Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Fixed wireless and broadband provider Connexin, which is in the process of being acquired by CityFibre (here), has today revealed that their existing Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) network has already connected 250,000 smart water meters across parts of the UK.

Fixed wireless LoRa networks harness only a small slice of lower frequency radio spectrum (usually in the sub-1GHz bands) in order to support relatively slow, but extremely low power, data connections. Such networks tend to run at sub-Megabit speeds (often under 0.05Mbps, but some variants can handle several Megabits), which makes them ideal for linking Internet of Things (IoT) style sensors.

Over the past year or two Connexin has secured major contracts with several leading UK water suppliers – including Northumbrian Water, Essex & Suffolk Water, Yorkshire Water, and Severn Trent Water – to deliver smart water metering using their wireless network.

The smart meters deliver near real-time data, enabling residents and businesses to track water usage, cut bills, and support initiatives to reduce leakage from the water network. Smart-sensor technology can also aid in flood prevention, minimise damage and emergency response costs, optimise maintenance to lower operational spending, and strengthen climate resilience and public safety with targeted infrastructure insights.

This technology can also enable use cases such as smarter waste management by optimising collection routes and reducing unnecessary trips, improve road safety in colder weather through intelligent gritting that ensures roads are treated where and when they need it, deliver energy savings with smart street lighting that adjusts brightness while maintaining safety and visibility, and support smart transport solutions that help reduce congestion and emissions across towns and cities.

Dan Preece, VP of Water & Utilities at Connexin, said:

“Water is a precious resource which needs to be protected. Smart city solutions are essential for updating our utilities to meet modern needs and to make them more sustainable – by connecting real-world systems to digital intelligence, we enable real-time, insight-driven decision-making and driving integrated regional transformation.”

Connexin’s LoRaWAN® IoT network now connects “almost” 250,000 meters across the country and they have a plan to connect the whole of the UK. Currently compulsory in water-stressed regions, smart metering is expected to become mandatory nationwide following recommendations from the Cunliffe Review, published in July 2025.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Alternative network ISP CommunityFibre, which has so far built their 5Gbps speed full fibre broadband (FTTP) network to cover 1.342 million UK homes (plus c.200k businesses) – mostly in London, today claims to have become one of the first altnets to launch an international data roaming eSIM mobile service – available across over 160 countries.

The Community Fibre eSIM is essentially a prepaid 4G and 5G capable data plan with support for tethering and “no hidden fees, charges, or contracts“, which can also be topped up at any time, even when you’re offline. The flexible data roaming plans, which can be used alongside your existing physical SIM and number, allows users to choose the amount of data they need and the number of days they’ll need it for before travel.

The new service is also being supporting by a new Community Fibre eSIM App, which can be taken via the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Overall, this is an interesting product for a provider like CommunityFibre to launch, although it doesn’t appear to be all that different from the many other data centric eSIM providers that have popped up over the past few years.

The announcement does however claim that customers can “save up to 96% with our prepaid data plans in over 160 countries“, although this claim lacks a clear base of substantiation for comparison. One other issue is that it doesn’t seem possible to bring up any pricing via the eSIM page on their website, which suggests that this may only be possible if you install their App first.

UPDATE 1:57pm

Digging deeper, we found a mention of that 96% saving in the FAQ sections of their website, which states the following: “Saving compared to UK mobile providers. 96% compares Community Fibre eSIM for 1 GB for 7 days in USA (£2.29) vs Vodafone’s daily roaming rate of £7.86 (if you bought your plan on or after 11 August 2021 and don’t have inclusive destinations in your data plan).”

We think this may not be the best comparison, since it’s not a true apples-to-apples comparison with a similar eSIM service. For example, Airalo will give you 1GB for 7 days at £3.50 and eSIM Choice will do the same for £3. But we’d need to compare across multiple countries and providers to find what sort of average savings may be possible, if any, although £2.29 is good.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Mobile and broadband ISP EE (BT) has confirmed to ISPreview that the approach they currently take on their top 1.6Gbps speed Full Fibre (FTTP) package, which partly cuts BT Wholesale out of the equation, is set to be adopted across their slower tiers too (900Mbps and lower). But customers aren’t expected to notice any real difference.

In the past it used to be the case that BT and EE’s consumer focused broadband packages were based on BTW’s products, but this changed after Openreach launched their faster 1.2Gbps and 1.8Gbps tiers (usually advertised as average speeds of 1000Mbps and 1600Mbps, respectively). This is partly because BTW still doesn’t offer any consumer-focused FTTP products faster than 1Gbps (900Mbps) for UK ISPs.

Instead, EE’s fastest package largely took the 1.8Gbps (sold as 1.6Gbps) wholesale product directly from Openreach and seemed to then have deployed their own platform to support it (this still seems to involve some of BTW’s network, just not the 1.8Gbps wholesale product). But the technical specifics of exactly how this is all arranged remains a little bit subject to speculation (the ISP has not provided many official details when asked).

The latest development is that EE appear to now be planning to adopt the same approach they took for their 1.6Gbps package and spreading it out to their slower speed services. A spokesperson for the BT Group confirmed that they would be making such an internal change, although this is perhaps only interesting from a technical standpoint, since it’s not expected to have any impact on customers or their service (i.e. you won’t notice a difference).

The change is currently in trial and is expected to be rolled out in the very near future, although BT/EE hasn’t provided a detailed timescale. But we assume they wouldn’t be deploying it more widely if they didn’t see some advantages in cost or efficiency of service delivery, particularly as BTWholesale can already directly serve products with speeds up to 1Gbps (900Mbps average). In theory, putting all customers on the same approach could also solve some issues around internal package migrations and upgrades, which have occasionally cropped up due to the split of platforms.

ISPreview understands that the plan is for both existing and new customers to move seamlessly onto the new platform, with changes happening remotely.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

In news that will surprise none of ISPreview’s regular readers. Several major UK banks, such as NatWest and Lloyds, among others, have confirmed that they’re setting aside funding to cover loans that were issued to alternative fibre broadband networks (altnets) and which are now deemed unlikely to be repaid in full.

Regular readers will know that we’ve often had to report on the challenges being experienced by broadband network operators over the past couple of years. The situation has been fuelled by rising build costs, fierce competition from rivals (e.g. overbuild and the challenges of growing take-up) and the difficulties of securing fresh investment during a period of high interest rates (e.g. tackling rising debt repayments).

The fact is that building new Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based broadband networks from scratch is an extremely expensive business, which often requires long payback periods of around 10-15 years. But this situation was made all the more challenging by the fact that so many altnets sprang up during the same 2-3 year period, with many basing their original plans on the now wrongful expectation of a less competitive market.

In response to the recent challenges, many altnets have since moved to protect themselves by switching their focus from rapid network expansion to strong commercialisation of what they’ve already built (i.e. growing take-up), which is a sensible approach. This could also be seen as buying time for natural market consolidation to take place (we’ve already seen a fair bit of it), although it’s so far been moving more slowly than hoped; likely tempered by some unrealistic asset valuations of built infrastructure.

At the same time many altnets have built up a substantial amount of debt, which is proving difficult to repay in a timely fashion due to the aforementioned challenges (particularly lower than ideal levels of take-up and thus revenues). Some altnets could perhaps arguably be said to have sold investors on being able to achieve a stronger level of take-up than was perhaps realistic.

Loans still need to be repaid

According to the FT (paywall), the Lloyds Banking Group recently confirmed that its commercial banking unit had already set aside £25m to cover loans to the fibre sector that were now deemed unlikely to be repaid in full. At the same time NatWest, which is considered to be one of the banks most exposed to the sector (they’re estimated to have lent about £1bn to altnets), recently reported a £76m impairment in its second-quarter results, which one source said included expected losses on loans to altnets.

The newspaper states that creditors are now holding talks with several altnets, such as Gigaclear, over how they will repay the substantial debts they have accumulated to fund their network deployments. Solutions other than consolidation (or complementary to that) are likely to involve a combination of things, such as reaching agreements with other shareholders to inject extra cash, swapping debt for equity or extending credit facilities etc.

The state-backed National Wealth Fund (formerly known as the UK Infrastructure Bank) is similarly known to have committed £1.1bn for lending to altnets in recent years. The NWF is said to have offered indemnities to lenders on some riskier loans to the sector to encourage investment. “We only commit capital where we are needed and, in the case of altnets, where market appetite is restricted, we have worked to crowd in commercial investors to help meet the government’s Gigabit ambitions,” said a spokesperson for the NWF.

On the flip side, it’s important to reflect that, despite the financial challenges, all of this investment has helped to produce a much wider variety of competition and thus network choice and coverage for consumers. At the end of June 2025 our H1 2025 broadband coverage report revealed that around 88% of UK premises now had access to gigabit-capable broadband speeds (78% when only looking at FTTP) and the UK government expects this to reach c.99% by 2032 (target delayed from 2030); that’s up from just 10% in 2019.

Nevertheless, Enders Analysis calculates that altnets are collectively carrying more than £7bn of net debt and predicts that write-downs in this sector have been “inevitable for some time“. But as ever with such situations, it’s important not to colour every altnet with the same brush.

Some altnets are in a far stronger position than others and inevitably where there are losers, there will also be winners. Put another way, the incumbents of Openreach and Virgin Media cannot afford to rest on their laurels as greater competition is likely to be a sustained reality, even as the number of smaller altnets continues to shrink.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Press Release

Along with an optimized Nokia 5G standalone (SA) core for railways, the solution enables seamless migration to FRMCS on a global scale

Nokia today announced its new 5G radio solution, designed to deliver high-capacity, high-performance and resilient real-time communications to rail operators worldwide, setting the foundation for the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS). As a cornerstone for smarter, safer and more efficient rail networks, the solution supports greater digitalization and automation, driving benefits for passengers, businesses and the environment. The launch features the industry’s first commercial 5G radio for the 1900 MHz (n101) band, along with Nokia’s Core Enterprise Solution for Railways, purpose-built to accelerate the sector’s digital transformation.

In the coming decade, FRMCS will upgrade the current 2G Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway (GSM-R) and become the next-generation global standard designed for all railways. Its 5G-based successor, with built-in security and high reliability, enables enhanced automation, new digital applications, improved passenger services and secure cross-border communication.

Nokia is a global leader in railway communications with decades of experience in GSM-R deployments across more than 20 countries. The company has been at the forefront of FRMCS development, collaborating with rail operators, governments, industry and standardization bodies to help shape the standard and enable its global deployment.

“The drive toward digitalization demands the kind of high-speed connectivity and data capabilities that legacy systems simply can’t provide, creating an urgent need for rail operators worldwide to modernize. Our commercial 5G solution, backed by decades of proven rail industry expertise, reflects our commitment to laying the foundation for the next generation of railway operations. We offer a future-proof, flexible technology platform that supports a smooth transition to FRMCS while improving operational efficiency, safety and the overall passenger experience.” said Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks, Nokia.

Nokia’s new 5G radio is built for mission-critical communications and supports strategic coexistence, enabling railways to migrate to 5G alongside legacy systems like GSM-R with no disruption. In addition, its fully optimized, cloud-native 5G SA core supports the full suite of FRMCS functionalities for the transport stratum. Modular, flexible and scalable, the solution enables both regional and nationwide deployments. It will also be tested under the EU-funded FP2-MORANE-2 project, which builds on earlier FRMCS initiatives to advance the digitalization of rail operations across Europe.

The shift to a 5G solution introduces powerful capabilities that align perfectly with the operational needs of modern railways, particularly in border crossing scenarios. Here are some of the main benefits for rail operators and passengers:

• Automated train operations: Enabling real-time control and monitoring of trains to improve safety and efficiency and decreasing energy consumption and emissions.
• Passenger information systems: Providing real-time updates and information to passengers for a better travel experience.
• Mission-critical voice communication: Integrating voice, video and data services in a single, standardized platform to enhance operations and infrastructure management.
• Smart rail maintenance: Utilizing predictive maintenance and real-time monitoring to reduce downtime and maintenance costs.

Nokia is committed to driving the digital transformation of the railway sector through advanced, future-ready technologies. The new solution includes a commercial 5G radio for the 1900 MHz band from its industry-leading AirScale portfolio, paired with its railway-optimized Core Enterprise Solution. It is complemented by the company’s extensive portfolio of mission-critical IP, optical and data center networking products. Nokia’s solutions are also compliant with the highest standards and feature a best-in-class cybersecurity framework.

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

Telecoms and broadband giant BT has suffered another setback in its 10-year project, which aimed to convert a further 2,000 of their legacy payphones and kiosks – across more than 200 UK towns and cities – into smart Street Hubs (here). Preston Council rejected a couple of proposed deployments over concerns about rising “street clutter“.

Regular readers will know that BT’s Street Hub 2 units have suffered somewhat of a popularity dip, with various local authorities raising objections to related deployments in 2025 (here). The smart kiosks typically feature “up to” 1Gbps capable public WiFi (“within a 150-metre radius“), free UK calling, USB device charging, small cells to boost localised 4G and 5G mobile signals, local information / adverts via a large HD touchscreen display and environmental sensors etc.

Most of the rejections tend to highlight issues with the kiosk’s siting, design, scale (they’re roughly 3 metres tall, 1.25m wide and 35cm deep) and illumination. In the case of Preston Council, a spokesperson for the local authority said (Hello Rayo) that BT’s hubs would have had a “significant unacceptable adverse impact” on the character of the street by “increasing street clutter” and reducing the width of the footpath (this in areas where the council has been trying to reduce clutter).

However, BT has separately placed applications for three other Street Hubs in Preston, which are still awaiting an outcome. The capabilities of such hubs do, in fairness, come with a lot of positives, but clearly it’s proving to be a tough sell for some areas.

A BT Group Spokesperson previously told ISPreview:

“Street Hubs are digital units which support our Universal Service Obligation to provide a public call service in the UK. We work with council departments, community members, and BID (Business Improvement District) teams to refine our location selection process.

As well as offering connectivity to make calls and utilise free public Wi-Fi, Street Hubs also offer USBs for rapid device charging, touch-screen tablets displaying real-time public information and a dedicated 999 calling button.”

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Researchers working out of Ulster University in Northern Ireland (UK) have harnessed AI (Artificial Intelligence) in order to develop a new type of Massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (ma-MIMO) technology. The team say this could be used to make future 6G (IMT-2030) based mobile broadband networks “faster, smarter, and far more energy-efficient“.

At present the 6G standard is still in the early R&D phase and most observers don’t expect to see the first commercial network builds surfacing until around 2030 (note: some countries do expect early field trials around 2028). Suffice to say that a lot of work is currently ongoing to help produce the final standard and develop prototype solutions.

One of the areas that researchers hope to improve upon is Massive MIMO technology, which harnesses multiple antennae to send and receive data more efficiently to lots of users (both at the mobile mast and on your Smartphone / mobile router / IoT device etc.).

The latest innovation on this front, known as MIMONet, is the work of Ulster University PhD researcher Yunis Daha in the School of Engineering, supervised by Dr Usman Hadi. Published in the journal Telecom, the research tackles one of the most urgent challenges in global wireless communication: how to detect and process signals accurately and efficiently when millions of devices are connected simultaneously.

Traditional methods for MIMO detection either struggle to deliver accuracy or require enormous computational power, making them impractical for real-time use. MIMONet seeks to overcome this by applying a “lightweight deep learning architecture that can “learn” to separate and detect signals even under the most complex and noisy conditions“.

The result is a faster, more reliable and less power-hungry network in terms of hardware or energy.

Dr Usman Hadi, PhD Supervisor at Ulster University School of Engineering, said:

“6G will underpin technologies like autonomous transport, remote healthcare and immersive digital environments – but for these to work, networks need to process vast amounts of information quickly and reliably. This research shows how artificial intelligence can provide a practical solution, paving the way for communications that are both highly scalable and energy-efficient.”

Tests are said to show that MIMONet not only “outperforms traditional algorithms“, but also the most advanced AI-driven detectors currently in use – including AIDETECT, developed at Ulster University in 2023. But MIMONet delivers superior accuracy across small, medium and large network configurations while keeping computational demands low.

The focus here is really on improving 6G connectivity for applications that require ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), such as driverless cars, real-time medical robotics and future smart cities etc. But the work doesn’t work and the team are now looking at how they can expand MIMONet’s applicability to realistic 6G situations.

Further research on this technology will thus investigate its scalability to ultra-massive MIMO systems (such as 64 × 64 and 128 × 128), multi-user MIMO, and frequency-selective channels. Additionally, to improve generalisation, the team will use sophisticated training techniques, including transfer learning and data augmentation, and examine MIMONet’s resilience to non-Gaussian noise models (i.e. background noise that does not follow a standard Gaussian distribution).

Future work will also focus on federated learning for distributed MIMO, noncoherent detection, and a thorough examination of hardware-level performance and training complexity etc.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Internet provider Hey! Broadband, which offers services to homes in various areas covered by F&W Networks (Fibre and Wireless) alternative gigabit speed full fibre lines (mostly across the South East of England), have today announced that their customer based has surpassed 40,000 (up from 25,000 a year ago).

F&W has so far managed to extend their gigabit-capable broadband network to cover 410,000 UK premises as read-for-service (Feb 2024 data) across 30 locations in parts of South East of England, such as Greater London, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, and West Sussex. But independent data from Thinkbroadband put them at closer to 269,000 in March 2025 (here).

“Reaching 40,000 customers is a huge moment for our team and a clear reflection of the value we’re bringing to communities,” said Lourdes Sáez, CEO of HeyBroadband. “We’re building a network that doesn’t just keep up with the UK’s digital future, it’s helping to shape it.”

Residential customers of the service currently pay from £23 per month on a 24-month term for average symmetric speeds of 150Mbps, which rises to £25 per month for their top 900Mbps package (usually £43). The service includes a free router and installation, but take note that their monthly prices increase by £2 in April every year.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Some customers of Virgin Media’s (O2) broadband service have been struggling, often for several weeks now, to regain access to their email accounts – those belonging to secondary account holders. The issue began after the ISP made a change to their ID system that seemed to lock related users out with a “FORBIDDEN” message.

ISPreview has always advised our visitors not to rely upon the email services provided by your broadband provider, not least because it can make it harder for you to switch providers (i.e. you run the risk of losing access to your address). Often it’s far better to sign-up with one of the many free email providers (e.g. Gmail, Outlook/Hotmail) or pay a small amount for a dedicated service.

The latest situation is perhaps yet another example of why it’s risky to entrust email access to your ISP. In this case, the problem mostly seems to be centred on those who have a secondary email address on their Virgin Media account, such as might occur when a family member or small business wants to establish their own (additional) email account under that of a primary account holder; a fairly common practice.

In the case of Virgin Media, the provider hasn’t allowed customers to create new email addresses for several years, but they’ve continued to maintain support for those that already had the service. Unfortunately, some of those in this group, primarily users who previously created an additional email account, have been struggling to regain access to it for the past few weeks.

Some example complaints about this issue can be found here, here, here and here, but there are many more online. Credits to Timandra and Michael for bringing all this to our attention.

Sample Complaint by mames

“My daughter has a secondary email account with my virgin media. She has been unable to access her emails for over 2 weeks now as it comes up with a error message saying 403 forbidden and tries to google translate the page from Luxembourgian. We rang last week to sort this but was told the account was locked then had a new password created. She couldn’t even get to the page to enter this password without the forbidden sign coming up again. We rang again an hour later and was told it was actually a global problem and that many people were having the same problem. They said someone was working to try to resolve it. It has now been over 2 weeks without her email account and she uses this email for healthcare, work and her landlord.”

Sample Complaint by TSinDistress

“My husband is the primary account holder after becoming a VM customer in 2011. I am the secondary account. We have both had @virginmedia.com email addresses since joining.

3 weeks ago I suddenly received the message FORBIDDEN whilst trying to access my emails. I immediately rang and reported this, was given a ticket number and told many customers were experiencing this problem which would be resolved within 10 days. I then went on holiday to an area where internet access was not always available, but when it was still received the FORBIDDEN message.

I rang for help this morning, was given another ticket number with the suggestion I was now back of the queue and someone would get in touch. No-one has – not since the end of July.

Like so many email is my primary source of contacting others and I don’t have secondary access to email addresses. I have a small business too and am at risk of losing income.”

Sample Complaint by Timandra

“Are you aware that a very large number of Virgin Media customers have been frozen out of their emails?

On 26th July I joined their number, when my screen went blank and the word FORBIDDEN appeared after sending an email. I have twice raised this matter with VM, been given a ticket no. and told the matter would be resolved in 10 days. But it has not. And no-one seems to know how to resolve this, although one possible route I could take might jeopardise my husband’s (primary) account. I am the secondary account holder. I can’t even look at my email address book. I have checked the community forum and facebook pages with no answers in sight.”

In response, VMO2 informed ISPreview that the “vast majority” of secondary account users who have started the single sign-on journey have completed this process successfully without issue, but they do acknowledge that a small number of customers have still experienced the issue described above.

The operator states that they have been able to resolve the issue for many of those who raised this with them, such as via password resets and/or advising secondary email account holders to set up their own VMO2 ID to allow access. But anybody with ongoing problems is advised to raise it with the provider’s support team.

A Virgin Media O2 spokesperson said:

“Since its launch in July, millions of customers have successfully set up their new Virgin Media O2 Identity. Backed by the latest security features such as passkeys and biometric authentication, single sign-on gives our customers a more simplified and consistent experience when accessing and managing their online accounts.

We’re aware that a small proportion of secondary account users have experienced issues accessing their email accounts when setting up their new IDs, and we have been able to resolve such cases when customers have raised them with us. Anyone who is experiencing an issue is encouraged to contact us directly so that our specialist agents can help.”

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The LSBUD (Line Search Before You Dig) organisation, which provides an online asset search facility to UK civil engineering firms for underground pipes and cables, has published their Digging Up Britain 2025 report and revealed that telecoms (broadband, mobile etc.) remains the “most active industry” when it comes to searching before digging (37.5% of all searches). But this was down from 39% last year.

The report notes that, during 2024, the number of search enquiries that passed through LSBUD’s portal reached 3.85 million (down slightly from 3.92m last year). Thanks to the roll-out of new mobile and full fibre broadband infrastructure, telecoms has remained the dominant industry in need of detailed underground mapping, amassing a total of 1,444,280 searches or 37.5% of the total (a decrease of 6% on last year) – closely followed by the water sector (27.5%) and then local authorities (11.4%).

“This drop can be put down to more properties across the UK now having access to full fibre broadband than ever before. Of course, digging work has been pivotal to full fibre’s rollout, but this momentum is beginning to slow as the focus changes from laying fibre across the length and breadth of the country to connecting individual homes to a network,” said the report.

In fairness, much of the slowdown actually has more to do with wider market pressures, such as rising build costs, stubbornly high interest rates and competition.

Richard Broome, Managing Director at LSBUD, said:

“The telecoms sector has been the most active when it comes to safe digging for several years, and this year is no exception. With a search being placed every five seconds during the traditional working day, the sector is ensuring the safety of workers and the surrounding public. The safe digging community is continuing to grow, and it’s clear from our data that more and more people understand the importance of searching before they dig – it’s become an automatic step.

With a record-breaking number of Users and Members now registered on our system, digging has never been safer within the UK. We want to extend our thanks to every company and individual in the telecoms sector who used our services over the last year to ensure the safety of themselves and those around them.

However, there is still so much more to do. Just 26% of telecoms operators are currently protecting their assets through a central system, leaving a huge proportion of cables unaccounted for. We would certainly like to see more progress being made in this area, however the momentum is building, which is great to see.”

The report goes on to suggest that the current trend in telecoms is expected to continue in the mid-term as “the Government’s target of 85% full fibre coverage by the end of 2025 could influence the amount of digging work conducted in 2025, with a final push to hit the target before the year’s end.” Except strictly speaking this target is for “gigabit-capable broadband” (includes other technologies as well, like coax/cable) and was hit around the end of last year (here).

The latest independent modelling from Thinkbroadband indicates that 88.4% of UK premises now have access to take gigabit broadband speeds, yet Project Gigabit’s next target (99% coverage) was recently delayed from 2030 to 2032. The delay is partly a reflection of the fact that several network operators have recently dropped out of related contracts, due in part to some of the pressures mentioned earlier.

The report concludes by noting that, currently, only 26% of GB’s telecoms network is registered on LSBUD, “leaving 1,600,000km unprotected and at risk of being hit“. But LSBUD notes some positive movement in the last year, such as with how their platform welcomed several new alternative broadband networks (toob, G.Network and AllPoints Fibre) to its member base.

The report doesn’t mention it, but it’s also possible that LSBUD’s operations could see some impact from the Government’s ongoing development of a National Underground Asset Register (NUAR), which represents a new digital UK map of underground pipes and cables (broadband, power, water etc.) – intended to help reduce accidental damage. The government says this is due to become “fully operational by the end of 2025“ (here).