Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Broadband and telecoms giant BT (EE) has published a new report from Assembly Research, which suggests that the UK is one of the hardest countries for building new mobile broadband infrastructure and has called for more reform of the planning rules (e.g. allowing taller masts). The prize, claims the report, could be to unlock up to £230bn in economic benefits by 2035.

The current Labour government previously made clear that they would be making a “renewed push to fulfil the ambition of full gigabit and national 5G coverage by 2030” (here). Mobile operators have thus not been shy about producing their own wish lists to support this (here, here, here, here and here), which has often been reflected in calls for a more flexible planning system, lower licence fees for radio spectrum and easier engagement with local authorities.

However, the story so far has been one of disappointment. Despite their lobbying, the government’s recently introduced Planning and Infrastructure Bill (PIB) and the previous Autumn Budget 2024 largely seemed to ignore mobile networks, preferring instead to focus on other sectors.

The newly announced 10-year Infrastructure Strategy did suggest some improvements for mobile connectivity, but this mostly centred around implementing existing changes and was otherwise rather light on detail.

The new report from BT and Assembly Research (here) claims that taking a more flexible approach to mobile networks could deliver big economic benefits. For example, it indicates that improved 5G Standalone (5GSA) coverage could enable more than £88bn in economic growth through the industrial adoption of new technologies – such as AI and machine learning (thanks to the significant increase in network capacity).

Key Areas of Positive Economic Impact

➤ Road and Rail: Investing to improve rail coverage could result in £12bn in additional productivity by 2035, while improving road connectivity to 100% coverage could result in a £45bn opportunity for the UK through enabling autonomous vehicles.

➤ Rural Economy: Investing in improved 4G and 5GSA coverage could add as much as £3bn into the UK’s rural economy by 2035.

➤ Built up areas: In addition to the potential £88bn in growth from new technologies, improved 5GSA coverage could enable as much as £26bn of added economic value from accelerated drone adoption by 2035. In the same timeframe, an added £9.5bn could be unlocked for the UK’s broadcast, digital advertising and consumer media sectors.

➤ Mobile Backup: The findings also highlight that, if more reliable UK mobile networks were available, increased use of mobile backup options could become more attractive for some businesses. Doubling the take up of these options would result in recovery of c.£7.9bn in productivity as a result of reduced down time. The research also shows a further £37bn of benefits could be unlocked through supporting the modernisation of the energy grid.

However, BT argues that the current planning system “adds significant time and cost when we try and deploy new network infrastructure“, despite the “clear community benefits which could be generated“. The operator adds that the “amount of spectrum we can use to improve coverage and build up cost-effective capacity is constrained – with too much spectrum being used inefficiently elsewhere” (the latter point is debatable, depending on context).

The operator thus calls for doubling the level of spectrum available to mobile operators to help “rapidly improve services across the country” (i.e. opening up of the 3.8-4.2GHz, upper 6GHz and 600MHz spectrum bands) and, once again, calls for reform of the planning system to “reduce unnecessary roadblocks” and help accelerate network deployments. “A long-term vision for accelerating SME and public sector tech adoption is also critical to creating a truly digital-first UK“, said BT’s report.

Some of the examples given for all this includes amending guidance to “prioritise the public interest in improved mobile connectivity“, cutting annual licence fees for mobile spectrum, further softening net neutrality rules, cutting red tape in planning admin (e.g. lengthy applications to the Building Safety Regulator are often needed to make minor changes to rooftop apparatus on high rise buildings – also impacts FTTP broadband builds) and enabling monopole masts of up to 20m in height (currently 15m).

Such changes, claims BT, could help to expedite the roll-out of individual sites by 12 months, while also cutting the operator’s costs.

Howard Watson, BT Group’s Chief Security and Networks Officer, said:

“We’re proud to be the biggest investor in the UK’s networks, having spent billions in the last five years to deliver improved connectivity for communities in every corner of the UK. But the way we use mobile connectivity is evolving, and as the demands on network capacity increase and retail pricing remains comparatively low, greater support is needed to unlock more private sector investment.

To deliver the networks the nation needs for the future, we need greater collaboration with the government and regulator, as well as support from local communities and councils – so that everyone in the UK can reap the life-changing benefits connectivity brings. Reforming planning laws and opening up spectrum access would help accelerate the deployment of these critical networks.

This report proves that delivering secure, reliable and powerful mobile networks brings enormous value to consumers and businesses, fuelling the UK economy.”

As usual, it’s wise to take such forecasts with a big pinch of salt because trying to accurately gauge the economic impact of deploying faster mobile broadband networks is notoriously difficult. Part of this stems from the fact that most users won’t be starting from a point of having zero data connectivity, and we’re all very different in our consumption requirements.

One of the biggest problems above is that mobile infrastructure has always been somewhat of a hot potato topic for politicians and the electorate. Many people often object to the construction of new mobile masts and related kit, but this frequently occurs at the same time as others are calling for improvements in mobile performance and coverage. Trying to balance such conflicting viewpoints can be.. tricky.

Some of the things that the new report desires also stray into tedious areas like Net Neutrality (i.e. measures to prevent serious blocking or slowing of access to legal websites / internet services). This can be very divisive topic, even at the best of times, and is one that has only recently been reviewed by the regulator.

Elsewhere, Ofcom are currently looking to reduce Annual Licence Fees (ALF) in some radio spectrum bands, albeit not by as much as mobile operators really want (here); it remains to be seen whether the government might encourage the regulator to opt for a more radical change on this front.

The reality is that BT probably won’t get everything on their wish list, particularly as the government will be keen to avoid doing anything that might make them even more unpopular than current polling suggests. But it will be interesting to see how much the government are willing to bend, particularly given the importance many of us place on our ability to access good quality mobile signals.

Lest we forget that some rival operators, such as the recently merged Vodafone and Three UK, are already making a big investment to deliver major 5G improvements (here). Ofcom are also due to auction off a large chunk of millimetre wave (mmW) radio spectrum frequency in the 26GHz and 40GHz bands for 5G and future 6G services (here), although this will mostly only benefit busier/urban areas and some FWA links.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Mobile operator EE has today announced that they’ve worked with the Wireless Infrastructure Group (WIG) to deliver “enhanced connectivity” across all three terminals at Manchester Airport. The upgrade involved the deployment of a new Distributed Antenna System (DAS) to boost indoor coverage and capacity.

The new system has been engineered specifically for the demands of a busy international airport, particularly at peak times. It’s not just the sheer number of people using their phones that creates challenges, it’s also the physical complexity of the buildings themselves. Multi-level layouts, thick walls and complex designs can all impact network performance indoors.

The work follows a similar upgrade at London’s Stansted Airport, which reflected another collaboration with WIG to ensure seamless mobile coverage throughout all passenger and operational areas at the UK’s fourth busiest airport – serving over 29 million passengers annually.

Craig Birchenough, CEO of Indoor Networks at WIG, said:

“[We’re] pleased to see EE’s mobile services now live on the system we recently delivered at Manchester Airport, ensuring their customers stay connected with access to the mobile apps and services that form a vital part of a modern travel experience. This project highlights the strength of our partnership with EE and demonstrates how high-quality connectivity in airport environments can deliver real, tangible benefits for people on the move.”

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Mobile network operator Vodafone (VodafoneThree) has this week begun to roll-out a new “Fix & Go” service to certain UK stores, which offers consumers “on any network” an “affordable and reliable” way to get their Samsung, Apple and Google handsets fixed in-store by one of the operator’s repair specialists.

The service, which typically costs from £49 for a battery replacement or £119 for a screen replacement (parts replaced will be covered by a new warranty), is initially being made available at five stores including: White City, London Stratford, Oxford Street Experience, Cardiff and Edinburgh Princes Street, with Belfast Cornmarket set to follow later this month. This will expand to 18 stores later in the year, with even more set to follow.

The operator added that Level 1 and 2 repairs will aim to be completed within two hours, which include a screen replacement or repair to parts such as camera (£49), battery replacement, screen replacement, charging port (£39) or back cover (£99).

To provide this service, VodafoneThree is partnering with Fonehouse (i.e. it will use their software and online booking tool to facilitate a “seamless” service). Fonehouse will also provide Vodafone repair specialists with the necessary training and equipment to carry out any repairs.

Jon Shaw, VodafoneThree’s Consumer Operations Director, said:

“We’re really excited to launch ‘Fix & Go by Vodafone’ in stores. This new service launch is a key milestone in our journey to become number one for customer experience, and provides exceptional value just weeks after the creation of VodafoneThree.

We are committed to maintaining a significant presence on the high street so we can meet our customers’ needs. Over time, that need has evolved from purely being a place to buy handsets and accessories to a place where people come for service and device support.

Repairs, in particular, have been too expensive or too time-consuming for many people to access, but ‘Fix & Go by Vodafone’ removes these barriers.”

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A newly published study from researchers at the University of California (Department of Physics and Astronomy) has found that Starlink’s (SpaceX) second generation (v2) broadband satellites, which sit in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO), are darker than V1s despite being much larger (both bus and solar arrays). The results represent good news for astronomers.

At present Starlink has around 8,000 satellites in Low Earth Orbit (c.4,300 are v2 / V2 Mini) – mostly at altitudes of c.500-600km – and they’ll add thousands more by the end of 2027. Residential customers in the UK usually pay from £75 a month, plus £299 for hardware (currently free for most areas) on the ‘Standard’ unlimited data plan (kit price may vary due to different offers), which promises UK latency times of 28-36ms, downloads of 103-258Mbps and uploads of 15-26Mbps. Cheaper and more restrictive options also exist for roaming users.

However, one of the biggest complaints about mega constellations like these is that they tend to be very bright, which can cause disruption to observational sciences like optical astronomy (i.e. LEOs showing up as multiple streaks in telescope images). This can make it much harder to picture the night sky and do other things, such as to spot dangerous asteroids or detect key celestial events.

In response, SpaceX has busy been making changes to their satellites, both physically (e.g. black paint) and orbitally speaking (e.g. changing the alignment of the craft and panels). Past studies have indicated that this work appears to be having a positive impact (here) and the new UC study reaches a similar conclusion (here), albeit limited by its focus on the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) at the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile.

Summary

In order to reduce the impact on ground-based optical astronomy, the new Starlink V2 satellites incorporate improvements to the chassis brightness through dielectric mirrors, off-pointing solar arrays, and black paint on exposed components. To assess the effectiveness of these mitigations for the general case in which the reflectivities are initially unknown, we simulate LSST operations and repeated photometry of every satellite in simulated model constellations. We derive a brightness model of the Starlink V2 satellite and study the simulated apparent brightness as a function of the satellite position relative to the observer and the sun. We find that the V2 Starlink satellites appear brightest at two distinct positions in the sky: when oriented toward the sun at low elevations where light is specularly reflected, and nearly overhead where the satellite is closest to the observer.

A simulation of Starlink V2 satellites at 550 km height distributed across a series of Walker constellations (Walker, 1984), with varying inclinations was analyzed to study the impact on the LSST observations. The results of the V2 Starlink satellite trail simulation were compared to a similar simulation of V1.5 Starlink satellites.

We find that some bright satellites will be visible in LSST observations. For every thousand V1.5 Starlink satellites imaged by LSST in the first hour of a summer night, we find 1.2 of them will appear brighter than 7 AB magnitude. By comparison, for every thousand V2 Starlink satellites observed, we find only 0.93 of them will appear this bright. The off-pointed solar array and reduced diffuse reflection of the chassis mitigate the brightness.

Finally, we simulate lowering this Walker constellation to 350km. Only 0.56 V2 Starlink satellites per thousand brighter than 7 AB magnitude will be observed in the first hour at this height. This is a ∼40% reduction in number of bright satellites entering the focal plane compared to the constellation at 550km height. We find that a combination of factors yield an apparent surface brightness of these satellites for LSST operations only 5% brighter than at 550km orbit.

The overall science impact on LSST will of course depend on the whole satellite population and not just Starlink’s latest platforms. For example, Starlink’s new global Direct to Cell (DtC) mobile roaming capable satellites still appear much brighter (here) and AST Space Mobile’s massive array has a similar issue. But the hope is that more operators will adopt measures to tackle this, just as SpaceX are doing.

The real test will be whether SpaceX can continue to make improvements as their satellites get ever larger in the future (GEN3). At the same time, we shouldn’t forget that observational science is only one area of concern, with radio astronomers also having complaints (here), although there has been some progress on that too (here).

Not to mention the wider concerns over an increase in “space junk” around the earth and the risk from catastrophic collisions (Kessler Syndrome).

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Press Release

CityFibre, the UK’s largest independent full fibre platform, has reached agreement with its shareholders and existing lenders on a major £2.3bn financing round, accelerating its next phase of growth.

The financing includes £500m in new equity secured from CityFibre shareholders, Infrastructure at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, Antin Infrastructure Partners, Mubadala Investment Company and Interogo Holding, underscoring their continued commitment to CityFibre’s long term strategy and the company’s role in providing critical digital infrastructure across the UK.

CityFibre has also agreed a committed £960m expansion of its existing debt facilities, supported by lenders including ABN AMRO, BBVA, Crédit Agricole CIB, ING, Intesa Sanpaolo IMI CIB, Lloyds, the National Wealth Fund, NatWest, SEB and Société Générale. The facility will support CityFibre’s continued network investment and enable it to rapidly connect hundreds of thousands of new customers across its nationwide network.

An accordion facility of £800m is also being made available to help drive CityFibre’s continued expansion through the acquisition of full fibre network assets. This facility will be used to finance the company’s M&A pipeline and cement its position as the sector consolidator.

Greg Mesch, CEO of CityFibre, said: “This round of financing will supercharge CityFibre’s next phase of growth, as we consolidate the altnet sector, accelerate the pace of customer connections and unleash the full power of our market-leading 10Gb XGS-PON network, for the benefit of all our partners, their customers and for the UK economy.

“There is huge opportunity ahead for CityFibre and it is testament to the success of the company that we have such strong backing from our lenders and shareholders. This multi-billion-pound investment into critical digital infrastructure will deliver significant benefits across the UK, helping to realise potential and unlocking economic growth.”

This investment marks a significant moment in upgrading the UK’s digital infrastructure. It will deliver world-class infrastructure and services to millions of consumers and businesses and provide the digital foundations for the UK’s economic growth for decades to come.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said: “Today’s announcement shows Britain is attracting billions of pounds of investment, including through the National Wealth Fund, driving growth across British businesses.

“Investing in our digital infrastructure is key to ensuring our economy is fit for the future. Through our Plan for Change we’re growing the economy by boosting investment in Britain and working hand in hand with businesses to create jobs, to put more money in working people’s pockets.”

Secretary of State for Technology, Peter Kyle said: “This investment in CityFibre is welcome news. It’s proof our telecoms industry is driving investment into the UK, as well as building the digital foundations that will serve generations to come.

“The success of the UK’s network providers will help accelerate the rollout of gigabit-capable broadband to millions of homes and businesses across the country. I hope to see even more success stories like this one, because this sector is critical not just to improving internet speeds, but to transforming quality of life for communities and creating opportunities in every part of the country as part of our Plan for Change.”

Over the past 12 months, CityFibre has announced its first full year of profitability¹, launched Sky’s full fibre and Gigafast+ services across CityFibre’s nationwide network, completed the integration of Lit Fibre, announced the acquisition of Connexin’s full fibre infrastructure² and reached more than 4.5 million premises with its full fibre network, over half way to CityFibre’s milestone of 8 million premises.

CityFibre is advised by Evercore on the agreement, which is subject to final legal approval.

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

Also in the news:
US judge rules Huawei must face charges of fraud and racketeering
Optus ditches football rights to focus on telecoms
Nokia launches digital twin platform Enscryb to digitalise energy sector

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

London-registered network operator EXA Infrastructure, which in 2021 was acquired by investment firm I Squared Capital, has today confirmed the completed deployment of a new 1,200km fibre optic network route that will connect London in England to Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Brussels.

The project reflects a new consortium submarine fibre cable, where EXA is the sole telecom consortium member, responsible for providing Landing Party and backhaul services. The new 1,200km route includes 1,085km of new low-loss G.652D terrestrial fibre for end-to-end connectivity and a 115km subsea build, which runs from Margate (UK) to Ostend (Belgium) utilizing ultra-low-loss G.654C cable.

The two new landing stations – Exa’s 21st and 22nd globally – further strengthens its growing network spanning the U.S. East Coast, Western Europe, and the Mediterranean. The project will also help to enhance Europe’s digital infrastructure with upgrades to existing In Line Amplifier (ILA) facilities across the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Steve Roberts, EXA’s SVP Strategic Network Investments, said:

“This is a real milestone for robust connectivity options in Europe, and includes the first new subsea cable on this complex corridor – the North Sea – in 25 years. This new route complements our investment in the Channel Tunnel delivering scalable, modern and optimized fibre paths between key FLAP hubs.”

Ciaran Delaney, COO at EXA Infrastructure, added:

“This has been a complex and challenging build.. The regulatory landscape in Europe plus the North Sea’s challenging seabed conditions demanded ‘in region’ expertise in the various jurisdictions plus sophisticated installation techniques particularly on the wet segments to install and protect the system from future interruption to service. At EXA Infrastructure, we have the right expertise and experience to overcome the most complex and challenging situations to in this case, deliver the next-generation connectivity across Europe.”

At the time of writing we don’t yet know how much this specific project will cost, but it is being funded through part of the €395m they’ve invested into expanding their network since launch in 2021. The project mentioned above actually started in 2021 too, and today’s news represents the completion of that effort. All routes are thus now available to their customers.

In terms of performance, the London to Amsterdam route has an estimated latency of 6.2ms and London to Frankfurt is estimated at 9.4ms. In terms of capacity throughput, the new routes can support over 5Pb/s (Petabits per second).

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Digital infrastructure builder CityFibre has today announced that they’ve reached a crucial UK funding agreement worth £2.3bn (mix of debt and equity). The deal will support the ongoing deployment of their new 10Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network and also drive a new wave of consolidation.

Just to recap. CityFibre has already deployed their full fibre network to cover around 4.5 million premises (inc. 550k customers) and they’ve long aspired to reach up to 8 million UK premises – representing c.30% of the UK. But their original target of hitting that by the end of 2025 will be missed, and they’ve also been facing some of the same pressures as many other networks (e.g. high interest rates, rising build costs and competition).

In response, the operator has already made some redundancies and shifted their strategy, which sees them focus less on new network builds and more on growth via mergers and acquisitions (M&A), as reflected by the deals to acquire Connexin (here) and Lit Fibre (here). Not to mention putting more effort into commercialisation in order to encourage take-up by consumers, which is where the recent deal with Sky Broadband may help (here).

According to industry 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 suggests c.700,000 will be coming from the acquisition of other networks; something they’ve been very vocal about (here).

However, the operator’s existing funding had nearly run out, and they needed more in order to deliver on both their existing network expansion and their new consolidation strategy. Suffice to say that today’s agreement is aimed at tackling both of those issues.

What’s in the funding deal

The new financing includes £500m in new equity secured from CityFibre shareholders – Infrastructure at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, Antin Infrastructure Partners, Mubadala Investment Company and Interogo Holding.

On top of that, CityFibre has also agreed a committed £960m expansion of its existing debt facilities, supported by lenders including ABN AMRO, BBVA, Crédit Agricole CIB, ING, Intesa Sanpaolo IMI CIB, Lloyds, the National Wealth Fund, NatWest, SEB and Société Générale. The facility will support their “continued network investment and enable it to rapidly connect hundreds of thousands of new customers“.

Finally, an accordion facility of £800m is also being made available to help drive CityFibre’s continued expansion through the acquisition of full fibre network assets. “This facility will be used to finance the company’s M&A pipeline and cement its position as the sector consolidator,” confirmed the announcement. This is a feature of loan agreements that allows them to increase, as required, the total amount of debt available under an existing facility.

Greg Mesch, CEO of CityFibre, said:

“This round of financing will supercharge CityFibre’s next phase of growth, as we consolidate the altnet sector, accelerate the pace of customer connections and unleash the full power of our market-leading 10Gb XGS-PON network, for the benefit of all our partners, their customers and for the UK economy.

There is huge opportunity ahead for CityFibre and it is testament to the success of the company that we have such strong backing from our lenders and shareholders. This multi-billion-pound investment into critical digital infrastructure will deliver significant benefits across the UK, helping to realise potential and unlocking economic growth.”

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said:

“Today’s announcement shows Britain is attracting billions of pounds of investment, including through the National Wealth Fund, driving growth across British businesses.

Investing in our digital infrastructure is key to ensuring our economy is fit for the future. Through our Plan for Change we’re growing the economy by boosting investment in Britain and working hand in hand with businesses to create jobs, to put more money in working people’s pockets.”

The risk in all this is that consolidating alternative networks tends to be a slow, complex and costly process – particularly with many altnets still holding 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, which means that some of the same underlying funding challenges could still resurface again in the future. The operator also faces other challenges, such as from the recent instability at one of their largest ISP partners, TalkTalk, which currently accounts for c.150k customers via CityFibre and is struggling in ways that could risk wider harm in the future (here).

Despite this, CityFibre has succeeded in growing a good level of scale and is one of the reasons why established giants, like Openreach (BT) and Virgin Media (O2), have had to accelerate their own FTTP plans in order to avoid losing too much market share. Suffice to say, it’s important not to underestimate the profound impact they, and others, have had on the market and will hopefully continue to have into the future.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

New research from Broadband Genie and OnePoll, which surveyed a total of 3,997 broadband bill payers in the UK between July and November 2024, has revealed that 60% of respondents are out-of-contract – varying between a peak of 64% for those aged 65+ and a low of 55% for those aged 18-24. But many of these could be paying extra by failing to switch ISP.

However, when asked why such people hadn’t switched ISP, some 45% of over-65s and a “large proportion in other age groups” (sadly we didn’t get the full results) said it was because they “like their provider“, which seems like a fair enough reason.

The survey assumes that those out-of-contract will be “overpaying“. But while this may be true for the majority of respondents, which will be using one of the biggest providers where variable discounts for new and re-contracting customers are common, there will be others with smaller ISPs – and those on monthly terms from the start – where pricing is kept flat and annual hikes don’t occur.

The other issue is that not all of us choose an ISP based purely on price. Some providers provide features and levels of service or support that others do not, which can also be a consideration. So while it’s good to switch and the regulator’s One Touch Switching (OTS) process has made that a lot easier, it’s important to remember that it’s not always about the savings you can make.

Percentage of bill payers out of contract by age

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Customers of mobile network operator Three UK (VodafoneThree) in the Cheshire (England) town of Handforth, which is home to nearly 7,000 people, have complained to ISPreview that they’ve been suffering from disruption to their calls and data (mobile broadband) connectivity for over a month after the local mast developed a fault.

The existence of a problem, which has resulted in poor (sometimes unusable) call signals, extremely slow data speeds (sub-1Mbps and sometimes as low as 0.1Mbps) and poor latency (between 100 to 500ms+), has been confirmed by support agents to customers (including via MVNO providers like Smarty). But until now locals have not been provided with any information about the cause or when it might be resolved.

Three UK has now confirmed to ISPreview that the problem, which appears to have started at around the beginning of June, relates to one of their local mast sites that has gone down. However, the operator’s engineers have struggled to reach the site due to structural issues with a roof where it’s located, which must be resolved before the network can be fixed.

In addition, there was apparently a separate and unrelated issue at another nearby site earlier in June 2025, which also impacted 4G and 5G signals in the area for a time, but this has recently been resolved. We have not been told what the cause of that issue was or how long it lasted.

A Three spokesperson said:

“A number of customers in Handforth may be experiencing issues with our network due to an issue at our nearby site. We are currently unable to access the site due to structural issues which make it unsafe to work on. Customers should still receive signal from surrounding sites, although it may not be the usual service that we expect to provide.

We are working to fix the problem as soon as possible and apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

Three recommends that customers who continue to experience issues should contact their support team to report the problem (calling 0333 338 1001), although this seems like an odd request given how they already know about it. Sadly, Three UK could not offer a more specific ETA for the fix.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Network operator Openreach (BT) are testing a relaxation of their FTTP broadband Priority Exchange Stop Sell rules and Copper line re-arrangement in the Kenton Road Exchange area. This is one of the three exchanges taking part in their initial pilot project to test approaches, before eventually closing c.4,600 of their legacy exchanges from 2030 onwards.

At present Openreach operates around 5,600 UK exchanges, but only c. 1,000 of those are used to provide nationwide coverage of modern “fibre broadband” based services (FTTC, FTTP etc.) – the Openreach Handover Points (OHPs). However, the rollout of full fibre (FTTP), combined with the retirement of copper lines and legacy services (ADSL, WLR etc.), will make it economically unviable to support both the old and new exchanges.

The operator thus has a long-term plan for closing the other 4,600 exchanges – known as the Exchange Exit Programme, which starts with their initial pilot of 3 exchanges (ongoing at Deddington, Ballyclare and Kenton Road) and then extends to an initial closure of 105 “priority exchanges” by 2030, with the rest gradually following over later years.

The highly complex process to close an exchange and migrate customers typically takes around 4-7 years (depending upon the complexity of each exchange) – starting with a Stop Sell of old products and eventually ending with everything being switched off (Openreach and ISPs then remove their physical equipment over the following few months).

What’s happening in Kenton Road?

The Kenton Road exchange in Greater London (Boroughs of Harrow and Brent) serves around 9,500 premises and is currently due to reach the final product switch-off stage on 30th November 2025 (existing equipment will then be removed / decommissioned by 31st May 2026). At present broadband and phone providers are thus still busy migrating customers across from copper to all-IP (internet protocol) based services.

However, Openreach has decided to tweak their approach to the Kenton Road exchange in order to better understand how other measures might assist in the conversations with customers, which could help in migrating lines before the November deadline.

At present ISPs on the exchange can only move customers to FTTP broadband lines where they’re available on the network. But Openreach are introducing a temporary change that will give ISPs the option to migrate customers to their SOGEA lines as well (i.e. standalone FTTC broadband on copper lines).

The above approach is considered to be an easier sell to end customers, as they won’t normally need an engineer’s appointment (depending on what kit they already have at home). But Openreach’s system will only allow these SOGEA orders between 1st August and 3rd November 2025, which should then be fulfilled by mid-November – just before the official switch-off date for the exchange.

Finally, for copper re-arrangement, Openreach are looking to understand more about which lines cannot move to a more modern all-IP product or even be ceased by the end of November (a very small number of lines). The most likely examples of this could be those edge cases, such as non-responsive customers with incompatible telecare alarms (vulnerable users).

The operator will look at these on a case-by-case basis and may consider re-arranging their copper lines to connect them to the nearby Kingsbury Exchange instead. The pilot is thus trying to consider the level of demand and viability of this approach (such re-arrangements can be complex and costly).

The purpose of any trial and pilot is to test and understand things like this, so it’s good to see Openreach testing how they’ll handle the most difficult cases, which will invariably only crop up toward the end of an exchange closure. All of this will help to inform their approach for the first big batch of 105 closures, which is due to follow the initial pilot.