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Latest Key Developments

Ofcom – More UK Spectrum for Satellite Broadband as Starlink Expand

21st June, 2022 (0 Comments)

Ofcom has today proposed to make more spectrum available for satellite operators via the 14.25 – 14.5GHz “Ku band“, which they say would effectively “double the capacity available” and support “better broadband for more rural homes“, as well as connecting planes and ships. Separately, Starlink plan to add more UK earth stations.

BDUK Publish Another Batch of Gigabit Broadband Coverage Reviews

18th June, 2022 (17 Comments)

The Building Digital UK team has today published another round of Public Reviews (PR) for the Government’s £5bn Project Gigabit broadband rollout – this time covering West Yorkshire and Parts of North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and West of Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Warwickshire in England.

Ofcom Add New Protections for UK Broadband and Mobile Users

17th June, 2022 (18 Comments)

Ofcom has reminded us that communications providers, such as those ISPs and companies offering broadband, mobile, phone and pay TV services, are today required to introduce a number of changes, including simpler contract details, more rights to exit your contract early and the introduction of an emergency video relay service.

smartphone with incoming call from unknown person

Government Sets Out New UK Penalties for Nuisance Calls and Texts UPDATE

16th June, 2022 (11 Comments)

The UK Government has today responded to an earlier consultation on their new Data Reform Bill (DRB) by, among other things, setting out how they’ll increase the financial penalties for those pestering people with nuisance calls and text (SMS) messages. But this probably won’t do much to stop calls made from outside the country.

Ofcom Moves to Protect Essential UK BT and KCOM Phone Boxes

8th June, 2022 (12 Comments)

Ofcom has today introduced new rules to protect public UK phone boxes (payphones) – specifically those built by BT and KCOM – when they exist in areas with “poor mobile signals or high accident rates“. In addition, payphones will now require battery backup so that they can keep working after going digital (all-IP).

cityfibre engineer over reel of purple fibre

CityFibre Sign GBP4.9bn Debt Raise to Boost UK Full Fibre Rollout

3rd June, 2022 (14 Comments)

CityFibre has announced “one of Europe’s largest ever Full Fibre financings” by completing a debt raise worth a staggering £4.9bn. The deal enables them to complete their plan to cover 8 million UK premises with gigaibt-capable FTTP broadband and to bid on contract’s under the Government’s £5bn Project Gigabit scheme for rural areas.

Gov Issue Spring 2022 Update on UK Project Gigabit Broadband Rollout

30th May, 2022 (12 Comments)

The Government’s Building Digital UK team has today published a Spring 2022 progress update for their £5bn Project Gigabit broadband rollout, which among other things adds new regional procurements in Norfolk and Suffolk and two local supplier procurements in Cornwall, potentially extending 1Gbps speeds to c.190,000 premises.

2022 Full Fibre Country Ranking Sees UK Overtake Germany

24th May, 2022 (9 Comments)

The FTTH Council Europe has today released their annual ranking of the European countries with the strongest subscriber penetration and annual growth of gigabit-capable “full fibre” (FTTP/H/B) broadband ISP networks. Happily, the UK continues to show exceptional growth, and has managed to leapfrog over Germany.

Ofcom Spring 2022 Study – Gigabit Broadband Covers 66 Percent of UK

20th May, 2022 (16 Comments)

Ofcom’s latest Spring 2022 report into fixed broadband and mobile coverage has revealed that “full fibre” (FTTP) now reaches 33% of the UK (up from 28% in Sept 2021), while 19.3 million homes (66%) are within reach of a gigabit-capable network (up from 47%). Geographic 5G coverage has also improved.

BT Issues 2022 Progress Update on the UK 10Mb Broadband USO

17th May, 2022 (28 Comments)

UK ISP BT has today issued their latest biannual study into the progress they’ve made toward delivering the 10Mbps Universal Service Obligation (USO) for broadband, which reveals that they’ve so far built a USO connection to over 4,600 premises, with more than 2,300 further builds in progress.

Openreach Reveal 56 New UK FTTP Broadband Rollout Areas

17th May, 2022 (73 Comments)

In an unexpected move, Openreach (BT) has today added 56 new locations (towns and villages) to their £15bn rollout for a new gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP network. The operator’s full fibre network has now covered 7.2 million UK premises (inc. 2.3m in the hardest to reach “final third” of the country).

Red Road Closed road sign in a UK city street.

New Rules for Utility Firms to Benefit UK FTTP Broadband Rollout

13th May, 2022 (1 Comment)

The Government has announced changes that are designed to improve the quality of street works, not least through more inspections, better quality resurfacing and tougher fines for poor quality road works and leaving behind potholes. But the new rules also include changes to help support the rollout of gigabit-capable broadband.

Ofcom UK Propose Small Improvements to Broadband Speed Code

11th May, 2022 (14 Comments)

Ofcom has proposed to tweak their 2019 voluntary Code of Practice for Broadband ISP Speeds, which will extend the current ‘Right to Exit‘ (i.e. when an ISP fails to correct a problem with broadband speeds) to the latest definition of service bundles. It will also require FTTP and cable ISPs to provide details on observed line speeds.

Three UK Confirms Plan to Switch-Off 3G Mobile Service by 2024

11th May, 2022 (40 Comments)

Mobile operator Three UK has today become the latest provider – after Vodafone and EE – to announce that it aims to completely switch off their legacy 3G (mobile broadband) network by the end of 2024. The move will free up resources to allow Three to focus on improving the 4G experience and rolling out 5G to more parts of the UK.

ISP Sky Broadband and NOW Launch Cheaper UK Social Tariff

12th April, 2022 (12 Comments)

Good news. UK ISP Sky Broadband and sibling NOW Broadband have today become the latest internet providers to launch a cheaper “social tariff” for home broadband and phone connectivity, which is being offered to consumers who are claiming Universal Credit or Pension Credit.

327,174 Premises in Wales Need Help to Get Gigabit Broadband

9th April, 2022 (14 Comments)

The Building Digital UK team has published a new Public Review (PR) consultation for Wales, which reveals that some 327,174 premises might need state aid help under the Government’s £5bn Project Gigabit broadband rollout scheme in order to access 1Gbps speeds (rising to 984,806 if including ‘Under Review‘ premises).

Trial Runs UK Fibre Broadband Cable via Yorkshire Water Mains

6th April, 2022 (13 Comments)

The UK Government has today announced the start of their new “Fibre in Water” trial, which will test the deployment of Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband cables through 17km of live drinking water mains between Barnsley and Penistone (Yorkshire). In theory, this could help to cut the cost of rural broadband delivery and reduce leaks.