UK broadband users will not tolerate GBP 4 monthly price increase - Uswitch
UNITED KINGDOM 09:42

UK broadband users will not tolerate GBP 4 monthly price increase - Uswitch

New research from Uswitch.com shows that a GBP 4 monthly price increase would be unmanageable for one quarter (24%) of UK broadband customers. Customers said they could cope with an average increase of GBP 2.70 per month before considering moving to a different supplier; with 17 percent saying they would accept no increases to their broadband bill. Furthermore, one third (32%) of Brits spend more time worrying about utility bills now than two years ago; with 19 percent saying they put up with increases but

Openreach appoints Managing Director for Complex Engineering
UNITED KINGDOM 09:33

Openreach appoints Managing Director for Complex Engineering

Openreach has promoted Garret Kavanagh from his role as head of Openreach Northern Ireland to Managing Director for Complex Engineering, effective April 2026. In a post on LinkedIn, Openreach said he would focus on completing the UK full-fibre network roll-out and delivering Ethernet connectivity in more complex, rural areas. Lauren McGaughey will now lead the Openreach NI team on an interim basis until a replacement is appointed.

Vantage Data Centers raises GBP 254 mln in debt for Cardiff site
UNITED KINGDOM 08:43

Vantage Data Centers raises GBP 254 mln in debt for Cardiff site

Vantage Data Centers announced it has raised an additional GBP 254 million in securitized term notes due May 2029. The offering included GBP 200 million from a tap of its existing Class A-2 Notes while GBP 54 million was raised from the new Class B Tranche. This builds on Vantage's debut public issue in 2024 in British sterling, which raised GBP 600 million. The proceeds will be used for refinancing debt associated with Vantage's data centres in Cardiff. 

Illegal UK sports streams reached 1.6 billion in 1st-half 2025 - study
UNITED KINGDOM 15 JAN

Illegal UK sports streams reached 1.6 billion in 1st-half 2025 - study

The number of illegal streams of sports events (lasting over 90 seconds) in the UK reached 3.1 billion in 2024 across the Top 10 GB sports, rising to 1.6 billion illegal streams in the first-half of 2025, according to data from the Campaign for Fairer Gambling (CFG). The 'GB National 2025 and 2025 First Half Illegal Streaming of Sports Events and Illegal Gambling' report, shows that spyware, malware, keystroke loggers and other ID/data theft mechanics were behind 89 percent of illegal GB sports views in 202

Ofcom opens investigation into AI companion chatbot service
UNITED KINGDOM 15 JAN

Ofcom opens investigation into AI companion chatbot service

UK regulator Ofcom has opened an investigation into AI companion chatbot service provider Novi to determine if it has complied with age verification requirements under the Online Safety Act. The Act requires sites allowing pornographic content to deploy highly effective age assurance technology to stop this content from being accessed by children. If Ofcom concludes that Novi has failed to comply with its obligations, a provisional decision will be issued. Novi will then be able to respond to the findings,

Freely reaches over one million weekly users during festive period
UNITED KINGDOM 15 JAN

Freely reaches over one million weekly users during festive period

Everyone TV said the Freely PSB streaming platform reached over one million weekly users during the Christmas week, making Freely the UK's fastest growing TV platform in 2025. During the festive period, over half (55%) of Freely's one million weekly users accessed the service every day to stream content. Two thirds of Freely users stream all of their TV content. The free streaming platform is backed by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5. 

Community Fibre offers three months free with flash sale
UNITED KINGDOM 15 JAN

Community Fibre offers three months free with flash sale

London-based ISP Community Fibre has launched a flash sale offering free full-fibre broadband for three months. New customers switching to Community Fibre could save up to GBP 762 on their broadband bill compared to national providers. The offer is available until 23.59 hours on 02 February 2026. Customers can get 100 Mbps broadband for GBP 25 per month; 300 Mbps broadband for GBP 28 per month; or 1 Gbps broadband for GBP 32 per month after three months free, with 12-month contracts.

Barb data shows more Brits now watch YouTube than BBC
UNITED KINGDOM 15 JAN

Barb data shows more Brits now watch YouTube than BBC

The latest data from TV ratings agency Barb shows that YouTube has overtaken the BBC for the first time in the UK, reports The Telegraph newspaper. The data shows that 51.93 million Brits watched YouTube in December, compared to 50.85 million people watching the BBC. YouTube also out-performed the BBC in October and November 2025, with the online video platform now attracting a higher number of viewers than all BBC channels together (BBC 1, BBC 2, BBC 3 and BBC 4).

Hyperoptic appoints customer experience, service directors
UNITED KINGDOM 15 JAN

Hyperoptic appoints customer experience, service directors

UK fibre broadband provider Hyperoptic has boosted its customer experience and service with new senior appointments. Emma Dark has been appointed as Customer Experience and Service Director; with Nemanja Zec appointed as Head of Customer Service. Dark will lead the group's end-to-end customer experience strategy - covering sign-up, installation, service and support. Zec will focus on improving day-to-day service delivery. 

Virgin Media O2 reduces customer service call transfers by 1.3 million
UNITED KINGDOM 15 JAN

Virgin Media O2 reduces customer service call transfers by 1.3 million

Virgin Media O2 saw a 1.3 million reduction in customer service call transfers in 2025 after deploying AI technology and upskilling customer service teams to improve how customer calls are handled. It has improved the automated phone system using AI, simplified team structures, and cross-skilled 5,000 support agents. The 1.3 million reduction in call transfers saved customers 1.45 billion seconds of their time in 2025 - equal to over 24 million minutes or more than 400,000 hours. Meanwhile, Ofcom data shows

Virgin Media O2 activates 5G Standalone network in Gloucester
UNITED KINGDOM 15 JAN

Virgin Media O2 activates 5G Standalone network in Gloucester

Virgin Media O2 has activated the O2 5G Standalone network in Gloucester, delivering minimum outdoor coverage of 90 percent across the city. This is part of a nationwide roll-out, with the O2 5G Standalone network now live in over 500 locations across the UK. The launch delivers faster speeds, increased coverage and lower latency for around 138,000 residents across the city. 

UKTV streaming service U views climb 15% in 2025, linear viewing share rises 3%
UNITED KINGDOM 15 JAN

UKTV streaming service U views climb 15% in 2025, linear viewing share rises 3%

UKTV, which belongs to BBC Studios, said that views of its free streaming service 'U' grew by 15 percent in 2025, with average monthly active U users up by 23 percent and U registrations rising 18 percent. UKTV's linear TV channels, including U&Alibi, U&Dave, U&Yesterday, U&Drama and U&Eden achieved a record viewing share, with network growth from 4.8 percent in 2024 to 4.97 percent last year, up 3 percent. UKTV's Share of Commercial Impacts (SOCI), measuring how much of the ad-based television audience it

UNITED KINGDOM 15 JAN

Wavenet offers Smarsh AI-enabled call recording solutions

Wavenet, UK managed services and security provider, has partnered with global communications intelligence specialist Smarsh to help organisations upgrade call recording using AI and other features. Wavenet is adding Smarsh customisable call recording solutions to its unified communications and contact centre offering. These provide businesses with AI-enabled conversation analytics, call quality management tools, business intelligence reporting and end-to-end compliance.

UNITED KINGDOM 15 JAN

Ofcom consults on actions for boosting PSB content on connected TV platforms

UK regulator Ofcom is consulting on a draft code of practice for the prominence of public service broadcaster (PSB) content on connected TV platforms. Under the Media Act 2024, providers of the most popular connected TV platforms are required to ensure that BBC iPlayer and other PSB TV players are available and prominent on their services. The consultation outlines Ofcom's proposals for a code of practice with recommended actions for connected TV platform. The proposed code of practice also includes recomme

UNITED KINGDOM 14 JAN

Boldyn activates 5G in more Tube stations, targets full coverage by end-2026

5G is coming to more parts of the London Underground, Transport for London (TfL) and Boldyn Networks announced. They have activated mobile coverage in 62 of the 121 Tube stations underground, in ticket halls, corridors and platforms. Key stations including Euston Square, Cannon Street and Battersea Power Station have recently gone live with 4G and 5G mobile coverage, with more – including King's Cross St Pancras, Gloucester Road, Warwick Avenue and Vauxhall - set to go live in the next few months. In additi

UNITED KINGDOM 14 JAN

UK media and entertainment industry expands by 8 percent to GBP 34 bln in 2025

The total value of the UK's media and entertainment industry climbed 8 percent during 2025 to a record GBP 34 billion, according to Omdia research cited by the British Association for Screen Entertainment (BASE). Home entertainment grew by 10 percent year-on-year to a GBP 5.7 billion, which was also an all-time high, BASE said.

UNITED KINGDOM 14 JAN

Exponential-e delivers internet services for 30 CPS sites

UK operator Exponential-e announced a new contract with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), to deliver internet connectivity across 30 sites in England and Wales for the public prosecutor. This is part of a wider strategy to move to digital operations at the public service, for easier and more secure access to its data. Thanks to the contract, the CPS can transition to the GovWifi public network, easing collaboration and on-site working with other government bodies, such as the police and courts.  

UNITED KINGDOM 14 JAN

Voneus takes up Netgem Pleio platform for video services

Netgem announced a new customer for its Pleio entertainment platform, the regional fibre operator Voneus in the UK. The collaboration will see Voneus offer Netgem Pleio to deliver streaming, TV and gaming services to its broadband customers. 

UNITED KINGDOM 14 JAN

Antevia delivers private 5G network for Bath Rugby

Antevia Networks announced the successful deployment of a 5G private network at Bath Rugby's grounds. The network delivers high-performance connectivity across the entire stadium and fan zone, supporting a wide range of commercial, operational, and safety-critical applications on match days. 

UNITED KINGDOM 14 JAN

S4C Welsh-language programmes to get more prominent position on iPlayer

The BBC announced a new agreement with broadcaster S4C to promote more Welsh-language programmes on the iPlayer. Under the new plans, S4C's Welsh language content will regularly feature on the BBC iPlayer main homepage in Wales. Landmark S4C content - including drama titles and live sports programming - will appear on the BBC iPlayer homepage across the UK for the first time, and S4C's children's services, Stwnsh and Cyw, will also be featured on the BBC iPlayer Kids homepage across the UK. 

UNITED KINGDOM 14 JAN

Glide wins network upgrade contract at University of Exeter

Glide announced a new contract to upgrade connectivity at the University of Exeter's student housing. The multi-year contract will see Glide provide fully managed connectivity services to 5,346 student bedrooms, making it one of Glide's largest single university accommodation deployments to date. It extends a long-term customer relationship with the University going back to 2007.

UNITED KINGDOM 14 JAN

SITE completes modular data centre build on remote South Atlantic island

Secure I.T. Environments (SITE) has completed the delivery and commissioning of a modular, containerised data centre for a global telecommunications operator on a remote island in the South Atlantic. The facility is intended to support ground operations linking customers to satellite and subsea network infrastructure, according to the company.

UNITED KINGDOM 13 JAN

Yospace provides ad measurement solution for ITV's Freely channels

UK broadcaster ITV has appointed Yospace, provider of dynamic ad insertion (DAI) technology, to support the launch of a new ad measurement and delivery platform across its channels on the Freely PSB streaming platform. Yospace has provided a DAI solution combined with Client-Guided Ad Measurement (CGAM).

UNITED KINGDOM 13 JAN

MPs call for more govt investment in digital connectivity infrastructure

The Digital Communities All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) has called on the UK government to launch an urgent review of the country's digital infrastructure to help boost connectivity and drive growth. The group warns that economic growth, social inclusion and technological leadership are all at risk from a continued lack of broadband and mobile coverage in parts of the UK, including urban, rural and coastal areas.

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Background

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Fairphone still a small player but market share growing in Netherlands

12 JAN 00:04

The week in telecoms: CES brings Wi-Fi 8 and more smart glasses, while Warner sticks with Netflix

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