Viewpoint Article

by Pat Coxen, CEO of Cornerstone

Connected Britain 2024 provided a vital platform for discussing the future of the UK’s digital connectivity. From policymakers to industry leaders, the event underscored a shared ambition to ensure that the UK remains competitive in the digital age while tackling the significant challenges that remain on the road to ubiquitous, high-quality connectivity.

Accelerating infrastructure deployment

A recurring theme throughout the event was the need to accelerate infrastructure deployment. Chris Bryant MP, Minister of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, highlighted the importance of efficient regulation and swift decision-making to keep pace with the demands of a rapidly evolving digital economy.

To support the pace of digital innovation, planning rules and regulations must evolve. A more adaptable planning framework is essential to facilitate the development of digital infrastructure in line with technological advancements. Accelerating deployment is crucial not only for the expansion of 5G and full-fibre networks but also for unlocking the potential of emerging technologies such as IoT and smart cities.

One notable exhibit at Connected Britain was our installation of a Cornerstone mini tower, installed by our trusted build partners Swann Engineering. The tower was a practical reminder of the essential but often unseen infrastructure that underpins mobile connectivity. It serves as a clear example of the physical components necessary to support the digital services that society increasingly relies on.

A path to ubiquitous connectivity

Beyond infrastructure, achieving a more inclusive digital society was another key focus. The Minister’s remarks about digital poverty were particularly sobering—1.5 million people in the UK remain without reliable access to online services, and the uptake of social tariffs remains alarmingly low.

Addressing this divide is no longer just a matter of economic progress but of social responsibility. Whether in remote rural areas or underserved urban environments, expanding access to high-quality mobile connectivity is essential. Collaboration with local authorities and the use of innovative solutions like small cells and neutral hosting will be vital in reaching the areas that have been left behind.

Collaborative approaches for future-proofing the UK’s digital network

Future-proofing the UK’s digital network will require more than just the rollout of current technologies like 5G and fibre. The infrastructure must be adaptable to support new technologies and industries as they emerge. The integration of IoT, the development of smart cities, and the digital transformation of public services all depend on a robust, flexible network that can meet diverse and evolving needs.

Collaboration will be key to this transformation. Government, regulators, and industry need to work together to create frameworks that enable the development of a truly interconnected digital ecosystem. Multi-sector cooperation will ensure that the infrastructure is not only fit for purpose today but able to evolve as future requirements arise.

Bridging the gap between policy and practice

While Connected Britain was a hub of forward-thinking discussion, the challenge now lies in turning these ideas into action. Achieving the government’s digital ambitions will require greater alignment between policy and practical implementation. Streamlining planning approvals, prioritising sustainability, and fostering deeper collaboration across sectors will all be critical to making progress.

The Minister’s emphasis on evidence-based decision-making is a timely reminder that we need a more data-driven, pragmatic approach to infrastructure planning and deployment. By ensuring that regulations support innovation while addressing environmental and societal impacts, the UK can lead the way in creating a digital future that benefits everyone.

A vision for the future

As we reflect on the conversations at Connected Britain, it is clear that the road ahead will require not only technological advancements but also a collective commitment to action. Building a resilient and inclusive digital infrastructure that supports the UK’s long-term growth will depend on continued innovation, effective collaboration, and an ongoing dialogue between all stakeholders.

We caught up with Pat at Connected Britain to discuss the UK’s connectivity landscape. Check out our interview here!

About Cornerstone

As the UK’s leading mobile and digital infrastructure services provider, platinum sponsors Cornerstone played a pivotal role in Connected Britain 2024. With an impressive portfolio of approximately 15,700 sites across the UK, Cornerstone stands as a beacon of innovation and excellence in infrastructure deployment. Their commitment to advancing the UK’s digital economy aligns seamlessly with the theme of Connected Britain, which aims to explore and enhance the future of digital connectivity.

Interview

“We as an industry have got to do a lot better at articulating the benefits of digital infrastructure”

At this year’s Connected Britain conference, we caught up with Cornerstone CEO Pat Coxen to discuss the UK’s approach to digital infrastructure.

From the gradual rollout of 5G standalone to the impact of the new Labour government, Pat explains why clarity and collaboration in both the public and private sectors will be crucial to the UK’s connectivity success.

You can watch the full interview from the link below.

Want to hear more about Cornerstone’s approach to delivering ubiquitous connectivity across the UK? Check out more insights from Pat in this exclusive article!

Also in the news:
Hurricane Helene knocks out a fifth of mobile sites in US Southeast
Vodafone Germany leans into fibre infrastructure sharing to reach 11m
EE activates 25 Freshwave small cells in London

News 

The Italian government are said to be focusing investment on critical national infrastructure 

The Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and Retelit, a subsidiary of the Spanish Asterion Infrastructure Fund, has made €700 offer for Sparkle, Telecom Italia’s subsea cable unit, the company has announced this week 

Negotiations are ongoing, and TIM is expected to carefully evaluate the offer in the context of its overall strategy. The involvement of MEF and Retelit in the bid indicates a potential national interest in securing Sparkle’s infrastructure, which plays a significant role in Italy’s connectivity to global markets. 

Further updates are anticipated as discussions progress. The offer is on the table until October 15, and will shortly be submitted to TIM’s board of directors. If accepted, the deal could significantly reduce TIM’s debt burden and provide the company with the financial flexibility to invest in its core operations and future growth. 

In a press release Telecom Italia (TIM) said the proposal “will be submitted for examination by TIM’s Board of Directors upon completion of preliminary activities preparatory to the evaluation of the offer.” 

The bid from Italy’s Treasury and Asterion reflects a growing interest in critical infrastructure assets. The Italian government has been keen on maintaining control over strategic assets, and this bid aligns with its broader strategy of safeguarding national interests.  

It also comes as part of TIM’s ongoing efforts to reduce its debt and streamline its business by selling off non-core assets. TIM has been considering the sale of Sparkle for some time, as part of its broader plan to raise capital and improve its financial position, with debt standing at around €21 billion in the second quarter of 2024. 

Earlier this year TIM finalised the sale of its domestic fixed line network (NetCo) to US fund KKR after a lengthy back and forth process. The Italian government gave the greenlight for the sale, worth €22 billion, following an agreement with KKR that will see the government take a stake of up to 20% in the business once the transaction is complete. 

“The completion of the transaction with KKR and the Italian Ministry of Finance is the result of two and a half years of intense work, during which we have improved the management of TIM and identified industrial and financial solutions that will enable us to meet future challenges,” said TIM chief executive Pietro Labriola, in a statement. 

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

Also in the news:
Vodafone and Three defend merger amid CMA warnings
Verizon offloads mobile towers to Vertical Bridge for $3.3bn
Korea Telecom and Microsoft sign multibillion-dollar AI partnership

News 

This marks the company’s largest investment in the country so far 

Microsoft has announced plans to invest €4.3 billion over the next two years in Italy to expand its cloud and AI infrastructure.   

As part of the initiative, Microsoft will also train over 1 million Italians in digital skills by 2025, aiming to support economic growth and tackle demographic challenges. 

While what exact scale of thew new infrastructure to be built was not announced, Microsoft says its expansion will make Northern Italy one of Microsoft’s largest data hubs in Europe, supporting data privacy laws and acting as a key digital hub for the Mediterranean and North Africa. 

Microsoft says its improved AI capabilities will help to benefit numerous European industries, such as manufacturing, healthcare, finance, and local public services. 

“By expanding access to our AI technology and expertise, we are giving Italy’s government, businesses, and workforce the tools to build an AI-powered economy that creates jobs and prosperity,” said Brad Smith, Microsoft’s Vice Chair and President in a press release. 

As part of the investment, Microsoft is also launching a national AI skills program to train over 1 million Italians by 2025. The program will cover AI fluency, technical skills, and safe AI use, targeting professionals, students, and people in disadvantaged areas. Partnering with universities, nonprofits, and industry groups, the initiative will help people prepare for the growing AI-driven economy. 

A study by Microsoft Italy found that nearly half of Italian companies using AI have already seen productivity rise by over 5%. To support further growth, Microsoft has helped 320 companies launch over 450 AI projects, with many already in use. 

The investment also highlights Microsoft’s commitment to sustainability. Its Italian data centers will use renewable energy and water-efficient cooling systems. The company is also working to lower carbon emissions through renewable energy contracts and biofuel-powered backup generators. 

News of AI investment from Microsoft has skyrocketed over the last year. Just last month, the company announced a five-year, multibillion-dollar AI partnership with Korea Telecom, aiming to co-develop AI models tailored specifically for the Korean market. 

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

Also in the news:
Hurricane Helene knocks out a fifth of mobile sites in US Southeast
Vodafone Germany leans into fibre infrastructure sharing to reach 11m
EE activates 25 Freshwave small cells in London

Presse-Information 

München, Deutschland – Connected Germany, Deutschlands Veranstaltung für die digitale Wirtschaft, kehrt zu ihrer bisher größten Ausgabe nach München zurück.  

Auf der zweitägigen Veranstaltung, welche vom Medien- und Veranstaltungsspezialisten Total Telecom ausgerichtet wird, werden 150 Sprecher die wichtigsten Themen für den Aufbau von Netzwerken der nächsten Generation in Deutschland diskutieren. Die Veranstaltung ist in fünf Hauptthemen aufgeteilt und behandelt Themen wie die Investitionslandschaft des Landes, die Bereitstellung von Glasfaser und 5G sowie das regulatorische Umfeld. 

Mit über 1.800 Teilnehmern bietet die Connected Germany ein Forum, in dem führende Experten, Entscheidungsträger, Ausrüstungslieferanten, Investoren, Unternehmen und weitere Personen Gedanken austauschen, neue Perspektiven entdecken und wertvolle Partnerschaften eingehen können. 

Die diesjährige Veranstaltung bietet eine beeindruckende Auswahl an wichtigen Sprechern, darunter:  

– Wolfgang Metze, Geschäftsführer Consumer Business, Telekom Deutschland 

– Valentina Daiber, Chief Legal & Corporate Affairs Officer, Telefonica 

– Marc Sauter, Leiter des IoT-Produktmanagements, Vodafone 

– Frederic Ufer, Geschäftsführer, VATM 

– Jan Simons, Leiter Kommunal- und Regionalpolitik, BREKO 

„Wir freuen uns, für Connected Germany 2024 nach München zurückzukehren“, sagt Rowan Thompson, Senior Producer der Veranstaltung.  

„Die Veranstaltung wird unsere bisher wirkungsvollste sein und die klügsten Köpfe aus den Bereichen Telekommunikation und digitale Innovation zusammenbringen. Da Deutschland seine digitale Infrastruktur weiter ausbaut, wird die Veranstaltung eine wichtige Plattform für Branchenführer sein, um zusammenzuarbeiten, Ideen auszutauschen und die Zukunft der Konnektivität im ganzen Land zu gestalten“, so Thompson weiter. 

Weitere Informationen und die Möglichkeit zur Anmeldung für die Connected Germany 2024 finden Sie unter: https://www.terrapinn.com/conference/connected-germany/index.stm  

 _________________________________________________________________________________ 

Über Total Telecom 

Seit 1997 stellt Total Telecom die Verbindung zwischen den Käufern und Verkäufern auf dem globalen Telekommunikationsmarkt her. Wir tun dies durch qualitativ hochwertige redaktionelle Inhalte und Veranstaltungen, um Diskussionen über Branchenthemen zu fördern und Innovationen und herausragende Leistungen von Unternehmen und Einzelpersonen zu würdigen.   

Unsere Gemeinschaft von mehr als 120.000 Telekommunikationsfachleuten verlässt sich auf Total Telecom, wenn es um tägliche Nachrichten und regelmäßige ausführliche Einblicke geht, die über eine Reihe von Kanälen wie Online, Video, soziale Medien und unsere Veranstaltungsreihe bereitgestellt werden.  

Zu unserem preisgekrönten Veranstaltungsportfolio gehören der Broadband Communities Summit, die World Communication Awards, Connected North, Connected Germany und die größte britische Konnektivitätsveranstaltung Connected Britain.   

Energy and communications provider Utility Warehouse (UW or Telecom Plus) recently boosted their existing range of Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based home broadband packages by finally adding a top 944Mbps tier, which costs just £40 per month on an 18-month term.

The change appears to have occurred in the middle of last month, although they didn’t issue a press release about it – we noticed when it was mentioned in their latest minor quarterly trading update. Customers who take this package should note that, after the first 18-months have finished, the standard price will become £49 per month.

The package also includes their ‘UW Wi-Fi Hub’ wireless router and unlimited data usage, but otherwise there’s not a lot of detail and no mention of the package’s upload speeds. However, UW tends to work with both Openreach and CityFibre’s national networks, although we’re unsure if they’ve fully integrated the latter yet (tests suggest they’re still Openreach-only) and thus uploads may be limited to a max of 115Mbps on their top tier.

The official website that was setup last year to support the proposed mobile mega-merger between Vodafone and Three UK – https://vodafoneandthree.uk – mysteriously vanished at the start of this week and has yet to return after several days of waiting. But the issue is more likely to be an awkward technical one than a sign of something more dramatic, we think.

Generally speaking, you wouldn’t normally expect the main website for one of the UK’s largest telecoms mergers to simply vanish for a week; that’s a bit on the unusual side. We first spotted the issue on Monday, but initially ignored it, as websites often suffer occasional disruption and such things are usually resolved within a few short hours or 1-2 days.

By Tuesday, we noticed that the website was still offline and the registration status of the domain on some whois checkers was listed as ‘Suspended‘ (example), while Nominet’s lookup (here) noted that “the Registry has configured the domain to not function in the DNS by setting ‘server hold’.” But issues with Domain Name System (DNS) assignments don’t usually take a full week to fix.

All of this prompted ISPreview to ask one of the operator’s PR contacts for an update, at which point we were informed, still on Tuesday morning, that it was “just a temporary issue“. Fast-forward three more days and it’s still offline, but will hopefully return soon (we have today asked for a bit more detail and an update). The issue follows shortly after both operators set out several commitments that they hope will enable the competition watchdog to give their deal the green light (here). But the outcome remains uncertain.

The Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC) in England has published some of the initial results from a project it undertook with Birmingham City University (BCU) and other local authorities, which mapped 4G and 5G mobile (mobile broadband) coverage in the County – helping to reveal areas of both poor and no signal.

The effort began in 2022 after NCC secured £20,000 from the Local Government Association (LGA) to fund its Digital Pathfinders project. Over the 18-month survey period, the project covered 7,723 roads in the districts and boroughs of Nottinghamshire, which needed more than 4,000 hours of driving and this accumulated around 7.7 million data points.

Various not-spots across the County were identified by this process – these are areas which lack sufficient coverage and have a signal strength of less than 125 decibel milliwatts (dBm) coverage. “This means that people in these areas, or those who travel across them, cannot make phone calls, send texts messages, or access the internet through mobile networks reliably,” said the study.

The initial findings from this study have indicated that ‘not spots’ exist in both urban and rural areas, such as Mansfield and Newark-on-Trent. Not spots were more present in rural and semi-rural environments. Interestingly, O2 has the “most promising picture“, with fewer not-spots across both 4G and 5G technologies compared to the other operators. It should be noted that 5G, whilst not as widely present as 4G, still presented not spots and poor signal areas.

By comparison to O2’s positive result, Three UK was found to have the “most not spots or bad coverage areas“. Whilst Three has a good 5G to 4G ratio, it still lacks moderate or excellent coverage in several areas, which can “make deploying use cases which require low latency and reliability difficult“.

Figure 1: Overall picture of where poor signal and 4G and 5G not-spots are located – red data points signify poor signal, blue signifies not spots

Unfortunately, the initial results lack much in the way of detail, while the visualisations provided are at a very low resolution and adopt the irritatingly vague ‘coloured’ dots approach. This is where a single dot actually covers quite a wide proportional geographic area and thus aren’t much help unless you can zoom-in close to see the correct representation, which you can’t.

The raw data is no doubt much more detailed than this and should produce quite an accurate map, although at present the public doesn’t have access to the full results and so it’s not much use to the rest of us. But no doubt the county council will be able to use this data to help direct future interventions and upgrades, although we’d still like to see the public being given access to all this.

NCC Statement

Nottinghamshire County Council will identify areas in the County that have poor or no mobile connectivity coverage. These areas will be prioritised for interventions and Officers will seek to lobby the MNOs and other partners to drive improved mobile connectivity in Nottinghamshire. We will consider suitable alternatives.

Looking further ahead, the Council will consider other opportunities and look to replicate the mobile connectivity mapping project in the future to maintain and update the data that has been gathered within the County. This will also mean we can track developments and changes in mobile connectivity as 6G is trialled and previous generations of mobile communications (e.g., 3G) become obsolete.

We will also be developing how we map against full fibre and fixed broadband availability so that we can get a complete picture of internet access, total not spots, or extremely slow speeds for use across sensors and mapping.

The Growing Mid Wales programme and network analyst firm Streetwave have used their ongoing mobile connectivity study in Ceredigion (Wales) to reveal what sort of impact tourism has on mobile broadband performance in seaside towns (there’s a “major” drop in data speeds) and thus where EE, Vodafone, Three UK and O2 may need to upgrade.

Just to recap. Streetwave have been harnessing waste (bin / refuse) collection lorries to map mobile network coverage and speeds in the area since earlier in the year (here, here, here, here and here). In this setup, the trucks are installed with four off-the-shelf Smartphones using software from Streetwave on top, which run continuous network tests (once every 20 metres in rural areas and 5m in urban areas) as the vehicles go about their routes.

However, as well as providing a general performance map, the data can also be used to see how mobile network performance changes over time in specific areas and that’s very relevant when it comes to understanding the impact of tourism season. Put another way, a big influx of new visitors, over a narrow period of time, often puts extra strain on local mobile networks and backhaul capacity.

With its stunning coastline and rich cultural history, Ceredigion remains a popular location for tourists to visit during the summer holidays. With a native population of just 73,000, the county usually receives 300,000 – 350,000 visitors in the month of August. The study thus selected the popular tourism destination towns of Cardigan, New Quay and Aberaeron for closer analysis.

The mobile coverage performance for all of the primary mobile network operators (MNOs) was then analysed across nearly every street in the towns during peak tourist season (August) and non-peak months (July & September). As you’d expect, the results show that all of the operators saw the median download and upload speeds that they deliver fall significantly during August.

Impact of Summer Tourism on Ceredigion Mobile Data Speeds

Operator
Average Fall in Download Speed in August
Average Fall in Upload Speed in August

EE
-30%
-19%

O2
-55%
-35%

Three
-24%
-24%

Vodafone
-20%
-27%

The results also reveal that O2 was “most effected” by the increase in tourist numbers, seeing average download speeds fall by 55% and average upload speeds fall by 35%. The wider impact can also be visualised, such as when we look at the following map of Cardigan below, although sadly there isn’t an interactive version of this for the public to access, yet.

Following the capture of this data, the GMW Digital Programme is now working with various operators and neutral host providers to increase capacity in these seaside towns, as well as other tourism ‘hot-spots’ across Mid Wales.

However, it should be said that the mobile operators will already be aware of this sort of impact from their own internal network usage data, and they often increase capacity during expected periods of high load. But it remains to be seen whether they will go beyond their usual tweaks in order to address the issues. Sometimes there can be complex and costly reasons that may limit an operator’s ability to adapt.

Cardigan

August Performance:

Operator
Download speeds (Mbps)
Change in DL Speeds
Upload Speeds (Mbps)
Change in UL Speeds

EE
22.4
-20%
5.6
-23%

O2
3.4
-41%
2.3
-46%

Vodafone
9.5
-2%
4.9
-22%

Three
16
-12%
3.5
-27%

New Quay

August Performance:

Operator
Download speeds (Mbps)
Change in DL Speeds
Upload Speeds (Mbps)
Change in UL Speeds

EE
6.4
-54%
2
-13%

O2
3.1
-72%
2
-55%

Vodafone
8.7
-38%
3.2
-35%

Three
7.7
-50%
0.7
-46%

Aberaeron

August Performance:

Operator
Download speeds (Mbps)
Change in DL Speeds
Upload Speeds (Mbps)
Change in UL Speeds

EE
15.5
-28%
2.6
-13%

O2
9.7
-49%
4
-2%

Vodafone
24.8
-17%
4.6
-26%

Three
16.7
-15%
1.7
-26%

Brsk, one of the fastest-growing networks in the UK, has announced that work is underway to bring full fibre broadband to the Salford borough of Greater Manchester. Areas to be connected include Blackfriars in the city centre, Seedley, Pendlebury, and Irlams o’ th’ Height.

This investment will offer 25,000 homes and businesses in the area access to the fastest and most reliable type of broadband available in the UK, providing symmetrical upload and download speeds via a brand-new network.

Speaking of the rollout to bring better broadband to the borough, brsk Greater Manchester Regional Head, Gareth Cornelius, said, “Having already brought our world-class full fibre network to Trafford, Stockport, Rochdale, Wigan, Tameside and Manchester, it is fantastic to be coming to Salford and reaching even more people in Greater Manchester with the service they need to be able to go about their daily lives. We are committed to delivering exceptional connectivity and ensuring that communities have access to the fast, reliable internet they deserve.” 

At a time when regulators are cracking down on providers to ensure advertising clarity between copper, part-fibre and full fibre services, residents can rest assured that brsk provides 100% full fibre broadband and nothing less. The provider takes pride in its infrastructure and recently won the ‘Full Fibre Innovation Award’ at Connected Britain 2024. 

Affordable high-speed internet is in high demand across the country to facilitate remote working, learning, gaming and streaming, as more and more of our lives are lived online. Brsk offers competitive pricing across all of their packages, with add-on options to boost connectivity. These include a TV service, mesh Wi-Fi, static IP addresses and VoIP phone services. 

All brsk packages include a guarantee of no mid-contract prices, providing peace of mind that customers can trust their supplier to provide exactly what they pay for, with no nasty surprises. With over 12,000 Trustpilot reviews and an ‘Excellent’ rating  4.7/5, brsk is thrilled to be able to offer home and business owners in the Salford area an award-winning option for their broadband.

The expansion compliments brsk’s mission to make Greater Manchester, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the UK, one of the best digitally connected urban counties. Currently, more than 250,000 homes and businesses in Greater Manchester can access better broadband on brsk’s network, which extends from Rochdale to Stockport, and Ashton in Makerfield to Ashton Under-Lyne.