All UK government articles
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Network & InfraBoldyn heads underground to help bring UK’s ESN online
Boldyn further expands its 4G infrastructure in the London Underground to support the Home Office’s long-delayed ESN project, in collaboration with EE and TfL. Move sees the neutral host provider expand its portfolio of ‘specialised’ connectivity infra…
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Analyst BriefingUK Infrawatch: CityFibre questions nexfibre maths; data centres earn investment boost
Analyst Briefing: Exclusive first interview with CityFibre CEO as altnet and peers prepare for life under new TAR rules; NScale backed for UK growth; Starlink reliance prompts worries; and plenty more…
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Network & InfraEE refreshes ESN fleet with Starlink connectivity
Operator rolls out upgrades its rapid response vehicle fleet with Starlink LEO service onboard as it looks to build Emergency Services Network resilience.
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B2BBT completes £350m Scottish WAN migration
Group completes upgrade and migration of 5,000 sites in major SWAN milestone, two years after starting the programme.
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Network & InfraUK’s long-delayed ESN gets a new set of ‘realistic but ambitious’ targets
The oft-criticised Emergency Services Network is now expected to go ‘live’ in mid-2028, with a mass transition not set to complete until 2030 — more than a decade behind schedule. EE and IBM claim significant progress, however, and Home Office assures latest dates are within reason…
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Network & InfraUK government targets ‘zombie’ data centre speculators in sweeping energy grid overhaul
Tougher requirements proposed for applicants, designed to curb ‘speculative activity’ artificially inflating massive power connection demand on the national grid, led by ever-larger data centres.
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Network & InfraEE closes in on Emergency Services Network coverage target
EE’s ESN delivery lead Tomas Vanderick tees up imminent network rollout milestone, and charts a course to full service ready launch via capacity and resilience stress tests. With indoor rollout beginning this year, and capacity testing at major events, the long-delayed programme is finally approaching operational readiness, but risks remain…
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Network & InfraOpenreach joins UK gov’s infra tracking project
Openreach joins the UK government’s National Underground Assets Register, highlighting the potential to reduce accidental damage to its infra and improve rollout efficiency for other businesses by mapping out its network through the scheme…
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Analyst BriefingUK Infrawatch: data centres chase power, satcos bridge gaps, government tackles scams
Latest from the UK’s digital infra scene, including: billions pour into south east data centres, operators turn to satcos and infra players to plug gaps, heightened focus on network safety responsibilities, and plenty more…
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Financial & PerformanceBT CEO snubs fibre M&A, doubling down on Openreach organic growth — despite accelerating line losses
Q2 FY25–26: Allison Kirkby showed little enthusiasm at thought of mopping up fibre altnets as part of much-anticipated consolidation, instead insisting Openreach is best focused on its own game, and set up to beat any incursion — notwithstanding line losses accelerating alarmingly…
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Network & InfraEurope moots UK tech tie-up on new-gen IRIS² satellite system
European Space Agency official signals openness to UK direct involvement in €10bn+ IRIS2 regional satellite mega-project and Starlink rival, which also has a defence aspect…
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Network & InfraOpenreach expands role as Project Gigabit contract sweeper-upper
Openreach picks up Project Gigabit premises previously allocated to UK altnet Voneus, seeing the incumbent add another lot of homes to its Call-Off collection…
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Network & InfraExtra millions flow to UK fibrecos as Project Gigabit contracts updated
CityFibre once again sees a boost to a Project Gigabit contract value as Leicestershire & Warwickshire deal is updated and geographically expanded, becoming the latest fibreco to benefit from Project Gigabit perimeter adjustments…
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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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Network & InfraUK scopes out satellite partners for emergency services network
The UK Space Agency is seeking players in the non-terrestrial networks sector willing to explore potential integration of satellite solutions into the Emergency Services Network, moving on previously stated ambitions to bring more satcos into the project…
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Network & InfraUK AI council looks north as energy demand set to soar — but connectivity an afterthought
Initial meetings of the government’s AI Energy Council see predictions of surging energy demand and challenges in ensuring existing infrastructure is up to the job, but connectivity requirements appear sidelined with fibre operators asbent…
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Analyst BriefingUK Infrawatch analyst briefing: Netomnia evolution, data centre planning pushback
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, including: GoFibre and Netomnia funding success, planning ups and downs for data centres, TalkTalk travails; people moves, and plenty more…
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Public AffairsOpenreach lobbies for regulatory flexibility as fibrecos take market share, struggle with debt
Openreach’s regulatory lead is twisting Ofcom’s arm to give it pricing freedom in regions where it faces two rivals. VM O2 and CityFibre contend that a firm hand is required to protect still fragile competition. While altnets are winning market share, their lenders are nervous…
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Analyst BriefingUK Infrawatch Analyst Briefing: CityFibre reloads, Aviva consolidates, Cellnex eyes UK
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, including: CityFibre secures financing for expansion drive, GoFibre picks up Project Gigabit deal, Cellnex engages UK government on investment; people moves, and plenty more…
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Network & InfraUK’s GoFibre bags £105m in Scottish fibre deal
Altnet scores another round of subsidies to install fibre to additional premises in rural Scotland. Award is the third for Scotland from Project Gigabit, as Building Digital UK seeks to hand out more contracts in the country after a slow start (when compared to England and Wales)…