In a bold move to reshape the UK’s broadband landscape, VMO2, backed by shareholders Liberty Global and Telefónica, has announced the launch of a new fixed network company, ambitiously positioned as a direct competitor to BT’s Openreach. Dubbed NetCo for now, this venture aims to accelerate the adoption of full fibre broadband, offering a fresh financing framework and a potential platform for the consolidation of alternative network providers (altnets).
As both the UK and US strive to deliver full-fibre broadband, each country grapples with its hurdles; one being persuading landlords to greenlight installation plans within their properties. In the UK, mechanisms are in place to enable operators to seek judicial access if landlord agreement is unattainable, a luxury the US lacks, suggesting the potential need for new legislative action in America. A monumental goal for both nations is eliminating the digital divide which requires a comprehensive combination of varied technology methods.
In an exciting partnership, DZS and Andorix are commanding a digital transformation by converting landmark buildings across North America into fiber-based smart-buildings. By integrating DZS’s FiberLAN technology and Andorix’s PON service, they’ve not only availed historical sites to meet today’s digital demands but also brought considerable operational and capital savings.
As the UK’s fibre landscape intensifies with rising competition, leading players are racing to expand gigabit-capable broadband nationwide. Noteworthy, alternative network providers, referred to as “AltNets”, are displaying proactive strategies to swiftly deploy networks. On the other hand, traditional companies are recognising opportunities in fibre rollout, as seen in Openreach’s pricing approach of their wholesale lines.
$714 million allocated to small telecom companies in the ReConnect program’s fourth round aims to deliver high-speed internet to rural areas with full fiber infrastructure. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack highlights the importance of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and its contributions to bridging the digital divide in rural communities.
The SHEFA-2 underwater cable, which connects the Faroe Islands to Scotland’s mainland through the Shetland and Orkney Islands, suffered damage in two separate instances last week, rendering much of the island without Internet access. In separate events, three critical subsea cables linking Marseille to Lyon, Milan and Barcelona were deliberately severed in the south of France, according to the cable’s operator, affecting internet service for consumers in Europe, Asia and the United States. Cloud service providers worked quickly to repair the backbone infrastructure. According to a report by the cloud security company Zscaler, the unanticipated cable damage caused packet loss and increased latency for websites and apps transiting the damaged pathways. While the French authorities believe sabotage occurred, their Scottish colleagues are still unsure of what actually severed the wires. “We expect it will be fishing vessels that damaged the cable but it is very rare…
