BT updates price hike policy ahead of new regulations

BT is overhauling its policy on mid-contract price hikes ahead of strict new regulations being imposed by the UK's communications regulator Ofcom. The company said it will stop linking price rises to inflation and instead specify clearly in monetary terms what increases customers can expect. 

The move comes after Ofcom found last year that the way telecoms companies raise prices lacks transparency and can be confusing for consumers. Under BT's current model, tariffs are adjusted...

17 January 2024 | 5G

BT misses Huawei equipment ban deadline

The deadline set by the UK government for telecoms operators to remove Huawei equipment from their core networks has elapsed, with BT falling a bit short.

In November 2022, the government issued formal legal notices to telecoms operators – including BT – outlining their obligations to eliminate Huawei kit due to security concerns. 

The initial deadline of 28 January 2023 was later extended to 31 December 2023 as several operators expressed difficulties in...

2 January 2024 | 5G

Connected Nations: UK full-fibre broadband reaches 17M homes

A record-breaking 17 million UK homes now have access to full-fibre broadband, according to Ofcom's latest Connected Nations report released today.

The report highlights the advantages of full-fibre broadband, emphasising its increased reliability and resilience compared to traditional copper-based networks. 4.6 million households have already made the switch.

Analysis indicates that providers experience fewer faults on their fibre networks, contributing to a smoother...

19 December 2023 | Broadband

Over 330K premises benefit from UK connectivity fund in 2023

The UK has invested over half a billion pounds this year to boost connectivity for more than 330,000 premises. The announcement comes alongside a £33 million investment to connect more than 17,000 homes and businesses in rural Derbyshire to high-speed broadband.

This announcement for Derbyshire follows earlier contracts awarded in Shropshire, Cambridgeshire, New Forest, Norfolk, Suffolk, Hampshire, North East Staffordshire, and Oxfordshire—bringing total investment to over...

15 December 2023 | Broadband

In the fast lane: Analysing the UK’s leading broadband players

Opensignal has conducted an in-depth analysis of the real-world fixed broadband experience across the UK. The study provides a national overview as well as detailed insights into five major cities: Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, and Manchester.

National broadband landscape

The UK's fixed broadband market is witnessing rapid evolution, with national telecoms regulator Ofcom's analysis pointing to a potential surge in full fibre (FTTP) coverage from 15.4 million properties...

6 December 2023 | Broadband

Mobile data traffic in Europe to almost triple within five years

The GSMA predicts that mobile data traffic in Europe will almost triple over the next five years, fueled by the expansion of 4G networks in central and eastern Europe and improvements in 5G coverage and capacity.

The analysis shows that 5G subscribers are interested in adding high-bandwidth services like gaming, extended reality, and video streaming, which will require continued network investments by operators expected to spend over €198 billion upgrading networks by...

23 November 2023 | 5G

Huawei boosts European presence with Paris Innovation Center

Huawei hosted Innovation Day 2023 in Paris, focusing on 'SME Innovation: Unlocking Europe's Economic Future.'

The event united innovators from Europe and beyond to explore collaborative strategies for the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). At the heart of the occasion, Huawei revealed the inauguration of its Paris Innovation Center, a pivotal platform for advancing collaboration between Huawei and its partners.

Vicky Zhang, Huawei's Vice President of...

17 November 2023 | Digital Transformation

NCSC warns UK’s critical infrastructure is too vulnerable

The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has raised the alarm about escalating threats to the nation's Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) and warned that resilience is not at the required level.

"The threat is evolving. While we are making progress building resilience in our most critical sectors, we aren't where we need to be," states a NCSC report this week.

Dominic Trott, Director of Strategy and Alliances at Orange Cyberdefense, commented on the pressing...

14 November 2023 | Legislation & Government

Telecom Italia approves €19B sale of fixed-line network to KKR

Telecom Italia (TIM) has given the green light to the €19 billion sale of its fixed-line network to US private equity firm KKR.

The move is particularly notable as TIM becomes the first major telecoms group in a European country to part ways with its landline grid.

Italy views this asset as nationally strategic. The country has been working diligently to bridge its digital divide with the rest of the European Union, making the sale a crucial step in its digital...

6 November 2023 | Broadband

CityFibre awards contracts for its Project Gigabit rollouts

CityFibre has awarded its first round of contracts to build partners as part of Project Gigabit.

Project Gigabit is the government’s £5 billion programme to connect 715,000 rural properties, ensuring they have access to high-speed broadband services.

CityFibre has appointed the following as its build partners:

Granemore Group in Cambridgeshire OCU Group and CCN Communications in Hampshire OCU Group in Norfolk Telelink, OCU Group, and Granemore Group...

22 September 2023 | Broadband