Broadband ISP Virgin Media UK (VMO2) has today confirmed that their new ‘Essential Broadband Plus‘ social tariff is now live for those taking ‘Universal Credit‘, which complements their existing 15Mbps (£12.50 a month) ‘Essential’ plan by offering download speeds of 50Mbps for £20 per month on a 30-day term. The new plan, which was announced […]

Ofcom has today published a refreshed strategy for managing radio spectrum used by the space sector, which among other things will make more spectrum frequency in the 14.25 – 14.5GHz “Ku band” available to satellite broadband operators (capacity boost) and approve new earth stations for use by Starlink and Telesat. Until recently, most broadband internet […]

Contributed Article

By SS&C Blue Prism

Communications service providers (CSPs) worldwide have been using robotic process automation (RPA) for many years to automate repetitive, low value tasks. RPA frees up employees to focus on what they do best: helping customers and being innovative. Fast forward to today and operators are building on RPA with artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver intelligent automation (IA), which has become a strategic tool to help them reimagine their businesses.

Take the case of VMO2 and how they are using IA technology to elevate and transform their business. Every telecom company is transforming, and every transformation is challenging. But, bringing two huge UK CSPs together, with a “mid-air” merger, creating VMO2 and the resulting transformation challenge is unprecedented.

But VMO2 is succeeding. They are using intelligent automation as a platform, through which they are building their transformation at scale and at light speed. The breadth and scope of their program is significant: the customer experience, the B2B business, networks, HR, finance, and revenue assurance, plus a focus on innovation and new income streams. All this needs to deliver ROI within a year.

Challenge accepted.

Operators such as VMO2 are using IA technology to drive new customer experiences and, in parallel, automate back-office processes. Other operators are using IA to deploy and better manage 4G and 5G networks, while many more are selling it as a service to their enterprise customers. Importantly, CSPs can use IA in conjunction with a long-term strategy of adopting open application programming interfaces (APIs) and an open digital architecture, allowing them to evolve from TELCOS to TECHCOS, just as VMO2.

Telcos must become techcos if they want to find new revenue beyond connectivity. Most are working toward this goal by virtualising their networks and making them software defined and autonomous. At the same time, organizations such as VMO2 are embracing open digital architectures and cloud-native IT operations. But for some, this transition will take years, and operators are under tremendous pressure to demonstrate clear progress now.

This paves the way for Intelligent automation, which has already proven itself as way of reducing operating costs, improving the experiences of customers and employees, and preparing for the monetisation of 5G.

Organisations such as VMO2 are embracing this challenge and are meeting it head-on. It is an important stepping stone on the evolutionary path to becoming a techco.

Want to learn more about how VMO2 are executing at pace and scaling their operations using Intelligent Automation powered by Blue Prism? Please visit www.blueprism.com to find out more.

About SS&C Blue Prism
S&C Blue Prism is the global leader in intelligent automation for the enterprise, transforming the way work is done. At SS&C Blue Prism, we have users in over 170 countries and more than 2,000 businesses, including Fortune 500 and public sector organizations, that are creating value with new ways of working, unlocking efficiencies, and returning millions of hours of work back into their businesses. Our intelligent digital workforce is smart, secure, scalable, and accessible to all; freeing up humans to reimagine work.

The post How intelligent automation is kickstarting telco transformation first appeared on Total Telecom.

INTERVIEW

We caught up with Plusnet CEO Ulrich Hoffmann ahead of next month’s Connected Germany, which is being held in Mainz on December 6-7 2022.

1.     Can you introduce yourself and your current role?

I am responsible for the business of Plusnet GmbH as CEO since 2021 – and part of the EnBW family since 2019, when I joined as COO of our sister company NetCom BW. As an expert in the technical and strategic development of modern gigabit networks, I have held management positions at various German telecommunications companies – most recently at Unity Media before joining the EnBW Group.

2.     How does Plusnet fit into Germany’s broadband ecosystem?

We are one of the leading telecommunications providers for business customers in the Ger- man market and part of the EnBW Group. Based on our own nationwide network infrastructure and our extensive experience in the operation of all broadband technologies, we provide more than 25,000 business customers in Germany with reliable and highly secure services – in the areas of internet, voice and corporate networks.

As part of our strategy, we are investing in our own fibre-optic expansion for business customers since 2021 and, in the future, also residential customers. Thanks to our B2B focus, our know-how in the sector of telco services and infrastructure, our nationwide positioning and our agility, we are a partner at eye level for municipalities, other players such as public utilities and the local economy – and thus a pacemaker for the digital future.

3.     What opportunities does open access offer operators, and will it enable greater fibre network expansion?

An important aspect of the rollout decision for operators is the question of network utilisation and thus long-term investment security. Open Access models therefore play an essential role when it comes to a rapid and sustainable fibre rollout in Germany. Only by opening up networks – also and especially in the case of self-sustained infrastructures – we can ensure security of investment and thus sustainable local competition in B2B and B2C markets.

By setting the right course on the subject of open access and the accompanying technical innovations – for example in network aggregation – new value can be created for operators as well as resellers and sales partners in the next few years.

4.     What are you most looking forward to at Connected Germany?

We are currently in an incredibly exciting phase in the German telco market – especially in the fixed network sector. Comparable to the time of market liberalisation more than 20 years ago. With the expansion of fibre optics, the course is now being set for the digital future in Germany. In the sense of a good future together, the exchange of knowledge and opinions in the industry is therefore particularly important. I am very much looking forward to this.

You can hear from Ulrich and the rest of our amazing speaker line-up at this year’s Connected Germany – follow the link to secure your place!

To read a German version of this interview please follow this link.

The post “Open Access models play an essential role in enabling rapid and sustainable fibre rollout in Germany” first appeared on Total Telecom.

INTERVIEW

Wir haben uns mit Ulrich Hoffmann, CEO von Plusnet, vor der Connected Germany im nächsten Monat getroffen, die vom 6. bis 7. Dezember 2022 in Mainz stattfindet.

1.     Können Sie sich kurz vorstellen und Ihre aktuelle Rolle?

Ich verantworte seit 2021 das Geschäft der Plusnet GmbH als CEO. Teil der EnBW-Familie bin ich bereits seit 2019, wo ich als COO unseres Schwesterunternehmens NetCom BW einstieg. Als Experte für die technische und strategische Entwicklung moderner Gigabit-Netze war ich in leitenden Funktionen bei verschiedenen deutschen TK-Unternehmen tätig – vor meinem Wechsel in den EnBW Konzern zuletzt bei Unity Media.

2.     Wie ist Plusnet im deutschen Breitbandmarkt positioniert?

Wir sind einer der führenden TK-Anbieter für Geschäftskunden im deutschen Markt und Teil des EnBW Konzerns. Auf Basis unserer eigenen bundesweiten Netzinfrastruktur sowie unserer umfassenden Erfahrung im Betrieb sämtlicher Breitband-Technologien stellen wir mehr als 25.000 Geschäftskunden in Deutschland zuverlässige und hochsichere Dienste zur Verfügung – im Bereich Internet, Voice sowie Vernetzung von Firmenstandorten.

Im Rahmen unserer Strategie investieren wir seit 2021 zudem in den eigenwirtschaftlichen Glasfaserausbau für Geschäfts- sowie perspektivisch auch Privatkunden. Durch unseren B2B-Fokus, unser Know-How im Dienste und Infrastrukturbereich, unsere bundesweite Aufstellung sowie unsere Agilität sind wir Partner auf Augenhöhe für Kommunen, Ausbauakteure wie Stadtwerke und die ansässige Wirtschaft – und damit Schrittmacher für die digitale Zukunft.

3.     Welche Möglichkeiten entstehen für Netzbetreiber durch Open Access? Und erhöhen sich dadurch Reichweite und Verfügbarkeit von Glasfaseranschlüssen?

Ein wichtiger Aspekt bei der Ausbauentscheidung ist für Betreiber die Frage nach der Auslastung ihrer Netze und damit einer langfristigen Investitionssicherheit. Open-Access-Modelle spielen deshalb eine wesentliche Rolle, wenn es um einen zügigen und nachhaltigen Glasfaser-Rollout in Deutschland geht. Denn nur durch die Netzöffnung – auch und gerade bei ei- genwirtschaftlich ausgebauten Infrastrukturen – entsteht Planungssicherheit und damit nachhaltiger lokaler Wettbewerb im Geschäfts- und Endkundenmarkt.

Durch die richtige Weichenstellung beim Thema Open Access und die einhergehenden tech- nischen Innvotationen – etwa bei der Aggregation von Netzen – können in den nächsten Jahren neue Wertschöpfungsmöglichkeiten für Netzbetreiber und Vermarkter entstehen.

4.     Worauf freuen Sie sich am meisten bei Connected Germany?

Wir befinden uns gerade in einer unheimlich spannenden Phase im deutschen TK-Markt – insbesondere im Festnetzbereich. Vergleichbar mit der Zeit der Marktliberalisierung vor mehr als 20 Jahren. Mit dem Glasfaserausbau werden jetzt die Weichen für die digitale Zukunft in Deutschland gestellt. Im Sinne einer gemeinsam guten Zukunft ist der Wissens- und Mei- nungsabgleich in der Branche deshalb gerade besonders wichtig. Darauf freue ich mich sehr.

Sie können von Ulrich und dem Rest unseres großartigen Redner-Line-Ups auf der diesjährigen Connected Germany hören – folgen Sie dem Link, um sich Ihren Platz zu sichern!

Um eine englische Version dieses Interviews zu lesen, folgen Sie bitte diesem Link.

The post “Open-Access-Modelle spielen eine wesentliche Rolle, um einen schnellen und nachhaltigen Glasfaserausbau in Deutschland zu ermöglichen” first appeared on Total Telecom.

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Network operator and ISP LightSpeed Broadband, which is building a new Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network to 200,000 premises across the East of England by the end of 2022 (rising to 1 million by the end of 2025), has introduced a cheaper entry-level 100Mbps (symmetric) plan. Previously, the provider only offered a 1Gbps plan. The new 100Mbps […]

Ookla has announced that they’ve begun to integrate their Downdetector service, which identifies and monitors when various popular online sites (inc. UK mobile operators and broadband ISPs) are suffering from network problems, with their popular internet connection speed testing app – Speedtest.net. The update, which adds a Downdetector tab to the app with lots of […]