Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Contributed Article

By Richard Moyes, Digital Solutions Business Director at Prysmian

With universal broadband access now recognised as a vital enabler of economic growth, some challenging targets remain.

At present, 86% of homes can connect to gigabit-capable broadband, but the remaining 14%—largely rural and remote properties—remain underserved. By 2032, the target is for 99% of premises to be connected.

Achieving this will require thousands of kilometres of new fibre, but equally significant is the need for upgrades to existing networks to meet rising demand.

Rising demand, shrinking copper

Households are now full-time bandwidth hubs, with simultaneous gaming, streaming, video calls, and online schooling. The copper switch-off by 2027 will transition legacy phone lines to digital solutions such as VOIP, further increasing reliance on broadband networks. In 2023 alone, UK broadband use rose by 10.5%.

This growth places increasing pressure on existing fibre infrastructure. Inferior fibre that cannot support higher bandwidths may soon face obsolescence, driving the need for network upgrades.

Smaller, more efficient cables are key to these improvements: they allow operators to retrofit new high-performance fibre into already congested ducts through a process known as overblowing, saving time and cost.

Prysmian’s Sirocco Extreme 864f microduct cable, for example, packs 864 fibres into just 9.8mm, achieving a record density of 11.5 fibres per square millimetre. This makes it possible to install in ducts as small as 12mm, unlocking greater network flexibility without disruptive civil works.

Beyond traditional fibre: The promise of hollow-core

The next frontier in broadband performance lies in hollow-core fibre technology. Unlike traditional glass-core fibres, hollow core features an air-filled core supported by precision-engineered anti-resonant structures.

This groundbreaking design creates a near-perfect mirror effect, enabling data transmission at transmission speeds nearly 50% faster and distances extended by 1.5 times. That means lower latency and connectivity stretching from 60km up to 90km. Prysmian, in partnership with Relativity Networks, is at the forefront of this development.

The economics of longevity

While innovation promises exciting future capacity, the durability of today’s fibre infrastructure is just as critical. Longevity is important because of the serious consequence of cable failure.

Cable replacement can be expensive: up to 60% of the total investment cost of a fibre optic network, particularly one in a congested urban environment, can be attributable to cable installation. As a comparison, the capital cost of the cable itself and connectivity hardware is about a fifth of that, at around 12% of the total investment.

Installing inferior quality fibre could result in some ISPs facing expensive rebuilds sooner than anticipated, rather than undertaking simple equipment upgrades. Where cable replacement is needed, innovative installation techniques, such as overblowing, will allow for retrofitting cable in existing ductwork without the need for extensive ground works.

Prysmian’s high-quality Sirocco fibre has been designed to be overblown. It has been tested for a 50-year field lifespan, giving ISPs confidence in its resilience.

For investors, longevity is equally important. As the UK broadband sector consolidates, Alt-nets with inferior quality networks risk devaluation, while robust networks built with premium fibre offer stronger long-term value.

Building for tomorrow

Quality is the foundation of longevity. Using high-grade materials and ensuring system compatibility between cables and connectivity components minimises faults and maximises efficiency. Prysmian, as one of the few manufacturers able to deliver complete solutions, provides operators with not just the products, but also the technical expertise to future-proof networks.

The UK’s broadband ambitions rest on more than just hitting coverage targets—they depend on building networks that can withstand decades of growth, demand, and technological change. With the right fibre, Britain can create an inclusive, resilient digital infrastructure fit for the next half-century.

Want to learn more about Prysmian and the networks for tomorrow? Join them on Stand 141 at Connected Britain 2025 taking place next week! Free tickets are available 

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Press Release

Gigaclear becomes the first retail fibre provider to harness Vyntelligence AI technology, transforming rural broadband installations. This makes Gigaclear the first retail fibre provider to adopt Vyntelligence’s Agentic AI-powered Vyn® platform, setting a new benchmark for innovation in the UK fibre industry. 

Since launching the initiative, Gigaclear has already seen impressive results. To date, over 1,100 customer submissions have prevented nearly 200 avoidable site visits, saving time, improving first-time installation success rates, and minimising disruption for customers in some of the UK’s hardest-to-reach areas. 

In fact, the partnership has been so successful that the technology will now be rolled out to all Gigaclear customers.  

The technology enables Gigaclear customers to capture short guided videos of their homes and preferred installation routes using just their smartphones. Vyntelligence’s Agentic AI then analyses the footage, summarising key information and automatically assessing installation complexity. As a result, Gigaclear engineers and contractors can prepare more effectively, cutting down unnecessary visits, reducing costs, and ensuring smoother, faster connections for rural households and businesses. 

Ben Woods, Chief Operating Officer at Gigaclear, said: “As the UK’s largest rural-focused full fibre provider, we’re committed to removing barriers to connectivity. Partnering with Vyntelligence puts customers in control of their installation journey while helping our teams deliver a faster, more reliable service.  

“Being the first retail fibre company to adopt this technology underlines Gigaclear’s commitment to innovation and to bridging the digital divide in rural communities.” 

The collaboration also supports Gigaclear’s sustainability goals. By reducing the number of unnecessary callouts, the partnership cuts vehicle journeys, helping to lower carbon emissions and lessen the environmental impact of fibre rollout. 

Vyntelligence, which has delivered similar solutions in utilities, renewable energy, mobile & fixed networks, and retail, is excited to extend its award-winning platform into retail fibre for the first time. 

Vyntelligence CEO, Kapil Singhal, commented: “We are excited to welcome Gigaclear as a ‘game changer’ partner committed to improving experience for its customers. Our purpose is to make everyday customer and field processes simpler, smarter, and more sustainable. By deploying Agentic Video Intelligence into Gigaclear’s customer journey, we’re proud to support both efficiency and sustainability, while enhancing the experience for rural communities that have traditionally been underserved.” 

This partnership will be showcased at Connected Britain 2025, where Gigaclear CEO Nathan Rundle will join a panel on rural connectivity, highlighting how innovation can unlock greater broadband adoption across the UK’s countryside. 

With a network that already covers over 600,000 premises across 26 counties, Gigaclear continues to lead the way in connecting rural Britain – now with the added advantage of AI-powered customer journeys that make installation simpler, faster, and greener. 

To find out more about Gigaclear, visit www.gigaclear.com. 

Meet us at Connected Britain – Booth 328

Register for a Connected Britain ticket here 

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Internet retail giant Amazon recently turned up at the UK’s DSEI 2025 Defence Exhibition & Trade Show in London to showcase their Project Kuiper network of ultrafast broadband satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The good news is that some of ISPreview’s readers were there and managed to collect a few new details on service speeds and network terminals.

Amazon currently has approval to deploy and operate their own constellation of 3,236 LEO satellites as part of Project Kuiper. The company has in fact already launched 104 satellites into orbit (altitudes of around 590km to 630km), including two of their initial prototypes – Kuipersat-1 and Kuipersat-2. The operator plans to begin a beta test around the end of 2025, but the commercial launch isn’t expected to start until March 2026 – initially in the US, Canada, UK, Germany and France.

Each spacecraft can technically process data traffic at speeds of up to 1Tbps (Terabits per second), albeit shared between many users. Back in 2023 we also learnt that the company were planning to deploy three ground terminals (dishes) to cater for different types of customers (here) – Compact (residential and roaming), Standard (residential and business) and Pro (high demand enterprise, telecoms and governments etc.).

Amazon has previously revealed some of the details for each terminal, such as their size and theoretically download speeds (i.e. clear sky rates on a network with minimum contention). But the details displayed at DSEI included some new information that we hadn’t seen before, such as the upload speed capability of each terminal and a few additional specs. We’ve summarised these further down the page.

Before we get started, it’s worth reminding that the Head of Project Kuiper, Rajeev Badyal, recently conducted an initial round of speed tests using their enterprise-grade customer terminal (Pro). The test clearly showed their ground-based setup hitting a download speed of 1.29Gbps and latency times of 47-48ms (milliseconds), which indicates that the terminals have the ability to perform better than advertised (Pro is designed to handle 1Gbps).

In terms of the new data, we’ll start with a summary of the “Environmental Operating Specs” because they’re virtually identical for each of the three terminals. The exception being the Pro unit, which can deliver a slightly higher (99.5% vs 99%) “Link Availability” during extreme global weather conditions.

Project Kuiper Terminals – Environmental Operating Specs

Link Availability: >99% in extreme global weather conditions (>99.5% on Pro)

Operating Temperature: -30c to +50c (-22f to +122f)

IPRating: IP66

Storage Temperature (Power OFF): -40c to +60c (-40f to +140f) ETSI EN 300 019-1-1 Class 1.2

Operating Humidity: Relative humidity: 5% to 100%

Storage Humidity: 0% to 100% condensing. ETSI EN 300 019-1-1 Class 1.2

The other specs for each of the three terminals can be found below. Credits to ISPreview readers Nat and Tom for providing the photos and specifications from the aformentioned event.

Project Kuiper Customer Terminal Specs (GEN1)

Compact

Peak Download Speed: 100Mbps
Peak Upload Speed: 20Mbps
Size: 18cm x 18cm x 2.5cm
Weight: 1Kg
Data & Power Ports: Ethernet/POE
Antenna: Single Phased Array – Shared (Tx/Rx) Aperture

Standard

Peak Download Speed: 400Mbps
Peak Upload Speed: 100Mbps
Size: 28cm x 28cm x 3.3cm
Weight: 2.5Kg
Data & Power Ports: Ethernet/PoE
Antenna: Single Phased Array – Shared (Tx/Rx) Aperture

Pro

Peak Download Speed: 1,000Mbps
Peak Upload Speed: 400Mbps
Size: 50.5cm x 77.8cm x 5cm
Weight: 17Kg
Data & Power Ports: Ethernet (data) + Ethernet (Mgt)
Antenna: Dual Phased Array – (Tx/Rx) Solution

At present we don’t know how well this service, at least in its first generation (GEN1) form, will actually perform once it’s placed under real-world load. In addition, Amazon has yet to release any details about their consumer broadband packages and prices, which will no doubt follow in the near future. But the above information does at least provide a useful indication of what we might be able to expect, performance wise, from the service when operating at its best.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Business Ethernet and broadband ISP TalkTalk Business (TTB), which was demerged from the TalkTalk Group in 2023 and thus hasn’t mirrored the new branding from their consumer division, has today announced that they’ve restructured their operations function and appointed Dean Giblin to be their Director of Operations to “enhance client-centricity“.

Dean will replace Romy Thorpe in the role, who has been acting as the provider’s Interim Director of Operations since it was demerged. Romy has already overseen the development and implementation of a new target operating model for the business (replacement of legacy systems, refreshing processes and procedures etc.), while Dean will have the task of trying to “improve agility and further establish itself as an independent provider.”

Dean brings with him plenty of industry experience from his previous position as Director of Service at PXC (formerly Talk Talk Wholesale), and more than a decade of customer and partner management at Vodafone. The new appointment is also being supported by a series of internal promotions, which we’ve listed below.

Dawn Curtis has been appointed as Head of Delivery, Jane Tighe is now Head of Billing, Fraud and Collections, Michelle Prudhoe joins as Head of Service, and Katie Hughes and Simon Hickey are leading on Partner Operations Performance. Finally, TalkTalk Business was also recently re-accredited with its ISO 9001 certification.

Ruth Kennedy, CEO of TalkTalk Business, said:

“Putting customers front and centre has been a key aspect of our demerger journey. Romy recognised this early on and drove essential operational changes to make it a reality. With our ambitious growth strategy shaping how we work, we are positioning ourselves strongly within the MSP and connectivity world.

Having worked closely with Dean for a number of years, we had every confidence that he has the right experience, leadership style and entrepreneurial mindset to take the business from strength to strength, sitting alongside the senior leadership team.”

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Independent broadband mapping experts Thinkbroadband have today launched a useful new tool that allows you to subscribe to receive notifications about any changes to local fixed broadband availability within a postcode area. Users of the service can track up to 5 postcodes and it will send an email when changes occur.

The new tool can track key changes in the local postcode area, such as when an alternative network puts a new broadband service live or Openreach introduces a “stop sell” flag on certain services/products. The data for this is of course based off TBB’s own database, which requires a lot of manual checking/updating to stay current, and so the changes won’t all be identified in real-time (expect a time lag).

Naturally it’s important to remember that some postcode areas can be quite large and so this won’t necessarily reflect changes for your specific property (house, MDU, office etc.) as it doesn’t drill down to the per-premises level. But it is a useful indication of local activity, and many people will thus find it useful.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Infracapital-backed ISP Fibrus, which has been rolling out a full fibre broadband network across N.Ireland and Cumbria (England), has published their audited accounts for the year to March 2025. The results reveal that their network now covers 440k premises (up from 410k on 2nd May 2025) and EBITDA improved by £13m year-on-year, but they also made a pre-tax loss of £57.6m.

The vast majority of this network coverage has been delivered via the operator’s own commercial investment, although they also recently completed their state aid funded deployment to reach 81,000 addition premises in poorly served rural parts of Northern Ireland (Project Stratum) and have an active contract for Cumbria (see below).

Otherwise, the latest company results represent somewhat of an update and refinement on the preview they gave back in June 2025 (here), which also saw Fibrus announce that they had reached the “breakeven” point on EBITDA (i.e. earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation). But quite a few of the details still remain broadly the same or similar to that report.

The main focus of Fibrus’ remaining broadband network build is now on Cumbria, where they’ve already covered 100,000 premises (August 2025) and are aiming to reach 140,000 “by the end of the financial year” (i.e. March 2026). So far, their Project Gigabit contract in this county has accounted for about 12,500 premises of that total (May 2025) and rising.

Key Results from Fibrus (End of March 2025)

➤ Annual revenue rose by 67% year on year to £29.5m

➤ Customer numbers leapt 45% year on year to 113,500, representing take up of 28% of connectable homes [aiming to hit 30% by the end of the year].

➤ Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) was up 8% year on year to £25.89, as more customers moved from introductory discounts.

➤ EBITDA Improved by £13m year on year and Fibrus became EBITDA positive from March 2025.

➤ Capital spend dropped 25% to £115m as the company completed its Northern Ireland build, offset by expansion in Cumbria.

➤ Subsidies were flat at £55.8m, but support for Fibrus’ Project Gigabit programme increased as network footprint grew.

➤ Fibrus secured £20m fresh equity from investors, raised £61m in senior debt, and agreed an extra £100m debt facility extension to fully fund nationwide build programme.

At the time of writing the full company accounts still don’t seem to be available online, thus we only have Fibrus’ own somewhat sanitised summary to go off, although other outlets have reported that they also made a pre-tax loss of £57.6m for the year.

The network operator is now understood to be targeting 150,000 customers for the near future (possibly by the end of this financial year), with talk of reaching the 180k to 190k mark in 2027 – by this point they’ll also have about 500,000 premises passed with FTTP.

Colin Hutchinson, Group MD and Chief Financial Officer, said:

“We’re building more than a network – we’re building a movement. This year’s performance proves that people are ready for something better: faster broadband, fairer prices, and a provider that actually delivers. Hitting positive EBITDA in March shows our model is strong, and our customers are right behind us.

Northern Ireland is now fully connected, Cumbria is charging ahead, and with our funding secured, we’re ready to keep pushing into new areas and drive forward our ambitious growth strategy.”

Customers of the service currently pay from £19.99 per month for an unlimited 159Mbps (34Mbps upload) package with an included router and free installation, which rises to just £34.99 per month for their top 982Mbps (310Mbps upload) tier on a 24-month contract term. Service discounts may vary between different parts of their build.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Network operator PlatformX Communications (PXC), which is a trading name of TalkTalk that sells wholesale solutions to broadband ISPs and other network providers, yesterday notified hundreds of staff that they could be made redundant by around the end of this year. Some support teams will also be moving offshore from the UK.

ISPreview started to notice problems yesterday after a number of PXC’s staff suddenly began reporting that they expected to be made redundant and were now open to work elsewhere. The expectation is that around 350 workers could be on the chopping block and technical support is also expected to be moved largely offshore (a small number will stay on in the UK’s Network Operations Centre).

The move comes shortly after the group secured another £100m funding deal (here), which itself following last year’s £400m refinancing package and related job losses (here, here, and here) – necessary to avoid a default on its debts. Suffice to say that the group is still doing everything it can to cut costs and tackle the underlying debt problem.

On the flip side, we understand that approximately 70 new roles may also be created by the business, which means that the net figure for job losses is more likely to settle at somewhere around the 280 mark.

A PXC Spokesperson told ISPreview:

“PXC continuously reviews its operations to ensure it remains efficient and dynamic in an evolving marketplace. The company’s ongoing focus is on rolling out new product innovation and delivering exceptional service for its partners.”

The risk with offshoring support as part of this is that it could potentially result in degraded quality, which is something that PXC’s partners may not appreciate. We should point out that PXC currently has roles in both the UK and North Macedonia.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Network operator nexfibre and supporting broadband ISP partner Virgin Media (O2), which share some of the same parentage, have today announced that they’ve expanded the reach of their symmetric 2Gbps speed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network to more than 12,000 homes in the Lincolnshire market town of Sleaford “for the first time“.

The town was previously dominated by full fibre broadband coverage from Openreach and Netomnia’s (YouFibre, Brsk etc.) respective networks, as well as a few smaller deployments by Hyperoptic, OFNL and possibly others (Quickline is nearby too but seems to have stopped short of fully entering the town). Suffice to say that Sleaford isn’t short of competition for gigabit broadband connectivity.

Nexfibre, which reflects a £4.5bn joint venture between Telefónica, Liberty Global and InfraVia Capital Partners (here), has so far already covered around 2.3 million premises across the UK with their new full fibre network. But the operator’s original plan to cover “up to” 7 million UK homes (starting with 5m by 2026) in areas NOT currently served by Virgin Media’s network of 16m+ premises was recently dealt a blow by Telefonica’s strategic review (here).

At present, nexfibre now only expects to reach 2.5 million UK premises by the end of 2025 and uncertainty remains over what comes next. But Virgin Media has recently announced the creation of a new fixed wholesale until, which will enable retail ISPs to harness both of their FTTP networks (here) – currently available to a combined 7 million UK premises.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has today opened a second investigation into wireless broadband operator IX Wireless (supported by ISP 6Gi / Opus Broadband). The probe will examine whether the provider failed in its duty to ensure that its overhead lines were at the correct height and that they complied with rules around the inspection and maintenance of infrastructure.

Just to recap. IX Wireless, which holds an aspiration to cover 250,000 UK premises with their new network (here), is currently building their hybrid fibre and wireless broadband network across several towns in the North West of England, such as Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Nelson, Accrington, Thornton-Cleveleys, Fleetwood, Blackpool, Tameside and Oldham etc.

However, the “up to” 15-metre-high metal poles (masts) that they build don’t always go down well with residents in all of the areas where they build (some people often highlight their negative visual appearance), although in being a wireless service they only need to deploy a smaller number in order to cover a wide area.

Suffice to say that IX Wireless has sometimes attracted complaints, which in May 2025 resulted in Ofcom launching an investigation (here) into a single deployment of an IXW pole in Rochdale (installed during 2023). The probe is currently examining whether or not the operator correctly considered the need to “minimise the impact on the visual amenity” of nearby properties during their installation.

The bad news today is that Ofcom has opened a second investigation into the same network operator, albeit for a different reason. The new probe will look at whether IX Wireless has complied with requirements to ensure that lines installed over the carriageway of a maintainable highway are placed at least 5.5 metres above the surface of the road.

The regulator is also looking at compliance with rules around the inspection and maintenance of infrastructure to ensure it does not cause damage or injury.

Ofcom Statement (CW/01322/09/25)

Ofcom has today opened an investigation into IX Wireless’ compliance with its obligations under the Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003/2533 (as amended) (‘the Regulations’).

The Electronic Communications Code is designed to facilitate the installation and maintenance of electronic communications networks across the United Kingdom. IX Wireless, as a designated “Code Operator”, benefits from certain rights under the Code. But when exercising these rights, Code Operators are also subject to conditions and restrictions. Among other obligations, IX Wireless is required to comply with the Regulations, including requirements to:

➤ ensure that any lines installed over the carriageway of a maintainable highway or, in Scotland, a public road are placed at least 5.5 metres above the surface of the highway or road (Regulation 4(2)(a)); and

➤ inspect and maintain his electronic communications apparatus, other than apparatus installed underground or inside a building or other permanent structure, so as to ensure that it will not cause injury to any person or damage to property (Regulation 10(1)).

Where Ofcom has reasonable grounds for believing that a contravention of the conditions and restrictions imposed by the Regulations has occurred or is occurring, Ofcom may take enforcement action under section 110 of the Communications Act 2003.

Ofcom’s investigation will examine whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that IX Wireless failed to comply with Regulation 4(2)(a) and/or Regulation 10(1), relating to the height of cable lines and to the inspection and maintenance of its apparatus.

We will gather further information and publish an update to our investigation in due course.

Ofcom’s powers in this area remain quite limited (here) and investigations like this often take a long time to run their course (they launched an investigation of Brsk’s deployment of poles in Sept 2024 and imposed a £14k fine in July 2025 – here), which suggests that we’ll probably have to wait until around mid-2026 to see the outcome of this one too.

Network operators will no doubt be watching the regulator’s investigations very closely, since such things always have the potential to set new precedents for their own deployments of similar infrastructure. On the other hand, IXW’s large metal poles/masts are visually quite different, as well as being much larger, than your typical c.9 metre high wooden telegraph / telecoms poles (i.e. any ruling may not be directly translatable to the latter).

Finally, it’s worth noting that the ISPA and INCA this year published new ‘Best Practice Guidance’ for gigabit broadband operators that are building new poles as part of their UK network expansions. The guidance aims to support the Government’s goal of “ending the deployment of unnecessary telegraph poles” (here), not least by requiring providers to engage more closely with communities before they build (details here).

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Network operator Openreach (BT) has today announced the official launch of their new telecare migration services across the UK. The service is designed to help UK consumers with old analogue based phone (PSTN / WLR) and medical telecare systems to safely migrate to modern broadband-based (FTTP etc.) connections with digital phone (IP-based) services.

The legacy phone switch-off was last year delayed to 31st January 2027 in order to give broadband, phone, telecare providers, councils and consumers more time to adapt (details). The focus of this remains on the 1.8 million UK people who use vital home telecare systems (e.g. elderly, disabled – vulnerable users), which aren’t always compatible with digital phones because telecare providers were slow to adapt. But for everybody else, many providers will still be working to the original Dec 2025 deadline to get their customers off the PSTN.

One of the ways in which Openreach responded to this involved the launch of their Prove Telecare Trial, which was designed to support ISPs and customers to “safely migrate” fixed line customers with telecare devices to modern broadband lines (FTTP, FTTC/SOGEA) with IP voice services. The trial required close coordination between ISPs, telecare providers and engineers – often with Openreach engineers and telecare engineers working together to switch users over.

The latest announcement reveals that Openreach’s limited telecare pilot successfully migrated over 1,000 vulnerable customers from outdated copper phone networks to fibre. All customers were safely upgraded with no disruption to their telecare services.

The new Prove Telecare service will now become available nationwide, supported by more than 4,000 specially trained Openreach engineers – to help fulfil the volume of vulnerable customer migrations. These engineers will work directly with alarm receiving centres to confirm households using telecare devices, and only complete migrations when devices are compatible.

If any equipment is found to be incompatible, the engineer will move the phone and telecare device back to the original copper service, ensuring continuous protection for customers. Openreach then informs the customer’s service provider and the telecare provider so that they can arrange for a replacement device to be installed, before a follow-up visit.

James Lilley, Openreach’s Managed Customer Migrations Manager, said:

“The pilot has clearly shown that vulnerable customers with telecare devices can be safely migrated to fibre, removing a major barrier to the UK’s transition away from the PSTN.

Our priority was always to make sure the switch to fibre broadband didn’t leave anyone behind, and the transition was seamless for telecare customers. We’ve achieved our mission with the Prove Telecare service that will accelerate the transition.

With copper-based services more vulnerable to faults and outages, fibre is the safer and more reliable option. For customers whose safety depends on uninterrupted connectivity, the time to switch is now.“

Alyson Scurfield, CEO of TSA, said:

“TSA welcomes and fully supports the trial roll out of Openreach’s Prove Telecare service. Ensuring the safe migration of telecare customers is critical to protecting vulnerable people, and this programme is an important step in minimising risk as the UK transitions away from the PSTN telephone lines.

We are encouraged by the pilot’s success and the commitment to safeguarding uninterrupted telecare support for those who rely on it most.”

We should point out that Openreach and BT have also developed a “temporary” Pre-Digital Phone Line (PDPL) product (aka – SOTAP for Analogue), which is an exchange-based IP-voice service that replicates how the old service worked, albeit over a more modern network (i.e. it does NOT require broadband, new kit, an engineer visit or battery back-up to function).

However, PDPL is only intended to be available to vulnerable and edge case users on existing lines (not new customers) who would otherwise “face challenges” in migrating to normal internet (IP) based voice solutions by the deadline. This too is likely to be retired as Openreach starts exiting old exchanges en masse from around 2030, hence why the above focus is still on delivering longer-term solutions as part of the primary switchover.

Openreach has published a technical briefing on today’s soft launch of Prove Telecare (here), which reveals that it will go fully live from 16th October 2025 and cost providers £19.41 +vat to take (connection fee).