UK ISP LilaConnect, which following the VXFIBER merger is now part of Freedom Fibre‘s new Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network (here), has launched a special Black Friday promotion that will give new customers on their 1Gbps package in Stoke-on-Trent, Leek, Crewe and Uttoxeter a £100 voucher upon account activation.

In order to access the deal, which will be available until 23:59 on Friday (29th Nov), new customers should sign up to LilaConnect’s 1 Gigabit LilaFibre package (£34.98 per month, 24 months contract) using the promo code ‘LilaBlack’.

Once their installation date is confirmed and the service goes live, the voucher can then be used at well-known household retailers including John Lewis and Marks & Spencer. This can be claimed by filling out the form on the landing page stokebroadband.co.uk/blackfriday , leekbroadband.co.uk/blackfriday or creweebroadband.co.uk/blackfriday.

New research from Broadband Genie has analysed 207,711 internet speed tests in order to identify the top slowest and fastest ten UK streets for broadband. The slowest street was found to be Greenfields Road in Bishop Auckland (average downloads of 0.35Mbps), while the fastest was Tynemouth Street in London (921.76Mbps). But this isn’t the full story.

According to Thinkbroadband’s latest data, some 85.5% of UK premises are currently within reach of a gigabit-capable fixed broadband network (1000Mbps+), which primary reflects the combination of full fibre (FTTP/B) and hybrid fibre coax (HFC) lines. Similarly, some 98.2% of premises should be within reach of a fixed “superfast broadband” (30Mbps+) network.

However, the new study, which seems to mirror similar reports from Uswitch, is based on consumer speedtests. One issue here is that such reports don’t accurately reflect the underlying availability of faster networks and are thus more a reflection of consumer take-up (i.e. people on slower networks/packages may weight against those on faster ones).

The report does acknowledge the aforementioned issue and highlights how 9 out of the 10 slowest streets should, in theory, still be able to upgrade to get speeds of at least 30Mbps. Suffice to say, consumer awareness and adoption of faster packages remains a key issue, although this will change over time.

In other cases, consumers may be aware that a faster service exists, but they have simply chosen not to upgrade due to various issues, such as the potentially higher price, lack of support for the new network by their existing ISP, fear of switching, being stuck in a long contract term or a simple lack of need or desire for anything faster.

Speedtest-based studies like this can also be influenced by other factors, such as poor home wiring, the user’s choice of package (e.g. 1Gbps could be available, but people may pick a slower tier), local (home) network congestion and slow WiFi etc.

In short, take these results with a pinch of salt and remember, the slowest streets are the ones that cannot get a viable broadband service and thus won’t appear in these studies. Similarly, the fastest streets are those covered by the handful of providers capable of offering them speeds in the 7-10Gbps range, such as B4RN, Youfibre and a few others.

Table: Slowest 10 streets for UK broadband

Table: Fastest 10 streets for UK broadband

For streets to qualify for the study, postcodes needed to have the following criteria:

• A minimum of three speed tests from three unique IP addresses.

• Speed tests are from a commercial internet service provider.

• The test is from a fixed-line internet connection.

• At least 10 residential properties required at a postcode.

Postcodes were ranked from highest to lowest on a combination of broadband download speed and broadband upload speed, using an 80:20 ratio.

News 

The report, commissioned by Openreach, is summary of the ‘spatial, employment and social impacts’ of the company’s full fibre rollout 

A new report commissioned by Openreach and produced by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) has outlined the value of ultrafast connectivity could deliver to the UK economy by 2034.  

The report forecasts that the rollout of full fibre could add £66 billion a year to the UK economy by 2029, rising to £73 billion by 2034. It attributes this growth to improved productivity and the return of over 620,000 people to the workforce by the end of the current parliament, with numbers climbing to 652,000 by 2034. 

Realising these potential economic gains, however, relies heavily not only on  the technology’s effective delivery, but on its widespread, especially in less connected regions. Recent research from Point Topic suggests that fibre take-up in the UK currently sits at 34.7%, below the European average of 54.4%.  

The report also highlights the shift to remote work, which was accelerated by the pandemic, as a key driver in fibre’s ongoing economic impact. By 2029, it estimates an additional 900,000 people will be working from home compared to 2024, many in rural areas. This could help reverse rural depopulation trends by allowing people to live further from major cities while maintaining their careers. However, delivering reliable broadband to hard-to-reach areas remains a major challenge. 

The environmental benefits of the fibre rollout could also be significant. By 2034, the reduction in commuting is expected to cut over 4 billion kilometres of car travel annually, leading to a reduction of 320,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year. While these numbers are encouraging, they hinge on widespread adoption of remote work and sustained progress in building digital infrastructure. 

The report also highlights how full fibre could enhance public services. It estimates that the NHS could enable 5 million additional online appointments by 2029, while better broadband access may help thousands of students achieve higher grades.  

Beyond its economic and environmental impacts, Openreach emphasises the social value generated by the rollout. The company estimates that small and medium-sized businesses gain £1.2 billion annually from enhanced connectivity, and it reports over 8,000 hours of staff volunteering in community projects. Openreach has also implemented ethical training for its 16,000 suppliers to strengthen responsible practices.  

The UK’s fibre rollout is a significant infrastructural investment, but it is not without challenges. Ensuring equitable access across regions, maintaining delivery pace, and helping communities adapt to new technologies will all be critical. While the report paints an optimistic picture of what ultrafast broadband could achieve, turning that potential into reality will require close collaboration between government, industry, and local stakeholders. 

Join us at next year’s Connected North 2025 live in Manchester! Discounted tickets are available here 

Also in the news:
VMO2 launches UK’s first 5G standalone small cells in Birmingham
BT says Labour’s budget will cost company £100m
Vodafone Spain and Telefonica complete FibreCo deal

The industry-led One Touch Switching Company (TOTSCo), which operates the central messaging platform that helps UK ISPs to implement Ofcom’s new One Touch Switching (OTS) process, has today announced that they’ve completed 200,000 switches of broadband and phone services since going live on 12th Sept 2024 (up by 20,000 this week).

In case anybody has forgotten, OTS aims to make it both quicker and easier for consumers to switch between broadband and phone providers, even when those ISPs are on physically separate UK networks. However, TOTSCo’s messaging platform, as well as the processes and systems that ISPs themselves need to develop in order to interface with it, are still a bit of a work-in-progress. But it’s clearly continuing to improve (see the latest switching data).

As well as celebrating the achievement of 200,000 successfully completed switches this week (here), TOTSCo also noted that take-up by laggard ISPs has continued to grow, with 287 brands now in their live directory (up by +7 over the past week). The previous week’s update noted that there were still 40 communication providers completing the testing process before going live, which suggests that this figure is probably now getting closer to 30.

One of the advantages of TOTSCo is that it’s giving us a unique insight into the real-world level of active consumer switching between UK broadband and phone providers. Suffice to say, it will be interesting to see how the looming Christmas and New Year period impacts the volume of switches, as there are sure to be some interesting trends (some ISPs often pause or reduce their support over the festive period).

At present we can already see that the number of switch orders is climbing, which is likely to reflect a combination of the Black Friday season (lots of discounts), as well as the rising adoption of TOTSCo’s platform by ISPs. But there’s still a fair bit of work left for ISPs and TOTSCo to do in order to further improve the new process, although it’s going in the right direction.

Alternative broadband network and UK ISP G.Network, which has deployed a Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network across 361,000 “connectable” premises in parts of London (here), has today become the latest internet provider to launch early Black Friday discounts across their 24-month term packages.

In short. the provider has cut the price of their top 1Gbps (900Mbps average) package to just £17 per month for the first 6 months of service, which then rises to £30 for the remaining 18 months (£35 thereafter). The packages include unlimited usage, free parental controls, an included wireless router and free installation.

The deal will be available to new customers until 3rd December, with no hidden charges or in-contract price hikes. Kevin Murphy, CEO of G.Network, said: “Our research has found that a third of Londoners are actively looking to switch their broadband provider, with high costs being the biggest culprit. Black Friday is the perfect time to shop around for fast and reliable full fibre broadband for a fraction of the cost.”

News

The Federal Communications Commission has voted to launch a major review of licensing rules surrounding submarine cable rules.

A new Notice of Proposed Rulemaking adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will begin a review of the regulations surrounding submarine cables.

The rulemaking notice, approved Nov. 21 by the FCC, will now seek public comment regarding how the commission can streamline the rules around submarine cables to ensure efficient deployment.

According to the FCC’s release following the vote, the agency has not conducted a major review of submarine cable rules since 2001.

“Oversight of submarine cables traces back even before the existence of the commission itself,” the FCC’s release following Thursday’s vote stated.

According to the release, there are currently a total of 84 FCC-licensed submarine cable systems.

As part of the rulemaking notice approved Thursday, the FCC will also seek comment on how the commission can improve security and protection of submarine-cable infrastructure.

“This proceeding will look to streamline the agency’s review process,” the release stated. “It proposes a three-year periodic reporting requirement for cable landing licenses and, in the alternative, seeks comment on shortening the current 25-year license term.”

As of Dec. 2022, the FCC reported that cable-landing licensees had more than 5.3 million Gbps of available capacity, with an additional 6.8 million Gbps in planned capacity this year alone.

“Today’s action continues the FCC’s recent efforts to support national security,” Thursday’s release continued. “The commission has proposed new rules that would require, for the first time, companies with international telecommunications authorizations to file renewal applications with the FCC.”

Join the submarine cable industry in discussion at Europe’s most important subsea connectivity event, Submarine Networks EMEA 2025

New research from network access provider Openreach (BT), which was pieced together by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) and Stantec, has claimed that the operator’s ongoing roll-out of a Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based broadband ISP network could contribute up to £66bn (GVA – Gross Value Added) to the UK economy in 2029.

Openreach are currently investing up to £15bn to expand the coverage of this new full fibre network to reach 25 million UK premises by December 2026 (here), which includes around 6.2 million premises in rural or semi-rural areas. On top of that, they’ve also expressed an ambition to reach up to 30 million by 2030, although this will partly depend upon the outcome of Ofcom’s next Telecoms Access Review 2026 (TAR).

The new research claims that this roll-out is expected to drive productivity gains and improvements to public services, including supporting more than 620,000 people back into the workforce. It will also enable more than 1 million people to work from home, allegedly contributing an additional £19bn annually.

Taken together, the productivity and workforce improvements highlighted in this report should, it claims, boost the GVA impact to total £66bn per year by 2029 and £73bn per year by 2034.

Key findings include:

➤ Job Creation: Flexible work options could help 620,000 individuals, including parents and older workers, return to work.

➤ NHS Support: An estimated five million online appointments by 2029 to help meet rising healthcare demands, doubling the current number.

➤ Educational Benefits: A boost to pass rates for 21,700 students in key subjects. This equates to over 13,000 pupils (1% of the total number of Key Stage 2 students) achieving pass rates that are higher at Key Stage 2 Maths, Reading and Writing as a result of the increase in Full Fibre connectivity between 2023 and 2029. Additionally, more than 8,700 more pupils (1% of the total number of Key Stage 4 students) could achieve pass rates that are higher over the same period.

➤ Increases to Property Values: Homes with Full Fibre see an average increase of £1,900.

➤ Environmental Gains: By 2029, 1.4 million more home workers will mean fewer car journeys and lower carbon emissions.

Just to be clear, this research is entirely focused upon the impact of Openreach’s own FTTP network and is not considering any of the rival operators and networks that exist.

Clive Selley, CEO of Openreach, said:

“Our new Full Fibre network is a growth and prosperity engine. This report highlights how it will create jobs, enhance connectivity, and drive economic improvements across each nation of the UK, but continued investment depends on a stable policy and regulatory environment.”

Not to sound too much like a broken record, but we always recommend taking such future forecasts with a pinch of salt. This is because trying to accurately gauge the economic impact of deploying faster broadband is notoriously difficult, not least since most premises won’t be starting from a point of zero connectivity (e.g. over 98% of the UK have access to speeds of 30Mbps+ and over 85% can access 1000Mbps+ via various networks).

Likewise, we’re all very different in our consumption requirements, and not all homes and businesses get the same benefit from having access to significantly faster broadband speeds than are currently available. For example, the difference between 10Mbps and 1000Mbps is largely irrelevant when talking about basic tasks, like online shopping, email, messaging and banking etc.

On top of that we have to consider the impact of other things too, such as take-up (i.e. it can take years for this to grow once a new service becomes available and not everybody will opt for the fastest packages), as well as issues like slow WiFi (i.e. having 1Gbps+ isn’t much help in those rooms that struggle to get more than a few tens of Mbps via wireless) and the fact that there are many other FTTP network operators in the market.

One particular example of the difficulties of such forecasts can be seen in the above report’s suggestion that homes with access to Full Fibre see an average increase of £1,900. Now this is all very well and good, albeit often stemming from more anecdotal sources. But it only really makes a big difference when there’s a clear dividing line between the haves and have-nots. The advantage gets eroded as FTTP coverage matures toward near universal reach (i.e. once something becomes normal, it ceases to be a differentiator when moving home).

None of this is to say that FTTP won’t produce big economic benefits, indeed we’re confident that it will, particularly in poorly served rural areas where the differences are often much more apparent. But figuring out precisely how much is subject to many caveats (i.e. reports like this are typically over optimistic), as well as the unquantifiable aspects of how the internet may evolve.

Equally, simply having a broadband connection that is more reliable and delivers lower latency, is something that can be hard to put a price tag on. Speed is not the only factor. In short, few could disagree that there does tend to be a strong positive relationship between broadband investment and growth, even if there is an issue of diminishing returns with respect to the speed and technology choices of those connections.

Speaking of which, Openreach’s service, once live, can be ordered via various ISPs, such as BT, Sky Broadband, TalkTalk, Vodafone and many more (Openreach FTTP ISP Choices) – it is not currently an automatic upgrade, although some ISPs (e.g. TalkTalk) have started to do free automatic upgrades as older copper-based services and lines are slowly withdrawn.

New customers looking to join UK mobile operator Vodafone should note that they’ve today launched a range of new Black Friday discounts across their regular Pay Monthly SIM Only plans and their Basics SIM Only plans, which reflects a varied combination of price cuts and extra data allowances.

The discounts and changes are too numerous to fully list, but they range from a sharp price decrease on the operator’s ‘Unlimited Max Xtra Global Roam Plan‘ (from £46 to £33 per month on a 24-month term) to a data allowance boost (60GB instead of 50GB) on their £10 per month Basics plan.

The operator’s Basics plans also come with unlimited UK minutes and texts on a 12-month term. Take note that Vodafone’s mid-contract policy will increase the price that customers pay each April by £1 (monthly) on Basics and £1.80 on their other Airtime SIM Only plans.

The telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has revealed that they’re moving ahead with plans to consult on specific proposals that would authorise Direct to Device (D2D) satellite services to work in UK mobile bands (inc. MMS – Mobile-Satellite Services), which could be used to help improve mobile (4G and 5G) coverage. The proposals are planned to surface during “early 2025“.

At present a number of satellite-based broadband and communication networks are developing services that can directly connect to unmodified consumer Smartphones via regular mobile spectrum bands. Some examples of this include Starlink (Direct to Cell), OneWeb (Eutelsat) and AST SpaceMobile. In fact, some phones, like the latest iPhone series from Apple, already have a very basic emergency communication system that can work via satellite.

The problem is that the licences held by UK mobile operators to provide communications services do not currently authorise transmissions from space. The introduction of D2D services in terrestrial mobile bands would also raise a number of other issues, such as the potential for an increased risk of interference between the satellite and the ground infrastructure of the mobile operators.

Ofcom began looking at this in July 2024, when they published a related Call for Input. The regulator has this week revealed the outcome of that information gathering exercise, which attracted plenty of broadly supportive responses. As a result, Ofcom now “consider that there is scope for improved connectivity from the sky and space to support economic growth and enable a number of potential citizen and consumer benefits in the UK.”

However, Ofcom opted not to develop any proposals that would authorise High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) in the UK, which often reflect stratospheric drones or balloons that could play a role in delivering D2D type mobile services. This is largely because the regulator didn’t receive much interest, commercially or otherwise, in the idea, and that’s not too surprising as we don’t really have a need for HAPS of this type in the UK. But Ofcom kept the door open to the idea, “should we receive evidence of demand“.

Ofcom’s Statement

We plan to consult on specific proposals to authorise Direct to Device satellite services in mobile bands in the UK in early 2025. Subject to consideration of stakeholder responses and our final decisions this could enable such services to be offered to consumers later in 2025.

We plan to review our approach to MSS authorisations (including the frequencies available for IoT services) in Financial Year 2025/2026. We will also review our current authorisation of 2GHz MSS spectrum, which is due to expire in May 2027.

We will continue to engage in ongoing work in Europe on a draft ECC decision on satellite IoT emissions in Short Range Device (SRD) bands. We expect the ECC report to be finalised in July 2025 and will then consider the merits of implementing the recommendation in the UK.

In terms of D2D, Three UK also made the point that such services are often most beneficial in countries with large areas unserved by terrestrial networks. By comparison, the operator correctly noted that the UK is relatively densely populated, with 93% of the landmass covered by at least one operator (i.e. limiting the benefits of D2D to those in rural and hard-to-reach areas, or as an emergency service or back-up solution for network outages).

“In the UK, the most suitable application for D2D services would be as an emergency service, a back-up solution for network outages or offered as a premium feature for customers who want coverage in remote areas,” said Three UK’s response.

The operator also echoed a warning about the risk of interference between satellites and the base stations of MNOs holding the spectrum, “potentially resulting in degraded service for mobile users.” But there are always ways of avoiding such interference, and Ofcom will need to figure out the best approach as part of their efforts to develop a new authorisation proposal.

The UK Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) has tonight revealed the winners of their 26th annual 2024 internet industry and broadband awards, which among other things saw several providers taking home two awards each across different categories, including Brsk, CommunityFibre, and Vorboss.

The award categories were once again revised for this year’s event, not least through the introduction of several new categories, such as the award for Best Rural Infrastructure and Best Urban Infrastructure, as well as awards for Best Community Engagement; Best Sustainability; Best Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and finally the new Best SME ISP and Best Enterprise ISP awards.

Steve Leighton, ISPA Chair, said: “In a year which has seen our industry surge towards significant fibre rollout targets, a renewed focus on delivering high-quality services to our customers and the turbulence of a General Election, our sector has been tremendous. Our annual awards encapsulates this, showcasing the superb work from across the industry. I am proud to play host to the organisations going above and beyond, building the foundations of the nation’s digital economy and society.”

The winners were all crowned tonight at a gala ceremony in London, in front of more than 475 guests from across industry, which was hosted at the OWO Raffles Hotel in Whitehall (London). The results reflect the outcome of some limited technical testing by Thinkbroadband across several categories, as well as the use of a judging panel of 11 industry figures to help determine the ultimate winners across all 18 categories.

2024 ISPA UK Award Winners

Best Channel Support: PXC
Since its inception, PXC’s approach feels fresh and new, with truly comprehensive packages and an impressive Partner Programme. This allows PXC to provide impactful channel support to ISPs using their FTTP infrastructure, making them deserving winners.

Best Customer, Data, & Network Security: Talk Straight/Schools Broadband

Talk Straight/Schools Broadband has carried out truly impressive work in protecting thousands of schools up and down the country by allowing customers to have full control over their firewalls.

Best Rural Infrastructure: Openreach
Openreach’s full fibre rollout to rural areas has been outstanding this year, reaching over 16 million premises with more than 6 million additional customers set to be connected by the end of this year. An impressive feat!

Best Urban Infrastructure: Brsk

This year, Brsk’s growth and expansion has been unwavering. Although others have slowed their build, Brsk has reached new heights, with the number of installed customers increasing by a huge 308%.

Best Sustainability: KCOM
KCOM took home the first ever Best Sustainability award for their firm commitment in this area.

Their “One Network” project was particularly commended in its aim to reduce KCOM’s electricity consumption by 40% upon completion.

Best Voice Provider: Voipfone

Voipfone are seasoned winners of the Best Voice Provider award, with 2024 marking their 20th business anniversary. This year, their re-developed customer programme impressed the judges, deemed exemplary of Voipfone’s unwavering dedication to customer service.

Best Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion: Vorboss

Vorboss’ commitment to DE&I has resulted in a resounding third of their technical and engineering positions being filled by women, most of whom trained at their academy. Their policies and approach are encouraging significant progress in the sector.

Best SME ISP: Exa Networks

Exa Networks’ comprehensive ‘one-stop-shop’ service makes them deserving winners of the Best SME ISP award. Their investment in improving network reliability and capacity wowed the judges.

Best Enterprise ISP: Vorboss

Vorboss scooped up their second award of the evening for their success as an enterprise ISP. The reliability and performance of their speed innovations such as Light Maintenance Vehicle E-Bikes and their equipment ‘drop box’ are revolutionising the way their engineers travel and install equipment.

Best Customer Experience: Brsk

Another dual winner, Brsk received this award for top-quality overall customer feedback and innovating in their customer support approach with AI technologies.

Best Community Engagement: CommunityFibre

The ISPA judges were pleased to award the Best Community Engagement category to Community Fibre, whose community initiative programmes saw continuously positive outcomes over the course of the year.

Best Communications Campaign: Quickline

Quickline’s ‘broadband built for you’ campaign was a huge success, touching hearts across rural communities by casting the spotlight on local communities and featuring local heroes.

Best Digital Inclusion for Industry: Vodafone

This year, Vodafone’s team took a multi-faceted approach to minimising digital exclusion to great success, going beyond SIM donations to bridging the digital divide through a multitude of impactful initiatives. They have been very active in communities, and have delivered exceptionally well-executed programmes enhancing digital inclusion nationwide.

Best Digital Inclusion for Charities: The Crumbs Project

The Crumbs Project transforms the lives of adults with disabilities and mental health conditions through hospitality-based training, championing their digital inclusion, and advocating for their right to work and to feel included in society. A well deserved win!

Best Consumer ISP under 100k Customers: Lightning Fibre

Lightning Fibre impressed judges with their customer satisfaction scores, and their progress in delivering the fastest residential broadband in the region. They are also working effectively in connecting new affordable housing projects by offering one year of free connection to 10% of residents, and making great progress on some new projects undertaken since last year.

Best Consumer ISP over 100k Customers: CommunityFibre

Community Fibre took home their second award of the night for their stellar work in challenging some of the scale ISPs. Community Fibre has offered the fastest, and most sustainable connections, with consistent and affordable pricing and an impressive 100% full fibre capable Social Tariff.

Internet Hero: Malcom Corbett
Malcom Corbett received the Internet Hero award for dedicating his career to improving connectivity in the UK. He has been involved with the Internet from the very early days. In 2010 he established his own co-op in the form of INCA – the Independent Network Co-Operative Association when there were just a handful of start-up altnets with ambitions to take on established providers.

In 2013 INCA was instrumental in encouraging the Public Accounts Committee to review the Superfast programme, which led to Building Digital UK opening up to more competition.

It’s fair to say that many of ISPA’s members today would simply not exist without the groundbreaking work that Malcolm, and the team he built at INCA, have done in promoting a competitive industry.