The FTTH Council Europe has published an interesting new report that looks at the progress being made across 27 EU member states (and the United Kingdom) in switching off older copper based broadband networks as part of adopting gigabit full-fibre infrastructure. The report finds a mixed picture, with Portugal, Spain and Sweden leading the way, while others lag far behind.

The report largely seems to act has a high-level summary of policies and progress across each country, which unfortunately doesn’t tell us anything terribly new about where the UK stands because there’s a lack of key data in the report (as evident from the illustration below, although we’re probably somewhere around Italy’s position). But it does help to show just how much work is going into this across the EU and that the UK is far from being alone in its challenges.

Regular readers of ISPreview will already be aware that the move away from copper to full fibre lines is a very gradual process and one that involves several separate, albeit complementary, phases. For example, Openreach and BT’s ongoing effort to shift consumers off traditional analogue voice (PSTN / WLR) services to digital all-IP technologies by 31st Jan 2027 could be said to form the first phase (here and here).

On top of the above phase, we also have Openreach’s “FTTP Priority Exchange Stop Sell” programme, which reflects areas where over 75% of premises are able to get full fibre lines and will thus stop selling copper-based services (latest progress). After that will come Openreach’s move to close around 4,600 old telephone exchanges under the “Exchange Exit” programme (currently in pilot), but that won’t really kick off at scale until 2030 onwards.

The council’s new report provides similar information for all the other countries it covers, which praises operators in Portugal, Spain and Sweden who have “mostly discontinued their copper networks“, while also revealing that Germany, Greece and the Czech Republic “still rely heavily on old copper infrastructure“. The UK is in a similar place to the latter group, as our own FTTP deployments are still playing catch-up with most of Europe (we started the FTTP build, at scale, quite late).

The report highlights that in only 12 countries do the incumbent operators have a plan for complete copper switch-off and in 8 of these 12 countries the plans are publicly available (the UK is one of these, so that’s a plus), while in others (e.g. Portugal) the plan is confidential.

“We believe that fibre networks are fundamental to the digital transformation of Europe,” said FTTH Council Europe President, Roshene McCool. “Phasing out copper networks for fibre infrastructure will lower energy consumption and reduce overall operating costs, therefore making a great contribution to the achievement of the EU’s Digital Decade objectives”, Ms McCool continued.

The new tracker and report are useful for those seeking some additional context across countries, but as we say, it doesn’t really add much for the UK that we haven’t reported on many times before in various different articles. Ofcom’s next major market review is likely to take a closer look at Openreach’s currently plan, which is currently more of an industry-led process, and it’s possible we may see some additional changes as part of that effort.

The Full Report
https://www.ftthcouncil.eu/resources/all-publications-and-assets/2317/copper-switch-off-tracker-decommissioning-copper-in-the-european-union-and-the-united-kingdom

Fibre manufacturer ACOME Group has today announced the introduction of a new platform that they claim could help broadband operators to reduce the amount of expensive optical fibre cable network builders throw away each year. All you need is a QR code and an App that combine to keep a record of each cable drum and its usage.

The manufacturer claims that, every day, broadband companies “waste on average 10% of the full fibre cable they deploy” owing to a lack of knowledge of how much cable they have available in stock or on the field. The solution they came up for helping to solve this is called QR-Drum, which assigns a QR code to each cable drum to work as its digital twin (this keeps a record of cable lengths – down to the last metre, locations [cloud-based GPS tracking] and deployment history).

According to ACOME, this approach allows for a much more efficient fibre management, “cutting fibre cable waste by half or more, and saving up to 5% on cable costs“. The platform is compatible with any manufacturers’ cable-drum and caters to two types of users. Users ‘in the field’ have a mobile app to deploy and record data, and those managing stock use the desktop dashboard to monitor availability and waste in real time – taking some of the guesswork out of things.

ACOME’s QR Drum Product Manager, Delphine Dépont, said:

“Faced with higher interest rates, a need to cut costs and improve deployment efficiency, QR-Drum has been launched by ACOME Group to address a common industry issue of a lack of visibility on available cable lengths leading to overstocking issues. Reducing all forms of waste is a key element in any sustainability strategy. By limiting waste and landfill, the QR-Drum solution will help improve the environmental profile of the broadband sector.

The inability to track exact remaining cable lengths and the inordinate amount of time spent on inventories and logistics tracking, has long been a hindering factor in operational and cost efficiency in our industry.”

The new platform sounds like something that might be more useful for larger network operators, although a lot of providers already have reasonably good systems of their own in place for tracking cable usage. But clearly any new solutions that can help to minimise such issues are always welcome.

FTTH network builders can significantly reduce the amount of expensive optical fibre they throw away thanks to a new initiative from French cabling experts, ACOME Group .

Every day, broadband companies waste on average 10% of the full fibre cable they deploy owing to a lack of knowledge of how much cable they have available in stock or on the field. ACOME’s QR-Drum assigns a QR code to each cable drum which works as its digital twin, keeping a record of cable lengths, locations and deployment history. This allows much more efficient fibre management, cutting fibre cable waste by half or more, and saving up to 5% on cable costs. 

QR-Drum not only facilitates precise cable inventory management, providing information down to the last metre, it also streamlines and enhances the efficiency of the logistical process.

“Faced with higher interest rates, a need to cut costs and improve deployment efficiency, QR-Drum has been launched by ACOME Group to address a common industry issue of a lack of visibility on available cable lengths leading to overstocking issues”, said ACOME’s QR Drum Product Manager, Delphine Dépont. “Reducing all forms of waste is a key element in any sustainability strategy. By limiting waste and landfill, the QR-Drum solution will help improve the environmental profile of the broadband sector.”

QR-Drum, which is compatible with any manufacturers’ cable-drum, has been designed as close to the field as possible, with the help of operational teams, digitalising a work monitoring tool to streamline operations for on-site users and logistics teams alike.

The platform caters to two types of users. Users ‘in the field’ have a mobile app to deploy and record data, and those managing stock use the desktop dashboard to monitor availability and waste in real time. This dual-access approach helps contractors see exactly which installers still have stock, eliminating the guesswork on whether to reorder more materials.

“The inability to track exact remaining cable lengths and the inordinate amount of time spent on inventories and logistics tracking, has long been a hindering factor in operational and cost efficiency in our industry,” Delphine added.

“The QR Drum offers significant benefits by reducing both costs and cable waste,” said Thomas Cantin, Director of Digital Development at the Department Council of Ariège in Southwestern France, which used the solution. “With precise stock management, we’ve been able to avoid surplus fibre reels at project completion, achieving a 5% cost savings while minimising waste—a critical expense in cable management.“

QR-Drum offers cloud-based GPS tracking, providing real-time access to data for each drum used by teams spread across the country, working for various subcontractors. Dashboards are effective tools for monitoring and controlling equipment consumption.

It also helps dispatch the right drum for the job, whether for larger projects requiring fuller drums or smaller tasks that can use partially used drums. It supports proactive stock planning by helping to avoid dead stocks and offers performance indicators as part of the platform.

For more information about QR-Drum, you can watch the video case study or visit: https://www.acome.com/en/publications/446-expert-opinions/3278-cut-fibre-cable-wastage-50-qr-drum-digital-platform

ENDS

About ACOME Group  

ACOME Group is an international industrial and cooperative company that designs and manufactures high-performing cables for the data and telecom infrastructure, building, and transport and automotive sectors.

ACOME has established itself in the UK to supply the market with FTTH telecom products based on its Nanomodule technology, which is specifically designed for UK operators and builders to help reduce costs, time and environmental impact.

With 13 factories in 7 countries, 9 logistic centres, and 2 R&D centres, ACOME employs more than 1700 people worldwide. The company turned over €558million in 2023. Find out more at https://www.acome.com/en or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

News 

The Finnish tech giant will provide the optical network to connect eight new renewable energy platforms in the North Sea 

Nokia has been selected by TenneT, a European offshore transmission operator, to supply key technology for a large renewable energy project in the Dutch North Sea.  

As part of the deal, Nokia will supply optical networking technology for eight new 2-gigawatt (2GW) platforms, keeping them connected to the mainland.  

The new 2GW program is designed to streamline energy transmission from offshore wind farms, creating a standardised approach to handling large volumes of renewable energy. TenneT has partnered with three consortia — Petrofac and Hitachi Energy, GE Vernova-Seatrium, and GE Vernova-McDermott — to deliver these platforms. 

Nokia will use its1830 PSS DWDM technology will reliably connect the offshore platforms to TenneT’s onshore systems, enabling TenneT to oversee and manage the platforms while ensuring steady energy transmission.  

The optical network will have long-distance un-repeatered transmission capabilities of up to 400km, with technologies designed to handle the challenging offshore environment. Nokia will also provide design, testing, and long-term support to ensure the system’s reliability. 

“At Nokia we know that ‘there’s no green without digital’. This project demonstrates that principle in action. By delivering standardised, high-performance optical networking technology that meets the unique demands of offshore environments, Nokia is supporting TenneT in providing reliable green energy to millions of homes across the Netherlands and Europe,” said James Watt, SVP and General Manager of Optical Networks business at Nokia in a press release. 

The rollout of Nokia’s technology will start in early 2025, in line with the construction of the 2GW platforms. The first platform is scheduled to become operational by 2029. 

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

Also in the news:
Chinese engineers patenting submarine cable cutting tech
Myanmar’s Mytel among latest company to be added to US ‘Entity List
Uswitch highlights risks to customers as VMO2 targets 3G sunset

Johannesburg, South Africa, 13 January 2025 – CMC Networks has appointed Paolo Gambini as its new Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Gambini joins CMC Networks from his prior role as Head of Enterprise Sales at Arelion, where he spent over five years leading global sales initiatives. He brings more than 25 years of telecommunications experience and expertise to CMC Networks to continue to drive revenue growth, strengthen customer relationships, and support requirements across Africa and the Middle East.

Gambini has a proven track record in international sales, business development, marketing, network design and more, providing a multifaceted skillset to expand upon CMC Networks’ success. The appointment marks a key step in the company’s roadmap and mission to ensure businesses and users can benefit from world-leading technologies, no matter where they operate.

“Big things are happening at CMC Networks, and I’m thrilled to join at such an exciting time,” said Paolo Gambini, CRO at CMC Networks. “I’m looking forward to working with the team to support the company’s strategic goals and drive the next phase of growth, cementing CMC Networks as the go-to provider for business connectivity in the MEA region.”

Paolo’s extensive career also includes over a decade at Tiscali International Network/Inteliquent, where he held the senior roles of VP Product Marketing & Development and Sales & Marketing Director, as well as Chief Technical Officer at Tiscali Spain. With a deep understanding of the technical, operational and commercial aspects of the telecommunications landscape, he is uniquely positioned to accelerate CMC Networks’ growth goals and customer engagement.

“We are delighted to have Paolo on board as our new CRO. His extensive experience and innovative mindset are invaluable as we continue to drive innovation and solidify CMC’s position as the leading player in Africa and Middle East,” said Marisa Trisolino, CEO at CMC Networks. “We are dedicated to making it as simple as possible for our customers to do business and grow in these regions, without connectivity headaches or market complications. I’m looking forward to working with Paolo to strengthen and refine our approach even further, with our customers at the core.”

CMC Networks specialises in delivering high-performance connectivity solutions that empower businesses to thrive in some of the world’s most complex markets. It has the largest pan-African network servicing 51 out of 54 countries in Africa and 11 countries in the Middle East.

###

About CMC Networks

CMC Networks is a Tier 1 service provider that enables and accelerates digital transformation in the most challenging markets in the world. Headquartered in South Africa and providing services for over 30 years.

CMC provides data communications to Carriers, Governments, Multinationals, and various non-profit organisations, operating more than 110 Service Locations providing a cost-effective, scalable and resilient network. CMC Networks has the largest pan-African network servicing 51 out of 54 countries in Africa and 11 countries in the Middle East, plus regional hubs in key interconnect locations across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific.

https://www.cmcnetworks.com/

News

The patents relate to an “ocean towing type cutting device” that can be used to severe cable on the seabed

On Friday, a report from Newsweek shared the news that Chinese engineers had logged multiple patents for anchor-like devices specifically designed to sever submarine cables.

The report highlighted a 2020 patent filed by engineers at China’s Lishui University that said it had built a more simplified and cost-effective method for cutting cables on the sea floor.

“With the development of science and technology, more and more submarine cables and communication cables are laid on the seabed of all parts of the world and the cables need to be cut off in some emergency situations,” the Lishui University authors wrote in their patent application. “The traditional cutting method needs first to detect the position of the cables, then excavate and salvage them for cutting. This process is complex, a lot of expensive equipment is needed, and the cost is too high. There is a need for a fast, low-cost cutting apparatus for submarine cables to accomplish this task.”

The solution itself was based upon a 2009 patent from the State Oceanic Administration of China (SOA) that featured an “ocean towing type cutting device”.

In their 2009 patent, the SOA engineers explained the rationale behind developing such a device was as a method for the destruction of illegal cables in Chinese waters.

Submarine cables critical infrastructure and their destruction can cause major connectivity disruption on a national scale. This is particularly exacerbated in cases where there are few or even no alternative cables available to carry data, leaving areas completely cut off from the internet or reliant on emergency backups like satellite.

The elephant in the room here, of course, is the extent to which Chinese ships have been involved in numerous submarine cable breaks in recent years – accidental or otherwise.

In 2023, the trailing anchor of the Chinese ship Newnew Polar Bear damaged the Balticconnector natural gas pipeline, as well as the EE-S1 submarine telecoms cable. A Chinese investigation confirmed the ship was responsible in 2024, but claimed the damage was accidental rather than deliberate sabotage.

A similar investigation was launched the following year after the Chinese freighter Yi Peng 3 was linked to the damage sustained by two submarine cables, one linking Finland and Germany and the other connecting Sweden to Lithuania. The governments of both Germany and Finland said they feared deliberate sabotage and described the event as an act of ‘hybrid warfare by malicious actors’.

Even more recently – earlier this month, in fact – the Trans-Pacific Express Cable System, which directly connects Taiwan to the U.S. East Coast, Japan, South Korea, and China, was damaged by a Cameroon-flagged freighter named Shunxing39.

“This is another case of a very worrying global trend of sabotage against subsea cables,” said a senior Taiwanese national security official. “The ships that are involved in these incidents are typically rundown vessels that have little above-the-board business. This one, too, is in very bad shape. It is similar to the ships that are part of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet.’”

China’s Jie Jang Trading, which owns the vessel, has denied accusations that the ship had damaged the cable.

As an island, Taiwan is particularly vulnerable to submarine cable disruption. The country’s government claims that ‘accidental’ submarine cable cuts are part of China’s ‘Grey Zone activities’ in the waters around Taiwan, aimed at deliberately destabilising the country without provoking direct conflict.

The fact that Chinese engineers appear to be working on technology specifically designed to destroy subsea cable infrastructure should do little to dispel these misgivings.

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

Also in the news:
VEON and Starlink to launch Direct-to-Cell Satellite connectivity in Ukraine
Swisscom completes acquisition of Vodafone Italia
Equinix to buy BT’s Irish data centre business for €59m

Network analyst firm Streetwave has today shared the results from a new survey they conducted, which examined the coverage and performance of 4G and 5G mobile (broadband) networks for people travelling on a train from Manchester (Piccadilly) in England to Cardiff (Central) in Wales. Overall, Vodafone came top.

The railway route involved in this study connects Manchester and Cardiff via Crewe, Shrewsbury, Hereford and Newport. According to the ORR – 51.5 million passenger journeys take place annually in stations along this route. Streetwave is understood to have taken their portable data collection equipment onboard for just one of these trips, thus the results below should be considered very anecdotal, albeit still interesting.

In addition, multiple train companies operate the Manchester to Cardiff route, including Transport for Wales (TfW), CrossCountry, Avanti West Coast, and Great Western Railway (GWR). But the study only involved a TfW train that left Manchester Piccadilly at 12:30pm on 02/01/2025 (this was a British Rail Class 197 train full of passengers).

All four of the UK’s mobile operators were measured and their ‘Essential Coverage‘ scores across the journey were as follows. Take note that Streetwave defines Essential Coverage as being reflective of locations where the network provides users with connectivity of above 1Mbps download speeds, 0.5Mbps upload, and below 100ms (milliseconds) of latency (i.e. covering or allowing only the most basic of use cases / needs).

Essential Coverage Achieved on the Route
1. Vodafone – 57%
2. EE – 48%
3. Three UK – 37%
4. O2 – 34%

Put another way, the company’s simulated passenger on each network spent the following amount of time without a dependable internet connection on the 3-hour 13-minute journey: Vodafone – 83 minutes, EE – 100 minutes, Three UK – 123 minutes and O2 – 127 minutes. Clearly there’s room for improvement, although it would have been useful to know which specific parts of the route suffered the poorest patches of connectivity.

“With the UK Government prioritising economic growth – improving connectivity along railway lines should be a strategic move to prevent the working population from spending hundreds of millions of hours each year trapped in Faraday cages without reliable internet access,” said George Gibson, Streetwave’s Co-Founder & Partnership Director.

London-based broadband ISP Pulse Fibre, which specialises in building “full fibre” (FTTP) connections into UK new build home developments and MDUs (here), has signed a new partnership that will enable their network to expand across new developments being built alongside multi-utility provider Entity Connect in the South East of England.

The initial focus will be on delivering full fibre connectivity to the Farriers Green development in Rainham, Kent. This is a residential development with 46 units and will be the first project to benefit from this partnership, although others are expected to follow. Through Entity Connects multi-utility platform and Pulse Fibre’s full fibre technology, every home at Farriers Green will enjoy symmetric broadband speeds from day one.

“We’re excited to work with Entity Connect and bring unrivalled connectivity to new residents,” said Nathan Davis, Head of Development at Pulse Fibre. “Our full fibre infrastructure ensures that developments are equipped with fast and reliable broadband, from day one.”

News

The list sanctions companies assessed as posing a potential threat to US national security or operating adversely to US foreign policy interests

On January 6, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced the latest wave of companies to be added the so-called ‘Entity List’.

US companies seeking to export to companies on the Entity List must first receive a specific. licence to do-so from the US government, most of which are reviewed with the ‘presumption of denial’.

This latest update saw BIS revise the Export Administration Regulations to include 13 new entities: 11 from China, 1 from Myanmar, and 1 from Pakistan. The list of companies added can be found here, while the full ‘Entity List’ can be accessed here.

The companies added are, for the most part, unsurprising. Chinese companies have made up the lion’s share of entrants to the Entity List for many years now – a symptom of the deeper of the technological tensions between the country and successive US governments. Here, the majority of the Chinese entrants are tech firms accused of supporting the Chinese military, alongside a handful of research institutes designated as working on ‘hypersonic weapons’.

The sole Pakistani entrant, Emerging Future Solutions Private Limited, was similarly added based on military connections adverse to US interests, including supporting Pakistan’s ballistic missile research efforts.

But perhaps the most interesting of the new additions is Myanmar’s Mytel, which has been accused of helping the ruling military junta prepetrate human rights abuses by assisting with surveillance and financial support.

Mytel was founded as a joint venture between the Burmese military and Vietnamese telco Viettel (itself owned by Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defence) in 2016.

The company’s military links have been a source of controversy since the company’s inception, with Mytel having been accused of corruption, cronyism, and carrying out government disinformation campaigns.

The company initially faced a broad wave of economic sanctions from various Western countries following the military coup in 2021, but the US was notably absent. Since then, the company has been accused of further misdeeds, including using Mytel SIMs to track soldiers’ movements and conversations, aiming to root out defectors.

However, exactly how effective these new sanctions from the US will be remains to be seen. The efficacy of the Entity List has been repeatedly called into question, with detractors arguing that many licences were still being issued. In 2023, for example, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul notably complained that BIS had approved more than $23 billion in tech licences to blacklisted companies in just a three month period in Jan–March 2022.

Keep up to date with all the latest global telecoms news with the Total Telecom newsletter

Also in the news:
VEON and Starlink to launch Direct-to-Cell Satellite connectivity in Ukraine
Swisscom completes acquisition of Vodafone Italia
Equinix to buy BT’s Irish data centre business for €59m