News 

The announcement comes “in light of increasing public concern” of telegraph pole deployment 

This week, Julia Lopez MP, Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure, penned an recent open letter directed to all fixed-line operators, cracking down on the installation of new telegraph poles in the UK, suggesting that the infrastructure should be shared. 

According to the letter, many MPs have highlighted the issue, as constituents have grown frustrated the duplication of overhead fibre networks. They have advised that their constituents feel they have no control over how infrastructure is deployed in their local area, and this can negatively affect the overall perception of full fibre deployment. 

While these concerns are more pronounced in specific regions (especially rural areas), she emphasized their resonance across the nation, urging fixed-line operators to heed and address these issues promptly. 

Therefore, the government wants to implement a refreshed set of guidelines that makes sure that “communities feel engaged in the deployment of new broadband infrastructure, whilst still allowing operators to continue deploying their networks.” 

“Telegraph poles are a key piece of infrastructure bringing faster connectivity to communities and businesses across the country,” said Lopez. 

“Most telecoms companies are doing a fantastic job in delivering that connectivity with the support of those communities, by sharing existing infrastructure and taking into account surroundings when putting up new poles. But we know that there are some firms that are losing that vital community support by inappropriately or unnecessarily throwing up new infrastructure.” 

Lopez confirmed that she had written to operators asking them to share existing infrastructure. Of particular note was Lopez’s announcement of forthcoming revisions to the Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice. This which provides guidance on ways operators can ensure that telegraph pole and cabinet installations are placed appropriately, and that local authorities and communities are engaged with regarding proposed installations. 

The new changes will make sure that communities feel engaged in the deployment of new broadband infrastructure, whilst still allowing operators to continue deploying their networks, bringing faster connectivity and greater choice to consumers. 

The epistle culminated with expressions of gratitude for operators’ tireless efforts in advancing the country’s connectivity goals, underscoring the pivotal role of infrastructure sharing in rallying public support and expediting broadband deployment. 

In response to Lopez’s the letter, telecom operators are set to reassess their deployment strategies, placing heightened emphasis on infrastructure sharing and community engagement.  

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Network builder and broadband ISP G.Network, which recently resumed rolling out their 10Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network in London (here), has announced that they’ve signed a “strategic partnership” with digital infrastructure firm Boldyn Networks to help boost the city’s 4G and 5G small cell and fibre coverage. Boldyn Networks is perhaps best known in the […]

UK ISP Quickline, which is rolling out a full fibre (FTTP) broadband network across more rural and semi-rural parts of North East England, has today announced the appointment of Darryl Petch to become their new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Darryl succeeds Ian Smith who served as CTO for two years. The new CTO is known […]

Network builder and UK ISP Connect Fibre, which aims to cover 100,000 premises across the East of England with their gigabit-capable full fibre (FTTP) broadband network, has today announced that around 5,000 premises in the two Essex locations of Rayleigh and Thundersley can now put in pre-orders ahead of the new service going live. The […]

Rural broadband ISP Ecom (Ecom Fibre), which is building a new gigabit-capable full fibre (FTTP) network across rural communities in parts of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire (England), has revealed that they’re in the process of restructuring their business into separate retail and wholesale sides. At present Ecom is more of a vertically integrated provider and one […]

Hull-based ISP and network operator KCOM, which is building a Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network across East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in England, today claims to have made progress on the thorny issue of infrastructure sharing after sending a feasibility study on PIA (cable duct and pole access) to rival Connexin. In case anybody has forgotten. Connexin […]

The UK Digital Infrastructure Minister, Julia Lopez, has published a new letter to “telecoms firms” (Virgin Media, Openreach and KCOM etc.) that calls for them to “limit installation of telegraph poles” when deploying new fibre broadband networks because they risk upsetting communities by “inappropriately or unnecessarily throwing up new infrastructure.” Network operators like poles because […]

In a move set to accelerate its nationwide full-fibre rollout, CityFibre, the UK’s leading independent network operator, has announced the acquisition of full fibre altnet Lit Fibre from Newlight Partners. This strategic acquisition is poised to extend CityFibre’s reach by up to 300,000 premises as part of its ambitious 8 million premises rollout program. The agreement, structured on a share-based acquisition model, will see Newlight Partners assume a minority stake in CityFibre. The completion of the transaction is anticipated in the second quarter of 2024.

Lit Fibre, a vertically integrated altnet, is both a network builder and Internet Service Provider (ISP). As of now, they cover 200,000 premises spanning across more than 20 towns in various regions including Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Worcestershire, Essex, and Suffolk. With a rapidly expanding subscriber base exceeding 9,000 retail customers, Lit Fibre brings significant operational value to CityFibre’s growth strategy.

This acquisition marks CityFibre’s initial move in a series of anticipated deals over the next two years, aligning with its vision to leverage altnet acquisitions as a key driver for growth. By integrating Lit Fibre into its network infrastructure, CityFibre aims to solidify its position as the primary wholesale competitor to BT Openreach in the UK.

The integration process, slated for completion later this year, will enable ISPs to access a consistent range of market-leading products, pricing, and service offerings across the network. CityFibre plans to seamlessly integrate Lit Fibre’s assets into its carrier-grade network, encompassing passive, active, and operational support systems.

The acquisition also includes Lit Fibre’s ongoing deployment initiatives, aiming to cover up to an additional 100,000 premises by early 2025. Leveraging existing poles and ducts, Lit Fibre’s network demonstrates an attractive build cost per premises. Lit Fibre also uses high standard and compatible 10Gbps XGS-PON network architecture which will be a boon to CityFibre’s integration process by allowing them to maintain high-quality services to customers.

CityFibre assures Lit Fibre customers of uninterrupted full-fibre broadband services throughout the integration process. As a wholesale-only operator, CityFibre remains committed to exploring retail ISP options post-integration to enhance service offerings.

With a proven track record of successful acquisitions including KCOM, Redcentric, Entanet, and FibreNation, CityFibre is well-equipped to integrate Lit Fibre into its commercial strategy.

NEWS

A damaged subsea cable has brought major disruption to West Africa, with internet services down or barely accessible across large parts of the region, with Ivory Coast, Liberia and Benin the worst effected.

While the cause of the damage has yet to be confirmed, reports from NetBlocks, an internet watchdog have classified the incident impact in these three countries as being severe to high, while outages were being experienced across large swathes of the region, as well as in South Africa, where thousands of users have reported disruption.

Both MTN and Vodacom, two of the continent’s largest operators have confimed that subsea cable failures were the cause, with a Vodacom spokesman stating “Multiple undersea cable failures between South Africa and Europe are currently impacting South Africa’s network providers, including Vodacom.” While the cable break has yet to be pinpointed, the disruption couldn’t have come at a worse time, with the Seacom cable that connects South Africa with Europe via East Africa and the Red Sea having been recently severed, with repairs being delayed due to the delicate geopolitical situation within the region.

The outage has caused widespread disruption, and marks the second time in seven months than an undersea cable issue has brought chaos to Africa’s internet infrastructure. While it’s unclear how long it will take to repair the damage, with the location of the break not yet pinpointed, this latest outage will no doubt bring further headaches to the industry and broader region.

 

The UK Government’s Digital Infrastructure Minister, Julia Lopez, has revealed that she will next week hold a roundtable with colleagues, as well as Ofcom, to discuss rising community complaints against the use of broadband poles and wireless masts to deliver digital infrastructure. But this time, some action may follow. Despite being a common sight across […]