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Toob Extends UK FTTP Broadband Network Across Portchester

12th June, 2025 (4 Comments)

Hampshire-based alternative network builder and UK ISP toob, which has deployed a gigabit speed full fibre (FTTP) network across parts of South England and also harnesses CityFibre’s network in other areas, has announced that their own fibre network build has now covered over 8,000 homes in the large Hampshire village of Portchester.

Openreach Tells UK Businesses to “act faster” on Legacy Phone Switch-Off

12th June, 2025 (16 Comments)

Network access provider Openreach (BT) has today warned businesses across the UK that they must “act now” in order to be ready for the old Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to be switched-off in favour of IP-based digital phone (VoIP etc.) services. But many are leaving it until the last minute, “risking network outages and malfunctioning systems“.

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New Subsea Cable Link Being Explored for the Shetland Islands

12th June, 2025 (3 Comments)

Network operator VodafoneThree UK has today announced that they’ve begun a “feasibility study” to explore the possibility and cost of deploying a new subsea fibre optic cable system to help transform broadband and mobile connectivity in the Shetland Islands – a remote subarctic archipelago that resides some way north of Scotland.

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VodafoneThree Outline Future UK Network Plans and 4G to 5G Speed Boosts

12th June, 2025 (55 Comments)

VodafoneThree, which reflects the now finalised c.£16bn merger between Vodafone and Three UK (here), has this morning set out a set of post-merger plans for their 4G / 5G mobile (mobile broadband) network coverage, performance and branding. Starting with a 20% average speed boost on 4G for Three and SMARTY customers, and a new broadband partnership with CommunityFibre.

Virgin Media and O2 Warn UK Pensioners Unaware of Cheap Social Tariffs

12th June, 2025 (10 Comments)

Broadband and mobile provider Virgin Media and O2 (VMO2) has this morning claimed, as part of a new online survey conducted by Strand Partners, that 48% of UK pensioners are still unaware of the social tariffs that can offer “significant cost savings” to those on state benefits, such as Pension Credit, Universal Credit and others.

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Convergence Group Gobbles M247’s UK Connectivity and IT Services Operations

11th June, 2025 (2 Comments)

Solihull-based UK business connectivity provider Convergence Group has announced the acquisition of the M247 Group‘s UK focused connectivity (broadband, Ethernet etc.) and IT services operations, which apparently includes its related infrastructure and personnel, for an undisclosed sum.

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Gov’s 2025 Spending Review Delays UK Gigabit Broadband Target to 2032 UPDATE

11th June, 2025 (13 Comments)

The UK Government’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has today delivered her 2025 Spending Review, which included a few bits of new information and updated figures for telecoms. But as well as confirming £1.9bn for broadband and mobile projects (existing commitments), it also appeared to reflect a delay to the gigabit broadband roll-out from 2030 to 2032.

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F&W Networks and UK ISP Hey! Broadband Cut e-Waste by Reusing Routers

11th June, 2025 (11 Comments)

Internet provider Hey! Broadband, which reaches various areas covered by F&W Networks‘ (Fibre and Wireless) alternative gigabit speed full fibre (FTTP) lines – mostly across the South East of England, has cut their electronic waste by becoming the latest ISP to reuse customer-premises equipment (CPE) – like home routers and optical modems (ONT).

Vodafone UK Test Software Enhancement That Boosted 5G Speeds to 1.7Gbps

11th June, 2025 (15 Comments)

Broadband ISP and mobile operator Vodafone have announced that they’ve “successfully completed tests of a major 5G software enhancement” with Nokia, Qualcomm Technologies and Xiaomi. The change, once deployed, promises to boost data (mobile broadband) throughput for users by nearly 25%.

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Broadband ISP Plusnet Gives Up on Free UK Email and Webspace Features

11th June, 2025 (21 Comments)

Internet provider Plusnet recently began notifying customers that they “will no longer be offering an email service to new or existing” users of their broadband service, and have instead begun the process of migrating users of their legacy services (inc. webspace and domains) to a new platform. But the new service won’t remain free.

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Disputed Invoice Causes Brief Headache for Network Provider Fibre 1

11th June, 2025 (1 Comment)

Network operator Fibre 1 Limited, which typically focuses more on Scotland and offers a range of broadband / Ethernet / internet connectivity services to businesses, recently ran into a problem after a disputed invoice briefly led to a court action to appoint a provisional liquidator. But this issue was promptly reversed and settled.

Mobile giant Vodafone UK and Sky (Comcast) have reportedly two among several "groups" that have approached budget conscious fixed broadband ISP TalkTalk about a potential deal (most likely an acquisition), which in theory could create a much larger provider with more influence over the industry. Just to recap. In 2020 TalkTalk became the subject of a £1.1bn takeover by Toscafund - controlled by hedge fund tycoon Martin Hughes (here), which including debt valued the broadband provider at around £1.8bn. The deal took the ISP private and gave them more financial flexibility for their future plans. Since then, they've backed Freedom Fibre (here) and this week made the notable acquisition of Ethernet provider Virtual1 (here). According to the FT (paywall) and Sky News, TalkTalk is now said to have asked investment bank Lazard to review its options after allegedly being approach by several groups, including Vodafone and Sky (Sky Broadband). Lazard is a logical choice as they recently acted as Financial Advisor to TalkTalk on the Virtual1 transaction. Some industry analysts have reportedly suggested that TalkTalk itself could now be worth "at least" £3bn. But this seems rather optimistic for an ISP that doesn't have any significant fixed line broadband infrastructure to call its own (excluding their old unbundled LLU network) and largely just piggybacks off Openreach (BT), CityFibre and Freedom Fibre. But TalkTalk do have a strong business and wholesale side. Funnily enough, Sky Broadband are in a similar position with their own fixed line base, while Vodafone also likes to piggyback off Openreach and CityFibre. At present, Vodafone has a fixed broadband base of 991,000 customers, while Sky Broadband is estimated to be home to around 6.7 million and TalkTalk has approximately 4.2 million. Suffice to say, anybody gobbling up TalkTalk would instantly become a much larger provider, giving them a greater say in how the UK broadband market develops and more opportunities for convergence (Vodafone with mobile, and Sky with mobile and TV). Crucially, TalkTalk's consumer base is mostly made up of those on older copper and hybrid fibre lines (i.e. ADSL and FTTC / VDSL2), which are ripe for a future migration to FTTP. At the time of writing, all of the aforementioned operators have decline to comment on the reports, and TalkTalk has yet to receive any serious formal offers. In other words, we strongly suspect that this is largely just an exercise in spin to help TalkTalk drum up some more productive interest in the idea. But at the same time, it's not unreasonable to suspect that they might succeed, as the interest seems genuine. On the other hand, we see reports like this every year or so and only a very few ever convert into a serious offer. Time will tell. Much may depend upon whether or not TalkTalk’s new owners are more flexible and pragmatic about doing a deal than the previous lot. Arguably, TalkTalk might have gone much further by now had they taken some different decisions a few years ago (e.g. co-investing in FTTP instead of Pay TV).

BT Allegedly Explores Acquisition of Struggling UK Broadband ISP TalkTalk

10th June, 2025 (37 Comments)

A newspaper has claimed that telecoms giant BT (EE, Plusnet etc.) is allegedly in the “early stages of exploring a takeover” of debt-laden broadband ISP TalkTalk. The news follows only days after Openreach reportedly threatened to block the troubled internet provider from adding new customers (here) due to concerns over delayed payments.

As Funding Deal Looms, CityFibre Says Talk of Sale to VMO2 Unfounded

10th June, 2025 (24 Comments)

Network operator CityFibre, which has so far deployed their gigabit-capable full fibre broadband (FTTP) lines to cover 4.3 million UK premises (RFS), have said that recent newspaper “speculation” around the possibility of the business being acquired by Virgin Media (O2) are “unfounded“. The operator added that they were now close to securing a much-needed financing deal.

Boldyn Networks and ITS Tech to Build New Full Fibre Networks in London

10th June, 2025 (6 Comments)

Digital infrastructure firm Boldyn Networks, which has helped to deploy a number of open access UK mobile and fibre optic broadband networks, has today announced that they’re working with network operator ITS Technology to deploy a new full fibre network across parts of four London Boroughs (Bromley, Lewisham, Merton, and Wandsworth).

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Vodafone UK Harness Quantum Tech to Help Build and Upgrade Networks

10th June, 2025 (5 Comments)

Mobile operator Vodafone has today announced that they’ve agreed a new partnership with UK-based quantum company, ORCA computing. The deal will see the network provider harnessing quantum technology to help them quickly map out the fastest and cheapest route when building and upgrading future mobile and fixed broadband networks.

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Streetwave to Map 4G and 5G Mobile Coverage Across North Scotland

10th June, 2025 (0 Comments)

The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) has announced that they’ve appointed network analyst firm Streetwave to harness fleets of bin lorries to help “accurately” map 4G and 5G mobile broadband coverage and performance, which will focus on the North of Scotland (i.e. Moray, Aberdeenshire and Highland Council areas).

Vodafone Bring Free 7-Day eSIM Mobile Network Trial to 4 More UK Cities

10th June, 2025 (5 Comments)

Mobile network operator Vodafone have announced that people in Belfast, Sheffield, Liverpool and Watford can now take advantage of their “try before you buy” style eSIM, which first went live in London last month (here). Consumers can try the operator’s service, free, for 7-days with 50GB of data (mobile broadband), 500 minutes and 500 texts – all without changing your number.