Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The heavily indebted TalkTalk Group, which has recently been going through another turbulent period due to payment disputes with suppliers and reports of a possible sale (here, here and here), has today published a fairly limited Q1 FY26 trading update to 31st May 2025 that attempts to highlight the positives and hints at a new home Wi-Fi proposition.

According to the trading update, the TalkTalk Group has delivered a “quarter of solid strategic progress, with the Group performing in line with management’s expectations“. The internet provider now claims to be “focused on simplifying systems, launching innovative product offerings, and advancing the next phase of its strategic turnaround.”

Q1 FY26 Highlights

➤ Revenue of £341m, underpinned by continued investment in cash-generative activities

➤ Gross margin of £141m (Q1/25 £149m), achieved against highly competitive market backdrop

➤ Successful completion of phase one transformation and separation of Consumer and PXC units

➤ Ongoing cost efficiencies and non-core disposals

➤ EBITDA (pre-IFRS) of £37m (Q1/25 £48m, which included one off benefits of £21m, so an underlying increase of £10m vs prior year) following successful operational separation of the TalkTalk Consumer and PXC businesses, and investment in operational transformation.

➤ Cost reduction initiatives remain on track, with efficiencies achieved across headline and legacy costs and completion of non-core disposals

➤ PXC delivering next generation connectivity products at scale with accelerated transition to fibre-only network

The update also states that TalkTalk’s consumer broadband ISP business is now “focused on customer retention and migration to Kraken platform“, as well as the development of a “pioneering” new in-home Wi-Fi proposition, which is due to launch “later this year“.

Speculation on the above may well point to an improved mesh WiFi solution with Wi-Fi 7 capability – possibly accompanied by new broadband packages, although nothing has yet been confirmed. But it will take a lot more than better WiFi to turn things around.

James Smith, CEO of TalkTalk Group, said:

“We’ve made important strategic progress during the quarter, delivering financial performance in line with our expectations. We’ve hugely simplified what we do as a business and how we deliver it, taking out significant cost and automating our processes.

We are now ready to move to the next phase of launching exciting new product sets across the TalkTalk Consumer and PXC businesses, that will differentiate us in the market and enable us to maintain market share and drive profitability.

We remain firmly focused on disciplined investment and free cashflow generation, with strong support from our financial stakeholders to deliver our ambitious plans.”

The trading update is sadly absent of many key details, such as their latest customer and debt figures etc.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Some customers of UK ISP TalkTalk have been left confused after the broadband provider emailed them to notify that their free email accounts would soon be migrated to Open-Xchange’s Everymail platform, which will attract a cost of £5 per month – those who don’t agree by 8th September 2025 will lose access. But it’s not quite that simple.

So far as we can tell, TalkTalk’s original message appears to have been intended to target former customers of their home broadband service (i.e. active customers should continue to receive a free email service), which actually reflects a policy (i.e. charging ex-customers £5 a month to maintain email access) that they first introduced some years ago (here). Some other big ISPs adopt a similar approach.

However, the provider’s latest communication ended up causing quite a bit of confusion on TalkTalk’s Community Forums, with some customers being unsure of whether or not the charge applied to them and others saying they felt threatened by the email.

“To continue delivering the best email service possible, we’ll soon be moving your TalkTalk email to a new home, Everymail, a trusted service from Open-Xchange, the world’s largest independent email provider. They’ve already been working behind the scenes to help keep your email running smoothly, and now they’ll be taking care of it directly,” states TalkTalk.

The problem seems to have arisen because TalkTalk doesn’t appear to have a perfectly aligned record of active broadband and email users (bit awkward for a communications company). In other words, some of those they contacted about the paid email migration actually did have an active broadband connection with the ISP.

Sample Customer Complaint 1

“I’m an existing broadband customer who recently filled out a profile form requesting my existing talktalk email address etc was linked to my existing broadband account so I don’t have to pay and have had no reply to this request and today I have had another threatening email about losing my email account unless I pay. Can someone from email admin please sort this out and confirm that it has been done. thank you.”

Sample Customer Complaint 2

“I am a current TalkTalk Broadband customer. I have 2 legacy email addresses that I need to get linked to my account.

I have entered them into my Profile, as instructed on this forum.

Please link them to my account.

NB – I thought I had sorted this out already, but I received a new email today asking me to subscribe to Everymail, so I’m concerned that the linking has not happened.

I’d be grateful for confirmation that the linking has been done successfully.”

Users in this boat have since been directed to a forum post that explains how they can laboriously notify the ISP about this, although this process doesn’t always give a clear acknowledgement after the necessary data has been provided (i.e. leaving users in doubt about whether or not their request has been actioned). As above, some users that have submitted the data say they’ve continued to receive warning emails.

The Community Forum Post

If you have received the above mentioned email regarding changes to your Email, and you are a Broadband customer, please note that if you provide the required information you will not be charged and your email address(es) will be associated with your Broadband Account.

• Please, therefore, start your own thread under the Email Forum requesting your emails are linked to your broadband account.
• Ensure your Profile is completed and includes your Account Number.
• Within your Profile there is a field for Private Notes, that only you and Staff Members can view. In this field list every TalkTalk and legacy email addresses you wish to be linked to your account.

Here is a link to your Profile to help you.

 https://community.talktalk.co.uk/t5/user/myprofilepage/tab/personal-profile:personal-info

If you have any queries please ask them in your own thread as this thread is for information only and locked for replies.

The provider has also set up an FAQ Page about the change, which encourages users to subscribe by 28th July 2025 (you won’t lose access at this point, but you also won’t be able to send any emails). But even those that fail to subscribe by the main deadline of 8th September 2025 will still be given a chance to recover their data, at least until 31st October 2025 when the records will be erased.

As we’ve said many times before, it’s always wise to use a separate email service from the one provided by your broadband provider (there are many freemail providers, like Gmail, Hotmail etc.), not least because it can make it harder for you to switch ISPs (i.e. you run the risk of losing access to your old address or being charged for it). Ofcom doesn’t regulate email services, so there isn’t much support for those who experience difficulties.

We have asked TalkTalk to comment and expect their reply shortly.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

MLL’s network services contract is in support of a digital unification ‘Network Alignment’ programme following Pobl Group’s recent merger with Linc Cymru, creating the largest housing association in Wales and to be rebranded Codi Group from January 2026. The newly expanded group will manage more than 24,000 homes in Wales with plans for growth to deliver more than 4,500 new homes over the next five years. The group employs more than 3,000 people and is a major contributor to the Welsh economy.

Ahead of the rebrand, MLL will transition around 200 Pobl and Linc Cymru MPLS legacy sites onto a unified, secure state-of-the-art SD-WAN network. This will feature a Zero-trust architecture with managed real-time threat detection and response, and integration with Azure Public Cloud for enabling seamless cross-organisation collaboration. The project is expected to make savings of more than £500,000 over the three-year period through streamlined procurement and infrastructure consolidation.

“This is about more than just technology – it’s about building a secure, scalable, and future-ready digital foundation for over 200 sites across Wales,” said Peter Murphy, Head of Technology Operations, Pobl Group. “By merging two legacy MPLS networks into a single SD-WAN managed service, we’re enabling seamless collaboration, enhanced cyber resilience and smarter service delivery for our teams and tenants alike.”

He added: “This has been a true cross-functional effort with procurement, technology, operations and our partners working together to ensure continuity, compliance and innovation at scale – all to be delivered securely within a tight six-month timeframe to ensure a year one ROI.”

Gail Harvey, MLL’s Business Development Director, said: “MLL are delighted to have won this significant UK housing association contract, especially in a competitive tender situation where quality rather than price alone were the deciding factors for Pobl in terms of our demonstrating leading-edge technology, engineering expertise and support, and customer service.

“In the immediate and longer term, we look forward to transitioning and managing Pobl’s and thereafter, Codi Group’s SD-WAN network, while also identifying further opportunities for adding value and innovation and to assisting Pobl with future initiatives. We also welcome the opportunity to support the Welsh community through the Pobl Trust, a registered charity that aims to improve the quality of life and create opportunities for people and communities in the areas where Pobl Group works.”

If this subject interests you, make sure you attend the Connectivity in social housing panel discussion at Connected Britain. Find out more here 

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Internet service provider Cuckoo, which is the consumer broadband outlet for the associated AllPoints Fibre (Fern Trading) network – as well as several third-party full fibre operators (Openreach, CityFibre), has confirmed to ISPreview that they’ve had to put a sizeable proportion of their current staff under notice of potential redundancy.

The redundancy notice (staff were told via email), which has been seen by ISPreview, informed employees that the broadband ISP was committed to “rightsizing our business” and “improving profitability” over the coming year (e.g. acquiring customers at the “lowest cost“, retaining them for as long as possible, and reducing operating expenses).

In line with all that, the provider has been conducting a review of their business and has now begun a related redundancy consultation that will begin on 28th July and last for at least 45 days before any redundancies take effect (take note that some people may voluntarily agree to leave before this period has elapsed).

A Cuckoo Spokesperson told ISPreview:

“Over the past 24 months, we’ve brought together four Internet Service Providers (ISPs) into one group, now running off a single system stack and a simpler operating model. With this complete, we’ve taken a close look at the business to see if we’re structured effectively for growth in an increasingly competitive market, in a way that still allows us to provide great broadband to our customers at a fair price.

From this review, we have made the incredibly difficult decision to reduce the size of our team. It’s not a decision we’ve taken lightly, and we know it will have a real impact on people who have made a huge contribution to our journey so far.

We would like to thank every individual affected by today’s news for their hard work and dedication, and our priority now is to support them through this process.”

Cuckoo did not clarify to ISPreview how many jobs would be cut, but the government’s legal requirements suggest that such lengthy consultations are usually only used when 100 or more employees are expected to be impacted. This is significant because Cuckoo is believed to employ a little over 200 people.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News

Homeowners are increasingly embracing smart technologies to simplify daily life, reduce energy consumption, and create more comfortable and connected living environments. This trend is highlighted by recent data indicating a steady year-over-year rise in smart device adoption among homeowners who seek homes that do more than just provide shelter—they want homes that actively support and enhance their lifestyles.

Insights from market research by  COGNITION Smart Data show that about two-thirds of home owners have invested in one to three smart devices over the past year. Popular purchases include audio/visual equipment, smart doorbells, smart doors and windows, centralized control hubs, and energy monitoring systems. Notably, more than half of homeowners report connecting smart thermostats to smartphones, enabling greater control over energy usage. Similarly, many use smart control apps to monitor and manage hot water consumption, signalling a shift toward more efficient resource use and convenience.

The opportunity for builders and manufacturers is clear: integrating smart infrastructure into home designs can meet the rising consumer expectations for technology-enabled living and distinguish brands in a competitive market. Future-ready homes that feature fully integrated smart systems appeal especially to younger buyers such as Millennials and Gen Z, who demand seamless interoperability and dislike managing multiple disconnected devices. Offering homes with unified smart ecosystems that are compatible with major platforms like Alexa and Google Home is poised to enhance homeowner satisfaction and loyalty.

This trend is underpinned by the broader context of rapid market growth for smart home technology, which was valued globally in the tens of billions in recent years and is forecast to expand exponentially. Industry projections suggest the number of smart homes worldwide will soar dramatically in the coming years, with billions of dollars of investment flowing into the sector. This growth is driven not only by consumer demand but also by clear financial incentives. Smart homes are associated with better energy efficiency, potential reductions in insurance costs, and improved resale values, with some sellers recovering a substantial portion of their technology investments upon sale.

How can ISPs utilise consumer hardware deliver seamless, high-quality home experiences? Join the panel discussion at Connected Britain featuring brsk, STL Partners, ICOTERA, Ogi and TalkTalk. 

Widespread adoption of smart devices is already a reality in many homes. US research indicates  that a large majority of Americans own at least one smart device, and many now consider these technologies essential parts of their living environments. Many homeowners also express a willingness to pay more for properties equipped with integrated smart home features, reflecting the perceived value and convenience these technologies bring.

Security remains a central motivation for adopting smart home technology. Devices such as smart video doorbells and security cameras are particularly popular, with many owners citing increased feelings of safety as a primary benefit. This seismic shift in how homeowners protect and manage their properties underscores the transformative nature of smart home innovations, shifting them from optional add-ons to essential components of modern living.

With the momentum behind smart home technology showing no signs of abating, builders and manufacturers who anticipate and integrate these trends stand to benefit significantly. By offering connected, interoperable, and user-friendly smart home solutions from the outset, they can meet the demands of tech-savvy consumers and position themselves at the forefront of residential innovation.

Article Source: Noah Wire Services – an AI content generation tool currently being trialled by Total Telecom

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Interview

Upcoming anniversaries are always a time for reflection. This is certainly the case for Bosnian BSS innovator ZIRA Group, which is looking to celebrate its 30^th anniversary next year not only with a raft of new products, but also an entirely new brand.

Founded in the wake of the Bosnian War by electrical engineer Zijah Rašidagić, ZIRA Group (then simply ZIRA) started life as a small IT company with dreams of international expansion.

“Our founder wanted to produce software products that could be exported globally. He wanted to create a company that could support innovation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, despite the challenging environment, and share that innovation worldwide,” explained ZIRA Group’s CEO Emir Bukvić. “I’m happy to say that his vision has definitely been fulfilled.”

Today, nearly 30 years on, ZIRA is a major player in the global BSS market, boasting offices in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Netherlands, Croatia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. As such, at the start of the year, the company undertook a major rebrand to better reflect the scope of its global ambitions and its expanded international footprint, becoming ZIRA Group.

“We’ve grown well beyond our roots,” said Bukvić. “We cover FibreCos, NetCos, TowerCos, SatCos — all over the world. With the rebrand, we are aligning our identity with a broader, more dynamic portfolio.”

In support of its strategic rebrand, ZIRA Group launched its new AI Telco Platform, leveraging AI to help telcos better understand their BSS data and become more efficient. By combining predictive AI for accurate forecasting with a generative AI agent that provides actionable insights, the platform can quickly synthesise solutions for telco problems in real-time.

“You need to evolve to meet the needs of your customers,” said Bukvić. “As AI and machine learning tools become bigger parts of telco networks, we need to provide a suitable solution for the BSS layer. Most analytics tools struggle with complex network and billing data – our goal is to make that data useful and help customers do more with less.”

Flexibility is a must when it comes to BSS

Key to ZIRA’s BSS offering is the concept of modularity, allowing them to tailor their solutions to meet their customers’ specific needs. The company’s All-in-One BSS platform is built on open APIs, providing seamless integration with existing telco systems, and allowing operators to pick-and-choose the parts they need.

“Every customer is different and has unique set of requirements.  They shouldn’t have to pay for features they’ll never use,” said Bukvić. “Our modular BSS approach means flexibility, whether we’re supporting Tier 1 operators or smaller players. Each can choose exactly what they need to streamline their operations and boost revenues.”

“That’s also why we’re increasingly transitioning towards a SaaS approach,” he added.

The platform’s scalable ‘Pay-as-You-Grow’ model reflects this philosophy. Smaller customers can roll out what they need today and defer costs until they’re ready to scale, giving them room to grow without financial strain.

Effective partnerships the key to monetisation

Scaling up, however, can be a major challenge for modern telcos. Building and operating networks is an expensive business, particularly at a time when the global economy is shaky and traditional revenues are stagnating. Against this backdrop, telcos are increasingly looking to embrace new monetisation models and revenue opportunities, developing new use cases with emerging technologies and building tailored offerings for verticals outside their traditional markets.

But as telcos expand their scope, they’re relying on a growing and increasingly complex partner ecosystem, from data centers and interconnect players to MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) and OTT (Over-the-Top) service players.

“Effective partnerships are at the heart of sustainable growth for telcos but managing them efficiently can be expensive and time consuming,” explained Bukvić. “Implementation of products takes time, billing and revenue sharing can be complex, and transparency is not always guaranteed.”

To support this shift, ZIRA Group has developed a Partner Management approach for operators breaking away from legacy stacks, making it easier to build strong, scalable relationships with ecosystem partners from day one.

“This platform decouples partner activities from the core BSS stack, making operations more modular and flexible,” Bukvić explained. “It’s a unified space, designed with faster onboarding, greater visibility, and deeper insight in mind. It’s a major advantage to telcos looking to innovate and capture new revenue streams.”

Regional differences in agility

But are telcos actually moving as fast as they should be to embrace new partners and new business models? According to Bukvić, some markets are leaning into disruption, while others remain cautious.

“We’ve learned a lot from our expansion internationally. The Middle East, for example, is very eager to innovate,” he said. “They want to be on top of new technologies and really take advantage – they want to be first. In Europe, on the other hand, things are more cautious. That’s partly because of the scale of their legacy operations, but also a mindset challenge.”

ZIRA Group recently onboarded a client in Africa and is looking to expand into Southeast Asia over the next 12 months – two markets where telcos highly value operational agility.

“These markets move faster. They tend to have younger populations that are mobile-first, so telcos can have a huge impact to society very quickly. It’s a great environment to innovate and take risks in.”

The Future: SaaS, modularity, and global expansion

With these new markets firmly in its sights, ZIRA Group is looking to continue to expand globally over the coming years. The  company is transforming its All-in-one BSS platform to a SaaS model, making it easier for telecom providers to get started, and giving them the freedom to tailor the system to their needs, without the heavy upfront burden. Modular by design, it fits both end-to-end telcos and infrastructure units ready to go solo.

As it celebrates three decades of growth, innovation, and resilience, ZIRA Group’s transformation from a regional IT company into a global BSS powerhouse signals the vital role agile software platforms play in the evolving telecom landscape.

Keep up with all the latest telecoms news with the Total Telecom newsletter

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

At present, it’s already quite well known that the UK’s major home broadband ISPs (BT, Virgin Media, Sky Broadband, EE, Plusnet, TalkTalk etc.) block customers from accessing websites that have been found, via the High Court, to facilitate internet copyright infringement (piracy). But now Content Delivery Network (CDN) provider Cloudflare has started doing the same.

Just to recap. ISPs subject to blocking orders, which in the UK flow from Section 97A of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act (CDPA), have over the past 15 years or so become very common. Hundreds of websites have been blocked through this approach (thousands if you include their many proxies and mirrors), which usually include file sharing (P2P / Torrent), streaming sites, Sci-Hub and those that sell counterfeit goods etc.

Since then, we’ve also seen similar kinds of restrictions being imposed on some third-party Domain Name System (DNS) providers and efforts have also been made to target providers of Virtual Private Networks (VPN) in some countries (here). But now it appears as if Cloudflare has become one of the first internet intermediaries beyond local residential ISPs to also block access to pirate sites in the UK.

According to Torrent Freak, close to 200 pirate domains requested by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) were this week added to one of the longest pirate site blocking lists in the world. But the big change this time is the unexpected involvement of Cloudflare and its geo-blocking system, which for some UK users attempting to access the domains added yesterday, now displays the following notice (status code): “Error 451 – Unavailable for Legal Reasons“.

Extract from Cloudflare’s Error 451 Message

In response to a legal order, Cloudflare has taken steps to limit access to this website through Cloudflare’s pass-through security and CDN services within the United Kingdom.

The move won’t make much of a difference to users of the big ISPs, since they’ll hit the broadband provider’s own network-level blocking before getting as far as the Cloudflare one. But the Cloudflare block will also hit users beyond the biggest broadband ISPs and thus may have a potentially much wider impact. This will also hit some users of VPN providers who may be attempting to circumvent the original ISP-level blocking.

Admittedly, this is still very much a game of whack-a-mole for Rights Holders, and no doubt websites that involve some use of Cloudflare will ultimately end up moving on to harness different platforms. In addition, Cloudflare’s blocking does NOT yet extend to all of the websites that have been previously restricted by UK blocking orders, although it’s perhaps not unreasonable to expect that this will happen in the near future.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Internet provider Sky Broadband has today confirmed that, as per last week’s partial launch announcement (here), their new Full Fibre 2.5 Gigafast+ (2.5Gbps) and Full Fibre 5 Gigafast+ (5Gbps) packages are now available to order online via CityFibre’s growing UK FTTP broadband network (available to c.4.5 million homes).

The two new packages – priced at £70 a month for 2.5Gbps and £80 a month for 5Gbps on a 24-month term with the Wi-Fi 7 capable router and Wi-Fi Max add-on available “at no extra cost” – could initially only be purchased in Sky’s stores and via their call centres. But from today you can finally place an order for these via Sky’s website too.

The online launch also enables us to confirm that the post-contract pricing for each package is currently £75 and £85 per month, respectively. But we suspect those seeking the best balance of speed and affordability on CityFibre’s network may find Sky’s 900Mbps tier (£38 per month and then £49 post-contract) to be much more viable, although this lacks their new Wi-Fi 7 kit.

CityFibre are also supporting Sky’s slower FTTP broadband packages and the prices, which are also available via Openreach’s national network.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Edinburgh-based ISP and network builder GoFibre has secured a fourth contract under the UK government’s £5bn Project Gigabit scheme. The new deal is worth £105m (state aid) and will see them expand their gigabit speed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network to cover “around” 63,000 premises in hard-to-reach rural areas of North East Scotland.

Just to recap. The Government’s £5bn Project Gigabit programme is currently working to extend 1Gbps download speeds (200Mbps+ uploads) to reach “nationwide” coverage (c. 99%) by around 2032. As part of that, GoFibre has already secured three smaller ‘Local’ (Type A) deployment contracts for Teesdale (Lot 4.01), North Northumberland (Lot 34.01) in North England and the Scottish Borders and East Lothian (Scotland Lot 5) area.

The good news today is that they’ve now added a fourth state-aid supported deployment contract, albeit this time covering a much larger area of North East Scotland. But this is quite a large contract to be handing an operator of GoFibre’s size, and it will be interesting to see how well they handle it all. The roll-out itself will include parts of Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee, Highland, Moray and Perth and Kinross.

Just to be clear, this deployment contract is being targeted at premises that are not currently expected to be covered by gigabit broadband connectivity via either existing commercial projects or the Scottish Government’s own £600m Reaching 100% (R100) project with Openreach (BT).

At present, the roll-out plan for this new contract is still rather vague and subject to the usual pre-build engineering surveys, which often takes a few months to reach completion before the final build plan can be confirmed. But the following map does help to show clusters of all the “in scope” premises which were identified for contract procurement (tentative).

Customers of the new GoFibre service, once live over the next few years, can expect to pay from £22.50 per month for a 150Mbps (30Mbps upload) package on a 24-month term with an included wireless router, which rises to £33 for their top 1000Mbps (100Mbps upload) plan. The latter also comes with a bonus Wi-Fi extender (this can optionally be taken on other plans at extra cost).

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Network operator Freedom Fibre, which has so far grown their FTTP (XGS-PON) based gigabit broadband network to cover 350,000 premises across various parts of England and North Wales, has today made a new 160Mbps and faster 2.5Gbps (2500Mbps) tier available to their broadband ISP partners at wholesale.

The new speed options will join their existing 550Mbps and 1Gbps packages, which are already available from Freedom Fibre’s retail ISP partners (e.g. TalkTalk, iDNET, Aquiss, Zen Internet, Home Telecom and more). The move is expressed as being a “direct response to increasing market demand for greater flexibility and value in broadband services,” while also making the service easier to align with ISPs that harness similar tiers from Openreach, CityFibre and others.

The network operator has so far deployed their Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network to cover 350,000 premises (inc. 24,000 customers connected) across the UK (part of their original aspiration to reach 1 million premises by 2030), mostly via commercial investment. But they have recently suffered some setbacks after scaling back and withdrawing from two of the government’s Project Gigabit contracts for Shropshire and Cheshire (here and here).

Lee Sutch, Head of B2B at Freedom Fibre, said:

“I’m delighted to expand our consumer offering with these two new services, launched in direct response to valuable partner feedback. Our partners asked us to deliver on two fronts: more competitive, price-sensitive options, and products that go beyond the traditional 1Gbps service to meet the needs of high-bandwidth users. These additions open new opportunities for more customers to enjoy the Freedom Fibre network.”

Naturally, it’s up to their retail ISP partners to choose whether or when they adopt the new tiers and how they set the final pricing.