The Swansea Bay City Region project has announced that it’s successfully completed 50% of its Full Fibre Infrastructure Build project with BT. This forms part of the related ‘Swansea Bay City Deal’s Digital Infrastructure Programme’ and is helping to upgrade key public sector sites with “future proofed” broadband connectivity.

Just to recap. The UK and Welsh Governments gave their 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 residents and businesses across Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Swansea. Some of this investment comes from the Local Broadband Fund (LBF) for Wales.

The full fibre build, delivered by BT via the Welsh Government funded Public Sector Broadband Aggregation (PSBA), aims to provide improved broadband provision to public sector sites across the region via a secure Wide Area Network (WAN) – offering a fully managed service that enhances business-critical connectivity, and allows public sector organisations to benefit from cost-effective and resilient network services.

This all reflects a £2m joint investment, £1.05m of which has been secured by the Digital Infrastructure Programme from the Welsh Government’s LBF.

Simon Davies, Carmarthenshire County Council, said:

“Reaching this 50% milestone is a fantastic achievement and one that will greatly improve the services of these public sector sites.

Upgrading these locations to having gigabit-capable digital infrastructure is essential for their future prosperity. Our regional public sector partners need to move forwards with their use of digital technology to ensure that the best experiences can be offered and this project is a valuable part of achieving that.”

Rob Stewart, Chair of the Swansea Bay City Deal Joint Committee, said:

“Keeping up with the increasing demand for digital services across the public sector is critical in ensuring the best possible experiences for our residents and businesses, and in order to do this, we must invest in the infrastructure required to ensure our services are futureproofed for the next 20 years. Achieving the 50% mark is a key milestone for this project and has allowed several sites to already reap the benefits of full fibre. We look forward to continuing to work closely with BT and the PSBA on the full completion of this project in supporting the transformation of public service delivery”.

The aim of the project is to drive full fibre broadband to 69 publicly owned sites in need of improved infrastructure. Additionally, approximately 425 residential and business premises will benefit from improved broadband as a result, and the project is expected to stimulate further commercial investment, accelerating the rollout of full fibre networks across the region.

Sites completed in this phase include strategic locations that are vital to public service delivery. These sites have been prioritised to maximise the impact on the community and ensure the most efficient use of resources.

Internet benchmarking firm Opensignal has used their crowdsource data, which is collected via users of their benchmarking apps and services, to reveal a bit more information about how the recent 3G mobile switch-off on EE (BT), Three UK (ongoing) and Vodafone has impacted the availability of their remaining 2G, 4G and 5G based mobile / broadband services.

Just to recap. Both EE (BT) and Vodafone completed their shutdown of older 3G services in February 2024 (here and here), while Three UK are aiming to complete their own process by the end of this year (here). By comparison, O2 (Virgin Media) are planning to both start and complete this process by the end of 2025 (here).

Mobile operators have generally been compensating for the 3G switch-off in some areas by introducing upgrades to newer 4G and 5G services (example). The removal of 3G is also expected to significantly reduce each operator’s energy usage and free up some radio spectrum to be re-farmed for use by modern services, which could boost their network performance and coverage.

In fact, we’ve already seen some data from Streetwave, which claims to have identified improvements in mobile broadband performance after 3G was switched off by Vodafone and Three UK in certain areas (here and here). But it’s still early days, and the results for network coverage seem to be a bit more variable.

The latest data from Opensignal provides some extra context for this change, albeit with a focus more on the change in network availability and the time that UK users now spend on 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G. For example, Vodafone users were found to have seen a “significant dip in Availability” (i.e. the percentage of time users spend with a mobile broadband connection — either 3G, 4G or 5G) and an “increase in Time on 2G” after the switch-off, which will need to change before 2G reaches its own shutdown (i.e. 4G and 5G will then become the primary methods).

However, the data also shows that Vodafone “turned off 3G relatively abruptly” compared to Three UK, and began the process with a much higher Time on 3G than EE. But take note that Three UK never had its own 2G network, and EE had the advantage of starting from a much better position than Vodafone in terms of time on 3G.

The report also notes that the European region is at the forefront of this transition with over half (52.6%) of global 2G and 3G switch-offs either completed, planned, or in progress. On average, European smartphone users were found to spend 5.5% of their time on 2G or 3G (3.9% for just 3G), which drops to 4.2% for the UK (Moldova tops the table with 18.9%, while Norway sits at the bottom with just 0.8%).

In the race to move away from legacy mobile technologies, the Nordic countries are currently in the lead.

The Communications Ombudsman, which is one of Ofcom’s two approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) providers for UK consumers of broadband ISPs, mobile and landline phone providers, has released its complaints data Q3 2024 and reported a 29% increase compared to the same period in 2023.

The regulator requires that all telecoms providers – those offering services to consumers and small businesses – must be members of an approved ADR scheme. The schemes are free for consumers to access and designed to supplement (not replace) your provider’s own internal complaint procedure(s), although ISPs often have to pay sizeable costs regardless of whether they win or lose a case.

The ADR process is usually seen as a last line of defence for consumers and thus such schemes are generally only used after a dispute has gone unresolved for 8 weeks, or earlier with the agreement of their provider (i.e. the “Deadlock Letter” stage). See our ISP Complaints and Advice section for more information.

The new data reveals that, between July and September 2024 (Q3), a total of 7,969 cases were accepted by the Communications Ombudsman across several categories of complaint for billing, service quality, customer service, contract issues and equipment (e.g. routers, smartphones etc.). Customer service saw the largest climb in complaints, with a 77% rise compared to the same period in 2023. The main driver for the overall increase stemmed from “issues with the mobile phone sector“.

The five most common complaint types

Andy Eadle, Business Unit Director at the Communications Ombudsman, said:

“The Q3 complaints figures for 2024 have seen an increase across all dispute areas apart from equipment, matching the trends from the first half of 2024 against 2023. Broadband and mobile services are clearly crucial for millions of consumers who are highly conscious of the service they are getting from their providers.

The biggest change in figures for Q3 being customer service complaints shows the need to build greater trust between consumers and providers, and we are here to ensure disputes are resolved independently and impartially.”

Sadly, the Communications Ombudsman still doesn’t include a breakdown of the data by provider, which would have been useful to know as it can help to reflect issues that an ISP may be commonly struggling to resolve with their customers.

Broadband and telecoms giant BT Group has today highlighted how they’re using AI (Artificial Intelligence) based systems to “significantly” enhance the customer experience and streamline support processes across the Group. For example, EE’s (mobile) new virtual assistant, Aimee, now handles up to 60,000 customer conversations per week.

The group’s adoption of “advanced AI and generative AI technologies” is being conducted in collaboration with Sprinklr, which has supplied BT with their unified AI-Powered customer experience management platform. But Sprinklr’s capabilities will be re-used across the Group, not just for EE.

The platform is designed to draw on BT’s data to provide a more personalised, accurate response. For example, the customer contact platform, which powers EE’s virtual assistant Aimee, also provides the messaging capability for real-time online chat with customers.

However, consumer sentiment toward the use of AI chatbots tends to be quite mixed, with many viewing it as being more of a negative and just a way of reducing the number of actual humans that are available to provide support over the longer term. On the other hand, if systems like this do end up making it quicker and easier for customers to get their issues resolved, then that will be a positive change.

According to EE’s data, the automation success rates on several types of customer journey are now approaching 50%, freeing time for human staff to focus on more complex issues. Aimee’s use has risen 51% year-on-year, which BT says demonstrates “customer enthusiasm for the channel as its capabilities continue to be improved“, although it’s unclear how much of a choice end-users are getting in this context.

Harry Singh, MD of Consumer Digital at BT Group, said:

“The collaboration with Sprinklr marks a significant step forward in BT Group’s commitment to using cutting-edge technology to deliver exceptional customer experiences. With our customer contact platform, we have unlocked powerful AI-enhanced capabilities for our customer service, boosting satisfaction and creating exciting new opportunities for customer experience.”

Looking ahead, BT Group plans to expand its use of generative AI to further improve customer support. Upcoming features are expected to include AI-driven summaries of customer interactions and real-time support and guidance. With this, Aimee will be able to act as a virtual AI assistant for BT’s guides, helping to “improve efficiency, effectiveness, colleague and customer experience“.

BT has however had to implement ethical guardrails to ensure “robust data privacy and security measures“, which also helps to safeguard against “attempts to get the AI to misbehave” (we can’t image anybody ever doing that, ehumm..). The operator notes that its AI capabilities are hosted on a private cloud instance, ensuring compliance with data and privacy regulations, and data policies are set by BT Group’s internal data management platform, Data Fabric (i.e. BT maintains control over its own data).

Prices aren’t the only thing changing at Openreach (BT) today. The national UK network operator has also revealed that it will be withdrawing some of the “legacy” speed tiers on their Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) and Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP + FTTP on Demand) based broadband products for ISPs and their customers.

The public briefing summary on this doesn’t provide any useful information, except to confirm that they’re today notifying all Communication Providers (CP) about “legacy speed tiers being withdrawn from new supply” (here). But with a bit of cross-referencing from other documents, we were able to confirm the FTTP tiers that are due to be withdrawn.

For example, Openreach will be withdrawing both their 220Mbps / 20Mbps (download / upload) and 330Mbps / 30Mbps tiers, which isn’t surprising as both now have a comparably priced option with faster 30Mbps and 50Mbps upload speeds, respectively. The FTTP on Demand (FoD / FTTPoD) product also sees the same change, albeit excluding 220/20Mbps because it didn’t offer that in the first place.

The briefing also mentions FTTC in its title but, at the time of writing, we haven’t been able to find any new withdrawal notices on their related speed tiers and are currently attempting to clarify what changes are actually being made to those tiers.

Openreach does occasionally withdraw legacy tiers, usually due to a lack of demand by CPs (inc. end-customers) or just to help simplify their product portfolio – often a combination of both. Existing customers on the withdrawn tiers will not be impacted, as the change only impacts new service supplies.

News

Here’s a look at the five biggest stories over the last week from our sister publication, Broadband Communities

A partnership between T-Mobile and Starlink can move ahead with providing supplemental cell service from space following approval from the FCC, and the industry applauds the latest digital equity grant approvals and passage of the ACCESS Rural America Act.  

T-Mobile and Starlink score a win with the FCC
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved an application from SpaceX that will allow Starlink and T-Mobile the ability to provide supplemental cell service from space. 

NTIA announces another string of digital equity grant approvals
Federal authorities have approved a string of State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program applications, following up a busy November for the NTIA. 

Industry applauds Senate approval of ACCESS Rural America Act
Telecommunications industry leaders are applauding the passage of the ACCESS Rural America Act in the U.S. Senate. 

Which states are excelling and falling short on telehealth access?
Here’s where some state plans are excelling, and others are falling short. 

How AI can optimize network construction
Find out how AI is changing the game and addressing some of the challenges facing network construction, like human error and a labor shortage. 

 Join us at next year’s Connected America, 11-12 March in Dallas, Texas. Get discounted tickets here!

News

The deal comes with a price tag of $6.5 billion

Having been in discussions since May this year, Indonesia’s third- and fourth-largest telcos, XL Axiata and Smartfren, have finally agreed to merge their operations.

The deal, valued at around $6.5 billion, will see both parties take a 34.8% stake in the merged entity, with the remaining 30.4% stake being traded publicly.

Axiata will receive roughly $400 million as part of the deal.

The new company will be called PT XLSmart Telecom Sejahtera Tbk, or XL Smart for short, and will command a market share of roughly 27%, based on figures from September.

“We are excited to bring our expertise to XLSmart, combining two complementary and solid businesses to form a strong telecommunications operator uniquely positioned to meet the evolving needs of customers across all key segments. XLSmart will be a powerful platform to deliver enhanced connectivity, foster digital inclusion, and bridge the digital divide for communities across the country. XLSmart’s priorities will be on ensuring a stable market environment, maximising merger synergies and driving profitable growth,” said Vivek Sood, Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Axiata.

“We are confident that XLSmart will be well-positioned to thrive in Indonesia’s dynamic digital economy. Ultimately, we aim to unlock lasting value and benefits for all our stakeholders, including shareholders, customers, employees, and Indonesia as a whole,” he added.

Assuming typical regulatory clearances, the deal is expected to close in the first half of next year.

Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter 

Also in the news:
IBM and Samsung poised to win £900m Emergency Services Network contract over BT
IoH and Nokia team up for Indonesian 4G and 5G expansion
Cubic Telecom and Skylo partner for satellite capabilities for vehicles

Network access provider Openreach (BT) has today started to unveil their usual round of annual (2024) price increases across their wholesale broadband and Ethernet products for UK ISPs, which touches on everything from full fibre (FTTP) lines to hybrid fibre (FTTC / SOGEA), Cablelinks and Ethernet, among other products.

Ofcom’s regulatory rules (example) currently allow Openreach to increase prices across their various products, usually by the CPI level of inflation (currently 2.3%), although this may differ between products due to various factors (discounts etc.) and there could also be some decreases. But increases mean that ISPs on the same network will need to pay more for the services they sell, which often ends up being passed on to consumers at the retail level.

The price changes are far too numerous to easily summarise as they occur across masses of different products, but you can find more details by following the links on their Pricing Page, although at the time of writing they haven’t yet confirmed all of their Ethernet related changes (sometimes these follow a little later).

Just to give a few examples, the standard connection (one-off) charge on FTTP broadband lines is going up from £120.05 +vat to £122.84, while the rental for their 100Mbps (30Mbps upload) speed tier increases from £253.44 to £259.20 per year and their 1.8Gbps (120Mbps) tier goes from £500.88 to £512.40. The discounts under their Equinox 1/2 special offers will often also be impacted.

The annual rental price of their 40Mbps (10Mbps upload) hybrid fibre FTTC product will similarly increase from £73.12 to £74.82 and PCP Only (self-installations) of that same product will go from £57.11 (one-off) to £58.43. The connection fee for their 1Gbps Cablelink (capacity supply) also rises from £635.29 to £649.91, while 10Gbps Cablelinks go from £1,270.58 to £1,299.82. You get the idea.

News 

The agreement will allow Vodafone to offer space-based cellular broadband in both its home and partner markets 

AST SpaceMobile has entered into a long-term commercial agreement with Vodafone to provide global broadband access in underserved areas, enabling users to access broadband services directly through their phones. 

Under the agreement, Vodafone will incorporate AST SpaceMobile’s space-based cellular broadband services into its home markets and offer these capabilities to other operators through its ‘Partner Markets’ program.    

Vodafone has been a key investor and technology partner for AST SpaceMobile since 2018, contributing to several technological breakthroughs, including the first space-based voice call using an unmodified smartphone in April 2023. Additional successful trials included achieving 4G download speeds exceeding 10 Mbps from space in June 2023 and 5G voice call from space in September 2023 

AST SpaceMobile also reached download speeds of over 20 Mbps in later tests. 

Vodafone’s first order for the BlueBird gateway is a key step in AST SpaceMobile’s network rollout. The gateway will connect AST SpaceMobile’s satellites to Vodafone’s existing network, providing broadband access to users outside of traditional coverage areas. 

AST SpaceMobile currently has five of its first generation of BlueBird satellites in low Earth orbit, Thess satellites currently provide coverage across the US and in ‘select global markets’The next-generation BlueBird satellites – 17 of which are currently being built – will have larger antennas, providing much higher capacity and speeds. These new satellites are expected to reach data speeds of up to 120 Mbps, supporting services like voice, data, and video. 

AST SpaceMobile’s growth in 2024 has been supported by investments from AT&T, Verizon, Google, and Vodafone, as well as new contracts with the US government. The company now has agreements with over 45 mobile operators worldwide, reaching about 2.8 billion subscribers. Key partners include AT&T, Verizon, Rakuten Mobile, Orange, and MTN. 

Major investors like American Tower, Cisneros Group, and Bell Canada also support AST SpaceMobile. 

Join us at next year’s Connected America, 11-12 March in Dallas, Texas. Get discounted tickets here! 

Also in the news:
World Communication Award winners 2024
TalkTalk faces mounting losses amid rescue efforts
World Communication Award winners 2024
 

Broadband, phone and mobile operator Manx Telecom (MT), which serves premises across the remote Isle of Man, has revealed that they will begin “shutting down” their legacy copper telecoms network in 2025, with the full switch-off completed “no later than” 2029.

In case anybody has forgotten. Back in 2020 the Isle of Man Government agreed (here) to invest £10m with MT in order to help them extend the coverage of their gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network to 99% of local premises (41,000+) by around the end of 2025 (MT’s commercial investment of £50m would have only got them to 75%).

The rollout of fibre-optic broadband is already well underway, with over 90% of homes and businesses now able to access faster internet. More than half of the island’s population is already enjoying faster, more reliable internet through FTTP based services. This number will continue to grow as the transition continues.

However, the arrival of FTTP lines also means that MT’s legacy copper network will no longer be needed, which is similar to the gradual transition that is taking place across the United Kingdom via operators like Openreach (BT) and KCOM. The withdrawal of MT’s old copper network thus seems set to be covered by the operator’s existing £50m investment in new fibre.

Hugo van Zyl, Chief Technical Officer of Manx Telecom, said:

“The copper network switch-off is an essential step towards modernising the Isle of Man’s telecommunications infrastructure. Fibre broadband offers a more reliable, faster, and future-proof service for the island. Our goal is to ensure every home and business using fixed line communication services takes full advantage of this improved technology by 2029, ensuring the Isle of Man is ready for the digital future.”

The copper network is due to be switched off in phases on a region-by-region basis – residents and businesses will be notified well in advance of this. The BBC News has also discovered that the phasing is being split into six zones, with the disconnection of the first two set to begin in January 2025.

Disconnection zones

Zone 1: Foxdale, Kirk Michael, St John’s

Zone 2: Andreas, Ballaugh, Bride, Jurby, Sulby

Zone 3: Dalby, Glen Maye, Laxey, Peel

Zone 4: Braaid, Crosby, Glen Auldyn, Glen Vine, Maughold, Ramsey, Strang, Union Mills

Zone 5: Ballabeg, Ballasalla, Bradda, Castletown, Colby, Cregneash, Derbyhaven, Port Erin, Port St Mary

Zone 6: Baldrine, Douglas, Newtown, Onchan, Port Soderick