Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The UK’s biggest alternative 10Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband operator, CityFibre, has this morning revealed that over one million households and businesses are now making the most of their national network (up from 848,000 at the end of 2025 – here).

The company’s full fibre (FTTP – XGS-PON) network currently covers over 4.7 million UK premises (4.5m Ready for Service) and they still aspire to reach 8 million in the future. In addition, the operator also holds nine Project Gigabit contracts, although these were significantly scaled-back last week (here).

Alongside its full fibre broadband services, CityFibre is also a provider of Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) to mobile operators, enterprises and local authorities, which now connects almost 16,000 sites including schools, hospitals and GP surgeries across the UK.

Simon Holden, CEO of CityFibre, said:

“We have built a nationwide, full fibre network to be proud of and, today, CityFibre is trusted by millions to power their digital lives. The UK shifted up a gear with the arrival of the altnets and CityFibre continues to challenge the incumbents and deliver the benefits of competition to households, businesses and partners right across the country.”

Liz Lloyd, UK Telecoms Minister, said:

“This milestone shows the difference government’s pro-investment environment is making, helping bring fast, reliable broadband to homes and businesses in some of the UK’s hardest-to-reach communities.

Our investment in broadband infrastructure, including through Project Gigabit, is helping companies like CityFibre reach more communities, faster. We’ll continue to remove barriers to rollout and back the investment needed to deliver the digital infrastructure people rely on every day — whether that’s working, learning, running a business or staying connected with friends and family.”

Breaking news.. more to follow..

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Press Release

Vodafone Business and Geely Technology Europe (GTEU), the European R&D organisation within Geely Auto Group, have extended their partnership to include Internet in the Car, Mobile Private Networks, and Cloud Connect solutions.

The Internet in the Car service from Vodafone Business supports capabilities such as diagnostics and over-the-air software updates, while Cloud Connect ensures secure data transfer between vehicles and cloud systems. This means Geely can monitor vehicle’s performance and support improvements to the driver experience.

In addition, Vodafone provides secure and reliable connectivity across Geely Technology Europe’s operations in Germany and Sweden, as well as with its pan-European sales teams.

GTEU plays a key role in developing the vehicle architectures, digital platforms, and intelligent systems. These provide customers with highly responsive integrated in-car internet and digital services such as dynamic electric vehicle (EV) charging planning and 3D lane guidance. Central to this is equipping vehicles with the latest software, data, and connected services.

Moving beyond simple transport solutions

Giovanni Lanfranchi, CEO at Geely Technology Europe, said: “We’ve moved beyond simple transport solutions. Today, vehicles can be continuously improved through software, with data and connectivity enabling a more responsive and personalised user experience over time.”

Vodafone Business’ vehicle services support GTEU in responding to customer insights, continuously enhancing its vehicles long after they leave the showroom. One example is Zeekr Navigation, where secure, always‑on connectivity enables instant in‑vehicle customer feedback. This shortens development cycles and improves GTEU’s ability to identify issues and deploy improvements rapidly.

Fanan Henriques, Vodafone Business Product and International Business Director of Vodafone Business, added: “As the adoption rate of electric vehicles continues to grow, the opportunities to enhance their safety, efficiency and the user experience through digital connectivity are significant.

“We’re supporting Geely’s growth in vehicle sales across Europe and its operations with a secure, multi-service digital infrastructure.”

98% of vehicles connected

Vodafone Business is providing solutions tailored to international cybersecurity, data protection, and regulatory compliance needs, while enabling Geely to scale rapidly across regions by leveraging Vodafone’s extensive global network. For example, Vodafone Internet in the Car service combines Vodafone’s global managed Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity platform, which currently has over 240 million connections worldwide, with local internet service providers.

By 2030, it’s expected that more than 98% of new passenger vehicles sold will be connected. Vodafone Business, working with Geely, is ready to help drive this expansion.

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 Vodafone deepens connected vehicle partnership with Geely Technology appeared first on Total Telecom.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

World Communication Awards

For more than two decades, the World Communication Awards (WCAs) has set the global benchmark for excellence, innovation, and leadership across the telecoms industry. Recognised worldwide as one of the sector’s most prestigious honours, the WCAs celebrate the companies and individuals driving meaningful change and shaping the future of global communications. 

The WCAs is judged by an independent panel of more than 100 industry experts and every entry undergoes a rigorous review process to ensure the awards recognise genuine innovation, measurable impact, and outstanding achievements, 

From 5G, AI, cloud and cyber security to submarine networks, sustainability, crisis response, customer experience and beyond, there is a category for every part of the telecoms ecosystem. 

Think you could be a winner? Make sure you get started on your entry today! Enter all nominations before the deadline on Friday 19th June 2026. Top tip: you can part complete your entry and come back to it later. 

Winners from the World Communication Awards 2025

5G Award 

Winner: Singtel, in partnership with Ericsson, for Singtel 5G+ 

(Silver Award: KT, AICT Company)  

Access Innovation 

Winner: Ericsson and Telstra for the world’s first 5G triple-band FDD Massive MIMO 

(Silver Award: Rakuten Symphony, Rakuten Site Management’s Fiber Manager)  

AI Innovation 

Winner: Jio Platforms for JioBrain 

(Silver Award: Chunghwa Telecom) 

Best Digital Transformation Programme 

Winner: Ericsson and IOH for their Digital Monetization Platform 

(Silver Award: Jazz and Huawei) 

Best Network Evolution Initiative 

Winner: Colt Technology Services for their global Optical network 

(Silver Award: Telefónica Global Solutions) 

Best operator in a Growth Market 

Winner: Lumitel 

(Silver Awards: Smart Axiata) 

Best Wholesale Operator 

Winner: Orange Wholesale 

(Silver Award: Colt Technology Services, Wholesale SIP) 

Beyond Connectivity Award 

Winner: VEON for JazzCash 

(Silver Award: PT Telkomsel) 

Cloud Award 

Winner: Jio Platforms for its Cloud Platforms and Private MEC 

(Silver Award: Rakuten Symphony for Rakuten Cloud) 

Connected Communities Award 

Winner: Airband for its next generation Fixed Wireless Access 

(Silver Award: Fibrus) 

Crisis Response Award 

Winner: Palestine Telecommunications Company – Jawwal 

(Silver Award: Prima Limited, ICN1 Earthquake crisis response in Vanuatu) 

Cyber Security Award 

Winner: Jio Platforms for its Quantum-Safe Security Suite 

(Silver Award: Bridge Alliance and Aeris Communications, Aeris IoT WatchtowerTM) 

Enterprise Service of the Year 

Winner: China Broadcasting Network & AsiaInfo Technologies for their Smart Wind Farm private 5G network 

(Silver Award: Singtel, Singtel 5G+ Priority and Enterprise Mobile Protect) 

Future Award 

Winner: Singtel for its Quantum-Safe Network 

(Silver Award: Cohere Technologies) 

People and Culture Award 

Winner: Viettel Group 

(Silver Award: Deutsche Telekom – Europe Segment, DT Europe Talent Powerhouse) 

Platform Award 

Winner: Singtel for the Paragon Platform 

(Silver Award: Rakuten Symphony, Rakuten Cloud-Native Platform) 

Satellite Telecoms Award 

Winner: Telefonica Global Solutions 

(Silver Award: VEON and Kyivstar, Kyivstar/Starlink) 

Social Contribution Award 

Winner: Helium 

(Silver Award: Moldcell Foundation) 

Submarine Networks Award 

Winner: EllaLink 

(Silver Award: Telin) 

Sustainability Award 

Winner: Vodafone & Closing the Loop, One for One 

(Silver Award: KT, AI-based ES Orchestrator) 

Total Experience Award 

Winner: Sparkle 

(Silver Award: China Mobile (Guangdong) & Huawei, AI+BOSS) 

Next Gen Award 

Winner: Chiago Akpata – Senior Manager, Regulatory Affairs at Bayobab 

(Silver Award: Sam Sham, RETN) 

Startup of the Year Award 

Winner: nodeQ 

(Silver Award: A5G Networks) 

The World Communication Awards 2026 are your opportunity to showcase your achievements on a global stage. Start your entry today! 

The post World Communication Awards 2026: Your chance to celebrate excellence appeared first on Total Telecom.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News

The deal includes a pre-arranged $10 billion equity investment from Berkshire Hathaway

Today, Alphabet has announced it will raise $80 billion in equity, the company’s first stock offering in over 20 years.

The transaction includes a $30 billion underwritten stock offering, a $40 billion at-the-market share programme, and a $10 billion strategic investment from investment giant Berkshire Hathaway.

According to the filing, roughly half the proceeds will be used ‘for general corporate purposes, including capital expenditures to scale AI infrastructure and global compute’. The rest will be used to meet tax obligations connected with the “vesting of employee equity awards”.

The document also notes the company’s predicted capex for the 2026 financial year to be $180–$190 billion, with expectations that 2027 capex will “significantly increase”.

The move represents a notable shift in strategy for Alphabet, which had only recently authorised a $70 billion share repurchase programme in April 2025. The issuing of new shares suggests that the company not only believes that the demand for connectivity and infrastructure will remain robust, but that ownership of the physical infrastructure that powers AI will be increasingly important.

Of course, Alphabet is not alone in seeking public funding for its AI infrastructure investments. SpaceX filed for an IPO late last month, claiming a total addressable market of $28.5 trillion largely based on a continued boom of AI integration in every aspect of our lives. Anthropic has now also followed suit, according to reports, with ChatGPT’s parent company OpenAI expected to do likewise in the near future.

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 Alphabet issues shares to raise $80bn for AI infra appeared first on Total Telecom.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

A new report from consultancy firm FarrPoint has confirmed that the Swansea Bay City Deal’s Digital Infrastructure Programme in Wales has so far secured £44.8m of investment in digital connectivity during 2024–25, which went towards various broadband and dark fibre roll-out projects.

Readers might recall that the UK and Welsh Governments gave approval for a £55m digital infrastructure investment under the £1.3bn Swansea Bay City Region project back in 2021 (here), which among other things aimed to expand full fibre and 5G mobile connectivity to benefit homes, businesses and the public sector across Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Swansea. Some of this investment also came from the Local Broadband Fund (LBF) for Wales.

A number of related projects have since been awarded and made good progress, such as the £1.9m Full Fibre Infrastructure Build project with BT that helped to upgrade 69 key public sector sites (here), among others. The latest Digital Infrastructure Programme Report produced by Farrpoint, shows the overall £44.8m investment has been driven by a combination of City Deal funding, wider public sector support and sustained private sector commercial rollout.

Of the total investment, £2.2m was delivered through the Swansea Bay City Deal Digital Infrastructure Programme, funding major projects such as Dark Fibre East and the PSBA Full Fibre Infrastructure Build, alongside programme activity that helps unlock long term economic growth.

A further £6.1m of public sector funding supported connectivity in areas less likely to benefit from commercial rollout alone, particularly in rural and hard to reach communities. But the majority of this investment, £36.4m, came from the private sector.

Jonathan Burnes, Swansea Bay City Deal’s Portfolio Director, said:

“This investment is about far more than digital infrastructure. It is about creating lasting benefits for people, businesses and communities across the Swansea Bay City Region. Strong digital connectivity supports inclusive economic growth, helping businesses to innovate, attract investment and create quality jobs, while enhancing skills, education and access to services. It also enables improvements in public service delivery, including supporting wellbeing and more efficient ways of working.

City Deal funding is playing a vital role in unlocking wider public and private investment and ensuring that communities across the region, including rural areas, are able to fully participate in and benefit from a modern digital economy.”

A lot more detail can be found in the full report.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Mobile operator Three UK (VodafoneThree) recently kicked off their Summer Sale 2026 across various plans, which among other things says they’ve reduced their unlimited Three 5G Home Broadband package to just £18 per month on a 24-month contract term (although it was just £16 when we tried just now).

The aforementioned package comes with a Three 5G Hub MC888AD Wi-Fi 6 router from ZTE, a 30-day money-back guarantee, the ability to claim up to £200 in switching credit where applicable (terms apply) and a promise that the service will deliver average download speeds of 150Mbps (varying between locations).

However, the availability of Three’s Home Broadband packages is still a bit of a postcode lottery across the UK (some areas can get it and others cannot), which often also seems to be irrespective of whether or not your location can already access a strong 5G signal from the operator.

The other catch stems from Three’s mid-contract price hikes, which means that their 5G Home Broadband package may start at £16 (our checking) per month, but then it rises to £19.50 from 1st April 2027 and £23 from 1st April 2028. Lots of Three UK’s other mobile plans and handset bundles have also been discounted in price.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Network access provider Openreach (BT) has today notified communication providers of their intention to introduce geographic connection charges on high-capacity Ethernet Access Direct (EAD) lines, which provide dedicated point-to-point data connectivity between sites for businesses, from 1st July 2026.

The move reflects a change introduced via Ofcom’s recent Telecoms Access Review 2026 (TAR), which has in turn prompted Openreach to introduce Geographic Area Codes (GAC) to support location-based pricing and billing. The change gives the operator the ability to geographically price EAD connections based on the delivery location (Area 2, Area 3, IEC [Inter-Exchange Connectivity], CLA [Central London Area] or HNR [High Network Reach]) – as defined by the regulator.

However, once the system is live on 1st July, there will be “no price change“, as all geographic connection charges will continue to align with the preceding national price. “This system capability will allow us to comply with our regulatory obligations and is in line with the Telecoms Access Review framework which was recently introduced,” said a spokesperson for Openreach to ISPreview.

The change has no impact on EAD rental and main link charges, which will continue to be set on a national basis, at least until geographic-based rental pricing is introduced and formally notified. Further details can be found in the official briefing documents. But this does admittedly make EAD pricing even more complex than it was before, even if the hope is it should eventually ensure pricing is more reflective of competition when assessed at postcode or building level.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Mobile operator Three UK (VodafoneThree) recently kicked off their Summer Sale 2026 across various plans, which among other things says they’ve reduced their unlimited Three 5G Home Broadband package to just £18 per month on a 24-month contract term (although it was just £16 when we tried just now).

The aforementioned package comes with a Three 5G Hub MC888AD Wi-Fi 6 router from ZTE, a 30-day money-back guarantee, the ability to claim up to £200 in switching credit where applicable (terms apply) and a promise that the service will deliver average download speeds of 150Mbps (varying between locations).

However, the availability of Three’s Home Broadband packages is still a bit of a postcode lottery across the UK (some areas can get it and others cannot), which often also seems to be irrespective of whether or not your location can already access a strong 5G signal from the operator.

The other catch stems from Three’s mid-contract price hikes, which means that their 5G Home Broadband package may start at £16 (our checking) per month, but then it rises to £19.50 from 1st April 2027 and £23 from 1st April 2028. Lots of Three UK’s other mobile plans and handset bundles have also been discounted in price.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Mobile operator Three UK (VodafoneThree) recently kicked off their Summer Sale 2026 across various plans, which among other things says they’ve reduced their unlimited Three 5G Home Broadband package to just £18 per month on a 24-month contract term (although it was just £16 when we tried just now).

The aforementioned package comes with a Three 5G Hub MC888AD Wi-Fi 6 router from ZTE, a 30-day money-back guarantee, the ability to claim up to £200 in switching credit where applicable (terms apply) and a promise that the service will deliver average download speeds of 150Mbps (varying between locations).

However, the availability of Three’s Home Broadband packages is still a bit of a postcode lottery across the UK (some areas can get it and others cannot), which often also seems to be irrespective of whether or not your location can already access a strong 5G signal from the operator.

The other catch stems from Three’s mid-contract price hikes, which means that their 5G Home Broadband package may start at £16 (our checking) per month, but then it rises to £19.50 from 1st April 2027 and £23 from 1st April 2028. Lots of Three UK’s other mobile plans and handset bundles have also been discounted in price.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Mobile operator Three UK (VodafoneThree) recently kicked off their Summer Sale 2026 across various plans, which among other things says they’ve reduced their unlimited Three 5G Home Broadband package to just £18 per month on a 24-month contract term (although it was just £16 when we tried just now).

The aforementioned package comes with a Three 5G Hub MC888AD Wi-Fi 6 router from ZTE, a 30-day money-back guarantee, the ability to claim up to £200 in switching credit where applicable (terms apply) and a promise that the service will deliver average download speeds of 150Mbps (varying between locations).

However, the availability of Three’s Home Broadband packages is still a bit of a postcode lottery across the UK (some areas can get it and others cannot), which often also seems to be irrespective of whether or not your location can already access a strong 5G signal from the operator.

The other catch stems from Three’s mid-contract price hikes, which means that their 5G Home Broadband package may start at £16 (our checking) per month, but then it rises to £19.50 from 1st April 2027 and £23 from 1st April 2028. Lots of Three UK’s other mobile plans and handset bundles have also been discounted in price.