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News

The telco will also resell Starlink’s services to enterprise customers

Today, African mobile operator Vodacom has announced a new deal with SpaceX’s Starlink, aiming to use the latter’s satellite constellation to improve connectivity in rural Africa.

The partnership will see Starlink satellites provide backhaul services for Vodacom’s mobile networks, helping to enable better service to customers in remote regions and support the expansion of terrestrial network infrastructure.

In addition, Vodacom will also resell Starlink’s services directly to enterprise customers.

Starlink currently has around 8,900 satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), which it primarily uses to connect consumers and enterprises in rural locations.

“Starlink is already serving people, businesses, and organizations in 25 African countries,” SpaceX Vice President Chad Gibbs said. “By collaborating with Vodacom, Starlink can deliver reliable, high-speed connectivity to even more customers.”

Vodacom itself serves roughly 223 million customers across its African footprint, which includes the DRC, Egypt, Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, and its home market of South Africa. The company is also active in Kenya and Ethiopia as a part-owner of Safaricom.

“Low-Earth orbit satellite technology will help bridge the digital divide where traditional infrastructure is not feasible, and this partnership will unlock new possibilities for the unconnected,” said Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub.

The operator will require specific national regulatory approvals to use Starlink services in each of these markets. The timeline for these approvals has not been announced.

Also in the news
Connected Britain Award winners 2025 announced!
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VodafoneThree drops Samsung, relies on Nokia and Ericsson for £2bn network upgrade

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

A new Uswitch commissioned Opinium survey of 2,000 UK adults, which was conducted between 31st October and 4th November 2025, has claimed that 41% of respondents experienced at least one loss of broadband connectivity in the past 12 months and “15 million Brits” (67%) experienced outages lasting for three hours or more.

The survey goes on to claim that internet outages totalled 238.7 million hours in the past year, which is said to be costing the UK economy an estimated £1.4bn in lost work hours. Some 21% of those affected said they are having to suffer through 3 hours or longer outages “more than once a week“. Problems at the broadband provider were given as the top reason for prolonged outages by 37% of respondents, while 33% blamed it on power cuts and 27% attributed it to their router not working.

Furthermore, 49% of adults rely on their home Wi-Fi for work, and for home workers who have been affected by outages it is estimated to have cost them an average of £46.40, with 12% losing over £100 annually. Some 18% even said they were unable to work as a result and 28% of those who use a home internet connection for work purposes had to increase their working hours to offset the downtime.

In terms of the regional results. Edinburgh and London take the spot as the UK’s outage capital, with 48% of residents suffering disconnection. But this falls to 18% in Belfast, followed by Cardiff (30%), Brighton (31%), and Sheffield (32%). But the sample size of this survey really is too small to be credible on this front.

The UK Top 5 Outage Capitals
(highest % of residents experiencing an outage)

• Edinburgh (48%)

• London (48%)

• Bristol (45%)

• Norwich (43%)

• Liverpool (43%)

Finally, 78% of those who experienced an outage said they did not receive compensation and 9% had their compensation request denied. But in fairness, Ofcom’s scheme for Automatic Compensation only kicks in for service outages that last longer than 2 working days, which is rare (most outages only last a few minutes or hours).

Naturally, we have a few comments on this, not least of which is the fact that we haven’t actually seen any hard independent data evidence to corroborate the above findings (in fairness, it’s a difficult thing to study with any accuracy). Opinions surveys are of course also best taken with a pinch of salt, since they don’t always reflect reality.

In addition, more reliable full fibre (FTTP) networks have grown in both coverage and take-up in recent years, while more people are now back working from an office (i.e. fewer people are now at home to spot when outages occur). Not to mention that it may be considered a bit misleading to term the overall result as a “broadband outage” when you’re also including power cuts into the mix; something ends users could often mitigate with their own backups, if so desired.

The other issue typically stems from whether a “broadband outage” is actually caused by an internet provider or is instead an issue within the home, such as a local network, viruses / hacker, router, Wi-Fi or end-user device problem. Surveys like this often can’t correctly distinguish the difference, which tends to result in everything being blamed on the broadband connection, while the wider picture may be more complex.

However, modern broadband networks can certainly still be disrupted in all sorts of different ways, such as via weather damage (flooding, fallen trees etc.), third-party street works cutting through cables, fires, power cuts at an exchange / data centre and deeper faults within an ISP’s network (e.g. hardware failure, routing / peering or DNS mistakes etc.). Most of these are quickly resolved, but others can take days or even longer (complex incidents in remote rural areas are usually slower to resolve).

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Openreach has today announced a raft of above inflation price hikes on some of their older copper-based line products for UK internet and phone providers, which are designed to “encourage” comms providers to upgrade their customers to “digital alternatives” and full fibre (FTTP) technology; before legacy services are switched off in January 2027.

Just to recap. The legacy phone switch-off was last year delayed to 31st January 2027 in order to give broadband, phone, telecare providers, councils and consumers more time to adapt (details). The main focus of this was the 1.8 million UK people who use vital home telecare systems (e.g. elderly, disabled – vulnerable users), which aren’t always compatible with digital phone services because telecare providers were slow to adapt. But this overlooks that, for everybody else, many providers will still be working toward the original Dec 2025 deadline to have their customers off the PSTN network.

Suffice to say that today’s change relates to that process, as well as the more distant future withdrawal of other copper-line products and services. Openreach thus intends to introduce wholesale price increases on four of its copper-based products – which will see “prices double in the final three months” before the PSTN – the old system used for landline calls – is switched off.

Rental prices for Openreach’s Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) basic product and other WLR variants, will increase by 20% from April 1^st 2026, followed by a huge 40% rise, on the current price, in July 2026, and rising by a further 40% in October 2025, double the current rental price.

Price increases

• On 1 April 2026 the WLR basic rental price will rise from the current price of £10.65 + vat by 20%.  The rental price will also rise for other WLR variants
• On 1 July 2026 the WLR basic rental price will rise by 40% of the current price. The rental price will also rise for other WLR variants
• On 1 October 2026 the WLR basic rental price will rise by a further 40% of the current price. This will be to double the current rental price.  The rental price will also rise for other WLR variants.

However, at the same time Openreach is adding to a number of existing migration incentives by launching a connection special offer, which will provide a free or discounted connection for providers who upgrade their customers to SOGEA – an alternative copper-based service providing a digital broadband line (FTTC / VDSL2) where full fibre is not yet available.

Breaking news.. more to follow..

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Hampshire-based alternative broadband network and UK ISP toob, which has deployed a full fibre (FTTP) network across parts of South England and also harnesses CityFibre’s network in other areas, have today announced that they’ve won two awards at the North East Contact Centre Awards (NECCA) 2025.

The full-fibre provider, and their dedicated Contact Centre in Stockton-on-Tees, were recognised in the individual and organisational categories, winning the Contact Centre of the Year Award (<250 seats in a single site) and, meanwhile, Customer Service Manager, Steven Pack, also collected the Contact Centre Manager of the Year Award at the event.

The network operator, which has so far connected 100,000 customers and built its own fibre to reach c.256,000 premises (estimated), is currently being financed through equity from funds managed and advised by the Amber Infrastructure Group, as well as a debt financing provided by Ares Management’s Infrastructure Debt (here). At the end of 2023 this mix of equity and debt reflected a total commitment of £395m.

Nick Parbutt, CEO & Founder of toob, said:

“Our team work relentlessly to provide the best customer experience, and these 2 awards show just how far we have come in the last two years since opening our Stockton office.

This is fantastic recognition for the whole Stockton team, for all the hard work that they’ve put in supporting our customers and building the reputation we have for delivering excellent service. A special mention for Steven too. He’s led our operation in Stockton from day one. His passion for the business and ambition to provide the best customer experience makes his Award as Contact Centre Manager of the Year very well deserved.”

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Press Release

London, 12 November 2025 – Cellnex, Europe’s leading operator of telecommunications infrastructure, today announced it has delivered its first VodafoneThree consolidated mast, five months ahead of schedule.

Containing both software and hardware improvements, the site – located in Burnley – is now delivering fast and reliable 4G and 5G coverage to both Vodafone and Three customers.

The project involved a full baseband modernisation to boost capacity and performance, alongside the swapping of multiple antennas and radio units. It is the first of a number of sites, scheduled to be upgraded to directly support VodafoneThree’s recent merger commitment to build the UK’s best network.

The upgrade also comes at a critical time as demand for reliable, high-speed connectivity continues to surge, essential for improving the UK’s digital competitiveness. The site is designed to proactively meet this demand by creating a resilient and efficient shared infrastructure model that is sustainable by design.

Gianluca Landolina, CEO, Cellnex UK, comments: “We are honoured and committed to be supporting VodafoneThree in their journey to delivering the biggest privately funded telecom investment in the UK. The successful delivery of this first site in Burnley, ahead of schedule, is a powerful demonstration of this collaboration in action. Our role is to provide the stable, adaptable infrastructure, leveraging our neutral host solutions and national portfolio of sites. This builds the foundation for the UK’s digital future and gives VodafoneThree the confidence to execute ambitious, nation-building projects like this one.”

Andrea Donà, Chief Network Officer, VodafoneThree, said: ”Cellnex’s delivery of this first site ahead of schedule is fantastic news. VodafoneThree is investing in critical digital infrastructure to reach 99% population coverage with 5G Standalone by 2030 and 99.96% by 2034, laying the foundation for a more connected, innovative, and future-ready Britain. Having trusted partners such as Cellnex, who share our ambition, is essential to us achieving our mission to build the UK’s best network, and we look forward to continuing to work together.”

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Connected Britain Award winners 2025 announced!
Netomnia announces ‘powerful and ambitious’ rebrand ahead of Connected Britain
VodafoneThree drops Samsung, relies on Nokia and Ericsson for £2bn network upgrade

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Internet service provider Octaplus, which sells broadband packages to consumers via various full fibre networks, has today begun an exclusive “early-stage” rollout of their new AI (Artificial Intelligence) powered support system – Ask Octa AI – with a selected group of existing customers.

Consumer sentiment toward the use of AI chatbots tends to be quite mixed, with many viewing it as being more of a negative (i.e. a way of reducing the number of actual humans that are available to provide support over the longer term). On the other hand, if such systems do end up making it quicker and easier for customers to get their issues resolved, then that would still be a positive change.

In this case, Octaplus appear to be deploying a system that will go much deeper than just a standalone chatbot can, not least by “directly [integrating] into the Octaplus digital framework” (e.g. allowing it to have direct interaction with your broadband router).

The goal is to deliver faster account management and improved support, which also means that customers will gain “real-time insights and faster responses through a system that understands their connection, not just their questions“.

Gladstone Gonsalves, CEO of Octaplus, said:

“Ask Octa marks the beginning of a smarter era for broadband. This isn’t about automating conversations; it’s about connecting intelligence to infrastructure. Ask Octa is built into our digital core, giving customers instant access to their broadband performance, account details, and network insights — all powered by AI that truly understands their service.”

The first phase of Ask Octa AI testing has now begun and will initially only be used for certain things, such as allowing customers to manage their accounts more easily and efficiently through AI-powered prompts for billing, usage insights, and parental controls. Customers will also be able to interact directly with their router for real-time diagnostics, connection quality checks, and instant self-serve support via the tool.

All of this is said to be laying the groundwork for Octaplus’ vision of a “fully AI-optimised home experience“, where broadband “adapts intelligently to user habits and household needs“. The internet provider currently plans a full launch in Q1 2026, with expanded AI features scheduled to be introduced throughout the year.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Wireless infrastructure firm Cellnex has today announced that they’ve delivered the “very first” consolidated 4G and 5G mast site for the recently merged mobile operators of Vodafone and Three UK (VodafoneThree) – five months ahead of schedule, which was established in the Lancashire (England) town of Burnley. Many more are expected to follow.

So far, most of the immediate post-merger network performance improvements have stemmed from VodafoneThree’s efforts to combine spectrum, as well as joint network roaming via their new Multi-Operator Core Network (MOCN) – all of which are being gradually deployed.

However, over time the merged operators will also be looking to consolidate some of their mast sites and exit from those they no longer need, which should reduce unnecessary duplication and cut costs. Containing both software and hardware improvements, the first such site to be consolidated like this – located in Burnley – is now said to be delivering “fast and reliable 4G and 5G coverage” to both Vodafone and Three UK customers.

The project involved a full baseband modernisation to boost capacity and performance, alongside the swapping of multiple antennas and radio units. It is the first of a number of sites, scheduled to be upgraded to directly support VodafoneThree’s recent merger commitment to “build the UK’s best network“.

Gianluca Landolina, CEO of Cellnex UK, said:

“We are honoured and committed to be supporting VodafoneThree in their journey to delivering the biggest privately funded telecom investment in the UK. The successful delivery of this first site in Burnley, ahead of schedule, is a powerful demonstration of this collaboration in action. Our role is to provide the stable, adaptable infrastructure, leveraging our neutral host solutions and national portfolio of sites. This builds the foundation for the UK’s digital future and gives VodafoneThree the confidence to execute ambitious, nation-building projects like this one.”

Andrea Donà, Chief Network Officer at VodafoneThree, said:

“Cellnex’s delivery of this first site ahead of schedule is fantastic news. VodafoneThree is investing in critical digital infrastructure to reach 99% population coverage with 5G Standalone by 2030 and 99.96% by 2034, laying the foundation for a more connected, innovative, and future-ready Britain. Having trusted partners such as Cellnex, who share our ambition, is essential to us achieving our mission to build the UK’s best network, and we look forward to continuing to work together.”

The combined business has previously stated that it aspires to reach more than 99.95% of the UK population with their 5G Standalone (5GSA) network by 2034 and push fixed wireless access to 82% of households by 2030, among other things.

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Business broadband and Ethernet provider TalkTalk Business (TTB), which was demerged from the wider TalkTalk Group in 2023, has now followed the re-branding of the group’s wholesale (PXC) consumer division by today unveiling a “bold new brand identity and website” of its own.

The rebranding is said to “reflect the Salford-headquartered company’s shift from a traditional connectivity provider into a more agile and comprehensive technology partner“. While connectivity remains central to its proposition, TTB is also expanding its capability to support customers with both managed and unmanaged services, providing greater flexibility as organisations’ needs evolve.

The move follows other changes that have taken place at TTB over the past couple of years, such as the adoption of a new operating model, investment in a modern CRM platform, and the appointment of a strengthened leadership team. The company now claims to have “firmly established itself as a standalone, independent entity,” despite still carrying a familiar name.

Ruth Kennedy, CEO at TTB, said:

“Our demerger gave us the opportunity to step back and reimagine what we wanted to stand for in the market. While connectivity remains critical, we’re increasingly helping enterprises navigate more complex challenges across cloud, cyber, voice and collaboration.

This new brand identity aligns how we present ourselves externally with how we already work alongside our clients: as a flexible, trusted partner with the experience, people and platforms to help them thrive.”

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Podcasts

Altnets are buoyant in the UK, Proactive International PR’s CEO says, despite predictions from some that a consolidation doomsday would arrive

By: Brad Randall, Broadband Communities

James Page, the CEO of Proactive International PR, said the era of buildouts by so-called altnets in the United Kingdom has given way to a new chapter, where investors want their money back.

We recently caught up with Page at Connected Britian in London.

Joining our Beyond the Cable podcast as a guest, Page said altnets, a shortened term for smaller alternate network providers, remain buoyant in the UK, despite earlier predictions from some that a consolidation doomsday would arrive.

“There is still more investment to come,” Page said. “We’ve been talking for some time in this market about when consolidation was going to particularly hit and how quickly that was going to happen, and that seems to be something that’s never quite hit.”

Earlier fears connected to overbuilds have not necessarily played out either, Page said.

“Now when you’ve got 120, maybe more, altnets and there hasn’t been yet that much consolidation, then there is definitely competition between them,” he added. “I think that’s entirely a good thing.”

Years ago, Page said some believed there would be only a handful of altnets left standing.

“Perhaps those smaller players are fighting for subscribers, but they don’t seem to be eating each other in the way that maybe some people thought they would.”

Consolidation prospects bring mixed feelings

Page said research compiled by Proactive International PR revealed that may service providers believed consolidation could be good for them but are worried about its overall impacts on the market.

“We also talk to suppliers, and if there’s a dwindling number of these altnets to sell to if you’re further down the supply chain, then I think there was maybe some of those concerns coming in,” he said.

As the UK reaches the end of the road with network buildouts, now focusing on last-mile efforts in hard-to-reach rural areas, Page said focus is also shifting on how to retain customers.

“I don’t see consolidation as being particularly problematic for the market,” Page said, adding that consolidations can also be challenging.

He said that could serve as a discouraging factor preventing more consolidations.

“It’s actually not that easy to integrate different businesses together,” he said. “It hasn’t been the doomsday scenario that maybe three or four of these conferences ago, where we thought, everybody might get eaten by a big three or four and that’s all that would be left.”

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Alternative network provider Quickline, which is building a new mixed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) and wireless (FWA) broadband network across rural parts of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in England (3-Year Rollout Plan), has refreshed their business packages with a new pricing structure and strengthened Service Level Agreement (SLA).

The move follows two other recent developments in Quickline’s business broadband offer – the introduction of a VoIP single analogue line replacement for business customers, and the deployment of a two-working-day SLA that provides greater reassurance and rapid response when issues arise.

Sadly, the announcement doesn’t include any practical package examples, although we do note that they seem to have dropped the price of their broadband plans for small business customers. Businesses can now choose from speeds of 200Mbps, 500Mbps, and 1000Mbps (symmetric), all underpinned by full fibre infrastructure and a two-working-day SLA. They also get a fixed IP address.

Ben O’Leary, Head of Product and Proposition at Quickline, said:

“Business never stops and neither does our broadband. We know how critical connectivity is to our customers, and these changes ensure we’re offering not only great speeds and reliability, but also the flexibility and responsiveness that businesses deserve.”

Quickline is currently aiming to extend gigabit-capable broadband to a further 360,000 UK premises across thousands of rural communities (roughly 170k via publicly funded projects and almost 200k from commercial builds) and the provider hopes to end 2025 with a total of 200,000 premises passed.