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Network operator Openreach has this week launched a new enhancement to their Optical Spectrum Extended Access (OSEA) portfolio, which will enable UK data centres and telecoms operators to deploy higher-capacity connectivity between sites with support for multiple wavelengths each carrying up to 1.6Tbps (Terabits per second) of capacity. (more…)
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Network access provider Openreach (BT) has this morning announced that they intend to expand their ongoing pilot of 10Gbps capable XGS-PON based Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP technology, which over the next 12 months will be made available to “more than a million premises” across the United Kingdom. But a third of its full fibre network could be covered over the next 5 years. (more…)
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Network benchmarking giant Ookla (Accenture), which collects data from consumers via their popular broadband and mobile Speedtest.net service, has cleverly used data collected from Smartphones using Starlink’s 4G mobile satellite data connectivity to map the size of their individual Direct-to-Cell (DTC) beams in the real-world. (more…)
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According to the Home Office, the non-emergency police 101 service receives around 20 million calls per year, roughly 20% (4 million) of which are in fact intended for other services, like local councils.
Now, a new AI software is being introduced to assess calls and redirect callers to relevant services without needing to connect them to a call handler. This means erroneous callers can quickly be removed from the system, easing the workload for the call hander, reducing queuing times, and reducing wasted time for the callers.
In addition to removing calls made error, the system will also include deliberate nuisance calls, which have historically included novelty complaints about delayed pizza deliveries and slow service at the local pub. Indeed, even during a pilot of the new AI service, the system reportedly screened out calls attempting to report a missing umbrella and asking the local police to give them a lift.
By making the 101 system more efficient, the new AI service is expected to save policing up to £8.5 million each year.
“Police call handlers are wasting hours fielding calls meant for other organisations. Every minute spent on these calls is time taken away from helping people who genuinely need their support,” said Crime and Policing Minister, Sarah Jones. “AI is already helping police catch dangerous criminals and speed up investigations. Now, it will help bring control rooms into the 21st century, freeing up time and unlocking millions of pounds. Forces can reinvest those savings into tackling the crime on our streets.”
The AI service was co-developed by Home Office and National Police Chiefs’ Council in partnership with delivery partner Vodafone Business, backed by £1.4 million in government investment.
It forms part of more widespread police reform initiatives, which are investing £16.5 million to modernise how the police and public interact. Alongside the new 101 triage system, this will include AI that transcribes 999 and 101 calls, and links crime reports to identify patterns in demand.
Is AI being used effectively to optimise public services? Join the discussion at Connected Britain 2026, the UK’s largest digital economy event
Also in the news
Shared Rural Network rollout extends to UK national parks with over 150 4G masts live
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The post New AI system set to triage non-emergency police calls appeared first on Total Telecom.
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The Government has published its new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) for England, which finally appears to have laid the foundations for planning authorities to give “substantial weight” to the benefits of “maintaining or improving network coverage, capacity, reliability and resilience” of modern gigabit broadband and 5G mobile networks. (more…)
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With the explosion of interest in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites and direct-to-device (D2D) satellite services in recent years, the UK government is racing to secure the country’s place as a space innovator.
Between 2024 and 2025, the UK government said it catalysed £2.2 billion in investment and revenue for the UK space sector, a move it said was crucial to ensuring a sovereign and competitive satellite industry.
Today, the UK Space Agency has announced a further £13 million in funding for a range of UK-based satellite initiatives, aiming to boost the sector’s development and deliver economic benefits across the country. These 16 projects selected for support cover a wide range of topics, from technical R&D work to pilot connectivity projects in rural locations.
The largest tranche of the funding – £2.1 million – is going to the STARS project by Exobotics Ltd, which aims to develop “next-generation optical communications capability designed to provide ultra-fast, resilient and near real-time connectivity for satellite operators”. This will take the form of a satellite relay network, used to rapidly transmit mission-critical data.
Other large tranches are being given to Project Optimus (£1.845 million), a laser communications system that can transmit data between satellites and the ground at over 100 Gbps; Airbus’s Theia project (£1.5 million), which aims to make satellite processor functions reprogrammable and customisable while still in orbit; and the QUAKES (Quick Universal Array for Ka-band, E-band, and S-band Earth Stations) project (£1.71 million) from Orbital Astronautics Ltd, which is developing a compact, portable ground station that can be rapidly deployed and connect to multiple satellites at once.
Some of the smaller grants were given to projects with far more tangible benefits for UK citizens. CGI’s SODOR (Satellites for Digitalisation of Railways) project, for example, has been given £428,000 to fit a ScotRail train West Highland Line with satellite communications equipment, providing reliable broadband in one of the UK’s most remote rail corridors.
Additionally, the Gardens, Allotments and Urban Farming Facilitator (GAUFF) Sensor project (£199,000) from agricultural connectivity specialist Farmer Charlie will support the development of satellite-linked agricultural sensors that are designed to work in locations where terrestrial connectivity is poor.
“By combining affordable sensors with satellite connectivity, we are making it easier for growers to make informed decisions, improve productivity and farm more sustainably anywhere in the UK,” said Betty Bonnardel MBE, CEO of Farmer Charlie.
All of these projects will be delivered through the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Advanced Research in Telecommunication Systems (ARTES) programme, which is supported by the UK Space Agency, itself part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
“This investment shows how innovations in the UK’s satellite sector can improve lives, with better connectivity delivering internet access for more train journeys, and smarter farming,” said Space Minister Liz Lloyd. “By backing brilliant British companies, we are not only furthering our status as one of the world’s leading space powers, but creating high-quality jobs and new opportunities across the UK.”
A complete breakdown of the funding commitment to each of the 16 projects is available here.
Satellites are increasingly being recognised as critical part of the UK’s telecommunications infrastructure. According to a government fact sheet from 2024 around 18% of the UK’s GDP (£454 billion) is reliant on satellite connectivity
Is the UK doing enough to support rural connectivity? Join the discussion at Connected Britain 2026, the UK’s largest digital economy event
Also in the news
Shared Rural Network rollout extends to UK national parks with over 150 4G masts live
Vodafone touts latest attempt to bridge the UK’s digital divide
Virgin Media O2 cuts 5,200 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions
The post Rail Wi-Fi and farming sensors: UK govt awards £13m to 16 satellite projects appeared first on Total Telecom.
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UK ISP Exascale, which has built their own gigabit speed full fibre (FTTP) network to a few thousand premises in parts of Shropshire (Telford and Wrekin) and also sells packages via other network operators (CityFibre), have announced that they’ll reduce their broadband prices by £3 (monthly) for UK customers that bring their own router. But that’s not the only change. (more…)
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Broadband and telecoms provider KCOM, which has built their own full fibre (FTTP) network across parts of East Yorkshire (mostly Hull) and Lincolnshire in England, has this week become the latest ISP to adopt Amazon’s Wi-Fi 7 capable eero 7 (and eero 7 Pro) routers for new broadband customers of their internet access packages. (more…)
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Edinburgh-based UK alternative network operator GoFibre, which is deploying a new full fibre (FTTP) broadband network across rural parts of Scotland and Northern England, has revealed that over 1,000 “customers [are] now connected” to their recent roll-out across the coastal Scottish Borders town of Eyemouth (the town is home to a population of c.3,600). (more…)
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Rochdale-based UK ISP Zen Internet has today announced the launch of a new capability for their Partners called Simple Switch, which is being introduced “at no additional cost” and makes it easier to migrate broadband customers without needing to reconfigure router usernames and passwords in “most scenarios“. (more…)