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

AST SpaceMobile achieves space-to-smartphone 5G connection

AST SpaceMobile has successfully established the first-ever 5G connection for both voice and data between a standard smartphone and a satellite in space.

The achievement was demonstrated by AST SpaceMobile's engineers who orchestrated a call from the serene shores of Maui, Hawaii to a Vodafone engineer located in bustling Madrid, Spain.

What makes this achievement truly remarkable is that it was accomplished using an unmodified Samsung Galaxy S22 smartphone, with the...

20 September 2023 | 5G

SK Telecom settles Netflix dispute with strategic partnership

SK Telecom and Netflix have ended their dispute over network usage fees, opting instead for a strategic partnership.

As part of the partnership, SK Telecom aims to enhance the convenience of accessing and paying for Netflix shows and movies on mobile devices and IPTV for their customers. They will provide a range of pricing options and product bundles for users; including services that incorporate Netflix's ad-supported pricing model.

Tony Zameczkowski, VP of APAC...

18 September 2023 | Broadband

UK invests £88M in Open RAN initiatives transforming mobile connectivity

The UK Government has invested £88 million into 19 groundbreaking Open RAN initiatives under the Open Networks Ecosystem (ONE) competition.

Open RAN technology represents a paradigm shift in how mobile networks are built. Rather than relying solely on a single company's equipment, it allows various companies' technologies to be interoperable.

Nick Johnson, Head of UK Telecoms Innovation Network (UKTIN), said: 

“The Government’s funding to tackle...

14 September 2023 | 5G

T-Mobile strikes $3.3B deal with Comcast to expand spectrum holdings

T-Mobile is bolstering its spectrum portfolio by acquiring airwaves from Comcast in a transaction valued at up to $3.3 billion.

The agreement was unveiled in a blog post on Comcast's website, where the company cited a reduced need for the 600MHz spectrum as the primary motivation behind this strategic move.

Comcast had initially announced its intentions to employ the 600MHz spectrum in the development of a 5G network to enhance its Xfinity Mobile service. Alongside this,...

13 September 2023 | 5G

SoftBank to distribute OneWeb’s services throughout Japan

SoftBank and OneWeb have inked a distribution partnership agreement to usher in a new era of satellite communication services throughout Japan.

OneWeb's Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite-based services will be at the heart of delivering enhanced connectivity across the nation. LEO satellites, positioned closer to Earth, enable lightning-fast communication with minimal latency.

Integrating OneWeb’s cutting-edge LEO satellite services with SoftBank's closed-domain...

12 September 2023 | Broadband

Ofcom: Over half of UK can access full-fibre, mobile coverage steady

In the latest release of Ofcom’s Connected Nations report, the regulator has provided insight into the state of mobile coverage and broadband availability across the UK.

The report, which delves deep into the accessibility of essential services, brings encouraging news regarding full-fibre broadband accessibility and a steady course for mobile coverage.

Full-fibre reaches majority of UK homes

The standout revelation from the report is the availability of full-fibre...

8 September 2023 | 5G

UK to rejoin EU’s Copernicus and Horizon schemes

In a step forward for European space and scientific collaboration, the UK is set to rejoin the Copernicus and Horizon Europe programs. 

The UK was a major expertise and financial contributor to both programs prior to its decision to leave the EU. The EU blocked an agreement in the Brexit deal for the UK to become an associate member of Horizon over the long-running dispute over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

A resolution to the dispute was reached under the Windsor...

7 September 2023 | Legislation & Government

Vodafone to use Amazon’s LEO satellite network to extend 4G/5G

Vodafone and Amazon's ambitious Project Kuiper have unveiled a strategic partnership to expand the accessibility of 4G and 5G services.

The venture will leverage Project Kuiper's cutting-edge low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network and promises to deliver connectivity in regions that have long been deemed logistically challenging and economically prohibitive for traditional communication infrastructure.

Dave Limp, Amazon's SVP for devices and services, expressed the...

6 September 2023 | 5G

EE issue causes problems for customers of all UK networks

Customers of all the UK's mobile networks found themselves grappling with connectivity problems after a technical issue hit EE.

Reports of the problems first surfaced around midday yesterday via customers of the UK’s second-largest mobile operator, Vodafone. The issues were shown through Downdetector, a platform used to track service problems and outages.

Vodafone assured the public that its network was functioning correctly. However, the hiccup lay in the inability of...

5 September 2023 | Networks