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Digital payment provider Klarna have today announced that existing UK members of their Max tier can now sign-up for an unlimited 4G and 5G mobile (mobile broadband) phone plan in their app “at no additional cost when switching over an existing number“, which makes them the latest in a string of finance and banking organisations to launch an eSIM style mobile plan. (more…)
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Macquarie-backed rural broadband provider Voneus, which has built a mix of full fibre (FTTP) and fixed wireless (FWA) networks across remote rural parts of Wales and England, are understood to be preparing to cut a significant portion of jobs following the recent acquisition of struggling altnet Airband. (more…)
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Alternative network operator and broadband ISP Trooli, which has so far deployed their full fibre (FTTP) network to cover 480,000 premises across parts of England and some of Scotland, has today announced a major speed boost with the launch of a new 5Gbps (5,000Mbps) symmetric speed package for consumers. The package is being supported by a new Wi-Fi 7 router. (more…)
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Mobile network operator O2 (Virgin Media) and connectivity provider Freshwave have today announced that they’ve boosted outdoor 4G and 5G (mobile broadband) signal coverage in busy parts of Wigan (Greater Manchester) by deploying ten new Small Cells. In addition, they’ve also separately improved indoor signals (for all operators) at three council-operated buildings. (more…)
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The debt-strained TalkTalk Group just can’t catch a break. A new report emerged last night that claimed Octopus Investments were no longer in exclusive talks over the acquisition of TalkTalk’s wholesale broadband business – PlatformX Communications. The move came only days after both issued a joint statement to say they were “optimistic of delivering” a deal. (more…)
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Mobile operator Vodafone has revealed that they’ve joined forces with strategic supplier Ericsson to conduct a new trial, which embedded AI technology into a test mobile network to deliver instant language translation during standard voice calls. The network-level implementation meant this works without the need for a special app or modified Smartphone. (more…)
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BT is enabling the British Transport Police (BTP) to become the first police force to routinely operate national Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drones as part of day-to-day police operations.
The drones, supported by BT’s Drone SIM solution and connected to the EE mobile network, will serve as first responders for incidents taking place across more than 20,000 miles of rail network in the UK.
When an incident is first reported, a drone can be quickly launched from one of seven drone-in-a-box locations across the country and remotely piloted to the site by BTP staff based at the organisation’s London Bridge operations centre. Information gathered can then inform further action from the BTP.
In 2023/2024 there were more than 19,300 trespass incidents across the rail network, equating to one every 30 minutes. Many of these incidents currently require in-person investigation by staff, a method both costly and time-consuming.
“As the first UK police force to routinely operate BVLOS drones as part of day-to-day policing, we are transforming the way we respond to incidents across the rail network. Real-time aerial intelligence enables our teams to assess situations faster, deploy resources more effectively and improve safety for both officers and the public,” said Simon Bachelor, Head of Drones Programme at BTP. “This collaboration with BT demonstrates how innovation can support more efficient policing while helping to minimise disruption for passengers and rail operators.”
In the next two years, BTP plans to expand the number of drone-in-a-box location to 14, further reducing response times for railway incidents.
BT has been exploring mobile network-connected drones for a number of years now, most notably though Project Skyway, a drone ‘superhighway’ for BVLOS flight spanning roughly 165-miles between the Midlands and the Southeast. In 2023, the company had advanced to trialling drone delivery for medical supplies, including the first BVLOS flight overland in the UK.
But despite this progress, largescale BVLOS drone deployments have been slow to materialise, in part due to the complex and slow-moving regulatory environment.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority last year published its Future of Flight: BVLOS roadmap to help address some of these concerns, aiming for routine BVLOS flights taking place by 2027.
Also in the news
Shared Rural Network rollout extends to UK national parks with over 150 4G masts live
Vodafone touts latest attempt to bridge the UK’s digital divide
Virgin Media O2 cuts 5,200 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions
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HOBOKEN, N.J., September 17, 2026—Pioneer Consulting, a full-service submarine fiber optic telecommunications consulting and project management firm, is pleased to announce the promotion of Philip deGuzman to Partner, recognizing his leadership, technical expertise, and significant contributions to the company over the past eight years.
Since joining Pioneer in 2018, Philip has played an increasingly important role across the company’s engineering, project management, and client-facing work. He has led complex submarine cable developments, guided multidisciplinary teams, and built trusted, long-term relationships with clients around the world. His experience spans system design, project implementation and technical integration, including leadership on several of Pioneer Consulting’s most complex disaggregated cable projects.
“Philip has the leadership and expertise we value in a Partner. His promotion reflects the breadth of his contributions to Pioneer Consulting, the trust he has earned with our clients and team, and our confidence in the important role he will continue to play in the company’s future,” said Gavin Tully, Managing Partner of Pioneer Consulting. “Philip has also been instrumental in expanding our expertise with increasingly complex disaggregated development models, including with repeatered systems. As those approaches are being considered for an increasing range of projects, that experience will be an important part of how Pioneer Consulting continues to support our clients.”
Philip joined Pioneer Consulting as Director of Client Solutions in 2018 and was promoted to Senior Director in 2025. As Partner, he joins Howard Kidorf, Gavin Tully, and Bertrand Clesca in Pioneer Consulting’s partnership and will continue to play a leading role in the company’s client engagements, project delivery, and future growth.
Commenting on his new role, Philip said, “I’m honored to become a Partner at Pioneer Consulting after eight years with the company. I’ve had the opportunity to work with an exceptional team and with many clients on a wide range of challenging submarine cable projects around the world. I look forward to helping Pioneer Consulting continue to grow, evolve, strengthen our capabilities, and deliver the level of technical and project leadership our clients expect from us.”
About Pioneer Consulting
Drawing on decades of experience, Pioneer Consulting empowers clients to take their vision for a submarine fiber optic telecommunications system and make it a reality. The company provides expert counsel to guide clients through the full process of subsea cable installation, while also providing valuable technical and commercial insight about the submarine telecom industry. From comprehensive project management to system design to shipboard representation, Pioneer Consulting has the expertise and resources to support clients through each stage of their venture. Pioneer Consulting has completed 180+ projects, spanning every ocean across seven continents. To learn more about how this international company is driving global subsea connectivity, visit: www.pioneerconsulting.com.
Media Contact
Christine Schinella
Pioneer Consulting
*********@***************ng.com“>c.*********@***************ng.com
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With the Pará and Maranhão branching units now on the seabed, both States are one step closer to a major enhancement of their digital infrastructure as future submarine cable branches are developed.
Dublin, Ireland, 16th September 2026 – EllaLink, the first high-capacity fibre-optic submarine cable directly connecting Latin America to Europe, announces the two branching units dedicated to the Brazilian states of Pará and Maranhão have been successfully laid on the seabed as part of the Lum@link marine installation campaign.
The two units are now in place and ready to receive the future submarine branches to Salinópolis, in the State of Pará, and São Luís, in the State of Maranhão. They were laid at water depths of 3,920 metres and 3,690 metres respectively. Manufactured and installed by Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN), the units form part of the Lum@link system, which connects Cayenne, French Guiana, to the main EllaLink system.
A branching unit is a subsea device that enables a new cable branch to be added to an existing submarine system without disrupting the main route. By installing these units during the Lum@link campaign, EllaLink is ensuring that the future Brazilian branches can be deployed and activated without requiring additional deep-water intervention on the main system. Planned years in advance, this strategic decision transforms a single route into a scalable network.
The branching units were funded by the governments of Pará and Maranhão, with grant support from the European Union as part of a broader Amazon connectivity programme co-financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Group.
EllaLink has also completed the Cable Route Study (CRS) for both branches, covering offshore and landing routes, as well as preliminary permitting, environmental assessments and engineering activities.
The branch to São Luís is being developed in partnership with ATI (Agência Estadual de Tecnologia da Informação do Maranhão) on behalf of the State of Maranhão.
The branch to Salinópolis is being developed in partnership with PRODEPA (Empresa de Tecnologia da Informação e Comunicação do Estado do Pará) on behalf of the State of Pará.
For two states that have historically relied on long terrestrial backhaul routes to reach Brazil’s international communication gateways, the impact will be transformative. Each branch will provide a dedicated submarine landing point and a high-capacity, resilient connection to Fortaleza, Cayenne, and the wider international network. This represents a significant improvement in both network capacity and reliability.
Together, the two states will benefit from an initial combined capacity of 17 Tbps, with substantial room for future expansion. Beyond increasing bandwidth, the programme aims to extend broadband connectivity to isolated communities and strengthen the resilience of public digital services in healthcare, education, business development and e-government.
The programme also includes the deployment of SMART sensors capable of collecting environmental and seismic data to support climate and scientific monitoring initiatives, with the support of the European Union.
As with its other dedicated branches, EllaLink acts as an infrastructure operator. The company designs, builds, operates and transfers the ownership of the branch to its customer. The capacity carried on each branch is owned and commercialised directly and fully under the control of the states.
The two branches form the Brazilian component of the “Mais Conectado” project, for the Amazon region, to be co-financed by the IDB Group and the AFD Group. This project was showcased during the 2nd EU-Brazil Investment Forum in June 2026. The project is being delivered under the EU Global Gateway strategy and the EU-LAC Digital Alliance with the support of Team Europe.
The branching units were installed as part of the Lum@link marine campaign that began in mid-July 2026, when the cable ship CS Île d’Yeu departed from the ASN manufacturing facility in Calais (France), bound for Cayenne (French Guiana).
Lum@link is a submarine cable extension of approximately 2,100 km that connects the new cable landing station in Cayenne to the existing EllaLink trunk system off Fortaleza. The system will provide a direct optical connection between Cayenne, Fortaleza, and Sines (Portugal) and is expected to enter in service by the end of 2026.
Lum@link is being developed by SPLANG, the public company responsible for the digital development in French Guiana. The European Commission is supporting the project with a €29.9 million grant from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital programme, managed by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). The system is also supported by investment from the Collectivité Territoriale de Guyane (CTG – local Government for French Guiana), and financial support from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD).
Carlos Brandão, Governor of the State of Maranhão, commented : “Maranhão is preparing today to take a leading role in the digital economy of the future. We are investing in high-speed connectivity, fibre optic infrastructure, cybersecurity, data centres and digital inclusion. This is a project that modernises the State, strengthens our economy and creates the conditions to attract investment and generate new opportunities. We want a Maranhão that is more connected, more competitive and, above all, one where technology helps reduce inequality and improve the lives of our people.”
Philippe Dumont, CEO at EllaLink Group, added: “Laying these two branching units is one of those milestones that is invisible from the shore but decisive for everything that follows. They are the physical foundation of the future connections to Salinópolis and São Luís, and they are now in place, on the seabed. The design of the branches is well advanced as well: cable route study is finalised, so marine survey can start as soon as Pará and Maranhão states have finalised their funding. Since its inception, the EllaLink system has been designed to welcome new markets step by step, and this is what that design was for.”
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Ofcom will shortly announce the outcome of their provisional proposal to block one of several discounts that Openreach (BT) had planned to help them stay competitive and attract new full fibre (FTTP) broadband ISP customers. But a new report from Enders Analysis warns that rival networks might, in supporting the regulator, ultimately end up hastening the incumbent’s deregulation to their detriment. (more…)