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Virgin Media UK See Broadband Customers Grow as O2 Joins Starlink for Mobile

30th October, 2025 (10 Comments)

The latest Q3 2025 results from Virgin Media and O2 have revealed that their FTTP broadband network increased its coverage by 139,300 premises in the quarter (up from 114.9k in Q2). Similarly, related customers grew to total 5,704,300 (up by 60.8k in Q3 vs -51.4k in Q2) and O2’s mobile base jumped by 419,400 in the quarter, while also doing a multi-year deal with Starlink for satellite mobile (Direct to Cell).

Netomnia 2025 engineer up pole in Cheltenham

Virgin Media O2 Ponder £2bn UK Broadband Deal to Acquire Netomnia UPDATE

30th October, 2025 (86 Comments)

A major newspaper has this morning claimed that broadband giant Virgin Media (O2) have opened non-exclusive talks with alternative full fibre network operator Netomnia (Youfibre, Brsk), which could result in a £2bn deal that would expand VMO2’s network coverage and potentially remove a key competitor from the market. CityFibre are also said to be interested in the altnet.

Vodafone UK Expands Availability of Fix and Go Repair Service for Smartphones

29th October, 2025 (2 Comments)

Mobile operator Vodafone (VodafoneThree) has expanded the availability of their “Fix & Go” service for repairing various issues (battery and screen replacement etc.), which is now present across 14 UK stores and is available for Samsung, Apple or Google devices on any network, as well as those with out-of-warranty handsets.

Mast Removal in Hebden Bridge Leaves O2 and Vodafone UK Users Without Signal UPDATE2

29th October, 2025 (21 Comments)

Residents and businesses in the West Yorkshire (England) market town of Hebden Bridge, which is home to 4,500 people, have been warned that they could suffer from weak to non-existent mobile signals on O2 and Vodafone’s network, potentially lasting into early 2026, after a local mobile mast was suddenly removed.

Ofcom UK Propose New Rules to Tackle Mobile Messaging Scams

29th October, 2025 (12 Comments)

Ofcom has today announced a “comprehensive package of planned measures” that are designed to improve protection for mobile phone users against messaging scams. According to the regulator, some 50% of UK mobile users said they received a suspicious message between Nov 2024 and Feb 2025 via text or iMessage, but it’s hoped today’s changes may reduce that figure.

Mobile-broadband-UK-operator-network-speed by 123rf

SignalTracker Compares UK 5G Performance with India, Greece, Spain and Finland

29th October, 2025 (7 Comments)

A new study from SignalTracker, which runs a popular Android mobile app (not iOS) for monitoring and testing mobile network performance, has compared the 5G mobile (mobile broadband) performance (speeds, coverage etc.) in India against the UK, Greece, Spain and Finland.

Starlink UK Terminal and Broadband Router 2025

Starlink Threatens to Brick Dormant UK Broadband Kit if Users Don’t Update

29th October, 2025 (11 Comments)

A lot of people use SpaceX’s LEO satellite-based Starlink ultrafast broadband service as a backup or for occasional roaming, which means that outside of those times their terminal kit (dish and router) will be left dormant (i.e. the service is paused or cancelled but can be reactivated). If you’re one of those, you need to reconnect it ASAP to avoid it being bricked.

Zoom Earth Screenshot of Hurricane Melissa Over Jamaica 281025

EE and Three UK Offer Free Calls and Data for Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa Hits UPDATE

28th October, 2025 (4 Comments)

Mobile network operator EE (BT) has notified customers in Jamaica (Caribbean) that, due to the likely devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa (Category 5) today, they’re promising to credit back charges for mobile calls, texts and data (mobile broadband) used in Jamaica, as well as mobile and landline calls from the UK to Jamaica.

Starlink-satellites-in-orbit-around-the-earth GEN1

Ofcom Grant Starlink an E Band Capacity Boost for UK Satellite Broadband

28th October, 2025 (0 Comments)

The telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has today granted “temporary authorisation” for SpaceX’s Starlink service to harness the E band (71-76GHz and 81-86GHz) frequencies for their mega constellation of compact ultrafast broadband satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The move will boost their backhaul data capacity at three gateway earth station sites.

Grain Start Building UK Full Fibre Broadband Network in Gainsborough UPDATE

28th October, 2025 (2 Comments)

Carlisle-based alternative broadband network and UK ISP Grain, which recently secured a £225m funding boost to continue their expansion (here), has revealed that they’ve now begun to expand their Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) lines across the Lincolnshire (England) market town of Gainsborough; home to over 20,000 people.

BT Group Explore Launch of Budget UK Mobile Brand to Complement EE UPDATE

28th October, 2025 (40 Comments)

Telecoms and broadband giant BT is reportedly exploring the possibility of launching a new low-cost mobile service brand to complement their premium EE service. Such a move would seek to replicate Three UK’s approach with sub-brand Smarty or Vodafone’s approach with VOXI, albeit with some of BT’s own unique twists.

Virgin Media O2 CEO Joins BT in Raising Concern Over UK Biz Rates Hike

27th October, 2025 (18 Comments)

The CEO of broadband and mobile giant Virgin Media and O2 (VMO2), Lutz Schüler, has today warned the UK government against reforming business rates in a way that would impose a “hefty hike” on telecoms providers because, he says, it would act as a “disincentive to invest that will be a real kick in the cabinets” to the industry. At a time when they’re already under pressure.

wireless internet radio spectrum frequency by 123rf

5G on Aircraft and 5.8GHz for UK FWA Broadband as Ofcom Make Kit Licence Exempt

27th October, 2025 (1 Comment)

The UK communications regulator, Ofcom, has today decided to proceed with all the proposals they outlined in January 2025 to exempt lots of additional equipment from needing a wireless telegraphy licence, such as 5G handsets and dongles on aircraft or ships and 5.8GHz (5725-5850 MHz) Fixed Wireless Access kit – used by many wireless broadband ISPs.

2025 Openreach engineer testing connections in exchange PR 200125

Openreach UK Launch Rental Discount on up to 1Gbps EAD Ethernet Tiers UPDATE

27th October, 2025 (1 Comment)

Network operator Openreach (BT) has notified UK internet providers (ISPs) about the looming launch of a new special offer on their Ethernet Access Direct (EAD) lines for speeds of 1Gbps or below. The deal will apply a rental discount of 10% on the current one-year term rental prices with no CPI price rises for a full 36 or 60 months in return for signing up to a new 36 or 60-month term.

Sky UK Launch Business Focused SIM-Only Pay Monthly Mobile Service

27th October, 2025 (0 Comments)

Sky Business, the business broadband and wholesale focused division of Sky UK, has today expanded their product offerings by launching a new SIM-Only mobile service that’s been designed for small and medium-sized businesses (SME) across the country. Prices start at £11 +vat per month for a 10GB data plan (inc. unlimited calls & texts) and go up to £35 for an unlimited data.

Broadband ISP WightFibre Start Charging for “Free” Phone Line Service

27th October, 2025 (4 Comments)

Internet service provider WightFibre, which is deploying a Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based gigabit broadband network across the Isle of Wight – just off the South Coast of Hampshire (England), have begun informing existing customers of their full fibre packages that they’ll now have to pay a monthly fee to keep their “free” phone line service.

Bad Weather Delays Fix for Broken Shetland Subsea Fibre Cable Until Tuesday UPDATE

27th October, 2025 (0 Comments)

Bad weather means customers of broadband and mobile providers Vodafone, Sky Broadband and TalkTalk on Shetland, which is a remote UK subarctic archipelago that resides north of the Scottish mainland, will have to wait until Tuesday until repair ship Cable Vigilance can complete its fix of the recently broken SHEFA-2 (Faroese Telecom) subsea cable.