Rural-focused ISP and alternative network builder Wessex Internet, which is deploying a full fibre (FTTP) gigabit broadband service across parts of Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Somerset in England, has today appointed their first Chief Operations Officer (COO) in the shape of Gavin Davies.

The operator’s existing network footprint is currently said to cover “tens of thousands of homes” (some of this may include their old fixed wireless network too), while their business plan targets an “additional” 150,000 premises by 2027 through a combination of subsidised and unsubsidised capital investment. The ISP has also secured four Project Gigabit contracts from the UK Government to connect 36,000 premises to their fibre.

Suffice to say that the company has a lot of building to do over the next few years, and that’s where having a COO could come in handy. Gavin himself brings leadership experience from operational roles in other technology and utility companies, including, most recently, at civil engineering firm Avonline.

Gavin Davies said:

“I have helped to lead telecoms and utility companies through periods of rapid growth and efficiency improvement, and look forward to bringing this experience to Wessex Internet. In the sector, Wessex Internet is known to be unique in its approach to building its fibre network, both in engineering and technical terms, and in how it engages with the communities it serves.

On a personal level, I am already relishing working in the glorious countryside after more urban-based recent roles, and I have been fascinated by the innovative methods developed by Wessex Internet to provide broadband in challenging areas that would otherwise not be connected by other providers.

I believe that businesses and individuals should not face a digital divide based on where they are located and am excited to be part of a company that is removing these barriers. Relatedly, I take seriously the role we play in providing high-quality employment across multiple disciplines in a predominantly rural area.”

Prices for their full fibre packages start at £29 per month for a 100Mbps (15Mbps upload) tier on a 12-month term, but this only comes with a meagre 100GB data allowance (£44 for unlimited), and you’ll have to pay £49 (one-off) for activation. By comparison, their top unlimited usage plan will give 900Mbps (450Mbps upload) for £79 per month, which is fairly expensive by today’s standards, albeit still good if nobody else can supply FTTP.

The wholesale division of broadband and Ethernet provider Virgin Media UK (VMO2) are suing the “owners and all persons claiming an interest” in a fishing trawler, the Irish-registered MV The Lida Suzanna, for €800k (£680k) after the ship allegedly damaged one of their subsea fibre optic cables between Ireland and England.

The Sirius South cable itself was originally deployed in 1998 by NTL, which later became part of Virgin Media after the merger with Telewest. Virgin also operates a second cable on a similar route called Sirius North, which affords them some redundancy should one of the two links end up being damaged.

Sadly, cable breaks are not uncommon on subsea routes. Most such damage occurs due to accidents by deep sea fishing trawlers, as well as ships dragging their anchor over them or marine life deciding to take a nibble (smaller cables have been broken by hungry sharks in the past, but modern cables tend to be resistant). A whole industry exists to repair such cables, but it often takes a few days or weeks to fix related damage.

In this case, Virgin Media has claimed in the High Court that the vessel in question was allegedly conducting scallop fishing, which involves dredging the seabed. According to Breaking News, Virgin Media wants the vessel’s owners to pay damages and, failing that, they would like to see it sold to help pay off the claim.

A Virgin Media spokesperson said:

“We have brought this claim following significant damage caused by a fishing trawler to one of our undersea fibre optic cables, and are seeking to recover the costs associated with repairing the cable.

As a business with millions of customers who rely on fast and reliable connectivity, we hope that through taking this action, third parties will be better aware of the cost that can be involved and disruption it can cause when our cables are damaged.”

Cases like this can be complicated and tricky to pursue, which may help to explain why it’s taken so long for this one to reach the courts. In keeping with that, the vessel’s owners have denied that they were the cause of the damage and have asked for proof of this. The owners have also accused Virgin of being negligent by failing to take sufficient measures to protect the cable when it was installed, such as by burying it.

Finally, the owners claim that the location is an “area of fishing ground established centuries past” and that they were doing nothing more than the lawful exploitation of fishing rights. The owners say that Virgin Media has no entitlement to expect or demand that fishing be modified, or stopped, just because it laid a cable across the same area.

However, Virgin Media contends that shipping regulations require such vessels to carry publications that would have alerted the vessel’s owners to the location of subsea cables, and that there was also an alleged failure to ensure the skipper and/or crew were adequately aware of the location of such cables.

Virgin has previously filed a similar case again the MV Willie Joe trawler, which was settled in 2022.

Network access provider Openreach (BT) has been fined £1.34m (inc. costs of £15,858) by the Llandudno Magistrates Court in Wales for breaching Health and Safety laws for staff working near water. The case occurred after one of its engineers – Alun Owen (32) – tragically died after being swept away by a flooded river in October 2020.

According to the BBC News, Alun was working on a customer’s broadband and telephone line in the village of Abergwyngregyn, near Bangor, which had recently been flooded after the River Aber burst its banks. The local lines were understood to be crossing the river and, as Mr Owen attempted to wade into the rival to throw a new line across, he slipped and was swept away. Alun was a father of two children.

Network operators like Openreach typically do have policies in place for working near water, but in this case, they were not followed (no engineer should be working alone near water). The court also heard that Mr Owen had not taken an online training course about working on water. Openreach admitted it “could have done more” to make sure engineers had the right guidance, processes and training when working on, or near, water.

In another incident, Openreach used a wedding picture of Mr Owen as part of a case study in new health and safety training, albeit without seeking permission from the family. Openreach’s Dominic Kay KC said the company wanted to express its “genuine and sincere remorse for what happened“.

In a statement, Openreach’s CEO, Clive Selley, also apologised for failings after the death, including withdrawing a staff discount for the family’s broadband services, because Mr Owen no longer worked for Openreach. “I am deeply saddened that Openreach added to the grief and suffering,” said Mr Selley.

The situation helps to underline that related engineering tasks often carry risks for those working in the field, which is why it isn’t always possible to immediately repair some faults until those risks can be mitigated.

An Openreach spokesperson told ISPreview:

Nothing can ever make up for the loss of Alun. He was a very well-respected and popular colleague, and the impact of his death remains significant and is felt directly by people across Openreach. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.

As an organisation, we accept that we could’ve done more to make sure our engineers had the right guidance, processes and training when working on, or near, water. We’re very sorry that we fell short of the required standards, and we deeply regret the loss of Alun, as well as the impact on his family, friends and colleagues.

The safety of our entire workforce, customers and the public remains our priority, and we’re working hard to make sure something like this never happens again.”

Out of respect for the family, comments will be closed on this article.

Alternative network operator and UK ISP Brsk has today announced that their roll-out of a new gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network is being extended to include 60,000 premises across St Helens in Merseyside, and neighbouring Ashton-in-Makerfield in Wigan, Greater Manchester.

The operator – fuelled by an investment of at least £259m – is currently building out its new network across parts of West Yorkshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, and the West Midlands (Birmingham and The Black Country). Some 28,000 customers (1st Mar 2024) already use the service, which has so far covered 552,000 premises passed (536,000 as Ready for Service, which is up from 486k RFS on 30th Apr 2024).

Residential customers typically pay from £23 per month for a 100Mbps (symmetric) package and this rises up to £32 for their top 900Mbps tier on a 24-month term, which includes a router and free installation.

Ian Kock, Brsk’s Chief Operating Officer, said:

“Quite frankly, we think it’s criminal that so many residents have had to suffer with slow, expensive broadband for so long. Not to mention, the extremely poor customer service that comes with it. Luckily, we’re on the case. We look forward to bringing broadband the way it should be experienced. Fast, affordable and fair – nothing less.”

In terms of local gigabit-capable competition. Openreach’s new FTTP network already covers most of St Helens and a little bit of Ashton, while Virgin Media (inc. nexfibre) is widely available across both locations, except for a sizeable business park or two. As for altnets, the only other provider with any presence is Grain in a patch of St Helens. CityFibre began working in the same location during 2022, but so far we’ve yet to see much live coverage.

Mobile network operator O2 (Virgin Media) has today “refreshed” their ‘Like New’ scheme, which offers customers the ability to take a refurbished mobile phone alongside a big discount and decent warranty period. The changes are largely said to reflect “huge savings and benefits“.

Just to underline that claim of “huge savings“, O2 are celebrating the refresh by offering a limited time discount of £360 on selected mobiles for all customers, as well as an additional £70 upfront saving on a number of phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S23 5G 256GB, for existing customers via the My O2 App. Both offers can be used in conjunction, meaning existing customers could potentially save up to £430.

Take note that the additional £70 discount will be applied to existing customers’ baskets when they select a specific phone (covering a range of recent Samsung, iPhone and Google Pixel devices) and a) Set the upfront cost of their device to at least £70 via the My O2 app, b) Select their desired phone plan length and tariff, and c) Paste the voucher code found on the My O2 app into the ‘Got a promo code?’ section during checkout by 15 July 2024.

New and improved benefits of buying a ‘Like New’ phone include:

➤ Money-saving: Customers can save up to £200 compared to buying the same model brand-new through O2, all year round.

➤ Better for the planet: Buying a refurbished phone instead of a brand-new one lowers the device’s carbon footprint, uses fewer virgin materials and helps keep devices out of landfills.

➤ They’re ‘Like New’: A phone will undergo at least 40 quality checks to ensure every screen, microphone, flashlight, volume key, speaker, camera, battery and fingerprint scanner meets the same or similar standard of a new phone.

➤ Peace of mind: Customers that purchase a Plus Plan contract get a three-year handset warranty and those on a Classic Plan get one years, just like they would if they bought a brand-new phone. And if they decide the phone isn’t quite right for them, they have 14 days to exchange or return it.

➤ O2 perks: According to Uswitch, O2 customers can save nearly £500 over the duration of their contract on benefits such as Priority from O2 and inclusive EU roaming – that’s higher than any other mobile network provider in the UK.

➤ Battery health: Every Like New phone must have a battery capacity that is at least 80%.

➤ Flexible payment: Customers can find a payment plan that suits them by spreading the cost of their Like New phone over three to 36 months and can flex their plan’s data allowance up or down each month with O2 Refresh.

➤ Next day delivery: Once the mobile is ordered, it will arrive the next day.

The refurbished Like New phones are currently available on both O2’s Classic Plans or Plus Plans and come with the same benefits as new devices. People could of course potentially save more money by grabbing a second-hand device from eBay or another auction site, but that arguably carries more risk because there won’t be a long warranty or third party checking to ensure the device you’re receiving meets certain basic requirements.

LONDON, UK – 4 June, 2024 – Westcon-Comstor, a global technology provider and specialist distributor, today announced an expansion of its partnership with Juniper Networks, a leader in secure, AI-Native Networking solutions, into the UK & Ireland and France.

The distribution agreement will see Westcon drive adoption of Juniper’s full portfolio of industry-leading AI-Native Networking products and solutions across the new markets, recruiting new channel partners through awareness and marketing campaigns and enabling existing partners to achieve growth, for example through support with financing and implementation.

Westcon is a strategic distribution partner for Juniper Networks, driving partner education and enablement and providing a suite of value-added services and technology insights, powered by a dedicated team of in-house Juniper specialists.

The expansion into the UK & Ireland and France represents a further strengthening of the two companies’ partnership in EMEA, with distribution agreements already in place in Benelux, Cyprus, DACH, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Sub-Saharan Africa and UAE.

It comes at a time of rapid innovation by Juniper Networks. Juniper launched its AI-Native Networking Platform earlier this year, designed from the ground up to assure that every connection is reliable, measurable and secure for every device, user, application and asset. This was followed by the latest evolution of its global Juniper Partner Advantage (JPA) programme. The new elements will help partners leverage AI for IT Operations (AIOps) to offer managed networking services for increased reliability, agility and reach on the path to unlocking new revenue opportunities.

“Juniper has a long-standing reputation as a constant innovator, delivering networking solutions that make every connection count in the AI, cloud and 5G era,” said Marianne Nickenig, VP Networking EMEA & VP Revenue Operations EU, Westcon Europe at Westcon-Comstor. “This expansion of our strategic relationship is testament to the success we have achieved together within the EMEA region, and we are thrilled to now bring Juniper’s innovative products and services, wrapped in Westcon’s value-added services, to partners in the UK & Ireland and France.”

“Westcon has exceptional expertise across our entire portfolio, international reach and a compelling range of value-added services. Juniper’s distribution partners play an important role in the success of Juniper and our market ecosystem and we are pleased to be further strengthening our ties through this geographic expansion,” said Bert Zeleken, Head of Partner and Distribution Sales, EMEA at Juniper Networks. “AI represents the biggest technology revolution since the creation of the internet itself, and we are excited, through this agreement with Westcon, to further enhance the reach of our AI-Native Networking solutions to Westcon’s audiences in the UK & Ireland and France.”

KUALA LUMPUR — May 31, 2024 — Amagi, the leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV (CTV), deployed on Amazon Web Services (AWS), today announced its partnership with Malaysia’s leading media and entertainment company, Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad (Astro).

Astro, in partnership with Amagi, is modernizing systems and infrastructure for the playout and origination of its existing linear channels and playout disaster recovery capabilities and transitioning them to AWS, the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud. This marks a milestone in ASEAN’s broadcast industry. The Amagi playout deployment will help Astro optimize its media operations, enhance business agility, increase service resilience, and mitigate the risks of maintaining legacy systems.

The upcoming launch of the AWS Asia-Pacific (Malaysia) region complements Astro’s ongoing broadcast transformation journey, which aims to further enable the deployment of innovative media and entertainment solutions. By capitalizing on the robust cloud infrastructure, unparalleled scalability, and advanced services provided by AWS, Astro aims to further improve enhanced in-country network infrastructure resiliency and performance, thus delivering enriched customer experiences.

Defining the Future of Broadcast
Broadcasters have traditionally managed their channel automation and playout systems within on-premises data centers. As Astro continues its expansion across multiple regions, the organization will see workflows being optimized, media operations enhanced, and playout system management streamlined. To further complement the company’s pursuit of these goals, Astro will implement Amagi’s flagship products on AWS: the Amagi CLOUDPORT channel playout platform and the Amagi MONITORING solution. These advanced solutions will support Astro’s commitment to operational excellence, offering enhanced resiliency and enabling quicker upgrades to service capabilities, thereby meeting the evolving needs of the broadcasting landscape.
Mauro Di Pietro Paolo, Chief Technology Officer at Astro, said: “As Malaysia’s leading broadcaster, Astro continues to drive innovation, and our partnership with Amagi underscores our continuous dedication to pioneering advancements in the industry. At Astro, we needed a playout platform that would align with our vision for transformation in our broadcast and media operations, have in-built disaster recovery capabilities, and provide a modernization path for our end-of-life on-premises systems. We’ve selected Amagi because of their proven track record of deploying playout systems on AWS and have demonstrated their ability to be a transformational platform.”

Srinivasan KA, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer at Amagi, said: “We are delighted to partner with Astro, one of the most innovative and forward-looking media companies in Asia, to help them achieve their cloud transformation goals. By leveraging our cloud-native solutions built on AWS’s global infrastructure, we can provide Astro with a scalable, secure, and cost-effective playout platform to support their current and future needs. This collaboration also demonstrates our commitment to empowering media companies with cutting-edge cloud technology and best-in-class service.”

“The broadcast industry is rapidly changing, requiring broadcasters to stay competitive with increased agility, resiliency, cost efficiency, and unified workflows, which can be achieved with AWS cloud. AWS is proud to work with solutions providers like Amagi to drive the industry forward,” said Pete Murray, Country Manager at AWS. “We’re thrilled to see our long-term customer Astro continue its transformative journey to delight their customers, and with Amagi, we look forward to digitalizing and advancing the future of Malaysia’s media and entertainment industry.”

Amagi and Astro launched broadcast station playout origination on AWS for the first channels and disaster recovery services in May 2024. This marks the first large-scale, cloud-based playout solution by a broadcaster in Malaysia. To meet the ever-changing needs of these networks, Amagi will continue to work closely with Astro to scale and evolve its Amagi CLOUDPORT solution. More information about Amagi and its solutions is available at www.amagi.com.

# # #

About Astro
Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad (Astro) is Malaysia’s leading content and entertainment company, serving 5.3 million homes or 67% of Malaysian TV households, 8,400 enterprises, 18.2 million weekly listeners across FM radio and online, and 15.6 million visitors to our digital brands every month. We serve Malaysians with three distinct services – Astro Pay-TV, NJOI Prepaid and sooka, our own OTT for the millennials; and Astro Fibre, our own broadband service, offers greater value with its content-broadband bundles. Close to a million homes are already streaming the best of home entertainment via our Hybrid 4K UHD Ultra Box and HD Ulti Box, which can be self-installed and run on both satellite and broadband. Today, our customers enjoy streaming our local signatures, Astro Originals, live sports and the best global shows from Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, HBO GO, iQIYI, TVBAnywhere+, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, BBC Player, Viu, ZEE5, WeTV, Qalbox by MuslimPro, and our own TV companion app Astro GO. Astro Radio, home to the country’s highest-rated radio brands across all key languages, and our digital brands including AWANI, SYOK, Gempak, Xuan and Astro Ulagam, connect Malaysians to content and stories that matter.

About Amazon Web Services
For over 15 years, Amazon Web Services has been the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform. AWS offers over 200 fully featured services for compute, storage, databases, networking, analytics, machine learning, and AI, Internet of Things (IoT), mobile, security, hybrid, virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR), media, and application development, deployment, and management from 102 Availability Zones (AZs) within 32 geographic regions around the world.
In March 2023, AWS announced plans to launch an AWS Infrastructure Region in Malaysia in 2024. As part of its commitment to the region, AWS is planning to invest $6 billion (approx. MYR 25.5 billion) in Malaysia by 2037.

About Amagi
Amagi is a next-generation media technology company that provides cloud broadcast and targeted advertising solutions to broadcast TV and streaming TV platforms. Amagi enables content owners to launch, distribute, and monetize live linear channels on Free Ad-supported Streaming TV and video services platforms. Amagi also offers 24×7 cloud-managed services bringing simplicity, advanced automation, and transparency to the entire broadcast operations. Overall, Amagi supports 800+ content brands, 800+ playout chains, and over 3800+ channel deliveries on its platform in over 150 countries. Amagi has a presence in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Melbourne, Seoul, Singapore, and broadcast operations in New Delhi, and innovation centers in Bangalore, Zagreb, and Lodz.

Link to Word Doc: www.wallstcom.com/Amagi/240531-Amagi-Astro_AWS_Playout_Services.docx

Photo Link: www.wallstcom.com/Amagi/PR_Astro_banner.jpg
Photo Caption: Amagi and Astro PR Announcement Banner

Kingston, Jamaica – Tuesday, June 4, 2024: Digicel Group is thrilled to announce the activation of its subsea fibre cable, Deep Blue One. This significant investment in international submarine capacity will supercharge connectivity across the Caribbean and South America, particularly benefiting French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago.

Digicel’s advanced fibre cable network will provide seamless connectivity to the countries it serves, facilitating uninterrupted communication and real-time data transmission. Deep Blue One also presents an invaluable opportunity to connect offshore oil and gas rigs, supporting the growing energy sector in the region and fostering collaboration among key stakeholders in the oil and gas industry.

Marcelo Cataldo, Digicel Group’s Chief Executive Officer said, “Subsea fibre has long been the backbone of global connectivity, and Deep Blue One is set to serve as a catalyst for the next wave of economic development in the region. At Digicel, our focus has always been on keeping our customers connected to the people and things that matter most; driving economic development in the countries we serve is a key part of that. This is an exciting milestone for us, and we are committed to unlocking new opportunities for growth and innovation across the region.”

Deep Blue One’s redundant pathways and cutting-edge technology ensures reliability, optimal operational efficiency and minimal downtime even in challenging environments. Leveraging the latest technology, this subsea cable network is also designed to accommodate future growth and evolving technological requirements, offering scalability and flexibility to meet industry demands. Additionally, as part of Digicel’s commitment to minimising its environmental impact, the build out of Deep Blue One prioritised sustainable practices, while supporting the transition towards a greener future.

In addition to connectivity, Deep Blue One will bring a full economic ecosystem for the benefit of all. The link between increased connectivity and improved economic outcomes has long been proven, with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) reporting that a 10% increase in fixed broadband penetration can result in up to 2.3% increase in GDP per capita, while a 10% increase in mobile broadband penetration can result in up to 2.8% increase in GDP per capita.

ENDS

About Digicel

Enabling customers to live, work, play and flourish in a connected world, Digicel’s world class LTE and fibre networks deliver state-of-the-art mobile, home and business solutions.

Serving 10 million consumer and business customers in 25 markets in the Caribbean and Central America, its investments of over US$5 billion and a commitment to its communities through its Digicel Foundations in Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago have contributed to positive outcomes for over 2 million people to date.

With the Better Connected ethos at the heart of everything, its 5,000 employees worldwide work together to make that a powerful reality for customers, communities and countries day in, day out.

Digicel also delivers news, sports broadcasting, digital media and financial services in several of its markets.

Visit www.digicelgroup.com for more.

News

Cisco has made over 20 AI-focused investments and acquisitions in the last several years 

Cisco has announced that it has launched a $1 billion fund to invest in AI startups in a push to become more dominant in the AI sphere. 

At the company’s “Cisco Live” event in Las Vegas, CEO Chuck Robbins said that despite a billion-dollar investment being considered small in the AI world, “part of our investment thesis is that there are unique co-development activities that we can enter into with [startups] to bring you more innovative solutions and help you navigate the AI transition.”  

The firm also say that the investment aligns with the company strategy “to connect and protect the AI era.” 

According to the press release, related investments in more established AI companies have already begun, with almost $200 having been invested in companies including: 

– Mistral AI, which specialises in generative artificial intelligence 

– Scale AI, which provides end-to-end platform providing training and validation for AI applications 

– Cohere, which provides security-focused frontier large language models (LLMs) for businesses 

“At Cisco, we believe we are well positioned to be the best strategic partner for our customers in the AI era as they look to build, secure, and power AI,” said Mark Patterson, Cisco’s Chief Strategy Officer. 

“In addition to building essential technology to connect, secure and advance AI, Cisco is committed to investing in the broader AI ecosystem to more effectively meet our customers’ needs,” he continued. 

The company are not just investing in startups, but partnering with larger firms too. Again at the “Cisco Live” event in Las Vegas, the two companies announced an AI cluster solution the data center that “transforms how customers build, manage and optimize infrastructure and software.” 

The companies say that it is designed so that customers can focus on AI innivationsinnovations and new revenue streams instead of IT management. 

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

Also in the news:
KPN forms new JV to monetise tower assets
Swisscom’s Fastweb sells FiberCop stake for €439m
General election over, India’s 5G auction facing further delays