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Latest Key Developments

Gov Consults on UK’s Future Wireless Spectrum and 6G Needs

14th October, 2021 (12 Comments)

A new ‘Call for Evidence‘ is being launched by the Government today, which aims to inform their future Wireless Infrastructure Strategy (WIS). This attempts to understand the future wireless connectivity needs of the UK and how they can better support 5G mobile, as well as future satellite, IoT and 6G broadband technologies.

Rivals Sigh as Ofcom Clear Openreach FTTP Broadband Price Cut UPDATE3

30th September, 2021 (50 Comments)

Ofcom looks set to stoke anger among alternative UK network (AltNets) builders after the regulator today flatly rejected their concerns over Openreach’s “Equinox” offer, which will introduce a “major” price cut (details) to the incumbents wholesale Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband products for ISPs.

Ofcom Finalise One Touch Switching for UK Broadband and Phone UPDATE

28th September, 2021 (5 Comments)

Ofcom has today decided to adopt the new ‘One Touch Switch‘ (OTS) process for customers of fixed line phone and broadband ISPs, which will make it easier for you to switch between providers on physically separate networks (e.g. Openreach’s full fibre to CityFibre or Virgin Media etc.). But you’ll have to wait until April 2023 to use it!

CityFibre trenching engineers fttp build

CityFibre Secure GBP1.1bn to Fuel UK FTTP Broadband Rollout

16th September, 2021 (6 Comments)

CityFibre, which currently aims to cover 8 million UK premises with their gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP network by around the end of 2025, has today secured another major investment boost of £1.125bn from the owner of Ikea (Interogo Holdings) and Mubadala (Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund).

smartphone with incoming call from unknown person

Gov Proposes Tougher UK Penalties for Nuisance Calls and Texts

9th September, 2021 (14 Comments)

The UK Government has today announced that their planned data reform, which covers a multitude of areas (many of which are outside our focus), will also set out plans to impose tougher penalties and fines for nuisance calls and text (SMS) messages. But it’s unclear how much impact this will actually have.

Gov Starts GBP4m Trial to Build 5G via More UK Street Furniture

9th September, 2021 (3 Comments)

The UK Government has today invested £4m to support a new 2-year project (DCIA) trial, which aims to make it easier for network operators to access and deploy 5G mobile (mobile broadband) infrastructure on street furniture and public buildings, such as CCTV poles, traffic lights, lampposts, bus shelters and so forth.

Gov Start Build of Project to Map UK Underground Cables and Pipes UPDATE

9th September, 2021 (7 Comments)

The UK Government has announced that their project to create a National Underground Asset Register (NUAR), which reflects a digital map of underground pipes (water etc.) and cables (fibre optic broadband, power etc.), is entering the “Build Phase” and could help to cut some of the £2.4bn (per year) cost of accidental utility damage.

Ofcom Begin New Review of UK Net Neutrality Rules Post Brexit UPDATE

7th September, 2021 (22 Comments)

The national telecoms and media regulator, Ofcom, has today started a review of their existing Net Neutrality rules, which were designed to ensure no serious blocking or slowing of access to legal websites or internet services by broadband ISPs and mobile operators. But such protections may soon change.

Openreach Waive UK Broadband Install Fees for Low-Income Homes

7th September, 2021 (3 Comments)

Network access provider Openreach (BT) has announced the launch of a new “Connect the Unconnected” offer, which will make it possible for UK ISPs to waive “superfast broadband connection fees” for any customers who receive ‘Universal Credit’ with no other earnings, and who aren’t currently connected to its network.

Progress Update on North Scotland’s R100 Broadband Rollout UPDATE

3rd September, 2021 (13 Comments)

The Scottish Government has today issued a progress update on their £600m Reaching 100% (R100) programme with Openreach (BT), which provides more detail on their Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) dominated plan for extending “superfast broadband” (30Mbps+) across the LOT 1 area – North Scotland and the Highlands.

Welsh Gov Consults on Gigabit Broadband Coverage in Wales

24th August, 2021 (1 Comment)

The Welsh Government has today launched a new Open Market Review (OMR) for Wales, which aims to identify any existing or planned commercial coverage of gigabit broadband ISP networks. The review will help to establish the areas where public investment may be needed to deploy the service.

Project Stratum FTTP Rollout in N.Ireland Adds 8500 Extra Premises

24th August, 2021 (7 Comments)

The Government’s Building Digital UK (DCMS) team has today announced that their £5bn Project Gigabit programme will supply an extra £25m for the Project Stratum contract in Northern Ireland, which will enable the rollout of Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP technology to reach an additional 8,500 premises.

Wales Mandates Gigabit Ready Broadband for New Social Housing

18th August, 2021 (5 Comments)

The Welsh Government (WG) has just published an updated version of their quality requirements for any new affordable homes that are funded by the WG itself (e.g. social housing), which among other things will require that they must now be made “ready” for gigabit-capable broadband ISP connections.

The UK Gov’s Technical Definition of Gigabit Capable Broadband

13th August, 2021 (55 Comments)

One aspect of the UK Government’s new £5bn Project Gigabit programme that we haven’t touched on much is the “technical definition” for how they actually define such broadband ISP products, which is partly because this has been in a state of flux as the project evolved. But it now looks much closer to final.

Construction worker repairing a broken water pipe on the concrete road.

Gov to Trial Running UK Fibre Broadband Lines via Water Mains

9th August, 2021 (41 Comments)

The UK Government (DCMS) has today unveiled a new £4m ‘Fibre in Water‘ project trial, which will experiment with connecting homes, businesses and mobile masts to gigabit-capable broadband in “hard-to-reach areas” (e.g. remote rural) by running Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) style lines through the water mains.

copper vs fibre optic openreach engineer

Openreach List Next 86 UK Areas for Copper Phone to Fibre Switch – Tranche 5

3rd August, 2021 (45 Comments)

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.

Gigabit shiny bubble sign with shadow on white background

Gov Publish Next Phase of UK Rural Gigabit Broadband Rollout Plan

2nd August, 2021 (32 Comments)

The UK Government will today publish the next phase (inc. Phase 1a, 1b and 2) of their £5bn Project Gigabit programme, which in this batch aims to spread 1Gbps capable broadband ISP networks to a further 1.85 million rural premises (2.2 million confirmed so far) across 26 counties in England. Gigabit vouchers have also been boosted.