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Articles for Category Tag - Politics

Openreach Update as Analogue UK Phone Switch Off Delayed to 2027

17th May, 2024 (10 Comments)

In case anybody missed it after being buried in yesterday’s BT results (here). The plan to withdraw BT and Openreach’s old copper-based analogue line services (PSTN phones and WLR), which was due to complete by December 2025, has been delayed until 31st January 2027 in order to give broadband ISPs, telecare providers and consumers more time to adapt.

Bolton Council Take Enforcement Action Against IX Wireless Broadband Poles

16th May, 2024 (7 Comments)

The Bolton Council in Greater Manchester (England) has revealed that they’re taking enforcement action against broadband network operator IX Wireless, which is accused of installing antenna equipment on their pole (mast) erections without consultation or consent from the local authority.

Virgin Media O2 Mast on Isle-of-Eigg PR 150524

O2 Deploys 150th 4G Mobile Site Under UK Shared Rural Network

15th May, 2024 (7 Comments)

Mobile network operator O2 (VMO2) has today revealed that they’ve now rolled out enhanced 4G (mobile broadband) coverage across 150 rural sites (up from 100 in mid-Feb 2024) as part of their commitment under the £1bn Shared Rural Network (SRN) project, which aims to extend geographic 4G cover (aggregate) to 95% of the UK by the end of 2025.

Gov Expanding Gigabit Broadband Vouchers to UK Urban Areas

15th May, 2024 (8 Comments)

Sources have informed ISPreview that the Government’s Building Digital UK (BDUK) agency has decided to extend the availability of their Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS) to include urban areas. The scheme has, until now, only offered grants to help rural properties get a 1Gbps capable ISP connection installed.

Quickline CEO Sean Royce in Rural UK Field

Quickline Connect First Yorkshire UK Homes via UK Project Gigabit Broadband Deal

14th May, 2024 (0 Comments)

Broadband ISP Quickline, which is deploying a new gigabit speed full fibre (FTTP) and fixed wireless (5G FWA) network across rural and semi-rural parts of the North East and Midlands of England, has connected their first customer under the £60m (state aid) Project Gigabit roll-out contract that was awarded to them in February 2024 for West Yorkshire and York (Lot 8).

BT, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Vodafone on UK Router Security and Upgrades

13th May, 2024 (28 Comments)

Last week we covered how Sky Broadband was responding to the UK government’s new internet and network security laws, which among other things prompted them to launch a new router upgrade scheme and be more transparent with customers about the state of security updates for their existing network kit. Since then, we’ve asked the other major ISPs how they plan to respond.

Government Security Review Clears Vodafone and Three UK Merger

10th May, 2024 (28 Comments)

The Government has concluded its national security probe of the proposed mobile mega-merger between Vodafone and Three UK (CK Hutchison) – conducted under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 – and decided to approve the deal, albeit with some relatively minor caveats.

Red Road Closed road sign in a UK city street.

Report Examines Why Openreach’s UK Full Fibre Take-up Beats AltNets

8th May, 2024 (38 Comments)

A new report from strategic consultancy firm Eight Advisory has examined the question of why the average consumer take-up across alternative full fibre (FTTP) broadband networks (Altnet) is currently still at 16%, while Openreach stands at c.34%, despite the collective footprint of the new challengers now equalling that of the incumbent.

Freedom Fibre Helps Pickup Litter in North Shropshire

7th May, 2024 (0 Comments)

Network operator Freedom Fibre, which has so far built a Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP network to cover 300,000 UK premises (27th Mar 2024) – mostly in the North West of England, has distributed litter picking kits across North Shropshire to both help keep the region tidy and support their social commitment under last year’s Project Gigabit contract.

UK ISP Sky Broadband Offer Free Upgrades for Unsecure Routers UPDATE

3rd May, 2024 (37 Comments)

Internet provider Sky Broadband has responded to this week’s introduction of the government’s new network security laws (here), by emailing customers with older routers to warn them that their kit “no longer receives service and security updates.” The good news is that those who receive these letters might be in line for a free upgrade.

April 2024 BT Progress Update on the 10Mbps UK Broadband USO

2nd May, 2024 (11 Comments)

UK ISP BT has today published the latest biannual progress update on their delivery of Ofcom’s flaky 10Mbps Universal Service Obligation (USO) for broadband. The internet provider has so far helped to build a USO connection to over 7,954 premises (up from 7,681 in Oct 2023), with 265 further builds in-progress (up from 185).

Picture of a cat trying to hack into the internet - Copilot Image for MJ on 280424

Gov Enforce New UK Internet Security and Broadband Boosting Law

29th April, 2024 (21 Comments)

The UK Government has this morning announced that new laws, which are designed to help protect consumers from cyber criminals, such as by requiring that network devices, like broadband ISP routers, receive greater protection (e.g. regular security updates and stronger default passwords), have finally come into force.

Virgin-Media-O2-5G-SA-Mobile-Mast-Surrounded-by-Trees-2023

Cornerstone’s Six Point Plan to Improve UK Mobile Infrastructure UPDATE

24th April, 2024 (11 Comments)

Mobile infrastructure services provider Cornerstone (CTIL), which handles the UK network sharing agreement between O2 (VMO2) and Vodafone (Vantage Towers), has outlined a new plan to Government MP Sir John Whittingdale that it hopes will help digital infrastructure deployments – particularly for 4G and 5G (mobile broadband).

fibre optic orange cable blast 2016 gigapixel

Alternative Full Fibre Networks Grow to Cover 12.9 Million UK Premises

23rd April, 2024 (15 Comments)

The Independent Networks Co-operative Association (INCA) and Point Topic have released their 2024 report into the impact of alternative “full fibre” (FTTP/B) gigabit broadband networks (AltNets), which reveals that their UK coverage grew by 57% in 2023 to top 12.9 million premises (up from 49% and 8.22m in 2022) and could reach 16.7m in 2024.

Government Reject Calls by UK Mobile Operators for 4G SRN Delay

23rd April, 2024 (5 Comments)

The CEO of the Government’s Building Digital UK (BDUK) agency, Dean Creamer, has told MPs on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that officials have rejected a request from several mobile operators to delay completion of the 4G roll-out for Partial Not-Spot (PNS) areas under the £1bn Shared Rural Network (SRN) project by 18-months.

Scottish Government Complete £28.75m 4G Mobile Infill Programme

22nd April, 2024 (0 Comments)

The Scottish Government’s (SG) £28.75m 4G Infill Programme (S4GI), which has spent the past few years improving rural mobile voice and data (broadband) coverage by building new masts in rural parts of Scotland, has officially updated to announce that “mast build and 4G activation within the programme has been completed.“

Scotland’s State Aid Broadband Projects Benefit 1 Million Premises

20th April, 2024 (9 Comments)

The Scottish Government (SG) has announced that both of its past and present broadband roll-out programmes, accounting for a total public investment of £1bn, have now helped more than 1 million extra premises (homes and businesses) in poorly served areas to gain access to a faster broadband ISP network.