O2 and Mavenir build personalised audio support for customers with hearing loss | Total Telecom

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brown donut on white table

Press Release

O2 has carried out a proof-of-concept trial using cutting-edge technology designed to improve phone calls for customers with hearing loss.

The operator partnered with cloud-native network software provider, Mavenir, to test the capability which works seamlessly in the background. Participants use their existing phone and number as usual, with the technology working to improve call clarity by tailoring the call audio to their individual hearing needs in real time.

Participants first completed a short, automated hearing test to identify how they perceive different sound frequencies. This generated a personalised hearing profile, securely linked to their mobile number, enabling the technology to adapt how speech is delivered during calls, so conversations are clearer and easier to follow.

Unlike device-based accessibility features or third-party apps, the optimisation took place within O2’s network, allowing participants to make and receive calls as normal while benefiting from clearer, more intelligible audio.

Following the trial, nearly 90% of participants reported improvements in call clarity, helping conversations feel easier to follow and leading to fewer misunderstandings. Participants also noted reduced listening effort and a more natural calling experience.

While still at an early stage, the proof-of-concept trial demonstrates how network-based technology could help improve accessibility and everyday communication for people with hearing loss.

Mary Higgins, who is profoundly deaf and took part in the trial, said: “I usually find phone calls tiring and stressful, even with hearing aids. Making a call without them is almost impossible. Using the technology was a completely different experience, as I could hear clearly without my hearing aids and didn’t need to keep asking people to repeat themselves.”

Jorge Ribeiro, Director of Core Networks, Virgin Media O2, said: “For many people with hearing loss, making a phone call can be a difficult and frustrating experience. This trial is about using the intelligence within our network to improve that experience without asking customers to do anything differently. We are encouraged by the early results from this proof-of-concept and are excited to explore how this type of technology could support more accessible services for our customers in future.”

Brandon Larson, SVP & General Manager, Cloud, AI & IMS Business Strategy, Mavenir, said: “Core networks are a powerful platform for innovation of services and delivering new value to customers. Our partnership with Virgin Media O2 in improving the call experience for their customers with hearing loss is a great example of that”.

ow is AI supercharging the UK’s digital economy? Join the discussions at Connected Britain 2026

Also in the news
TELUS and L-SPARK give Canadian startups access to AI supercomputer
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VMO2 taps Suffolk solar farm for 10 years of clean energy

The post O2 and Mavenir build personalised audio support for customers with hearing loss appeared first on Total Telecom.

BT to Deploy Full Fibre Broadband to Business Parks Across Mid Wales | ISPreview UK

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Telecoms giant BT has today announced the Business Park Full Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) Project, which reflects the signing of a new contract with the Growing Mid Wales (GMW) programme to deliver full fibre broadband access for business parks across Mid Wales – Ceredigion and Powys. But some nearby homes will also benefit.

As usual the focus will be on business parks that currently lack access to gigabit-capable broadband lines and which are not included in existing commercial broadband rollouts, or other publicly funded programmes (e.g. Project Gigabit).

NOTE: The project forms part of the Growing Mid Wales Digital Programme and the wider Mid Wales Growth Deal – a £110m investment from the UK and Welsh Governments to support economic growth.

Beyond the identified business parks, the network build will also enable additional nearby homes and businesses to upgrade to full fibre as the network is extended through the area. But sadly BT’s announcement doesn’t name any of the business parks that are expected to benefit from this project, which makes it hard to know which homes might also benefit.

Otherwise, the contract requires BT to design and build a full-fibre network capable of supporting download speeds of up to 1 Gbps, with the flexibility to meet future demand. The network will be open access, meaning businesses will not be tied to a single provider and can choose broadband services of their choice from a range of ISPs (basically.. Openreach’s network, even though the announcement doesn’t name them).

The network rollout itself is already said to have commenced.

Susi Marston, Head of Public Sector Wales at BT, said:

“Reliable, high-quality broadband makes a real difference to how people run their businesses every day, giving them the connectivity they need to innovate and grow. This programme means more people and places can benefit from fast, dependable digital access, helping them thrive in an increasingly digital future. Wales is a key location for BT and plays a vital role in powering the UK’s economy, so investing in the digital infrastructure which will power its businesses for years to come really matters to us.”

Councillors Bryan Davies and Jake Berriman said:

“This project demonstrates the momentum already building across the Mid Wales Growth Deal, with investment translating into delivery on the ground. It is a major step forward for Mid Wales. Ensuring our business parks have access to gigabit-capable full fibre will strengthen the foundations for regional growth, improve competitiveness, and support businesses to adopt modern digital tools and services. Importantly, this project targets premises that were not in the scope of existing commercial or publicly funded programmes, ensuring the benefits of full fibre reach more of our communities and employment sites.”

BT will also deliver digital skills support for small and medium-sized businesses across Mid Wales. This will include a virtual programme, offering practical workshops, tools and tailored guidance to help businesses build digital capability and improve productivity. Targeted promotional activity will also be used to help raise awareness and engagement with the programme.

YouGov Survey Claims European Router Manufacturers Attract Trust from UK | ISPreview UK

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A new YouGov survey of 16,474 people from across 14 European countries, including the United Kingdom, has very unsurprisingly found that only 10% of respondents expressed mistrust towards European router manufacturers. The figure rises to 38% for manufacturers from the USA, 52% for China and 67% for Russia. But many don’t know where their broadband router is built.

Looking specifically at British respondents and the results aren’t all that different from the overall figures. At 70%, British consumers were shown to feel the greatest mistrust towards Russian manufacturers, followed by China (59%), the USA (36%) and finally European manufacturers only attracted a mistrust score of 11% (slightly above the average from all countries).

NOTE: The 14 countries included Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Poland.

However, modern routers are built with components from all across the world – particularly China, which raises a question mark over the real origin of the hardware and software you’re buying. The survey, which was commissioned by FRITZ! (clearly a vested interest), noted that respondents across the entire panel were often unaware of whence the routers originate.

For example, only 14% of respondents knew that devices from TP-Link originate from China and 16% mistakenly thought that the company is European, while 51% were not sure. Similarly, 49% of respondents were also unsure about the company Netgear. Only brands such as Starlink and Huawei could be associated with the correct countries of origin much more frequently: Starlink – USA (55%), Huawei – China (77%). Europe’s largest manufacturer, FRITZ!, was correctly identified by only 26% of respondents in the UK.

It is also interesting to note the perceived origin of router manufacturers for devices rented from a [broadband ISP]. In all of the participating European countries, the majority of respondents assume that rental devices from major providers are routers produced in Europe, even if they aren’t,” said the study.

All of this has relevance, and not only for security, because users were found to attach great importance to whether a device is developed and manufactured in Europe. More than half (55%) of those surveyed stated that this is important or very important to them. The figures are largely consistent across the individual countries.

London Underground Set to Complete 4G and 5G Mobile Build by End of 2026 | ISPreview UK

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Transport for London (TfL) and Boldyn Networks have published a progress update for their roll-out of 4G and 5G mobile (mobile broadband) coverage on the London Underground, which reveals that more sections of the Bakerloo, Metropolitan and Circle line are now live. The project is currently on target to complete by the end of 2026.

Just to recap. Boldyn Networks, using kit from Nokia and others, currently holds a 20-year concession deal with TfL, which was signed in June 2021 (here). The agreement allows them to deploy new mobile network infrastructure across the whole Tube (London Underground), DLR and Elizabeth line network.

NOTE: O2 (Virgin Media), EE (BT) and VodafoneThree (Vodafone and Three UK) have all signed wholesale deals to harness the neutral infrastructure, although availability may vary a bit due to differences in localised adoption, network bands etc.

The latest progress update for this reveals that customers on the Bakerloo, Metropolitan and Circle lines are now able stay connected for more of their journeys after further sections gained mobile coverage in recent months. In addition, around 60% of stations that are ‘underground’ now have coverage, and work is on track to bring coverage to the whole network by the end of the year.

In recent weeks, coverage has been introduced in the tunnelled sections on the Bakerloo line between Queen’s Park and Edgware Road, plus on the Metropolitan line between Euston Square and King’s Cross St Pancras as well as between Barbican and Moorgate. The Circle and District lines have also gained coverage between Cannon Street and Monument, Sloane Square and Victoria, and Bayswater and Paddington.

As well as tunnelled sections, busy stations including Vauxhall, Temple, Nine Elms and Gloucester Road have all now gone live. Mobile coverage has also begun to be introduced at major stations like King’s Cross St Pancras, Victoria and Paddington, which will go live in phases due to their size and complexity, focusing initially on ticket halls and platforms.

The vast majority of the Northern, Bakerloo and Metropolitan lines will have coverage in the tunnels by the end of summer this year. The expanding coverage will also host the new Emergency Services Network (ESN) – which, when fully operational, will give first responders (police, fire and ambulance) immediate access to life-saving data, images and information in live situations and emergencies.

Rebecca Bissell, Director of IT at TfL, said:

“We are delighted to be delivering more mobile coverage to our customers across our Tube network. Providing mobile coverage across our network means customers can stay better connected while they travel, allowing them to stay in contact with friends and family, shop online and keep up with the latest news and sports results. We remain focused on having 4G and 5G mobile coverage across the whole Tube network by the end of the year, and more than 600 engineers work hard overnight during limited engineering hours to help deliver this.”

Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor of London for Transport, said:

“It’s brilliant to see this continued progress on the Mayor’s promise of delivering 4G and 5G across the London Underground, with more mobile coverage for passengers across an ever-growing network of lines and stations. In an increasingly digital world, we’re committed to ensuring that all Londoners and visitors have the connections they need – even whilst on the move – as we build a better London for everyone.”

In addition, TfL and Boldyn are also working to introduce coverage to sections of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) that are under-ground, as well as the Windrush line between Highbury & Islington and New Cross.

The operators are also working to install small-cell technology on TfL assets such as lighting columns, to enhance mobile connectivity in high-footfall urban areas. Some of the capital’s busiest areas – such as King’s Cross, Waterloo, London Bridge, Old Street, The Shard and Hyde Park Corner – are already benefiting from this work.

The original goal of the London Underground deployment, which also extends to some of the London Overground network, was to reach completion by the end of 2024 (ticket halls, platforms and tunnels). But some sections of certain lines, such as those that are closer to the surface, where partial mobile coverage exists, required bespoke works and that has taken a bit longer.

New Beaufort Subsea Fibre Cable Between Ireland and UK Makes Progress | ISPreview UK

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Plans by Amazon (AWS) and Vodafone to deploy a new high‑capacity subsea fibre optic cable link between Ireland and the United Kingdom (Wales), as part of the ‘Beaufort Cable’ system, appear to be making progress, with new planning applications helping to confirm the expected landing sites.

The Beaufort Cable System is essentially envisaged as being a replacement for the ESAT‑1 cable (installed in 1999 by ESAT Telecom and later acquired by BT), which reached the end of its operational lifespan in 2024. The new cable will carry up to 96 fibre pairs within a 33 mm‑diameter unit and is targeted to be buried 1.5 metres beneath the seabed for protection.

According to a new planning application submitted to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park (Subtel Forum), Apollo Submarine Cable Systems (a subsidiary of Vodafone) are planning to bring the cable ashore at the village of Newgale in Wales (linking via a site at the Newsurf Shop Car Park, Sands Café Car Park and Duke of Edinburgh Inn). The side in Ireland will connect at a site in Kilmore Quay, Wexford.

At present we still don’t know the final timescale for deployment (pending planning approvals) or the full technical specs for the cable itself, although the deployment phase appears to be inching ever closer. The final cable is also expected to adopt a multi-branch architecture, which includes an additional subsea connection to Bude (Cornwall) in England.

Beaufort-Subsea-Fibre-Optic-Cable-Map-UK-to-Ireland

This is only the latest in a string of recent subsea cable announcements, including the new AUÐUR cable between the UK and Iceland (here), as well as the IOEMA Fibre project that will connect the UK with Northern Europe (here). Not to mention others, like 2Africa (here) or the VERENA cable between the UK and Denmark (here). Several other subsea links have also been proposed, such as a new one to link with Shetland (here) and several by Microsoft.

Study Claims Broadband is the One UK Bill That Hasn’t Gone up in a Decade | ISPreview UK

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A new study from Broadband Genie has compared the cumulative prices of common household expenses, including utilities, council tax, groceries, transport, and entertainment. The result identifies that the average cost of a “new” broadband subscription is 10% cheaper than it was in 2016.

According to the results, a decade ago a new broadband deal had an effective monthly cost of £25.19, yet today it claims that bill payers can sign up to a new deal for only £22.63 – often with much faster speeds (i.e. better value). This is said to be based on recording the effective monthly price of the “top 10 deals” from 2016 to 2026 and comparing the cumulative change to a virtual basket of goods and services from the same period.

NOTE: The results state that, back in 2016, an ultrafast deal (100Mbps+) would have cost an average of £39.65 per month, and options were few and far between. But today, an equivalent deal is 43% less than a decade ago.

By comparison, gas and electricity are 82% more expensive than they were ten years ago, while average water bills have increased by 69%. Even everyday luxuries and essentials have surged. A pint of lager is 38% pricier than it was a decade ago, while the price of a single stamp has skyrocketed by 181%.

The news is likely to frustrate those who have recently been stung by various inflation busting mid-contract price hikes, but then the catch in this study is that we’re only talking about new subscribers and thus the big first term discounts they often deploy. Equally, the study has not considered network availability, which could be an issue because many cheap and fast altnets lack strong national coverage.

Cumulative percentage price change 2016 – 2026

Category Item Cumulative change
Postage First-class stamp 181%
Entertainment Netflix (Standard Subscription) 86%
Utilities Gas and electricity 82%
Dining out Big Mac 80%
Utilities Water 69%
Holidays Package holidays 60%
Council tax Council tax (Band D) 56%
Groceries Milk 52%
Transport Rail fare 41%
Groceries Bread 40%
Groceries Freddo bar 40%
Transport New cars 40%
Dining out Pint of beer 39%
Groceries Potatoes 27%
Entertainment TV licence 24%
Utilities Broadband (cheapest deals) -10%
Utilities Broadband (Ultrafast) -43%

Naturally the situation is likely to be quite different for existing customers, particularly since many broadband consumers still don’t switch ISP and instead remain loyal (in many cases this group will face much higher prices). According to Ofcom, only 1.62 million consumers switched landline (phone) or broadband provider using the primary One Touch Switch (OTS) process in the year to September 2025 (here).

The new study goes on to claim that an estimated 8.8 million broadband customers are currently out of contract and thus paying an average of £183.60 more per year than necessary. The obvious indication is that consumers should switch to save money, although if you’re happy with your ISP or prioritise quality over price then haggling for a lower price with your existing ISP may be a better option (Retentions – Tips for Cutting Your Broadband Bill). However, your mileage from haggling will vary, as not all providers do it (big providers are usually more receptive).

In fairness the new study and its core point is valid. We can recall paying £40+ per month for a 0.5Mbps ADSL broadband connection may moons’ ago, and today you can often get gigabit speeds or better for such a price. Part of this is because modern networks are cheaper and more efficient to run, while core or backhaul capacity links are forever getting faster and often cheaper in the process. The highly competitive market also helps.

AMD, Dell and University of Cambridge set SAIL on AI lab | Total Telecom

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worm's eye-view photography of ceiling

Press Release

From accelerating scientific discovery and advancing healthcare research to transforming public services, AI is becoming a critical driver of innovation and economic growth across the U.K. To help advance the next generation of AI infrastructure and AI-powered scientific breakthroughs, AMD, Dell Technologies and the University of Cambridge have announced plans to establish the new Sovereign AI Innovation Lab (SAIL) in the United Kingdom.

The initiative represents a major step forward in the U.K.’s ambition to build world-class AI capabilities while advancing open and interoperable AI technologies.

As nations increasingly view AI as a strategic capability, leadership will depend on access to advanced models and on the ability to combine AI, computing and scientific expertise to accelerate discovery, strengthen competitiveness and fuel economic growth.

Building on a Strong Foundation for AI Research

The announcement of SAIL follows the recent expansion of the University of Cambridge’s AI Research Resource (AIRR) that includes deployment of the Zenith AI supercomputer. Powered by 5th Gen AMD EPYC™ processors and AMD Instinct™ MI355X GPU accelerators integrated into Dell infrastructure, Zenith can provide researchers and innovators with the advanced computing capabilities needed to support increasingly complex AI, simulation and scientific workloads.

Together, SAIL and Zenith will expand access to advanced AI and high-performance computing infrastructure for researchers, healthcare organizations, public-sector institutions and industry partners across the U.K.

As scientific and engineering challenges grow in complexity, access to advanced AI and high-performance computing resources becomes increasingly important. Systems such as Zenith provide researchers with the computational foundation needed to explore new approaches to discovery and innovation.

A Collaborative Hub for AI Innovation

Hosted through the University of Cambridge Research Computing Service, SAIL can serve as a collaborative environment where organizations can evaluate, develop and deploy advanced AI technologies.

The lab is expected to support a broad range of applications across scientific research, healthcare, climate science, engineering, public services and national-scale AI initiatives. By bringing together technology leaders, researchers and public-sector stakeholders, SAIL aims to accelerate the adoption of AI while helping ensure deployments are secure, trusted and scalable.

Advancing Open and Interoperable AI Infrastructure

A key focus of SAIL is the planned development of open and interoperable AI infrastructure built on AMD computing platforms, AMD ROCm™ software and cloud native technologies.

The lab will explore deployment models spanning AI training and inference, scientific foundation models, simulation-assisted AI workflows, trusted research environments and secure public-sector AI services. Through this work, SAIL aims to help organizations build AI capabilities with greater flexibility, interoperability and long-term choice.

Accelerating AI for Science

SAIL is intended to work alongside Cambridge’s growing national AI infrastructure footprint, including the Zenith AI supercomputer and the Sunrise fusion AI system developed in partnership with the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA).

Together, these systems will support a diverse range of AI-for-science applications, including healthcare research, climate modelling, materials science, engineering simulation, fusion energy research and scientific AI model development.

Many of the world’s most important scientific challenges require more than AI alone. They depend on the convergence of artificial intelligence, simulation, data and high-performance computing to accelerate discovery and deepen scientific understanding. This emerging approach – often referred to as AI for Science – is creating new opportunities across healthcare, climate science, materials research, engineering and energy.

Supporting the Future of Fusion Energy

One of the most ambitious scientific efforts supported by this expanding AI ecosystem is fusion energy research.

Sunrise is a second Dell-AMD AI supercomputer being built now; funded by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ), owned by UKAEA and operated by the University of Cambridge. Sunrise is part of a long standing UKAEA-University of Cambridge partnership and dedicated to the fusion mission.

Built on the same Cambridge-designed AMD and Dell architecture as Zenith, Sunrise is designed to help researchers tackle one of the world’s most complex scientific and engineering challenges: delivering fusion power capable of producing net-positive energy. The system also forms part of a broader effort to establish advanced AI capabilities at Culham Campus, home to the U.K.’s first AI Growth Zone.

Enabling the Next Generation of AI Infrastructure

As demand for AI continues to grow across research, industry and government, initiatives such as the Sovereign AI Innovation Lab demonstrate how open technology ecosystems and strategic partnerships can help unlock innovation at scale.

By bringing together advanced infrastructure, open software and scientific expertise, AMD, Dell and the University of Cambridge are helping to lay the foundation for the U.K.’s next era of AI-driven discovery and innovation.

Through Zenith, Sunrise and SAIL, artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and scientific research converge to accelerate discovery, strengthen competitiveness and help solve some of society’s most important challenges.

How is AI supercharging the UK’s digital economy? Join the discussions at Connected Britain 2026

Also in the news
TELUS and L-SPARK give Canadian startups access to AI supercomputer
Belden to acquire RUCKUS Networks for $1.85bn
VMO2 taps Suffolk solar farm for 10 years of clean energy

The post AMD, Dell and University of Cambridge set SAIL on AI lab appeared first on Total Telecom.

Ofcom Set to Auction Upper 1.4GHz Band for UK 4G and 5G Mobile in 2027 | ISPreview UK

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The UK telecoms regulator has today set out their plan to auction off a 25MHz (frequency) slice of the 1.4GHz radio spectrum band (i.e. the “Upper Block” of 1492 to 1517MHz) to mobile operators (EE, O2, Vodafone / Three UK) for use in their 4G and 5G based mobile broadband services, which will take place during the first half of 2027.

Just for some context. The lower part (40MHz) of the L-Band spectrum (i.e 1452 to 1492MHz) is already being used by VodafoneThree to boost their mobile data connectivity (example), albeit mostly as a Supplemental Downlink (SDL) solution. But Ofcom has long been working to clear and re-purpose the additional frequency between 1492 to 1517MHz (here) for use by mobile operators too.

The advantage of 1.4GHz is in the fact that it’s a nicely balanced band that can deliver both a fairly strong level of coverage and fast data speeds, albeit naturally only if the device being used is actually able to harness that extended frequency. Suffice to say that this could make it useful for boosting coverage both indoors and across rural areas (lower frequency signals travel further than higher frequency ones).

Ofcom UK 1400MHz vs 1500MHz Band Users

However, Ofcom’s plan to auction the upper block of 1.4GHz to mobile operators does note that it sits just below part of the 1.5GHz band, which is being used by Inmarsat‘s emergency communication satellite terminals (i.e. on ships at and near ports, and on aircraft around airports). As such Ofcom’s plan will introduce some temporary limitations on how and where the band can be harnessed.

Ofcom Statement

We will auction 1492-1517 MHz for mobile use. We will award this spectrum in a single round, sealed bid auction, and we will not impose any competition measures in the auction.

There is a risk that use of 1492-1517 MHz for mobile services could cause blocking1 to Inmarsat satellite receivers on ships and aircraft in the 1518-1559 MHz band. This could give rise to risks to safety of life at sea around the coast, and to potential disruption of operations at ports and international airports.

To mitigate these risks, use of this spectrum will be subject to limits on mobile transmissions around the coastline and at certain international airports. We will relax these limits around the coastline on 1 January 2043, and around airports on 1 January 2034. In setting these timeframes we have taken into account significant concerns raised in response to our consultation by the maritime and aviation industries and extensive engagement with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Civil Aviation Authority.

We will not protect either current or future land-based Inmarsat receivers in the 1518-1559 MHz band from potential blocking by mobile services in the 1492-1517 MHz range. We will also not protect programme-making audio links from interference by those mobile services. However, the award winner will not be authorised to begin using 1492-1517 MHz for mobile services before 11 June 2027, at least one year from the date of this statement, to give these users time to implement mitigation measures before the risk of blocking arises.

The overview section in this document is a simplified high-level summary only. The decisions we have taken and our reasoning are set out in the full document.

The compromise allows existing users, those likely to be most impacted by the auction (particularly in the maritime and aviation sectors where safety is paramount), time to adapt their systems to cope with the change.

Ofcom expects to publish their draft Auction Regulations consultation later this summer 2026, before then conducting the auction itself sometime in the first half of 2027. We suspect VodafoneThree will strongly desire to acquire the block nearest to their existing spectrum holding.

BT Business Launch Prioritised 4G and 5G Access for Mission-Critical Sectors | ISPreview UK

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Communications and broadband provider BT Business has today announced the launch of a new “prioritisation capability” delivered over EE’s commercial mobile network. The new feature, called Mission Boost ™, enables organisations in “critical sectors” to access prioritised 4G and 5G connectivity during periods of congestion or high demand.

Mission Boost is said to form part of BT’s new MissionNet™ portfolio, which reflects a mix of connectivity, cloud infrastructure and security solutions. “These have been designed to support sectors including critical national infrastructure, responders and transport, where connectivity is essential to maintaining safety, resilience and service delivery,” said the announcement.

One of the first organisations to harness Mission Boost is UK Power Networks (UKPN), with the partnership supporting field communications and network resilience across its electricity infrastructure in London, the South East and East of England.

Faisal Mahomed, Managing Director of BT, said:

“Organisations delivering critical services are operating in increasingly complex environments, where reliable communications are a must. Mission Boost is designed to provide the connectivity and capabilities that organisations need to operate with confidence – and marks an important first step as BT looks to roll out a range of enhanced new mission-critical services.”

Over time MissionNet is expected to evolve and incorporate additional capabilities, spanning from contact management to applications such as push-to-talk – designed to integrate more seamlessly into operational environments.

Ofcom Close UK Broadband ISP Switching Enforcement Programme | ISPreview UK

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The UK telecoms, media and internet content regulator, Ofcom, has closed their enforcement programme for the newest consumer broadband and phone switching system (One Touch Switching). The regulator found that, despite some initial problems, the majority of customers are now successfully switching providers using OTS.

The OTS system, which went live on 12th September 2024 via a central messaging platform that is run by the industry-funded One Touch Switching Company (TOTSCo), is a Gaining Provider Led (GPL) process where the customer contacts their new (“gaining“) ISP to start and manage the process on their behalf.

NOTE: All communications providers switching a residential customer’s Internet Access Service and/or Number-based Interpersonal Communications Service, which is provided at a fixed location, are in scope of Ofcom’s OTS rules, and must follow the OTS process.

However, regular readers may recall that this system had a bit of a bumpy start, due in part to TOTSCo’s platform initially being in somewhat of a beta state and a number of ISPs failing to fully support the platform at launch. Nevertheless, various improvements have been made since then, and the system is already helping around 1.8 million consumers to switch ISP every year (it’s also in the process of being extended to business connections).

Despite the improvements, OTS does still sometimes suffer from problems, such as with matching customer details between providers and the fact that a very small number of providers are still not always adhering to the OTS process. But TOTSCo are working on improvements (here) and Ofcom now seems generally pleased enough with its performance.

Ofcom Statement on OTS Enforcement

On 3 April 2023, Ofcom introduced new rules regarding the process for residential customers to switch their broadband and/or landline services. This new process, One Touch Switch (OTS), is a requirement under Conditions C7.18 – C7.27 of Ofcom’s General Conditions.

Under OTS, a customer’s new provider must organise the switch. This removes the need for customers to speak with their current provider to cancel their contract before switching, which can put customers off changing providers. As such, OTS provides a simpler and quicker switching process, allowing customers to shop around with ease to find the best price and services for their needs.

Despite extensive engagement prior to the implementation deadline, industry failed to implement OTS by 3 April 2023. As a result, Ofcom opened an industry-wide enforcement programme on the same day. The objectives for the programme were to ensure that OTS was delivered to a high standard as quickly as possible, and that it works effectively and reliably for customers in accordance with agreed specifications.

OTS was successfully launched for most customers on 12 September 2024. From the point of launch, Ofcom monitored the progress that providers were taking to increase the number of customers who were able to benefit from OTS. Through this, we became aware of issues affecting the matching rates between different providers. In January 2025 we issued a formal information request to understand the issue and its impact on consumers.

Based on this evidence we concluded that, across industry as a whole, the majority of customers are successfully switching providers using OTS. Our analysis did, however, show that some providers were using an alternative switching method (i.e. something other than OTS) when repeated match attempts via OTS had failed. We engaged with relevant providers on this point and are now satisfied that usage of this alternative switching method has stopped.

Accordingly, Ofcom is now closing this enforcement programme. Ofcom will continue to closely monitor industry-wide compliance with our OTS rules. Should we identify evidence that communication providers are failing to participate adequately in OTS, we will not hesitate to take enforcement action.