Edinburgh-based ISP GoFibre has secured a third contract under the UK government’s £5bn Project Gigabit scheme, which is worth £26.2m (state aid) and will see them expand their gigabit speed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network to cover around 11,000 premises across hard-to-reach rural areas in the Scottish Borders and East Lothian regions.

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 2030. As part of that, GoFibre has already secured two smaller ‘Local’ (Type A) deployment contracts for Teesdale (Lot 4.01) and North Northumberland (Lot 34.01) in North England.

The good news today is that they’ve now added a third ‘Local’ deployment contract, albeit this time in Scotland and covering 11,000 premises across poorly served parts of the Scottish Borders and East Lothian regions. The expansion of their FTTP network is expected to reach a number of remote rural communities, such as Athelstaneford and Innerwick in East Lothian, and St Abbs, Broughton and Ettrickbridge in the Scottish Borders.

Just to be clear, this deployment is 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 £600m Reaching 100% (R100) project with Openreach (BT). Otherwise, detailed planning and surveying work on the new contract will begin immediately, with the first connections expected in the Autumn of 2025.

Chris Bryant, UK Government Minister for Telecoms and Data, said:

“As technological advancements race ahead and revolutionise our day-to-day lives, we cannot afford to leave anyone behind.

It is fantastic to see this UK Government-funded gigabit investment being delivered in Scotland for the first time, not only bringing thousands of people the fastest broadband networks on the market and levelling the playing field but also helping us realise our mission to boost economic growth and improve living standards across the whole country, under the PM’s Plan for Change.”

Neil Conaghan, CEO of GoFibre, said:

“As a Scottish company, born in the Borders, GoFibre is proud to be named as the delivery partner for the first Project Gigabit contract in Scotland, bringing transformative full fibre connectivity to thousands more homes and businesses across the region. This contract award marks a step-change in our ambition and footprint as a major Scottish telecommunications company.

We have a sterling track record of connecting communities across Scotland to our ultra-fast broadband network. Delivering this project will build on our successful delivery of Project Gigabit contracts in North Northumberland and Teesdale where we are delivering much-needed broadband in rural areas, ahead of schedule. We will bring all that expertise and GoFibre experience to this essential project for people in the Borders and East Lothian.”

Further Project Gigabit contracts for Scotland are due to be signed with other suppliers this year too, which will see gigabit broadband being delivered to tens of thousands more premises, including across rural parts of Aberdeenshire and the Morayshire Coast, Fife, Perth and Kinross, Orkney and Shetland.

Meanwhile, customers of the new GoFibre service can expect to pay from £25 per month for a 150Mbps (30Mbps upload) package on a 24-month term with an included wireless router, which rises to £39.50 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).

News

The Indian billionaire made the sale following the company’s positive quarterly results

This week, Sunil Mittal has sold a 0.84% stake (51 million shares) in India’s second largest telco, Bharti Airtel, raising roughly $976 million.

The sale was made through the Mittal family’s investment company, Indian Continental Investment.

Roughly a quarter of these shares were sold to group firm Bharti Telecom, with the remaining three quarters sold to ‘key marquee long-only names, both global and domestic’, according to the filing.

A report from Bloomberg names some of the buyers additional buyers as GQG Partners LLC, Fidelity Investments, Lazard Inc, SBI Life Insurance Co., and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co.

“With this, Bharti Telecom now holds around 40.47 per cent of Airtel, reinforcing its previously stated intent of strengthening its position as the principal vehicle to have a controlling stake in Airtel, remaining focused on gradually increasing its stake while maintaining a prudent leverage profile as it does so,” read the filing.

The move follows Airtel posting solid Q3 financial results earlier this month, including a 460.9% boost in net profit year-on-year. The company attributed this largely to the strengthening of its Indian mobile business, currency expansion in its African markets, and the consolidation of Indus Towers.

For Mittal, the move will help free up funds for the group’s continued investments in global markets. Sources suggest that some of this funding will be use to refinance the loans taken out by Bharti Enterprises when they bought a 24.5% stake in BT Group last year.

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Also in the news:
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French energy giant EDF offers up land for data centre projects

The CEO of Liberty Global, Mike Fries, has said they’ve made “significant progress” on their plan for opening up Virgin Media’s existing UK fixed line broadband network to wholesale (rival ISPs) via a new business (NetCo) during the first half of 2025 (here). Fries also confirmed they had received “proposals from a handful of the strongest infrastructure investors” for a stake in the biz.

Just to recap. The merged business of Virgin Media and O2 (VMO2), which is backed by parents Telefónica and Liberty Global, published their latest quarterly results yesterday (here), although this included very little detail on their NetCo plans, except to say that it was “on track” to “support the long-term underpinning of fibre upgrade activity and take up“. But we’ve since got a bit more detail as part of a related investor call.

At present, Virgin Media’s existing fixed line broadband network, which covers just over 16 million premises via a mix of Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) and FTTP (RFOG and XGS-PON) lines, is a closed platform that does NOT allow rival ISPs full access via a wholesale product (although there are some limited / niche arrangements with OFNL and Home Telecom etc.).

As a complement to the above, VMO2’s parents – Telefónica and Liberty Global (inc. support from InfraVia Capital Partners) – also setup a £4.5bn joint venture called nexfibre in 2022 (here), which is deploying an open access wholesale full fibre (FTTP) network to reach “up to” 7 million UK homes (starting with 5m by 2026) in areas NOT served by Virgin Media’s own network of 16m+ premises. Virgin Media is currently the only official ISP on this network (here) and nexfibre has already covered over 2 million premises.

However, in February 2024 VMO2’s parents finally confirmed the long-awaited announcement that they would be opening up Virgin Media’s closed network to wholesale via a new NetCo business, which they said was expected to go live during the first half of 2025.

Recent media reports have indicated that VMO2 may have made progress on their efforts to raise an additional investment of £1bn to support the NetCo project (here), which is understood to have recently received several non-binding offers from investors (potentially including BlackRock and CPP Investments etc.). The effort could hand such investors up to a 40% stake in the NetCo business. The CEO of Liberty Global, Mike Fries, has now confirmed those reports and provided a small update to investors.

Mike Fries, CEO of Liberty Global, said:

“We also announced last year our intention to create a fixed NetCo in the UK market to accelerate and fund a portion of our fibre [FTTP] build out and to provide a vehicle for what we expect will be a rapidly consolidating infrastructure market. And I’m happy to report that we are making significant progress on this front.

The operational and financial perimeters of the UK NetCo have been established. They represent around 16 million homes and over £1 billion of EBITDA. But more importantly, as of last week, we are in receipt of proposals from a handful of the strongest infrastructure investors in the business who have indicated an interest in participating with us in what will be, I think, the only viable long-term competitor to BT’s Openreach, so more on that to come.”

At present, the combined FTTP base of both nexfibre and Virgin Media is 6.4 million premises passed, which will of course rise rapidly as their HFC + RFOG areas are upgraded to FTTP and nexfibre continues its network expansion efforts. This is already a significantly larger potential wholesale base of FTTP lines than their closest altnet rival CityFibre can muster (4.3m), albeit still well below Openreach’s 17m+. But by 2028 the combined group could reach up to 23 million premises, which would be hard for even consolidated altnets to reach, albeit still below where Openreach will be (c.27m, rising up to 30m by 2030).

The big challenge for such a NetCo will be in its ability to attract significant ISP support, at least beyond those already owned by the wider group (i.e. O2, Virgin Media, Giffgaff). Potential ISP partners will be looking to be treated fairly (wholesale agreements), which is always a tricky thing to balance vs the desire by some for exclusivity agreements. One benefit of Openreach’s heavily regulated business is that it affords ISPs some protection against unfair practices, and competing with that is a challenge.

The need to deliver attractive pricing is another difficulty, particularly given Virgin Media’s own retail reputation for hefty post-contract (after discounts) pricing. Alternative networks in this space have been aggressive on price and associated ISPs are often able to offer promises of “no mid-contract price hikes“, which is something that the established giants tend to struggle with.

Lutz Schüler, CEO of VMO2, told investors:

“I mean, as you know, we are not publicly differentiating in our net add growth between our existing coverage and nexfibre. So therefore, you get the blended number. I think underlying, of course, it shouldn’t be a surprise for you that in the BAU coverage, we are losing customers, small amount, but we are losing it. And in nexfibre, we are growing because we are penetrating a new network.

Now what I can tell you is that our losses in our existing coverage are significantly less to other big market players. This is what we believe. But aggressive [alternative networks], yes, with very aggressive prices, are getting some customers also away from us.”

Nevertheless, over the longer-term, Virgin Media going wholesale is still a big deal for the market and one that will trigger plenty of disruption for everybody (retail ISPs, alternative networks, Openreach and even Virgin Media’s own retail base), while at the same time increasing market complexity for consumers (as if it wasn’t already confusing enough).

However, this approach will ultimately sink or swim based on whether or not it can get the core ingredients right, and ideally attract support from key ISPs, such as Vodafone, TalkTalk and Sky Broadband (all three already have agreements with Openreach and CityFibre). The market is likely to go through some big changes over the next few years as all of this plays out, so buckle up.

The CEO of Fern Networks Limited (Fern Trading) backed alternative broadband network operator AllPointsFibre (APFN), Jarlath Finnegan, has this week spoken of his “excitement” ahead of officially launching their new Aquila wholesale platform into the wider UK market, which is expected to take place on 14th May 2025.

Just to recap. APFN was originally formed through the consolidation of three alternative broadband networks and ISPs (here and here), including Giganet, Swish Fibre and Jurassic Fibre. All of the companies were backed by Fern Trading and had previously been deploying FTTP networks to premises across different parts of the UK.

As part of that change, the retail (customer) bases of those three networks have been slowly migrated to sibling broadband ISP Cuckoo. Last year also saw APFN acquire another retail ISP in the shape of Glasgow-based Brillband (here). On top of that, they’ve since made it possible for ISPs on their wholesale platform to harness services from rival networks too, such as CityFibre and Openreach.

According to Jarlath Finnegan, this means their new national full fibre wholesale platform, aquila, is now available to 18 million+ UK homes and businesses, “we are adding over 1m each quarter” (roughly in keeping with the respective network expansions of Openreach and CityFibre). But the big development will come later this spring, when they formally launch aquila alongside new solutions.

Jarlath Finnegan said (yesterday):

“What a start to the year!

Hats off to every single team member across the group, talk about hitting the ground running!

AllPoints Fibre Networks national full fibre wholesale platform, aquila, is now available to 18 million+ homes and businesses, we are adding over 1m each qtr. through our network partners Openreach and CityFibre, two fantastic companies to work with. We’ve started onboarding more customers to aquila, thanks Yappl & Meraki Communications, with more to follow shortly and the excitement is real. It’s the biggest and best in the UK, set to deliver outstanding service experiences at the lowest cost to serve.

Our big launch event is in May, and we can’t wait to showcase its full potential. Key milestones ahead, but the team is on fire, keep pushing, Team APFN!

…

As Group CEO, I couldn’t be prouder of how we’ve taken five individual businesses and built something truly special which hasn’t been done before. We can, and we will, and we’re proving it every day through action, not just words.”

At present, it’s not clear precisely what APFN will be announcing in May that we didn’t already know about, although they’ve been promising to “rip up the rule book” in the way full fibre services are delivered across the UK “without having to build or buy to every premises“. But in a recent interview, Jarlath did note to ISPreview that they were working on aquila’s new edge network deployment (here), which could bring new services.

The challenge for APFN is that they aren’t the only wholesale operator with a focus on network aggregation (e.g. PlatformX Communications – formerly TalkTalk Wholesale) and it will be interesting to see if they’re able to innovate beyond the more established players. Scaling up such things can take time and delivering them at a competitive price is another matter, but APFN are clearly readying themselves to make a big push.

Telecoms giant BT has revealed that they’ve now deployed their Global Fabric Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) platform to “over” 30 Equinix data-centres across the UK and world, which will grow to over 40 in the next year – spanning the world’s top 30 business locations and covering 95% of the world’s cloud interconnection traffic.

Global Fabric is designed to simplify multi-cloud connectivity, security, and infrastructure for multinational organisations – providing visibility and control of both access and core networks. “It transforms the ease at which they can deploy and scale interconnectivity with third parties such as customers and suppliers across their full digital value chain,” said the operator. “With legacy networks, setting up or changing connectivity could take weeks. With Global Fabric, it happens in an instant.”

When fully built-out, Global Fabric should be available to customers internationally via 140 Points-of-Presence (PoPs) hosted in the world’s top cloud locations across 40 countries. It will offer 74% direct coverage of hyperscaler clouds and pre-provisioned high-bandwidth connectivity to over 700 data-centres.

Arun Dev, Global Interconnections at Equinix, said:

“Our partnership enables BT to offer its customers interconnectivity with the full Equinix global digital ecosystem of cloud and IT services, as well as hundreds of content and digital media services, and over 4,800 enterprises hosted at our datacentres globally.”

Matt Swinden, BT’s Director of Digital Connectivity, Business, said:

“The BT-Equinix partnership is a terrific example of our strategy to build the strongest digital foundations for our customers. Global Fabric combined with Equinix’s global ecosystem of infrastructure, cloud and digital service widens the choice we offer to customers of the best locations to interconnect their full business value chain. It will help make trading, partnering and operating a multinational business, better on BT.”

Equinix’s global platform interconnects multiple clouds hosting the apps, solutions and marketplaces. It provides access to approximately 2,000 network services, as well as 3,000 cloud and IT services, over 400 content and digital media services, and more than 4,800 enterprises.

Broadband ISP and mobile operator Vodafone has revealed that they’ve begun “piloting” (no pun intended, we think) a new type of done that is designed to help restore connectivity to mobile masts, such as when their underground data capacity cables are cut or damaged. The drones employ a special optical wireless link.

The drones, which could also be deployed as part of disaster recovery situations, are currently being tested in Seville (Spain) and use a “wireless optical connectivity” link that has been developed by the Taara Project as part of the Google X programme.

Readers might recall that we wrote about Taara’s ability to deliver data at speeds of up to 20Gbps (Gigabits per second) over distances of up to 20 kilometres back in 2021 (here), but that was when it was being deployed via fixed platforms (e.g. masts or buildings). Sticking the same technology on a drone is an order of magnitude more challenging.

“In a test earlier this month in Seville, Spain, Vodafone worked with Taara … to demonstrate how two industrial-grade drones equipped with Taara’s light beam terminals could be used to deliver a temporary connection. In the test, one drone was securely tethered to a mast, and the other to a nearby Vodafone data transport hub,” said the announcement.

The drones equipped with Taara “briefly established a two-way connection” over a distance of 3km, although it’s not clear how stable this was or what data speeds they were able to achieve. But the test demonstrated how novel combinations of new technologies could potentially be used in future to address infrastructure challenges.

The backhaul fibre optic cables that link their masts are usually buried in the ground, making them susceptible to damage by mechanical diggers and sometimes even vandalism. Across Europe, Vodafone on average deals with between 75 and 100 such cable breaks every year.

Weather Sensing

As a side note, Vodafone separately revealed that they were working with the European Space Agency (ESA), and other governmental departments in the UK, on a different project to “gather accurate rainfall measurements using data from the thousands of microwave links“, which are sometimes used, across Europe, to connect mobile masts (often has a backup or alternative to fibre).

Rain and other forms of precipitation in the atmosphere can absorb and scatter microwave radio signals, reducing their strength. The interference this creates is typically considered a negative thing, which often reduces the performance of such connections. But Vodafone has realised that the data they collect on this (checked every 15 minutes as part of network compensation changes) can be turned into a “giant weather gauge” for both urban and rural areas.

The data this delivers could be used to support the information that is already being collected via millions of Vodafone’s worldwide Internet of Things (IoT) environmental sensors. Clever stuff, particularly as their network often covers areas that are out of reach of existing weather observation posts.

Vodafone plans to showcase all this early next month at the Mobile World Congress (MWC25) event.

The UK Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) has today begun their annual hunt for the best ISPs and internet companies ahead of their forthcoming 2025 awards event (the 27th one they’ve held), which this time adds several new and refreshed categories (total of 20) to help reflect the trends and successes of the industry.

The winners of the previous 2024 awards event were unveiled back in November 2024 (here), which among other things saw several ISPs taking home two awards each across different categories, including Brsk, CommunityFibre, and Vorboss.

However, there have been a few big changes this year, such as via the introduction of five new categories – ‘Best Wholesale Platform’, ‘Best Network Integration’, ‘Best Technology Partnership’, ‘Engineer of the Year’, and ‘Best Customer Loyalty’.

As usual, the ISP categories will undergo several months of “technical testing” from 1st May to 20th July, while a good-sized panel of judges will also help to select some of the winners. The full list of categories now open for entry can be seen below. Internet providers, network operators, technology partners, and industry stakeholders can apply to take part in the event here (registration is open until 11th April 2025).

2025 ISPAs Award Categories
Best Rural ISP
Best Business ISP
Best Consumer ISP (under 100k customers)
Best Consumer ISP (over 100k customers)
Best Fibre Infrastructure
Best Wholesale Platform
Best Voice Provider
Most Innovative Fibre Deployment
Best Technology Partnership
Best Customer, Network and Data Security
Best Network Integration
Engineer of the year
Best Customer Experience
Best Customer Loyalty
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Champion
Sustainability Champion
Best Community Engagement
Digital Inclusion Champion – Industry
Digital Inclusion Champion – Charities and Communities
Internet Hero – 30th ISPA anniversary

The winners will be announced during a black tie dinner on 13th November 2025 in central London, bringing together over 500 senior leaders in the broadband sector for a night of celebration and networking. This year’s awards will be hosted at City Central at the HAC.

Press Release

The North East’s pioneering role in advanced wireless innovation took centre stage at the 5G Innovation Regions (5GIR) Showcase.  

Bringing together industry leaders, government representatives and technology innovators, the event celebrated the progress, impact and future potential of advanced wireless infrastructure use cases across key sectors, including smart port operations, agritech, connected transport and creative industries.

Spearheaded by Sunderland City Council in collaboration with the North East Combined Authority, this initiative is driving regional innovation and connectivity. The 5GIR programme has established the North East as a national leader in digital innovation and demonstrated close partnerships with industry, academia and technology providers. With investment from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), the region has accelerated the deployment of cutting-edge technologies that are shaping the future of connectivity, industry and sustainability. 

Through these four pioneering projects, the region is demonstrating how connectivity can enhance efficiency, safety and engagement, ensuring no one and nowhere is left behind. 

Opening the event at City Hall in Sunderland, Patrick Melia, chief executive of Sunderland City Council and digital lead officer for the North East Combined Authority, reinforced the region’s commitment to harnessing technology for economic growth, social impact and environmental sustainability. Patrick said: “5G innovation is not just about infrastructure, but about real-world benefits. Our goal encompasses more than leveraging technology alone, it’s focused on the impact technological advancement has on people’s lives, prospects and the opportunities it opens for them.” 

This sentiment was echoed by Rob Hamilton, chief economist at the North East Combined Authority, who highlighted that: “Technology must serve a purpose, driving real benefits for businesses and communities across the North East. 

“5G infrastructure is underpinning the region’s ambitions for economic resilience, digital inclusion and future skills development.” 

The showcase event focused on the impressive progress across four main projects, each demonstrating the vital role of advanced wireless technologies, including 5G, in reshaping regional industries: Connected Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS), Creative Industries, Smart Port and Agritech. 

Connected Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS):
One focus of the showcase was the Connected Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) project, which leverages 5G to improve the movement of people and goods across the region. Mark Wilson from Sunderland City Council’s Highways Authority said: “5G connectivity is enabling real-time traffic management, multimodal journey planning and enhanced safety measures.  

“By integrating live data, we are creating a smarter, more efficient transport network across our region, whilst demonstrating how this can be transferred and implemented throughout the UK.” 

Adrian Molloy, Head of Delivery at Boldyn Networks, discussed the role of 5G private networks in enabling autonomous vehicle integration and AI-driven analytics for transport efficiency. Simon Edwards, Senior Researcher in Inclusive Mobility at Newcastle University, further emphasised the role of CITS in supporting connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) trials, highlighting the potential for real-time data exchange between vehicles and infrastructure to optimise mobility solutions. 

Creative Industries
The showcase also featured groundbreaking applications in the Creative Industries, with a focus on immersive digital experiences and real-time broadcasting. Two major use cases were introduced: live 360º video broadcasting and the Sunderland EXPO Pavilion, one of the UK’s largest immersive screens, developed in collaboration with Animmersion and ArtAV. 

Marion Dixon, Assistant Director Regulatory Services and Events at Sunderland City Council, said: “The EXPO Pavilion serves as a dynamic digital canvas, showcasing the city’s culture, music and heritage. It’s been incredible to see live demonstrations in Keel Square – broadcast in real time using 5G-enabled cameras and dual-SIM broadcasting technology – redefining audience engagement as we merge technology and creativity to bring digital content to life in public spaces.” 

The project team at Port of Tyne – part of the 5GIR North East Showcase. 

Smart Port
On the second day, attendees visited Port of Tyne’s Innovation Hub, where Dr Jo North, innovation ecosystem director, and Mark Stoner, chief financial officer at the Port, highlighted how 5G is transforming port operations. Mark said: “The expansion of our private 5G network, in partnership with BT and Ericsson, is enabling real-time monitoring of road conditions, vehicle movements and environmental impact. This enhanced connectivity allows us to proactively manage safety risks, optimise logistics and improve operational efficiency across the Port.  

“By leveraging data-driven insights, we are creating a smarter, safer and more sustainable port environment that supports the wider supply chain and maritime industry.” 

The implementation of AI-enhanced PPE monitoring, vehicle tracking and automated maintenance insights, are further reinforcing the Port’s vision to become a smart, green and fully connected logistics hub. 

Agritech
The showcase concluded with a visit to Newcastle University’s Nafferton Farm, where attendees explored advanced wireless farm sensors for soil health monitoring and methane reduction. Dr Elisa Lopez Capel, senior lecturer in soil science at Newcastle University, demonstrated how LoRaWAN-connected sensors are providing continuous soil condition data, while James Standen, director of Newcastle University Farms, detailed the use of IoT technology in precision agriculture to improve sustainability and efficiency.  

Dr Hannah Davis of Newcastle University introduced the methane monitoring use case, explaining its critical role in reducing agriculture’s carbon footprint. By leveraging advanced wireless infrastructure, researchers have developed low-cost methane sensors, which are now installed in the dairy parlour at Nafferton Farm. This technology advances environmental sustainability whilst unlocking opportunities for carbon credits and additional revenue streams. 

The 5GIR North East Showcase reinforced the region’s status as a leader in digital transformation, demonstrating how collaboration, investment, and innovation are shaping the future. With projects already delivering tangible benefits, the North East continues to drive forward as a blueprint for connected, intelligent and sustainable communities. 

For all the latest updates on the region’s 5GIR projects, visit http://www.sunderlandoursmartcity.com/5GIR. 

How is 5G impacting the northern economy in the UK? Join industry stakeholders in discussion at Connected North 2025 live in Manchester

Press Release

Colt Technology Services (Colt), the global digital infrastructure company, today announced an expansion to its technology portfolio with Managed LEO+, a new managed service which integrates Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity with cellular 4G/5G.  Managed LEO+, now available to Colt customers across 65 countries, brings a greater choice of networking technologies to businesses with operations – such as production facilities, manufacturing sites and retail locations – in rural and hard-to-reach areas. The new service complements Colt’s fibre connectivity by providing businesses with alternative back-up options for their infrastructure and is ideal for organisations looking for rapid deployment*.

Managed LEO+ is launched following a successful trial with a global biopharmaceutical company which has operations in 30 countries, some of which are in rural locations previously underserved by network providers. The company needed a secure, sustainable, futureproof digital infrastructure to connect and integrate its operations; to run tools and applications; and to share data between sites in areas such as research and development and supply chain management.

The company required consistently high levels of performance and reliability, regardless of whether they were located in urban or rural areas. Colt’s managed LEO 4G/5G network met these requirements and more, enabling efficient remote access, improving collaboration and ensuring robust levels of regulatory compliance.

Managed LEO+ demonstrates Colt’s commitment to delivering innovative connectivity solutions which address the unique needs of its customers while maintaining business continuity in the most challenging environments.

Annette Murphy, chief commercial officer, Colt Technology Services said, “Businesses with operations in remote and hard-to-reach areas are disadvantaged by patchy, low-quality access to their enterprise networks. This isn’t just frustrating for them: it slows progress, stifles innovation and excludes them from the digital economy. Our new Managed LEO+ service complements our existing fibre network and provides an exciting new option for high-performing, secure network access – and it’s fully managed by Colt, so businesses benefit from our mission to remove complexity and make life easier for them”.

Colt’s expansive global network spans four continents, with a land-based network in 40 countries and ten subsea systems, including subsea cables and landing stations.

Managed LEO + completes Colt’s trio of digital infrastructure across land, sea, and low Earth orbit, offering wide coverage and secure, low-latency networks to help global businesses succeed.

*The site survey determines the optimal location for the satellite antenna and establishes the required works guidelines to install the necessary equipment. Following approval of the works by the customer or site owner, the deployment is scheduled taking no more than 24 hours including installation, commissioning and testing.

Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom newsletter

Also in the news:
Navigating the depths: Strategies for delivering successful subsea cable projects
Vodafone–Three reveals leadership team
French energy giant EDF offers up land for data centre projects

Digital entertainment platform Netgem TV has today announced that their IPTV box and service, which is typically bundled by broadband ISPs like Brsk, TalkTalk, Connect Fibre, CommunityFibre and others, will benefit from a new collaboration with the FIFA+ streaming platform that will bring “unparalleled access to free, high-quality football content” to users of the service.

The agreement will see FIFA+ support being added to their platform, starting with the UK and Ireland “this month“, followed by France and other regions across Europe. Netgem users in the UK will thus get access to FIFA+’s content, including original documentaries such as Ronaldinho: The Happiest Man in the World, Captains, and Golden Boot. Fans can also re-live iconic moments from past FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments, all available on-demand, among various other content.

The set-top-boxes Netgem provide – like the Netbox 4K (inc. HDR, bluetooth pairing, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, USB and Dolby Atmos sound) – tend to be similar to some of those supplied by rival video streaming companies and include an often familiar array of premium content, apps (iPlayer, itvx, 5, UKTV play, Amazon Prime Video etc.), live TV channels (Freeview) and catch-up content.

Sylvain Thevenot, Chief Commercial & Customer Officer at Netgem, said:

“We are thrilled to partner with FIFA+ to bring free, premium sports content to our users. This collaboration reinforces our dedication to providing a comprehensive and engaging entertainment experience, with a focus on delivering high-quality content at no extra cost to our audience, and further enhances the value we bring to our operator partners.”

We’re not so sure if this really does qualify as “free, premium sports content“, but it’s otherwise worth noting that FIFA+ can also be accessed by lots of different platforms too (as well as a regular web browser).