At Connected Britain 2024, we spoke with Openreach’s chief commercial officer, Katie Milligan, to discuss the company’s latest Project Gigabit contracts, sustainability progress, and how Sky’s new deal with CityFibre will affect competition in the retail market.
Check out the full interview below:
The business division of mobile network operator O2 (Virgin Media) has today confirmed that, as part of their plan to switch-off 2G and 3G services across the United Kingdom, they’ll also be withdrawing inbound roaming services on both of those older mobile networks from 1st October 2025.
Just to recap. Last year saw VMO2 become the final operator to reveal their plan for switching off their 3G mobile (mobile broadband) network (here), which will begin in 2025 and the withdrawal will then occur in phases, with completion by the end of that same year. O2 recently followed that by announcing that they’d also start shifting almost all remaining traffic and customers off their oldest 2G network in 2025 too (here), but they won’t be turning it off completely for “several years” because it’s still necessary for some vital services (e.g. Smart Meters – home energy tracking).
Both moves support an earlier agreement between the UK government and all major mobile operators, which jointly aim to phase-out existing 2G and 3G signals by 2033 (here). This will free up radio spectrum so it can be used to further improve the network coverage and mobile broadband speeds of more modern 4G and 5G networks, as well as future 6G services. The switch-off will also reduce the operators’ costs and power consumption.
The latest update today is that, as part of these changes, O2 have confirmed they will be withdrawing inbound roaming services from their 2G and 3G networks on 1st October 2025. This typically reflects the service that allows subscribers from other operators to access O2’s local network and services.
Jo Bertram, Managing Director of VMO2 Business, said:
“In July, we contacted all our business customers, from small enterprises to wholesale partners, to make them aware of these plans and told them that they will need to upgrade any 2G and 3G only devices, so they can maintain seamless connectivity. We’ve also made our international roaming partners aware and instructed them to work with their customers to avoid disruption.
We know some organisations purchase connectivity solutions from other providers, including SIMs from overseas operators which roam on our network. Businesses should contact their connectivity provider to ensure any machines and applications that may use roaming to connect to our network, even occasionally, are upgraded to 4G / 5G or to find alternate ways to connect before October 2025.
Many organisations won’t need to do anything, or notice any change since their devices are already compatible with the 4G and 5G networks. To check if a device is compatible with 4G/5G and 4G Calling, also called VoLTE, we’ve published a list here under the ’Check your device’ section. There are also instructions on how to enable this function on devices.
With other operators also switching off older networks, we recommend that all businesses – whether they’re our customers or not – undertake an audit of their device estate to determine if they have any 2G or 3G only devices that need to be upgraded or are using any SIMs that could be roaming on our network. Your connectivity provider should be able to tell you this.”
The change shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, given the operator’s prior announcements, but it does set a clear timeline for a key change within the process, and that should help with planning. But there’s always a risk that, in some limited areas and circumstances, this could contribute to localised problems with securing basic mobile / voice coverage.
Mobile operator and broadband ISP Sure has successfully managed to improve the 4G and 5G signal across the north of Guernsey (English Channel Island) by hiding a new mast in plain sight, which was achieved by deploying the new infrastructure in a marina and making it look like a tall white yacht mast.
Trying to hide or disguise large mobile masts is rarely an easy task. Over the years we’ve seen various attempts at concealment, some of which work better than others (e.g. painting them to blend in with the landscape or making their structure look like weird trees).
However, we think the latest approach on the island of Guernsey, which is a self-governing British Crown dependency, deserves a particular mention. According to the Bailiwick Express (see for picture), engineers working for Sure were able to construct and deploy a mobile mast that more closely resembles a white yacht mast, which was then erected in the middle of Beaucette Marina.
Once the planned bunting (flags) have been added to the top, then it will probably become even harder to identify it as a mobile mast without a second glance.
Adi Byrne, Mobile Engineer at Sure, said:
“In today’s digital age, reliable network coverage is crucial for everything from staying connected with loved ones to conducting business efficiently. We have ensured that St Sampson and the Vale have enhanced mobile network coverage. We are committed to not only improving Guernsey’s connectivity, but also respecting the island’s natural beauty.”
The Welsh Government has today issued a progress update on their Local Broadband Fund (LBF), which was launched in 2020 and has so far allocated £12m – across four funding phases – to help local authorities and social enterprises to deliver faster broadband networks to areas and sites that need it (i.e. those unable to access speeds of 30Mbps+ today).
For example, three adult residential care homes in Newport, including Parklands Care Home, now have gigabit-capable full-fibre broadband for the first time as a result of the LBF. Meanwhile, in the Vale of Glamorgan, high-speed local broadband of up to 100Mbps is now available at popular sites like the Cosmeston Lakes Country Park and the Glamorgan Heritage Coast.
Additionally, 17 public sector sites in North Wales – including rural libraries and community councils – now have Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) connections with active download speeds of at least 80Mbps and up to gigabit territory.
In Cardiff, an early phase of 83 premises are now connected with gigabit capable speeds. The next phase is underway and working to deliver similar connectivity to a further 632 premises. This project also provides “free for life” gigabit-capable broadband to 15 community centres spaces, supporting local initiatives and educational programmes.
Rebecca Evans, Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, said:
“Fast and reliable broadband is essential for our communities and businesses. The Local Broadband Fund has already made a real difference, delivering tangible improvements to businesses, public services, and communities across Wales. By expanding digital access, we’re helping to create new opportunities for economic growth, employment, and education, as well as enhancing the quality of life for residents.”
The broadband expansion is ongoing and several projects are set to complete by March 2025 in Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire, and Powys. But curiously, the announcement doesn’t mention earlier builds that have also been supported by investment from the LBF, such as extending the existing community FTTP build in Michaelston y Fedw (here) etc.
The Scottish Government has finally caught up with similar legislation in England (here and here), which was introduced at the end of 2022, by effectively mandating that property developers must ensure their new build homes are constructed with support for gigabit-capable broadband connections. This will become effective from 1st January 2025.
At present every new building and building unit in Scotland must already be designed and constructed in such a way that a “high-speed ready” (30Mbps+) in-building physical infrastructure, up to a network termination point, is provided. In the case of a building which contains more than one building unit, a common access point for high-speed electronic communications networks must be provided.
The new rules go further than that by amending Scotland’s existing Building Regulations to ensure that all new build homes are equipped with gigabit-capable (1Gbps+) infrastructure from the outset, with a connection available subject to a cost cap (£2,000). Failing that, the developer would need to install the “next fastest broadband connection” possible, also within the same cost cap.
However, in cases where a connection cannot be provided within the cost cap (e.g. in some remote rural areas or individual private house builds, where it might not be economically viable), there will be a requirement to install the passive infrastructure (e.g. cable ducts) required to facilitate a connection at a later date (i.e. much the same as the pre-existing policy).
Richard Lochhead, Business Minister, said:
“Connectivity is no longer a luxury, but an essential part of everyday life enabling remote working, access to public services, education, and health.
That’s why the Scottish Government is using its powers to reduce the barriers to accessing faster broadband so Scotland’s people and businesses can make the most of the opportunities connectivity brings.”
The reality here is that the vast majority of new build homes – both in Scotland and across the UK (about 98% were getting FTTP when last we checked) – are already being constructed with support for gigabit-capable broadband and so, in that sense, the new legislation isn’t likely to have a massive impact. But better late than never.
Naturally, changes like this will help to support the wider £5bn Project Gigabit programme, which is aiming to help extend gigabit coverage to at least 85% of UK premises by 2025 and then around 99% “nationwide” by 2030. Most of the build is being done by commercial operators, with projects like this and Scotland’s £600m R100 scheme focusing on the hardest to reach final 10-20% of premises (primarily rural areas).
Is the new Labour government’s approach to digital infrastructure going to be effective?
In this Connected Britain interview, Simon Miller, Director of Public and Regional Affairs at Virgin Media O2, describes the “encouraging” discussions with government so far and how the UK’s digital infrastructure landscape is shifting in 2024.
Check out the full interview from the link below:
Nokia today announced the launch of a new sustainability calculator for private wireless networks for enterprises. This tool helps companies estimate the environmental and social benefits of using private wireless networks and the new Industry 4.0 applications they enable. Notable benefits include improved operations, reduced costs and carbon emissions, and fewer workplace accidents.
Nokia commissioned PwC UK to support the development of a Private Wireless Sustainability Calculator, based on Nokia’s extensive experience in deploying private wireless networks for more than 760 industrial customers worldwide. Nokia’s tool, initially created for mining, manufacturing and port industries, aids businesses in leveraging private wireless to reach their environmental and social objectives, catering to the growing demand from investors for transparency.
Digitalization is key to accelerating industry sustainability and enabling enterprises to achieve long-term growth. Private wireless networks provide high-performance connectivity for digitalization, enabling new applications such as drone inspections, digital twins, and real-time environmental monitoring. These applications, when combined with private networking and edge computing, improve operational efficiency and contribute to sustainability goals.
Industry 4.0 applications powered by private wireless networks offer significant improvements for businesses.
Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A GlobalData and Nokia report found 79% of surveyed enterprises saw a 10% or greater reduction in emissions after deploying private wireless solutions like drones, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and digital twins.
Improved Worker Safety: Medium-sized chemical manufacturing plants utilizing private wireless networks can save approximately EUR 1.4 million in societal costs (assuming consistent production volumes) and witness an average 35% decrease, on average, in health and safety incidents. Societal costs refer to the economic and social burdens associated with accidents, injuries, and illnesses, including healthcare expenses, lost productivity, and the impact on families and communities. This is due to factors like remote machine control, which reduces worker exposure to hazardous environments.
Improved Efficiency: Autonomous trucks powered by private wireless networks results in a 7% reduction in fuel consumption and wear and tear. Additionally, operations became 10% more efficient, leading to reduced energy consumption and improved worker safety.
The Nokia Private Wireless Sustainability Calculator draws on PwC UK’s expertise in measuring and valuing impacts, and its Total Impact Measurement and Management (TIMM) framework to develop the environmental and social impact methodologies for private wireless networks. TIMM is rooted in impact pathways, going one step further than most other methodologies to translate the costs and benefits to society in monetary terms.
The Nokia calculator uses data from multiple sources, including previous quantifications in other projects and network models to provide a comprehensive understanding of the private networks’ impact. From there, the model’s insights support users to identify opportunities to enhance business operations, including improving equipment lifecycles, reducing transportation downtime and fuel consumption, and improved worker health considerations. Through this process, the Nokia Private Wireless Sustainability Calculator offers enterprises vital findings and insights to improve their business – from improved operational efficiencies, worker health and safety, potential reductions in costs and environmental footprint.
Subho Mukherjee, Vice President of Sustainability at Nokia, said: “Many physical industries are heavy emitters of greenhouse gas and haven’t had the opportunity to reap the full potential of digital technologies yet. To reach our climate goals, we need to speed up their digital transformation through the power of networking, AI and cloud. Nokia is helping industries go digital to become smarter, more automated, sustainable, and efficient. Our new Private Wireless Sustainability Calculator is the first of its kind, showing our private wireless networks can help businesses be more environmentally friendly. It’s a strong step towards quantifying what Nokia believes in, that there is no green without digital.”
Mukherjee said the new Nokia tool underscores the company’s commitment to addressing climate change and resource efficiency in its value chain. Nokia has committed to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, accelerating its previous target by 10 years. This places Nokia ahead of the Paris Agreement goal to reach net zero by 2050. This initiative is part of Nokia’s broader strategy to integrate sustainability benefits into its solutions for industries and develop Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) as a competitive advantage.
Tom Beagent, Sustainability Partner at PwC UK, said: “Technology has a huge role to play in tackling social and environmental challenges. It is great to see Nokia using its expertise to support its customers to see the potential of private wireless in tackling issues such as health and safety and carbon emissions. Monetizing impacts with frameworks like TIMM really help decision makers to understand the social and environmental return on investment and the role technology can play in delivering on their sustainability goals.”
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Also in the news:
Meta resumes use of UK user posts to train its AI models
Verizon’s 4,800 job cuts will cost over $1.9 billion
CMA questions Vodafone–Three merger after second probe
In a rather unusual service outage, some of Sky UK’s customers are suffering from a serious and ongoing issue that is preventing them from being able to switch-on their broadband-based Sky Glass and Sky Stream pay TV streaming devices. We can’t say we’ve ever heard of many issues quite like this one before, but hopefully the devices can be remotely recovered.
The bulk of complaints about this most bizarre of faults began to surface just before 5pm yesterday and more issues started to be reported as the night rolled on, but sadly they’re continuing to come in this morning. The reports also suggest that the issue can be quite sporadic, with some customers who own multiple ‘pucks’ (Sky Stream boxes) and Sky Glass TV sets saying that some work, while others do not.
Some customers report that their devices have since returned to normal, while many others are continuing to suffer the same problem and seeing flashing red or white lights as their devices attempt to start. The fact that this issue seemed to gradually grow last night suggests, at least to us, that Sky could have been trying to push a firmware or configuration update of some sort at the time of the incident.
Sky soon acknowledged the issue, but there is frustration that the operator hasn’t published any further updates since late yesterday afternoon. Sky’s website currently states (here): “Some Sky Glass/Stream customers are currently experiencing technical issues when trying to switch on their devices. Our technical teams are working hard to fix this. We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused and remember you can watch on Sky Go right now.”
A few customers have had some luck by unplugging their devices for 10 minutes and then re-connecting them, while others found that holding the power button down for several seconds (likely initiating a reset) worked and enabled them to re-activate their Sky Glass devices online. But others have not been so lucky and the Sky Community Forum is chocked full of complaints, suggesting this may be impacting a lot of people.
UPDATE 8:33am
We’ve seen some indications that similar devices in some of Sky’s other European outlets are suffering from the same issue, but this is not yet confirmed.
UPDATE 8:52am
For customer who want to try and recover / reset their pucks (Sky Stream), the procedure is as follows (this works for some but not others).
Reset / Recover Sky Stream Puck
1. Switch off the Sky Stream puck at the mains plug socket.
2. Press and hold the Standby button on the bottom of the Sky Stream puck.
3. Keeping your finger on the button (underneath the puck), switch the power back on at the mains and wait until you see the LED lights flash amber then green, then remove your finger.
4. Let the Sky Stream puck complete the recovery process. This can take up to 15 minutes (may depend on your broadband speed).
5. Switch the Sky Stream puck back on and follow the on-screen steps to set it up. You might need to go to www.sky.com/activate for further steps.
Similarly, some of those with Sky Glass found that this reset worked, but again it doesn’t for everybody.
Reset / Recover Sky Glass TV
1. Switch off your TV at the mains again. There’s no need to unplug it.
2. Press and hold the Standby button on the right-hand side of the TV.
3. Keeping your finger on the button, switch the power back on at the mains and wait until you see the LED lights flash (this could take 20 seconds before the LED starts flashing), then remove your finger.
4. Let the Sky Glass TV complete the recovery process. This can take up to 15 minutes, depending on your broadband speed.
5. Switch the TV back on and follow the steps on screen to set up your TV.
UPDATE 9:06am
Sky has just updated the Service Status message on their website, which now also pushes advice to use the reset procedure (as above).
Sky Status Update – 08:58 AM
Some Sky Glass and Sky Stream customers are currently experiencing technical issues when trying to switch on their devices. Our engineers are working hard to fix this. In the meantime please visit the links below and follow the process listed in order to restore your device. Sky Glass https://www.sky.com/help/expert/articles/power-issue-help-sky-glass Sky Stream https://www.sky.com/help/expert/articles/power-issue-help-sky-glass-sky-stream-puck We are sorry for any inconvenience caused and remember you can watch on Sky Go right now.
Sky has yet to respond to our comment request, but when they do it’ll probably mirror the ones above. But in the meantime, we must stress that the aformentioned reset/recovery process does not currently resolve the issue for everybody. In addition, if you run into an issue with PIN number acceptance, then we think this is normally the last four digits of your phone number (unless you changed it before).
Some people had to do the reset procedure a few times, usually with gaps of a few hours between attempts, before it finally worked.
UPDATE 10:01am
Sky has issued another update, albeit this time with a link that doesn’t require a staff login to work .
Sky Status Update – 9:25am
Some Sky Glass and Sky Stream customers are currently experiencing technical issues when trying to switch on their devices. Our engineers are working hard to fix this. In the meantime please visit this link in order to restore your device – https://www.sky.com/help/articles/sky-glass-stream-wont-turn-on
We are sorry for any inconvenience caused and remember you can watch on Sky Go right now.
We’ve also had an official response from Sky, but as expected they’ve merely repeated the aforementioned statements and so there’s nothing new to add. Sky did not respond to our query about the cause possibly being an attempted firmware or configuration update.
TIP: When trying to reset the Sky Glass TV, you might need to hold the power button for up to 20 seconds.
The annual Mobile Industry Awards event for 2024 was held last night at the Royal Lancaster in London, which among other categories saw Sky Mobile being named the ‘Best MVNO‘ (virtual) operator, while EE won the ‘Retailer of the Year‘ and VOXI’s GenAI Chatbot was named ‘Innovation of the Year‘.
As usual, this is one of those industry events where the shortlists for each of the categories are all judged by a panel of 20 people who either work directly within or alongside the same industry, with no real consumer representation. Take the results with a pinch of salt.
One slightly interesting aside to all this is that Vodafone’s related press release (here) notes how their ‘Great British Broadband Switch’ campaign was also shortlisted for ‘Campaign of the Year’. In the end, Lebara Mobile won that category, which is probably just as well considering that the advertising watchdog recently had a few bones to pick with Vodafone’s campaign (here).
Mobile Industry Award Winners 2024
Innovation of the Year Product or Service: VOXI GenAI Chatbot
Best Mobile Service & Solution Provider: Aerial Direct
Best Wholesale Service & Solution Provider: Three Wholesale
Best Recycling and Refurbishing Service (sponsored by Compare and Recycle): Preloved Tech Ltd
Best Repair Service: Likewize
Best Mobile/Gadget Insurance Service (sponsored by Bamboo Distribution): Asurion
Best Mobile Security Product or Service: Appdome
Distributor of the Year: Eurostar Global Electronics
Retailer of the Year: EE
Campaign of the Year: Lebara Mobile
CSR Initiative of the Year: Vodafone
Sustainability Initiative of the Year (sponsored by Sky Zero): Mobile Component Repair – TMT First
Team of the Year: Three UK – Retail Experience Team
Best Customer Service: Tesco Mobile
Best Place to Work: Genuine Solutions
Best MVNO: Sky Mobile
Best Network for Business: Three Business
Best eSIM Provider: GKT eSIM
Best SIM Only Network (sponsored by GK Telecoms): SMARTY Mobile
Network of the Year (sponsored by Likewize): EE
Smartphone Manufacturer of the Year (sponsored by Lebara): Samsung
Accessory Manufacturer of the Year: Belkin International
Phone of the Year: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Person of the Year (Power 50 Winner): Marc Allera, EE and Consumer Division at BT Group
Shop Idol: Aadil Naveed, Vodafone
A new London-registered alternative network provider called Countryside Fibre has cropped up with a plan to deploy a gigabit-capable full fibre broadband network (FTTP vs GPON) across parts of North Somerset in England. The provider will sell packages both directly to homes and businesses, as well as via wholesale through other ISPs.
Applications for Code Powers are typically sought to help speed-up deployments of new fibre and cut costs, not least by reducing the number of licences needed for street works. The powers can also help with supporting access to run new fibre via Openreach’s (BT) existing cable ducts and poles (PIA), which is something that Lightning Fibre have harnessed in the past and would clearly use again.
At the time of writing we couldn’t find a website for Countryside Fibre, but their company details state that the business was only incorporated on 6th October 2023 and is being run by David Swanston (Director). David previously ran an altnet called RunFibre, before it was scooped up by FibreRay (here), and earlier this year he also setup another altnet and ISP called Gigability (inc. Gigability Infra) – focused on Shropshire (here).
Code Powers Statement
The Applicant is a new venture which seeks Code powers to facilitate the deployment of a Gigabit Capable full fibre optic infrastructure with Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) technology in North Somerset and across the United Kingdom.
The Applicant has stated that while it takes advantage of Openreach PIA products as much as it can, around 30% of its build is planned for private dig in the highway and private land, in an equal ratio across the two.
The Applicant intends to allow and encourage other providers to access its network to sell their products and thus increase the local economy, competition, and overall connectivity.
The Applicant has stated that it plans to roll out to premises in North Somerset premises, and the bespoke network used will be built and maintained by local, in-house engineers. Countryside Fibre sells broadband services to residential, business and on a wholesale basis. Beyond these areas, Countryside Fibre intends to roll out further infrastructure across the United Kingdom.
At present there are no details on the funding or roll-out plan for the new network, which currently seems to be more in the experimental stages of development. But suffice to say, starting a new alternative network (altnet) in this market, which is already aggressively competitive and under a lot of economic strain, is not for the faint of heart. Time will tell whether or not this one blossoms into something bigger.