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Latest Key Developments

BDUK Consults on Gigabit Broadband Coverage in Cumbria UK

9th Feb, 2021 (5 Comments)

The Government’s Building Digital UK programme has begun a new consultation to help them identify what existing or planned commercial gigabit-capable broadband coverage exists in Cumbria (England), which will help to establish the areas where public investment may be needed to rollout the service.

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Ofcom Details New UK Broadband ISP Switching Process for 2022

3rd Feb, 2021 (23 Comments)

As expected the UK telecoms regulator has today published detailed proposals for a new simpler “one touch” switching process for all broadband customers, which from December 2022 will make it easier for consumers to switch between ISPs on physically separate networks (e.g. Openreach’s full fibre to Cityfibre or Virgin Media etc.).

DCMS Update on Plan for UK Rural Gigabit Broadband Vouchers

1st Feb, 2021 (4 Comments)

The UK Government (DCMS / BDUK) has confirmed a few more details about the future of their £200m Rural Gigabit Connectivity (RGC) programme to broadband ISPs, which is due to end on the 31st March 2021 but is widely expected to be superseded by a new programme with a fresh pot of “over” £250m.

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Gov Consults on New ECC Changes to Aid UK Broadband Rollout

28th Jan, 2021 (2 Comments)

The UK Government has launched a consultation on a series of proposed changes to the Electronic Communications Code (ECC), which aims to put right some of the problems caused by their last revision in 2017 and could thus make it quicker for broadband and 4G or 5G mobile operators to deploy their networks.

O2, Three UK and Vodafone to Share 222 Rural 4G Mobile Masts

27th Jan, 2021 (32 Comments)

The £1bn Shared Rural Network (SRN) industry project made progress today after mobile operators O2, Three UK and Vodafone reached a related agreement to both build and share 222 new 4G mobile masts, which will be used to boost mobile voice and mobile broadband coverage in rural parts of the country.

Cityfibre’s UK FTTP Broadband Rollout Tops 500,000 Premises

23rd Jan, 2021 (38 Comments)

For the first time Cityfibre has revealed to ISPreview.co.uk that their £4bn programme, which is deploying a new gigabit-capable (1000Mbps+) Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP network to 30% of UK homes and businesses over the next few years, has now reached a total of over 500,000 premises passed.

First Projects in Wales Benefit from £10m Local Broadband Fund UPDATE

13th Jan, 2021 (4 Comments)

The Welsh Government (WG) has today named the first projects to benefit from their new £10 million Local Broadband Fund (LBF), which aims to help bring “fast and reliable broadband” ISP networks (often FTTP powered) to some of the country’s most poorly served rural communities.

Draft Strategy for £5bn UK Gigabit Broadband Rollout Published UPDATE

22nd Dec, 2020 (24 Comments)

The Government has today published the draft procurement strategy for their new £5bn Gigabit Broadband Programme (F20), which is a consultation on their plan to ensure that gigabit-capable networks reach a “minimum” of 85% UK coverage by the end of 2025 (before getting “as close to 100% as possible” thereafter).

Ofcom Ponder Regulated Social Tariff for UK Broadband and Mobile

18th Dec, 2020 (17 Comments)

Ofcom has published the results of new research into the affordability of consumer fixed broadband and mobile internet services, which finds that 19% of UK households (19%) – c.4.7 million homes – struggle to afford their telecoms services. Some 6% have difficulties paying for their broadband, while 5% struggle with mobile bills.

GigaTAG List Solutions to Boost UK Gigabit Broadband Take-up UPDATE

18th Dec, 2020 (3 Comments)

The new Gigabit Take-Up Advisory Group (GigaTAG), which is led by paid consumer magazine Which? and various others (FSB, CBI, Ofcom etc.), has today published their first report that identifies a number of areas where improvements could be made to boost the take-up of 1Gbps capable broadband services in the UK.

Broadband ISP TalkTalk UK SOLD to Toscafund in £1.1bn Deal UPDATE

17th Dec, 2020 (5 Comments)

After an extended period of negotiation TalkTalk, the budget broadband and phone provider that is currently home to around 4.2 million UK customers, has today officially recommend a £1.1bn takeover proposal from Toscafund, which including debt values the company at around £1.8bn.

Online Harms – UK Finalise Plan for Ofcom Internet Regulation

15th Dec, 2020 (16 Comments)

The UK government has today appeared to finalise their plans for turning Ofcom into a regulator of internet content via a new legal “duty of care“, which will hand them new powers to force websites (e.g. Facebook) into removing “harmful” content (e.g. terrorism, child abuse, self-harm and suicide imagery etc.).

Scotland Reveals BT Fibre Broadband Rollout for R100 LOT 1

15th Dec, 2020 (10 Comments)

After a long delay the Scottish Government (SG) and BT (Openreach) have finally signed a rollout contract for LOT 1 (North Scotland and the Highlands) of the £579 million Reaching 100% (R100) project, which will see “superfast broadband” speeds of 30Mbps+ reaching many more rural premises (mostly via gigabit FTTP).

G.Network to Invest £1bn in London Gigabit Broadband Rollout

14th Dec, 2020 (17 Comments)

UK ISP G.Network has today secured a major fund raise from USS and Cube Infrastructure Managers, which will enable them to invest £1 billion to help deploy their gigabit speed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network across 1.4 million premises in London (12 boroughs) over the next 5 years.

Wales Infrastructure Report Wants Focus on Mobile, Not FTTP Broadband

10th Dec, 2020 (8 Comments)

The National Infrastructure Commission for Wales (NICW) has published a report that calls on the Welsh Government to “urgently establish” a Barrier Busting Taskforce to aid investment in broadband, but they also warn that “too much attention” has been paid to FTTP and “not enough” on improving Mobile Broadband (e.g. 5G).

Openreach Consult on Closure Plans for 4,600 UK Exchanges

3rd Dec, 2020 (37 Comments)

Network access provider Openreach (BT) has today launched a new consultation on their plans to close 4,600 exchanges across the United Kingdom, which is largely reflective of the inevitable move away from copper-based broadband lines and toward a Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) orientated future.

Gov Tightens Huawei 5G Mobile and FTTP Broadband Restrictions

30th Nov, 2020 (10 Comments)

In another telecoms policy surprise the UK Government has today announced that mobile operators, such as Three UK, EE (BT) and Vodafone, must stop installing “any” Huawei equipment in ultrafast 5G networks from the end of September 2021. A 35% cap on kit will also apply to FTTP and gigabit broadband from Jan 2023.