Macquarie-backed UK ISP KCOM, which is the dominant telecoms operator in Hull and is also expanding their full fibre (FTTP) broadband network further into East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire (England), has today celebrated their 120th anniversary and revealed that their network, which is home to 150k customers, now covers 305,000 premises (up from 297k in March 2023).

In case anybody has forgotten, KCOM announced a second network roll-out programme in September 2022 (here), which was due to expand FTTP to another 50,000 premises. Since then, they’ve added premises in the following locations to their fibre network: Barrow, Barton, Brayton, Bridlington, Brigg, Broughton, Crowle, Driffield, Epworth, Goole, Goxhill, Haxey, Hibaldstow, Hornsea, Howden, Kirton Lindsey, Market Weighton, Messingham, Nafferton, Pocklington, Scotter, Scawby, Selby, Withernsea.

The 2022 expansion programme also included a commitment of £17m to help migrate customers from their old copper line based broadband and phone services to their new full fibre network. At the time, around 14,000 of their customers were still on copper-based products, but this has now changed.

According to today’s update, some 40% of copper voice customers have already been migrated to fibre voice services, with particular care given to vulnerable customers. We had expected KCOM to complete this process before Openreach, but it seems to be taking them a bit longer than expected, which is not all that surprising given how many challenges other operators have faced. Extra care often has to be taken to avoid old telecare systems being broken in the process.

Tim Shaw, CEO of KCOM, said:

“Our strategy is underpinned by customer growth and service innovation. We obsess about our customers and work hard every day to provide the best service and online experience in the market. We empower our customers and communities to do more with their connectivity and this makes Hull and East Yorkshire a thriving place to live, work and play.

Through our dedication to improving the in-home and at-work experience for our customers, we’re redefining connectivity. The telecoms sector is evolving quickly across the UK: we’ve seen dozens of new entrants, moves towards consolidation and tougher economics. KCOM is well positioned to achieve sustained success for the long-term. Our focus on serving customers, our deeply engrained expertise and commitment to innovation will keep us at the forefront.”

The announcement also states that KCOM will “start upgrades to provide faster download speeds of up the 10GBps” (they actually mean 10Gbps, not GB for Bytes). But we suspect that reference to 10Gbps may relate more to the theoretical capability of their underlying FTTP network, rather than a specific plan for launching 10Gbps speeds to homes. But we are checking this and will report back.

Otherwise, we also get a general summary of recent developments, most of which we’ve already covered before.

KCOM’s Recent Developments

• More than 305,000 premises on KCOM’s network which, for the first time in its history, straddles the Humber estuary across both East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. This expansion included 24 more towns and villages prior to the pause.

• Creation of two divisions serving 150,000 customers in ‘Consumer’ and ‘Enterprise’ to drive retail, business and wholesale growth across Hull, East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire.

• 40 per cent of copper voice customers migrated to fibre voice services so far, with particular care given to vulnerable customers in the region.

• First wave trial of infrastructure sharing (PIA) in Hull now successfully underway, working towards a long-term offering that is right for residents and the region.

• Launch of the Power is all Yours campaign in 2024 to promote KCOM’s fast, secure and resilient network which offers more personalisation, prioritisation and protection for customers’ online lives.

• International collaboration with eero, an Amazon company, that sees KCOM redefine the in-home broadband experience for customers.

• Bringing a national telecoms brand, Telecom Acquisitions Ltd, into the region as a partner and increasing the dynamism of the region’s broadband market through wholesale access.

• Underpinning the region’s public services, recently winning contracts as the partner of choice for Hull City Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Humber Fire and Rescue, and Hull University Teaching Hospitals.

• Reduction of more than 10 per cent in direct carbon emissions since the 2021 baseline.

• More than £30,000 in grants via the KCOM Foundation and 800 volunteer hours to support digital empowerment in Hull, East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire since 2021.

UPDATE 10:21am

KCOM has confirmed to ISPreview that, due to the changing economic climate (e.g. high interest rates), they’ve “paused” network expansion activity to focus on growth within their existing footprint and innovating in customer experience.

Speaking of which, the 10Gbps reference above is said to be more reflective of their investment in “future capability” (i.e. their XGS-PON fibre upgrade). But one of our readers (Miken) did notice a recent wholesale change (here) that suggests a new product line up may be coming. This would offer symmetrical speeds of up to 530Mbps, then uploads capped at 550Mbps for the 795Mbps and 954Mbps products (average advertised speeds).

We expect more details on their XGS-PON network upgrades around Christmas.

Mobile network operator O2 (Virgin Media) has today expanded upon their existing partnership with Hiya by integrating the company’s AI-powered scam detection service to help combat fraud and nuisance calls, which sees them claiming to be the “first and only UK mobile operator to provide this service to customers at no extra cost“.

The news isn’t all that surprising because VMO2 announced, in February 2024, that they’d become the second major UK telecoms provider, after BT (EE), to adopt Hiya’s AI-based technologies for call filtering and management (here). As part of this they’ve launched the related Brand ID service (here) and have now complemented that by introducing scam call detection.

The new service, known as Call Defence, claims to use Adaptive AI to analyse call number behaviour in real-time and determine whether it could be a scam or spam call. Customers are then alerted to any risk before picking up, helping them to decide whether they want to answer or not.

The new technology is currently being “rolled out” to O2 customers on Pay Monthly Custom Plans, Pay Monthly SIM Only plans and O2 Business customers (sadly there’s no mention of PAYG / Prepaid) – usable by both Android users and Apple (iPhone) customers on the latest iOS 18 software or above.

Murray Mackenzie, Director of Fraud at VMO2, said:

“Our AI-powered scam and spam call detection tool is the latest layer of defence we’re rolling out to help protect our customers from fraudsters.

We’re the first and only UK provider to give customers this innovative new tool for free, which will monitor call behaviour to provide customers greater clarity on who is calling and why, constantly adapting to help keep one step ahead of scammers.

Whether we’re blocking calls and texts from fraudsters or rolling out Caller ID for trusted businesses, we’re working hard to stop scammers in their tracks. But with fraudsters forever evolving their tactics, customers can help us stay one step ahead by reporting suspected scam calls and texts to 7726.”

The mobile operator notes that scammers frequently call consumers claiming to be from trusted UK businesses in the hope of catching Brits off guard and gaining personal or financial information, which they can then use to defraud them. In the UK, Hiya says 16% of consumers fell victim to phone scams last year, losing an average of £798 each, while O2’s own research notes that 22% have been targeted by scammers at least weekly in the past year. O2 currently blocks tens of millions of calls and messages from ever reaching its customer’s phones each year.

Mobile giant O2 (Virgin Media) has announced that, while working alongside the government-backed 5G DRIVE project, they’ve been able to deliver reliable mobile network coverage to 31 “iconic tourist destinations” that were previously “not spots” for mobile signals (i.e. 21 in Wales, 5 in England, and 5 in Scotland).

The 5G DRIVE (aka – Diversified oRAN Integration & Vendor Evaluation) project represents a consortium, including partners such as O2, wavemobile, Cisco, Ori and WMG at the University of Warwick, that is part-funded by the Government (DSIT) and aims to develop a secure Radio Access Network (RAN) connection capability for integrating private and public networks. This is accomplished via the new SEPP N32 (c/f) roaming interface.

The first trials of this solution went live all the way back in mid-2022 (here), but it’s now been developed and successfully rolled out to help bring mobile connectivity to 31 popular tourist destinations across the UK that previously had no cellular or even WiFi coverage. The locations are said to include national parks and famous beauty spots, which are sparsely populated but attract large numbers of visitors.

One of the sites to benefit from this is the picturesque Honister Pass in the Lake District, where the project has installed three cell sites to connect the area. Using satellite broadband connectivity to carry data to and from the mobile cells, the new sites provide the area with access to Wi-Fi, 2G and 4G connectivity for the first time. As well as boosting mobile coverage, this also improves connectivity for reaching the emergency services.

Professor David Owens, Head of Technical Trials at VMO2, said:

“Our pioneering project has delivered reliable mobile connectivity to iconic tourist destinations for the first time. The innovative method of connecting private networks to a public core is a great way to help deal with some of the not-spots that exist across the UK. This rollout will provide visitors to some of the most remote and rural of areas with fast and reliable coverage, while also delivering significant benefits for local communities and businesses.”

Sadly, the announcement doesn’t provide a list of the locations, although it does note that they’ve also used this technology to help bring connectivity to Barra Airport, with the airport now boasting comprehensive internet, Wi-Fi, 2G, 4G, and LoRaWAN services. In terms of those areas that deployed a satellite connection for backhaul capacity, we note that Starlink (SpaceX) was the service they used.

Alternative network provider Freedom Fibre has today issued a short progress update on their £24m (state aid) Project Gigabit contract for North Shropshire – Lot 25.02 (here), which will see their full fibre (FTTP) broadband ISP network being expanded to cover “around” 12,000 hard-to-reach rural homes.

In case anybody has forgotten, the original announcement stated that the first properties could start to go live from October 2024 and that the 3-year deployment was then expected to complete by around mid-2026. The operator’s latest update notes how they’ve now deployed their green street cabinets in Hadnall, Harlescott, Montford Bridge and Cockshutt.

“From December 2024 we expect our new full-fibre broadband network to be available for residents in parts of Hadnall, Upper Battlefield, Shrewsbury, Upper Ercall, Roden, Bomere Heath & West Felton,” which we assume is a reference to them finally becoming ‘Ready for Service’ (RFS) by customers. But that’s really all we get, and there’s no mention of premises passed.

Freedom Fibre is also providing a range of social services through councils and community groups in these areas. For example, the operator has sponsored networking events run by Project SY12, BizEd Project CiC, and Wem Rural Parish Council throughout 2024. These groups hosted several events in Wem, Ellesmere and Whitchurch, bringing local businesspeople together and encouraging entrepreneurship.

In addition, the 2024 Freedom Fund (funding for community projects) has provided “thousands of pounds of funding to approximately 23 North Shropshire Community groups” to support their good and green projects.

News 

The government has announced a trio of new projects, supported by the UK Space Agency, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), and the European Space Agency, aiming to provide reliable, high-speed internet for some of the UK’s hardest-to-reach areas 

This week, the UK government has announced new satellite projects aimed at delivering broadband to some of the country’s most remote communities. These projects typically combine the use of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellites to provide improved wireless communication, benefiting both residents and visitors to rural areas.   

It should come as little surprise that two of the three projects in the announcement relate to remote islands. These are locations that pose major deployment challenges for terrestrial infrastructure and are rarely populated enough to make such a rollout cost effective for mobile operators. As such, these islands are often left to languish with little or poor-quality connectivity.   

The first of these projects takes place on Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland. Located seven miles off the mainland, the island has 141 residents but attracts 40,000 visitors annually. Limited by poor mobile signals and no direct broadband cable, the government’s £2 million pilot project aims to combine GEO and LEO satellite terminals with wireless technologies to deliver improved connectivity for residents, businesses, and tourists.    

The second project relates to Papa Stour, one of the most remote Shetland isles. Here, a £1 million project will test similar hybrid networks to provide faster and more reliable internet. This is expected to support conservation efforts, tourism, and the daily lives of residents.    

Finally, a third project, dubbed the Nomadic Multi-orbit User Terminal Demonstrator, aims to develop portable satellite terminals capable of delivering gigabit speeds by combining both LEO and GEO satellite signals. These terminals can be mounted on vehicles to rapidly provide connectivity in remote regions, supporting emergency services, farmers, and event organisers in hard-to-reach areas.    

The government hopes that these projects will boost education, healthcare, tourism, and local economies while offering a model for expanding connectivity in rural and remote areas across the UK. 

“Digital infrastructure is essential for our modern way of life. But for too long, many businesses and communities have felt left behind,” said Telecoms Minster Chris Bryant in a press release. 

“This is why we must do whatever it takes to ensure we harness technological innovation to enrich people’s lives and tackle exclusion, rather than entrench existing inequalities. These pilots, for instance, will help shape the next generation of connectivity, using a combination of satellite technology and mobile networks to test innovative new services that could be a real game-changer for remote and rural communities,” he added. 

Join us at next year’s Connected North, 23-24 April in Manchester. Get discounted tickets here! 

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The Government’s Building Digital UK agency has published its latest quarterly November 2024 progress update on the £5bn Project Gigabit broadband rollout scheme, which now has “over” 30 live contracts in place across England and Wales – supporting planned deployments of gigabit-capable broadband to around 1 million premises.

Just to recap. Project Gigabit aimed to extend broadband ISP networks capable of delivering download speeds of at least 1000Mbps (1Gbps) and uploads of at least 200Mbps to at least 85% of UK premises by the end of 2025 (this was achieved ahead of schedule), before rising to “nationwide” coverage (c.99%) by 2030 (here). The project has already committed around £3bn of its budget, but there are still some big contracts yet to be awarded.

The report notes that 85.4% of UK premises can now access a gigabit-capable network (up from 84% at the last April 2024 update) and Ofcom separately forecasts that gigabit coverage should hit around 97-98% by May 2027 (here), with purely commercial deployments alone (mostly focused on urban and semi-urban areas) currently delivering most of this.

Project Gigabit is thus designed to focus on improving connectivity for those rural and semi-rural areas in some of the final 10-20% of premises. This primarily consists of several support schemes, including gigabit vouchers (£210m), funding to extend Dark Fibre around the public sector (£110m) and gap-funded deployments with suppliers (rest of the funding) – known as the Gigabit Infrastructure Subsidy (GIS) programme.

Today’s article is focused upon the GIS programme and related procurement work, which sees ISPs bidding through a new Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) to extend their networks across disadvantaged parts of the UK. Project Gigabit in England is centrally managed (by DSIT/BDUK – not local councils), although there may be variations in this for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

What’s New in the November 2024 Update

The latest update is surprisingly vague and doesn’t include the same level of detail as BDUK’s previous updates, which may have something to do with the recent change of government. This is very disappointing, as we had hoped to see a more robust summary of build progress, including for existing contracts. But instead we get a brief summary of changes since the last update in April 2024 (here), which doesn’t tell us anything particularly new.

Project Gigabit Developments Since April 2024

➤ We have signed three new contracts covering Lincolnshire and East Riding (here), Cheshire (here), and North Yorkshire (here).

➤ We have also signed a cross regional framework agreement with Openreach and awarded the first two call-off contracts under the framework, covering Lancashire, North Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire, West and Mid-Surrey, Staffordshire, West Berkshire and Hertfordshire (Call-Off 1), and West and North Devon, and Northwest, Mid and Southeast Wales (Call-Off 2) – here.

➤ The Scottish Government launched the first Project Gigabit procurements in Scotland, covering the Border areas and East-Lothian, and Dundee, Aberdeenshire and Moray (here).

➤ The Northern Ireland Executive has launched a single regional procurement, expected to cover approximately 11,000 premises (here).

The update does at least confirm that the remaining four Type C (cross regional) procurements with Openreach are due to be formally awarded in “early 2025“, although the operator recently indicated to us that the first of these could be announced before Christmas, or at least during early January 2025. Similarly, the winning bidder for Scotland’s two procurements is also expected to be announced in “early 2025“.

Otherwise, you can see a summary of the wider contract progress below.

Live GIS Contracts (Signed)

Take note that, once a contract has been signed, it sometimes takes operators several months of engineering surveys before they can begin to build and reveal their rollout plan. Furthermore, the contract values above are only referencing public investment, but in some cases suppliers have also contributed their own private investment or made complimentary commercial commitments to expand into additional areas (e.g. CityFibre).

On top of the already agreed contracts, Project Gigabit also has a number of local, regional and cross-regional deals in the procurement phase for other parts of the UK (see below) and will be awarding contracts for these over the coming months and years. The dates and figures mentioned below are tentative estimates (subject to change) and will remain that way until after the contracts have been awarded.

Bidders on the related LOTS will be required to ensure that their networks and infrastructure are available for use by other ISPs via wholesale (open access). Various operators, both big and small alike (e.g. Openreach, Cityfibre, nexfibre (VMO2), GoFibre, Wildanet etc.), are already taking part and areas with sub-30Mbps speeds are being prioritised, albeit NOT to the exclusion of all else.

Alongside all this, the government and local bodies are also conducting various Public Reviews and Open Market Reviews (OMR), which is the process they use when trying to identify existing commercial coverage of gigabit-capable networks and any planned coverage over the next c.3 years. By doing that, they can more easily target their support toward areas where commercial projects will not go (i.e. the intervention area).

Live GIS Procurements

In addition, there are also a number of projects that have yet to enter the procurement pipeline, and all of those related to contracts for different parts of Scotland. But the government are expecting those procurements to start sometime between now and the end of January 2025.

Otherwise, we should remind readers that this rollout is NOT an automatic upgrade, thus you will still need to order the service (once it’s live) from a supporting ISP in order to benefit. Similarly, 1Gbps is the target speed, but slower and cheaper options will also exist on the same lines. Similarly, where full fibre technology is being used, multi-Gigabit speeds are often also possible.

Finally, we should add that the Government has previously warned that those in the final 0.3% or so of premises may be “prohibitively expensive to reach” (i.e. under 100,000 premises) – roughly the same gap that the 10Mbps USO has struggled to fix. Solutions for those in the final batch of “Very Hard to Reach” areas are still being tested.

Project Gigabit November 2024 Update
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/project-gigabit-progress-update-november-2024

Bangkok, Thailand – November 27, 2024 – Compax Software Development PTE Ltd., the software arm of Compax Digital Group (“Compax Digital”), and Thailand’s AGTR Group Co., Ltd., (“AGTR Group”), announce the formation of MVNO.SERVICES Co., Ltd., a new joint venture designed to transform Thailand’s mobile service sector.

MVNO.SERVICES will leverage on Compax Digital’s cutting-edge technology suite with AGTR Group’s extensive expertise in MVNO operations and local market insights, to launch a mobile virtual network aggregator (MVNA) and enabler (MVNE), providing a seamless end-to-end platform that empowers businesses and organizations with Support, Connectivity, and Technology to launch and operate mobile services as mobile virtual network operators (MVNO) in the country.

Aligned with National Telecom Reform Goals

The establishment of MVNO.SERVICES comes at a pivotal time and is directly aligned with Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission’s (NBTC) recent announcement of urgent policies to intensify competition and lower telecom costs in the market. A key initiative in these policies is the support of an easy-to-connect MVNA/MVNE platform designed to facilitate the entry of new MVNO players into the Thai market.

Driving Digital Transformation and Fostering Innovation

The joint venture reflects the partners’ commitment to driving digital transformation in Thailand and enhancing accessibility to affordable and innovative mobile services. By enabling more operators to enter the market, MVNO.SERVICES will empower businesses and deliver new value to consumers across the country.

Executive Quotes

“We are thrilled to embark on this journey to redefine what’s possible in Thailand’s mobile industry,” said Leopold Kojeder, CEO, CompaxDigital Holding. “By combining our global technological expertise with AGTR Group’s MVNO and local market knowledge, MVNO.SERVICES will set a new benchmark for innovation in the Thai telecom sector.”

Nungnapha Rasmussen, CEO of AGTR Group Co., Ltd., added, “This collaboration marks a turning point for Thailand’s telecom industry. MVNO.SERVICES is designed to lower barriers to entry for businesses eager to launch mobile services, enabling them to deliver innovative and compelling mobile offerings while fostering a more competitive and dynamic market.”

Aligning with a Global Trend

The creation of MVNO.SERVICES aligns with broader trends in global telecommunications, where enabling platforms are increasingly recognized as key drivers for innovation and competition. By equipping businesses with the tools and expertise needed to succeed, MVNO.SERVICES aims to democratize access to the telecom market, and create a more inclusive, competitive, and innovative ecosystem in Thailand.

### End Of Press Release ###

About MVNO.SERVICES

MVNO.SERVICES provides a full turnkey solution that significantly reduces the costs, time and complexity of launching and operating successful MVNOs. MVNO.SERVICES include ongoing support from local market experts and seasoned MVNO specialists, telecom network connectivity, along with a flexible state-of-the-art technology platform to make MVNOs run smoothly and successfully.

About CompaxDigital

Compax Digital is a leading provider of innovative BSS/OSS solutions, empowering telecommunications companies worldwide to streamline operations, enhance customer experience, and drive business growth. With a focus on agility, modularity, and cutting-edge technology, CompaxDigital delivers solutions that meet the evolving needs of the modern telecom industry.

News

Allera will be replaced by telecoms veteran Claire Gillies from April next year

EE CEO Marc Allera has announced that he will step down from the role at the end of March next year, having spent nine years with BT Group.

In a statement, Allera said he was “proud to have led an incredible team through enormous change in the market” over the past nine years.

“In that time we have transformed every aspect of our operations to deliver great service to our 25m customers across the UK, with everything they need for our fast-moving world of technology. We’ve created a fantastic platform for growth, and I wish Claire the very best for the future,” he said. “While I’m looking forward to the next chapter, I’ll be leaving with great memories of my time at BT and EE, and want to thank every single one of my colleagues who has contributed to our success together.”

BT CEO Allison Kirkby described Allera as an “outstanding leader”, thanking him for his years of service as well as his support over the past year as she transitioned into the CEO role.

Allera has yet to announce his next professional role, saying in a LinkedIn post that it is “the right time for me to move on to a new chapter in my career, and a new challenge. I’ll let you know what that is when the time is right.”

Commenting on the move, analysts highlighted Allera’s many achievements at BT/EE, praising his leadership and strategic guidance.

“He has overseen the first UK commercial launches of 3G (at Three UK), 4G (at EE) and 5G (at BT/EE), surely a unique triple. Among his other achievements he managed that rare thing, a (rightly) widely-regarded-as-successful large scale telecoms merger/integration with BT and EE, a deftly handled exit from BT Sport, and has navigated seemingly endless regulatory pricing rule changes with ease,” said James Barford, Head of Telecoms at Enders Analysis in a LinkedIn post.

“I’m really proud to have led my incredible team through enormous changes in our market, constantly evolving and adapting our company at every stage of the journey. From the creation of EE 12 years ago, the integration of EE with BT, our launch into gaming and new verticals, and most recently our joint venture in sport with Warner Bros Discovery are just some of the major moves I am proud to have been part of and led the team through,” he said.

“This should not come as a huge surprise as it has been on the cards for some time. Arguably there is not much left for him to do,” said telco analyst Paolo Pescatore of PP Foresight. “He has successfully managed numerous transitions of brands and platforms, most recently spearheading the new EE as the consumer facing brand for the company. Played a key role in offloading assets like BT Sport and reshaping consumer to be a driving force for future growth. The unit is in a far better position which will need tweaks here and there for the successor.”

Allera is set to be replaced by Claire Gillies, a telecoms veteran of 23 years, whose most recent role was as President of Bell Canada’s Wireless and Consumer Divisions.

“I am beyond excited to take this role at such an important British company. BT and EE are two of the UK’s most iconic brands leading the industry and connecting people to the things that really matter. I can’t wait to join Allison and the broader BT team as we pursue our mission to become the UK’s most trusted connector of people, devices and machines.”

Allera will remain in the role to aid in the transition until March 31 next year, with Gillies formally set to take over the role on April 1.

The UK’s telecoms landscape is changing rapidly. Join the operators in discussion at Connected North 2025 live in Manchester

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News

Change is in the air at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with a new review of rules around submarine cables, the first such review since 2001. That, and comments from President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be FCC chair signal a new scrutiny toward the government’s approach to broadband infrastructure. 

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1. FCC chairwoman announces intention to leave office
   Jessica Rosenworcel, the chairwoman of the FCC, has announced her intention to leave the FCC effective Jan. 20, 2025. 

1. FCC launches first review of submarine cable rules since 2001
   The Federal Communications Commission has voted to launch a major review of licensing rules surrounding submarine cable rules. 

1. Carr tells reporters FCC is ‘unlikely’ to revisit past Starlink decision
   Reuters is reporting that President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be FCC chairman believes the commission is unlikely to revisit a decision to withhold funds from Starlink. 

1. New white paper reimagines multifamily connectivity
   Exploring some key insights from the 20for20/RETTC White Paper, The State of Multifamily Connectivity 

The Independent Networks Co-operative Association (INCA) has today revealed the list of winners from their annual 2024 INCA Awards event, which aims to recognise and celebrate the top alternative networks (altnets) and ISPs from across the UK. Suffice to say that it was a good night for Brsk (Netomnia), Ogi, Quickline, Wessex Internet and others.

As usual, the winners were all decided by a panel of five “independent” industry judges (here), which included a mix of people from various network operators, consultancy and analyst firms.

The awards were then handed down last night at INCA Summit’s Award dinner in Wales. “The Altnets have continually shown that they are not only ensuring greater choice for broadband consumers, but that their role towards advancing the UK’s broadband infrastructure and digital ecosystem is critical,” said INCA CEO Paddy Paddison. “INCA’s annual awards give us the opportunity to unite the sector and celebrate the outstanding achievements and dedication of the organisations and individuals improving fibre and gigabit access.”

Winners of the 2024 INCA Awards

• The Customer Acquisition Award: Brsk

Recognised for leading the way in customer engagement and service. As the industry pivots from network expansion to increasing customer take-up, Brsk has excelled in understanding customer needs and creating compelling service offers. Their innovative strategies in communication and service delivery highlight their commitment to growing broadband accessibility.

• Outstanding Delivery of New Infrastructure Award: Ogi

Wales-based broadband company, Ogi, received the award for their remarkable achievements in bringing high-quality broadband infrastructure to underserved regions. This award honours organisations that stand out in the pace and scale of their network deployment, despite the challenges faced over the past year. Ogi’s accomplishments exemplify their dedication to tackling these challenges head-on and seizing new opportunities to enhance digital infrastructure.

• Sustainability Award: PlatformX Communications (PXC)

Recognised for their pioneering approach to eco-friendly practices within the ICT sector. With climate change as a pressing concern, the award celebrates organisations that place sustainability at the core of their strategy. PXC’s efforts to reduce emissions and champion environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives demonstrate their leadership in promoting a greener future for the industry.

• Best Social Value Award: Quickline

Earned for their commitment to driving social inclusion through providing reliable connectivity for rural areas. This award recognises initiatives that ensure no one is left behind in the digital era, whether through community projects of partnerships that deliver skills, devices, and essential connectivity. Quickline’s efforts have made a meaningful different to individuals and communities, underscoring the vital role of connectivity in modern society.

• Best Public Sector or Community Project: Wessex Internet

Awarded for their expertise in coordinating and collaborating on projects that bridge the gap between public and private sectors. This award acknowledges the critical role of local authorities and public bodies in advancing digital connectivity. Wessex Internet’s work exemplifies the success that can be achieved when communities and public sector partners come together to provide inclusive, community-focused connectivity solutions.

• Technical Innovation Award: ACOME Group

Celebrating their groundbreaking contributions to network technology. As the industry advances, this award highlights innovations that play a crucial role in transforming connectivity. ACOME Group’s solutions have demonstrated the power of innovative hardware and software in meeting the sector’s evolving needs.

• Outstanding Contribution Award: Ogi’s CEO, Ben Allwright

Received the Award for his enduring commitment to the industry. This award honours individuals or organisations that go above and beyond, with Ben’s leadership marking a significant impact on broadband access. His work has left a lasting influence, embodying dedication to the industry’s continued progress.

• Rising Star: Quickline engineer, Katrina Brown

Recognition of her remarkable skills and contributions as an emerging leader. This award celebrates those new to the sector who show resilience, enthusiasm, and readiness to tackle challenges. Katrina’s determination and potential distinguish her as a future leader, making her a standout talent in the field.