Howard Watson

Is the UK government's Local Full Fibre Network (LFFN) plan going to have delivered on its objectives? It's currently being evaluated, and according to the evaluation framework: "By improving access to gigabit capable broadband, the LFFN programme is designed to deliver significant benefits ... For households, take-up of an enhanced connection should lead to improved access to online services, including essential services such as healthcare, government portals, and digital education. Faster broadband also facilitates the increased use of the internet for education, work, or leisure, supporting activities such as remote working, online learning, and entertainment." We'll see what the evaluation report says, but we can get some insight from Ofcom's Technology Tracker, which asks people about their use of services like those above, and which ISPs they use. If full fibre was important for these services, we might expect usage to be higher in altnet households, which will by definition be using full fibre. However, this isn't what the data shows. As you can see in the chart, usage of these various services is the same in the altnet and the other households. Indeed, it is higher in the other households for a number of services, though this is likely statistical noise. [A couple of notes of caution. The Technology Tracker only asks respondents about Hyperoptic, Gigaclear and Community Fibre, so these are the 'select ISPs'. And there will be full fibre connections (both from other altnets and from BT, Sky etc) in the other ISPs. Thus this isn't a clean, FTTH vs FTTC comparison, just a proxy]. None of this should be a surprise to anyone. Much of the industry has long acknowledged (at least in private) that the vast majority of consumer needs are met very well with FTTC. Indeed, filing your tax return, say, is possible with dial-up. Whether the government will recognise this is another question.

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A first for the UK, and for Europe! Today Virgin Media O2 switched on direct-to-device satellite mobile data, making the UK the first country in Europe to go live with this technology. It’s a huge step forward for connectivity and a proud moment for everyone who’s worked to bring it to life. For our customers, it means peace of mind in some of the most rural and remote parts of the country, many of which have long been known as not-spots. We’ve extended coverage across an area the size of two-thirds of Wales, keeping people connected when it matters most. So proud of our teams, partners, and the ambition behind this. And even more excited for what it signals about the UK’s digital future!

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The analogue switch-off isn’t optional. The UK’s analogue landline network is being withdrawn as part of a national transition to digital services. This change is driven by several key factors that organisations need to understand before making decisions: 1️⃣ Ageing infrastructure that is increasingly difficult to maintain 2️⃣ Reduced manufacturer and supplier support for analogue systems 3️⃣ Improved reliability offered by modern digital networks 4️⃣ The need to support future services beyond voice alone This is not a supplier-led decision - it is a nationwide programme. Understanding what relies on analogue lines is essential before change, helping reduce risk and avoid disruption. 🦆 Start the conversation before the switch-off starts. #digitaltransition #analogueoff #telecomchange #infrastructuremodernisation #telecomclarity

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🚀 Why now is a defining moment to invest in Gigabit IQ 👉 Already 85% funded on private live on Seedrs (Republic Europe) 👉 Going public live next week 👉 Limited allocation | EIS eligible 🔗 https://lnkd.in/evwrFMv3 The UK broadband market is at a once-in-a-generation inflection point — and Gigabit IQ is positioned right at the centre of it. We’re not just building fast broadband. We’re building what we believe is the UK’s safest and most intelligent broadband provider, designed for the regulatory, social, and technological realities shaping the next decade. Here’s why this moment matters: • Full Fibre adoption is accelerating nationwide, driving mass migration away from legacy connections • The PSTN switch-off is forcing millions of homes and businesses to upgrade • Online Safety regulation is no longer optional — Ofcom and the Online Safety Act are redefining ISP responsibility • The Cybersecurity Bill is raising the bar on how networks are actively managed and protected These changes don’t favour legacy ISPs built on volume and call centres. They favour providers built around managed Wi-Fi, proactive security, and family protection — exactly where Gigabit IQ is already operating. Our model combines: ✔️ Full Fibre performance ✔️ Network-level online safety ✔️ Managed Wi-Fi and cybersecurity ✔️ Community-led growth and trust If you’re looking to invest at the intersection of infrastructure, safety, and long-term regulation-driven demand, this is the moment. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/evwrFMv3 #InvestInGigabitIQ #Crowdfunding #EIS #BroadbandInvestment #FullFibre #OnlineSafety #CyberSecurity #FutureOfBroadband

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We have been selected as the primary vendor for UK service provider VodafoneThree's next-gen mobile network, in an almost GBP £1 billion partnership.   This eight-year agreement will see a range of Ericsson radio, antennas and core hardware and software as VodafoneThree undertakes one of Europe’s largest network consolidation initiatives.   I am especially proud of the new Ericsson 5G RAN products that will be introduced onto the VodafoneThree network. These include compact and energy-efficient radios; smart multi-band antennas and AI-and energy-optimized basebands.   Ericsson connectivity will exclusively cover the four UK capitals: London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, as well as other major population centers. The deployment of Ericsson 5G Standalone technology will enable high-performing, programmable networks that support differentiated connectivity for enterprise and industry.   We look forward to powering the future of UK connectivity. https://lnkd.in/dy_b9m2P

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One of the UK’s largest alternative full fibre broadband operators, Netomnia (inc. retail ISPs Brsk and YouFibre), has deployed a Smartoptics ROADM-based core network across the UK that should deliver scalable IP over DWDM at 100G and 400G wavelengths and is even classed as being “800G-ready by design” (800Gbps if you prefer). Just for some context.  Netomnia’s 10Gbps speed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network currently covers 2.4 million UK premises (RFS) and has connected 310,000 customers. But they’re also aiming to expand their network to reach 3 million premises by the end of 2025 and then 5 million by the end of 2027 (inc. 1 million customers by 2028). Read more: https://lnkd.in/eizHqaAu UKFCF: https://www.ukfcf.org.uk/ #UKFCF #FullFibre #FibreConnectivity #GigabitBroadband #DigitalConnectivity #FibreBroadband #UltrafastBrandband #ProjectGigabit #UKConnectivity #DigitalInclusion #ConnectCommunities

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Today Fibrus submitted its views to the Ofcom Telecoms Access Review. Meanwhile, yesterday, Chancellor Rachael Reeves demonstrated the pressure on funding for rural Broadband for Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and Building Digital UK (BDUK) by refusing to extend the commitments made in the previous (2020) spending review. Times are hard and funding is a challenge. One simple way to make funding go further is to fix the madness that is rural pole rental costs. Regulatory rules currently force rural operators to incur regulated costs up to 20 times higher than others and mean fibre network builders pay Openreach for copper they will never use. Fixing this could reduce the subsidy required to deliver the same outcome by as much as 25%. We have a confluence of events here and if we don't act - rural fibre simply will not happen.

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A GSMA report into the price of spectrum for mobile services revealed a sharp rise in its cost relative to the revenue generated from it over a ten-year period, a factor cited as constraining infrastructure spending.

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The UK Network Evolution sString is excited to announce the start of the webinar series The UK Network Evolution - The What, When, Why & How to navigate the significant changes that the OR & CP based exchange closures and mobile 2G& 3G services cessation will cause over the nest 5-10 years and the parallel opportunities created with the roll out of the Altnet networks and new mobile IOT services It will run a series for the Wholesale/SI/Partner market and another stream aimed at large Enterprise, Government and Complex CNI end customers with the aim of helping the partner and customer bases plan, prepare and migrate their services successfully and safely The first of the sessions, the What & the Why are scheduled for the 20th November at 11am for the Wholesale/SI markets and the 27th November at 2pm for large Enterprise, Government and CNI customers - the subsequent sessions will run end of January and February 2026, dates to be confirmed – further sessions include the data challenge, technology and supply strategies including fixed to mobile opportunities and how to plan & manage and deliver complex migrations The format will be in the form of a fireside chat with a team of industry experts from sString , Pangea, Cambia, Acuityinsight facilitating the discussion - there will be a few slides initially to set the scene followed by an interactive session over an hour Key discussion topics for the first session include: What are the key dates for a number of these key programmes and what services are affected What is the current thinking on the main migration approaches as the Local Access networks & Exchanges and 2G & 3G mobile services are closed What are the risks and issues that customers need to start thinking through to plan and prepare for successful migrations Anyone interested in attending the session please reach out on Linkedin or mail me on [email protected] We look forward to an informative and interactive session

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When complexity scales, measurement becomes strategy. On 22nd January in London, I’ll be speaking at the SCTE ® (the Society for Broadband Professionals) event about Testing and Measurement and why it has become one of the quiet foundations of modern service delivery rather than a technical afterthought. Today’s offerings are no longer built around a single channel or platform, but around vast portfolios of content and services sourced from multiple providers, using different formats, standards, and delivery models. At Bridge Technologies, we focus on expanding capacity and flexibility: monitoring more services in parallel and supporting as many formats, protocols, and workflows as possible. Finally, I’ll talk about QoE in a budget-conscious world and why monitoring should be designed in from the start rather than bolted on later in order to become a strategic tool that supports quality, competitiveness and trust in markets where viewers are less forgiving than ever. Looking forward to the conversations in London and to exchanging perspectives with others facing the same challenges from different angles. Here's the registration link: https://lnkd.in/eKutaZqk Bridge Technologies #SCTE #testing #measurement #monitoring #networks #media #broadcastmedia #london #speaker #register

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Yesterday we held Women in Telecoms Group 3rd Anniversary!! It has been a busy 3 years for the group and we are immensely proud of what we have achieved as a collective but also what we have each achieved as individuals. Nicola Kemp did a fab job showcasing this in the video uploaded, so a big shout out to you! Part of our celebration we were joined by Irina Iovita, who presented to the group the findings from 2025 Lovelace Report; Unlocking £2-3.5 Billion The Value of keeping Women in Tech. I would like to say, that I wouldn't be shocked by their findings but I was, that figure is HUGE!! Change has to happen for the following reasons from the report they ran, these are the figures: 📈 7% of women leave the industry compared the +11.5% of men 📈 80% of women have recently switched roles or are interesterd in exiting their tech role 📈 60% earn less then £100k compared to the male average of £150k 📈 25% see limited direction and opportunity in their career pathway 📈 Surprisingly, as this has been the narrative in the past, only 3% cited caring commitments the reason for leaving. The takeaway from this, more needs to be done to attract, retain and progress women in the tech industry. Especially given it is estimated that 98-120,000 more tech professionals are needed to meet the UK's AI and Digital demands. We then had Ruth Sloss to give our group a interactive coaching session on; Seeing the Value in Ourselves. We may not be able to impact the above immediately within the industry but we can impact it for ourselves. I found this session fun but extremely useful for future tips, that I will definitely use. ☀️ We can develop our EQ ☀️ Low self confidence should not hold back your career ☀️ Remember your posture ☀️ Breathe ☀️ Be conscious of the words you use, "Just" and "Sorry" ☀️ What if Imposter was actually a critical friend? ☀️ Listen , Evidence and Learning It really was a fantastic afternoon, spent with the best women! You all inspire me everyday with everything you achive and do in your careers and personal life, We love celebrating this, which we did with our "Shout Outs" so keep them coming! Shout Out to Maisie Taylor Allie Pennington Obiageli (Obii) O. for your new roles Nicola Kemp Jen Kierce for your hard work on the podcasts and Fiona Kearns for your contimued support and hard work on our Career dev group to create the mentoring group. Here's to year 4 which we foresee to be bigger and busier than the last so remember to get involve! Natalie Strange and I want you all to be part of this and join us in our conitnued support and impacting for change! Remember, Our voices together are louder and stronger! #womenintelecoms #ccuk

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Sky is setting a new standard in UK broadband. Thanks to our partnership with CityFibre, which officially launches today, we’re reaching even more homes with connectivity that meets the needs of modern life 🏠 We’re excited to introduce our Full Fibre 2.5 Gigafast+ and 5 Gigafast+ packages, as well as our Gigafast+ hub. As our most advanced hub yet, it’s built with WiFi 7 technology, developed in partnership with Comcast 🛜 This is about more than fast speeds. It’s about powering possibilities, from remote work to entertainment and gaming, and we’re proud to be accelerating full fibre roll-out to future-proof UK homes. 𝘍𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 5𝘎𝘣/𝘴 𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘚𝘬𝘺 𝘍𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘍𝘪𝘣𝘳𝘦 5 𝘎𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵+. 𝘔𝘢𝘫𝘰𝘳 𝘜𝘒 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘖𝘧𝘤𝘰𝘮. 𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘺. 𝘝𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘢𝘵: https://lnkd.in/gXeh_bHZ

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It’s official, we have the biggest 5G Standalone network in the UK. 📱 Our 5GSA network is now live in 500 towns and cities nationwide, covering 70% of the population. 💥 This means our customers in the 500 locations can benefit from broader 5G coverage, higher speeds and reduced latency. 🍒 With the town of Bakewell in Derbyshire becoming the 500th location, what better way to celebrate than by baking a record-breaking Bakewell tart – measuring 2 metres wide and weighing over 100kgs. Read more here: https://vmo2.co/3IlnJd6

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🚀 The West Midlands: Leading the UK in Connectivity and Digital Innovation Proud to see the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) setting the benchmark for digital infrastructure and connectivity across the UK. Through bold initiatives and collaborative partnerships, the region is driving transformation that benefits businesses, communities, and public services. ✅ Gigabit Broadband Coverage: 96.8% of premises – far ahead of the UK average ✅ Full Fibre Availability: 88.4% of premises ✅ Digital Roadmap 2024–2027: A clear vision to become the UK’s most inclusive and digitally empowered region ✅ Innovation at Scale: From smart ticketing and health tech to advanced manufacturing and AI, WMCA is leveraging connectivity to create jobs and reduce carbon footprints This isn’t just about faster internet—it’s about building a fairer, greener, healthier region and ensuring everyone can access the opportunities of the digital age. 👏 Huge credit to WMCA, WM5G, and all partners for making connectivity a cornerstone of inclusive growth. 👉 Want to collaborate or learn how this connectivity can power your organisation? Let’s connect and explore opportunities together. #DigitalLeadership #Connectivity #WestMidlands #Innovation #5G #GigabitBroadband #LevellingUp

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A proud moment for Cellnex UK! Delivering our first VodafoneThree consolidated mast ahead of schedule is more than a technical milestone, it is a step toward a more connected, inclusive, and sustainable future. Reliable connectivity isn’t just about speed; it underpins flexible working, digital inclusion, and wellbeing. As demand for high-speed networks grows, shared infrastructure models like this help reduce environmental impact while enabling people and businesses to thrive, wherever they are. For those of us focused on Workplace, Wellbeing, and EDI, this matters because: Hybrid work depends on strong, resilient networks. Digital equity ensures everyone can access opportunities. Sustainable design supports our commitment to responsible business. Collaboration like this shows how technology and infrastructure can empower people and communities. #CellnexConnects #inclusion #Wellbeing

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Consolidation chat is indeed heating up in the altnet space, as per Emma Powell's article in The Times quoting Enders Analysis research on the state of, and prospects for, the sector 🤑 The retail altnets' 2024 accounts show that the standalone business model is really struggling, with only one altnet (Hyperoptic) earning a positive EBITDA margin on the basis of conventional accounting standards, and that was just 2% after more than 10 years in business 😟 In capital intensive industries, EBITDA positive is a very small part of the equation, especially with aggressive capitalisation policies. Cashflow losses were still £3bn in 2024 - helped only by scaled-back rollout plans 🗣️ It is no wonder that Netomnia is in discussions about a sale to CityFibre or nexfibre/Virgin Media O2 as it is far from immune to these issues (network penetration of 15% and -77% EBITDA margin in 2024 accounts) and pushback from the established players is intensifying, making the prospect of a viable standalone business even less likely than it has seemed for some time. The good news is that there may be a premium to be had for being the first scale acquisition, but Netomnia is far from the only scale altnet available for sale and its bargaining position with nexfibre/VMO2 is weak given the significant overlap (we think justifying a price of just £250 per home passed) and likely scrutiny from the Competition and Markets Authority 🐔 ♟️ It's a game of chicken and chess between equity shareholders and debt holders now, with cash injections still required just to operate (as per £3bn cash burn above), and each party's inclination to contribute more money dependent on what they can get out of each consolidation option, and their ability to force it Enders Analysis subscribers can read our comprehensive report here https://lnkd.in/erQifXHE James Barford Artemis Loynes Henry Millen #telecoms https://lnkd.in/enFZUjjE

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The acquisition bandwagon continues for Wireless Logic Ltd with the announcement that it has bought Comms365 Limited. Link here: https://lnkd.in/ew96JrAc Wireless Logic and its strategy (including for M&A) is discussed at length, along with dozens of its peers, in our CSP IoT Peer Benchmarking Report, which can be found here: https://lnkd.in/esGV2-N4

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"Ofcom's latest annual report details 5G SA site numbers, coverage footprints, traffic share and device support. The closest international comparator is Germany, where BNetzA reports on 5G SA deployment transparently via landmass coverage projections and interactive maps". Via Luke Kehoe and Ookla Ofcom BNetZa and Arcep, as Joaquín Guerrero reminded us a few days back, are an example for other NRAs on advanced connectivity reporting

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A few weeks ago, the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology launched a consultation and document on its future “strategic priorities” for #telecoms, #spectrum and postal services. The consultation period ends on September 18th. The SSP includes some of DSIT’s expectations / direction for regulator Ofcom, which while independent of day-to-day government, is nonetheless tasked with enforcing various rules that align with policy objectives, such as broadband uptake and competition. I've written a review of the consultation proposals, focusing on the aspects around #mobile and fixed #broadband, as well as its suggestions on spectrum management. In general, I think the SSP hits a lot of the right themes, but also has some significant omissions. There's nothing about #IPinterconnect or #IndoorWireless, and the spectrum part curiously omits both #5G / #6G MNO needs, and #WiFi and unlicensed developments. There's nothing much about IoT, V2X, smart home, network APIs or various other common themes, although satellite connectivity gets a nod, and so do private networks and local spectrum. Arguably, it could be seen as micro-managing Ofcom, which is notionally an arms-length regulator rather than part of day-to-day government. There may also be some points of contention around how BT Openreach is regulated, and a push for greater detail on mobile network coverage and performance, such as 5G SA being broken out. There are also some sections on security and resilience, plus "transparency and fairness". In theory, the whole document is supposed to align with the Government's growth focus, but there's not much on new sources of revenue for telcos themselves. The full read-out is published on my Substack (free) - see link below and please subscribe. This is the first in an ongoing series of Document Reviews that I'll be writing, giving critical analysis of policy statements, consultancy reports, industry white papers and similar publications. As usual, I'll be trying to find angles and analogies that LLMs can't reach. https://lnkd.in/e5s62m3c

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