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The public shouldn’t have to think about connectivity. It should just work, says Rob Chambers, the managing director of Total Telecom.

By: Brad Randall, Broadband Communities

Rob Chambers, the Managing Director of Total Telecom, says Connected Britain has evolved with the growth of the connectivity market in the United Kingdom.

“What started as being a conversation purely about fibre rollout has now moved on to a more complete discussion about connectivity and what people do with it,” he said, speaking to Beyond the Cable in at Connected Britain. 

Connected Britain, held annually in London, brings together thousands of industry experts, innovators, and policymakers. The event boasts an impressive lineup of top speakers, cutting-edge exhibitors, and networking opportunities for those driving the United Kingdom’s digital transformation.

Similar to Total Telecom’s U.S. events, like Connected America and Broadband Communities Summit, Connected Britain is also technology agnostic.

While the United Kingdom’s connectivity market may be in some more advanced stages than the U.S., Chambers said it’s not all ahead of the curve.

He said he believes North America has excelled at adopting technologies like low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite, whereas LEO has been slower to take hold in European markets.

Still, in the next five years, Chambers predicts the connectivity picture in the United Kingdom will become more complete.

“I’ve banged the drum a long time for the fact that the public shouldn’t have to think about connectivity. It should just work,” he said.

Nowadays, Chambers said it’s harder to think about what people don’t use connectivity for, rather than what they do use it for.

Looking ahead, Chambers also said he hopes to see more participation from emerging sectors.

“I think we’ll start seeing more around things like smart grids, more around sustainable energy, more around cybersecurity and protection of infrastructure,” he said.

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Customers of mobile operator O2 may be displeased, if not surprised, to learn that the provider has today followed sibling Virgin Media’s recent increase to their existing mid-contract pricing policy on broadband packages (here), by announcing a similar hike for their own mobile subscribers.

Effective from today, O2 will now apply a new fixed annual price rise to Pay Monthly (airtime) mobile customers of £2.50 every April, which is up from the current rate of £1.80. Elsewhere, O2’s data only MBB (mobile broadband) and Smartwatch customers will continue to receive an annual price increase of 75p (unchanged from last year). Out of bundle charges will also continue to increase by 5% every 1st April.

New and upgrading customers will naturally be informed about this before they enter into a contract with the (new) annual price rise amount. We are currently checking to see how existing customers will be treated. As usual, one of the biggest problems with this approach to mid-contract hikes is that it hits every package in the same way, regardless of whether you’re on a cheaper tariff or a more expensive one (i.e. those on cheaper plans end up being disproportionately impacted).

An O2 spokesperson told ISPreview:

“With demand for mobile data at an all-time high, we’re introducing a 70p per month increase to annual price rises for O2 customers, effective each April.

An annual rise of £2.50 a month – around 8p a day – continues to represent excellent value for services that customers are using more than ever before. We’ve again frozen prices on handset repayment plans and are investing £700m into our mobile network this year to ensure we meet growing demand and give our customers the fast and reliable connectivity they rely on.

Customers on our social tariffs continue to be exempt from any price changes as part of our efforts to provide support to those who need it most.”

Just for some context. At the start of 2025 Ofcom began requiring UK telecoms providers to adopt a new approach to mid-contract price hikes, which did away with the old percentage and inflation-based model – replacing it with one that must now set out such price rises “clearly and up-front, in pounds and pence, when a customer signs up” (here). This made annual price hikes clearer and more transparent, but as above, not necessarily cheaper.

UPDATE 2:30pm

O2 confirmed to ISPreview that these changes will also apply to existing O2 customers, as well as new and re-contracting customers, from today (although you won’t feel the hike itself until April). The only good news is that O2 will be writing directly to existing customers about this change, and they are being given the right to exit without penalty if they wish.

Price changes are only applied to customers’ airtime plans, with device plans frozen. Customers on their social tariffs will also continue to be exempt from any price increases.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Mobile network operator Vodafone UK has today introduced a new multi-line discount, which entitles customers to 15% off when they insure additional phones, tablets, laptops and watches. Customers can also benefit from half-price device insurance for the first 2 months, available until 11th November 2025.

The new offer is said to be available on all levels of cover, meaning insurance starts from just £1.70 for Screen Damage only cover (dependent on your device) and can also be taken with Loss, Theft, Accidental Damage & Breakdown cover. Further details here.

In terms of eligibility, you must be 18 years or older, be a pay monthly consumer account holder, UK Resident with a UK billing address, be up to date with your Vodafone monthly airtime bill payments and/or existing Vodafone Insurance policies, have a device up to 37 months of age that is in full working order and not already damaged, purchased new/refurbished directly from manufacturer, network provider or a retail store and can provide proof of purchase on request.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

London-focused ISP Vorboss, which has built and operates a 100Gbps speed fibre optic network for businesses in the UK’s capital city, has this afternoon informed ISPreview that long-serving company Founder and CEO, Tim Creswick, will be stepping down from the role after 19 long years.

Just to recap. The operator has so far completed the deployment of a 700km long dedicated point-to-point fibre optic network across Central London (covering most of zones 1 and 2), which we’re told is enough to connect all commercial buildings in the area to their direct internet access and Ethernet network.

Tim has naturally overseen all of this and so deserves plenty of credit for shepherding Vorboss over all these years. The company is now said to be entering its “next phase of growth” on their mission to deliver better connectivity and services for London businesses.

However, alongside this new phase comes a change of leadership, with Tim Creswick stepping down as CEO, and Rhod Morgan and David Gilbey co-leading the business moving forward.

Adam Dunlop, Vorboss Chair, said:

“Vorboss is built on strong foundations – an exceptional team, a world-class network, loyal customers, and a clear purpose: to deliver better connectivity for London’s businesses. This is not a common combination, Vorboss has something unique. The strategy, team and investor support we have in place puts us in a great position to power the business into its next phase of growth.”

The provider, while paying tribute to Tim’s “vision, leadership and drive“, added that they were looking forward to continuing to work with their investors to deliver the company’s long-term vision.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

A new survey of 3,242 UK internet users, which was conducted on behalf of Broadband Genie and supported by McAfee’s cybersecurity researchers (inc. threat intelligence data), has claimed that millions of people could be leaving their home networks open to hackers because 47% fail to change ANY of their router’s default settings.

The survey also found that 69% of respondents had never changed their WiFi password, while more than 80% have left both their router name and admin credentials at their factory defaults. Older users (65+) were also said to be most at risk, with 62% saying they’ve never changed their router’s settings. While younger users are more engaged. Among 18-24 year olds, only 29% said they had never accessed their router.

According to the survey, this is said to equate to around 12.7 million vulnerable home routers across the UK. When asked the main reason why users haven’t changed their router’s default settings, the overwhelming majority (73%) stated that they didn’t understand why they would need to (down from 75% last year), followed by 22% not knowing how to. The latter is a bit surprising, as most routers include clear instructions for doing this and often recommend it as part of the setup routine.

Oliver Devane, Senior Security Researcher at McAfee, said:

“Many default settings can be dangerous in the hands of cybercriminals. Your router is the gateway to all the connected devices in your home, so it’s key to make sure it’s secure, and that means updating the settings as well as employing best practices.

Just like changing the lock on your front door, changing the default router password will ensure only authorised people can access your home network.”

However, while the above is correct, it’s still always wise to take opinion surveys like this with a sizeable pinch of salt. Part of the reason for that, in this case, is because most broadband routers are supplied to homes by ISPs, which tend to come with a randomly generated router password (some of these can be quite strong, but not always – experiences do vary).

In the past some routers (quite a few years ago now) were, sadly, supplied with easy to guess universal passwords. But that hasn’t been the norm for a while now, and the government’s recent Secure by Design rules have since technically banned easily guessable passwords like ‘admin’ or ‘12345’ from shipping with newer devices.

However, the fact that your router is often the single most important device in your home network for security should be incentive enough to ensure that you’ve set a strong password and not simply used the one supplied by your ISP, which may or may not be effective. The safest rule is to never assume it’s going to be secure out of the box.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

A new Government consultation has revealed that the Data Communications Company (DCC), which is in the process of working to upgrade existing Smart Meters in UK homes with a new 4G Communication Hub (here and here), will in 2026 also launch a Virtual WAN service. This will mean that home broadband can be used to connect premises not covered by their normal wireless network.

Just to recap. The ongoing efforts to switch off older 2G and 3G based mobile networks across the UK will ultimately cause problems for the many Smart Meters installed across the rest of England and Wales, which utilise the same technology via O2 (Scotland and the North of England use a different LRR wireless system). Due to this, Vodafone has already been contracted to help upgrade millions of meters to a new 4G connection.

However, regardless of which wireless system DCC uses to automatically send its energy meter readings, one of the problems with Smart Meters is that the wireless signal strength and coverage isn’t always good enough to reach every single meter. The logical solution would thus to be to develop an alternative method that could connect such meters via your home broadband and WiFi connectivity, but it’s not quite that simple.

One of the issues with using home connectivity as a backup or the main data link for Smart Meters is that it risks exposing Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) to the public internet (e.g. imagine a hostile state hacking meters and disrupting the service etc.). Some halfway solutions, such as the Home Mini device from Octopus Energy, do exist, but they have limits and aren’t part of the main centralised DCC connectivity.

So what’s new?

Back in December 2023 the previous Government’s Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) started to change their tune by issuing a new consultation. This included proposals to create arrangements whereby communications with Smart Metering Systems installed in premises with no Wide Area Network (“No-WAN premises”) could be established via the DCC through use of the consumer’s own internet connection.

At the start of 2025 this was followed by the current Government proposing to implement such a programme (here), which included proposed architectural arrangements – factoring in the need for tight security – for a new Virtual WAN (VWAN) solution. Just to be clear, the current 2G/3G/4G and LRR wireless data solutions for connecting Smart Meters involves a Wide Area Network (WAN) to link the Communications Hub inside meters with the DCC.

The latest development in this process cropped up yesterday after the Government published another consultation on the need for new energy supplier obligations to drive non-domestic Smart Meter uptake post-2025 (here), which ISPreview noticed included this little piece of interesting and related information.

Extract from the Consultation

Virtual WAN: The DCC will in 2026 launch a Virtual WAN service, so that with consumer consent, broadband can be used to connect premises without WAN coverage, to the national communications network for smart metering. This means that all remaining consumers who do not have a WAN service, but have broadband, will be eligible for smart meters.

This is quite a significant development for home Smart Meters, although previous studies indicated that its target reach will initially be quite limited: “The intent of the [VWAN] arrangements is to support consumers in the 328,000 No-WAN premises across all areas of GB. Our assessment is that, taking into account the need for sufficient internet, up to 95% of these premises would benefit from the [VWAN] solution“.

However, it is also recognised that, over time, we might see this functionality become available as a general backup for the existing wireless communication methods (e.g. 4G) used inside Smart Meters. The government’s consultations appear to indicate that the functionality to establish these VWAN connections may be included in a number of different types of devices, such as In-Home Displays (IHD), Prepayment Meter Interface Devices (PPMID), a stand-alone device, or a Consumer Access Device (CAD). A specialised IHD would seem like a logical and easy solution to deploy it.

The exact details of how this will all be pieced together into a deployable solution – one that is safe and works well enough to be placed into homes – is of course up to the DCC to finalise. But that 2026 date seems – at least to us – to be quite an ambitions target for such a development. Either way, this is one to watch.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors (CIIA), which recently complained that some of the UK’s major broadband ISPs operated without an internal audit (here) – potentially exposing them to “unchecked risks and increasing the likelihood of corporate collapse“, has now sought to drum up new business by pressing the government to make it a requirement of their revised telecoms security code.

The government are currently in the process (here) of updating the already fairly recent Telecommunications Security Code of Practice (2022). But the Chartered IIA this week “warns that the current proposals do not go far enough” and points to how it remains “silent on the critical role of internal audit in providing independent and objective assurance to boards and senior management that telecoms security risks are being identified, managed and controlled effectively“.

For the uninitiated, the core role of internal audit is to provide independent and objective assurance that an organisation’s risk management, governance, and internal control processes are operating effectively, thereby ensuring the organisation can achieve its goals (although audits aren’t a 100% guarantee of this). In the UK and Ireland, the requirement for having an internal audit function is not universal across all types of organisations.

We should point out that Ofcom’s regulation via their General Conditions of Entitlement (industry rules), which are designed to protect consumers, do require broadband and phone providers to carry out regular audits of their Metering and Billing to ensure customers are billed correctly. But this is not quite the same thing as the deeper and wider role of audits being highlighted by the Chartered IIA.

Anne Kiem OBE, Chief Executive of the Chartered IIA, said:

“Telecommunications are the backbone of our digital economy and touch all of our daily lives. Yet too many telecoms providers operate without the independent assurance that internal audit brings to business-critical risks, despite increasing digital security threats. Ministers need to recognise the vital role of internal audit in supporting robust governance in the Telecommunications Security Code by setting a clear expectation for companies to obtain independent assurance.”

The Chartered IIA’s consultation response thus recommends that the Telecommunications Security Code is “strengthened” by:

➤ Recommending that the Code make clear that a telecom company’s security governance framework should integrate and be consistent with internal and external audit and assurance mechanisms. This aligns and is consistent with a similar requirement in DSIT’s Cyber Governance Code, published in April.

➤ Requiring telecoms providers to explain how they obtain independent assurance – whether through internal audit or equivalent mechanisms – so boards can demonstrate that security measures are effective in practice.

We suspect that more than a few broadband ISPs and network operators may view see this as being just another sneaky way for auditors to drum up a bit of extra business, forced through by new government legislation. But the CIIA argues that it’s “about protecting people, businesses, and the UK’s digital economy. By ensuring a stronger focus on governance, assurance and oversight … the Government can help build a more resilient and secure telecoms sector.”

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News

Finnish vendor Nokia reported a third-quarter profit that surpassed market expectations, driven by strong demand in optical and cloud services, including sales related to AI-focused data centres following its acquisition of US optical networking firm Infinera. The company’s comparable operating profit reached 435 million euros in the quarter through September, significantly exceeding the 342 million euros analysts had forecast.

This profit beat comes despite a challenging year for Nokia, which had previously issued a profit warning in July due to factors including US tariffs, a market slowdown, and a weaker dollar. The company has also “lost ground in the North American telecoms market” after US carrier AT&T chose Nordic rival Ericsson for a $14 billion 5G contract in 2023, phasing out Nokia’s existing deal.

The AI and Cloud Catalyst
Despite these headwinds, Nokia’s quarterly group net sales rose 12% to 4.83 billion euros, above the 4.6 billion forecast, supported by strong growth in Optical Networks and cloud services. Artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud customers accounted for 6% of group net sales and 14% of network infrastructure sales, with optical networks alone seeing a 19% rise on a constant currency basis.

Nokia’s CEO, Justin Hotard, highlighted the accelerating demand, stating, “AI and data center demand continues to be robust. In fact, it continues to accelerate from our perspective”. This focus on high-growth areas like AI is part of a strategic investment, with mobile networks remaining Nokia’s core business. Looking ahead, the Finnish company anticipates annual operating profit to be between 1.7 billion and 2.2 billion euros, a slight increase from the previous range of up to 2.1 billion.

Ericsson’s Cost Discipline
Meanwhile, rival Ericsson is executing a strategy that pivots “from prioritising top-line growth to being disciplined on costs and considering non-core disposals and cash returns”. This strategic pivot is playing out better than anticipated, with Morgan Stanley raising its price target on Ericsson due to “stronger-than-expected cost efficiencies and higher profitability forecasts”. Operational improvements, including a 6% workforce reduction and better management of the geographical mix, are helping to sustain margins at historically high levels. Analysts now expect gross margins in mobile networks to reach “record levels above 50% in 2025 despite a 6–7% revenue decline”.

Ericsson’s improved expense management is forecasted to keep operating margins steady in the 12–15% range through 2026. The company, which analysts now describe as resembling a “Telco” with a focus on free cash flow, is also expected to significantly boost shareholder returns. The firm is estimated to distribute 30 billion kronor in 2026, which is around 10% of its market capitalisation, through a mix of ordinary dividends, a special dividend, and share buybacks.

A Shared Path to Value
Both Nokia and Ericsson are demonstrating a business focus on margin expansion and financial discipline. For Nokia, this involves leveraging its Infinera acquisition and capitalising on surging demand from AI and cloud customers to drive growth in optical networks. For Ericsson, the emphasis is on rigorous cost control and operational efficiency to deliver strong profitability and substantial returns to shareholders.

This dual focus on profitability and capitalising on high-growth sectors signals a maturing phase for the telecom equipment industry, where disciplined management of costs and strategic investments in future technologies are key to driving value for a technically knowledgeable and business-focused audience.

Ericsson have made the shortlist for this years World Communication Awards in several categories including the 5G Award alongside Batelc0, Jio Platforms, KT and Singtel. View all the finalists here

Total Telecom are testing AI tools for content generation. This article used Noah Newsroom, please let us know about any inaccuracy

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News

Applied Digital has signed a lease with a US investment‑grade hyperscaler for roughly $5 billion of contracted revenue over an estimated 15‑year term, covering 200 megawatts (MW) of critical IT capacity at its Polaris Forge 2 campus near Harwood, North Dakota.

The agreement, announced on 22 October 2025, phases the initial 200MW across two buildings that are expected to begin coming online in 2026 and reach full commissioning in 2027. The hyperscaler holds a first right of refusal on an additional 800MW — the remainder of the campus’ 1 gigawatt (GW) build‑out — giving Applied Digital potential to scale the site substantially if demand materialises.

With this deal, Applied Digital says its total leased capacity in North Dakota with two major global hyperscalers across Polaris Forge 1 and 2 reaches 600MW. The company has promoted the project’s design and sustainability metrics, stating Polaris Forge 2 is engineered for a projected power usage effectiveness (PUE) of 1.18 and “near‑zero water consumption,” and built for high power density and liquid cooling.

Wes Cummins, Applied Digital chairman and chief executive, said: “What sets us apart isn’t just the size of our pipeline – it’s how fast we can deliver. The real constraint in this industry is execution, and our team continues to prove that large‑scale, next‑generation data centers can be designed, financed, and brought online faster and more efficiently than anyone thought possible.”

The lease follows a string of recent transactions for Applied Digital, including a 150MW lease with CoreWeave at Polaris Forge 1 and a previously announced $5bn partnership with Macquarie Asset Management. The company has also been highlighted in industry rankings for rapid growth.

Industry observers say the deal underlines continued hyperscaler appetite for purpose‑built, inland sites that offer grid capacity and cooler climates for high‑density AI and high‑performance compute workloads. Questions remain about execution risks — including permitting, financing and construction timelines — and how quickly additional capacity can be monetised if the tenant exercises expansion rights.

For B2B buyers and suppliers in the data‑centre ecosystem, the transaction signals ongoing demand for specialised AI infrastructure and opportunities in power, cooling and construction services as hyperscalers shift more of their build‑out into large, modular campuses outside traditional coastal markets.

Hyperscale Live: INFRASTRUCTURE, ENERGY, AND FINANCE FOR AI
New from Total Telecom 21-22 October 2026, Lisbon. Find out more

Total Telecom are testing AI tools for content generation. This article used Noah Newsroom, please let us know about any inaccuracy 

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Internet provider and network builder CommunityFibre, which has deployed their 5Gbps speed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network to cover 1.342 million homes (inc. 185k businesses within 200 metres of their network) – mostly in London, has today launched a new installation option – “Fibre to your Room“.

The provider, which is currently being backed by funding of c.£1bn and has connected over 400,000 customers, said that their new Fibre to your Room service allows customers to choose the optimal location for their fibre broadband installation for maximum performance in any room of their property, such as in the study.

Once agreed, CommunityFibre’s engineers will then “neatly and discreetly” install fibre cables to help unlock speeds for more devices to game, work and stream. The tidy, bespoke engineer installation is available for all new and existing customers, on all broadband packages and contract lengths, at a one-off £75 fee.

The provider added that they will deploy up to 40 metres of full fibre cable from the point of entry to reach your chosen location, which should be enough for most regular homes. But CF does say that “there may well be internal drilling (with a pencil-sized hole) if required to go from one room to another. Any internal holes will be filled/fire stopped, as with the externally drilled hole. Garden rooms, garages, or outbuildings not attached to the main building will not be eligible for installation.”

In fairness, most network operators will allow you to choose where to position the ONT and thus router on the day of installation (with some restrictions), but it sounds like this approach is a bit more flexible and probably akin to the premium installation option on some other networks.