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New student customers of mobile operator giffgaff, which is controlled by Telefónica UK (part of the VMO2 Group) and uses O2’s virtual network platform, may like to know that the provider recently introduced a new SIM that gives you 100GB (GigaBytes) of mobile broadband data and other features for just £10 per month. (more…)
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The UK government may have surprised a few people just after 7pm tonight after using the Emergency Alerts service via mobile network operators to send out a national warning about the “very high risk of wildfires nationally“, which advises people across the country to avoid undertaking any activity that could start a fire. (more…)
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Over 150 4G mast upgrades are now live across the UK’s national parks, including the Yorkshire Dales and Eryri, Snowdonia, as part of the continued rollout of the Shared Rural Network.
The latest upgrade provides extended 4G coverage across over 5,684 square kilometres, in areas that previously only had access to EE coverage, or none at all.
The government-funded 4G mast upgrades are delivered through existing infrastructure and bring 4G coverage from EE, Virgin Media 02, and Vodafone and ThreeUK in order to bolster connectivity in rural areas.
The rollout is intended to support accessing online public services, working more flexibly from home, running payments and bookings for local firms, and for holidaymakers accessing location data or calling for emergency assistance.
Mike Hellers, Product Development Manager at the London Internet Exchange, commented: “Strengthening connectivity in rural areas is a key aspect of the UK’s growth ambition, providing greater access to digital services, AI tools and streaming in hard-to-reach locations like the Yorkshire Dales and Eryri.”
“As more communities gain access to reliable 4G coverage through the Shared Rural Network, efficient traffic exchange and keeping data as local as possible will become increasingly important in delivering the low-latency, resilient services people expect. Continued investment across the wider internet ecosystem will be essential to support growing demand and maximise the benefits of expanded mobile connectivity.”
42 Shared Rural Network sites are now active across the UK’s national parks, including 25 sites in England covering areas such as the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales, 16 sites in Wales including Eryri, and 1 site in Scotland in Loch Lomond and The Trossachs.
Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of the Digital Poverty Alliance, commented: “Connectivity continues to get taken for granted across the UK despite being something we all rely on so heavily. Rural communities, in particular, have long faced challenges as essential digital services such as healthcare, banking and education shift online, also having a knock-on impact on wider employment and access opportunities.
“The government’s latest expansion of the Shared Rural Network rollout is an important step in recognising the importance of reliable mobile and internet access to keep people connected in remote areas. Connectivity is a key component of digital inclusion, and the next step is ensuring people in Yorkshire have affordable and suitable devices for work and school, alongside the digital skills to use them effectively. These government initiatives set the tone for inclusivity in the UK’s regions.”
The government has outlined that the Shared Rural Network programme has hit its rollout objective of extending 4G coverage to 95 per cent of the UK landmass a year ahead of schedule.
Minister of State for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Ian Murray, said: “You should be able to switch off in the countryside without being cut off from the help and services you need.”
“These 150 masts are helping change that – giving walkers, visitors and rural communities better access to signal when they are checking a route, contacting family, running a business or calling for help.”
The post Shared Rural Network rollout extends to UK national parks with over 150 4G masts live appeared first on Total Telecom.
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Britain’s major banks, charities, TV broadcasters, broadband and mobile providers have today united to back a new report from the Connection Project, which calls for “coordinated action to ensure everyone” can get online and take part in a modern economy. But this is not the first time we’ve seen coordinated action on the subject.
The report, which is simply called ‘Connected’, starts by stating the obvious and points to how digital participation is not a peripheral issue, but “central to growth, entertainment, public services and opportunity“. It then claims that full fibre broadband alone could add £73bn to UK productivity, while digital transformation could save the government £45bn a year.
The BBC-commissioned research, in collaboration with Everyone TV, broadly points to tens of billions more in economic and wellbeing value. The report adds that many essential services are now moving online, and access to these services makes a huge difference when trying to find work, managing your money and getting medical help.
However, it’s always worth noting that trying to accurately gauge the economic impact of deploying faster broadband or mobile connectivity is notoriously difficult, not least since most premises won’t be starting from a point of zero connectivity (lloyds estimates that 1.6 million people in the UK are currently living offline). Likewise, we’re all very different in our consumption requirements, and not all homes and businesses get the same benefit from having access to significantly faster speeds than are currently available.
The fact that broadcasters are also involved in this latest push almost certainly stems from the Government’s proposals to switch-off terrestrial TV signals in either 2034 or 2044 – part of a wider change to reflect the move to internet-based streaming via broadband networks (here). Suffice to say they have a strong vested interest in helping to get everybody connected, as do banks and the other participants.
The report also examined international approaches. For example, in Denmark, connectivity is basic infrastructure — as standard as electricity or water – and digital services are made so simple with strong support that they are used almost universally. In Estonia, citizen-designed digital services are said to save each person 5 working days a year, worth 2% of GDP. “The UK doesn’t need a new model — just to apply ideas already proven, at scale,” said the announcement.
The report calls on Government to:
➤ Agree a shared national ambition for high digital participation, with agreed outcomes, dates and milestones.
➤ Unlock industry investment — back broadband to the hardest-to-reach households, and legislate to remove barriers to connectivity and enable safe, delegated digital access.
➤ Deliver a new settlement on affordability, so no one is priced out of the digital world.
➤ Set clear expectations for inclusive transitions — empowering cross-sector coordinators, industry, local authorities, civil society and government’s own services.
The big challenge is that not everybody wants to go online and nobody should be forced to use the internet, even if this may leave them at a disadvantage. Similarly, digital skills can change with age, as well as disability (the two are often associated). For example, you might be digitally skilled today, but this can go in reverse when you develop a disability (loss of sight, strokes etc.), which can make life a lot more difficult.
The reality is that some people will always require offline support in order to achieve what society asks or expects of us, although the new report does acknowledge this reality. “Success is not defined by the report as getting everyone online, acknowledging that some people never will be. Connected instead defines success as making sure everyone can manage their money, watch what they love and reach essential services, whether or not they go online themselves,” said the report.
The report also highlights that as many as 22 million people in the UK face at least one meaningful barrier to digital life, but that these are not a fixed minority, suggesting they are instead a shifting one: almost anyone can be caught out by cost, a lost password, or a change in circumstances.
Natalie Ceeney CBE, Chair of The Connection Project, said:
“Technology has the power to improve millions of lives, but only if people are able to participate confidently in the digital society we’re creating. The UK has a rare opportunity to get this right. By bringing together government, industry and civil society behind a shared plan, we can ensure digital change leaves people feeling more connected, more capable and better off, not left behind.”
Alex Towers, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at BT, said:
“Britain and BT have invested billions in world-class digital networks. But building that infrastructure is only part of the job. To get the full benefits of a digital society, we need to make sure nobody is left behind as services move online. That’s why BT is aiming to reach 30 million people and businesses with digital skills, tools and support by 2030, to help people make the most of the opportunities created by technology. There is much more to do though, and if we want to connect the whole population that will require a shared national effort backed by collaboration across government, industry and civil society.”
At this point it’s worth noting that there have been MANY coordinated attempts over the years to help get everybody online, including the existing government’s own Digital Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP), which is working with the major broadband and mobile operators (latest progress update). Such initiatives have had an impact, but they do keep running into the same issues with internet refuseniks, disability and other obstacles.
Organisations supporting the report include BT, Openreach, VodafoneThree, the BBC, ITV, Lloyds Banking Group, HSBC, Nationwide, Barclays, UK Finance, NatWest, PWC, Deloitte, Accenture, CapGemini, EY – alongside Everyone TV, Age UK, Citizens’ Advice, AbilityNet, Good Things Foundation, Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, FutureDotNow and Quarriers.
At the end of the day, it’s positive to see so many often-competing organisations coming together to support a shared goal, even if some of them might well disagree on the detail of how the problem should be resolved or even if it can be resolved at all. Lest we forget that a society which becomes too dependent upon digital technology would be extremely vulnerable to disasters that could disrupt such connectivity, but that’s an issue for another day.
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The CEO of alternative London-focused UK broadband operator G.Network, David Sangster, has issued a progress update – the first since the ISP was reorganised through administration earlier this year. The business is now said to be “EBITDA and cashflow positive” and plans to launch a 10Gbps speed package for homes next month. Fresh funding has also been secured.
Just to recap. G.Network finally came out of a brief period of administration in March 2026 (here), after being acquired by distressed debt specialist FitzWalter Capital (here and here). At the time the internet provider (G.Network Holdco Limited) said it had been “successfully reorganised through administration“ and would now move forward on a “debt-free, well-capitalised, growth-oriented footing“.
The operator originally aspired to expand their FTTP lines to cover 1.3 million premises in London by the end of 2026, but ultimately ended up being impacted by an increasingly competitive environment and rising costs (high build costs, high interest rates etc.); this resulted in job cuts and a greater focus on commercialisation instead of new fibre build (here), which is a not unfamiliar direction for the UK’s many altnets.
The latest update from David Sangster claims that both residential and business monthly sales are “up substantially, as are installations“, while recent price increases are also said to have boosted the Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) on residential lines by 30% in the last four months to over £40. Despite this, new customers can still take speeds of 300Mbps from £29 per month on a 24-month term (rising to £39 for 900Mbps), although you do have to pay between £19 to £29 for the one-off installation.
In terms of the operator’s independent full fibre network, this is now claimed to cover 395,000 premises ready-for-service (up from 375k in June 2026), which is out of more than 420k premises “dug past“. But interestingly Sangster said the central London focused network would also be introducing new 2.5Gbps and 10Gbps residential products in September.
David Sangster, G.Network CEO, said:
“We are fortunate to operate in central London, with limited overbuild and where over 50% of our customer homes are worth over £1m. To better serve this market, we are introducing new 2.5 Gbps and 10 Gbps residential products in September, and expect this to drive up ARPU further.
Business ARPU is up by 50%, with the productivity of our sales teams doubling versus last year. The number and value of renewals have increased, and underlying churn is down.
Throughout this period of transformation and growth, we continue to maintain our Trustpilot score at 4.8 out of 5. I’m particularly proud of the near-perfect Trustpilot scores our industry-leading engineering teams receive for the quality of their installations, which can be challenging in central London.
Turning to the network, we have increased the number of RFS’d premises to 395k out of more than 420k premises dug past. In parallel, we continue to reduce our network opex, which was already low given the geographic concentration of our network.
We have addressed a number of process inefficiencies, especially in the web order journey, where we have seen the proportion of web sales double. Our plans to embrace AI and further standardise our extensive Salesforce stack will also pay dividends in H2.
The new management team and I inherited a company with strong fundamentals but different priorities. An amazing, wholly-owned, ducted network in the heart of central London underpins this rapid resurgence, coupled with the fantastic G.Network team adapting quickly to our new culture. I’m grateful to the whole team for their hard work and embracing this change.”
In addition, Sangster revealed that their main shareholder, FitzWalter Capital, had agreed to commit a “substantial further investment to accelerate growth in H2“, although he wasn’t yet ready to provide any details but believes the “refocused” operator now has a “bright future” as they embark on a new “3-year journey“.
On the subject of that proposed new 10Gbps package, it’s worth noting that G.Network’s infrastructure is based on the XGS-PON standard for Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) lines. In practice this means that their average advertised package speeds – after the usual caveats and overheads – will probably need to be promoted to consumers at around the 7-8Gbps mark.
Otherwise, the newly restructured business is naturally now also a lot more attractive as a consolidation target for other altnets and such an outcome would probably suit FWC, which normally prefers to be more of a short-term holder of the businesses they rescue.
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Business broadband and communications provider TalkTalk Business (TTB), which in 2023 was demerged from the TalkTalk Group and sold to the same group’s own shareholders for £95m (here), has today announced that they’ve agreed to merge with technology services provider ARO to create one of the UK’s largest independent connectivity and managed service providers (MSP).
The new group will bring together approximately 650 employees, annual revenues of around £200 million and a combined customer base of more than 70,000 organisations across its digital connectivity, cloud, cybersecurity and managed IT services.
“Together, the combined group will have the scale, expertise and resources to accelerate investment in technology, service delivery and innovation, strengthening its ability to support customers at every stage of their digital transformation journey,” states the announcement.
The deal means that ARO will extend its impact as part of a larger organisation with expanded capabilities and scale. For TalkTalk Business, the merger continues their evolution toward becoming a managed technology services provider, which also builds on their previous acquisition of Planet IT.
Ciaran Rafferty, CEO at ARO, said:
“This is a defining moment for both ARO and TalkTalk Business. Together, we are creating a business with the scale, expertise and ambition to become a leading independent provider of connectivity and managed technology services in the UK.
By bringing together our complementary strengths, we are creating a stronger partner with broader capabilities, deeper expertise and greater capacity to invest in innovation, service delivery and long-term customer success.”
Ruth Kennedy, CEO of TTB, said:
“This merger represents another important step in our transformation into a leading managed services provider and brings together two highly complementary businesses to create a leading independent technology partner for UK organisations.
The market is evolving rapidly, with organisations increasingly seeking technology partners that can combine strategic expertise, operational excellence and broad service capabilities at scale. This combination creates a business that is uniquely positioned to meet those expectations and support customers across every stage of their technology journey.
We are creating a platform with the scale to invest, innovate and grow. Together, we have an exciting opportunity to play a leading role in the future of the UK technology services market.”
According to the announcement, the newly merged business will “initially” continue to operate under their existing brands to ensure continuity for customers, employees and partners. But over time this may well change. As it stands the merger is still subject to final approval under the National Security Investment Act (NSIA), which is not expected to throw up any obstacles and should thus conclude by the end of the summer 2026.
The development comes shortly after both TalkTalk’s debt-strained consumer and wholesale (PXC) businesses were both separately linked to potential acquisitions by different companies and investors (here and here). But it’s worth noting that TalkTalk Business formally completed their separation from the wider Group back in Feb 2026 and are “now operating as a fully independent organisation“ (here).
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A new regulatory filing by SpaceX has revealed that Starlink are preparing to release a new Wi-Fi 7 capable home wireless router (UTR-261 – this is same line as the Router Mini UTR-251) for customers of their ultrafast satellite broadband constellation in the UK, USA and other countries.
The details are presently quite thin on the ground, although the product supports Power over Ethernet (PoE), 1 x WAN port (AC power is also handled through this via a POE adapter), 2 x LAN ports and a USB-C port. The Wi-Fi 7 capability should naturally deliver better speeds, congestion management and faster latency times, although testing of a sample device only seemed to show use of the 2.4GHz and 5GHz band (no 6GHz).
The new router, which is to be “Made in Vietnam“, is expected to launch very soon and will probably accompany Starlink’s V5 dish terminal for consumers (details here and here), which incidentally will not support either Standby Mode or In-Motion use.
Starlink currently has around 11,000 satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) – mostly at altitudes of between c.340-550km. Residential customers in the UK pay from £40 a month for the 100Mbps unlimited data plan, which also promises uploads of c.15-35Mbps and low latency connectivity (c.20ms). Faster packages exist at greater cost, while more restrictive (data capped) options also exist for roaming users (e.g. £55 per month for 100GB of data).
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The UK Government has published a progress update on their part of the industry-led £1bn Shared Rural Network (SRN) project this morning, which reveals that a total of 150 publicly-funded rural 4G (mobile broadband) mast upgrades have now gone live across the United Kingdom (up from 140 in June 2026).
The SRN – originally supported by a commitment of £501m in public funding and £532m of private investment from operators – involves both the reciprocal sharing of existing masts in certain areas and the demand-led building and sharing of new masts in others between the operators.
The SRN last year achieved its first target a year ahead of schedule by ensuring that 96% of the UK’s landmass can now access a 4G mobile network from at least one operator (here), although the coverage range drops to 89-90% when looking look across all operators (here). The project is now focused on tackling the second target to reduce Total Not-Spot (TNS) areas by January 2027.
The upgrades – all delivered through existing infrastructure to protect scenic spots – mean additional 4G is now available across more than 5,684 square kilometres combined across the UK and includes three of the UK’s most iconic hiking landscapes: the Lake District, Snowdonia and Exmoor. Previously, these areas would only be in range of EE’s coverage – or none at all, but now O2 and Vodafone / Three UK can also reach them.
Some of Britain’s most iconic national parks are among the biggest winners from the SRN. Compared to other parks, the Yorkshire Dales and Eryri (Snowdonia) have seen the biggest boosts in mobile coverage rising by around 7 percentage points in each, according to latest government figures, helping visitors stay connected.
New analysis shows 42 Shared Rural Network sites have now been activated across the UK’s national parks:
- 25 sites in England, including seven in the Lake District and six in the Yorkshire Dales.
- 16 sites in Wales, including 12 in Eryri/Snowdonia.
- 1 site in Scotland, in Loch Lomond and The Trossachs.
Ian Murray, Minister of State for the DCMS, said:
“You should be able to switch off in the countryside without being cut off from the help and services you need.
These 150 masts are helping change that – giving walkers, visitors and rural communities better access to signal when they are checking a route, contacting family, running a business or calling for help.”
In terms of how much work is left to do before the start of 2027. According to DCMS, up to 40 government funded mast upgrades will be going live across Britain and up to 44 new publicly funded masts will also be built across Scotland, with the first already live in the Western Isles.
Current SRN 4G Geographic Coverage Progress (June 2026)
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Eastbourne-based alternative internet provider Lightning Fibre, which is building a full fibre (FTTP) network across Sussex and Kent in England (they also hold a partnership to use CityFibre’s wider UK network – here), has reached a key take-up milestone by surpassing 20,000 customers – reflecting a quarter of homes taking up broadband across their new network.
The company says this growth reflects “sustained demand for a simple, fixed price, human-centric approach to delivering broadband“, one they say contrasts well with national providers who often annoy customers by applying multiple in-contract price increases in a way that’s rarely seen as fair.
According to the company’s most recent results to the end of March 2025, Lighting Fibre has so far built their full fibre network to cover 80,000 premises (RFS), which aligns with the announcement’s claim of “achieving 1 in 4 homes taking up broadband“. But it also suggests that they’re network roll-out hasn’t expanded much in the past 18 months or so, and we don’t know how many of that 20k come from the CityFibre (off-net) side.
“Lightning Fibre remains focused on sustainable growth, expanding network availability, enhancing its product offering and continuously improving the customer experience,” added the announcement.
Bertrand Mazieres, CEO at Lightning Fibre, said:
“Achieving 25% residential take-up in this highly competitive market shows that our approach resonates with customers. People want broadband that simply works, at a fair price, with local support they can rely on. And that’s exactly what the team delivers every day – with more than 9 in 10 of our Trustpilot reviews rated 5 stars. Thank you to all our customers for buying local and joining the Lightning Fibre family.”
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Alternative network operator and UK ISP Highland Broadband (Lothian Broadband), which is deploying a 10Gbp capable full fibre (FTTP) network across various rural parts of Scotland, has discounted their 1000Mbps (symmetric) speed package to just £34.99 per month on a 24-month term and reduced their 5Gbps tier to £49.99 (inc. £100 gift card).
Customers of the service can typically expect to receive unlimited usage, free installation, a Wi-Fi 6 wireless router (Wi-Fi 7 on their 5Gbps package), 24/7 network monitoring, a 28 day cooling off period, up to 12 months’ worth of Switching Credit to help you join while still under contract with your old ISP and the option to add Whole Home Wi-Fi for £10/month (free on their 5Gbps plan).
Customers of their 1Gbps and 5Gbps packages also receive Dynamic Parental Controls and Advanced Cyber Security features, but take note that Highland Broadband also applies a pricing policy like the big ISPs that hikes your monthly prices by £4 in April each year. Otherwise, their packages currently start at £29.99 per month for speeds of 150Mbps.
The provider’s network can currently be found across around 150 rural Scottish towns and villages in parts of Argyll, Fife, the Highlands, Lothians, Moray and Stirlingshire.