Original article Total Telecom:Read More

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The capital is meant to accelerate a built-to-suit data center platform’s expansion across Europe as demand grows

Edited by Brad Randall, Broadband Communities

American-based investment firm KKR is putting more money into Europe’s data center boom, announcing an additional $1.5 billion equity commitment to Global Technical Realty (GTR), a built-to-suit data center platform it helped launch.

The deal also brings New York City-headquartered Oak Hill Capital aboard as a new investor, with roughly $400 million committed.

Together, the capital is meant to accelerate GTR’s expansion across the continent with growing demand for high-performance, AI-ready infrastructure.

GTR was founded by entrepreneur Franek Sodzawiczny alongside KKR in 2020.

The company has since focused on developing mission-critical, hyperscale-ready facilities in both established and emerging European markets.

Sodzawiczny said the fresh funding “marks a major inflection point” for the company. He also said the funding will allow GTR to scale its team, deepen operating capabilities, and move faster into new markets to meet rising hyperscale and AI-driven demand.

Andrew Peisch, a KKR partner, also offered comment. He said Europe needs “high-quality, power-efficient, and scalable data center infrastructure” as cloud growth and AI workloads expand, and called GTR one of the region’s “most capable developers.”

For Oak Hill, the investment additionally continues a long-running focus on telecom and digital assets.

Adam Hahn, a partner at Oak Hill, described GTR as a “differentiated platform.”

Hahn also said the firm will bring experience in digital infrastructure and telecommunications as GTR scales.

Oak Hill’s $400 million commitment makes this its fourth platform investment specifically in data centers.

AI tools from Noah Wire Services have been used to help generate this report.

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Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Telecoms giant VodafoneThree (Vodafone and Three UK) has today announced that they’ve extended their existing partnership with high street mobile phone and service retailer Get Connected, which will see them become the exclusive mobile operator (MNO) in 46+ Get Connected stores across Wales and parts of England (Midlands and the South West).

The 3-year extension means that visitors to the store will be able to access mobile plans and handsets from the Vodafone, Three UK, SMARTY, VOXI and Talkmobile brands. VodafoneThree’s retail presence with Get Connected in Wales will also continue to support approximately 100 in-store jobs.

Damian Cole, CEO of Get Connected, said: “I am pleased to announce that I have just signed the agreement for three years. This partnership will give us access to more products and means that the business is now secure for at least the next three years.”

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Literacy Capital (BOOK) has announced that it has sold its stake in Managed Internet Service Provider Wifinity, which typically specialises in deploying WiFi style broadband networks to UK businesses and consumers, to European-focused infrastructure fund Arcus Infrastructure Partners. Under the terms, £15m will be received in cash at completion, with a further £400k expected around the end of 2026.

All of this follows Wifinity’s LDC (Lloyds Development Capital)-backed management buyout in September 2021, which has since seen the business scale its capabilities through various acquisitions and other changes. Wifinity was also one of Literacy Capital’s earliest investments, with the Fund originally acquiring a stake in December 2017.

As at 30th September 2025, Wifinity was one of the Fund’s ten largest holdings and this transaction will see the Fund sell its entire stake in line with the previously reported carrying value. The total return for BOOK shareholders from this investment, including cash distributions previously received and the contingent consideration (expected to be received within 12 months) is 5.2x Multiple of Money (Internal Rate of Return of 22.3%).

Richard Pindar, CEO of BOOK’s Investment Manager, said:

“The sale of Wifinity marks a significant milestone, both for Wifinity and Literacy Capital, with the business having been a longstanding and successful holding for the Fund.

We are grateful to the CEO, Costas Demetriou, for his excellent leadership and development of the business since joining following our original investment in December 2017, and for his role in helping to achieve this successful outcome and exit.

This transaction represents another notable realisation event for BOOK. Again, the counterparty or buyer is a substantial institutional investor, demonstrating the marked enhancement of Wifinity’s attractiveness to larger investors since Literacy Capital’s original investment eight years ago.

As has been widely discussed, M&A conditions were difficult during 2025, resulting in many transactions being delayed or cancelled. Despite this, we are pleased to be able to announce this sale and hope to announce further successful realisation events soon.

Our priority remains generating cash proceeds from longer held, more mature assets to focus capital and management bandwidth on less mature holdings that have significant potential.”

The signing and exchange of the deal has already taken place, with regulatory clearance and completion expected during the first quarter of 2026. The cash received by BOOK following completion will be used to repay amounts drawn under its Revolving Credit Facility (RCF).

Wifinity itself typically delivers more bespoke style connectivity solutions to people where ordinary broadband often doesn’t reach, including rural and remote locations such as military bases and holiday parks. The company also provides services to other multi-tenanted environments such as later living communities, education environments, Public Sector buildings, as well as Enterprise broadband and connectivity.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Mobile operator O2 (Virgin Media) has this morning announced that they’ve switched-on their next-generation 5G Standalone (5GSA) mobile broadband network in Sheffield and surrounding areas in South Yorkshire (England). The move forms part of their UK-wide rollout, which is now live in a total of more than 500 locations (70% of the UK’s population or c.49 million people).

Just to recap. 5GSA networks are pure end-to-end 5G that can deliver ultra-low latency times, greater energy efficiency, better speeds (particularly uploads), network slicing, improved support for IoT devices, increased reliability and security etc. Existing 5G networks often use a Non-Standalone (NSA) approach, which is hobbled by being partly reliant upon older and slower 4G infrastructure.

O2’s 5GSA rollout first began in February 2024 (here) and typically aims to reach “at least 90% outdoor coverage” in every location they target. The same should hold true for Sheffield, where roughly 580,000 residents across the city and in surrounding areas will be able to benefit from the new 5GSA network.

The surrounding areas mentioned above are said to include Chapeltown, Mexborough, Wombwell, Swinton, Conisbrough, Dinnington, Wickersley, Rossington, Bessacarr, Armthorpe, Bentley, Maltby, Hoyland and Thurnscoe.

Dr Robert Joyce, O2’s Director of Mobile Access Engineering, said:

“Our new 5G Standalone network is now live in Sheffield, providing an impressive upgrade for local people and businesses and creating new opportunities in and around the city. We are investing every single day to improve our mobile network and provide a more reliable experience for our customers, with these upgrades futureproofing our network and paving the way for exciting innovations that lie ahead.”

As usual, O2’s upgrade will be available to customers with compatible devices “at no extra cost“.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Tesco Mobile, which is a virtual mobile operator (mvno) on O2’s national 4G and 5G network, appears to have confirmed that it will continue its tradition of freezing contract prices for Clubcard customers for another year, which guarantees that “your monthly costs stay the same for the entire length of your contract“.

However, this does mean that non-Clubcard Price deals are still subject to an annual price increase. For example, Tesco Mobile are currently offering their 12GB plan (inc. unlimited calls and texts) for £9.50 per month to Clubcard customers with frozen prices for a 12-month term, while non-Clubcard customers pay £11 per month for the same deal and will then see a price increase to £11.66 from 1st April 2026.

The catch is that not all of Tesco’s mobile plans and handset bundles seem to offer exclusive Clubcard Price deals, which means that annual price rises on those will still apply even if you have a Clubcard.

Laura Joseph, Chief Customer Officer at Tesco Mobile, said:

“As the UK faces a cold snap, Tesco Mobile is putting mid-contract price rises firmly on ice. We’re proud to offer frozen prices on our exclusive Clubcard Price deals, guaranteeing that your monthly costs stay the same for the entire length of your contract.

For anyone reconsidering their options after recent price hikes across the market, Tesco Mobile provides a simple alternative: transparent pricing, frozen costs, and genuine value through Clubcard. Whatever the weather, at Tesco Mobile we help families stay connected without the stress of unexpected increases.”

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

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The decision comes following complaints from EE that the advert could mislead customers

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled that Vodafone’s use of the slogan “The Nation’s Network” in a series of UK adverts was potentially misleading, and has banned the campaign, finding the tagline could be read as an unsubstantiated claim of comparative superiority over rival mobile networks.

In its announcement, the ASA concluded the phrase could be interpreted by consumers to mean Vodafone offered more reliable connectivity or wider coverage than other providers, a claim the regulator said Vodafone had not adequately proven.

The six banned ads spanned television, online video, and outdoor posters released across 2025.

These ads had resulted in numerous complaints, most notably from EE, which argued the slogan implied objective network advantages without clear, verifiable evidence to support such a comparison.

Vodafone defended the line as a reflection of its brand heritage rather than a direct technical comparison, but the ASA said that a “significant minority” of consumers were likely to interpret the wording as a factual claim about performance versus other UK networks.

The ASA has instructed Vodafone to avoid implying comparative superiority unless specific claims were supported by relevant and verifiable features.

Vodafone is no stranger to tussles with the ASA over advertising language. In fact, it was only last year that the ASA had banned a similar advert on the Vodafone website (showed during December 2024) that used the contentious ‘The Nation’s Network’ slogan on the Vodafone website. At the time, the ASA warned Vodafone about using language that could be implied to contain a comparative claim – a warning that Vodafone clearly did not heed.

Prior to this, the company also had a trio of adverts banned in 2024 for claiming that “millions of BT customers across the UK” could “switch from BT to Vodafone and get the same broadband for less”. The ASA ruled that Vodafone could not credibly promise customers the same experience,

Ultimately, as is often the case with these advertising clashes, the result is somewhat moot. The ads in question have long since stopped running, replaced by a more recent campaign. Similarly, the ASA has no real power to impose penalties, financial or otherwise, on companies that break advertising standards, even if those companies are repeat offenders; it can only elevate the issue to higher regulatory bodies, like Ofcom, which would require yet another investigation.

Thus, the ruling today represents little more than a rap on the knuckles. It is in the mobile operators’ best interest to push the envelope with their marketing claims and it seems likely we will see another breach from Vodafone or its rivals before too long.

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Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The UK telecoms regulator has responded to recent concerns that BT’s switch to broadband-based Digital Phones may have left some vulnerable customers without access to a working service. Ofcom warns that they could potentially “step in” and investigate the operator (such things sometimes lead to a significant fine), but it’s not yet clear if they will.

At present a big chunk of the UK fixed line telecoms industry, particularly larger players with significant legacy bases of landline-only users like BT and Virgin Media, are currently having to deal with the challenge of migrating old analogue based landline phone services to newer Internet Protocol (IP / VoIP) based digital phone services. This is a complicated process and one that does sometimes run into problems.

For example, we recently reported on a situation where a customer found the battery back-up that BT supplied for their Digital Voice service didn’t always function during power cuts (here). The Telegraph (paywall) has also reported on a few cases where pensioners and vulnerable residents in rural communities were left without connectivity over Christmas for various different reasons.

However, the government and Ofcom have set out clear guidance and rules for the best process to follow when switching to digital phone services, which is particularly tough on the need to identify and protect vulnerable users from harm (e.g. those with telecare devices).

“If we see evidence of widespread issues, we’ve shown we’ll step in. Earlier in December, we fined Virgin Media £23.8m for putting vulnerable customers at risk of harm during its programme to migrate customers to digital landlines,” said Ofcom while referencing the recent fine (here). But Virgin Media’s case was, arguably, a bit more problematic than those highlighted today and had even been linked to some deaths (we’ll come back to this).

A BT spokesperson said:

“We’ve reviewed the customer cases shared with us. Our investigation indicates delays in Mr Farrah’s and Mr Barker’s switchovers were linked to number transfer and setup issues, some involving other suppliers. We’re working with both customers to resolve these issues. Mr Goodhart’s enquiry relates to a business phone line service provided by a third party.

We continue to encourage our customers experiencing issues to contact us directly so we can review their setup and provide the best solution for their needs. For customers with additional needs, we offer free battery back-up units, hybrid phones and in-home assistance. We’re also investing in improving mobile network resilience in rural areas.

Anyone with questions or concerns about the switchover should contact their landline provider, who can make sure they have the right solutions in place.”

The newspaper article doesn’t provide enough detail on the cause of the latest faults to be able to assess whether they’re something Ofcom would actually be worried about. But it’s worth pointing out that switching between providers and setting up new phone lines, whether via digital or older analogue methods, has never been a completely perfect process.

Technical issues have always emerged that sometimes cause short-term connectivity problems for a minority of users, not only with BT (all providers have experience unexpected problems). The question is often whether those faults could have reasonably been avoided or not, which can be hard to judge without more detail.

Ofcom does recognise that sometimes problems do happen that could not be avoided or foreseen beforehand. But it’s a very fine line and the recent move to hit Virgin Media with a hefty fine revealed how they have a low tolerance for mistakes where vulnerable consumers are concerned (that’s a good thing), particularly those with telecare devices.

In particular, the regulator is likely to take a dim view of providers that fail to correctly identify vulnerable users with telecare systems, or if a provider disconnects such users simply for not engaging in the migration process (such users might not have been able to engage, due to disability). This is why network providers now have to be VERY careful about cutting customers off from a vital service during major network migrations.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

A new report from the Digital Communities All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) has warning that the “ongoing lack” of mobile (4G/5G) and broadband coverage in parts of the country (urban, rural and coastal) are “undermining national ambitions“. The solution, they suggest, could be found in planning reform, breaking down monopolies, stronger regulatory scrutiny by Ofcom and more strategic investment.

At present, nearly 90% of premises can already access a fixed gigabit broadband network (here) and Ofcom forecast this rising to around 91-97% (homes) by Jan 2028 (here). As for 5G, the regulator found (here) that it is available from at least one mobile operator at around 94-97% of UK premises or 64-89% from all operators combined.

The government has supported this through some key targets and other changes, such as the £5bn Project Gigabit programme and its aim of helping to extend gigabit broadband (1000Mbps+) ISP networks to “nationwide” coverage (c.99% of UK premises) by 2032, focusing mostly on the final 10-20% in hard-to-reach areas.

On top of that we’ve also got the £1bn industry-led Shared Rural Network (SRN) scheme to expand 4G into remote rural areas and the Government retains an ambition “for all populated areas” to have access to Standalone 5G (5G SA) based mobile broadband technology by 2030. Such networks are already available across 83% of areas outside of premises in the UK, or 47%-65% when looking at the range across different mobile operators.

However, the new APPG report, which has brought together MPs and Peers from the main political parties (led by Helen Morgan MP), has said the United Kingdom now “risks falling behind other countries unless more is done to boost adoption of high-speed broadband and 5G networks” (particularly closing the remaining gaps in rural coverage). The group has thus called on the government to commission an urgent, independent review of the country’s digital connectivity landscape.

Systemic Weaknesses Identified by the Inquiry

➤ Transparency and accountability:

Current coverage data relies heavily on operator-supplied modelling, which often fails to reflect real-world experiences. This disconnect has led to policy decisions and investment strategies that do not align with actual need. The report calls for Ofcom to adopt a more robust, independent approach to data collection and regulatory scrutiny.

➤ Market structure and competition:

The UK’s digital infrastructure remains dominated by a handful of major operators, limiting competition and slowing progress. Structural barriers—including inefficient planning processes and outdated legal frameworks—continue to stifle innovation. Breaking down monopolies and fostering a level playing field is critical to accelerating rollout.

➤ Economic imperative:

Delays in infrastructure deployment could cost the UK tens of billions in lost productivity. Conversely, successful adoption of 5G and full fibre could deliver gains worth over £200 billion by 2035. Closing the digital divide is not just a social imperative—it is an economic necessity.

The full report doesn’t really mention the monopoly issue much, but when it does it’s usually in reference to Openreach’s impact on the fixed line telecoms market. “Market saturation may cause some altnets to exit or be acquired by bigger firms. This will, to an extent, impact consumer choice and accessibility, but it also represents natural market churn. The Government must keep this in mind, particularly when reflecting on concerns raised during this inquiry about the significant influence of Openreach and its monopoly in the sector,” said the report.

Helen Morgan MP, Chair of the Digital Communities APPG, said:

“Digital connectivity is the backbone of modern Britain and is an essential lifeline – a piece of critical national infrastructure – for communities and businesses.

People in areas with persistently poor broadband or mobile coverage are left at a digital, social and economic disadvantage and risk losing out on opportunities for skills development, employment, and community engagement.

Without reliable access to high-speed services, the UK cannot achieve its economic ambitions or deliver inclusive growth. An urgent, independent review of the nation’s digital landscape is essential to restore trust, ensure transparency, and unlock the full potential of our economy.”

In fairness, a lot of the areas covered by the APPG seem to be ones that the government and Ofcom are already mindful of, or which they’ve already actioned. For example, Ofcom is already working to improve their data and mapping of mobile coverage (here) and the regulator’s imminent Telecoms Access Review 2026 (TAR) will update regulation for the fixed line sector to hopefully help foster a level playing field.

On top of that we’ve also recently had the government’s 10-Year UK Infrastructure Strategy (10YIS), which among other things confirmed a plan to “bring forward“ a more flexible permitting system (aka – flexi-permits) to boost street works across England and, following that, to ease the process of delivering gigabit broadband for leaseholders in blocks of flats (here).

The Government has also just kicked off a new consultation (here) on reforming more planning rules, which is seeking feedback on whether they should further change planning rules and update policy guidance to help “accelerate the deployment” of digital infrastructure (full fibre broadband and 5G mobile etc.).

Suffice to say that there’s already a fair bit of activity in this field, and thus it’s difficult to escape the feeling that the APPG’s report may, at least to an extent, be playing catch-up with current events.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Hundreds of customers connected to the internet via rural full fibre ISP County Broadband (Truespeed) in Norfolk (England) have finally been reconnected after suffering several days of disruption. The situation began after rodents decided to avoid the snow storm and instead adopted a high fibre diet by chomping through both a main and backup fibre link.

According to feedback from some of those impacted by the connectivity loss and the ISP, the problems appear to have started on Saturday night (provider puts it at 9:10pm) after a spokesperson said that an “unusually persistent rodent somehow managed to damage both the main and backup fibre” for an area that served 442 of their customers.

NOTE: The picture on this article is AI generated for ISPreview because we didn’t have any images from the incident itself, and it made us laugh .

The internet promptly dropped faster than a wheel of cheese in a mouse trap, with the rodents avoiding the need for a WiFi password by simply gnawing their way directly into the network. None of this should come as a surprise because rodents often target telecoms cables (another recent example), with their favourite part being the byte (sorry.. I’ll stop the puns now).

A spokesperson for the provider told ISPreview:

“Our teams worked through Saturday and Sunday but because of the weather, issue complexity, (needed to re-plug 600 metres of optical fibre), location (single track road, rural area, road closure needs etc.) and weather conditions / visibility, we had to suspend work on Sunday night. The repair work resumed on Monday AM and all customers were online by 1400 hours on Monday.”

The provider said they kept customers informed by SMS every 3 hours regarding the status of the issue until resolution (not everybody within this area may have had working access to a mobile signal). But they do acknowledge and apologised for the fact that their call-centre (support) was closed on Sunday, which likely caused some frustration.

Conducting such repairs during snowy conditions often adds an extra layer of considerations, such as the need to operate within health and safety guidelines, which can sometimes – as in this case – cause delays to new network builds and also repair work.

However, feedback from some residents in the area suggests that a few users were still offline until yesterday evening (Tuesday), partly because they apparently needed to conduct a factory reset of their broadband router before it would reconnect; for some reason a simple power cycle wasn’t enough.

At this point, people often comment that network operators should try to do more to stop rats from getting into ducts in the first place, which is a fair point. However, such things are often easier said than done across a large network, where operators often share some of the same physical infrastructure. Rats are also notoriously difficult vermin to stop, like mini tanks with teeth that often seem able to cut through almost anything.. even concrete.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

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Starlink has offered free internet access across Venezuela through February 3, the company announced earlier this week

Starlink has announced that they will provide free internet to users in Venezuela until February 3.

The announcement, posted on Starlink’s website, comes in the wake of the U.S. military’s capture and arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Since the operation to capture Maduro, President Donald Trump has repeatedly affirmed that the U.S. is in charge of Venezuela.

However, Maduro’s regime has remained defiant and firmly planted in Caracas.

Since Maduro’s capture and arrest by U.S. authorities, Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice president, has been sworn in as Venezuela’s acting president.

International leaders, meanwhile, have largely condemned the U.S. action in Venezuela, which reportedly caused scores of Cuban and Venezuelan deaths.

Since Starlink’s announcement, Maduro has also been arraigned on a series of charges in federal court.

He has entered a plea of not guilty.

In their statement Sunday, Starlink said their focus in Venezuela “is on enabling connectivity for new and existing customers to support the people of Venezuela with free service credits.”

With the move, inactive Starlink customers in Venezuela will have free credits applied to their account, Starlink said.

Additionally, free credits will be applied to the accounts of active users, Starlink announced.

The company, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, said users with a Starlink kit in their possession can select a “Roam” plan to use Starlink in Venezuela.

Starlink’s announcement comes as Trump and Musk were pictured dining together recently at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

It’s the latest development in their rocky relationship.

Musk, a noted Trump supporter, famously feuded with the president last year, accusing him of being named in files related to the deceased convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Musk has since retracted some of his statements.

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