News

The Finnish government has allocated Elisa €3.9 million to roll out the operator’s Distributed Energy Storage (DES) solution across its network

One of the major challenges associated with renewable energy sources like wind and solar is their intermittent nature. The sun is not always shining (especially in Finland) and the wind is not always blowing, potentially putting strain on the energy grid at times of high demand.

As such, the growing (and undeniably vital) use of renewable energy worldwide can represent an enormous management challenge for transmission system operators (TSOs), those companies entrusted with balancing the electrical grid and ensuring that supply meets demand.

Now, Finnish operator Elisa thinks it can be part of this solution using their newly developed DES solution.

The DES technology leverages AI and machine learning to intelligently charge and discharge the energy storage batteries located at mobile sites across the country. The system optimises the timing of electricity purchases to coincide with times when renewable energy is available, ensuring that the mobile network runs on as green energy as possible and reducing procurement costs.

But beyond delivering more cost-effective renewable energy for the mobile network itself, this solution can also provide significant support to the local TSO.

When balancing the electricity grid, TSOs send requests for power every few seconds. In response, the DES can dynamically adjusting the power consumption of Elisa’s base station across the country in real time.

Trials of the technology have already been completed at 200 base stations on Elisa’s network last year, with the technology already receiving the approval of Fingrid, the national TSO.

Once DES tech is completely rolled out across its network, Elisa says its network will have an expected capacity of around 150MWh, making it the largest virtual power plant in Europe.

“Achieving a fully carbon neutral economy in Europe is a tremendous challenge. DES helps to facilitate the further deployment of intermittent renewable sources of energy, such as wind power. Exponential growth is expected in renewable deployment in the coming years, but the intermittent and unpredictable nature of the source requires intelligent storage and management solutions such as DES to support and maximise their impact.  We believe that telecommunications industry can make a gigawatt hour-scale contribution with solutions like DES for accelerating the transition,” said Jukka-Pekka Salmenkaita, Vice President of AI and Special Projects at Elisa.

“By building out storage capacity in our network and managing it in a smart way, Elisa has not only improved network resilience but also saved energy costs and contributed to the zero-carbon energy transition by facilitating storage from renewable sources. It’s good for the network, good for business and good for the planet,” he added.

The Finnish government is helping to fund the rollout with a contribution of €3.9 million as part of the country’s Recovery and Resilience Plan, which is focussed on promoting the use of renewable energy.

Are operators doing enough to support the use of renewable energy throughout society? Keep up to date with the latest sustainability news from the telecoms sector with Total Telecom’s daily newsletter

Also in the news:
China Mobile and China Telecom withdraw from Sea-Me-We 6 project
CityFibre’s network up and running in Inverness
KDDI selects Samsung for its 5G Standalone core

News

The fibre operator has entered into exclusive discussions for the infrastructure upgrade contract that could be worth around £1 billion

Network Rail’s Project Reach was first announced back in 2021, with the rail network operator seeking £1 billion in private sector investment to upgrade its existing connectivity infrastructure.

The company’s connectivity infrastructure currently spans around 16,000km, carrying operation-critical information including CCTV, trackside sensors, signalling, and high-speed broadband provision for offices, depots and trains.

This upgrade would include a broad shift from its existing copper networks to gigabit fibre, as well as deploying roughly 250 additional mobile masts to deliver 5G connectivity to customers.

Interestingly, this upgrade is expected to leave the network with excess capacity, which Network Rail suggests could then be utilised by an operator partner. This could theoretically help an operator provide cost-effective coverage in hard-to-reach areas that the railway passes through – areas that would otherwise not economically feasible to reach.

Just how often this would be the case, however, is up for debate; by its very nature, the railway network travels primarily between urban hubs that are already well served by connectivity providers.

Last year, suitors for the contract had been reduced to two consortia, one led by Neos Networks and Cellnex, the other by Virgin Media, with Nokia and Jacobs.

Now, Neos Networks has been named as the preferred partner for Project Reach, having entered into exclusive discussions with Network Rail for the contract.

“This new network will deliver a step-change in connectivity and available capacity, which, in turn will help to transform UK rail for the passengers and neighbouring communities it serves,” said Colin Sempill, CEO at Neos Networks. “We look forward to working with Network Rail to finalise the contract and start mobilising this project which will see the creation of numerous jobs in different geographies. This is critical for us as we continue to support UK businesses and service providers with the high-capacity connectivity services essential for innovation and help deliver on the government’s plans to improve the availability of high-quality broadband across the UK.”

Network Rail’s formal decision is expected to be announced in the coming months.

To what extent will improved railway connectivity benefit rural communities? Join the experts in discussion at this year’s Connected North

Also in the news:
China Mobile and China Telecom withdraw from Sea-Me-We 6 project
CityFibre’s network up and running in Inverness
KDDI selects Samsung for its 5G Standalone core

Ookla, which operates the popular internet Speedtest.net service, has warned that median 5G performance (mobile broadband download speeds) are declining in many early launch markets like the United Kingdom, where speeds fell by -38.26Mbps (Megabits per second) year-on-year. The fact that download speeds have fallen in many of the countries that were first to adopt […]

Network operator Neos Networks has today been named as the preferred bidder for Network Rail’s Project Reach, which among other things could see them invest in the design and build of a new trackside fibre optic communications network. This could also help to improve UK gigabit broadband and 5G mobile coverage. Just to recap. We […]

A new study has attempted to forecast which ten UK local authorities will see the most significant increase in their coverage of Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based broadband ISP networks over the next two years. Topping the table were North East Lincolnshire, Oxford and Stevenage. First things first. This study has been put together by Uswitch.com, but […]

News

The joint owner of Virgin Media O2 has purchased a 5% stake in its UK rival, arguing the company’s current share price does not represent its long term value

This week, the ongoing turmoil at Vodafone continues to open doors for investors, with US firm Liberty Global announcing their purchase of an almost 5% stake in the business for £1.2 billion.

Liberty, which is chaired by fabled “cable cowboy” John Malone and owns 50% of Vodafone’s UK rival, Virgin Media O2, said the purchase was ‘opportunistic’ in nature.

“We believe, like many others, that Vodafone’s current share price does not reflect the underlying long-term value of their operating businesses, or their announced consolidation and infrastructure opportunities,” explained Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries in a statement.

“The stock’s cheap — it’s an opportunistic and financial investment,” he added in a comment to the Financial Times.

Further motivation for the acquisition is reportedly Vodafone’s latent potential for value generation, with Fries specifically referencing the company’s potential merger with CK Hutchison’s Three UK. A tie-up between the two companies has been rumoured for many years, with both having repeatedly argued that the UK mobile market is overcrowded with four major players.

Negotiations between Three and Vodafone were acknowledged back in October and are still ongoing today.

Liberty also made clear that this investment was not the first step in a takeover attempt and that the company would not seek representation on Vodafone’s board.

Facing stiff competition in its most crucial markets, including Spain, Germany, and Italy, Vodafone has been struggling to find growth in recent years. Under the leadership of CEO Nick Read, the company had positioned consolidation in various European markets as the panacea to its financial woes; however, deals have been few and far between.

The company’s share price has tumbled by around 40% during Read’s four-year tenure, putting the company under increasing pressure from stakeholders – including activist investors like Cevian Capital – to undergo major restructuring.

At the end of last year, Read resigned from his position as CEO, handing over the reins to the company’s finance head, Margherita Della Valle, on an interim basis.

The search for a permanent replacement CEO is ongoing.

In the meantime, Della Valle is continuing the work of her predecessor in seeking focussing on the company’s key markets and pursuing operational simplification.

Vodafone currently has plans to generate €1 billion in cost-savings by 2026, some of which it admitted would be generated through job cuts. At the start of the year, Vodafone said it was cutting hundreds of jobs – primarily from its London office – as part of these cost-saving efforts.

Given the magnitude of the internal turmoil at Vodafone right now, coupled with the company’s latent potential, it is clear to see why the company’s shares could be enticing for investors.

Indeed, it should be noted that Liberty Global is not the only company to be taking advantage of Vodafone’s vulnerable financial position. Back in September, billionaire Xavier Niel, owner of French telecoms group Iliad, purchased a 2.5% stake in Vodafone for an undisclosed sum, noting opportunities to streamline the business and spin off its infrastructure assets.

Similarly, United Arab Emirates telecoms operator e& (previously Etisalat) has also quietly grown its stake in Vodafone to around 13%.

Want to keep up to date with all of the latest news from the UK telecoms industry? Join the telecoms ecosystem in discussion around some of the sectors biggest issues at this year’s Connected North

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Press Release

Broadband provider, Broadway Partners, has added three new senior hires to its senior leadership team, supporting its ambition to be a leading provider of fibre connectivity in hard-to-reach rural areas. 

Vincent Sagua joins as Chief Financial Officer and Pete Buckle joins as Chief Operating Officer, with Dave Carter joining as Chief Delivery Director. Vincent brings his experience in senior finance roles at Yahlive, BT Group and UPC Cablecom (Liberty Global).  Pete brings more than 35 years of UK and global telecoms experience including as Engineering Services Director at BT Networks. Dave brings over 20 years of experience in the telecoms industry including Virgin Media and Cityfibre, and has been instrumental in leading the delivery of builds along the extensive Broadway network. 

The three senior figures follow the company’s appointment of Steve Haines as CEO in 2022. Bringing 35 years of Telecom experience in Fixed and Wireless to help ensure Broadway delivers against future plans, Steve aims to steer the company alongside the senior leadership team to connect some of the hardest to reach locations across Wales and Scotland.  

The company, which was founded in 2016 by Michael Armitage and Barry Weaver, has set out ambitious growth plans to deliver 250,000 connections to homes and businesses across rural Wales and Scotland. 

The new senior positions come as Downing LLP committed investment of £145m to help Broadway deliver connectivity to isolated communities, including some of the most remote rural locations in Wales and Scotland. Areas that have been connected successfully include the Isle of Arran off Scotland’s West Coast and Pembrokeshire, Monmouthshire and Powys in South and Mid Wales.  

Steve Haines, CEO of Broadway Partners, said: “Working alongside a team that has the same vision for Broadway makes staying focused on our 250,000 rural connections promise and delivery achievable , and we are confident we can deliver connectivity to some of those communities in the hardest to reach locations. 

“The appointment of Vincent, Pete and Dave is a huge boost for Broadway and its senior leadership team, as we continue our aim to be a reliable and dependable provider in the industry. Their expertise and skills are integral to helping drive us forward and deliver on our promises to our customers across Wales and Scotland.”  

Michael Armitage, Managing Director of Broadway Partners will be joining a panel at Connected North 2023 in Manchester on 18 April on “Engaging with public services”. Connected North 2023 will see 120 expert speakers and 1500 attendees from across the digital economy ecosystem come together for a dedicated regional forum on connectivity enabled social and economic growth.

Broadway Partners (ISP Broadway Broadband) has today appointed a new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Delivery Director to help overseen their fibre build, which aims to cover 250,000 premises across rural Wales and Scotland with a gigabit broadband (FTTP) network by around 2028. The latest change in Broadway’s senior leadership follows […]

Lincolnshire-based UK ISP LightSpeed Broadband, which aspires to build a full fibre (FTTP) network to 1 million premises across the East of England by the end of 2025, has continued to create a new management team by appointing Chris Tagg as its new Chief Technology & Information Officer (CTIO). With over 20 years of senior […]

Startup Stories

Tell us about your start up
netElastic is an innovative software company that provides high-performance routing solutions for broadband service providers worldwide. netElastic developed one of the first software-based (or virtual) broadband network gateways (vBNGs) and has been a leader in vBNG technology ever since. netElastic CGNAT helps broadband providers conserve IPv4 addresses while ensuring a smooth transition to IPv6. And netElastic’s software-based CGNAT offers the lowest TCO in the industry.

What is your USP?
For broadband service providers that want to grow their subscribers, and not their costs, netElastic’s software-based BNG and CGNAT (Carrier-grade NAT) provide the scalability and flexibility they need with the lowest TCO in the industry.

What is your relationship with the telecom sector?
netElastic sells BNG and CGNAT software to broadband service providers / internet service providers.

Why did you establish the business?
netElastic was formed by experienced telecom executives that wanted to bring the benefits of network virtualization to the telecommunications industry.

What does the future hold for your business?
The future looks incredibly bright for netElastic. With governments worldwide spending millions (and billions) of dollars to provide internet access to all citizens, netElastic is uniquely positioned to help broadband providers grow with scalable, flexible, and cost-effective software-based BNG and CGNAT solutions.

COMPANY CV
Headquarters: Santa Clara, California, United States
Number of employees: 10
Last funding type: Self-funding
Website url: www.netelastic.com
Founder: Jason Lu
CEO: Weixiao Liu

You can meet netElastic in the Startup Village at Connected America this March. Find out more here