Rural focused broadband ISP Gigaclear, which has already built a gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network to 450,000 UK premises passed across 24 counties, has added the large village of Kingsclere in Hampshire to their current rollout plan – adding another 1,500 premises upon completion. But they’re not the only locations. According to the Basingstoke Gazette, the […]

The Government’s Building Digital UK agency has published the outcome of last year’s reviews into several key urban areas under their £5bn Project Gigabit broadband rollout, which looked to identify which parts of Greater London, Merseyside and Greater Manchester, Newcastle and Birmingham might be left unserved. Firstly, the usual recap. Project Gigabit aims to extend […]

Back in 2022 we reported that budget UK broadband ISP TalkTalk was running a new trial (here), which gave “some” existing customers a free automatic upgrade to full fibre (FTTP) broadband – provided they were covered by the network and didn’t already have such a package. But fast-forward 13 months and this is no longer […]

News 

UK Regulator Ofcom has released its Summer 2023 Study, based on mobile coverage and fixed broadband availability in the UK, as of April and May this year 

According to the ‘Connected Nations’ report, “Full fibre” (FTTP) now reaches 52% of the UK, equalling 15.4 million households. This is up from 48% in January this year. The report notes that this growth has been predominately driven by deployments from larger fibre operators, but has been supported by a number of smaller altnets, serving individual regions and communities. 

However, the UK’s coverage of fixed “superfast broadband”, remains unchanged at 97%, but Northern Ireland saw an increase of 1%, up to 97%. The 3% unable to access this are likely to be in hard-to-reach areas. The study found that the ‘vast majority’ of the UK can access what is described as ‘decent broadband’, meaning download speeds of at least 10 Megabits per second (Mbit/s) and upload speeds of 1 Mbit/s. 

Gigabit-capable broadband availability has reached 75% of homes, or 22.4 million, up from 21.9 million (73%) in January this year, when their last report was published. 

Regarding mobile coverage, there were no notable increases since the January report, however coverage remains stable, with 93% of the UK predicted to have good outdoor 4G coverage from one operator at least.  

5G coverage continues to expand, with 85% of premises able to access outdoor 5G coverage. 

The usage of 3G continues to decline, with its switch off already underway. Virgin Media O2 confirmed this week that its 3G switch off will begin in 2025, becoming the final major UK operator to do so. 

Want to keep up to date with all of the latest telecoms news? Sign up for Total Telecom’s daily newsletter  

Also in the news:
Smart devices are harvesting excessive consumer data, study finds
Unleashing a connected future: Navigating the UK’s broadband landscape
Consolidation begins in UK fibre market as VMO2’s nexfibre acquires altnet Upp

News 

In its study, Which? analysed the data collection operations of the brands who produce popular smart devices including doorbell cameras, smart speakers and smart washing machines 

New Research from Which? has shown that the makers of smart home devices are collecting more data than is required from their users. This data is then in danger of being shared with third party firms such as social media platforms, without consumers being explicitly aware. 

After analysis of the data collection practises of popular brands, findings of the study included smart doorbell brand Ezvis having the most tracking firms active (including TikTok’s marketing unit, Pangle) Bose smart speakers sharing their user’s data with Meta despite only being supposed to listen when you want them to, LG washing machine necessitating that users provide a date of birth, and smart TVs knowing the viewing habits of users. 

Data collection can be useful to help companies develop better products by optimising them to the need of the consumer. However, it is likely that customers are unaware of the extent to which their data is being used and shared, as a third of people surveyed by Which? do not fully read a device’s privacy policy. 

“Firms should not collect more data than they need to provide the service that’s on offer,” said Rocio Concha, Which? Policy and Advocacy Director, “particularly if they are going to bury this important information in lengthy terms and conditions.” 

Under the General Data Protection Regulations, the data collected by companies must be relevant, and they must be transparent about what data they collect and how it is processed. 

Despite this, companies are often intentionally broad with their reasonings behind using consumer data, giving objectives such as it being in the companies ‘legitimate interests’. 

‘The Information Commissioner’s Office should crack down on data collection by manufacturers and marketing firms that appears to go beyond “legitimate interests”. A proper standard or code of practice should also be put in place to make the rules clearer,’ said Concha. 

Following the release of the report, the Information Commissioner’s Office – a UK government body which upholds information rights in the public interest – have release a statement, emphasising that: 

“Companies must be transparent about the data they collect and how they use it, and ensure that the data is not used or shared in ways that people would not expect. The ICO is developing guidance on data protection and Internet of Things devices and we will act where we don’t see the rules being followed,” said Stephen Almond, Executive Director of Regulatory Risk and the ICO. 

Want to keep up to date with all of the latest telecoms news? Sign up for Total Telecom’s daily newsletter 

Also in the news:
Virgin Media O2 to begin 3G switch off in 2025
Unleashing a connected future: Navigating the UK’s broadband landscape
Consolidation begins in UK fibre market as VMO2’s nexfibre acquires altnet Upp

Mobile operator EE (BT) has just announced that their ongoing deployment of a 4G and 5G (mobile broadband) network on the London Underground – in partnership with Boldyn Networks and Nokia – has now reached the first West End stations, starting with Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road. But more will follow. Boldyn Networks (formerly […]

The Sheffield City Council (SCC) has ordered CityFibre to cease its roll-out of a new 10Gbps capable full fibre (FTTP) broadband ISP network in part of the South Yorkshire (England) City, which occurred after its contractor breached a permit and allowed night works to continue on well past the 11pm limit. CityFibre began their £115m […]

News

All major UK operators have agreed with the government to phase out 2G and 3G by 2033  

Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) has become the final major UK mobile operator to announce 3G shut down schedule, aiming to begin the process in 2025. 

The company says that the switch off is part of its ongoing network transformation, with the move freeing up valuable spectrum therefore allowing for the expansion of its 4G and 5G networks. 

3G services were launched in the UK in 2003, but now carry only a small fraction of the country’s total mobile data traffic. In VMO2’s case, only 4% of all data consumed last year was carried over their 3G network. 

VMO2 added that its 4G services now cover 99% of the population, and they expect their 5G coverage to reach 50% of the population by the end of the year. 

This 3G shutdown schedule puts VMO2 slightly behind its rivals, with EE and Three set to begin shutting down their 3G networks next year, while Vodafone UK aims to have completed the process by June next year. 

“3G was once an exciting new development for telecoms providers that brought new opportunities for customers,” said Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2 in a press release. “But as we continue to evolve our network to provide the best mobile connectivity, it is clear that switching off 3G and focusing our attention and investment on the faster, more reliable and more efficient 4G and 5G services is the right thing to do for our customers, our business and the environment.” 

3G services are likely to be axed before 2G, as 2G remains the only connectivity option in some the most rural parts of the country, as well as used by many Internet of Things services and providing a low power fallback option for more modern networks. 

Here from Virgin Media O2 at this year’s Connected Britain, the UK’s largest digital economy event – book your tickets now! 

Also in the news:
Unleashing a connected future: Navigating the UK’s broadband landscape
German fibre coverage hits 36%
Potential ‘remedies’ for Spain’s Orange–MásMóvil merger draw in Digi 

Contributed Article

by Brendan Gibbs, Senior Vice President, Automated WAN Solutions at Juniper Networks

Juniper Networks announced its expanded Cloud Metro solutions portfolio in July 2022, optimized for enabling sustainable business growth. The Juniper Cloud Metro solutions address profits, people and the planet holistically, and are underpinned by improved service experience. This announcement was the natural evolution of the Cloud Metro vision we introduced  April 2021. Juniper has entered this market with purpose, following significant innovation and investments over the past several years to create an entirely new category of metro solutions for an experience-driven, cloud-connected world, giving service providers an “easy button” to bring the Cloud Metro vision to reality.

Cloud Metro: A New Product Category for Sustainable Business Growth

Metro has become the “new edge” and has huge growth potential. The metro is where 5G, edge cloud hosting, connectivity and service experience converge. But can the traditional “retro metro” sustain business growth for the long term?

Metro traffic bandwidth is estimated to grow more than 500% from 2021 to 2027, but most teams’ budgets will remain flat, which means the current cost per bit is not sustainable and new network economics are paramount to scale productively. User expectations have increased and security threats continue to expand. Eighty-six percent of telecom executives named skilled staff shortage as the primary industry challenge. In addition, a new ITU standard now requires operators to reduce greenhouse emissions by 45 percent by 2030. We believe a new approach is needed to effectively tackle these challenges and enable sustainable business growth holistically. At Juniper, we call this approach “Cloud Metro”.

But arguably, the biggest change needed for Cloud Metro is a revolutionary approach for managing such networks and services. It’s often said that “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Service providers who rearchitect their networks to accommodate this massive growth in new capacity, new traffic patterns and new sustainability requirements, yet don’t rearchitect their operations, will be unable to truly unlock the full benefits of this shift. A Cloud Metro network is fundamentally an experience-first network, focused on providing a high-quality service experience for customers instead of mere packet transport as in the past, with automated and AI-aware operations at the forefront of this new approach.

Cloud Metro is about applying cloud principles to architecting, building and operating metro networks. It’s a new solution category because the attributes for its operations, systems and architecture are fundamentally different than the traditional retro metro, as indicated in Table 1 below. Take cars, for example. While both electric vehicles and gasoline vehicles are “vehicles”, they’re in different vehicle categories to each other. Similarly, that’s what we’ve done with Juniper Cloud Metro.

Juniper’s Expanded Cloud Metro Solutions

Together, the expanded portfolio and enhanced capabilities create a new model for metro network operations, systems and architecture, all aligned with a single purpose – to enable sustainable business growth. Our newly expanded Cloud Metro solution combines:

Sustainable Operations with AI-enabled, cloud-delivered Automation as a Service
Sustainable Systems that deliver port density and flexibility with speeds to 400G, while reducing carbon footprint and e-waste
Sustainable Architecture with a scalable IP services fabric that features embedded active service assurance and integrated Zero Trust security

Reimagining Metro Operations

In 2021, Juniper introduced Juniper Paragon™ Automation—a portfolio of cloud-native, experience-driven software applications to automate the full lifecycle of the network and services. Now, we’re making it even easier for service providers to consume, providing:

AI-Enabled Automation as a Service: Most automation tools function as standalone solutions, requiring complex specialized software and dedicated on-premises infrastructures. Today, we’re introducing Paragon Automation as a cloud-delivered service. Teams can instantly simplify and accelerate service delivery by consuming automation from the cloud as a SaaS solution, reducing time-to-service introduction from months to minutes with dramatic improvements in productivity and speed. This offering will be available starting in early 2023. Throughout next year, we will be rolling out additional use cases and an AI-driven conversational assistant.
AI-Enabled Intelligence: Drives down manual effort and timelines for Day-2 operations with AI-driven operations (AIOps). Networking operational staff can diagnose problems much more quickly, drawing on the proven Juniper AI expertise. With Juniper AIOps, the Cloud Metro network itself can more efficiently observe, predict and remediate network failures and service degradations at service provider scale.
Reimagined Metro Device Onboarding: For our first use case leveraging the power of Paragon Automation as a Service, we’ve made end-to-end metro device onboarding available as a service – instantaneous, secured and virtually error-free. This fully automated metro device onboarding as a service is available anywhere from the cloud and can provision a fully configured, secured, tested and inventoried device in minutes, a far cry from the hours it traditionally takes to onboard individual devices.

The Juniper Cloud Metro model for sustainable operations dramatically reduces tedious manual tasks, enabling superior experiences for end users and operators alike. And it enables profitable growth by helping service providers bring differentiated services to market faster than competitors.

Learn more about how Juniper is reinventing metro network operations. 

Reinventing Metro Networking Systems

In April 2021, we introduced two new platforms in the ACX7000 family, as well as our Unified PON solution, all designed to bring more capacity and intelligence to the metro edge. Today, we’re announcing the next step in this evolution: a greatly expanded ACX7000 family, along with new Juniper co-developed 400GE ZR/ZR+ optics.

The expanded family of Juniper Cloud Metro networking systems is expected to deliver future-proof performance, while reducing power consumption by up to 77%. These new systems feature:

Adaptive Power Innovation: The Juniper ACX7000 family leverages the latest generation chipsets and system design, plus new energy innovations, to deliver performance, scale and density with less space and power. With the ability to turn off software functions when not in use, these systems reduce power consumption by 61-77%—and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) up to 71%.
Future-Proof Performance: The expanded Cloud Metro portfolio delivers broad scale from 1 Gbps to 4.8 Tbps, and line card capacity of 1.6 Tbps per slot. Juniper also offers port flexibility & density for 1/10/25/40/100/200 and 400G ports, and the ability to support high-power XR/ZR/ZR+ coherent optics on every port simultaneously. With the industry’s only Class D-verified timing precision accuracy, these systems are ready for low-latency applications of the future.

With this kind of headroom, we believe Juniper Cloud Metro systems will last four to seven years longer than alternatives on the market, protecting investment far into the future while reducing e-waste. It adds up to the industry’s most sustainable metro network solution—both for the planet and service providers’ ongoing business economics.

Learn more about the Juniper ACX7000 Family Portfolio.

Building Scalable, Assured and Secure Metro IP Services Fabric Architecture

When we began our Cloud Metro vision, we introduced a new converged IP services fabric architecture optimized for supporting end-to-end network slicing, with the ability to support both scale-up and scale-out expansion. Today, we’re taking Cloud Metro architectures to the next level with:

Embedded Active Assurance: Traditional networks require complex standalone solutions to validate network devices and services. Now, we’ve embedded Paragon Active Assurance test agents directly into the Junos OS Evolved in every ACX7000 platform. We’ve turned the metro network itself into a “sensor” that proactively enables user experience, without requiring advanced expertise or tedious manual effort. By adding the ability to emulate 5G UE/gNodeB with Paragon Active Assurance, service providers can also proactively enable end-to-end 5G services, verifying ahead of time, for example, that new cell sites are ready to serve customers or that edge clouds will meet SLA requirements for a new network slice. And incident resolution times can be cut in half—even as most problems are fixed before they affect customers—translating to happier, more loyal subscribers.

Built-in Zero Trust Security: Juniper has applied the Zero Trust security principles throughout the Cloud Metro IP services fabric. Each new Juniper ACX7000 platform now features a unique, cryptographically signed device identity (DevID), compliant with IEEE 802.1AR standard and stored in Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 silicon, which is installed at the time of manufacture to mitigate the risk of being spoofed by hackers. The moment a Cloud Metro platform boots, it automatically verifies device authenticity and integrity, attesting that neither hardware nor software has been tampered with and activating RFC-compliant secure Zero-Touch Provisioning (sZTP). In addition, the Juniper Cloud Metro solution features native file encryption to protect data at rest and MACsec on all ports to safeguard data in motion. In addition, the new Paragon Automation as a Service offering includes validation and reporting of network trust to provide insight into infrastructure security posture across an end-to-end network.

Together, these capabilities create a more scalable, assured and secure metro IP services fabric that’s optimized for the explosion of new devices and applications at the metro edge. They provide a powerful foundation to deliver next-generation metro edge services and network slices and achieve sustainable business outcomes.

Reimagine the Metro, Reinvent Your Business

The landscape for new digital experiences and the metro networks enabling them is changing before our eyes. The emergence of the next-generation edge brings new challenges, but also presents an incredible opportunity for service providers to redefine their business and their role in the digital ecosystem. We can’t get there, however, with yesterday’s retro metro. To capitalize on tomorrow’s converged, cloudified edge, service providers will need a new, more sustainable approach to their metro network operations, networking systems and architectures.

While the rest of the industry continues to figure out what a next-generation metro network should look like, Juniper can deliver it today. Our newly expanded Cloud Metro solution provides service providers with a powerful foundation to fuel sustainable business growth—for their people, the planet and their bottom line.

Want to learn more about Juniper and their Cloud Metro solutions? Find them at Stand 30 at Connected Britain in London on 20-21 September 

Also in the news:
“Open dialogue for 5G.”
German fibre coverage hits 36%
Potential ‘remedies’ for Spain’s Orange–MásMóvil merger draw in Digi

 

Statement of Product Direction

The information on this page may contain Juniper’s development and plans for future products, features, or enhancements (“SOPD Information”). SOPD Information is subject to change at any time, without notice. Juniper provides no assurances, and assumes no responsibility, that future products, features, or enhancements will be introduced. In no event should any purchase decision be based upon reliance of timeframes or specifics outlined as part of SOPD Information, because Juniper may delay or never introduce the future products, features, or enhancements.

Any SOPD Information within, or referenced or obtained from, this website by any person does not give rise to any reliance claim, or any estoppel, against Juniper in connection with, or arising out of, any representations set forth in the SOPD Information. Juniper is not liable for any loss or damage (howsoever incurred) by any person in connection with, or arising out of, any representations set forth in the SOPD Information.

Juniper Networks, the Juniper Networks logo, Juniper, Junos, and other trademarks listed here are registered trademarks of Juniper Networks, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. 

VIEWPOINT

To reach a truly connected Gigabit Britain, every home and business needs to have access to the best connectivity, and partnerships among fibre industry leaders are critical to bridging this gap. Two industry leaders have come together to help BSPs level up their network deployments: Calix, and Virtuvi. And will be present at Connected Britain and have brought to market a fully integrated technology ecosystem.

ISPs looking to build and optimise their networks require collaborative environments and streamlined processes. By leveraging the power of Vitruvi’s GIS-based SaaS telecom construction management software, and the Calix Software and Intelligent Access Edge platform, altnets have all the building blocks to initiate a game-changing deployment. This combination of solutions allows altnets to visualize, plan and build their network from start-to-finish and end-to-end—all with the experience and combined vision of two partners that have extensive collaboration under their belts with not only altnets, but also with each other. This greatly simplifies every part of the process for altnets, collapsing what used to be multiple, distinct touchpoints into one unified effort.

At this year’s Connected Britain, both will showcase their innovative solutions as sponsors of the UK’s most important connectivity event. In addition to demonstrating their shared value, each partner is sponsoring an award at the event.

Full Fibre ISP Innovation, sponsored by Calix. This award recognises altnets that are true “champions” of full fibre, demonstrating entrepreneurial spirit or breaking through barriers to market entry to grow their businesses—and help drive full fibre adoption in their operating areas. As a cloud and software platform company that is helping altnets innovate how they deliver Gigiabit services to their communities, Calix has sponsored this award to highlight local or regional marketing innovation, creative approaches to achieving results in a crowded connectivity market, and excellence specifically in the areas of education and empowerment from altnets to their customers.
Project Roll-Out, sponsored by Vitruvi. This award recognises any organisation that has been outstanding in enhancing the delivery of gigabit capable broadband in the UK—particularly via the development of engineering and delivery strategies. As a build management software that unites project workflows, designs and PIA data into one easy-to-use GIS and mobile platform., Vitruvi has sponsored this award to highlight those organisations and broadband builders that have adopted accelerated rollouts to help create a connected Britain.

Learn how these three industry leaders come together to help accelerate and streamline network deployment by visiting them at Connected Britain, where they’ll be attending, presenting, and hosting networking events. Don’t miss the event from September 20-21 at ExCeL London.