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Mobile network operator Vodafone has today become the “sole UK telecommunications provider” offering complimentary global roaming for armed forces personnel, which will allow troops to call, message and use data (mobile broadband) abroad “at no extra cost” in 83 countries.

The “ground-breaking offer“, which is announced in the run-up to Remembrance Day, works like this: Those who take out a new Vodafone Global Roam Airtime Plan with a mobile device, with more than 1GB data allowance, can get a Vodafone Advantage 25% discount on their monthly airtime, effectively waiving roaming charges in a wide selection of eligible destinations.

“This means service members can use their UK data, minutes and texts abroad at no extra cost, ensuring they remain in close contact with loved ones while on deployment, free from the worry of unexpected roaming bills,” said the announcement today.

In addition, Vodafone are also providing “best value broadband options” tailored for military personnel, along with exclusive full-fibre (FTTP) deals for armed forces families. The company also supports veterans and reservists through dedicated career transition services and flexible employment opportunities etc.

Steve Knibbs, Director of Vodafone Business Security Enhanced (VBSE), said:

“We at Vodafone know what a magnificent job the men and women of our armed forces do for this country and the sacrifices they make on our behalf. We are proud to announce we are helping them in this small way – especially at this time of the year when Remembrance Day is at the forefront of our thoughts.

Our research findings highlight just how essential it is for service personnel to stay connected with their families – not just for morale, but for their emotional wellbeing as well”

Far too often, members of the armed forces have faced difficult decisions about when and how to reach out to their loved ones because of cost concerns. By removing roaming charges globally, we’re making it easier for armed forces personnel to maintain those all-important connections, wherever their service takes them. It’s a straightforward change that makes a real difference to people’s lives – all on The Nation’s Network.”

The move will help to protect our armed forces from having to suffer international roaming charges, which are often more expensive because they cover the costs of accessing and maintaining secure, reliable mobile networks abroad. This means potentially high charges to use a mobile from many of the places British troops are likely to be stationed. For instance, a 1-hour call from the USA, Canada or Kenya could sometimes cost £144, and for places like Germany, Gibraltar, Norway, Cyprus and Estonia it would be £36.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News

Digital Catapult has admitted six international Open RAN vendors to the next phase of its advanced connectivity programme, aiming to accelerate trials and commercial deployment of Open RAN in the UK

The organisations – Accelleran, Antevia Networks, Benetel, G REIGNS, IS‑Wireless, and Pegatron 5G – will use Digital Catapult’s SONIC Labs for interoperability and end‑to‑end testing.

The facility, backed by Ofcom and funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), has previously tested 71 Open RAN products from 26 vendors.

Digital Catapult says the programme is intended to broaden supplier pipelines for mobile operators and to help smaller vendors scale by providing technical validation, market‑readiness support and commercial guidance. Participating vendors can achieve Interoperability (IOT) and End‑to‑End (E2E) badges that can certify readiness and reduce integration risk for operators.

The incoming cohort brings a mix of radio units and disaggregated software components. Accelleran and Antevia will contribute centralised and distributed units (CU/DU) for fronthaul interoperability trials; Benetel and Pegatron will supply indoor radio units; IS‑Wireless will provide a CU and parts of the DU layer for full E2E testing; and G REIGNS will present CU and DU elements for private network scenarios.

Telecoms Minister Liz Lloyd said the programme would help “tackle poor connectivity challenges, diversify our telecoms supply chains and support economic growth.” Digital Catapult’s chief technology officer, Joe Butler, highlighted the facility’s role as the UK’s only Open Testing and Integration Centre (OTIC) and said testing and badging would help reduce integration complexity.

Open RAN, which separates hardware and software components in mobile networks to encourage multi‑vendor ecosystems, has been promoted by UK government policy as a means to increase supply chain resilience and competition. In fact, it has previously set targets of 35% of the UK’s network traffic to be carried over Open RAN by 2030.

However, deployment has faced technical and commercial hurdles, including interoperability, performance parity with incumbent vendor solutions, and the cost and complexity of integrating disaggregated components at scale. Vodafone is currently the only mobile operator in the UK to use Open RAN tech in its commercial network, aiming for 2,500 sites by 2027.

Industry observers say testbeds and independent validation can address some of the barriers by demonstrating real‑world performance and simplifying operator procurement. Yet scaling Open RAN into large public networks will require sustained operator investment, mature software stacks, and robust supply chains.

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Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Press Release

FiberCop, the company running Italy’s most advanced, extensive and widespread digital network infrastructure has signed a strategic partnership with FMC GlobalSat and its 100% owned subsidiary MTNSat “MTN”, a world-class satellite network operator, to develop cutting-edge hybrid terrestrial-satellite solutions to deliver stable connectivity in remote areas across Italy.

This agreement represents one of the first architectures of its kind developed worldwide over Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks. Altogether, both companies have successfully completed tests with hybrid network architectures that integrate LEO satellite services into terrestrial infrastructures, specifically combining fiber access with LEO satellite backhauling. A fully integrated architecture of this kind has been implemented within a terrestrial network environment using Layer2+PPPoE (a typical protocol for Terrestrial Networks).

Alma Fazzolari, Director of Strategic Governance at FiberCop, commented: “It was an extraordinary moment to witness the first data transfer over a hybrid terrestrial-satellite architecture combining fiber access with satellite backhaul. We were all aware we were experiencing, altogether and with strong team spirit, a historic milestone for the future of telecommunications.  This initiative confirms FiberCop’s role as a technology operator for the development of cutting-edge connectivity solutions. The integration of fiber access and satellite backhaul represents a strategic evolution of our infrastructure, allowing us to extend ultrabroadband coverage even in the most logistical and geographically complex areas.”

This initiative creates a robust platform capable of extending and accelerating high-speed broadband access to remote towns across Italy, more specifically in areas where it is physically challenging to deploy full-terrestrial networks to connect customers.

Emmanuel Cotrel, CEO of FMC GlobalSat/MTN, commented: ”This project marks a pivotal moment for both FiberCop and FMC GlobalSat/MTN, and more importantly, for digital connectivity and access in Italy. Thanks to the power of our LEO satellite networks and FiberCop’s leading fiber infrastructure, communities around the country will no longer be limited by the cost or physical barriers of laying fiber in remote terrains.”

The FiberCop–FMC GlobalSat partnership brings together two industry leaders in terrestrial and satellite connectivity.

FiberCop runs Italy’s most advanced, extensive and pervasive digital network infrastructure. With 26 million km of fibre optic cable already laid – a distance equal to more than 600 times the Earth’s circumference – and ultra-broadband coverage reaching over 96% of active lines, the company provides high-performance connectivity. The FTTH (Fibre To The Home) network reaches about 40% of premises in the country, ensuring speed and reliability for households and businesses. With 14 million active lines (as of July 2025), FiberCop is Italy’s leader in fixed broadband access, offering operators reliable and innovative solutions based on a state-of-the-art network that is constantly evolving.

FMC GlobalSat/MTN is a world-class network operator with over 40 years of experience that connects global operations with the speed, security, and trust required for success. Its multi-network architecture delivers resilient, fully managed connectivity for critical systems and remote teams across the maritime, energy, government, and enterprise sectors. Headquartered in Florida with offices across Europe, the Middle East and South America, the company has pioneered the delivery of converged connectivity solutions on a global scale by partnering with companies such as SpaceX-Starlink and OneWeb.

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News

The company’s streamlining efforts continue amid revenue decline

BT has released its latest quarterly figures, revealing the extent of job cuts that have taken place over the first half of the financial year.

The figures show that the company’s headcount has been reduced by around 6% in this financial year to date, representing around 5,000 jobs, bringing the company’s total headcount to roughly 111,000.

These job cuts contributed significantly to the almost £250 million in cost savings BT has achieved in the same period.

The move is part of a long-term downsizing strategy from BT, which began in earnest in 2023 under the leadership of ex-CEO Philip Jansen. At that time, the company said it would aim to reduce costs by £3 billion by 2025, a goal that was subsequently met a year ahead of schedule.

This streamlining process has been further accelerated under new CEO Allison Kirkby, who took over the role in February 2024. Kirkby has pledged further restructuring, with BT now targeting yet another £3 billion in cost savings by 2029.

Job cuts, naturally, play a key role in this strategy. BT said in 2023 that the company is aiming to reduce its workforce by around 55,000 by the end of the decade, a move which would leave it with 75,000–90,000 staff.

Besides headcount reduction, BT’s results revealed a company still grappling with a highly competitive market. Revenues were down by 3% to £9.8 billion in H1, year-on-year, with pre-tax reduced by 11% year-on-year to £862 million. Much of this reduction, the company said, could be attributed to a fall in legacy landline services and a weaker mobile market.

The company is also under pressure in the fixed broadband sector.

Openreach, the company’s fibre network subsidiary, reported that its fibre network rollout has passed 20 million premises and remains on track to hit the company’s goal of 25 million by December 2026. However, Openreach CEO Clive Selley says the company is preparing to ‘hold fire’ on additional approvals for the additional 5 million premises needed to reach its 2030 target of 30 million until the Telecoms Access Review

The company added 1.1 million new full fibre customers in H1; however, this was not enough to offset customer losses elsewhere, with the company noting an overall decline of 242,000 broadband customers in Q2. Openreach said these losses were the result of strong competition and a weaker broadband market.

Despite this seemingly bumpy road, Kirkby maintains that the company’s wider transformation to greater growth remains on track.

“BT is delivering on its strategy in competitive markets. Since the start of the year, we’ve driven customer growth across consumer broadband, mobile and TV and we’re stabilising our UK-focused business division,” said Kirkby. “Outside the UK, we’ve completed strategic exits and we’re reshaping our international unit. BT’s transformation is delivering ahead of plan, as our UK focus and radical simplification and modernisation are helping to offset declines from our international and legacy businesses and higher labour-related costs since the start of this tax year.”

In related news in tandem with the quarterly results release, BT also announced a new deal with SpaceX’s Starlink to use the latter’s satellites to deliver connectivity across the UK’s hard-to-reach areas. Commercial launch is expected in the latter half of 2026.

Virgin Media O2 announced a similar arrangement with Starlink last week.

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Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

New customers looking to join Virgin Media may like to know that they’ve kicked off their Black Friday sale this week, which is offering the first three months of service for free across many of their broadband packages, including some major TV and TV + O2 SIM bundles. This is on top of the discounted monthly rental prices they were already running.

For example, the provider’s 264Mbps broadband-only package is now free for the first 3 months of service on a 24-month minimum term, before becoming £24.99 per month thereafter (rising to £28.99 from April 2026 and £32.99 from April 2027). New subscribers will also receive an included wireless router and free setup etc.

The new offers will be available to order until 10th December 2025.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The UK communications, internet and media regulator, Ofcom, has today announced that they’ve agreed to work “more closely” with their counterparts in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The move aims to “strengthen the security and resilience of telecoms networks” and tackle consumer-facing risks from scams and fraud.

The position has been reflected in a new Joint Statement, which was agreed this week at a meeting of international partners hosted by Ofcom. The need for something like this flows from the fact that many crimes, such as those carried out online or via the phone, often reach across borders from a base in different countries.

The new partnership commits Ofcom, the Federal Communications Commission (US); Innovation, Science, and Economic Development (Canada); the Department of Home Affairs (Australia); and the National Cyber Security Centre (New Zealand) to strengthen cooperation in the telecoms sector and “deter malicious actors and safeguard the integrity of communications infrastructure“.

The move should also complement yesterday’s announcement (here) of new landmark Telecommunications Charter, which was agreed between several of the UK’s leading broadband, mobile and phone providers – pushing for a “crack down on scam calls and fraud“ (BT / EE, Virgin Media / O2, VodafoneThree, Tesco Mobile, TalkTalk, Sky (Sky Broadband) and Comms Council UK).

The commitments:

Enhanced cooperation on network reliability, integrity and security. This will include efforts to prevent the misuse of telecoms resources, such as Global Titles – special numbers used by mobile networks to send and receive signalling messages – while recognising different international contexts.

Information sharing on emerging threats and fraud techniques, such as SMS blasters, and the risks and opportunities arising from the growing use of artificial intelligence in telecoms.

Promotion of best practices in network defence. This can be through cooperation and signposting to international standards, such as those related to Privileged Access Workstations (PAWs), which are dedicated computing arrangements set up for work that requires high levels of security, where appropriate. It will also include more collaboration on supply chain security, including subsea cable infrastructure and radio frequency devices where appropriate.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Broadband ISP Virgin Media (O2) and network partner nexfibre, which enjoy some of the same parentage, have today announced that they’ve expanded the reach of their symmetric 2Gbps speed full fibre (FTTP) network to add more than 6,000 additional homes in the industrial Cheshire (England) town of Widnes.

The town, which sits in the Borough of Halton, now has almost complete coverage from Virgin Media after the latest expansion. But they’re not the only gigabit broadband network present, with Openreach also covering the town and Grain (Grain Connect) holding a small patch of the area.

Nexfibre reflects a £4.5bn joint venture between Telefónica, Liberty Global and InfraVia Capital Partners (here). This has so far already covered around 2.4 million premises across the UK with their new full fibre network, which is being built by Virgin Media’s engineers. But the operator’s original plan to cover “up to” 7 million UK homes (starting with 5m by 2026) in areas NOT currently served by Virgin Media’s network of 16m+ premises was recently dealt a blow by Telefonica’s strategic review (here).

The network operator currently only expects to reach 2.5 million UK premises by the end of 2025 and uncertainty remains over what comes next. But Virgin Media has recently announced the creation of a new fixed wholesale unit, which will enable retail ISPs to harness both of their FTTP networks (here) – currently available to a combined 7 million UK premises.

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The not-for-profit London Internet Exchange, which handles a large chunk of UK and global data traffic through their switches via around 900+ members (broadband ISPs, mobile and CDN providers etc.), has announced that networks with multiple 100GE ports (lagged ports) will now be able to access new peering bandwidths of 130Gbps and 150Gbps for “increased flexibility and value“.

The change has been introduced after some of LINX’s member networks experienced periods of underutilised capacity, where their port bandwidth demand fluctuates depending on traffic or major online events for example. So, after introducing a 50Gbps “fractional peering service” option at the start of 2025 for those members with 100GE ports, LINX has now taken action to give the same flexibility and value to members with multiple 100GE ports.

The move means that members can now more easily “dial their bandwidth up or down as required“, increasing capacity before and during high network traffic periods and reducing it afterwards.

Mike Hellers, Product Development Manager for LINX, said:

“The introduction of fractional bandwidth services on 10G and 100G ports over the past years has already given our members much more flexibility. We have continued to listen and are now expanding this further by introducing 130Gbps and 150Gbps bandwidth options. The new choices are an ideal step for members to gradually increase their capacity based on their needs.”

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London-focused ISP Vorboss, which has built and operates a 100Gbps speed fibre optic network for businesses in the UK’s capital city, has today announced the launch of a connectivity product that’s “built to enable essential public services across the capital“.

Just to recap. The operator has so far completed the deployment of a 700km long dedicated point-to-point fibre optic network across Central London (covering most of zones 1 and 2), which we’re told is enough to connect all commercial buildings in the area to their direct internet access and Ethernet network. But they’re now looking to offer new solutions to the public sector too.

The provider claims to be fielding a range of options to connect end-points in the public sector. Vorboss is also collaborating with Vitrifi on all this, which has deployed key components of its networking platform, on PON-based solutions as part of the launch.

The product enables councils, transport authorities, and service integrators to connect and manage thousands of devices, from real-time traffic cameras, CCTV, small cells, and environmental sensors to IoT-connected street furniture, all with “enterprise-grade resilience and low latency“.

Jason O’Malley, CCO of Vorboss, said:

“We have been listening to local government organisations over the last year as they explain their difficulty in finding cost-effective, reliable solutions to connecting machines across their boroughs. Through a lot of consultation and innovation we have been able to create a fibre-based solution that is reliable and can be installed quickly.

With this launch, we’re extending the power of the Vorboss network to enable local authorities and service providers to make cities safer, and more efficient.”

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Eastbourne-based broadband ISP Lightning Fibre, which is building a new multi-gigabit speed full fibre (FTTP) broadband network across parts of Sussex + Kent in England (140,000 premises) and also holds a partnership to harness CityFibre’s wider UK network (here), has today launched a new range of business packages via the CF side of their service (off-net).

The announcement doesn’t provide any details or pricing information about the new packages, except to state that low-latency multi-gigabit speeds will be available across CityFibre’s growing full fibre network coverage of 4.6 million UK premises. But we assume the packages shown on their website may also be roughly reflective of the CityFibre based service, even if pricing may differ.

“CityFibre’s reach and technology are a perfect match for our mission to connect more businesses with high-performance broadband and award-winning customer service,” said Rob Reaks, CCO at Lightning Fibre. “This partnership allows us to scale beyond our own physical network regionally, and indeed nationally, while maintaining our commitment to quality and service.”