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The SIM-Only mobile operator Spusu, which holds a virtual operator (MVNO) agreement to harness EE’s 4G and 5G (mobile broadband) network, has today celebrated their third birthday since launch in the UK by gifting existing customers an extra 5GB (GigaBytes) of data for free until 30th June 2026.

Since entering the UK market in 2023, spusu has grown from a new entrant in a heavily populated industry, to a provider trusted by more than 150,000 customers. The new offer is intended to celebrate that and will be expressed in an automated customer text message, being sent out today.

The message will contain instructions on how to claim the 5GB of complimentary data. The offer is available to all customers, except those currently on an unlimited data plan, for obvious reasons. To redeem, customers just need to respond to the automated anniversary text from spusu and the data will then be automatically added to customers’ plans.

Christian Banhans, UK MD at spusu, said:

“Three years ago, spusu entered the UK market with a goal to offer a fairer alternative to complicated mobile contracts and hidden costs. While we’ve grown significantly since 2023, what matters most is that we’ve remained true to the values that brought us to the UK market in the first place – transparency, affordability and exceptional customer service.

The trust and loyalty from our customers have been instrumental to our success. This 5GB giveaway is our way of saying thank you. As we enter our fourth year in the UK, our focus remains on delivering straightforward, great-value mobile services backed by the personal customer support that has helped us build lasting relationships with customers across the country.”

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Mobile operator O2 (Virgin Media) and wireless infrastructure firm Cellnex UK have today signed a 5-year agreement to join the Brighton Main Line (BML) connectivity project, which aims to expand “highspeed” 5G mobile (mobile broadband) connectivity and tackle mobile signal “not-spots” across the route.

The BML is a 108km long railway corridor in southern England that links London (Victoria and London Bridge) to Brighton on the south coast and handles 300,000 daily passengers (1,700 daily train movements). The route includes major commuter stations like London Bridge, London Victoria and Clapham Junction, as well as connecting into Gatwick Airport. The train operators on this line include Thameslink, Southern, Gatwick Express, Great Western Railway and London Overground Services.

Under the plan, O2 will gain access to Cellnex UK’s purpose-built neutral host infrastructure, enabling the phased rollout of high-speed mobile connectivity, including 5G, to customers across the entire route over the “coming months“. The move follows Cellnex signing Three UK in 2023.

New indoor coverage solutions are now being deployed to enhance mobile phone connections in three of the most important London stations, London Victoria, London Bridge, and Clapham Junction, which account for roughly 19% of railway passenger traffic to and from the capital from outside London.

Steve Cray, Managing Director of Cellnex UK, said:

“Regular railway passengers will understand the frustration of losing signal mid-conversation or spending whole journeys with buffering videos. With O2 now on board, many more passengers are going to notice the difference on one of the UK’s most important commuter routes. This collaboration stands as one of the most significant end-to-end telecommunications infrastructure deployments in British railway so far, and we are proud to be setting a new standard for the UK’s entire rail network.”

Professor Robert Joyce, Director of Mobile Access Engineering at O2, said:

“Our £700m Mobile Transformation Plan is focused on delivering reliable connectivity in the moments that matter most, and railway lines are a key part of that. By working with Cellnex to improve connectivity along the Brighton Main Line, we’ll be bringing improved coverage and capacity to customers travelling from the coast to the capital over the coming months.”

Cellnex designed, planned, and built this infrastructure in partnership with Network Rail under a 25-year contract awarded in 2021, enabling all UK mobile network operators (MNOs) to access shared connectivity. As above, Three UK customers (VodafoneThree) can already access this and O2 will now join them, with related coverage improvements being brought live in stages across the route.

Once fully activated, the shared infrastructure is expected to deliver “high speed connectivity” across 99% of the 108 km route, “drastically reducing historical not-spots and ensuring passengers enjoy reliable calls, uninterrupted streaming and stable app performance” throughout their journey. The goal is to bring “seamless connectivity” to a route long challenged by deep cuttings, long tunnels and Victorian-era station infrastructure.

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Shropshire-based independent UK ISP Aquiss, which sells full fibre broadband packages via several different networks (Openreach, CityFibre, Freedom Fibre, Gigaclear, Netomnia and FullFibre Ltd.), has this afternoon announced the launch of Fusion – a new Partner Portal that’s said to offer a faster, simpler way to order and manage connectivity solutions from over a dozen UK networks.

Partners can now search availability, place orders, manage existing services, view invoices and raise support tickets via a single login. Every partner will also be supported by a dedicated Account Manager, ensuring they receive “personalised, responsive service” alongside the self-service tools.

Fusion is already live and available to all Aquiss partners. The portal is designed to grow with the business, with further broadband networks, features and improvements planned throughout 2026 and beyond.

Martin Pitt, Managing Director at Aquiss, said:

“Fusion represents a significant step forward in how we support our partners. We’ve listened carefully to what they need — faster access to multiple networks, greater visibility, and the ability to manage everything in one place. At the same time, we’ve made sure that technology is backed by real people. Every partner gets a dedicated Account Manager who knows their business and is there to help.”

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Business communications and broadband provider Exponential-e has been awarded a 5-year Wide Area Network (WAN) Services contract by Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) in England. The deal will see the ISP deliver and manage a modernised Software Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) across more than 200 sites throughout the county.

Procured under the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) Network Services 3 Framework, Exponential-e will be tasked with replacing the LCC’s existing and “outdated” Public Services Network (PSN) infrastructure with a fully managed Cisco SD-WAN. The new platform should provide a unified, centrally orchestrated, secure and high-performing network environment with improved resilience and secure integration with cloud-based services.

The new platform will also support Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) services, including Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue with encrypted integration and centralised HSCN access. The solution will integrate with the Council’s operational and security platforms, incorporating secure-by-design principles, centralised monitoring, incident-response systems, automated failover capabilities, dynamic routing and flexible network segmentation to support a zero-trust security approach and fast onboarding of new sites.

Tom Baker, CIO at Lincolnshire County Council, said:

“Our vision is to build a technological ecosystem that not only supports our ongoing operational needs but meets the expectations of our citizens in digital delivery as a time of Local Government change. As an expert with technical ability and proven public sector expertise, Exponential-e will be critical in improving our ability to manage ongoing and accelerated change.”

Afshin Attari, Director of Public Sector and Unified Platforms at Exponential-e, said:

“We are proud to partner with Lincolnshire County Council to deliver a modern, resilient and secure network infrastructure that supports the delivery of critical public services across the county.

By implementing a centrally managed SD-WAN architecture, the Council will benefit from greater agility, enhanced security and improved operational resilience, while creating a scalable, sovereign platform capable of supporting future innovation and evolving digital service requirements.”

The contract was signed in March 2026 and will run until March 2031. Implementation has already begun, with service go-live dates due to be confirmed in the near future as part of a phased-deployment.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Shropshire-based independent UK ISP Aquiss, which sells full fibre broadband packages via several different networks (Openreach, CityFibre, Freedom Fibre, Gigaclear, Netomnia and FullFibre Ltd.), has this afternoon announced the launch of Fusion – a new Partner Portal that’s said to offer a faster, simpler way to order and manage connectivity solutions from over a dozen UK networks.

Partners can now search availability, place orders, manage existing services, view invoices and raise support tickets via a single login. Every partner will also be supported by a dedicated Account Manager, ensuring they receive “personalised, responsive service” alongside the self-service tools.

Fusion is already live and available to all Aquiss partners. The portal is designed to grow with the business, with further broadband networks, features and improvements planned throughout 2026 and beyond.

Martin Pitt, Managing Director at Aquiss, said:

“Fusion represents a significant step forward in how we support our partners. We’ve listened carefully to what they need — faster access to multiple networks, greater visibility, and the ability to manage everything in one place. At the same time, we’ve made sure that technology is backed by real people. Every partner gets a dedicated Account Manager who knows their business and is there to help.”

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Mobile operator O2 (Virgin Media) and wireless infrastructure firm Cellnex UK have today signed a 5-year agreement to join the Brighton Main Line (BML) connectivity project, which aims to expand “highspeed” 5G mobile (mobile broadband) connectivity and tackle mobile signal “not-spots” across the route.

The BML is a 108km long railway corridor in southern England that links London (Victoria and London Bridge) to Brighton on the south coast and handles 300,000 daily passengers (1,700 daily train movements). The route includes major commuter stations like London Bridge, London Victoria and Clapham Junction, as well as connecting into Gatwick Airport. The train operators on this line include Thameslink, Southern, Gatwick Express, Great Western Railway and London Overground Services.

Under the plan, O2 will gain access to Cellnex UK’s purpose-built neutral host infrastructure, enabling the phased rollout of high-speed mobile connectivity, including 5G, to customers across the entire route over the “coming months“. The move follows Cellnex signing Three UK in 2023.

New indoor coverage solutions are now being deployed to enhance mobile phone connections in three of the most important London stations, London Victoria, London Bridge, and Clapham Junction, which account for roughly 19% of railway passenger traffic to and from the capital from outside London.

Steve Cray, Managing Director of Cellnex UK, said:

“Regular railway passengers will understand the frustration of losing signal mid-conversation or spending whole journeys with buffering videos. With O2 now on board, many more passengers are going to notice the difference on one of the UK’s most important commuter routes. This collaboration stands as one of the most significant end-to-end telecommunications infrastructure deployments in British railway so far, and we are proud to be setting a new standard for the UK’s entire rail network.”

Professor Robert Joyce, Director of Mobile Access Engineering at O2, said:

“Our £700m Mobile Transformation Plan is focused on delivering reliable connectivity in the moments that matter most, and railway lines are a key part of that. By working with Cellnex to improve connectivity along the Brighton Main Line, we’ll be bringing improved coverage and capacity to customers travelling from the coast to the capital over the coming months.”

Cellnex designed, planned, and built this infrastructure in partnership with Network Rail under a 25-year contract awarded in 2021, enabling all UK mobile network operators (MNOs) to access shared connectivity. As above, Three UK customers (VodafoneThree) can already access this and O2 will now join them, with related coverage improvements being brought live in stages across the route.

Once fully activated, the shared infrastructure is expected to deliver “high speed connectivity” across 99% of the 108 km route, “drastically reducing historical not-spots and ensuring passengers enjoy reliable calls, uninterrupted streaming and stable app performance” throughout their journey. The goal is to bring “seamless connectivity” to a route long challenged by deep cuttings, long tunnels and Victorian-era station infrastructure.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The SIM-Only mobile operator Spusu, which holds a virtual operator (MVNO) agreement to harness EE’s 4G and 5G (mobile broadband) network, has today celebrated their third birthday since launch in the UK by gifting existing customers an extra 5GB (GigaBytes) of data for free until 30th June 2026.

Since entering the UK market in 2023, spusu has grown from a new entrant in a heavily populated industry, to a provider trusted by more than 150,000 customers. The new offer is intended to celebrate that and will be expressed in an automated customer text message, being sent out today.

The message will contain instructions on how to claim the 5GB of complimentary data. The offer is available to all customers, except those currently on an unlimited data plan, for obvious reasons. To redeem, customers just need to respond to the automated anniversary text from spusu and the data will then be automatically added to customers’ plans.

Christian Banhans, UK MD at spusu, said:

“Three years ago, spusu entered the UK market with a goal to offer a fairer alternative to complicated mobile contracts and hidden costs. While we’ve grown significantly since 2023, what matters most is that we’ve remained true to the values that brought us to the UK market in the first place – transparency, affordability and exceptional customer service.

The trust and loyalty from our customers have been instrumental to our success. This 5GB giveaway is our way of saying thank you. As we enter our fourth year in the UK, our focus remains on delivering straightforward, great-value mobile services backed by the personal customer support that has helped us build lasting relationships with customers across the country.”

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

A new survey of 2,000 British adults, which was commissioned by broadband ISP Zen Internet (vested interest), has claimed that one in five UK sports fans have missed key moments due to buffering and freezing while watching live sport at home, while almost half (47%) have experienced some other form of internet-related problem while watching.

The survey found that, in terms of those other connectivity issues that can occur, some 14.2% have had their internet slow down because multiple devices were connected, while 12.8% have experienced delays compared with live TV or social media updates (streaming lag vs terrestrial live TV is par for the course), 12.7% have had streaming apps crash or fail to load and 11.6% have suffered poor picture quality or lag.

Suffice to say that the reliability of home broadband connectivity is “becoming a growing concern for sports fans“, particularly during live events like the FIFA World Cup 2026. Zen’s survey also found that around seven in ten respondents intend to watch at least some of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, compared to 52% who said the same ahead of the 2022 tournament.

In addition, around 13-14% will be heading to a pub or public screening to view the live action. Of those watching matches at home, almost half will rely on the internet and 14% will be checking their internet connection before kick-off.

The good news is that most modern home broadband connections should be significantly better at handling live-streaming than those that came before, particularly if you’re on a full fibre (FTTP) line. The catch is that problems can still occur within your home devices, network setup (e.g. weak Wi-Fi signals) and via the remote streaming service itself (inc. content delivery partners, routing/peering arrangements etc.), which might also suffer unexpected hiccups.

As for the issue of broadcast lag between live streams and live terrestrial TV, there are ways to reduce that delay (example), but the inherent nature of streamed content means that some lag is often inevitable when streaming.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

A new survey of 2,000 British adults, which was commissioned by broadband ISP Zen Internet (vested interest), has claimed that one in five UK sports fans have missed key moments due to buffering and freezing while watching live sport at home, while almost half (47%) have experienced some other form of internet-related problem while watching.

The survey found that, in terms of those other connectivity issues that can occur, some 14.2% have had their internet slow down because multiple devices were connected, while 12.8% have experienced delays compared with live TV or social media updates (streaming lag vs terrestrial live TV is par for the course), 12.7% have had streaming apps crash or fail to load and 11.6% have suffered poor picture quality or lag.

Suffice to say that the reliability of home broadband connectivity is “becoming a growing concern for sports fans“, particularly during live events like the FIFA World Cup 2026. Zen’s survey also found that around seven in ten respondents intend to watch at least some of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, compared to 52% who said the same ahead of the 2022 tournament.

In addition, around 13-14% will be heading to a pub or public screening to view the live action. Of those watching matches at home, almost half will rely on the internet and 14% will be checking their internet connection before kick-off.

The good news is that most modern home broadband connections should be significantly better at handling live-streaming than those that came before, particularly if you’re on a full fibre (FTTP) line. The catch is that problems can still occur within your home devices, network setup (e.g. weak Wi-Fi signals) and via the remote streaming service itself (inc. content delivery partners, routing/peering arrangements etc.), which might also suffer unexpected hiccups.

As for the issue of broadcast lag between live streams and live terrestrial TV, there are ways to reduce that delay (example), but the inherent nature of streamed content means that some lag is often inevitable when streaming.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Rural UK broadband ISP Quickline, which is building a new full fibre (FTTP) and fixed wireless (FWA) network across parts of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, have today announced that they’ve teamed-up with Enterprise Cube CIC to launch a new business support programme for start-up and early-stage companies across North Yorkshire.

The programme – called ‘Better Business‘ and forming part of the provider’s social value commitment under their Project Gigabit broadband roll-out contracts – will offer free “expert-led” workshops, practical training, tools and peer-to-peer learning for entrepreneurs who want to move from ‘starting up’ to building sustainable, resilient businesses.

The goal is to help local founders turn Quickline’s new full fibre network into growth by building the skills, confidence and networks needed to grow.

The Better Business programme offers:

• Expert-led workshops covering core business essentials (including strategy, marketing, finance and operations)

• Practical tools and templates founders can use immediately

• Peer-to-peer learning with other local business owners

• Guidance to help entrepreneurs build confidence and create a plan for sustainable growth.

The programme is already said to be supporting a wide range of businesses across the region – from creative retail and community studios to specialist e-commerce.

Amelia Williamson, Social Value Lead for Quickline in North Yorkshire, said:

“At Quickline, our mission is about more than delivering fast, reliable broadband. Through Project Gigabit, we’re committed to creating meaningful social value in the communities we serve.

Better Business is helping local entrepreneurs access the skills, support and networks they need to grow, so the benefits of connectivity are felt in everyday lives and local economies.”

Richard Lanning, Co-Founder of Enterprise Cube CIC, added:

“Rural founders often have great ideas but fewer opportunities to access tailored advice and a strong peer network. Better Business brings people together with practical, hands-on support, helping entrepreneurs build momentum and stay rooted in their communities as they grow.”

At the end of 2025 Quickline’s full fibre broadband network covered 200,000 premises (excluding fixed wireless coverage, which also covers c.200,000 premises – not all gigabit-capable) – mostly across rural parts of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. The operator currently aims to extend gigabit-capable broadband to a further 360,000 UK premises.