All UK government articles – Page 3
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Network & InfrastructureOpenreach enters Project Gigabit fray at near-£1bn scale
Openreach handed its first Project Gigabit contracts, more in discussion. UK government ‘redoubles’ rural infill efforts, including first few in Wales…
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Network & InfrastructureShort-term delays in NI, but Project Gigabit readying for leap forward across devolved nations
Northern Ireland Executive confirms slight delay in procurement, but confident Project Stratum success can be replicated as paths cleared for Project Gigabit progress in Scotland, Wales…
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Network & InfrastructureEE handed £1.85bn ESN top-up, 5G SA upgrade
UK Home Office to award massive Emergency Services Network transition contract. ’Progress’ so far blocks competition and earns EE the deal, despite ten-year, £10bn+ programme delay…
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Venturing & InvestmentsUK Infrastructure Bank gives fibre sector another financial leg-up
National infra financing organisation backs another rural fibre altnet as Quickline secures a £250m debt package to support rollout in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
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Network & InfrastructureBT lands 5G role in UK film and tech scheme
BT wins million-pound deal to provide 5G private network to support national labs for virtual production R&D.
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Network & InfrastructureProject Gigabit future: UK FibreCos say yes to expansion, but with caveats
Mooted bundling of Project Gigabit mega-contracts gets firm ‘no’ from altnet INCA gathering, but most on board for programme extension. New Labour government urged to protect and evolve rural fibre build to reach final few per cent of rural premises, learn from ‘zany’ Scotland, or risk missing FTTP targets. And then there’s that Type C elephant (not) in the room, Openreach…
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Venturing & InvestmentsGov-backed UK Infrastructure Bank provides funding to another rural FibreCo
Cornish Wildanet attracts £35m investment from UKIB, days after the bank ploughed £150m into Hyperoptic.
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Network & InfrastructureVirgin Media O2 scrapes past Shared Rural Network waymark… hard work begins now
VM O2 manages to reach interim 4G rural coverage target on deadline day. BT already ahead, Vodafone UK on track, but Three UK yet to confirm progress, with potential penalties from Ofcom looming. Read more…
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Public Affairsnexfibre joins calls to tighten Openreach infra choker, ensure lasting UK fibre competition
UK fibre wholesaler calls for new and improved regulation to provide platform for altnet competition as attention turns to Ofcom’s next five-year framework. Echoes broad consensus among INCA members that more could be done to limit Openreach dominance, encourage altnet investment…
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Network & InfrastructureUK government shutters Huawei oversight committee despite continued presence
Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology states that examination of potential risks within Huawei’s equipment by a committee of NCSC and industry cybersecurity experts has ended, and been replaced with “stronger departmental governance arrangements”.
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PeopleBT switches ESN leadership as part of top-level changes in enterprise portfolio
Faisal Mahomed named Emergency Services Network Director, with Simon Warner his replacement as Director of UK Portfolio Business.
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Content & TVBT policy chief calls for TV distribution rethink as IP takes hold
Policy & Public Affairs Director Helen Burrows describes current content distribution regulation as insufficient and outmoded, with need to update and reflect change in audience demand.
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Network & InfrastructureProject Gigabit finally reaches Scotland with first rural fibre tender
UK government fibre build scheme opens procurement process for North East Scotland network, geared towards reaching 68,000 premises. Northern Ireland and Wales contracts in the pipeline, as are larger ‘call-off’ bundled lots that have piqued the interest of larger players…
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Weekly BriefingsVodafonewatch Weekly: African infra in spotlight, Spanish retreat complete
Latest from Vodafone and its partners and interests as Spanish exit completes, Shared Ops leadership adjusted, and climate plans pushed back. In Africa, infra-sharing is on the cards, but Vodacom’s in-progress South African fibre deal faces backlash…
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PeopleBT Peoplewatch: Data & AI leadership redrawn at BT Digital
Senior swaps include new Data & AI leader after Zoë Webster exits the Group, leaving a legacy of AI adoption and foundations for scaling. BT Business changes include senior shuffles for Central Government accounts, while Openreach opts to leave Corporate Affairs & Brand unfilled after Catherine Colloms departs. Plenty more across the Group…
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Network & InfrastructureBritish parliamentarians depart with last swing at ‘unconvincing’ 5G plans
The outgoing Public Accounts Committee’s final report on mobile connectivity portrays government efforts to improve mobile coverage as lacking focus, data, and clear evidence of value.
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Financial & PerformanceBT FY23−24 In-depth: focus shifts from build to connections, monetisation
CEO Allison Kirkby tees up mindset shift from fibre build to networks monetisation, driving connections to grow ARPU, leveraging the sweat and spend of previous FYs. For FY23−24, consistently solid performance at Consumer and Openreach makes up for perennially painful Business…
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Financial & PerformanceOpenreach to invade Project Gigabit, snap up altnet misfires
FY23–24: Closing in on infill Project Gigabit contracts, also eyeing altnet misfires. Line loss the new reality despite strong fibre build and take-up momentum. TelcoTitans BTwatch predicts altnets will step up, not roll over. New CEO Kirkby makes clear Openreach not for sale (yet). Read more…
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Innovation (R&D)UKTIN: Why collaboration is key to driving investment in R&D for the telecoms sector
OpEd: Jon Hunt, Project Board Member at the UK Telecoms Innovation Network, sees potential easing of M&A regulation in Europe as opening a path for telcos to improve collaboration, R&D and funding efforts on an international scale, including with academia and Big Tech. Read more…
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M&AVodafone−Three welcome deal’s security clearance as focus turns to antitrust
UK government green-lights merger (with caveats) after conducting security review, but Vodafone−Three are far from celebrating as the CMA’s investigation steps up a gear and leaves consolidation in doubt…