Sky (Sky Broadband) has confirmed that they will, from today, be “phasing out” their old satellite-based Sky Q Triple Play packages, which means they’re “no longer available for purchase on Sky.com“. Existing customers will continue to be supported, but as expected, Sky’s focus is now firmly on their newest internet-based streaming products.

The move has been expected ever since Sky pivoted to launched Sky Glass (Sky integrated streaming TV set) and Sky Stream (streaming set-top-box) a few short years ago, which are standalone products that use your home broadband ISP and WiFi connection to stream Sky’s on-demand video content and live TV channels (i.e. without any need for a tedious satellite dish).

As for Sky Q-Lite, Sky seems to be indicating that they’ve now stopped communicating related products as part of their offer updates, although they don’t specifically say that it’s no longer available like their Sky Q Triple Play packages. But it’s probably only a matter of time until that changes.

None of this should come as much of a surprise, as this has clearly been Sky’s direction of travel for some time. However, it’s worth noting that Sky Glass and Sky Stream aren’t yet perfect and there have been some complaints about their shortcomings vs Sky Q, although Sky have been working hard over the past few years to improve the new platforms and tackle such gripes.

Technical consultancy firm FarrPoint has today published their first International Digital Connectivity Readiness Index (IDCRI), which ranks the United Kingdom top against the G7 nations. The index ranks countries by the quality and coverage of their digital infrastructure (broadband, 5G etc.), as well as other areas like digital skills and online security etc.

The scores contained within this report are based on key indicators gathered from a series of data sources, such as Ofcom and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the UK. The infrastructure side covers four key indicators based on metrics around Gigabit Broadband, “Decent Fixed Connectivity” (this isn’t defined), 4G and 5G mobile connectivity.

However, on the adoption side, eight key indicators have been produced looking at the following categories: Online Households, Digital Skills, Security Online, Online Wellbeing, Access to Public Services, Affordability, the Digital Economy and Innovation.

Overall the UK manages to top the report and beat the other G7 countries, but it’s also clear that we still need to address challenges in areas such as Online Wellbeing, Security, and Innovation. The UK ranks in the middle for digital infrastructure, while our strongest categories are in Digital Adoption, the Digital Economy, Online Households, and Digital Skills.

By comparison, the USA and Germany share 2nd place, while Italy came last. Sadly, the full report only offers a fairly limited high-level overview of each country and doesn’t include much detail on the individual ranking categories, but it’s still an interesting table for a quick glance.

Matthew Izatt-Lowry, FarrPoint’s Head of Economics, said:

“Our International Digital Connectivity Readiness Index report underscores the vital role digital connectivity plays in driving economic growth, social progress, and environmental sustainability. As the global economy increasingly relies on digital infrastructure, understanding the unique challenges and opportunities of each country is paramount for policymakers to make informed, evidence-based decisions.”

News

TalkTalk has been struggling with debt for several years, with the total currently standing at nearly £1 billion

TalkTalk has announced that it has signed a binding agreement on a refinancing deal that was first revealed last month.

The deal saw shareholders – including founder Sir Charles Dunstone, Toscafund, and Ares Management – agree to inject an additional £170 million into the business, in addition to the £65 million invested last month.

The deal also included the transfer of assets including Virtual1 subsidiary and the customer bases of Ovo and Shell, bringing the total refinancing to over £400 million.

The agreement will enable TalkTalk to extend the repayment deadlines for its Revolving Credit Facilities (RCF), originally due in November 2024, and its Senior Secured Notes (SSN), which were set to mature in February 2025. The new agreement will push the debt maturities out to September 2027, giving the company more time to shore up its finances.

The deal was expected, with TalkTalk’s Chief Financial Officer James Smith confirming last month that “we are making constructive progress and are confident of a near term agreement which will ensure the group is well capitalised going forward.”

The company will now move forward with implementing this refinancing agreement, with the transaction expected to be completed in the coming months.

In related news, last month it was reported that Macquarie, who had been in discussions to acquire a £450 million stake in TalkTalk’s wholesale unit, PlatformX, had walked away from the deal. Reports have suggested that it could reopen negotiations if TalkTalk’s financial situation improves.

“The Company has entered into a binding lockup agreement in support of the transaction with its major shareholders, RCF banks and a group of SSN holders, which together hold approximately 70% of the Company’s secured debt,” read TalkTalk’s statement.

Join the conversation on the UK connectivity market at this year’s Connected Britain, 11-12 September in London. Get tickets here! 

Also in the news:
Vodafone deploys 5G private network at Czech nuclear power plant
Ogi received £45m funding to aid expansion
Musk’s Brazilian bust up sees Starlink accounts frozen

New customers looking to join Virgin Media’s broadband service may like to know that the ISP has shaved a few extra pounds off some of their packages and bundles. For example, their 1Gbps standalone plan on an 18-month term is now £39 per month (£78 thereafter), while some of their TV bundles come with a Eufy doorbell & security camera worth £359.98 or £150 bill credit.

As usual, customers will also receive an included wireless router and free setup. The discounted standalone broadband plans generally start at £24 per month for a 132Mbps (20Mbps upload) service, before rising to £27 for 264Mbps (25Mbps), £33 for 516Mbps (52Mbps) and £39 for 1130Mbps (104Mbps). A 2Gbps (200Mbps) tier also exists in nexfibre areas (as does the paid option of a symmetric speed boost), but that’s not on a discount and is still £84 per month.

In addition, until 12th September, Virgin Media are also offering new customers the opportunity to get their hands on Eufy doorbell & security camera bundle worth £359.98 and security camera or £150 bill credit when they purchase selected bundles on an 18-month contract.

The selected bundles include:

Bigger Combo bundle + Movies (18-month contract) for £60.99 per month

M125 Fibre Broadband, 11 Sky Cinema HD, 200+ TV channels and weekend chatter.

Biggest Combo bundle (18-month contract) for £79 per month

M125 Fibre Broadband, Sky Sports, Sky Cinema HD, 210+ TV channels, Netflix standard and weekend chatter.

Bigger Combo + Sports HD (18-month contract) for £69.99 per month

M500 Fibre broadband, Sky Sports

Sports channels in HD, 200+ TV channels and weekend chatter.

Mega Volt (18-month contract) for £84.99 per month

1Gbps Broadband, TV (240+ TV channels and subscription services including Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and Paramount+) and Mobile (an unlimited O2 SIM which includes data roaming in 75 worldwide destinations at no extra cost).

News 

The new NetCo was first announced in February 

Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) is seeking investment for its newly created network company, according to a Bloomberg report this week which cited people familiar with the matter. 

The network business is reportedly worth £5 billion, with VMO2 seeking an additional £1 billion in investment through the sale of a minority stake. The size of the stake available is estimated to be between 20% and 40%, and could come as soon as next month, according to the article. 

Back in February, Liberty Global, joint owner of VMO2 along with Telefonica, announced that it was preparing to spin off VMO2’s fixed broadband network into a fully owned wholesale subsidiary NetCo, which it said would establish the “biggest dedicated fixed network challenger [to Openreach] in the country”. 

“This is a logical evolution of our fibre strategy that creates a clear, focused and scaled network entity within the Virgin Media O2 family which underpins our shift to a fully fibre network and reinforces our position as the leading challenger to Openreach in the market,” explained VMO2 CEO Lutz Schüler at the time. 

This NetCo is not to be confused with nexfibre, the joint venture formed in 2022 between Liberty Global, Telefónica and Infravia. Nexfibre already covers roughly 1.3 million premises with full fibre and aims to increase this figure to 7 million homes, targeting those not currently covered by Virgin Media’s network of over 16 million premises. 

Join Lutz Schüler at next month’s Connected Britain, 11-12 September in London, Get tickets here! 

Also in the news: 
Vodafone deploys 5G private network at Czech nuclear power plant
Ogi received £45m funding to aid expansion
Musk’s Brazilian bust up sees Starlink accounts frozen

Alternative UK network operator Freedom Fibre, which has built their 10Gbps capable full fibre broadband (XGS-PON / FTTP) network to cover 300,000 premises across England (27th Mar 2024) and is home to 20,000 customers (12th Aug 2024), has today awarded thousands of pounds to support 23 community groups from across North Shropshire.

The grants form part of the £25,000 that the operator allocated to their “Freedom Fund” for North Shropshire in April 2024 (here), which is open to non-profit community groups and environmental projects in areas where Freedom Fibre are currently deploying their new full fibre network. Each project could apply for up to £500 worth of funding.

Neil McArthur, Freedom Fibre’s CEO, said: “The non-profit groups that have received the funding are all working to positively impact their communities through education, sustainability efforts, and projects that bring local residents together. All these goals directly align with Freedom Fibre’s own company values, and we feel incredibly privileged to work alongside these community groups to help benefit the areas where Freedom Fibre is building our network.”

Successful applicants for this year’s Freedom Fund (North Shropshire):

Greenfields Community Group, which was awarded £250 to contribute towards a solar-powered light for an information sign, as well as to create a herb garden.
Friends of Buntingsdale PTFA, which was awarded £250 to contribute towards improvements to the Buntingsdale Primary School playground.
Wem Rural Parish Council, which was awarded £250 to contribute towards hosting a local environmental awareness event.
Great Mess to Little Mess Community Projects, which was awarded £500 to contribute towards litter picking kits.
Great Ness & Little Ness Parish Council, which was awarded £250 to contribute towards the refurbishment of Wilcott Play Area.
We are Whitchurch, which was awarded £500 to contribute towards trees and bushes for Jubilee Park.
4 All Foundation, which was awarded £500 to contribute towards an allotment for a children’s eco group.
Renshaw’s Field Association, which was awarded £500 to contribute towards new benches for Renshaw’s field.
Payton Recreation Ground and Village Hall, which was awarded £214 to contribute towards bird boxes, wild seed, and a bench.
The Friends of Whitchurch Road Cemetery, which was awarded £500 to contribute towards trees and a bench for the cemetery.
Green Shoots in Weston Rhyn, which was awarded £250 to contribute towards signs for newt and toad crossings, as well as signs about verge regrowth.
Sutton upon Tern Parish Council, which was awarded £500 to contribute towards clearing ditches to prevent flooding, as well as funding wildflowers.
Welshampton and Lyneal Climate, Sustainability and Biodiversity Working Group, which was awarded £500 to contribute towards plants, bulbs, seeds, and materials for bird and bat boxes for the local community.
Whittington Castle Preservation Trust, which was awarded £500 to contribute towards funding for a ‘Eco Warriors’ kids club on the castle grounds.
Lyneal Trust, which was awarded £400 to contribute towards wildflowers, bat boxes, and an earth bank to reduce flooding.
Ford Parish Council, which was awarded £500 to contribute towards fruit trees and a planter for land outside Ford village hall.
Pant Memorial Institute, which was awarded £500 to contribute towards refurbishing Pant Memorial Hall’s toilet and make it more water efficient.
St Martins Youth Club, which was awarded £400 to contribute towards bird boxes, water butts, seed trays, compost, trellis, pots, and a compost bin.
The Shropshire Union Canal Society, which was awarded £500 to contribute towards hollow boxes for a living bank alongside the canal for water voles and other nature.
Queensway Playing Fields Association, which was awarded £250 to contribute towards planting fruit bushes.
Rodington Parish Climate and Nature Group, which was awarded £500 to contribute towards shrubs, trees, bulbs, compost, and bark.
Friends of Baschurch COE Primary School, which was awarded £500 to contribute towards a natural play environment for children.
Whitchurch Blackberry Fair, which was awarded £250 to contribute towards donating trees and promoting a community orchard.

Mobile provider giffgaff, which is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) on O2’s UK platform, has significantly boosted the included data allowances across three of their SIM Only plans with a minimum contract term of 18-months. The change will come at no extra cost to both new and existing customers of the related Pay Monthly plans.

The promotion, which will be available to take until 4th December 2024, means that their £10 per month plan now comes with 60GB (GigaBytes) of data instead of just 25GB, while paying £15 will get you 120GB (up from 40GB) and £20 will get you 200GB (up from 120GB).

All of these plans also come with unlimited UK calls and texts, as well as up to 5GB of inclusive EU roaming (you’ll be charged 10p/MB once 5GB is used).

Press Release

Rorschach, Switzerland – September 2024 – HORISEN is proud to announce its collaboration with Vodafone Germany and DIMOCO Payments in supporting the first-ever public transportation ticketing concept via RCS (Rich Communication Services) and DCB (Direct Carrier Billing) in Germany.

Powered by HORISEN’s Business Messenger Platform, this innovative solution allows users to book public transportation tickets and pay directly through their phone bill – all this inside an RCS dialogue. The process is quite simple: just scan the QR code at the bus stop, choose a tariff, select carrier billing, and enjoy the ride – making public transport more accessible and convenient than ever.

This solution was showcased at the prestigious Future of Tech event, part of Germany’s largest B2B Startup Expo and Conference, highlighting HORISEN’s role in driving digital innovation in public services.

The initiative is part of Vodafone Germany’s UPLIFT project, dedicated to exploring new innovation partnerships. By focusing on future topics like sustainability, data analytics, and AI, Vodafone UPLIFT connects innovators with the resources and expertise needed to bring market-ready solutions to life. Like HORISEN, Vodafone is committed to creating future-oriented solutions that deliver tangible value and sustainability.

About HORISEN:

HORISEN, the home of omnichannel technology, is the ultimate one-stop shop for wholesale and retail messaging businesses. With over two decades of experience, we push the boundaries of technological innovation to empower Messaging Technologists in establishing, operating, and expanding successful messaging businesses. Our commitment to advancing the industry is evident in our pioneering projects that will drive the next wave of digital transformation.

Press Release

News

The altnet has been deploying fibre networks in south Wales since 2021 

Wales’ largest altnet Ogi has secured £45 million in funding from the Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) to support the next stages of its fibre rollout.  

Set up in 2017, the CCR represents 10 local councils from across South East Wales and provides funding for projects aimed at job creation and critical infrastructure development across the region. 

For Ogi, the new funding will allow the altnet to expand its full fibre footprint across Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Newport, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Torfaen, and the Vale of Glamorgan. The company already has fibre network deployments in each of these regions. 

“With key strategic sites like Aberthaw to the south and the heads of the valleys to the north, there’s massive potential across the capital region – and partnering with CCR at such an exciting time in their own development is the next logical step for Ogi’s growth in southeast Wales,” said Ogi’s CEO Ben Allwright in the announcement. 

“Ogi has taken regeneration to a new level with its initial investment – connecting communities to new possibilities right across the Cardiff Capital Region and beyond,” said Councillor Mary Ann Brocklesby.  

“Our investment into Ogi recognises that ongoing commitment to boosting the region, and the work already being done to bring vital connectivity to some of Wales’s biggest towns and villages,” she continued. 

The exact number of new premises to be covered as a result of this funding was not revealed.  

Ogi secured its first funding round from Infracapital in 2021 and has since then provided 100,000 premises in South Wales with fibre-to-the-premises. Currently, one in five of those premises have signed up as a customer. 

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

Also in the news: 
Coastguard’s emergency network gets an upgrade from Telent
AT&T fined nearly $1m over 911 failings
How will the CityFibre–Sky deal really affect BT?