Broadband ISP Youfibre, which is one of the retail outlets for Netomnia’s (Brsk) 10Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network, has begun to distribute a new router to customers of their top 2Gbps and 7Gbps (average speed) packages. But unlike the Asus AXE16000 router they shipped before, the new kit is their first own-brand device and more will follow.

Just for some context. Netomnia’s full fibre network currently covers over 2.08 million premises across parts of more than 90 UK cities and towns, but they’re aiming to reach 3 million homes and businesses by the end of 2025. The network is also home to a total of 238,000 customers via Brsk and Youfibre, and they have an ambition to reach 1 million customers by 2028.

The good news today is that Youfibre appear to be starting to distribute their first own brand Wi-Fi 7 (tri-band) routers to customers of their top symmetric speed 2Gbps (1800Mbps) and 7Gbps broadband packages – these normally cost from just £49.99 and £99.99 per month, respectively, on an 18-month minimum contract term with no setup fees.

After asking the ISP about this we discovered that the new kit, which was first spotted by one of our readers (credits to Dan Jenkin‘s for the picture), appears to be based off Sagemcom‘s high-spec F@ST 5599 model (aka – “Hub Pro“) that features the BCM68572 chip (SoC) from Broadcom. Except the unit’s case has been physically re-modelled and re-branded for Youfibre.

Youfibre Hub Pro Router – Headline Features

2.4GHz Wi-Fi (3×3 Wi-Fi 7 – BCM6711)

5GHz Wi-Fi (4×4 Wi-Fi 7 – BCM6726)

6GHz Wi-Fi (4×4 Wi-Fi 7 – BCM67263)

1 x 10GE WAN Port

1 x 10GE and 4 x 1GE LAN Ports

1 x FXS (Phone / VoIP) Port

1 x USB Port (details unclear)

1GB DDR4 RAM

4GB eMMC Flash

The provider also confirmed to ISPreview that they were preparing a smaller (lower spec and cheaper) variant of this device for their 1Gbps and slower tiers, but this isn’t expected to be ready for a full launch for another 3 months or so. At present only a few of Youfibre’s newest customers are receiving this kit, seemingly as part of a trial, and indeed it doesn’t yet show up on their website.

News

The cable will provide vital connectivity to various research communities on Earth’s most extreme continent

This week, the Chilean Undersecretariat of Telecommunications (Subtel) and the Development Bank for Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) have announced the hiring of Pioneer Consulting and Salience Consulting to produce a feasibility study for a submarine fibre-optic cable to connect continental Chile to Antarctica.

“This study will allow us to know if the conditions exist to carry out this project. Telecommunications and digitalization are the driving force of development in our country and in the entire region. In this sense, Chile is building a solid technological platform that will allow, among other things, the connection of the Antarctic territory with the rest of the world,” explained Chile’s Undersecretary of Telecommunications, Claudio Araya.

Discussions around building a potential cable linking Puerto Williams, situated near Cape Horn, on Chile’s southernmost point, to King George Island, Antarctica, have been ongoing since 2021.

The decision to explore the creation of an Antarctic submarine cable came, at least in part, because of the deployment of the 3,000km Fibra Optica Austral cable, which came into service in Q1 of 2020. Built by Subtel, the cable serves as a backbone for the southern half of Chile, with its southernmost landing point being at Puerto Williams. It is the proximity of this landing station to Antarctica that has made an Antarctic subsea link viable for the first time.

Antarctica is one of the most inhospitable environments on earth and is populated almost entirely by scientific research personnel. With no indigenous population, the number of inhabitants on the continent instead fluctuates from around 1,000 during the harsh winter months to around 4,400 during the summer, with around 1,000 additional staff living on boats in surrounding waters.

All of these staff require connectivity, something which is currently underpinned primarily by very-small-aperture terminal (VSAT) satellite systems, which access geosynchronous or geostationary satellites to relay data.

As such, a submarine cable linking to the continent would represent a significant boost in capabilities, allowing for more rapid and robust data transfer for researchers.

On the other hand, deploying such a cable will be a challenging and expensive process, potentially carrying with it geopolitical weight. While the White Continent has been broadly politically stable since the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959, tensions over territorial claims, climate change, and potential resources are growing. Control over the continent’s sole submarine cable will be an important asset for Chile in this context.

Given this backdrop, the study for the new cable will examine the technical, legal, economic, financial, environmental, social, governance, and geopolitical issues surrounding the implementation of the cable system, which would span a minimum of 1,000km.

The study is expected to be concluded in April 2026.

Join the submarine cable industry in discussion at Submarine Networks EMEA, the world’s largest submarine network event

Also in the news:
Vodafone reports strong Q3 growth amid Germany challenges
CEO of AireBeam discusses ‘secret sauce’ behind ISP’s growth
BT scraps managerial DEI targets

The Government’s Building Digital UK (BDUK) agency has made a change today that re-opens their Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS) for parts of Devon in England, which means that local homes and businesses in poorly served rural areas can apply for big grants to help get a much faster broadband ISP network installed.

Just to recap. The GBVS usually offers grants worth up to £4,500 to help rural premises get a gigabit-capable broadband (1Gbps) ISP service installed, which is available to areas with speeds of “less than 100Mbps” – assuming there are also no near-term plans for a gigabit deployment in the same area (either via private investment or state-aid).

However, the GBVS has been operating with a very low level of UK availability for the past 1-2 years (i.e. it’s not currently available to most counties), which is largely to ensure that it avoids conflicting (i.e. duplicating / wasting public investment) with Project Gigabit’s larger Gigabit Infrastructure Subsidy (GIS) programme (i.e. the big build contracts that have been awarded to operators like Fibrus, Openreach, Wessex Internet and many others).

The good news today is that BDUK have updated their GBVS availability page to re-add Devon (South West England) back into the table, which is currently supported by several region-specific voucher suppliers – Openreach, Technological Services, Evolve and Bush Broadband.

The move is useful as it comes after Airband scaled-back their state-aid supported FTTP broadband deployment contract under the Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) programme in 2024 (here), which also followed the termination of Truespeed’s similar deal in 2022 (here). Suffice to say that some locations negatively affected by those terminations may be able to benefit from vouchers.

The GBVS is currently also available to poorly served parts of Derbyshire, the Isle of Wight, Newcastle and North Tyneside, Greater London, Merseyside and Great Manchester, Birmingham and the Black Country.

Insight

Vitrifi, an autonomic networking company, is changing how mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are managed in the fibre broadband industry.  It’s vendor-neutral, cloud-based platform enables networks to integrate efficiently, reducing the complexity and cost of consolidation.

Accelerating fibre market integration

Merging network assets after an acquisition is often slow, expensive and technically difficult due to incompatible systems.  Vitrifi’s platform eliminates these obstacles, shortening integration timelines from years to months.  This allows network operators to accelerate service deployment, enhance reliability, and generate revenue more quickly.

A cost-effective approach to growth

Vitrifi’s platform is offered as a scalable service, with costs based on usage rather than fixed integration fees.  This model makes acquisitions more financially viable by removing the need for expensive, time-consuming IT projects.  Investors and operators can expand their networks without the usual financial and operational hurdles.

Encouraging greater industry collaboration

Beyond M&A, Vitrifi’s technology fosters broader industry cooperation by allowing network operators to connect without technical constraints.  This supports new wholesale agreements and market expansion, increasing access to high-quality fibre services.

Proven compatibility across network environments

Vitrifi has successfully deployed its platform across a range of network systems, demonstrating its ability to integrate different vendor technologies without performance issues.  This ensures that operators can adopt new infrastructure with confidence, free from compatibility concerns.

A smarter future for fibre broadband

“Our platform removes the biggest challenges in fibre broadband M&A, cutting integration times and unlocking faster returns.  We’re giving operators the tools to connect networks, collaborate, and scale without unnecessary delays or costs,” said Richard Jeffares, co-founder and CEO of Vitrifi.

Join Vitrifi and the rest of the UK broadband industry at Connected Britain 2025, the UK’s leading digital economy event

About Vitrifi

Established in 2021, and headquartered in London, UK – Vitrifi is an innovative SaaS platform designed to transform the telecoms industry’s fragmented legacy systems into a unified, data-driven ecosystem. By treating everything as data, Vitrifi enables operators to deliver seamless customer journeys while automatically fixing, adapting and optimising processes in real time.

This revolutionary approach empowers telecoms operators to overcome the limitations of legacy systems, creating a platform that reflects the ideal infrastructure they would build from scratch today. Leveraging live analytics, machine learning and AI, Vitrifi’s autonomic ecosystem integrates seamlessly to deliver unparallelled efficiency and performance.

With Vitrifi, telecoms operators can streamline workflows, enhance operational efficiency, and deliver exceptional customer experiences, paving the way for long-term transformation and success.

To learn more, visit www.vitrifi.net

News

The open beta testing phase will allow customers from AT&T and Verizon to also trial the satellite service

In a Superbowl commercial last weekend, T-Mobile announced the launch of T-Mobile Starlink, a new satellite-based service that aims to eliminate mobile dead zones in remote areas of the US.

The service uses SpaceX’s low Earth orbit (LEO) Starlink satellites to provide coverage to areas that terrestrial infrastructure currently does not reach, ensuring US customers have access to connectivity whenever they can see the sky, using their normal smartphone.

For now, the service is limited to text messaging, with voice and data services to be added in future.

Private beta testing for selected T-Mobile customers has been underway since December, with this week seeing the service offered to the wider public for the first time.

The service is now in its public beta phase, meaning the second phase of software testing, where a sample of the intended audience tries out a product or service.

“T-Mobile Starlink is the first and only space-based mobile network in the US that automatically connects to your phone so you can be connected even where no cellular network reaches. It’s a massive technical achievement and an absolute game changer for ALL wireless users,” said Mike Sievert, President and CEO, T-Mobile.

When Sievert talks about ‘ALL wireless users’ here, he is not being hyperbolic – the service is now being offered to AT&T and Verizon customers alongside T-Mobile’s own subscribers.

The service will be free for all users until the service’s commercial launch in July this year, after which users will have the option to access Starlink’s direct-to-device services for an additional fee ($15 per month for T-Mobile customers and $20 per month for AT&T/Verizon customers).

T-Mobile’s Go5G Next and Go5G Business Next customers will receive the service at no additional cost.

“We’re still in the early days — I don’t want to overhype the experience during a beta test — but we’re officially putting ‘no bars’ on notice. Dead zones, your days are numbered at the Un-carrier.”

Join us at Connected America, 11-12 March in Texas. Get discounted tickets here!

Also in the news:
Vodafone reports strong Q3 growth amid Germany challenges
CEO of AireBeam discusses ‘secret sauce’ behind ISP’s growth
BT scraps managerial DEI targets

As enterprises increasingly adopt advanced Generative AI (GenAI) for security and efficiency, Globe is making notable progress in integrating this technology to streamline operations, optimize network performance, and elevate customer service.

A GSMA outlook for 2025 showed that telco operators around the world are looking to AI in driving business objectives, including better customer experience and enhancing financial performance.

Globe’s commitment in AI reflects these findings, according to Anton Bonifacio, Globe’s Chief AI Officer: “The integration of generative AI is central to our efforts to improve both our operational processes and the services we provide. AI enables us to drive efficiency and sustainability, ensuring that we meet the evolving needs of our customers and the environment.”

The company leverages GenAI in its network to prevent service interruptions and improve uptime, while also applying it in backend operations to ensure more efficient energy use.

To further its AI initiatives, Globe has established a dedicated AI Group and appointed Bonifacio as Chief AI Officer, the first in the Philippines. This shift demonstrates Globe’s long-term commitment to AI across its operations, ensuring it stays at the forefront of technological innovation.

In customer service, Globe is looking to adopt AI models that understand Tagalog that will serve as conversational AI to better understand and respond to customer queries, reduce wait times, and increase satisfaction.

GCash, Globe’s financial services arm, benefits from AI through automated credit scoring, enabling faster, more accurate loan approvals for millions of customers.

Globe also views AI as a powerful tool to make employees happier by streamlining tasks, improving work-life balance, and freeing up time for more impactful work. This, in turn, drives better customer experiences and, ultimately, increases shareholder value.

Employees are also empowered to build their own bots to address their own work needs and enhance workflow and productivity.

For Globe, responsible AI is a critical component in driving sustainable digital transformation.  It has adopted the GSMA’s industry-first Responsible AI (RAI) Maturity Roadmap to ensure its AI delivers business value while contributing to sustainable development.

For more information on Globe’s AI initiatives, visit https://www.globe.com.ph/.

New York – February 4, 2025 – Lightpath, an all-fiber, infrastructure-based connectivity provider revolutionizing how organizations connect to their digital destinations, announced the company has closed the transaction to acquire substantially all of the assets of United Fiber and Data (UFD). The company also introduced LightCube Edge Data Centers that will be first deployed along its NYC-Ashburn strategic network route. 

The asset additions elevate Lightpath’s position in the digital infrastructure industry and expand its reach in the New York Metro and Ashburn markets. Lightpath adds the geographically diverse, 323-mile NYC-Ashburn route, as the company continues to amass new and unique route options between these markets. Lightpath also adds 79-miles of metro fiber in New Jersey and New York City, and approximately 250 new commercial service locations in Manhattan. Lightpath now offers over 1,500 enterprise and data center service locations in Manhattan alone, a 5x increase over the last 3 years. 

Click here to View Maps of the Lightpath and UFD Networks

NYC-Ashburn Route: Geographically Diverse and Lowest Latency

Lightpath’s New York City to Ashburn network route is geographically diverse from typical network routes along the I-95 corridor and offers the industry’s lowest latency between the largest population center in the country and the largest data center and cloud ecosystem in the world. Service options on this route include dark fiber and wavelengths up to 800 Gbps. 

“This route represents a unique opportunity for customers to connect these critical markets with diversity, latency management, and soon the addition of edge compute facilities,” explained Tim Haverkate, EVP of Major Infrastructure Solutions, Lightpath. “Lightpath has seen surging demand on this route, with nearly 25% of the cable under contract, a 3.5x increase since the transaction was initially announced. Further, we are engaged in active conversations with 20 customers resulting in an opportunity pipeline that would oversubscribe the route as it exists today.”

Lightpath customers can connect to almost any data center in the Ashburn region and in total can connect to over 140 data centers across its footprint. Lightpath can route customers from any on-net data centers in New York Metro or Boston Metro to Ashburn utilizing this route. Lightpath can also deliver routing options along the I-95 corridor to support services on the NYC-Ashburn route. 

LightCube: Connected Edge Data Centers for AI Services and Edge Compute

Lightpath also introduced LightCube edge data centers – modular, secure, and customizable facilities that fully support the capacity for 864-count fiber cables and the corresponding space and power for edge compute workloads. Lightpath will be upgrading four existing ILAs on the NYC-Ashburn route with new LightCubes in response to customer demand.  

Learn More about LightCube Edge Data Centers here.

“This route represents a strategic addition to the Lightpath network extending our reach from the Northeast into the ever-expanding data center ecosystem in Ashburn,” stated Chris Morley, CEO, Lightpath. “We will continue to aggressively pursue organic and inorganic opportunities to meet both the metro and the long-haul requirements on behalf of our hyperscaler, carrier, and enterprise customers.” 

# # #

About Lightpath

Lightpath is revolutionizing how customers connect to their digital destinations by combining our next-generation network with our next-generation customer service. Lightpath’s advanced fiber-optic network offers a comprehensive portfolio of custom-engineered connectivity solutions with unparalleled performance, reliability, and security. Our consultative customer service means we work with you to design, deliver, and support the solution for your unique needs, faster and more easily than ever before. For over 30 years, thousands of enterprises, governments, and educators have trusted Lightpath to power their organization’s innovation. Lightpath is jointly owned by Altice USA (NYSE: ATUS) and Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners.

To learn how Lightpath can connect you to your digital destinations, visit lightpathfiber.com

For media inquiries:

JSA for Lightpath

1-866-695-3629 ext. 13

jsa_lightpath@jsa.net

Corby-based internet service provider Rocket Fibre has revealed that they’re looking to expand their existing roll-out of a Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based gigabit broadband network. The operator currently holds an “initial ambition” of being able to cover 21,000 “customers” in Northamptonshire (England) with the new network.

At present the ISP already offers broadband packages to customers via CityFibre’s and OFNL’s national UK broadband networks, but more recently they’ve started to conduct small-scale FTTP deployments of their own in parts of Northamptonshire (seemingly in bits of Corby). Packages on this tend to be priced from £25 per month for 100Mbps (symmetric) speeds on an 18-month contract term, which rises to £75 for 2Gbps.

However, Rocket Fibre is now seeking Code Powers from Ofcom, which are typically sought to help speed-up or expand deployments of new fibre optic networks and to cut costs, not least by reducing the number of licences needed for street works. The powers can also help with supporting access to run new fibre via Openreach’s (BT) existing cable ducts and poles (PIA).

The related application for this indicates that Rocket Fibre’s own-built fibre network would be made available on a wholesale basis to its “clients” (we assume this extends to other ISPs too) and that Code Powers would also support efforts to connect its network at data centres in London, Corby and the Midlands, as well as others across the UK.

Needless to say that launching a new altnet into an already overcrowded market, which is also under considerable strain due to high builds costs and high interest rates, is currently quite a risky proposition. But we’ll keep an eye on Rocket Fibre to see how their own-build plans progress over the next few years. At present there aren’t many public details available to go off.

Customers of Sky’s broadband-based pay TV streaming service and devices may be interested to learn that the company has today introduced the first of their next generation Sky Glass Gen 2 televisions, which features an even brighter 4K HDR screen and an enhanced seven-speaker Dolby Atmos® sound system built in. This will be followed by SkyGlass Air “later this year“.

Sky are continuing their gradual efforts to move away from satellite-based TV services, and the new Sky Glass Gen 2 TVs will clearly play their part in that. The TVs, which come with Sky’s streaming chops (Sky OS) already built-in, will be available to buy from tomorrow, starting from just £14 per month via Sky.com, Sky’s stores, Sky call centres and Currys.co.uk.

The pay TV giant will offer three sizes of Sky Glass Gen 2 TVs to choose from – 43″, 55″ and 65″, as well as three updated colours, Volcanic Grey, Arctic Silver and Atlantic Blue. Cosmetically, they’re a modest refinement on Sky’s original design, albeit with a brighter 4K Quantum Dot display and enhanced Dolby Atmos® sound via seven speakers (including a soundbar and dual subwoofer built-in).

The new TV stand is also designed to be easier than before, with two prongs that the TV slides onto, no screws or tools needed. Alternatively, people can choose to add the new bespoke wall mount, that tilts, swivels and sits completely flush against the wall.​ It is also compatible with universal TV mounts for anyone who already has their own.

Fraser Stirling, Sky’s Global Chief Product Officer, said:

“We built Sky Glass as a brilliantly simple way for people to watch TV, making it easier to find the things they love from Sky and streaming apps. The new Sky Glass Gen 2 gives people our best TV experience yet, with a brighter picture and even more cinematic sound, and with flexible ways to buy it, it’s more affordable than ever to get Sky TV.”

Customers can pay for the new Sky Glass like a mobile phone, either all in one go, or spread the cost with interest-free monthly payments from as little at £14 per month for the 43” model, £19 a month for the 55”, or £24 a month for the 65”. They can also choose the length of TV subscription they want, with a 24-month TV subscription offering the best price, or a 31-day rolling contract for more flexibility.

Take note that Sky’s new Essential TV content pack starts at just £15 a month for new customers. Alternatively there’s the premium Sky Ultimate TV plan, from £22 a month – this includes everything in Sky Essential TV, plus even more channels such as Sky Max, Sky Comedy, Sky Documentaries, Sky Crime, Sky History, Sky Showcase and many more.

Breaking news.. more to follow..

Networking kit manufacturer TP-Link, which produces a lot of affordable broadband routers, WiFi extenders and smart home devices for ISPs and consumers, has this morning announced the opening of its “largest” UK and Ireland National Distribution Centre to date in Newbury.

The new 72,000-square-foot warehouse is said to be “double the size” of any previous TP-Link facilities, boasts a 50% increase in storage capacity allowing faster deliveries, greater stock availability and improved service for business, retail and ISP customers. The company hopes this will help them to meet the demands of customers more effectively.

“By streamlining logistics, the new facility reduces goods handling time by 62% and cuts resource usage by 66%, making operations significantly leaner. It means customers can expect shorter lead times and enhanced supply reliability, while ISPs benefit from new service opportunities like direct fulfilment and pre-configured product deliveries,” added the announcement.

Looking ahead, TP-Link said they have already provisioned two additional expansion phases to help meet the growing demands, although they didn’t specify what this would entail.

Nelson Qiao, MD of TP-Link UK, said:

“At TP-Link, innovation is not just about technology but also about delivering a better customer experience for our partners and customers. This new facility allows us to work faster, stock more and support businesses, retailers and ISPs like never before – helping them stay ahead of constantly changing market demands.”

The company has come a long way over the past few years, and their kit tends to be fairly capable. But over in the USA there have been reports of investigators at the Commerce, Defence and Justice departments opening probes into TP-Link’s routers, due to alleged ties to Chinese cyberattacks. Some members of Congress have even called for a ban on the sale of their kit (Independent).

On the flip side, TL-Link has denied the claims, said it is unaffiliated with the China company and that its products are assembled in Vietnam. “Contrary to claims of widespread vulnerabilities, comparative data places TP-Link on par with, or in some cases ahead of, other major industry players in terms of security outcomes,” said a spokesperson for TP-Link.

All routers can and do suffer from security vulnerabilities, although not all manufacturers are as effective at patching these as others. But we’ve also seen how some similar security fears about Huawei and ZTE ended up being followed by bans in other countries.