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Ookla, which operates the popular Speedtest.net service, has just published a new Q1-Q2 2021 (H1) study of 5G mobile broadband performance from Three UK, EE, Vodafone and O2 (VMO2), which found that Three delivered the fastest average (median) download speeds of 231.07Mbps. But Vodafone wins on uploads (19.69Mbps).
The first customers are now starting to connect via Netomnia‘s new gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network in the South West England town of Cheltenham, which is being supplied via local ISP partner YouFibre as part of a £24m rollout to cover 80,000 local premises.
A new report from market analysts at Bloomberg Intelligence (BI) has perhaps stated the obvious by concluding that the recent UK mega broadband and mobile merger between O2 and Virgin Media is “unlikely to trigger a chain reaction of mergers,” which is because there “simply aren’t many easy or credible deal options left.”
Business and residential UK ISP Glide Group, which has built a national UK “full fibre” broadband network that reaches over 100,000 premises, has announced that their network is being extended to reach businesses in Corby (Northamptonshire), including on the large Corby Gate Business Park (i.e. an upgrade to their previous copper network).
Virgin Media (VMO2) has announced that 7,800 additional homes in the Manchester suburb of Moston have just been put within reach of their new Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based gigabit broadband and TV network, which means that residents can now access top download speeds of 1,130Mbps.
Openreach (BT) has published the next – Tranche 5 – list of 86 UK exchange locations where they plan to move away from old copper-based analogue phone (PSTN / WLR etc.) services and on to a new all-IP network, which will occur in areas where over 75% of premises can get their Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network.
Back in April 2017 the UK Government introduced a welcome 5-year holiday on business rates for new fibre optic (FTTP) broadband infrastructure, which is due to expire next year. But now concerns have been raised that some alternative network (AltNet) ISPs may not yet have the necessary certificates to benefit.