Streetwave Make Maps of UK Mobile Coverage and Performance Available
Network analyst firm Streetwave, which is currently conducting various UK surveys to study the coverage and speed of 4G and 5G mobile (broadband) networks across the UK using bin lorries and private vehicles, appears to have responded to some of ISPreview’s suggestions by making interactive visual maps of their findings available for free to the public. Over the past year Streetwave have been harnessing waste (bin / refuse) collection lorries to map mobile network / broadband coverage and...
Zen Internet UK Finally Launch 1.6Gbps FTTP Broadband via Openreach
Rochdale-based UK ISP Zen Internet appears to have finally started to make their new Openreach powered 1.6Gbps broadband package available to retail customers, which follows some months after they made the new tier available at wholesale to other partners (here). But there’s still no sign of any 2Gbps packages on the CityFibre side of their network. The new top tier package costs £65 per month (plus a one-off £15 set-up charge) for estimated downloads of 1,600Mbps (115Mbps upload) on an...
Alncom Teach Kids in Northumberland How to Build FTTP Broadband
Rural broadband ISP Alncom has today informed ISPreview that they’ve completed the roll-out of a new FTTP broadband network to the rural villages of Craster and Embleton (inc. surrounding areas) in Northumberland (England), covering 1,057 properties. But as part of that they’ve also been teaching local school children how to build the network. The network project, which has also connected the local village halls with free connections and public WiFi, was part-funded by BDUK’s Gigabit Broadband...
ISP Zen Internet Warn UK Businesses Unprepared for Phone Switch-off
A new survey conducted by broadband ISP Zen Internet claims to have revealed that UK businesses are still “alarmingly unprepared” for the transition to IP-based digital phone (VoIP etc.) services. This is occurring with the phased shutdown of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN). Just to recap. The big switch-off was recently delayed to 31st January 2027 in order to give broadband ISPs, phone providers, telecare operators and consumers...
Major Yayzi Network Migration Triggers Super Slow UK Broadband
Internet provider Yayzi Broadband has been causing a spot of bother for quite a few of their customers this week after their plan to roll-out an “incredible network upgrade” resulted in a protracted period of service disruption as users were migrated, which saw broadband speeds plummet to single digits (Mbps), as well as other connectivity problems. The migration, which was announced a month ago (here), had been aiming to “deliver lower latency, improved peering, and a smoother overall...
Scotland Tenders for £40.7m Gigabit Broadband Rollout in Orkney and Shetland
ISPreview has spotted that the Scottish Government (SG) yesterday issued a contract notice for the Orkney & Shetland (Lot 6 – Scotland) deployment under the UK’s £5bn Project Gigabit broadband roll-out scheme, which is expected to expand full fibre (FTTP) connectivity to an estimated 13,550 premises in hard-to-reach (rural) parts of the remote Northern Isles. Firstly, it’s important to point out that the SG is already working to expand FTTP coverage on the islands as part of their existing...
Virgin Media and Nexfibre Expand FTTP to 5,000 Homes in Whitby
Broadband operator nexfibre, which shares some of their parentage with retail UK ISP partner Virgin Media (O2), has today confirmed that they’ve made their 2Gbps speed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP / XGS-PON) broadband network available to more than 5,000 additional homes in Whitby (North Yorkshire, England). The town previously only had a small amount of coverage from Virgin Media’s own gigabit broadband network, although the nexfibre build means they’re now able to reach a sizeable majority of...
CityFibre’s Project Gigabit Broadband Network in Suffolk UK Goes Live
CityFibre has today announced that the first customers have gone live on their new full fibre (FTTP) broadband ISP network in Suffolk (England), which is being built as part of their £100m state aid supported Project Gigabit contract (Lot 2) – this aims to reach more than 79,500 extra homes and businesses across hard-to-reach rural areas of the county. The operator, which is supported by ISPs like Vodafone, TalkTalk, Zen Internet and many more (Sky Broadband to follow in 2025), already covers...
Ofcom Report 506,000 UK Homes Now Take Social Broadband Tariffs
The UK telecoms regulator has today published their annual 2024 Pricing Trends Report, which among other things confirms that the take-up of cheaper social broadband ISP and mobile tariffs for those on state benefits has jumped to 506,000 customers in June 2024 (up from 380,000 in Sept 2023). But that’s still just 9.6% of eligible households (e.g. those on Universal Credit). Consumer broadband, phone and mobile services are often considered to be quite reasonably priced in the UK, but there...
Swansea Bay City Deal Completes Half of its Full Fibre Infrastructure Build
The Swansea Bay City Region project has announced that it’s successfully completed 50% of its Full Fibre Infrastructure Build project with BT. This forms part of the related ‘Swansea Bay City Deal’s Digital Infrastructure Programme’ and is helping to upgrade key public sector sites with “future proofed” broadband connectivity. Just to recap. The UK and Welsh Governments gave their approval for a £55m digital infrastructure investment under the £1.3bn Swansea Bay City Region project back in...