Vodafone has achieved a significant milestone in the UK’s Shared Rural Network (SRN) initiative, announcing the activation of its 200th site. This accomplishment marks a notable improvement from the 57 sites operational a year ago, underlining the urgency faced by the country’s major mobile network operators (MNOs) to meet rural coverage obligations. Located in the small village of Combe in West Berkshire, the newly activated site reflects efforts to expand coverage to remote areas. Despite Combe’s diminutive size, characterized by sparse population and spacious properties, its proximity to V ..read more

The financial advisory firm, PJT Partners, is set to conduct a comprehensive strategic review of the UK telecoms company, KCOM. This development, initiated by the bank, could potentially lead to either a sale or a merger of KCOM. In a previous transaction from August 2019, Macquarie Group acquired KCOM, with a cash offer of £627 million, following which the telecom operator was delisted from the London Stock Exchange. Further speculation has emerged, with reports from The Telegraph suggesting that CityFibre and Virgin Media O2 could be among possible contenders interested in acquiring the Yo ..read more

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) and stc group are poised to make significant waves in the telecommunications marketplace with their impending merger of TAWAL and Golden Lattice Investment Company (GLIC). The resultant entity is forecasted to be a major global contender in the telecommunications infrastructure sector, touted to have an enterprise value of $5.85 billion. Fueled by 30,000 mobile tower sites and projected annual revenues of about $1.3 billion, this company will certainly be a titan to watch. PIF will control 54% of the new entity while stc Group will retain 43.1% ownership. Rema ..read more

BT is making waves in the fight against climate change by entering a crucial partnership with the UK Business Climate Hub (UKBCH) on Earth Day. The joint venture primarily focuses on helping small to medium businesses (SMBs) in the UK reduce CO2e emissions by half by the year 2030, thereby empowering them to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Studies show that if UK SMBs achieve these short-term targets, they could prevent a staggering 280 million tonnes of CO2e emissions from polluting our atmosphere. SMBs in the UK are critical contributors to this significant figure, as they comprise over 9 ..read more

The digital transformation of business communications has been significantly impacted by the widespread adoption of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. However, like any technology, VoIP is not immune to issues that can disrupt communications. The need for reliability is non-negotiable. Downtime, disruptions and security breaches can severely impact business operations, making the maintenance of a dependable VoIP system a paramount concern. In this article, we will explore valuable tips and tricks to keep a VoIP system running smoothly, ensuring that a business can enjoy the many ..read more

Customer service quality in the UK seems to be on the decline, as customer dissatisfaction with automated systems, such as chatbots, rises. A groundbreaking study published by renowned research firm Cavell uncovered this alarming fact. Survey results culled from over 1,000 UK adults revealed a worrying trend: almost half (44%) of consumers believe that customer service quality has slipped in the past three years. Moreover, about 35% of adults feel that automated systems and chatbots deliver sub-par service. As a consequence, half of UK consumers have come to the conclusion that a human touch ..read more

On the tech horizon, Delta Airlines has recently made public their decision to select T-Mobile as their preferred mobility partner. This timely alliance reiterates the duo’s commitment towards advancing 5G technology within Delta’s operations. The expansive footprint of their strategic partnership will transition over 60,000 workflows to T-Mobile. The scope of this transition spans across flight attendants, customer agents, and ground crew, all to be equipped with 5G-enabled smart devices. The result? A seamless operational flow that stretches from the check-in point to the lift-off. In addi ..read more

In a significant move towards making telecommunication services more accessible, Comcast has unveiled a range of prepaid options under its fresh ‘NOW’ brand. This lineup, which includes wireless, fixed broadband, Wi-Fi, and streaming TV, aims to cater to a broad consumer base by maximizing affordability and ease of use. Prepaid mobile plans have been a popular choice among users with lower incomes and those without a satisfactory credit score. Conversely, fixed broadband is a less explored area due to the need for customer premises equipment (CPE) and an installation procedure that often invo ..read more

Taking a step towards compliance with the U.S. ‘Clean Network’ program, Nokia has reportedly cut orders with supplier Foxconn Industrial Internet, based on insights delivered by anonymous sources to Nikkei Asia this week. In light of the Trump Administration’s drive in 2020, the ‘Clean Network’ initiative aims to ensure that U.S. critical infrastructure is handled solely by trusted firms, excluding any connected to the Chinese government or similar entities posing a perceived threat. As stated on the U.S. Department of State website, “The Clean Network addresses the long-term threat to data p ..read more

With a 14% dip in sales, mainly attributed to a 19% plunge in Network sales, Ericsson has remarkably achieved an expansion in gross margin to 42.7%. The company pinpoints the resilience of its product portfolio and stringent cost-cutting measures to be vital factors in this success, significant job cuts included. “We maintained our market leadership, but our customers maintained careful disbursement due to uncertain economic conditions and the current high interest rates,” commented Ericsson’s CEO and president, Börje Ekholm with an air of caution. Ericsson foresees further contraction in the ..read more