Interview

At Connected North this year, we caught up with David Hall, VP of Technology Solutions (EMEA) at Mavenir, to discuss the North’s 5G landscape and why AI-enabled operations is quietly becoming one of the most exciting areas for the new technology

The UK’s 5G rollout continues at pace in 2024, gradually bringing faster and more reliable wireless connectivity to underserved areas across the country. But while higher capacity and low latency are certainly benefits for typical mobile subscribers, for Hall, 5G’s real value comes as an enabler of new services.

Fixed wireless access, for example, has proven hugely successful at leveraging the mobile network to deliver broadband connectivity to locations underserved by fibre.

“5G is a brilliant alternative to fibre access,” said Hall, highlighting the work of Yorkshire-based ISP Quickline. “We’re seeing speeds in the many hundreds of megabits being delivered over a cell radius of up to 15km from a 5-Watt radio solution. It’s an incredible way to get service to the underserved.”

Now, with the advent of advanced AI, wireless services are set to evolve even more rapidly. According to Hall, however, the biggest gains from the technology may not come from flashy chatbots or novel services, but rather even more efficient intelligent automation.

“There’s rightly a lot of hype,” said Hall. “But I honestly believe it will be in the areas we fail to look at […] that makes the biggest difference. Something like AI-enabled operations. The ability to do root cause analysis, to be able to address problems and incidents in minutes and seconds rather than hours and days.”

“To be able to find out what’s going on, dispatch a field team, fix things faster, and improve services for customer is something we as a customer fundamentally believe in,” he added.

These advantages will only be further developed in combination with other emerging technologies, like AI-supported digital twins and Open RAN.

“From an Open RAN perspective, the development of the RIC (Radio Intelligent Controller) will be a service creation environment for AI,” said Hall. “And with the advent of open interfaces like the O1 and the E2 allowing you to dynamically change the RAN to meet demand – such as at an event like this one – that’s really exciting.”

“To me, AI is this great undiscovered country and from a Mavenir perspective on our RIC, the future is there to be found. We often talk about how to reduce costs – well here’s one area.”

You can view the full interview from the link below

Alternative network operator Freedom Fibre, which has already rolled out their full fibre (FTTP) gigabit broadband ISP network to cover 300,000 UK premises and aspires to cover 2 million in the future, has engaged local artists and school children in the Irlam (Salford) area to help give their street cabinets a colourful lick of paint.

Most broadband street cabinets are fairly industrial looking and adopt a single colour, which usually sits somewhere between dark green and beige. But the act of engaging community artists to help give these structures a different appeal is a trend that has, in recent years, been growing in popularity.

For example, over the past couple of years we’ve witnessed various colourful examples from the likes of Ogi (here), Virgin Media (here), WightFibre (here) and many more. The same can now be said of Freedom Fibre after they sought to commission artworks for their active cabinets in parts of Irlam.

“Although hiring a designer from the start would have been the more conventional option,” said the announcement, the team at Freedom Fibre wanted to showcase local talent and get the local community involved. “Therefore, we contacted local artists, businesses, and schools to see if there was any interest in contributing to the project.”

The first cabinet to be given a new-look came from designs put forward by the pupils of Springwood Primary School, which was officially unveiled at the end of last week. Two local businesses also helped to bring the art to life on the cabinet – Works By MerÓ, who helped turn the handprints into a digital design, and Wyke who created the wrap for the active cabinet.

“We are so proud of the students and the artwork they have created for us, and we are delighted to be able to display this art so publicly. If you’re out in Irlam, make sure you make a trip to see the active cabinet!,” said a spokesperson for the network operator. We suspect more cabinets in the area will soon follow suit.

News

The laws will force device manufacturers to implement minimum security standards into devices 

The UK government has announced that new laws have come into force today aimed at better protecting consumers from hacking and cyber-attacks.  

The legislation, a collaborative effort between the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the National Cyber Security Centre, and the Office for Product Safety and Standards, among others, rules that internet-connected smart devices must adhere to newly enhanced minimum-security standards. 

Most notably, these new regulations prohibit easily guessable default passwords such as ‘password’ or ‘12345’ and will prompt users to change common passwords upon device activation. 

A 2021 investigation by Which? Found that homes with smart devices could be exposed to as many as 12,000 hacking attackers per week. The average UK household contains nine connected devices, a number expected to soar over the coming decade. 

The new law forms part of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure regime, which is designed to improve the UK’s resilience to cyber-attacks such as the Mirai malware attack in 2016, which attacked 300,000 relatively insecure IoT devices and ultimately left much of the US East coast without internet. 

“As every-day life becomes increasingly dependent on connected devices, the threats generated by the internet multiply and become even greater,” said Minister for Cyber, Viscount Camrose in the announcement’s press release. 

“From today, consumers will have greater peace of mind that their smart devices are protected from cyber criminals, as we introduce world first laws that will make sure their personal privacy, data and finances are safe,” he continued. 

Starting today, all manufacturers of UK smart products will have to comply with the regulations. Find the full details of the act here. 

Keep up to date with all the latest telecoms news from around the world with Total Telecom’s daily newsletter

Also in the news:
South Korea to invest $7 billion in AI semiconductors
Swisscom expands 5G partnership with Ericsson
Daisy Group set to acquire 4Com for £215m

Germany-based AVM, which manufactures the popular FRITZ!Box range of broadband ISP routers and smart home devices (widely used in the UK), has quietly settled their patent dispute with Huawei over WiFi 6 technology. As a result, some of the recent changes made to AVM’s device firmware will be rolled back.

Just to recap. Huawei had filed – between 2022 and 2024 – five infringement lawsuits against AVM, which were in the process of being heard in the Munich Regional Court when a settlement agreement was suddenly announced last week. Huawei has tried to enforce its Wi-Fi 6 patents against several users since 2022, including AVM, Amazon (related to their Echo speakers and Kindle readers), Netgear and Stellantis.

The cases involving Stellantis and Amazon had previously reached a settlement, which left AVM and Netgear as the last pair standing (now it’s just Netgear). AVM had responded to the pressure in January 2024 by pushing out an updated firmware for six of their WiFi 6 routers, which they said was enough to “[resolve] … the strict allegation of patent infringement” (allegedly intended to avoid a possible sales ban). But all of that is now in the past.

Details of the out-of-court settlement between AVM and Huawei are hard to come by (Heise), although it appears as if the proposed sales ban is now off the table and all mutual lawsuits have been withdrawn. AVM also seems to have gained licences for Huawei’s related patents around Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7.

In addition, the new settlement means that the previously introduced firmware (software) changes for some of AVM’s FRITZ!Box kit will be withdrawn in the future, although it’s unclear precisely when this will occur. Credits to Steve for spotting this development.

Finally, it remains to be seen whether Netgear has any better luck, particularly as their case is being heard before a Californian court, which won’t be as guided by the previous rulings in Germany. Netgear is also counter suing Huawei (case details) by making the following complaints.

Netgear’s Complaints vs Huawei

1) VIOLATION OF SECTION 2 OF THE SHERMAN ACT (MONOPOLIZATION);
2) VIOLATION OF SECTION 2 OF THE SHERMAN ACT (ATTEMPTED MONOPOLIZATION);
3) VIOLATION OF THE RACKETEER INFLUENCED AND CORRUPT ORGANIZATIONS ACT;
4) CONSPIRACY TO VIOLATE THE RACKETEER INFLUENCED AND CORRUPT ORGANIZATIONS ACT;
5) BREACH OF CONTRACT;
6) DECLARATORY JUDGMENT OF IMPLIED LICENSE AND/OR EXHAUSTION;
7) FRAUD;
8) NEGLIGENT MISREPRESENTATION;
9) PROMISSORY ESTOPPEL;
10) VIOLATION OF CAL. BUS. & PROF. CODE §17200.

Over a month has passed since ISP Andrews & Arnold (AAISP) announced the closure of their long-running and “somewhat niche” SIP2SIM (mobile voice) service (here), which is due to take effect tomorrow night. But it now seems like the provider is preparing to launch a replacement solution with the help of ONSIM.

The current SIP2SIM product – supported by O2’s (VMO2) underlying mobile network – is essentially a special SIM card that you can put in an ordinary dumb mobile phone, and it makes that device appear as if it is a SIP extension (SIP phone) on a phone system of your choice.

The good news is that A&A are working with ONSIM to launch a similar SIP2SIM solution for the small number of customers that might need something like this. But at present it’s still somewhat of a work-in-progress (beta) and one that will inevitably cost more than the provider’s original product (although data charges should be lower). On the other hand, it does retain a lot of SIP2SIM’s key features (more on that later).

A&A Statement

We understand how much of a problem it is for customers losing the previous service, and have been working hard on this new service. We hope to fully launch shortly, but we are taking on customers early. If you wish to have an eSIM now, please email trial@aa.net.uk with the number you would like to associate with the eSIM. This needs to be an existing A&A number on your account, but does not actually have to be an 07 number.

We can also do one without a number if you wish, email your control pages login (username@a). The eSIM will be free to get, but normal ongoing charges apply: £10.00 +VAT/month and any call/SMS charges if linked through your A&A VoIP account (which is the default). No data packages yet, but ideal as a second SIM / number on a phone. If it does not work for you, we’ll refund the monthly charges, but obviously we want feedback on the whole process (just email the trial address). Thanks.

Just to be clear, once launched a physical SIM card option will also be available at £5 +vat, while an eSIM will cost £1 +vat post-trial. Further details on preliminary package pricing can be found here. But at present A&A are still working to set up some key bits and pieces, such as data usage packages on SIMs, more APIs in to ONSIM (for the ordering system), better documentation and more information on roaming outside the EU and US.

Key Features of New SIP2SIM

➤ Uses 4G/5G VoLTE, which is important with 3G being turned off. Can normally fall back to 2G if necessary and fallback of UK carriers (EE and O2).

➤ Higher basic monthly price before data allowances. No minimum term as before.

➤ Same SIP2SIM logic – for calls we register to your SIP server and allow calls each way. This could be some external provider, but check terms for sharing login details with us, and they do need to follow the SIP specification. For texts we allow you to send SMS to handset via an HTTP post, and send SMS to you from handset via an HTTP post.

➤ Same A&A linking for voice and SMS to/from a mobile/other number if you prefer, with our usual call/text charges with us as your SIP/SMS provider. We have actually made the linking simpler, e.g. defaults for calls/texts when not configured otherwise. Of course this includes our features like call recording.

➤ Unlike previous services, no airtime charge! So no cost for the text/calls to/from the handset, just the back end call/text charges from your SIP/SMS provider. This is great for treating an actual mobile phone as an internal extension on your SIP PABX.

➤ A separate data package, with various usage levels (normal NAT mobile data) but at much more sensible prices!

➤ Allows eSIM as well as physical SIMs, so faster ordering for eSIM with real time activation (on payment with order). An eSIM is ideal for second line working on a modern phone, so home and work numbers on the same phone. This is also an ideal way to test out the new service.

➤ Allows EU and US roaming at no extra cost! and still no airtime charges.

Broadband ISP TalkTalk last week informed their customers, specifically those who are using one of their supplied Amazon eero routers, that they can now benefit from a free eero software upgrade that turns Echo Dot (4th and 5th Fen) smart speakers into WiFi extenders (the provider is currently bundling Dots for free with several packages).

The provider’s announcement makes it sound like the “eero Built-in” feature is new technology, although it first started appearing back in 2022 and received a wider release toward the end of 2023. Suffice to say it’s been around a while, but is now available via TalkTalk’s bundled eero kit too.

The eero Built-in feature, which harnessed Amazon’s patented TrueMesh technology, turns selected Echo products into eero mesh WiFi extenders, which can add up to 1,000 sq. ft. of wireless network coverage to your existing eero network.

However, the feature can only support network speeds of up to 100Mbps for 10 or fewer connected devices, and even then, only via the 5GHz band. In other words, if you want a proper mesh solution that can handle faster speeds, then this probably isn’t it.

John Bowles, Product Director at TalkTalk, said:

“We’re always looking for ways to bring our customers even more value for money and enhanced reliability. Thanks to this smart software feature and our partnership with eero, our fastest Full Fibre customers can now use select Amazon Echo devices as Wi-Fi extenders at no extra cost. This represents a great way to keep our beloved devices connected.”

One other thing to be aware of is that you’ll first need to activate the feature in order to use it (details here).

The UK Government has this morning announced that new laws, which are designed to help protect consumers from cyber criminals, such as by requiring that network devices, like broadband ISP routers, receive greater protection (e.g. regular security updates and stronger default passwords), have finally come into force.

The related Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act (PSTI) received royal assent in late 2022, which among other things included measures to make broadband and mobile infrastructure sharing, as well as network upgrades and related dispute resolution, easier to deliver (see our summary). But those elements, which involve changes to the Electronic Communications Code (ECC), are being implemented separately via Ofcom.

The PSTI also included measures to implement many of the original Secure by Design proposals (i.e. ensuring connected devices are better able to resist cyberattacks), which introduces tougher security standards for device makers and the ability to hit those that fail to comply (both retailers and manufacturers) with financial penalties.

Some examples of the changes include banning easily guessable default passwords (“admin“, “123456” etc.), as well as prompting users to change the default password, not to mention improved support for security issues and a requirement for related network products to state how long they will be supported by vital security patches (firmware updates) etc.

Some of the Improved Security Protections

➤ Common or easily guessable passwords like ‘admin’ or ‘12345’ will be banned to prevent vulnerabilities and hacking.

➤ Manufacturers will have to publish contact details so bugs and issues can be reported and dealt with.

➤ Manufacturers and retailers will have to be open with consumers on the minimum time they can expect to receive important security updates.

The changes touch everything from consumer broadband routers to phones, TVs, game consoles, internet-connected fridges and smart doorbells etc. However, the government allowed the industry a couple of years to adapt to all this, but from today the manufacturers of all such devices will now be required, by law, to implement minimum security standards against cyber threats.

The hope is that these measures will help to prevent threats, like the damaging Mirai attack in 2016 which saw 300,000 smart products compromised due to weak security features – included routers from various ISPs, like TalkTalk and KCOM etc. (here and here) – and used to attack major internet platforms and services. Since then, similar attacks have occurred on UK banks including Lloyds and RBS, leading to disruption to customers.

The government claims that the new regime will help to give customers confidence in buying and using products, “which will in turn help grow businesses and the economy.”

Julia Lopez, UK Data and Digital Infrastructure Minister, said:

“Today marks a new era where consumers can have greater confidence that their smart devices, such as phones and broadband routers, are shielded from cyber threats, and the integrity of personal privacy, data and finances better protected.

Our pledge to establish the UK as the global standard for online safety takes a big step forward with these regulations, moving us closer to our goal of a digitally secure future.”

The government added that consumers and cyber security experts can also help by playing an “active role in protecting themselves and society from cyber criminals” by reporting any products which don’t comply to the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS). But take note that the government is also beginning the legislative process for certain automotive vehicles to be exempt from the product security regulatory regime, as they will instead be covered by alternative legislation.

The changes might also have an impact on cheaper imported products, which might not normally adhere to UK rules as closely as they perhaps should. In addition, it’s possible there may be some problems around retailers that need to sell older stock, which might not offer the same length of support to those who buy them.

The UK Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (Product Security) regime
https://www.gov.uk/../the-uk-product-security-and-telecommunications-infrastructure-product-security-regime

Network operator Openreach (BT) officially launched their fastest Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband tiers – 1.2Gbps and 1.8Gbps (both 120Mbps upstream) – into the UK market earlier this month (here). But so far the only ISP to launch any consumer packages using these have been EE, although that will soon change.

The new tiers are designed to squeeze as much performance as possible out of Openreach’s Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) platform, which will ultimately need to be upgraded in the future if they’re to go even faster (e.g. XGS-PON, 25G-PON or 50G-PON etc.).

The new 1.2Gbps tier is arguably more about enabling ISPs to advertise a true “average” gigabit speed of “1000Mbps+” (median as measured at peak time), which compares with the c.900Mbps that most ISPs promote today on Openreach’s 1Gbps tier. Meanwhile, the new 1.8Gbps option gives them something to offer users looking for a more premium tier, which narrows the gap to those ISPs offering 2Gbps speeds (e.g. Virgin Media).

However, none of that matters a jot if ISPs aren’t making related packages available to consumers, which is usually something that tends to develop gradually – often over a period of months – after the launch of a new product at wholesale. With that in mind, ISPreview set off to survey a broad cross-section of Openreach using internet providers, except EE and Zen Internet (Zen are due to launch something soon), to find out about their plans.

What the ISPs say

➤ Vodafone

The provider said they’ll have some news to share over the “coming weeks“. Vodafone is already a little overdue with their plans to launch a 2Gbps package via CityFibre’s network and we suspect they might seek to introduce the new Openreach tiers at the same time as those.

➤ Pulse8

Sad news as they “haven’t currently got any plans to add those new packages at this time.”

➤ Andrews & Arnold (AAISP)

Currently waiting on BT Wholesale to introduce related tiers (“no indication of time frames have been given“), which will form the basis of their own packages.

➤ iDNET

“We’re hoping to launch the Openreach products next month. We already have channel partners reselling our 2Gbps service from CityFibre.”

➤ Aquiss

Plans are in the works, but “most hold-ups for us are within the wholesale channels” (i.e. wholesale suppliers aren’t ready yet). Current prediction is for a late Q3 or early Q4 release, but this is very much subject to their suppliers and slippage is possible.

➤ BT & Plusnet

EE are now the BT Group’s flagship consumer brand and already have a 1.6Gbps package, while BT’s Consumer and Plusnet divisions are playing second fiddle. A spokesperson said: “There are no plans to offer 1.2Gbps or 1.8Gbps on BT or Plusnet at this time. If we make changes our customers will be the first to know” (the “no plans” statement is about as useful as a chocolate teapot, since plans do change).

➤ TalkTalk

The provider is known to be evaluating their broadband packages in line with the technology available and their customer’s needs, but they’ve declined to comment on their future plans for adopting the faster tiers. Reading between the lines, TalkTalk may not yet be seeing enough demand for such a launch, although the provider does have a few debt problems to tackle too and new packages cost money to support.

➤ Freeola

“Yes we’ll be looking to launch these packages as soon as we’re able to. Though we don’t have an ETA for when that will be unfortunately.”

➤ Uno

Did not respond.

➤ Sky Broadband

Did not respond.

One thing that was very clear above, including from some providers that only spoke off-the-record, is that some of them are waiting for wholesale suppliers to catch-up with Openreach and the expectations about when this would actually happen still seem uncertain. Some ISPs also expressed concerns about the ability or inability of wholesale providers to deliver enough data capacity to support the new tiers.

Speaking of which, BT Wholesale came in for particular criticism, so we asked them about their plans on this front. A spokesperson for the provider told ISPreview: “BT Wholesale offers a wide range of products and services to meet the needs of customers, with full fibre access up to 1GB. We regularly review our portfolio to meet demand and we will update our customers on any changes” (note to BTW: it’s Gb for bits, not GB for Bytes).

Finally, it’s worth remembering that, whatever each ISP may or may not be planning, anybody ordering one of Openreach’s new tiers will require an engineer visit to fit the new 2.5Gbps capable Optical Network Unit (modem). Broadband providers are also likely to ship a new router with similar capabilities.

New residential customers of Sky Broadband and Virgin Media may like to know that both ISPs have just discounted their respective gigabit broadband packages to £41 per month for a limited period of time, although Sky are offering average uploads of 90Mbps and on Virgin it’s 104Mbps.

Sky’s Gigafast 900Mbps (sponsored) broadband package, which is sold via Openreach’s national Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network – available to 14 million premises, now costs £41 per month for the first 18-months of service (£63 thereafter). Most people will get that with free installation (or setup costs just £5), an included Wi-Fi 6E router and their “Wall to Wall WiFi Guarantee“.

By comparison, Virgin Media’s 1130Mbps Fibre (sponsored) package, which is available to over 17 million UK premises, now also costs £41 per month for the first 18-months of service (£78 thereafter). This similarly includes a Hub 5 wireless router, free installation and their higher quality “WiFi guarantee” (up to 3 WiFi pods if needed).

News

The move will allow Lumos to ramp up its fibre network rollout across America 

Wireless carrier T-Mobile US has joined forces with EQT, a Swedish investment firm, to launch a new joint venture (JV), through which they will acquire fibre provider Lumos.   

Fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) provider Lumos currently provides fibre broadband and Wi-Fi services to 320,000 households focussing on Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. 

Following its acquisition by the newly formed JV, the business will transition to a wholesale model. T-Mobile will take over customer relationships and use its brand to attract new subscribers.  

The joint venture will focus on identifying markets, engineering and designing networks, network deployment, and customer installation, according to T-Mobile. 

As part of the acquisition, T-Mobile says it will invest $950 million in the JV, giving it 50% equity in the business.  

T-Mobile is expected to invest an additional $500 million by 2028, which Lumos will use to expand its fibre rollout to 3.5 million homes by the end of 2028.  

“As the demand for reliable, low-latency connectivity rapidly increases, this deal is […] a significant step forward in expanding on our broadband success and continue shaking up competition in this space to bring even more value and choice to consumers,” said T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert in a press release. 

EQT has already been a key investor in Lumos for six years, scaling the company and rolling out fibre to underserved areas.  

“We look forward to continuing to leverage EQT’s considerable digital infrastructure and fibre expertise to support the significant fibre  buildout ambitions of T-Mobile and the JV,” said EQT Partner Jan Vesely.  

“This new effort will build critical fibre broadband infrastructure that will enable remote work, education, and healthcare use cases across the country,” she continued. 

The transaction is expected to close in to early 2025 at the latest, pending regulatory approval.

Keep up to date with all the latest telecoms news from around the world with Total Telecom’s daily newsletter

Also in the news:
South Korea to invest $7 billion in AI semiconductors
Swisscom expands 5G partnership with Ericsson
Daisy Group set to acquire 4Com for £215m