has built a mixed Full Fibre (FTTP) and Fixed Wireless (FWA) broadband network across rural parts of England and North Wales, has followed up the recent departure of their CEO (here) and confirmation of further redundancies (here) by announcing that Paula Strickland has been appointed to the role of Chief Financial Officer.

New UK Alternative Network ISP DIGI Preps 10Gbps Broadband for £25 UPDATE

5th May, 2026 (61 Comments)

A couple of months ago we reported that Romanian telecoms company DIGI Communications had entered the UK market by acquiring 51% of the share capital of alternative network provider WhyFibre via subsidiary Fiber One Limited (here). The provider has since launched a retail ISP called DIGI and promises speeds of 10Gbps for just £25. But the rollout plan remains unclear.