News

The new partnership will see Singtel’s GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) service launched in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia

Earlier this year, Singtel announced a new partnership with NVIDIA focussed on developing AI infrastructure services, all of which will be hosted by Singtel’s regional data centre business, Nxera.

At the time, the CEO of Nxera and Singtel’s Digital InfraCo Bill Chang described the deal as “democratising access for enterprises, startups, government agencies and research organisations to leverage the power of AI sustainably within our purpose-built AI data centres”.

In short, it would allow for GPUs hosted within Nxera to be offered to customers on an as-a-service basis – GPUaaS.

Now, six months later, a new partnership with Bridge Alliance will see these GPUaaS offerings rolled out in southeast Asia. These services will initially be offered to customers via AIS in Thailand, Maxis in Malaysia, and Telkomsel in Indonesia, all of which are members of the Bridge Alliance.

“We are very heartened to see such a strong interest from AIS, Maxis, and Telkomsel to partner with us in our GPUaaS offerings. Our collaboration with Bridge Alliance and telcos in the region will help democratize and accelerate the use of AI by enterprises across all industries, giving them the tools to achieve greater productivity and business value with our next-generation digital infrastructure and solutions,” said Chang. “This reinforces our goal of being a catalyst for innovation and supporting the digital transformation of Southeast Asia’s digital economies.”

Singtel’s commercial GPUaaS offerings are expected to launch in these three markets – and Singtel’s home market of Singapore – in mid-2025.

This focus on AI infrastructure has been a major part of Singtel’s strategic plan in recent years, with the company scaling its regional data centre presence. This includes the creation of a new AI data centre, DC Tuas, in Singapore, set to be the largest data centre in the country.

Construction on DC Tuas began in August 2023 and will begin commercial operations in 2025, when it will play a key role in supporting the company’s GPUaaS ambitions.

Also in the news:
NTT to launch new AI company ‘NTT AI-CIX’
Thousands of kms of fibre could be left underutilised warns asset reuse specialist
IOH launches Southeast Asia’s largest digital intelligence operations centre

Retail ISP and specialist broadband provider, LilaConnect has announced it has surpassed 15,000 connected customers.

The milestone is another step forward in its vision, and commitment, to providing UK homes and businesses with best-in-class full fibre internet connectivity. This is in line with the UK government’s target to have full-fibre technology available nationwide by 2030.

Unlike other regular broadband connections, or ADSL, that use copper wires to transmit data, all LilaConnect services offer highly competitive internet speeds thanks to the ISP’s full Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) set up. FTTP will also help future-proof homes ahead of the nationwide copper switch off.

Over the past year, the retail ISP has increased new orders by 90 per cent and witnessed a 300 per cent growth in Active Subscribers. LilaConnect prides itself on its customer service –  with a customer-focused culture based on an authentic, collaborative and friendly approach to solve customer issues.

LilaConnect will not rest on its laurels, it has a razor sharp focus on further expanding its territory, made possible by the recent merger of VX UK and the Freedom Fibre Group. It will allow the retail ISP to tap into the alternative network provider’s innovative FTTP network that uses state-of-the-art XGS-PON technology. Alongside this LilaConnect will continue to commercialise its current footprint across Stoke-on-Trent, Bristol, Colchester, Wivenhoe, Crewe, Nantwich, Leek and Uttoxeter.

Jan Lange, Managing Director at LilaConnect commented: “At LilaConnect we understand the important part we play in helping to eliminate the digital divide by ensuring everyone in the community has access to fit for purpose and future proof connectivity. We’re proud to have hit the impressive milestone of our 15,000th customer.

He added: “Our work is certainly not done – the next step is to get even more homes and businesses across the UK connected to this essential full fibre network. Added to this, faster connectivity speeds are on the horizon to align with ever-evolving technological innovation and the exponentially increasing number of connected devices.”

Residents and businesses interested in connecting to the LilaConnect full fibre network can register their interest at www.lilaconnect.co.uk.

News 

In a new study by UK broadband comparison site Broadband Genie, the city of Lichfield in Staffordshire has been crowned the UK’s fastest for broadband in 2024. Canterbury, Kent, remains the slowest for the second year running

For the study, Broadband Genie conducted 149,187 home speed tests in cities across the country over a 12-month period. In order for a city to be counted, it needed a minimum of 150 speed tests in the area from residential connections. 

Broadband winners and losers 

Lichfield took the lead with an average broadband speed of 359Mbps, more than doubling the speed of its nearest competitor, Newry in Northern Ireland, which recorded an average of 138Mbps. Its strong performance is largely attributed to Lichfield’s widespread access to full fibre broadband from Openreach and Virgin Media, and other smaller altnets, over the latter of which cover 19% of the city. 

Joining Lichfield and Newry in the top five are Ely in Cambridgeshire (118Mbps), Dundee in Angus (100Mbps), and Lisburn in County Antrim  (99Mbps).  

All of these speeds are significantly higher than the median average download speed, which Ofcom found to be 69.4Mbps as of March 2023. 

Canterbury’s struggles continue 

At the other end of the rankings, Canterbury has again been identified as the UK’s slowest city, with an average broadband speed of just 22Mbps. This is well below the minimum speeds typically associated with basic superfast broadband packages. Canterbury’s performance is partly due to a lack of coverage by Virgin Media and limited full fibre access, leaving residents with fewer options for faster internet. 

Ripon in North Yorkshire (28Mbps), Perth in Perthshire (37Mbps), Norwich in Norfolk (38Mbps), and Winchester in Hampshire (40Mbps) also ranked among the slowest cities. 

In the capital cities, Edinburgh emerged as the fastest, with average speeds of 78Mb, surpassing both London and Cardiff, which placed 38th and 56th respectively. Last year’s speed leader, Belfast, fell to 15th place in the latest rankings. 

The UK’s current broadband landscape 

Despite the challenges faced by some cities, the UK’s overall broadband landscape is positive. According to the study, 18.7 million homes (62%) have access to full fibre broadband, and gigabit broadband is available to 85% of households.  

The government has set the target for nationwide gigabit coverage by 2030, aiming to close the country’s digital divide. 

Join the conversation around the UK’s broadband landscape at this year’s Connected Britain, 11-12 September in London. Get tickets here! 

Also in the news:
LG and KT partner for 6G research
EE’s first 5G small cells go live, masts now deployed at 1,000+ locations across the UK
Optus clashes with AustralianSuper over slow tower build

News 

The company has been in Ericsson’s portfolio for over a decade 

Ericsson has announced it will sell its US subsidiary, iconectiv, to Koch Equity Development, for SEK 10.6 billion ($1 billion). 

The sale is expected to be finalised in the first half of 2025, subject to regulatory approval. 

Ericsson expects to see a one-time gain of around SEK 8.8 billion ($800,000) in its earnings once the transaction has completed. 

Based in New Jersey, USA, iconectiv specialises in network number portability solutions and data exchange services. The company is the leading number portability administrator in 10 countries, including the United States. 

Ericsson acquired telecom software specialist iconective (then Telcordia) in 2011 for $1.15 billion. The company’s primary service was managing the system that allows users to keep their phone numbers when switching carriers.  

Part of Ericsson’s Enterprise branch, iconective generated about $1 billion to Ericsson’s net income in 2023. However, while profitable, iconectiv’s focus on services like number portability and data exchange does not align closely with Ericsson’s main business areas. 

According to Ericsson, it is this lack of synergy with the rest of the company’s portfolio that is the main driven behind the sale.  

iconectiv has “over 5,000 customers across various sectors” has been co-owned by Francisco Partners since 2017. Under Koch Equity Development’s ownership, iconectiv is expected to continue growing and expanding its market presence. 

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

Also in the news:
LG and KT partner for 6G research
EE’s first 5G small cells go live, masts now deployed at 1,000+ locations across the UK
Optus clashes with AustralianSuper over slow tower build

News

The new Labour government has told telcos they must be more mindful of community concerns when deploying infrastructure or else laws may be changed to protect the public interest

The UK technology minister Chris Bryant has penned an open letter to the UK’s network operators reiterating the government’s commitment to nationwide gigabit-capable broadband but encouraging operators to avoid deploying poles wherever possible.

The letter says that industry players must work more collaboratively with each other and the with local authorities to ensure minimal disruption, particularly with regards to overhead infrastructure.

In recent years, public complaints about telegraph poles have been on the rise, with detractors not only bemoaning their ugliness but also highlighting their vulnerability during storms. This had led to a growing movement seeking to revoke poles’ Permitted Development (PD) rights, which enable telecoms operators to erect poles at relatively short notice with minimal red tape.

In response to these complaints, the previous Conservative government said in March that they would revise the existing Code of Practice around deploying poles to ensure telcos engage more closely with local communities before deploying overhead infrastructure.

This week’s open letter suggests that the government continue this work to revise the Code of Practice without revoking PD rights.

“I am acutely aware of public concerns surrounding the deployment of telegraph poles. Many people are calling for the Government to remove permitted development rights for poles. I do not, at this stage, believe that this is the right move. I want to ensure that my Department does everything it can to support fast-paced rollout of digital infrastructure across the UK to meet the Government’s objectives,” said telecoms minister Chris Bryant in an open letter to network operators. “However, at the same time, we must look to address the concerns that people across this country have expressed and recognise that unnecessary pole deployment is immensely frustrating for them.”

“It is my hope that a revised Code of Practice can set out examples of considerations that should be taken into account before new poles are deployed; and that it can be brought into effect this autumn to ensure that community voices can be taken into account,” he added.

The government will hold a roundtable to discuss these issues with the industry in September.

In the conclusion of his letter, Bryant said that telcos must do more to engage with local communities and legislative measures could be taken if these dialogues do not notably improve.

“I will not hesitate to consider changing existing regulations or wider legislative options to ensure that communities’ concerns are taken into account when deploying infrastructure,” he said.

Join the conversation around the UK’s broadband infrastructure at Connected Britain, 11-12 September in London. Get discounted tickets here! 

Also in the news:
NTT to launch new AI company ‘NTT AI-CIX’
Thousands of kms of fibre could be left underutilised warns asset reuse specialist
IOH launches Southeast Asia’s largest digital intelligence operations centre

Customers of UK broadband ISP BT and EE, specifically those who also take their internet-connected pay TV service and use the Pro Box in ‘Internet Mode‘ (i.e. streaming live channels rather than using an aerial), will find that they face new limitations on their ability to record and re-watch BBC content from 21st August 2024.

Until now those with ‘Internet Mode’ enabled on the related set-top-box could still record TV content directly to local storage on their Pro Box from the streamed BBC channels, much like you can when watching via a regular aerial connection. This was then available to replay at your leisure, which made it quite handy.

However, Cord Busters and various posters on the operator(s) official community forums (e.g. here and here) have picked up on a recent customer notification, which signals a significant change in this approach. Not that you’d know it from a quick glance.

Extract from EE’s Customer Email

As you’re watching EE TV in Internet Mode (without an aerial), the way you watch your BBC recordings will change.

From 21st August, your BBC recordings will launch through the BBC iPlayer app. There’s no change to how you’ll record a programme, or where it will be stored.

Put another way, the recordings may oddly still be stored on the box, but your access to record and re-watch related content is going to be limited by iPlayer’s policies. For example, much of iPlayer’s content is only made available for 30 days after broadcast (sometimes longer, sometimes shorter) and downloaded programmes are generally available for the same amount of time. But not everything gets added to iPlayer and content does expire, which will also impact your recordings (i.e. you won’t be able to watch what isn’t available).

The move echoes what we saw last year when a similar change was introduced for streamed ITV content. No doubt some customers will now revert to using ‘Broadcast Mode‘ (i.e. using their aerial to watch and record TV channels instead of streaming them), although it’s worth remembering that terrestrial TV transmissions are often said to be on the slow path to retirement by around 2030 (here).

A new survey of over 1,000 adults conducted by industry trade body Mobile UK, which represents mobile operators Three UK, EE (BT), O2 (Virgin Media) and Vodafone, has claimed that 51% of respondents are not bothered or would welcome a new mobile mast on their street to help improve service performance and reliability.

The How Connected Are You? (PDF) survey, which attempts to gauge both the public perceptions of mobile connectivity and attitudes towards mobile infrastructure in the UK, found that 79% of respondents view their mobile as being important, or very important, to them and 81% would find the loss of signal “problematic to their lives” (28% said they can’t live without it).

The survey also revealed that the public understanding of mobile technology is “surprisingly limited“, particularly when you consider that just 14% of people felt confident in their knowledge of mobile connectivity, with 42% admitting to no understanding at all.

Speaking of which, when shown images of common network infrastructure, 45% couldn’t identify a rooftop installation and 35% failed to recognise a mobile phone mast. The confusion became more pronounced in real-world settings: 79% of people couldn’t identify a phone mast in plain sight, and 35% couldn’t recognise any mobile infrastructure at all. Misidentification was also prevalent, with 42% mistaking a TV transmitter for mobile infrastructure and 40% identifying a radio tower.

When questioned about proximity of masts, the results appear to “counter assumptions made about objections to masts“. A clear majority of people – 84%, said they feel it is important to have a mast within range of their home or business. Similarly, 92% understand that a better signal is achieved the closer you are to where it is broadcast from, and 51% said they would not be bothered or would welcome a mast on their street.

Lastly, the survey quizzed respondents who would not like a mast at the end of their road to find out the reasons why. Some 26% said they would not like it on the grounds of aesthetics (even though many had trouble identifying a mobile mast) and only 16% mentioned health concerns.

Gareth Elliott, Director of Policy and Communications for Mobile UK, said:

“What this survey has uncovered is that perceptions and attitudes towards mobile infrastructure have shifted and there is greater awareness of the need for it. These results call into question whether the planning system continues to imbalance its weighting away from the social and economic benefits of connectivity and into the hands of local minorities, of whom often base their objections on false perceptions and limited awareness.”

The results are interesting, and the full survey also covers a lot of other areas (e.g. what we do with our mobile devices), although we do still have to take all of this with a pinch of salt because the sample size was quite small and anything that comes from Mobile UK will inevitably carry a strong air of vested interest.

The study also reminds us a bit of the recent ISPA survey, which similarly found that 75% of respondents “clearly recognise the benefits of having access to faster and more reliable broadband even if that is delivered via poles” (here) – poles being an issue that both the past and present UK government have had to tackle (here). But the larger sample size of the ISPA’s study did lend it more credibility.

Finally, the survey ends by including a series of very familiar recommendations (here, here, here and here), which once again calls for more flexible planning rules and resources to help the deployment of new masts, as well as the appointment of digital champions to help local authorities engage with network operators etc. The new government are looking to reform planning policy (here and here), but the specifics remain unclear.

Recommendations

1. Understanding is crucial to connectivity
Leadership from national and a local authorities and in conjunction with the industry is needed. Better education will safeguard the future of the UK’s connected society.

2. Digital Champions
Dedicated roles are needed in every local authority area to help coordinate and prioritise digital connectivity and address digital exclusion.

According to Farrpoint 49% of local authorities do not have a digital connectivity strategy that is less than three years old. 47% of authorities have a digital champion but this is part of another role. Only 23% have invested in a dedicated role.

3. Better resourcing in planning
Increasing consumer demand, especially for data, requires mobile operators to invest continually in network coverage and capacity.

The planning regimes across the United Kingdom were set down in legislation that pre-dates the move to 5G technologies. Planning regulations and the advice that goes with them must be urgently updated to enable mobile operators to deploy their networks to meet rapidly growing demand. Without this people and businesses will not have access to wider network coverage and the latest technologies.

4. Local leadership
It’s clear while awareness of what constitutes mobile infrastructure is low, the majority of people are somewhat comfortable with new infrastructure. What they are not indifferent to is a scenario where they are unable to access the networks they rely on.

More work needs to be done in areas needing new or upgraded infrastructure to convey the facts and debunk myths. Stronger public awareness and engaging in an honest debate with citizens about the benefits and importance of this infrastructure will lead to greater support to facilitate vital infrastructure to safeguard future connectivity.

Mobile network operator O2 (Virgin Media) has today launched a new 4G and 5G mobile plan to support UK people on low incomes, which is a low-cost data (mobile broadband), calls and texts (SMS) plan that is only available to those on eligible state benefits and costs just £10 per month.

The new ‘Essential Plan’ is available for both new and existing customers who receive a range of benefit payments, and comes with 10GB of mobile data, plus unlimited calls and texts. The plan can be taken as a 30-day rolling contract, has no activation or exit fees, and no price changes while customers receive benefit payments.

In addition, the new social tariff comes with inclusive EU Roaming as standard and allows customers to access the O2 Priority rewards programme. The Essential Plan is available for people who receive any of the following government support payments: Income-based Employment Support Allowance (I-ESA), Income-based Jobseekers Allowance (I-JSA), Income Support (IS), Pension Credit (PC) or Universal Credit (UC).

The new tariff is intended to complement Virgin Media’s own Essential Broadband tariff, which enables those on state benefits to take an unlimited 15Mbps (2Mbps upload) connection on a 30-day rolling contract for just £12.50 per month, rising to £20 per month if you opt for their faster 54Mbps (5Mbps upload) tier. Plus, if you pay an extra £20 one-off, then you’re able to add their STREAM TV box.

Christian Hindennach, Chief Commercial Officer at VMO2, said:

“Virgin Media O2 is proud to offer a range of comprehensive measures to help people on low incomes to get online and stay in touch with loved ones.

While we know mobile connectivity in the UK is already very affordable, the launch of the O2 Essential Plan builds on our wide range of existing support for people experiencing financial difficulties. This includes our broadband plan for people receiving support payments, the National Databank providing free mobile data for people in need, and our Community Calling scheme which rehomes smartphones with people who need them.”

The catch here is that there are cheaper plans – often available with even bigger data allowances – available on the wider market too, including for consumers who don’t take state benefits. Examples can be found on iD Mobile, Smarty, VOXI and even some of O2’s MVNO providers like giffgaff or Tesco Mobile are pretty good (but the latter two tend to require longer 12-18 month contract terms).

Finally, a quick reminder. We know social tariffs can be a divisive topic for some, but that is not an excuse to abuse the comment system in order to post offensive remarks toward those who take state benefits. Such posts are against our rules and will be removed.

The CEO of telecoms and broadband provider BT Business, Bas Burger, has written a new letter to critical national infrastructure customers this week, including the likes of lift operators and medical equipment, which warns them of the need to switchover to a digital phone solution before the old analogue (PSTN) service is switched-off.

Just to recap. The big switch-off was recently delayed to 31st January 2027 in order to give broadband ISPs / phone providers, telecare providers and consumers more time to adapt (details). But the main focus of this delay was the 1.8 million people who use vital home telecare systems in the UK (e.g. elderly, disabled, and vulnerable people), which often aren’t compatible with the replacement VoIP / IP-based digital phone services (i.e. for everybody else the deadline is still technically Dec 2025).

However, the Telegraph (paywall) notes how it’s easy to forget that there are also around 300,000 lifts in the UK and 180,000 of those are still claimed to be linked to the old analogue phone network, which will need to change – and quickly – to avoid situations where people are unable to use the connected alarm or phone when their lift gets stuck (these typically use PSTN connected auto-diallers).

According to the article, the Lift and Escalator Industry Association (LEIA), which represents lift manufacturers, did not respond to a request for comment. But in fairness, it only took a quick Google search for ISPreview to uncover that LEIA had previously notified lift operators about the PSTN switch-off all the way back in November 2019 (here), which helps to underline how they’ve had plenty of warning.

One of the most popular alternative solutions for lift operators today tends to be a GSM (mobile network linked) module – usually using a roaming SIM for redundancy between mobile operators. Such modules are relatively easy to install, can be battery-backed to provide a failsafe in the event of a power outage (albeit only for 1 hour+) and are remotely monitorable.

Bas Burger, CEO of BTBusiness, said:

“We understand that your organisation is using technology that is still connected to the PSTN [Public Switched Telephone Network]. This might be a traditional landline, but it could also be anything from lift alarms to medical equipment. As this ageing network becomes increasingly outdated and fragile, the risk to your critical services grows.

…

We’re calling on our critical national infrastructure customers to recognise they have an important stake in the PSTN switch-off and to take steps to safeguard their services now. The old analogue network is no longer fit for purpose. The UK can’t afford to wait.”

Since 1999, the Lifts Regulations have required all new lifts to be fitted with an alarm device with two way voice communication between the lift car and a rescue service. The harmonised standard for alarm devices is BS EN 81-28. The Lifts Regulations and BS EN 81-28 do not specify the type of communication link to be used but do require the owner/client and lift provider to agree this.

The Leicestershire County Council (LCC) has revealed that their recently completed £1.5 million “GigaHubs” project has now connected 43 public sector sites (schools, libraries etc.) to a new gigabit-capable full fibre broadband network, which forms part of the UK Government’s wider £5bn Project Gigabit programme.

The fibre isn’t just available to serve public sector sites, since the new footprint of infrastructure that it creates can potentially also help to incentivise other broadband operators to connect surrounding homes and businesses to faster speeds, at least in areas (often rural ones) where such a need or demand exists. But doing his would require a separate private investment.

Councillor Pam Posnett said: “This is a real feather in our cap and great news for our rural areas. I’m delighted we’re one of the first counties to complete the roll out, which means more children can benefit from cutting-edge digital resources, creates new opportunities to bring communities together and encourages commercial suppliers to bring the fastest speeds to more places.”

Gigabit-capable broadband will be available at all sites over the next few months as new contracts are taken-up at the following sites:

Fleckney Library
Desford Library  
Lutterworth Library  
Barlestone C of E Primary School 
Sherrier C of E Primary School  
Lutterworth High School  
Waltham on the Wolds C of E Primary School  
Somerby Primary School  
Asfordby Hill Primary School  
Congerstone Primary School 
Higham on the Hill Primary School 
Witherley C of E Primary School 
Old Dalby C Of E Primary School 
The Market Bosworth School 
Market Bosworth Library 
St Peters C Of E Primary School Mkt Bosworth 
Dunton Bassett Primary School 
Ullesthorpe C Of E Primary School 
Newbold Verdon Primary School 
St Andrews C Of E Primary School Academy 
Desford Community Primary School 
Kibworth Recycling and Household Waste Site 
Meadowdale Primary School
Ab Kettleby Primary School
Fleckney C Of E Primary School 
Great Dalby School
Harby C Of E Primary School 
Long Clawson C Of E Primary School 
Highways Depot Foxton 
Market Harborough Recycling and Household Waste Site 
Croft C Of E Primary School 
Manorfield C Of E Primary School 
Sharnford C Of E Primary School 
Swinford C Of E Primary School 
Sapcote Library 
Stoney Stanton Library 
Croft County Council office 
Lutterworth Recycling and Household Waste Site 
Seagrave Village Primary School 
Sheepy Magna C Of E Primary School 
Stanton Under Bardon Community Primary School 
Sileby Library 
Nailstone Depot