Latest from Connected Britain
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M&A‘We need to get on with it’: nexfibre boss wants to see altnet acquisition action
Fibreco chief suggests some investors will have to swallow losses on altnets as the industry goes into consolidation mode.
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Public Affairs‘Enormously aggressive’: nexfibre leads altnet complaints against Openreach copper-to-fibre discounting
Connected Britain 2025: As Openreach pulls levers to combat massive broadband losses, and drive fibre adoption alongside, altnet leaders have called out the discount pricing strategy as unsustainable. nexfibre execs have called it an exploitation of the incumbent’s significant market powers, CityFibre warns of structure advantage, plus views from other altnets, rivals…
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EventwatchIndustry maps next steps for UK’s One Touch Switch
Connected Britain 2025: TOTSCo to focus on two key areas over the next year to further improve and streamline OTS, with BT, Hyperoptic, and Grain Connect among those highlighting the system’s consequences and potential improvements…
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Strategy & ChangeFrom upstart to fibre-mobile powerhouse: Netomnia CEO plots BT take-down
Connected Britain: Jeremy Chelot refreshes provocative vision for fibreco segment, with fixed-mobile convergence latest outcome of choice. The ultimate prize could be a scaled altnet merging with VodafoneThree, or a new MNO — creating a new heavyweight contender to BT/Openreach…
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Strategy & ChangeGrain skewers wholesale model as altnets ponder consolidation
At Connected Britain the UK’s largest fibre platforms called on investors and smaller players to accept the inevitability of consolidation. Niche challenger Grain rebutted the assumption that scale is now critical, and instead called into question the foundations of current wholesale‑led models.
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Public AffairsBT’s Kirkby pulls no punches in review of UK regulatory, fiscal policy
Connected Britain: Allison Kirkby lets loose on Downing Street policy, with greater fiscal certainty needed to fund much-needed infra investment and AI adoption. Regulatory policy comes in for inevitable criticism too, as the BT boss sets the scene for the Chancellor’s upcoming Budget and Ofcom’s pending Telecoms Access Review…
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Partnerships & AlliancesGamma’s Mike Mills: why UK altnet-MVNO convergence is happening now
For UK fibre players, adding mobile services is becoming a compelling route to maximising ARPU and customer value. Enabler Gamma debunks misconceptions, arguing that the MVNO model can unlock significant returns with fast market entry, while eSIM also rewrites the rules. Learn more…
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Products & ServicesRip & Restart: AllPoints launches aquila UK fibre wholesale platform
Days after Zen’s The Fibre Hub launch, Fern Trading outpost opens curtains on UK’s latest aggregator in effort to offer a simplified, stable route to ‘national’ ISP scale, with multiple FibreCos and B2B retailers already on board. Could this be the game-changer the altnet segment needs?
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EventwatchDigital Voice: BT dials up VM O2, gov to help reboot ‘beyond painful’ migration
With POTS shutdown a strategic financial imperative, BT belatedly embraces collaboration to reach remaining two million (many vulnerable) analogue subscribers, as the already delayed digital landline switchover deadline looms…
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Public AffairsUK’s AI Growth Zone strategy — fit for purpose?
In-depth: As the UK government opens up its AI Growth Zone initiative for formal applications, industry leaders debate the value, variously describing it as everything from ‘ridiculous’ to ‘ambitious’, and running the risk of ‘fetishising’ location and creating a ‘real mess’, as well as presenting opportunity for the UK on a global stage. Includes reporting from Connected North…
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Analyst BriefingsUK Infrawatch Briefing: altnets and Openreach square up, data centres spread out
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, including: data centres embrace regional opportunities; overbuild threats loom; a closer‑than‑expected scale fibre platform; people moves; plenty more…
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B2BOne Touch Switching gathers momentum as attention turns to enterprise
Connected North: TOTSCo CEO Paul Bradbury talks up first several months of OTS in action, with lessons and technology now being put to use in enterprise switching trials.
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Financial & PerformanceCost leadership key as UK FibreCo Grain sows seeds of profitability
Connected North: Grain CEO Richard Cameron positions “cost leadership” as the key to long‑term success for a consolidating and converging altnet sector, following positive earnings in most recent quarter.
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EventwatchKao Data looks north for UK data centre expansion
Connected North 2025: Kao commercial chief Spencer Lamb says it is assessing multiple sites in north-western England to expand its data centre estate, as London power and land bottlenecks persist…
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EventwatchOpenreach and altnet ‘Gladiators’ trade blows on future costs of PIA
Connected North 2025: In robust exchanges at Connected North, Fibrus Chair warns regulator is on the verge of repeating mistakes of the past on PIA pricing, and too easily steered off course on policy.
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M&AIQGeo: KKR’s latest tech buy adds geospatial smarts to sprawling infra portfolio
Private equity giant KKR is taking Cambridge-based geospatial software specialist IQGeo private in £333m deal, pledging to fuel new phase of growth. Log in to understand this hot specialist and what it provides network operators worldwide…
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Analyst BriefingsBTwatch Weekly: gov’t reforms required as Openreach seeks fibre residencies
Latest from BT and its ecosystem as the Group makes fixed network demands, rolls out next-gen mobile, and works to surrender international outposts. More from Connected Britain, Secure Tomorrow Festival, and elsewhere in a busy week for BT, EE, and Openreach…
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Public AffairsDeep dive: What UK FibreCos want from Labour gov’t
Fibre builders share what they want from the new Labour government, with policy consistency and demand-side support topping wishlists, divergence on the detail. Read more…
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Suppliers & SCMVodafone’s scaleup hothouse pivots to address telco ‘risk aversion’
Connected Britain: Tomorrow Street CEO Kenny Graham talks up JV’s role in educating Vodafone execs of need to take risks to leverage emerging technology.