Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

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

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

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

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announcement reveals that Openreach’s limited telecare pilot successfully migrated over 1,000 vulnerable customers from outdated copper phone networks to fibre.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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alyson Scurfield, CEO of TSA, said:

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

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

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

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

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

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Edinburgh-based UK alternative network GoFibre, which is rolling out a gigabit broadband (FTTP) network across remote rural parts of Scotland and Northern England, has today signed a new deal with JCT600 Vehicle Leasing Solutions (VLS) to deliver a 140-vehicle fleet in order to support their network deployments.

The operator currently expects their roll-out of a new Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based broadband network to reach a footprint of 250,000 premises “in the next 3 years“, which has recently been boosted by several major Project Gigabit contracts with the government. But to deliver on all that will require the smaller operator to scale-up their operations and engineering teams, which is where today’s agreement may help.

Rather than just accepting GoFibre’s initial specification, JCT600 VLS consulted multiple GoFibre and external stakeholders to understand actual usage patterns and operational requirements. This collaborative approach revealed the need for enhanced safety features, bespoke racking systems, required electrical equipment, and a unified solution for vehicle tracking and dashboard cameras.

John Fraser, Fleet Manager at GoFibre, said:

“The new vehicles are a tremendous addition to GoFibre’s fleet, utilising the strength and salience of our brand, while providing the flexible transport solution that our teams need. This new attractive, multi-purpose suite of vehicles will support GoFibre’s strong growth trajectory, and we are proud to see the new vehicles out and about all over our build areas in Scotland and the north of England.

JCT600 VLS’ team took time to understand our operational requirements in detail, challenged our initial specifications, and helped design a vehicle solution that met both functional and commercial objectives. Their supplier-agnostic approach, combined with a clear focus on quality and value, ensured we delivered a fleet that supports recruitment, operational efficiency, and long-term business goals.”

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Private LTE networks are a well-established market and have been around for more than a decade, albeit as a niche segment of the wider cellular infrastructure sector.  However, private cellular networks or NPNs (Non-Public Networks) based on 3GPP-defined 5G specifications are just on the cusp of becoming a mainstream technology, with a market potential exceeding that of private LTE. Over the last 12 months, there has been a noticeable increase in production-grade deployments of private 5G networks by household names and industrial giants such as Airbus, Aker BP, Boliden, CIL (Coal India Limited), Equinor, Etihad, Ford, Hutchison Ports, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, John Deere, LG Electronics, Lufthansa, Newmont, POSCO, Tesla, Toyota, and Walmart, paving the way for Industry 4.0 and advanced application scenarios.

Compared to LTE technology, private 5G networks can address far more demanding performance requirements in terms of throughput, latency, reliability, availability, and connection density. In particular, 5G’s URLLC (Ultra-Reliable, Low-Latency Communications) and mMTC (Massive Machine-Type Communications) capabilities, along with a future-proof transition path to 6G networks in the 2030s, have positioned it as a viable alternative to physically wired connections for industrial-grade communications between machines, robots, and control systems. Furthermore, 5G’s wider coverage radius per radio node, scalability, determinism, security features, and mobility support have stirred strong interest in its potential as a replacement for interference-prone unlicensed wireless technologies in IIoT (Industrial IoT) environments, where the number of connected sensors and other endpoints is expected to increase significantly over the coming years.

As end user organizations in the United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, France, China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Brazil, and other countries ramp up their digitization and automation initiatives, private 5G installations have progressed to a stage where practical and tangible benefits – particularly efficiency gains, cost savings, and worker safety – are becoming increasingly evident. For instance, Tesla, LG Electronics, and Hyundai have eliminated connection-related stoppages since migrating AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) and AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) communications from unlicensed Wi-Fi systems to private 5G networks at their production facilities in the United States and South Korea. The French city of Istres has reduced video surveillance camera installation costs from $34,000 to less than $6,000 per unit by replacing fiber-based connections with a private 5G network. Among other examples, China Huaneng Group relies on a tri-band (700 MHz, 2.6 GHz & 4.9 GHz) 5G-Advanced network to safely coordinate a fleet of 100 unmanned electric mining trucks at its Yimin open pit coal mine in Inner Mongolia, China.

SNS Telecom & IT’s  “Private 5G Market: 2025 – 2030” report projects that annual investments in private 5G networks for vertical industries will grow at a CAGR of approximately 41% between 2025 and 2028, eventually surpassing $5 billion by the end of 2028. Although much of this growth will initially be driven by highly localized 5G networks covering geographically limited areas for Industry 4.0 applications in manufacturing and process industries, sub-1 GHz wide area critical communications networks for public safety, utility, and railway communications are anticipated to accelerate their transition from LTE, GSM-R, and other legacy narrowband technologies to 5G towards the latter half of the forecast period. For more information, please visit: https://www.snstelecom.com/private5g

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The UK broadband, media and communications regulator, Ofcom, has today opened a new consultation that proposes to improve the existing license process for non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) systems, such as those like Starlink, OneWeb and others that offer broadband from satellites in a Low or Medium Earth Orbit (LEO and MEO).

The regulator introduced their current spectrum licensing process for NGSO satellite systems back in 2021. But since then they’ve carried out a review to ensure this process continues to meet their objectives in a proportionate way, and have thus today proposed to make a few revisions and improvements.

In particular, while the existing process is generally seen to be “meeting our objectives well“, Ofcom believes it can now “speed up the process, make it more efficient and ensure it is proportionate“. The focus is on measures that can thus speed up overall decision-making timeframes and reduce the coordination and administrative burdens on NGSO satellite operators (e.g. the regulator proposes to no longer routinely consult on applications for NGSO gateway licences).

Ofcom’s Proposals

We are proposing to revise the NGSO licensing process to clarify requirements for current and prospective licensees, speed up decision-making timeframes overall, and reduce coordination and administrative burdens on NGSO satellite operators. Specifically, we propose to:

• strengthen the requirements and evidence needed at the point of application for NGSO licences, to enable a smoother, faster and more robust process overall;

• no longer routinely consult on NGSO gateway licence applications, given our updated assessment of risks; and

• bolster timely, well-evidenced decision-making by extending the consultation commenting period and clarifying how we will handle stakeholder issues raised in responses.

We also propose to change NGSO gateway licences where this is needed for effective regulation, to facilitate future gateway use in new frequency bands such as the Q/V band. Our proposed licence conditions would:

• allow NGSO gateways to connect to a wider range of satellite services;

• introduce a licence obligation requiring NGSO gateway licensees to cooperate with other co-frequency NGSO licensees. This means an NGSO gateway licence in Q/V band will need to be held by a satellite operator (or jointly with a satellite operator).

We are not proposing to vary existing NGSO gateway licences. In addition, we are inviting stakeholder views on other ways we might improve our NGSO licensing process for current and prospective NGSO licensees.

Taken together, Ofcom expects their plans should help to support innovation and opportunities for growth in this sector and are seeking feedback on the proposals by 18th November 2025. Assuming all goes well then the regulator expects to publish their final decision in “early 2026“, alongside any revised guidance etc.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The Swansea Bay City Deal’s Digital Infrastructure Programme has announced the completion of a £150,000 project to deploy a new full fibre broadband network across Margam Park (Neath Port Talbot) in South Wales, which will also reach homes in the surrounding area.

Just to recap. The UK and Welsh Governments gave their approval for a £55m digital infrastructure investment under the £1.3bn Swansea Bay City Region project in 2021 (here), which among other things aimed to expand full fibre and 5G mobile connectivity to benefit residents and businesses across Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Swansea. Some of this investment also comes from the Local Broadband Fund (LBF) for Wales.

Several digital infrastructure projects are already taking place under this programme (examples here, here and here) and the deployment across the aforementioned country park (a sprawling 850 acre estate) is another one for the list. The park can now host large events without internet problems, and nearby residents are also expected to gain access to the new Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based network.

The £150k project formed part of the Digital Infrastructure Programme’s “Connected Places” workstream. It was completed a month ahead of schedule and is a key step in building a more connected Neath Port Talbot.

Neath Port Talbot Councillor, Cen Phillips, said:

“Margam Park is one of Neath Port Talbot’s most treasured attractions and ensuring it has the digital infrastructure to support modern visitor experiences is a key priority. This investment in full fibre connectivity not only enhances the park’s ability to host large-scale events and improve operational efficiency but also strengthens its appeal to tourists and local residents alike. It’s a fantastic example of how our Digital Infrastructure Programme is delivering real, tangible benefits for our communities.”

The fibre build was delivered through the Public Sector Broadband Aggregation (PSBA) platform, the Welsh Government’s secure network for public services. It forms part of a wider £1.7 million project across the Swansea Bay City Region. But the announcement doesn’t mention which supplier has built and will run the new network.

UPDATE:

Openreach are the ones providing the network.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Sky UK (Sky Broadband, Sky TV, Sky Mobile – Comcast etc.) has today begun notifying their workforce that up to 600 of them are likely to be made redundant by the end of this year, while around 300 more may be impacted by a wider business reorganisation. Many of those expected to be cut appear to come from Sky’s tech and networking teams.

Sky has had a busy few years and a big part of that has been driven by developments on their network and technology side, such as with respect to the gradual shift from satellite to IP (Internet) based TV viewing (e.g. Sky Glass, Sky Stream). Not to mention the removal of Huawei technology to meet regulatory requirements, as well as the adoption of alternative broadband networks (e.g. CityFibre) and their new WiFi 7 router etc.

The company thus indicates that they’re now entering the next cycle of investment, which for Sky is said to be less about creating entirely new platforms and more about improving what they already have. The catch is that this means Sky doesn’t need the same size of tech and networking teams as it had before, and the reorganisation that flows from this is thus expected to result in more job losses.

Sky has thus launched a new consultation on proposed changes affecting around 900 roles, with around 600 exits expected by around the end of 2025. The company said that they would provide support for those impacted by this, such as through internal redeployment opportunities, outplacement services and mental health and wellbeing support etc.

A Sky Spokesperson told ISPreview:

“Over the past few years, Sky has launched a set of market-leading products including Sky Glass, Sky Stream and our full fibre broadband service. These products are now firmly established and used by millions of customers, strengthening Sky’s reputation for innovation and great service. As we look ahead, we are shifting our approach to bring customers the next generation of experience by investing in digital-first service, unbeatable content, and even better performance from our products, powered by the best of global innovation.”

Sky insisted to ISPreview that the move was not a cost-cutting exercise and that they remain a strong and profitable business. The company expresses that these changes are more about focus and simplifying their model, although those set to lose their jobs over the next few months will no doubt take a very different view.

Some of those impacted also said they expect Sky to make greater use of AI in the future to support network services. But it remains to be seen whether or not Sky’s service and support quality will suffer a dip over the next year as today’s changes slowly begin to bite.

The news follows Sky’s announcement in March 2025 (here), which saw them indicate that as many as 2,000 workers (7% of its total workforce) could be facing redundancy as part of a plan to close three of its ten UK customer service centres (i.e. Stockport, Sheffield and Leeds Central).

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Some 43 homes and businesses around remote rural parts of Moray in the Scottish Highlands have gained access to gigabit broadband speeds thanks to a new deployment by local ISP WiFi Scotland. The provider was able to harness public funding via the R100 Voucher Scheme (SBVS) to connect premises around the Craigellachie and Ben Aigan areas.

Just to recap. The Scottish Government’s R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) typically offers grants worth up to £5,000 to help deliver a permanent “superfast broadband” connection for properties with no planned deployment of state or commercial superfast broadband (i.e. properties that can’t yet access speeds of at least 30Mbps). This can be boosted up to £6,500 for residential homes and £8,500 for businesses when combined with the UK government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS).

Some areas just outside of the Craigellachie and Ben Aigan areas can already access modern full fibre broadband networks via Openreach, but quite a few properties remain stuck on much slower broadband connectivity (often slower ADSL and FTTC lines). At least they were until WiFi Scotland harnessed the R100 voucher scheme to deploy a new Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network in the area.

For a retired couple in Craigellachie, the difference has been obvious. Previously, their best download speed was just 0.5Mbps, which on today’s modern internet is hardly usable. Mobile coverage was also unreliable, often forcing them to drive a mile away to complete online transactions. “It’s undeniably life-changing, and a relief. We can now manage our affairs efficiently, enjoy streaming without buffering, and stay in touch with our grandchildren hundreds of miles away,” said the couple.

Angus Munro, WiFi Scotland Partner, said:

“Working with the R100 SBVS has allowed us to deliver full fibre broadband to some of Scotland’s most rural areas. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the positive impact reliable, high-speed connectivity is having on people’s daily lives.”

The news didn’t include any details on the project’s total cost or a clear coverage map, although it’s clearly had a big impact and the hope is that the new network may eventually stretch beyond its currently quite limited patch of coverage. Sadly, the ISP hides its package details behind an availability checker, and we’re not sure precisely which addresses fall within the reach of this new network, thus we’re unable to uncover further package details.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Transport for Wales (TfW), which is a not-for-profit organisation owned by the Welsh Government, has begun trials of a new satellite internet solution to connect the unique demand-responsive transport (DRT) based fflecsi bus services in the rural area of Machynlleth (Powys). Users of the service can now benefit from onboard WiFi.

Unlike regular buses, which operate off a fixed timetable, the fflecsi bus service adopts a flexible alternative that picks up and drops off passengers within a designated service area, based on bookings made via the app or on the phone with our friendly bilingual call centre. The service uses technology to dynamically route buses according to passenger demand.

Suffice to say that it makes sense to complement this approach with onboard WiFi for passengers, which is where the new collaboration between TfW’s Innovation Lab, installers Dragon WiFi, and operator Lloyds Coaches comes into play. The announcement appears to indicate that OneWeb’s (Eutelsat) satellite broadband network is being used to supply data capacity for the buses, although we have seen Dragon WiFi use Starlink before too.

Huw Morgan, Head of Integrated Transport and Bus Network Development, said:

“It’s been great to see the positive impact that the new technology has had on the customer experience. It’s vital that we can provide clear updates on bus locations, especially in more rural areas like Machynlleth, where fflecsi is a lifeline for many.”

Naomi Colling, Senior Planning and Development Manager for fflecsi, said:

“This trial is a direct response to customer feedback about poor cellular coverage in rural areas.

We’re committed to delivering a reliable service that truly meets their needs, and we’ll be constantly reviewing feedback throughout the trial to ensure we do just that.”

The trial is currently expected to run until March 2026. A new trial is also set to begin in Conwy with OneWeb technology to see if it can have a similarly positive impact for fflecsi users. But assuming all goes well then it seems likely that these services may end up being given an official launch in the future.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Network access provider Openreach (BT) has today revealed that broadband data traffic across their UK full fibre (FTTP) network alone increased by more than 35% between Jan and June 2025, compared to the same period in 2024. The busiest day so far was on 21st Feb, when a large Fortnite (video game) patch saw users gobble a total of 372PB (PetaBytes).

The operator typically supplies numerous broadband ISPs (e.g. TalkTalk, BT, Sky Broadband, Vodafone and hundreds more) across the country and as such their platform often sees the impact of major events, such as big software updates, online video game releases or live video streaming and sporting events.

However, while the 35% figure is impressive and shows how demand can rise when users get access to significantly faster internet connection speeds, it’s worth noting that overall traffic on Openreach’s national broadband network (all technologies included) only increased by a relatively pedestrian 5% in the same H1 timeframe.

Peak usage across Openreach’s network typically continues to occur between 8pm and 10pm, when households are most actively streaming, gaming, and connecting multiple devices.

Openreach’s Top 5 Busiest Days for Broadband Usage in H1 2025
• 21 February – Fortnite patch release (372PB) – this was followed by 
• 5 January – High weekend usage (357PB)
• 7 June – Fortnite patch 36.00 (351PB)
• 8 June – Continued Fortnite traffic (349PB)
• 1 January – New Year’s Day (346PB)

Katie Milligan, Deputy Chief Executive of Openreach, said:

“Our usage data shows how faster, more reliable connections are reshaping the UK’s digital habits. We’ve always been a data-hungry nation, but wider access to Full Fibre is enabling families and businesses to do more online – and do it faster, with fewer interruptions.

More than 7.5 million customers are already benefiting from this upgrade – using it to work from home, access education and healthcare, and enjoy seamless entertainment and gaming. But upgrades aren’t automatic, so that still leaves over 12 million homes missing out on a future-proof connection that’s available now with freedom to choose from the widest range of providers.”

At present Openreach’s new full fibre network has already covered around 20 million UK premises and the c. £15bn investment they’ve made into this should push that up to 25 million by December 2026, which is expected to be followed by “up to” 30 million come 2030. But the latter target is still somewhat dependent upon securing a favourable outcome from Ofcom’s current Telecoms Access Review 2026 (TAR).

Just for some extra context on data usage. At the end of 2024 Ofcom reported that the average monthly fixed broadband data usage was now 531GB (GigaBytes) per connection across “all technologies“, which rises to an average of 766GB when only looking at full-fibre connections.

Lest we forget that demand for data is constantly rising and broadband / mobile connections are forever getting faster, thus new peaks of usage are being set all the time by every ISP.