A new company called IOEMA Fibre has announced plans to build a new 1,371km long repeatered subsea fibre optic cable between the United Kingdom and several neighbouring countries in Europe, including the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Norway. The total “minimum” capacity of this will reach a blistering 1.3 Petabits per second!

The project, which was announced this week in London during the Submarine Networks EMEA Conference, is said to have been in the planning stages since 2019, although the construction phase isn’t currently due to begin until 2026, and it will then aim to be completed by the end of 2027. But precise dates for all this are yet to be confirmed.

The cable itself will support 48 fibre pairs, with each pair being able to handle data transfer speeds of around 27-29Tbps (Terabits per second). Network operator Colt will act as the cable’s main landing partner in the UK and the cable itself is planned to land at a Cable Landing Station (CLS) in Dumpton Gap (Southeast England), which was previously used for other subsea cables.

In addition to the notable improvement in raw data speeds, the new cable will also improve latency times by up to 5.5 milliseconds (ms) on certain routes. This might not seem like much, but for certain tasks (financial trades) it can make a huge difference.

The IOEMA cable system consists of a trunk route, connecting Dumpton Gap, UK with Kristiansand, Norway and three branches, connecting Eemshaven, The Netherlands; Wilhelmshaven, Germany; and Blaabjerg, Denmark. The cable also connects with vital transatlantic crossings Havfrue (DK), Leif Erikson (NO) and other planned Trans-Atlantic cables.

Eckhard Bruckschen, CTO of IOEMA Fibre Ltd., said:

“After 5 years of development and observing the market in Northern Europe, it became evident that diverse routes are needed to provide the redundancy for the increasing data demand in the Nordics. We are proud to start this project together with our landing partners and provide further connectivity across Europe and beyond.”

Annette Murphy, CCO at Colt Technology Services, said:

“By increasing capacity, performance, and resilience across Northern Europe, the IOEMA project will have a profound impact on digital connectivity for this region and beyond. We’re excited and honoured to be playing a key role in bringing this ambitious vision to reality.”

The main purpose of the new cable, other than to provide further capacity improvements between the UK and Europe (i.e. faster internet and data speeds), will be to act as a replacement for existing cables that have become old and are thus due to be decommissioned (e.g. SEA-ME-WE 3, TAT-14, AC-1, CANTAT-3, etc.).

The IOEMA system will also be the first submarine fibre optic cable landing on the North Sea shores of Germany in over 25 years. “After decommissioning of TAT-14, SEA-ME-WE 3 and others, the IOEMA submarine fibre optic cable system will be the only cable system connecting Germany to the submarine cable networks in the North Sea and beyond,” said the company.

Time to upgrade. Customers of Sky UK’s older TV services and devices, specifically those that can only support the viewing of Standard Definition (SD) channels, are being given a last ditch encouragement to upgrade their set-top-boxes (STB) before they “lose access to all Sky channels” – starting from June 2024.

The change reflects the fact that Sky is in the process of “changing how we deliver our TV services“, which in technical terms means they’re changing the Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) method to DVB-S2 (second generation) – something many older SD-only boxes can’t receive (these only support the DVB-S transponder). “This means if you have an SD box, you’ll need to upgrade to continue watching Sky channels,” said Sky.

Due to this, the company and other broadcasters (e.g. BBC) on Sky’s platform have been gradually switching off their SD channels and focusing on HD (High Definition) supporting STBs and channels. The next big phase of this transition happened yesterday, when Sky switched-off 14 of its own Sky Sports and Sky Cinema + MUTV channels (this excludes, for now, Sky Sports News SD and Sky Sports Mix SD – due to being part of another paid ‘Signature’ bundle).

The final stage of this transition is due to start from June and run until August 2024, which the company says means “you’ll start to lose access to all Sky channels“, unless you upgrade. “Without the upgrade, any subscriptions you have to these channels will be cancelled,” said Sky.

The Affected STBs:

Digibox

➤ 4F01 to 4F08 (Amstrad)
➤ 4E01 to 4E05 (Grundig)
➤ 9F01 to 9F08 and 9F0A (Pace)
➤ 0F01 to 0F05 (Panasonic)
➤ 4E06 to 4E08 (Thomson)

Sky+

➤ 4F2001 to 4F2006 (Amstrad)
➤ 4F2101 to 4F2118 and 9F2101 to 9F2137 (Amstrad or Pace)
➤ 9F2001 to 9F2024, PVR2, 9F2201 to 9F2235, 9F2301 to 9F2339 (Pace)
➤ 4E2101 to 4E2141 (Thomson)

Customers of Sky TV are thus being encouraged to upgrade their STB to the more modern Sky Q platform “at no extra cost” (you can upgrade online or call 0333 759 5121). The new box will be installed by one of Sky’s engineers on a date selected by the customer, thus it’s wise to do this ASAP to avoid being caught out. Customers that upgrade can then access all of the Sky channels in their Sky TV package, again.

However, Sky will continue to offer some channels in SD, such as those that cost extra if you want to view them in HD (e.g. Sky Atlantic and Sky Showcase). But some of these channels may, in the future, only be receivable via a more modern HD-capable STB. Still, we can’t help but feel that, in an age where 4K (UltraHD) TVs are now common, paying extra for HD channels on any service has become a bit ridiculous.

Mobile operator Vodafone has today confirmed their commitment to both “exceeding” the UK Government’s minimum Shared Rural Network (SRN) coverage target for 4G services in Northern Ireland and upgrading this to support 5G Standalone (5G SA / mobile broadband) technology. But only if they get approval for their merger with Three UK (here).

At present, Vodafone claims that approximately 75% of Northern Ireland’s rural area landmass is a total 5G not-spot. But the operator says they can “exceed” the SRN’s minimum target, “of bringing 4G to more than 85% of Northern Ireland’s geography“, by ensuring “at least 98% of Northern Ireland’s landmass has access by 2027“.

However, the operator’s claim of exceeding the 4G SRN target above appears to be questionable, since the 85% target they’ve initially referenced for Northern Ireland is only applicable when looking at the coverage from all MNOs combined. But the SRN target from at least one operator is already expected to reach 98%, which matches (not exceeds) Vodafone’s stated goal.

However, where Vodafone does exceed the SRN is via the pledge of their merged business to upgrade this network, not least by ensuring more than 98% 5G Standalone geographic coverage across N.Ireland by 2034. By comparison, the Government’s Wireless Infrastructure Strategy (WIS) recently set an ambition for “all populated areas [of the UK] to be covered by ‘standalone’ 5G (5G-plus) by 2030” (here), which is not as bold.

Just for context. Most existing 5G networks in the UK are Non-Standalone (NSA) based, which in simple terms means they partly rely on older 4G infrastructure. By comparison, 5GSA reflects a pure end-to-end 5G network that can deliver improvements such as ultra-low latency times (fast), better mobile broadband upload speeds, network slicing capabilities, better support for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, increased reliability and security.

Last year Vodafone became the first UK operator to launch a 5GSA network with their new “5G Ultra” package for consumers (here), although its coverage was initially limited to parts of London, Manchester, Glasgow and Cardiff, with more now being added. But in February 2024 they were joined by O2 (VMO2), which has initially gone live in parts of 14 cities and their service comes at “no extra” cost to customers (here).

Andrea Donà, Chief Network Officer at Vodafone UK, said:

“We know how vital access to connectivity is for everyone, so we want to ensure we do as much as we can to extend our coverage to rural Northern Ireland. Evidently, we need to accelerate the roll out of 5G infrastructure to every corner of the UK, and the proposed merger with Three UK will enable this, ensuring rural Northern Ireland doesn’t get left behind as a result.”

The government are mindful and generally welcoming of Vodafone’s coverage commitments. But this will have no impact upon the ongoing investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which has already signalled significant competition concerns, worries over consumer pricing and questioned the data provided by both operators (here). Getting the merger deal past the CMA seems likely to result in a requirement for significant concessions, which may or may not be palatable.

One final point to make here is that the coverage commitments being made by Vodafone and Three UK are NOT legally binding, which is a concern because mobile operators can’t always be relied upon to deliver what they promise and may change their plans (e.g. remember the U-turn on EU roaming charges?). In that sense, what they’re proposing to deliver should be taken with a pinch of salt.

A woman in Burnage has been successful in getting broadband network operator IX Wireless to move one of their poles (masts). The move occurred after she complained that it had been installed “without warning” next to her house and that staff had allegedly become “really weird and abusive on the phone” when she complained.

IX Wireless is currently building a new UK fibre-fed fixed wireless access (FWA) network across parts of the UK using WiFi based technology (e.g. Accrington, Blackburn, Blackpool, Burnley, Fleetwood etc.), which is supported by retail broadband ISP 6Gi (NOT related to 6G mobile technology).

The operator is, however, no stranger to attracting complaints from locals about their large metal poles (here) and has previously also run into the odd issue related to unauthorised digital infrastructure (here). Not to mention the banning of several 6Gi adverts for misleading promotions (here and here) and they’re facing enforcement action by Bolton Council for installing antenna kit on a pole (mast) without consultation or consent (here).

Suffice to say that the latest incident, which has been covered by the Manchester Evening News (via Thinkbroadband), seems unlikely to help matters. According to the resident, IXW’s agent is alleged to have “started shouting” down the phone at her: “She said they hired her to deal with people like me, it was just bizarre. She said if it wasn’t us it would be someone else, times are changing, you have to get used to it. A manager did apologise to me, but they’ve not sent the recording. The mast is an eye sore, I see it when I look out my window, it’s ruined the view. Everyone here wants it removed, we’re all bothered about it.”

A Spokesperson for IX Wireless said:

“We acknowledge that there will be some minor disruption from installing new infrastructure and we aim to keep this to a minimum. The company is keen to work with local residents and welcome any input which can help to improve our service.

The company investigated the claims and calls from Ms Partington to our customer support team. We have held further discussions with Ms Partington and following this we can confirm that we have put plans in place to move the post to a new location. We will continue our follow up directly with Ms. Partington to confirm her satisfaction of the planned resolution when completed.

Many people have welcomed investment in the roll-out of digital infrastructure, and where necessary we are happy to speak to residents who may feel a structure is causing an obstruction and this is a normal part of our process when the pre-notifications are sent.”

The resident has been told the pole will be moved in the next three or four weeks.

Some 700 homes and businesses in the County Tyrone (Northern Ireland) town of Dungannon have suffered significant broadband and phone connectivity problems, which occurred after criminals damaged Openreach’s local network during the theft of a “large quantity” of their copper telecoms cable.

The incident is understood to have occurred at around 1:15am on Tuesday (29th May 2024) morning in the vicinity of the Clonfeacle Road. Local reports noted that alarms had been set off in the area, and the police later discovered “a quarter mile of cable” on a nearby road (roughly 400 metres). Sadly, the perpetrators of such crimes never have any regard for the harm they cause to locals, some of which are dependent upon the related services.

Crimes like this have become increasingly common in recent years, driven in part by the high price of copper and the rising cost of living that has pushed more people into poverty, although a series of UK-wide arrests toward the end of 2022 (example) – followed by some convictions – did put a limited dent in the activity.

Openreach has also seen a sharp 30% reduction in cable theft over the past year, not least after introducing a new forensic liquid marker (SelectaDNA) to help track and protect their network (here). But that takes time to deploy and can’t be added to cables that are already in the ground.

Inspector McNeill said (Irish News):

“We would ask anyone who may have been in the area and noticed anything suspicious, particularly those who may have dashcam or other footage, to contact us on 101, quoting reference number 70 of 28/05/24.

We would also like to remind those involved of the risks in this type of behaviour, not only to themselves but also to members of the public. Theft of metal or cable may lead to flooding, risk of electric shock, and loss of emergency phone services.

The local community can help us. If you live near an empty house, a church, a school, or communications hub, please contact the police if you see someone you don’t think should be there. If it’s an unusual time for contractors to be working, ask yourself – do they seem to be from a legitimate company?

If any behaviour rouses suspicions – contact police on 101, or 999 in an emergency.”

The ongoing deployment of full fibre (FTTP) lines should, eventually, help to reduce such thefts as fibre has no value to thieves. But this won’t completely stop the problem from occurring because fibre and copper cables often share some of the same ducts, and thieves sometimes confuse the two. BT and Openreach will eventually remove their copper cables too, but that’s a much longer process.

Openreach also has a partnership with Crimestoppers, which sometimes offers rewards for information given anonymously to the charity about cable thefts, if it leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible – you can contact them 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111 or use their anonymous online form. You can also contact Openreach’s security team direct or report via the local police (101), or if you see a crime in progress, then call the police on 999. Credits to Thinkbroadband for spotting this news.

News

The company was founded in 2023 after four years of project development 

On day one of the Submarine Networks EMEA Conference in London, IOEMA Fibre unveiled its new submarine cable connecting Northern Europe. 

The 1400km long repeatered cable will span across five key markets in Northern Europe: the UK, The Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Norway. It will be made up of a trunk route that connects Dumpton Gap in the UK with Kristiansand in Norway, and three branches connecting Eemshaven in The Netherlands, Wilhelmshaven in Germany, and Blaabjerg in Denmark. 

It is multi-core with 48 fibre pairs, giving 27-29 Terabits per fibre pair, and an overall minimum capacity of 1.3 Pb/s. 

Arelion has been selected as the infrastructure on Denmark shores, and will expand connectivity towards Esbjerg and Copenhagen through their network. EWE TEL and Relined Fiber Network are joint landing partners in Germany, and both companies will provide backhaul routes to Hamburg, Berlin and eventually further. 

Eurofiber and QTS are the landing parties in Eemshaven, The Netherlands and will reuse the existing infrastructure of the former TGN Northern Europe cable. Eurofiber will provide redundant backhaul connectivity to Groningen, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Rotterdam and Brussels through its fibre network. 

Colt Technology Services will accommodate the IOEMA cable at its landing point in Dumpton Gap. 

“After 5 years of development and observing the market in Northern Europe, it became evident that diverse routes are needed to provide the redundancy for the increasing data demand in the Nordics,” said Eckhard Bruckschen, CTO of IOEMA Fibre Ltd. 

“We are proud to start this project together with our landing partners and provide further connectivity across Europe and beyond,” he continued.

“By increasing capacity, performance, and resilience across Northern Europe, the IOEMA project will have a profound impact on digital connectivity for this region and beyond. We’re excited and honoured to be playing a key role in bringing this ambitious vision to reality.” said Annette Murphy, Chief Commercial Officer at Colt. 

It’s not too late to get tickets for day 2 of Submarine Networks EMEA in London – get them here! 

Also in the news:
Digi set to buy OTE’s Telekom Romania
Billionaire Xavier Neil ponders Millicom acquisition
EU-funded Global Gateways projects on show at Submarine Networks EMEA 2024
  

Sky’s sibling NOW Broadband (NOW TV) sub-brand has notified existing internet and phone customers of an imminent price increase that will be introduced from 5th July 2024 and bump their package prices by an extra £3 per month (£36 per year), which is slightly lower than last year’s £3.50 hike.

The good news is that those who are unhappy with the change, which doesn’t impact the provider’s cheaper social tariff for those on certain state benefits (NOW Broadband Basics), may be able to cancel their service penalty-free, provided you do so within the usual 31 days of having received the price increase notification letter (all customers should have received this by now).

In addition, the latest price increase doesn’t impact either their NOW TV service (this tends to be handled separately) or NOW Broadband’s latest 100Mbps “Full Fibre” (FTTP) package, which is largely because the latter is actually ordered through the Sky Broadband website and so is subject to Sky’s semi-separate policies (Sky already raised their prices).

NOW Broadband Statement

At NOW, we’re all about bringing you great value and reliable broadband so you can stay connected to everything you love. That’s why we’ve invested in growing our broadband network capacity by 24% since 2022, reducing congestion so you can get faster speeds, even at peak times.

We understand that things are tough right now, and so alongside investing in improvements, we’re committed to keeping prices as low as we can. The costs of providing services have, however, increased significantly, and it’s affecting the entire industry.

Many other providers have raised their prices, and we’ll be making some changes too. The prices of our broadband membership plans will be going up by £3. You’ll see the price change reflected in your bill on or after 5 July 2024.

You don’t need to do anything – your NOW Broadband will continue as usual. We hope you’ll continue to enjoy our services, but if you’re not happy with these changes, you can cancel your NOW Broadband Membership. If you’re within your minimum contract period, give us a call on 0330 041 2498 within 31 days of receiving the price increase notification to avoid early termination charges. You can check the details of your membership by heading to My Account.

In fairness, it’s worth remembering that big ISPs are NOT immune to cost increases. Providers, much like consumers, are also suffering under the burden of rising supplier and lease costs, surging inflation, high energy prices, the ever-rising levels of consumer demand for data, as well as the cost of adding all sorts of new services and catering for new regulations etc.

Consumer who are hit by mid-contract hikes like this could alternatively try switching providers or haggling for a lower price when the notification drops (Retentions – Tips for Cutting Your Broadband Bill), although your mileage may vary. Meanwhile, those on benefits (Universal Credit etc.) also have the option of taking a cheaper Social Tariff – see our Quick Guide to UK Social Tariffs.

Finally, it’s worth noting that Ofcom recently moved to ban inflation linked price hikes (here), although this won’t be enforced until later this year (not soon enough to change the latest rises). The regulator’s change won’t prevent mid-contract hikes completely, but it will require ISPs to tell customers precisely what any such hikes will be when they sign up (in pounds and pence), which rules out changes linked to unknown future inflation values or confusing percentages.

Fibre optic network builder CityFibre has issued a brief progress update on their efforts to deploy a new 10Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network in the Bedfordshire (England) town of Luton, which began two years ago (here) and has now covered a total of 35,000 premises.

The operator now claims to have “completed most of its rollout in the eastern area of Luton“, although it’s unclear how long it will take them to finish the city-wide deployment, and they face several gigabit-capable competitors in the shape of Virgin Media (inc. nexfibre) and Openreach. Not to mention smaller deployments by the likes of Grain, Glide, Hyperoptic and OFNL.

The work supports CityFibre’s wider ambition of covering up to 8 million UK premises (funded by c.£2.4bn in equity and c.£4.9bn debt) – across over 285 cities, towns and villages (c.30% of the UK), although it’s unclear precisely when they will achieve this target (the original goal was for the end of 2025, but their current build + M&A plan may only get them to c.6m). The operator currently covers 3.6 million UK premises (3.3m RFS).

Neil Madle, CityFibre’s Partnership Manager for Luton, said:

“We’re delighted to offer the people of Luton all the benefits of full fibre connectivity, with over 35,000 premises now Ready for Service. CityFibre’s investment in the town will allow more residents to unlock seamless homeworking, streaming and gaming. We would also like to thank residents for their patience as we have rolled out this essential digital infrastructure, which is set to benefit the local community for years to come.”

News

The clock is still set to expire on the Affordable Connectivity Program despite a tsunami of public outcry.

This story was originally written by our sister publication, Broadband Communities

Funds for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) are still set to expire at the end of May.

The federal program, which had helped millions afford broadband, has been on its last legs since April.

The FCC stopped accepting new ACP enrollments in February. This month, ACP customers have been receiving a partial subsidy of $14 per ACP customer, or $35 per qualifying Tribal customer.

Previously, the program provided eligible households $30 per month towards internet service. A benefit of $75 per month was also available to those who qualified on Tribal lands.

Some households could also receive a one-time discount on purchasing a laptop, desktop, or tablet.

Nearly 23 million households nationwide relied on the ACP program to help pay for internet. Households were considered eligible if their income was at or below 200 percent of poverty guidelines set by the government.

Despite glimmers of hope to renew funding for the program, the Republican led U.S. House of Representatives has still failed to approve the measure.

Pushes to keep the program alive included calls to action and advocacy efforts from across the nation.

One website, supported by the Affordable Broadband Campaign, even ran a real-time clock, counting down to the end of the ACP.

“Failure by Congress to fund this program will force millions of households already on tight budgets to choose between internet access and other essential services,” the website stated. “They cannot afford to make that choice, and neither can we without jeopardizing the historic $42B infrastructure investment that will finally get all Americans access to broadband.”

Some states and providers have taken it upon themselves to continue low-cost options for low-income customers.

A proposed bill in Pennsylvania, H.B. 2195, would give eligible households a $30 monthly subsidy for internet if approved by lawmakers.

Meanwhile, in the private sector, Cox Communications will continue programs like the Connect2Compete Internet Plan, the ConnectAssist Internet Plan, and affordable mobile plans starting at $15 per gigabit per line.

States with the highest percentage of rural households enrolled include Mississippi, Maine, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Arkansas.

To get content like this delivered to your inbox, subscribe to the Broadband Communities newsletter.

Also in the news:
Digi set to buy OTE’s Telekom Romania
Billionaire Xavier Neil ponders Millicom acquisition
EU-funded Global Gateways projects on show at Submarine Networks EMEA 2024

Network operator MS3, which is deploying a new 10Gbps capable open access (wholesale) full fibre (FTTP / XGS-PON) broadband ISP network across 30 locations in the UK (mostly East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire), has announced that they’ve now extended their coverage to 200,000 premises (up from 174,261 on 4th Jan 2024).

The Asterion-backed network operator currently aims to reach 535,000 UK premises by the end of 2025. A big chunk of that has been happening in Hull, where the operator – based in the same city – has now seen its network rollout reach 113,000 premises passed (93,000 Ready for Service) and local customers top 10,000. The gap between their Built and RFS figure partly reflects issues with gaining access to Multi-Dwelling Units (MDU).

Some of MS3’s other big and now completed deployments can be found in locations such as Scunthorpe and Immingham, while ongoing work is also taking place in Mexborough and Grimsby. In addition, the operator is on track to complete the majority of its Hull build by the end of 2024.

Guy Miller, CEO of MS3 Networks, said:

“Passing the milestone of 200,000 premises is a testament to our team’s ongoing determination and drive to change the broadband landscape in the region. We remain committed to providing exceptional full fibre services to our ISP partners and their customers as we continue to expand our network. We are also very proud of our take-up levels with a number of areas in Hull above 20 per cent despite us only starting the build two years ago.”

At the time of writing, we don’t currently know how many of that 200k is Ready for Service (RFS), but we suspect it’ll be around the 170k mark and will update this article once we have the answer.