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Residents in the remote rural village of Penmachno, which sits in the isolated upland Machno valley area of North Wales (Conwy), have complained – via the local community council – that Openreach and BT recently left them unable to make or receive calls for several days due to a heat related fault that started on 19th June 2025.

According to the Community Council (Cyngor Cymuned Bro Machno), locals were said to have been left feeling “deeply concerned by … [the] telecommunications fault“, which they stated had impacted “all landlines” connected to the local Penmachno telephone exchange (PSTN).

Particular concern was also expressed by the council for older and vulnerable individuals, those who rely on landlines as their primary method of communication and had been left “isolated and unable to seek help in an emergency“. According to the council, there is also “no viable mobile phone coverage” in the centre of the village “from any network” to help fill in the communication gap (you can still get a weak signal outside this area).

On Monday morning the local authority stated that residents had already made multiple reports to BT and Openreach, but the fault still hadn’t been resolved and there was said to be “growing frustration” at the apparent “lack of urgency and coordination from BT … with no clear explanation or timeline for repair, the community is being left in the dark.”

Daniel Tomos, Clerk of Cyngor Cymuned Bro Machno, told ISPreview:

“This is a completely unacceptable situation. The inability to dial 999 puts lives at risk. Our community deserves better – this must be treated as a priority by BT and Openreach.”

To make matters worse, BT have previously removed every payphone from the village. But the good news is that the fault has now been fixed.

A Spokesperson for Openreach told ISPreview:

“We’re sorry for the outage to our copper network in Penmachno which affected customers’ landlines. This was due to recent high temperatures causing critical exchange equipment to overheat. We’re working with our partners to ensure our equipment is resilient against extreme weather conditions.

The outage was resolved on Monday afternoon and all customers should be back in service. If you’re still experiencing issues, please contact your service provider (the company that you pay your bill to). And if you are a vulnerable customer, please let your service provider know so that they can make a note on your account.”

Sadly, it’s not unusual for network repairs in remote rural areas to take much longer than urban ones, particularly due to complex issues of access and traffic management. Over the years we’ve seen examples where, in rare cases of extreme damage, rural areas have been left to wait for 6-12 weeks before repairs (here, here and here) – often due to delays caused by the need to get permits/permissions to conduct the necessary work. Sometimes power companies may also need to be involved, which can add another complication.

However, in this case the problem appears to have been inside the exchange itself (BT’s kit), which overheated during last week’s heatwave. Such events are extremely rare, although this being a remote rural exchange probably means that the equipment was housed in a very small building without air conditioning (some rural exchanges aren’t much bigger than a shed). Despite this, the recent temperatures would not usually have been high enough to cause such a failure.

The good news is that the government’s Shared Rural Network (SRN) project is due to start building a new mobile mast in the area this month, but of course that will take time to go live.

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The UK Government has today invited organisations to sign-up to a new charter, which is being backed by Deloitte, Vodafone (VodafoneThree), BT and others. The charter encourages members to change how they manage and dispose of IT assets, with the aim of increasing device donations to the 1.5 million people who currently lack access to a basic laptop, tablet or smartphone.

Just to recap. At the start of 2025 the UK government proposed to address the lack of digital inclusion in some areas via a series of “urgent actions” that it hoped would “begin fixing digital exclusion“. The Digital Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) thus includes various measures, such as funding for local initiatives targeted to the most digitally-excluded groups (e.g. the elderly and low-income households) and partnering with the Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA) to provide laptops to people who are digitally excluded.

The new ‘IT Reuse for Good‘ charter forms part of this effort and is seeking for more organisations to sign-up, donate their old “pre-loved tech” and then work with their chosen charity partner to re-distribute the devices to those who need it the most.

The charter itself essentially sets out the principles for organisations to adhere to, including ensuring devices are securely wiped, professionally refurbished and fit-for-purpose so they can be provided free of charge to those who need them.

Telecoms Minister, Sir Chris Bryant, said:

“Britain is leading the way when it comes to technological advancements with everyday essentials such as doctor’s appointments and job applications becoming increasingly digital. But to maximise the full potential of technology, we need to bring everyone along with us on this journey.

This Charter represents a significant step forward in our mission to bridge the digital divide and create a more sustainable approach to technology. By working together with industry and charity partners, we’re helping more people access the digital tools they need to improve their lives while reducing harmful electronic waste.”

Over the years we’ve seen lots of initiatives aimed at improving digital skills, re-using old technology (routers to Smartphones etc.) and getting more people online via mobile data or fixed broadband lines. For example, Virgin Media and O2 have been inviting customers to donate their old phones so that they can then be refurbished and distributed to “digitally excluded” people for some time now.

However, the move to centralise this a bit more through the government’s new charter is a welcome step, although it remains to be seen what sort of impact it will have. Signatories will be expected to donate their first device within 6 months of signing the charter. Progress will be monitored by self-reporting every six months.

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A new study from SignalTracker, which operates a popular Android mobile app (but not iOS) for monitoring and examining mobile phone reception, has compared the quality of Vodafone’s 5G between Birmingham and London to find that the former is falling considerably behind. Furthermore, 72% of tests on Vodafone’s flagship 5G plan were actually 4G quality.

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

SignalTracker claims to have performed thousands of tests in London and Birmingham, which found that one of the key selling points of Vodafone’s latest network – 5G Standalone (5G SA) technology – was only available in 27% of London tests and a mere 9% of Birmingham tests.

In London, the best signal was also found primarily in central locations like Westminster, Lambeth, Soho and Waterloo, while outer regions such as Barking, Bromley and Kingston suffered worse signal. This remained superior to Birmingham, which found that 5G SA coverage was largely limited to the city centre and the Bullring centre. A 6-minute walk into nearby Digbeth saw signal quality fall back to 4G.

Furthermore, in Birmingham, some 90% of tests on 5G SA were in fact 4G and, when the 5G icon was showing, 82% of the time it was actually 4G. This is due to a quirk of smartphones which the SignalTracker app highlights, where the device shows a 5G symbol but in reality, is connected to 4G. The 5G icon displays because the base station has 5G capabilities, even though they are not being used by the connected device. When consumers saw the 5G icon in London, 57% of the time it was actually connected via 4G.

PolicyTracker’s Managing Director, Martin Sims, said:

“This can lead to confusion for customers. Particularly in Birmingham, [where] many will wonder why a premier service isn’t delivering the promised 5G standalone more frequently. In both cities, on Vodafone’s ‘ultrafast’ 5G standalone service, the majority of our tests came back as 4G. It is a disappointing reminder of how far the UK’s 5G rollout has to go.”

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Network operator Openreach (BT) has kicked off their first UK pilot to test the effectiveness of a targeted approach for safeguarding vulnerable customers during the mass migrations away from the old Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), which is due to be switched-off, in favour of a temporary alternative service.

Just to recap. The legacy phone switch-off was last year delayed to 31st January 2027 in order to give broadband ISPs, phone, telecare providers, councils and consumers more time to adapt (details). The main focus of this was 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 phone services because telecare providers were slow to adapt. But this overlooks that, for everybody else, many providers will still be working to the original Dec 2025 deadline to have their customers off the PSTN network.

The vast majority of regular consumers and business are expected to shift over to IP-based digital phone (VoIP etc.) services. But Openreach’s new Enhanced Migration pilot is focused on an alternative solution that has been specifically designed for vulnerable people.

The above reflects BT and Openreach’s work to develop the Pre-Digital Phone Line (PDPL) product (aka – SOTAP for Analogue). This is essentially an exchange-based Voice over IP (VoIP) 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). This is only intended to be available to vulnerable and edge use 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.

The new pilot actually provides two options for the PSTN/WLR switch-off, one of which will move relevant customers to SOTAP for Analogue. The other will move them to a fully unbundled (MPF) line, like the ones that TalkTalk, Sky Broadband and a few other providers still offer (i.e. lines where broadband ISPs have invested to put their own kit inside exchanges, granting them more control over the lines and pricing etc.).

Openreach’s Briefing on Enhanced Migration

The Pilot will be chargeable and the price for the Enhanced Migration Service Wrap will be an additional £6.00 [ex. VAT] per migration.

The Pilot will:

· Prove the optimal run rate for the Enhanced Migration Service Wrap at scale;

· Confirm successful testing of WLR lines at CCD-3 at scale using robots; and

· Confirm the operational impact and costs at scale.

The Pilot will run for six months or until the target volume of 10,000 same-CP [Communications Provider] mass migrations (WLR to SOTAP for Analogue and WLR to MPF) have been achieved (whichever is sooner).

To participate in this Pilot, a CP must be actively migrating vulnerable end customers using the same – CP mass migration process.

In taking part in this Pilot, CPs retain their responsibilities in relation to vulnerable end customers and it is the responsibility of CPs, not Openreach, to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. Please see briefing (GEN077/24 Provisions for Telecare Customers) for more CP guidance on when and how to place provision orders for end customers with telecare devices.

The Pilot, which should be able to ensure that vulnerable customers can continue using their landline in the same way they do today, does not currently apply to people in Hull (KCOM’s patch), the Isles of Scilly or the Highlands & Islands region of Scotland. In addition, this should perhaps be thought of as only a temporary solution, since it will be impacted by the eventual closure of Openreach’s old exchanges from 2030 onwards.

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A new study from Go.Compare, which combined ONS data with the results from a YouGov survey of 2,000 UK residents (conducted on 25th February 2025), has estimated that “up to” 11 million internet users could have access to full fibre (FTTP) broadband without realising. This is important as some ISPs offer free upgrades to the faster service.

According to Ofcom’s most recent spring coverage report (here), some 86% of UK premises are now within reach of a gigabit-capable broadband network, which falls to 74% for homes with access to a full fibre network (based on January 2025 data). Suffice to say that a significant majority of locations should already be able to order a true fibre optic connection to their home.

However, the new survey claims that 26% of broadband users didn’t know whether or not their home already had a full fibre connection, which means that some users could be on a full fibre connection already without realising and others may simply be confused – possibly due to the misleading way in which broadband packages have been sold in the past (e.g. promoting hybrid copper and fibre solutions like FTTC as “fibre broadband“).

Interestingly, younger internet users were found to be “less likely” to know what kind of broadband connection their home has, with 37% of under-35s stating that they were unsure, compared to 21% of over-54s. Similarly, those who receive the worst service are the least likely to know their connection type. Of those who said they receive a very unreliable service, 40% did not know if their property had access to full fibre, compared to 23% of those who said their broadband is very reliable.

The issue of low awareness is not a new problem, particularly since many consumers often pay more attention to the advertised speeds they can get than the underlying technology being used. On top of that, today’s market reflects a bewilderingly complex array of rival network operators and hundreds of retail ISPs, all with differing network agreements and thus varying levels of availability. Trying to pick through all this while maintaining your sanity can be difficult.

On the other hand, the new survey found that 48% of respondents didn’t even know their existing broadband speeds, meaning they could be receiving slower speeds than promised without realising. In any case, we always recommend taking opinion surveys like this with a pinch of salt, as they don’t tend to provide for the most accurate representation of reality.

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Alternative network operator CityFibre, which has already built a gigabit-capable full fibre broadband (FTTP) network to cover 4.3 million UK premises (RFS), is reportedly set to sign a £2bn funding deal – reflecting a split of debt and equity – to help keep them in business and support their plans for a major consolidation of rival operators.

The operator’s existing funding is due to run out soon, and thus the operator is keen to reach an agreement on fresh funding before the end of July 2025. Previous reports had indicated that this would reflect a £500m equity financing deal with existing investors (here) and around £1bn of incremental debt funding – roughly enough liquidity to keep them fuelled through to mid-2027 and equity to support their M&A (consolidation) drive.

However, a new report from Bloomberg (credits to Ionide for spotting this) indicates that the proposed deal is also set to include a new “accordion” facility, which will allow CityFibre to tap an additional £500 million under certain conditions – effectively making this agreement worth up to £2bn. Details on what those conditions might reflect are still unclear.

CityFibre currently still aspires to cover up to 8 million UK premises with their new FTTP (XGS-PON) broadband network – representing c.30% of the UK. But their original target of hitting that by the end of 2025 will be missed. The operator has instead shifted their strategy to focus less on build and more on growth via mergers and acquisition (M&A) of alternative networks (e.g. the deals to acquire Connexin [here] and Lit Fibre [here]).

At the same time, the operator remains under the same pressures as many other networks, not least due to high interest rates, rising build costs and competition, which has already impacted some of their commercial deployments. On top of that, one of the operator’s key ISP partners, TalkTalk (accounting for c.150k CityFibre customers), is struggling in ways that could risk wider harm in the future (here).

Despite this, CityFibre’s main shareholders recently said they “remain committed … [to the company’s] long-term success and are actively engaged in supporting the company’s next phase of growth“, while the operator itself claims to be “in a strong position” and “expects to announce details of our financing shortly” (here).

According to a previous note from analyst James Ratzer – in 2025 and beyond, it’s expected that CityFibre will likely only build FTTP out to c.300k homes per annum organically, largely to meet their state aid backed Project Gigabit contracts. But the operator still aspires to add around 1 million premises each year, which suggest c.700,000 will be coming from M&A deals (c.100k – 185k of this in 2025 was covered by the Connexin deal).

The catch is that consolidating alternative networks tends to be a slow, complex and costly process – particularly with many altnets still harbouring an inflated idea of their own asset values. CityFibre’s strategy around this thus remains somewhat unproven, and any new funding deal they strike now will be subject to less favourable conditions than they had before (e.g. interest payments will be higher). Put another way, this may not be the last funding deal they’ll need.

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One of the problems that UK mobile network operators, like Vodafone (VodafoneThree), often have to contend with is the issue of ensuring that their land-based 4G and 5G (mobile broadband) antennas are precisely positioned in order to deliver the best signal. But satellite guided sensors are now being tested to help change that.

A failure to keep antennas perfectly aligned, which most often occurs due to things like strong storms or seismic activity, can disrupt the connection quality and thus its performance. In response to this, Vodafone has now become one of the first commercial mobile operators to deploy satellite guided sensors, which are being built into new radio antennas located on top of mobile masts.

The new sensors work by collecting GPS-based location information from modules installed at different points on the antenna, together with other performance data. In turn, these sensors quickly relay details of the antenna’s alignment back to one of Vodafone’s network operations centres, enabling its engineers to either automatically reposition the antenna or perform a site visit for manual correction.

In theory, this approach – supported by hardware vendors via a new standard industry protocol – could help to “eliminate areas with no coverage and lead to faster data speeds, more responsive connections, and fewer dropped calls“, said Vodafone. Not to mention the usual cost savings from not having to make so many site visits.

Alberto Ripepi, Chief Network Officer of Vodafone, said:

“As smartphones pack in ever more functionality, network precision is key. Antenna alignment is now one of the most critical aspects when it comes to installing and maintaining high-performing mobile networks. By integrating sensors into new radio antennas, we can more easily fine-tune our radios to give customers the optimal signal quality.”

The solution will initially be rolled out in Albania from September 2025, before extending to other countries like the UK and beyond. The innovation, which is part of Vodafone’s wider ‘Network as a Sensor‘ programme (this has already turned their network into a rain sensor), could eventually also be used to dynamically control the position of radio antennas to match demand (e.g. serving commuters on the move, sports fans at stadiums or music festival goers).

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Customers using broadband ISP Virgin Media (O2), specifically those who also take a Pay TV service via one of their TV 360, Stream or v6 box platforms, may like to know that they’ve added two new FAST channels to their TV service – British Screen Classics and wedotv movies – “at no extra cost“.

The new FAST channels include British Screen Classics (Ch 450) – offering various film and TV gems originating from the iconic classic film libraries of ITV STUDIOS and STUDIO CANAL – and wedotv movies (Ch 451) – offering a contemporary film channel with a catalogue of over 500 movies across all genres.

The new channels join the existing 33 FAST channels available on Virgin TV, which include Inside Crime, Homes Under The Hammer, Red Bull TV, Hell’s Kitchen and many more.

David Bouchier, Chief TV and Entertainment Officer at VMO2, said: “Virgin TV is home to the best in entertainment and more choice for our subscribers.  We offer enhanced value with fantastic on demand and channel content at no extra cost, including two brand-new streaming movie channels. On top of the existing streaming channels available to Virgin TV customers, they now have even more choice.”

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Alternative network operator Netomnia (Brsk, Youfibre), which has so far rolled out their Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network to cover 2.5 million UK homes (inc. 325,000 customers), has today become the latest provider to adopt VIAVI’s ONMSi Remote Fibre Test System (RFTS) to “simplify and accelerate network installation and ongoing maintenance“.

At present, Netomnia is continuing to expand their network coverage by around 1 million premises per year, and they expect to reach 3 million premises by the end of 2025 and then 5 million by the end of 2027 (inc. 1 million customers by 2028). The service is currently available across parts of over 90 UK cities and towns. But keeping a close eye on such a large network can be difficult, which is where VIAVI’s system comes in.

The use of an effective remote fibre testing and monitoring system can help to verify the quality of Netomnia’s network during its roll-out and operation. In addition, it can also make it simpler and easier for their engineers to respond to the exact location when an issue (faults etc.) does arise. A number of other network operators have also adopted the same solution from VIAVI.

“The VIAVI OMNSi test system provides a platform on which we can construct a gold standard network,” said Jeremy Chelot, Group CEO of Netomnia, YouFibre and brsk. “The remote fibre test system is a critical element in enabling us to reach our ambitious goal to deploy a high-quality network covering five million premises and over 150 exchanges by the end of 2027.”

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Internet service provider Octaplus, which sells broadband package to consumers via various networks (e.g. MS3, CityFibre and FullFibre Limited), has today announced the launch of its first Multi-Gigabit speed packages – delivering ultrafast speeds of 1.8Gbps and 2.3Gbps. But there’s also a special mobile data bonus.

Prices for the new plans are said to start at £40 per month. A quick look at their CityFibre based full fibre (FTTP) packages shows that the ISP is selling their top 2.3Gbps symmetric speed package for £50 per month. This includes a Wi-Fi 6 capable router, “guaranteed” wired speeds of 1300Mbps, free installation and a discounted one-off setup fee of £50 on a 24-month minimum term (shorter 18 and 12-month terms are also available).

In addition, Octaplus are also bundling 3GB (GigaBytes) of FREE mobile data every month alongside some of the new plans, delivered via SIM or eSIM, for the duration of the promotion. “This exclusive benefit reflects Octaplus’ belief in enriching everyday connectivity — not just through great pricing, but by adding real, practical value to customers’ lives,” said the provider.

We should add that the mobile service harnesses EE’s national 4G and 5G network.

Gladstone Gonsalves, CEO of Octaplus, said:

“This is more than just faster internet — it’s a symbol of progress, status, and digital future-readiness. We’re not just providing broadband; we’re delivering the digital lifestyle of tomorrow.”

George Wareing, Chief Sales Officer at CityFibre, said:

“Octaplus has continued to thrive across CityFibre’s growing full fibre network, bringing fantastic speeds and a brilliant online experience to its customers. This is yet more evidence that the UK’s full fibre, Multi-Gig future is here.”

The Multi-Gig packages will be available to new and existing Octaplus customers in areas where the network infrastructure supports higher speeds. Customers can check availability for their address by visiting octaplus.co.uk and entering their postcode. Rollout will continue to expand in line with full fibre network deployments.