Rural alternative network builder and ISP Voneus, which aims to cover 370,000 premises via both their gigabit-capable fixed wireless access (FWA) and full fibre (FTTP) broadband networks, has connected the first customer to their new wireless network on Walney Island in Cumbria (England) – just 8 weeks after they started building (here).

Assuming all goes to plan, then the build could eventually end up connecting around 4,700 homes, many of which currently lack access to gigabit-capable broadband. The network itself, which is working with the Westmorland and Furness Council to install kit on top of local lighting columns (i.e. avoiding lots of disruptive street works), is capable of 1Gbps (symmetric) speeds and is set to be Cambium’s largest 60GHz cnWave wireless network in Europe.

Customers of the new wireless network can expect to pay from £29.99 per month (normally £38.99) for symmetric speeds of 250Mbps (inc. free router and installation), which rises to £59.99 for 900Mbps (normally £74.99). The first three months of service are being offered for free and the provider is pledging no mid-contract price rises on their 24-month term.

Voneus is working closely with the community on Walney Island, and to date has also supported connections for the North Scale Community Centre, Walney FC, Walney School and the Roundhouse Café.

Christopher Traggio, Voneus CEO, said:

“This has been an exciting week for Voneus customers on Walney Island, as the first customers get connected to the new gigabit speed network after just a few weeks of works. Just thrilling to see so many residents join the switch to better broadband.”

Until recently the network operator was being backed by up to £250m from investors including Macquarie Capital, IIF, Tiger Infrastructure Partners and bank lenders. But they’ve since secured a further £25m investment boost from Global Connectivity PLC (G-CON) in January 2024 and then an injection of £18m (capital) from Rural Broadband Solutions Holdings Limited (RBSHL) in June 2024 (here).

The G-CON and RBSHL investments are closely connected because G-CON holds a sizeable stake in RBSHL (RBSHL now has a 41% stake in Voneus). G-CON has also previously signalled that they would “appeal to strategic buyers within the next 12-18 month” and are planning to take the RBSHL ownership to “at least 44%” in the not too distant future.

Some customers of mobile operator EE (BT) appear to be suffering from an outage or connectivity problems on their Wi-Fi Calling service today. This normally enables consumers with a supporting Smartphone to harness their home broadband or other WiFi connection in order to make mobile voice calls.

The situation for some customers appears to have started early yesterday evening (or late afternoon), while others only began to notice it today. Complaints about the outage can be found littered across social media and EE’s own Community Forum, as well as via our own inbox.

Customers who have managed to reach EE’s support via the phone are being told, via an automated message, that “we are attempting to fix a known problem with Wi-Fi calling,” while others claim that EE told them they’re “working on it as high priority and should be fixed within a couple of days.”

The operator doesn’t yet appear to have issued a more public statement, but we are currently attempting to get one. The outage itself appears to have been a bit sporadic, since it appeared to be working again for some earlier this morning, but has since fallen over again.

Neterra and NetIX, leading providers of connectivity, global network, and Internet Exchange solutions, significantly expanded their network capabilities. The companies added a new Brazilian internet exchange point (IX.br – Fortaleza) to their networks, providing clients with enhanced data-sharing opportunities in the South American market.

In addition, Neterra and NetIX upgraded their existing point of presence (PoP) in Amsterdam, Netherlands, to meet the growing demand for high-capacity connectivity.

The new Brazilian exchange point, IX.br – Fortaleza, offers a 100 Gigabit connection, further strengthening Neterra and NetIX’s presence in Brazil. Clients can connect to this exchange either directly or through NetIX’s Remote Peering service, providing flexibility and global reach.

“We are excited to expand our network capabilities in Brazil and the Netherlands,” said Dean Belev, senior product manager of “Connectivity and NetIX” at Neterra. “This expansion demonstrates our commitment to providing our clients with the best possible connectivity options, no matter where they are located.”

The upgrade in Amsterdam, located at the Nikhef data center, includes a new high-performance router and switches, enabling Neterra and NetIX to support client demand. This enhancement ensures that businesses can easily scale their network usage and access high-speed connectivity in Europe.

Neterra is a global communications service provider, recognized as “The Best Central & Eastern European Carrier 2023” by the Capacity Global Carrier Awards. The company owns and operates four data centers and a global network with over 220 points of presence in more than 70 countries. Nine of the world’s 10 largest telecoms and nearly 1,000 global enterprises trust Neterra, solidifying its position as an industry leader.

NetIX, a Neterra group company, is the 12th largest internet exchange platform globally, with daily traffic peaks exceeding 3 Tbps. NetIX provides its members with direct connections and access to content from over 10,000 networks and 40+ other internet exchange platforms.

News

The Yorkshire and Lincolnshire-based altnet says the investment will allow them to expand their full fibre network to a further 190,000 homes and businesses

Today, the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) has announced a £250 million debt package for full fibre network provider Quickline Communications.

The funding, which takes the form of a £125 million term loan, a £100 million debt guarantee, and a £25 million term loan provided by NatWest, will reportedly allow Quickline to expand its network to 190,000 additional locations.

“This financial backing marks a significant endorsement of Quickline’s robust business model, our mission to connect the unconnected and to help regenerate our northern rural communities. Furthermore, it demonstrates UKIB’s confidence in our strategic vision and operational capabilities. It also reflects a broader investor interest in tackling the digital divide that exists today and supporting sustainable and impactful business initiatives,” said Sean Royce, CEO at Quickline.

“This partnership will support our deployment of vital connectivity infrastructure, bringing essential digital services to even more rural communities in dire need of improved broadband and kickstart economic growth across rural Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.”

Quickline has already won four Project Gigabit contracts from the UK government, which combined will see it cover 170,000 homes and businesses with full fibre.

The altnet is currently aiming to expand its network to 500,000 premises across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire by 2025.

This investment marks the latest in a string of altnet investments from the UKIB over the past month, having also committed £35 million to Cornish altnet Wildanet and £150 million to Hyperoptic.

Join the operators in discussion at this year’s Connected Britain, the UK’s largest digital economy event

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News 

Wildanet, which was founded in 2017 and has received nearly £100 million of investment since 2020, and is now the largest altnet in Cornwall 

Cornwall-based broadband provider Wildanet has partnered with  Nokia to accelerate the deployment of its gigabit-enabled full fibre network in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. 

Wildanet has commissioned Nokia to project manage the delivery of the next phase of its full fibre network deployment, from initial planning through to final testing. This will be supported by international network infrastructure specialists Xantaro, who will source, build and install all necessary communications cabinets. 

“This agreement with Nokia, supported by Xantaro, represents a major step forward for Wildanet and Cornwall in attracting a global partner to work with us to deploy a world class broadband network for the county,” said Justin Clark, Wildanet’s Chief Strategy & Technology Officer in a press release. 

“This partnership highlights our commitment to using our global expertise and technological capabilities to improve connectivity in rural and underserved areas of the UK. By combining our methodologies with Wildanet’s local knowledge, we aim to enhance the digital landscape in the South West,” said Phil Siveter, Nokia CEO for UK and Ireland. 

Last month, Wildanet secured £35 million of investment from the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB), which will be used to expand the company’s fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) network to an additional 20,000 premises. This is in addition to the £41 million the company was awarded by Project Gigabit earlier this year. 

“The nature of Cornwall’s location and its geography makes it one of the most difficult to reach places for internet providers and as a result has lower speeds than the UK average,” explained Ian Brown, UKIB’s Head of Banking and Investment.  

“Our financing for Wildanet’s rollout will support communities and grow economies that would otherwise miss out on the benefits associated with improved connectivity,” he continued. 

Back in January, Wildanet achieved B-Corp status, becoming the first altnet in the UK to receive the certification. The accolade indicates the company has met high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. In the process of achieving B-Corp status, Wildanet also pledged to help 23 Cornish businesses to do likewise as part of its B23 initiative, which earned it the Sustainability Award at last year’s Connected Britain Awards. 

Join us at this year’s Connected Britain, 11-12 September in London. Get your tickets here! 

Also in the news:
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Telecoms regulator Ofcom has today proposed to open the remaining unassigned spectrum in the 32GHz band (32.445-32.571 GHz paired with 33.257-33.383 GHz) for new fixed wireless links, while at the same time rejecting previous interest in using this radio spectrum for Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) broadband services.

In this context, fixed links typically refer to point-to-point style wireless connections (e.g. Microwave), which are most often used to deliver backhaul data capacity (e.g. as an alternative to fibre optic lines). This makes them useful for particular connectivity scenarios, such as when trying to fuel a new wireless broadband network in a remote rural area (the local access side of such broadband networks usually use different bands/technologies).

Spectrum in the 32GHz band (31.8 – 33.4 GHz) was originally auctioned in 2008 on a national block-assigned basis and is currently used for fixed links, with EE, MBNL, MLL and BT being the main users. But MLL surrendered its licence for 2 x 126MHz of spectrum frequency in the 32GHz band in April 2024 and the returned spectrum is currently unassigned.

Ofcom Statement

Licences in the 32 GHz band were originally awarded on a block assigned, national and technology neutral basis. However, all licences in the band have been used for point-to-point fixed links. We are not aware of concrete evidence of demand for any other type of use in this spectrum and our preliminary view is that fixed links will continue to be the most likely and highest value use in this band.

Some stakeholders have previously expressed interest in deploying FWA for broadband services in this spectrum. However, we are not currently aware of any FWA equipment availability for this band.

We are therefore proposing to make the returned spectrum in the 32 GHz band available for new fixed links.

The regulator plans to publish their decision later this year, which will come alongside their decision on their March 2024 proposals for the 27.5-30GHz band (this is due to be made available to satellite broadband services).

Eastbourne-based alternative network operator and ISP Lightning Fibre, which has deployed a gigabit speed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network across parts of Sussex and Kent in England, have today signed a wholesale agreement that will enable them to sell packages via Cityfibre’s network too. But initial coverage will be limited.

CityFibre currently aspires to cover up to 8 million UK premises with their new FTTP network (funded by c.£2.4bn in equity, c.£4.9bn debt and c.£800m of BDUK subsidy) – across over 285 cities, towns and villages (c.30% of the UK). But it remains unclear precisely when this will be achieved. The original goal was for the end of 2025, although their current build + M&A plan may get them up to c.6m (if it all goes well).

The latest addition to the aforementioned ISPs will be Lightning Fibre, which plans to harness Cityfibre’s network, albeit initially only in the Brighton & Hove and Worthing areas. The move is clearly intended to complement their own FTTP build in the same region.

Stefan Stanislawski, CEO of Lightning Fibre, said:

“Customers across Eastbourne, Hastings, Heathfield and Hailsham are already making the most of hyper fast full fibre broadband from Lightning Fibre, and now even more homes and businesses will be able to choose Lightning Fibre’s award-winning broadband as a result of this wholesale deal. We’re delighted to join forces with CityFibre and intend to develop and nurture a very close and effective working relationship.”

At present it’s unclear whether LF will adopt the same package details and costs as they currently offer in the new CF covered areas, although we are checking and will report back.

News

The FCC has announced the launch of a new Mobile Speed Test app with the intention to make the process of challenging provider-reported coverage maps easier

This story was originally published on Total Telecom’s sister site Broadband Communities

Last week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced the launch of a Mobile Speed Test app, replacing the FCC’s Speed Test app to help improve the accuracy of the FCC’s National Broadband Map.

The new app features repeated testing capabilities, which can be accomplished without the need to certify information before each individual test, according to the FCC’s recent announcement.

According to the FCC’s July 23 release, the app will now allow for users to conduct hands-free coverage tests while driving.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel elaborated on the app’s capabilities in comments included with the FCC’s announcement.

“Our new app makes it easier to share real-world experience with connectivity, empowering consumers and making it possible for up-to-date and crowdsourced information to inform our mapping,” Rosenworcel said.

The app also features an “in-app map overlay displaying the area where a test was taken,” the agency’s announcement stated.

“Consumers deserve to know where they have mobile coverage and at what speeds and the FCC wants to include their experiences in our effort to create a more precise map of available coverage,” Rosenworcel said.

The challenge process, a critical component of the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment Program, can help determine if locations are inaccurately marked as covered on the FCC’s National Broadband Map.

Previously, advocacy groups like The Accurate Broadband Data Alliance, which involves dozens of telecommunication companies, claimed that overreported internet service availability calls into question the accuracy of the National Broadband Map released by the FCC.

The Accurate Broadband Data Alliance has been on record stating that “significant errors exist throughout the National Broadband Map.”

The FCC’s updated app, now available on the Google Play Store for Android devices and the Apple App Store for iOS devices, provides the ability for users to log into the National Broadband Map and to review their speed test results and see them on a map, the FCC’s release explained.

According to the FCC’s announcement, “the original FCC Speed Test app is no longer allowing users to run speed tests.”

Users of the old app have received in-app notifications encouraging users to upgrade to the FCC’s Mobile Speed Test app.

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Broadband ISP Quickline, which is deploying a new gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) and fixed wireless (5G FWA) network across parts of the North East and Midlands of England (mostly rural), has today secured a £125m term loan and £100m debt guarantee from the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB), alongside a £25m term loan from NatWest.

Prior to today the provider was being supported by funding of c.£500m from Northleaf Capital Partners and c.£296.4m of public subsidy from Project Gigabit (here, here and here). Quickline holds an aspiration to cove around 500,000 premises in rural and semi-rural areas across Northern England and beyond with “ultrafast broadband” – via both FTTP and wireless technologies – “by 2025” (here). Some 200,000 of those rural premises will be tackled by their wireless network, with the other half or more coming from FTTP.

The new term loans and guarantee thus form an additional £250m debt package that will help to underpin their existing coverage targets. This is particularly important for their four Project Gigabit contracts, which, on completion, will cover almost 170,000 premises with full-fibre broadband in hard-to- reach rural areas across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. As a result of that, Quickline will also expand their commercial network to a further 190,000 in these communities.

However, we haven’t had an overall progress update on their build since November 2023, which makes it difficult to assess their performance. Service take-up is also another question mark, although as a younger altnet we wouldn’t yet expect that to be very high.

Sean Royce, CEO at Quickline, said:

“This financial backing marks a significant endorsement of Quickline’s robust business model, our mission to connect the unconnected and to help regenerate our northern rural communities. Furthermore, it demonstrates UKIB’s confidence in our strategic vision and operational capabilities. It also reflects a broader investor interest in tackling the digital divide that exists today and supporting sustainable and impactful business initiatives.”

Ian Brown, Head of Banking & Investments at UKIB, said:

“We are pleased to support Quickline with their continued network expansion to bring better connectivity to homes and businesses across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Our guarantee product is perfectly placed to unlock additional investment into the market to improve digital infrastructure in harder to reach areas of the UK.”

Andrew Blincoe, MD of Corporate Banking & Structured Finance at NatWest, said:

“We are delighted to have partnered with UKIB to support Quickline on this innovative transaction that will bring full fibre broadband to rural customers across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Investing in new infrastructure is key to the UK’s economic growth and, as the UK’s leading infrastructure bank, we will continue to support in this drive. Bringing this transaction to life and enhancing connectivity to over 360,000 Quickline customers is a great example of how we are doing just that.”

Residential customers reached by their new full fibre network are typically charged from £29 per month on a 24-month term for 100Mbps (50Mbps upload) speeds with free installation, and that goes up to £49 for their top 900Mbps (450Mbps upload) tier. The first 3 months of service are also free.

Mobile operator Vodafone UK has announced that their national 4G (mobile broadband) network can now support the Long Term Evolution for Machines (LTE-M or CAT-M) standard, which is a type of Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) service that can connect Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

Such networks tend to only use a tiny amount of spectrum bandwidth (often just 1.4 – 5MHz) in order to deliver fairly slow mobile data speeds (often sub-1Mbps, although they can go up to 7Mbps), albeit with wide geographic coverage. But this is largely irrelevant since the small IoT kit that LTE-M is designed to connect usually only require speeds of 0.1Mbps+ (e.g. traffic lights, environment sensors, asset tracking etc.) and are often battery powered.

The new offering is designed to sit alongside Vodafone’s existing 4G, 5G and Narrowband-IoT services (NB-IoT), as well as the wider partner ecosystem, to enable Vodafone to work with any business irrelevant of the technical requirements of the IoT use case (i.e. not all IoT devices are designed to use the same communication technologies).

Take note that NB-IoT is a separate but similar technology. Vodafone states that LTE-M and NB-IoT differ through the “typical download/upload speeds (300kbps and 20kbps respectively)“, while NB-IoT is optimised for difficult to reach locations and batch data upload (such as underground water pipes or smart meters in basements), and LTE-M for mobility (such as asset tracking and wearable devices) or event-based connectivity.  

Nick Gliddon, Business Director of Vodafone UK, said:

“When you have a data-led business, decisions are driven by insight not by assumption. IoT has the potential to revolutionise business, but we must make it accessible to all.

The power of LTE-M is the ability to choose the right tools for the right job. 5G might be the right choice for some IoT use cases, whereas LTE-M might be better for others. By enabling LTE-M to sit alongside 4G, 5G and NB-IoT, we are providing a technology-agnostic solution for customers. This is about picking the right solution, at the right price point.”

However, it’s worth noting that Vodafone are a little late to the LTE-M party, since other network operators (e.g. O2) have been supporting it for several years.