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

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

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

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

BAE awarded £89M contract for TRINITY battlefield network

BAE Systems has been awarded an £89 million contract to design and manufacture a cutting-edge deployable tactical Wide Area Network (WAN) named 'TRINITY'.

The contract with the prominent defence and aerospace company will deliver secure and state-of-the-art battlefield internet connectivity to the UK armed forces.

Dubbed a Design and Systems Integration Delivery (DSID) contract, this five-year endeavour aligns with the Prime Minister's economic growth priorities by...

22 August 2023 | Networks

Russian hackers suspected of cyberattack exposing data of 40M citizens

A cyberattack targeting the UK Electoral Commission has exposed the data of up to 40 million citizens. British intelligence services have uncovered evidence linking the cyberattack to Russian hackers.

The attack, described as a "complex cyber attack," targeted the Electoral Commission's computer systems, gaining unauthorised access to sensitive information. The breach was not detected until 14 months after the initial intrusion, prompting questions about the organisation's...

9 August 2023 | Security

UK announces fund to revolutionise connectivity with satellites

The UK has announced a £160 million investment in the Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit scheme (CLEO).

Science and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan unveiled the scheme, which aims to deliver the next generation of high-tech satellites to boost internet connectivity and bridge digital divides across the country.

CLEO is set to capitalise on the latest advancements in space technology, particularly Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, renowned for their resilience and...

1 August 2023 | Legislation & Government

BT appoints Allison Kirkby as CEO

BT has officially announced the appointment of Allison Kirkby as its new chief executive.

Kirkby will succeed Philip Jansen and is expected to assume the role by the end of January 2024 at the latest.

“I’m incredibly honoured to have been appointed as the next chief executive of BT Group. BT is such an important company for the UK, and our many customers both in the UK and internationally and is uniquely placed to help everyone benefit from the rapid advances in...

31 July 2023 | 5G

Churches partner with Vodafone to enhance rural coverage

Vodafone and Net CS have joined forces to embark on an ambitious project to enhance mobile technology in 11 Church of England parish churches across the country.

The primary goal of this partnership is to provide robust and reliable 4G coverage to rural communities in the vicinity of these historic churches.

The first phase of the project has already been completed, with the installation of the new mobile technology at two churches: the Blessed Virgin Mary in Brompton...

27 July 2023 | Networks