Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Network access provider Openreach (BT) has revealed to broadband ISPs that they will begin the next phase of their UK exchange closure programme in Q3 2025/26 (i.e. roughly this time next year), which will impact a further 12 exchanges. This follows their initial closure pilot with 3 exchanges (Deddington, Ballyclare and Kenton Road), which has nearly completed.

The operator currently has around 5,600 UK exchanges, but only c. 1,000 of those are used to provide nationwide coverage of modern “fibre broadband” based services (FTTC, FTTP etc.) – the Openreach Handover Points (OHPs). However, the rollout of full fibre (FTTP), combined with the retirement of copper lines and legacy services (ADSL, WLR etc.), will make it economically unviable to support both the old and new exchanges.

The operator thus has a long-term plan for closing the other 4,600 exchanges – known as the Exchange Exit Programme, which starts with their initial pilot of 3 exchanges (see above) and then extends to a closure of 105 “priority exchanges” by 2030 (i.e. taking place in 4 phases over the next 5 years), with the rest gradually following through the early 2030s.

Openreach has now confirmed (credits to Thinkbroadband) that the next 12 exchanges to begin the exit process will include the following sites from Q3 2025/26. In theory, all of these sites should then reach their Network Closure point by April 2028 and be completely closed by September 2028. Openreach has in fact also revealed details of all the Phases for their initial batch of 108 exchange closures – here (Excel sheet).

Phase 1 – Exchange Exit Programme
Staines
Thames Ditton
Baynard
Wraysbury
Nazeing
Langford
Allestree Park
Beacon
Childwall
Lundin Links
Carrickfergus
Glengormley

Take note that closing an exchange and migrating affected customers is a highly complex process, which typically takes around 4-7 years (varying by the complexity of each exchange) – starting with a Stop Sell of old products and eventually ending with everything being switched off (Openreach and ISPs then remove their physical equipment over the remaining months to ultimately vacate the building).

The other phases are currently dated as follows, but these timings should perhaps be considered tentative (subject to change).

Phase 2 (Closure by April 2029)

WEWBLO	Howland Street
LSWAN	Wandsworth
CLMON	Monument
LNLVY	Lea Valley
WEWNPN	North Paddington
WRPIM	Pimlico
LWUXB	Uxbridge
LNEDM	Edmonton
EAGRA	Grays Thurrock
CLNEW	New Cross
LSWOO	Woolwich
NDMED	Chatham
WSMOT	Motherwell
SDWTHDN	Brighton Withdean
LSSUN	Sunbury
WMHX	Headless Cross
CLSOU	Southwark
MRBRA	Bramhall
SLDCN	Doncaster North
WRKGDN	Kensington Garden

Phase 3 (Closure by April 2030)

SWPN	Pontypridd
CLHOL	Holborn
WEWMAY	Mayfair
LWWEM	Wembley
CLWAP	Wapping
CMMLD	Midland
LSPUR	Purley
WEWPAD	Paddington
ESCRA	Edinburgh Craiglockhart
SSLON	Long Ashton
LSMOG	Mogador
WRSKEN	South Kensington
CLSHO	Shoreditch
LWPIN	Pinner
LSWEY	Weybridge
LWSKY	Skyport
THAD	Aldershot
LNCED	Crouch End
LSSTR	Streatham
EMSOSHM	Somersham
LWCHI	Chiswick
LNSTF	Stratford
LSCTHM	Caterham
LSESH	Esher
LNFIN	Finchley
WMWR	Worcester
LSFARB	Farnborough; Kent
LSNCHM	North Cheam
WEWBAY	Bayswater
EAHTF	Hertford
WEWPRI	Primrose Hill

Phase 4 (Closure by Dec 2030)

LVCEN	Liverpool Central
LSBKM	Bookham
THHN	Headley Down
EARDH	Ramsden Heath
CMDD	Dudley; West Midlands
WWSOME	Somerton
LVGAT	Gateacre
EABRI	Brightlingsea
EACHF	Chafford
LWHARR	Harrow
WSPRO	Glasgow Provanmill
NDNEI	Newick
SMHGN	Holmer Green
CMWDGT	Woodgate
SMLEA	Leagrave
WWMSMT	Mawnan Smith
NESU	Sunderland
SLHX	Haxey
LWHOU	Hounslow
MRCHI	Chinley
LSRIC	Richmond Kew; Surrey
SSSHM	Shepton Mallet
SDBRCKL	Bracklesham Bay
WWWBAY	Widemouth
MYRPP	Ripponden
EAWRI	Writtle
WNM	Mold
SSSOF	Stratton On The Fosse
THIP	Iver
LVAUG	Aughton Green
LSBET	Betchworth
SDWSWND	Worthing Swandean
CMKNO	Knowle
THBW	Blackwater
EMCOGEN	Cogenhoe
NDGUE	Guestling
NDOTF	Otford
LWCHO	Chorleywood
WWCHEL	Chelston
MYADD	Addingham
NDSHO	Shorne
LSKIN	KINGSTON SSC (Taverner House)

Check out the full excel sheet, as linked earlier, for extra details on each.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News

The partnership aims to tackle digital povery by making free connectivity more widely available

This week, Newcastle City Council has announced a new partership with global digital connectivity firm Purple to launch a unified city-wide Wi-Fi network.

The initiative provides free Wi-Fi access across various council buildings, gyms, libraries, commercial properties, and public spaces, positioning Newcastle among the UK’s most digitally connected cities. Users can access these hotspots through Purple’s ConneX App, guaranteeing users access to hundreds of Wi-Fi sites through a single sign-in.

“Even with near-universal broadband coverage, not everyone can afford reliable access on the go. We’ve used government funding to improve our free public Wi-Fi offer to improve performance for residents, and this new partnership will enable us to further tackle digital poverty and give residents free access in more places,” said said Cllr. Paul Frew, Newcastle City Council cabinet member for Resources and Performance. “This project is about fairness as much as technology.”

To encourage adoption and engagement with this new digital infrastructure, Purple is launching a city-wide digital ‘Egg Hunt,’ featuring five hidden eggs worth £1,000 each. Participation requires connecting to the Wi-Fi via the ConneX App or adding new venues to the network, creating an interactive incentive for users to explore and benefit from the expanded service.

As part of the initiative, Purple is also distributing £120,000 worth of free Wi-Fi hardware and licences to 1,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Newcastle. This not only enables businesses to offer free connectivity to customers but also gives them access to location analytics and customer insights.

“Newcastle is home to more than 53,000 businesses, including one of the fastest-growing SME sectors in the UK,” said Purple CEO Gavin Wheeldon. “Local businesses face mounting pressures from rising costs, and this initiative arms them with the digital intelligence to attract more customers and compete in a tough market.”

This project builds upon Newcastle’s long-standing efforts to enhance public connectivity. Since 2015, the city has expanded free Wi-Fi across public buildings, including the Civic Centre, libraries, and museums, with outdoor coverage extending to pedestrian routes through partnerships with local councils and infrastructure providers like BT. In 2018, Newcastle introduced ultrafast free Wi-Fi and free phone services through the InLinkUK initiative, further broadening digital access and convenience for residents and visitors.

How is the public sector tackling connectivity challenges in 2025? Join the discussion at Connected Britain later this month!

Also in the news:
US judge rules Huawei must face charges of fraud and racketeering
Optus ditches football rights to focus on telecoms
Nokia launches digital twin platform Enscryb to digitalise energy sector

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has today confirmed that they will “move ahead with plans” to make the UK the “first country in Europe” to authorise Direct to Device (D2D) satellite services for use in regular mobile bands via “standard smartphones“. The change could be used to help mobile operators improve their 4G and 5G coverage and roaming features.

Several satellite-based broadband operators are currently developing services that can directly connect to unmodified consumer Smartphones via regular mobile spectrum bands. Some examples of this include Starlink (Direct to Cell) and AST SpaceMobile. In fact, some phones, like the latest iPhone series from Apple, already have a basic communication system that can work via satellite (e.g. for emergencies).

However, the licences held by UK mobile operators to provide communications services do not currently authorise transmissions from space. The introduction of D2D services in terrestrial mobile bands would also raise a number of other issues, such as through the potential for an increased risk of interference between the satellite and the ground infrastructure of the mobile operators. But Ofcom says they can solve this.

The regulator’s previous work has uncovered plenty of support for D2D satellite services within the UK market, and they’ve today issued a statement that confirms their intention to authorise the aforementioned change(s).

Ofcom’s Changes (Full Statement)

• We want to secure the benefits of D2D services for UK citizens and consumers as soon as possible and our ambition is to facilitate the introduction of D2D services in the UK in early 2026.

• We have decided on an authorisation framework that requires a variation to an MNO’s existing licence and new exemption regulations that will enable end users to lawfully connect to D2D services.

• We have decided to consult on proposed exemption regulations.

• We are giving notice now (as required under section 122 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006) of Ofcom’s proposal to make Regulations which would create a new exemption to permit mobile handsets and other sim-enabled devices to connect to a D2D services.

• We are seeking views on proposed technical conditions to protect Air Traffic Control radar systems from potential interference from D2D services operating in the 2.6 GHz band.

• We also seek any further views from stakeholders on the non-technical licence conditions which we would include in the MNO licence variation. These differ very slightly from those set out in our earlier consultation.

• We welcome comments on all proposals by 5pm on Friday 10 October 2025

The new approach could be particularly useful for helping to connect people in some of the remotest rural parts of the UK, as well as around coastal waters, and to act as a backup in case of terrestrial network outages or when needing to contact the emergency services. Some mobile operators, such as Vodafone’s deal with AST SpaceMobile, are currently looking to offer such features as a premium add-on (e.g. global or domestic roaming enhancements).

Speaking of which, Ofcom are today also inviting any mobile operators that plan to offer a D2D service to come forward to the regulator, with a request for a licence variation in relation to their specific bands of interest (although the regulator’s focus seems to be on most of the spectrum bands licensed to EE, Vodafone / Three UK and O2 below 3GHz). Any licence variation will however still be subject to the “comments we might receive on our proposed non-technical and technical conditions“.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Contributed Article

By Pete England, Product Director, ITS

For decades, the business connectivity market has been defined by compromise. Organisations were forced to choose between two technologies: copper, cheap but unreliable, or leased lines, reliable but unaffordable for most businesses.

Neither option truly reflected what businesses needed. Copper couldn’t deliver consistency. Leased lines often meant overpaying for bandwidth that was only essential during peak usage. Connectivity was a limiting factor, not an enabler.

Today, that dynamic is changing. As the UK fibre rollout shifts into a “fibre utility” phase, the opportunity lies not just in building networks, but in designing products that match the way businesses and public services now operate.

A market transformed by digital society

Every aspect of modern work is underpinned by reliable connectivity. From cloud-based CCTV and IP-enabled cameras, to collaboration platforms like Teams and SharePoint, to guest Wi-Fi and cashless point-of-sale terminals – connectivity is no longer a utility, but the foundation of digital society.

This creates new demands:

• Scalability, to grow as application use increases.
• Reliability, because downtime is no longer an option.
• Security, as every connection point becomes a potential risk.

Traditional products can’t keep pace. Many businesses find themselves paying for capacity they only need at peak times, or trying to stretch inadequate services across mission-critical applications. As digital convergence accelerates, those compromises are no longer acceptable.

That’s why product innovation has to move faster than traditional providers can adapt. At ITS, we’ve made it our mission to design services that evolve with applications, not against them.

Smarter by design

Connectivity should not be a hard-coded, one-size-fits-all commodity. It should be agile, consumable, and customisable.

Our modular product framework gives partners and customers the ability to:

• Shape solutions for specific needs, sectors, and use cases.
• Flex bandwidth, service levels, and commercial models.
• Integrate seamlessly with partner platforms for quoting, ordering, and lifecycle management.

This approach removes the perennial issue of overselling. Instead of locking customers into a leased line at 1Gbps when they only need 100Mbps, our products can be tuned and scaled remotely. No truck roll, no wasted spend – just a right-sized service that can grow as demand grows.

We’ve also invested heavily in rapid provisioning through our partner portal. By cutting fibre lead times and enabling full integration with partner systems, we’re giving resellers the tools to compete harder in a market where speed of delivery is a true differentiator.

This isn’t just infrastructure. It’s infrastructure designed for outcomes.

Closing the gaps: A three-tiered portfolio

Our product ladder has been deliberately shaped to address every segment of the business market, without forcing compromise.

• FibreOne – A reliable entry-level FTTP business broadband service. Perfect for organisations with basic connectivity needs, such as payment terminals or internet radio. It runs at consistent speeds and provides a clear upgrade path when requirements grow.
• FibreLight – The missing middle ground. Businesses that outgrow FTTP shouldn’t be forced into costly leased lines. FibreLight fills this gap, offering scalability, reliability, and performance at a price point that makes sense. It’s a commercial innovation that allows customers to unlock cloud-based applications without overspending. In many ways it’s the “EFM killer” – removing the awkward choice between too little and too much by creating a product that truly sits between.
• FibreBright – For those who demand absolute certainty. FibreBright is our premium leased line service, delivering dedicated, uncontended performance around the clock. It supports customers that require mission-critical resilience, with clear paths to higher speeds and optical services.

What makes this portfolio powerful is not just the breadth of choice, but the designed-in upgrade paths. Businesses can start small, grow, and adapt without having to rip and replace, often as the competition needs to. Partners, meanwhile, can approach their customers with a suite of options that are both commercially compelling and technically future-proof.

Looking ahead: From connectivity to smart infrastructure

The next phase of our innovation journey is about making connectivity smarter, not just faster. That means embedding intelligence, security, and automation into the core of our services. It means designing for compliance and ESG goals, not as bolt-ons but as part of the network’s DNA.

It also means recognising that, in a market where competitors still build siloed services, ITS has done something different. We’ve created a singular, software-configurable network that delivers economies of scale and allows for modularity at the service-spec level. In practice, this means:

• Care packages and service levels can be added like software modules.
• Speeds can be flexed remotely, without a site visit.
• Capacity can be reused rather than wasted.

This is the connective tissue that enables partners and end customers to consume connectivity more like a cloud service: buy what you want, when you want it, and flex it as your needs change.

Redefining the market

Connectivity isn’t “done.” The market doesn’t need more commodity bandwidth layered with bolt-on services. It needs connectivity that is inherently better: faster, smarter, more flexible, and ultimately more affordable.

By understanding the traditional pain points and addressing them with flexible, modular design, ITS is creating a portfolio that sets a new benchmark. It’s not about competing with incumbents on their terms. It’s about redefining the terms altogether – closing market gaps, making connectivity more equitable, and creating infrastructure that’s ready for the next decade of digital society.

Want to learn more about the future of smart infrastructure? Stop by for a drink at the Dog & Duct pub at Connected Britain, sponsored by ITS

Also in the news:
US judge rules Huawei must face charges of fraud and racketeering
Optus ditches football rights to focus on telecoms
Nokia launches digital twin platform Enscryb to digitalise energy sector

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Rochdale-based UK broadband ISP Zen Internet has announced that they’ve appointed Jon Nowell to be the new Managing Director (MD) of their business division. Jon will be responsible for overseeing the related sales, engineering, architecture and business development functions.

Jon is said to have more than 20 years’ experience in telecoms and technology, having previously held senior roles at ‘if Consulting’, Talk Talk Business, Redstone and more. He will now lead the next phase of Zen’s growth across their range of connectivity products and services – accessible to all UK-based businesses.

Richard Tang, Founder and CEO of Zen Internet, said: “We’ve always believed there’s a better way to do business, where success isn’t just about profits, but about doing right for people and planet. Jon brings that same philosophy, alongside deep industry knowledge and a drive to make things better for customers. Whether it’s a sole trader looking for dependable broadband, or a national enterprise building SD-WAN, Cloud or Voice solutions, Jon’s leadership will help us deliver real value that our customers can trust.”

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Network access provider Openreach (BT) has notified UK ISPs about the launch of a rental discount offer on their 1Gbps Ethernet Access Direct (EAD) product for Local Access and Standard Access for new service provisions within the Central London Area (CLA).

According to the briefing (inc. pricing document), the offer provides a rental discount of £1,800 +vat in the first year for circuits taken on a 3-year term. The offer applies for the period running from 7th October 2025 to 31st March 2026.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Broadband ISP and mobile operator EE (BT) has today announced that their latest 5G Standalone (5GSA) mobile network will be going live in a further 17 new towns and cities by the end of 2025. On top of that, customers have been told to expect a “significant boost” to 5G connectivity as they become the “first operator in the world” to deploy Advanced RAN Coordination (ARC) tech.

Just to recap. The majority of 5G mobile networks today are still Non-Standalone (NSA), which means they are partly reliant upon older and slower 4G infrastructure. But SA networks are pure end-to-end 5G that can deliver ultra-low latency times, greater energy efficiency, better mobile broadband speeds (particularly uploads), network slicing, improved support for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, support for Voice over 5G SA (Vo5G) calling, and increased reliability and security etc.

EE officially began launching a range of new 5G SA supporting mobile plans across 15 major UK cities in September 2024 (here) and they’ve since been expanding their coverage. In fact, the operator’s last major 5GSA coverage update in July 2025 announced that a further 45 locations would start to gain access to the service by the end of August 2025 (here).

The first of two big new developments today is that EE has announced a list of the next 17 locations to benefit from their 5GSA deployment between now and the end of December 2025, which we’ve listed below. EE has previously informed ISPreview that they only announce 5GSA availability once a location has “at least 95% outdoor coverage“, which helps to ensure a good level of connectivity.

EE’s 17 New 5GSA Locations (Sept to Dec 2025)
1. Basildon
2. Bolton
3. Brighton and Hove
4. Colchester
5. Gloucester
6. Lincoln
7. Maidstone
8. Newcastle-upon-Tyne
9. Northampton
10. Oxford
11. Plymouth
12. Poole
13. Portsmouth
14. Reading
15. Southampton
16. Southend-on-Sea
17. Telford

The other big development today is that EE’s customers in Manchester and Edinburgh have just become the first in the UK to benefit from the operator’s deployment of a “groundbreaking new technology” – Ericsson’s Advanced RAN Coordination (ARC) solution. This essentially allows mobile sites in close vicinity to one another to pair up and share capacity (i.e. inter-site 5G downlink carrier aggregation), which can boost network performance without the need to deploy additional radio equipment (especially useful in busy areas at peak times).

Sadly, EE didn’t provide any real-world benchmarks to show the impact on mobile broadband performance, but the operator does claim that combining spare capacity from multiple independent cell sites in this way can increase download (downlink) data performance by around 20% on average (or more than double it “under ideal conditions“).

The technology was initially trialled in Bristol and has now gone live across selected sites in Manchester and Edinburgh, being activated just in time for the latter’s Fringe and International Festivals. The focus is on deploying the technology across busy city centre sites where capacity is most needed, and EE plans to expand the rollout to London, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool, Belfast, Cardiff, Newcastle, Sheffield and Sunderland “throughout the next year“.

Greg McCall, Chief Networks Officer at BT Group, said:

“EE customers are the first in the world to benefit from this technology, with millions of them getting a huge boost to the 5G connectivity they rely on every day. By increasing capacity in this way, our customers will get faster speeds and an even more reliable experience instantly. It is a real game-changer and yet another example of how the nation gets a better network experience on EE.

We are building our 5G standalone network at an unprecedented pace to connect customers, communities, and the country to the most reliable and powerful mobile experiences. For those people wanting to get the most out of the newest 5GSA-enabled smartphones, they need the UK’s best 5G network to match and that’s exactly what EE delivers.”

EE clarified that in order to deploy ARC technology they do have to add a small optical pluggable device in each baseband unit to enable the capacity sharing, which then fosters a software-driven approach that allows EE to scale performance efficiently and keeps infrastructure costs low; catering for demand where it’s needed the most. In Edinburgh, for example, sites supporting the city’s Waverley Station have been boosted, while in Manchester it has been deployed in sites across the city centre.

Device compatibility is of course still an issue for 5GSA adoption in general, although such things usually resolve themselves with time as consumers gradually upgrade – many modern Smartphones do now support it on EE’s network. Customers with an EE 5GSA-compatible device will also see the biggest gains from ARC technology, as these phones can tap into multiple 5G frequency bands simultaneously.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The Northumberland County Council (NCC) in England has confirmed that it will be able to commit an additional £2m (£0.556m in 2025-26 and £1.444m in 2026-27) to support broadband top-up vouchers (total budget of £3.5m). The aim is to help people in remote rural areas to get a gigabit speed internet connection installed. But there’s a catch.

The UK government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS) typically offers grants worth up to £4,500 to help remote rural or poorly served urban homes and businesses get a gigabit-capable broadband (1Gbps) service installed, which is available to areas with speeds of “less than 1Gbps” – assuming there are no near-term plans for a gigabit deployment in the same area (either via private or state-aid funding).

However, the value of such vouchers can sometimes also be boosted by top-up funding from local authorities, which in the case of Northumberland means that eligible properties can potentially claim up to £7,000 per voucher. In addition, vouchers can also be combined within communities to help fund larger network builds.

In this case it appears as if NCC has secured an additional £2m of funding for their top-up voucher scheme from gainshare (clawback) funds received from BT (Openreach) via the previous Superfast Broadband Programme (SFBB) in the region. This reflects the return of public funding after the original network delivered a strong level of take-up.

The Council said they “achieved some of the highest take up rates in the UK” (around 75%) and have thus been in receipt of annual gainshare payments from BT in line with the contract terms.

NCC Statement

The demand for Top Up vouchers has increased considerably beyond the level that was predicted in 2023. This is due to the amount of voucher projects proposed by suppliers. To support this delivery the Top Up voucher funding budget needs to be increased by £2.000 million to meet this demand. This increased budget will be funded from gainshare funds received from BT which are set aside in the community broadband capital project in the capital programme which currently stands at £4.471 million.

In the 2024-25 financial year suppliers were already projecting a demand for vouchers which approaches the current £1.500 million committed funding. BDUK require that we have sufficient funds in place before they allocate vouchers to suppliers, even though vouchers may not actually be claimed for up to a year due to build times.

The figures show that a substantial proportion of draw down will not take place until the 2026-27 financial year. This is because BDUK allocates vouchers to suppliers up to 12 months in advance of funds being drawn down. Terms of Project Gigabit states that vouchers cannot be claimed until the fibre network is built and a service is ordered by the customer.

The catch is that the GBVS is currently only open to a limited number of areas across the United Kingdom for new projects. Sadly, Northumberland is not currently one of those, although today’s news may suggest that this status could soon to change. The funding could potentially also help with any pre-existing voucher-based deployments in the region (i.e. from before the local scheme was closed).

The government’s Building Digital UK agency often closes the GBVS (temporarily – but it can last awhile) when there’s a risk of it conflicting with Project Gigabit’s wider subsidised build contracts. At present, GoFibre holds the £7.3m deployment contract for North Northumberland (here), which aims to reach several thousand hard-to-reach premises in the region.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

CommunityFibre, which has deployed a 5Gbps speed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based broadband network to cover 1.342 million homes (inc. 185k businesses within 200 metres of their network) – mostly in London, has this morning announced that they’ve connected more than 400,000 properties (customers) to the service (up from 336k at the end of 2024).

The provider, which is currently being backed by funding of c.£1bn, has had a rough couple of years due to the rising cost of build, strong market competition and high interest rates (a common challenge in the market). All of this has caused a previous slowdown in network build and related redundancies (here and here), which resulted in CF pivoting their strategy to focus more on growing customer uptake.

The good news is that this strategy has clearly helped to boost their adoption, with CommunityFibre today reporting a 33% increase in its customer base over the past year, reaching a network penetration rate of 30%. “This makes Community Fibre the No. 1 major Alternative Network (Altnet) in the UK by customer penetration,” said the announcement. But if we leave out the word “major” then there are others, like B4RN (c.50% take-up), that have done better on the smaller scales.

The ISP added that it has seen strong adoption of its high-speed products too, with the “majority” of its customers now said to be on speeds of 1Gbps or above, as well as an increased take-up of its top 5Gbps and 2.5Gbps products. All of this is likely to be further boosted by their recent wholesale agreement with Vodafone (VodafoneThree) – here.

Graeme Oxby, CEO of Community Fibre, said:

“Our relentless focus on network and sales excellence, lean operations, and industry-leading service is the foundation for sustainable success in the Altnet market. Community Fibre continues to prove that new broadband competition can not only be financially sustainable in the long run, it can also deliver meaningful advantages to UK society.”

Following their recent financial results (here), CommunityFibre today added that they are now “on course” for an annualised EBITDA (i.e. earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) of £70m by year-end, building on a current run rate of over £50m.

Community Fibre also provides free 1Gbps full fibre broadband to more than 720 community spaces in the city.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Business ISP Gamma Communications has today announced that they’ve signed a 6-year commitment with B2B telecoms company O2 Daisy, which extends an existing agreement and has been expanded to reflect the recent merger between VMO2 Business (Virgin Media and O2) and Daisy Group. A 7-year wholesale revenue agreement is also involved.

Under the deal, Gamma will be supplying O2 Daisy with thousands of additional UCaaS seats across key platforms, including Horizon, Webex for Gamma and PhoneLine+. Building on Gamma’s existing relationship with Cisco, it has assumed responsibility for Cisco BroadWorks enablement, which underpins O2 Daisy’s own UCaaS platform (inc. cross-sell potential into O2 Daisy’s wider customer base).

An agreement has also been made to transition Gamma’s UK SME direct customer base to O2 Daisy, with Gamma’s remaining UK direct sales channels consisting of digital channels and providing solutions to enterprise customers. The affected customers will now be transferred to O2 Daisy as part of a 7-year wholesale revenue commitment.

The agreement aims to ensure that both parties benefit from the long-term partnership, while affected customers will gain access to O2 Daisy’s support, scalable systems and specialist capabilities. Gamma will continue to provide service and billing support for up to 12 months to ensure a smooth and seamless transition.

Andrew Belshaw, CEO at Gamma, said:

“Running your own communications platform is increasingly complex. From rising compliance pressures to the cost and pace of innovation, it simply doesn’t make commercial sense for many providers. That’s where Gamma comes in. Our relationship with O2 Daisy is built on years of trust, shared success and doing what’s right. This agreement reflects all of that. By combining their customer focus with our platform scale and expertise, we’re creating the right environment for sustainable growth.”

Dave McGinn CEO, SME of O2 Daisy, said:

“The market sweet spot for us is UC; we have a big direct sales force cross-selling UC at a rapid rate, and a vibrant partner community that continues to grow through support and investment. This deal is hugely positive for both companies and, most importantly, for the customers and partners who will benefit from this ongoing partnership. We’re proud to continue building on our long-standing partnership with Gamma. This is about continuity, care, and commitment, ensuring SME customers receive the right level of support from a partner fully aligned to their needs. Our shared belief in doing what’s right for the customer has always underpinned our relationship.”

Both Gamma and O2 Daisy said they are now “working closely to manage the migration” and ensure clear, coordinated communications to customers, partners, and teams.