News

Netomnia has unveiled a new rebrand to better reflect the scale and longevity of its full fibre ambitions

The rebrand follows the company’s 2024 merger with brsk, which saw the company become the second-largest altnet in the UK, after CityFibre. Netomnia currently has 2.8 million premises serviceable and 400,000 customers connected as of September 2025, with the stated goal of passing five million premises passed by 2027.

To achieve this, Netomnia is backed by around £1.6 billion in funding, the last £300 million of which was secured earlier this month.

According to the altnet, the rebrand places greater emphasises on its role as a future-ready fibre network built to enable tomorrow’s innovations. In a press release, the company explained its new logo:

“‘Net’ represents the inclusive network built for everyone, while ‘Omnia’ (Latin for ‘all things’) conveys readiness to power whatever innovations come next. The refreshed circular abstract element symbolises both ‘the right connection’ and ‘the potential’, forming a complete circle that suggests connectivity and continuous progress. Modern typography and a vibrant colour palette – bold red-pink paired with deep blues and contrast black – project dynamism, confidence, and innovation, ensuring Netomnia stands out with clarity and strength.”

“This is more than a design change. It’s a signal of the company we’ve become – powerful, ambitious, and building the UK’s third fibre infrastructure. Where the most powerful internet lives is both our idea and our promise,” said Jeremy Chelot, Group CEO of Netomnia, YouFibre and brsk.

The rebrand will see its first public outing at this year’s Connected Britain conference taking place on Wednesday 24th September and featuring a keynote address from Group CEO Jeremy Chelot.

For more information, visit Netomnia at booth 247

Tickets for Connected Britain are still available! Get yours today.

Press Release

Just a few months after its creation, VodafoneThree has today announced the next major milestone in building the UK’s best network, with the appointment of strategic build partners to support the delivery of one of Europe and the UK’s largest, privately-funded infrastructure projects, totalling contracts worth more than £2 billion. 

Global communications technology leaders Ericsson and Nokia will deliver part of the unprecedented £11 billion network investment plan. By providing world-class connectivity to all corners of the UK, this investment will boost the UK economy by up to £102 billion (between 2025 and 2035). In turn, delivering the infrastructure needed by all sectors to power Britain’s digital future, including energy, financial services, manufacturing, security and technology. The deal will span an eight-year period and uses the latest technology and R&D to make sure that VodafoneThree’s network will deliver world-leading 5G technology over the course of the decade. 

VodafoneThree’s fully funded and regulated plan to build the network at pace will bring jobs to every region of the UK, creating as many as 13,000 jobs in the engineering, construction and maintenance of telecom towers, fibre optics, and base stations over the entire eight-year build period. 

The majority (74%) of roles created will be outside of London and the South East, bringing employment opportunities to people in towns and communities across the four nations. This reinforces VodafoneThree’s commitment to supporting national growth through digital transformation, while equipping today and tomorrow’s talent with the skills they need for the future. 

VodafoneThree’s plan is front loaded. In year one, nearly three-quarters of the population will have access to VodafoneThree’s fastest 5G speeds, increasing to 90% of the population with access to 5G SA in year three. The network build will transform connectivity across the country, bringing 5G Standalone (5G SA) to 99.95% population by 2034. 

Max Taylor, CEO, VodafoneThree, said: “We said we would deliver at pace and, just a few months in, we are delighted to announce our strategic partners, Ericsson and Nokia, that will work with us to deliver our ambition of building the UK’s best network. They bring the scale and expertise needed to accelerate the delivery of a resilient, secure, world-class and future-ready network, and together, we are laying the foundations for the UK’s digital future.” 

Börje Ekholm, President and CEO, Ericsson, said: “We are proud to partner with VodafoneThree as their primary vendor to power them with the most advanced programmable network products, software and solutions in the world. Trusted high-performing programmable networks are critical to success for the UK’s digital economy. AI, automation and virtual/augmented reality won’t reach their potential without them.” 

Justin Hotard, President and CEO at Nokia said: “Today’s networks need new levels of performance, trust, and resilience. We are pleased that VodafoneThree has chosen our industry-leading network solutions to build a future-proof 5G Standalone network across the UK to meet the needs of customers today and as the AI supercycle accelerates.” 

As part of the agreement, Ericsson will deploy its next generation, high-performing Radio Access Network (RAN) and core network solutions across the UK. In addition to modernising existing 4G and 5G infrastructure, the deployment of Ericsson RAN over 10,000 sites in the UK will underpin VodafoneThree’s population-wide rollout of 5G SA connectivity by 2034. 

Nokia will supply equipment from its ultra-performance Radio Access Network portfolio to approximately 7,000 sites across the UK. Nokia will also modernise part of VodafoneThree’s voice core. This will deliver premium connectivity to VodafoneThree’s customers nationwide with improved speeds, coverage, capacity and a smooth transition to 5G Standalone networks. 

The two partners make up the majority, but not the entirety, of VodafoneThree’s network build which will culminate in a greater number of sites. 

Four British based site-build partners with extensive experience – Beacon Communication Services Limited, Circet Wireless Limited, M Group Limited and WHP Telecoms Limited – will accompany the technology partners, delivering vital work to enable the build across the UK. 

How is the UK connectivity market changing in 2025? Join the discussion at Connected Britain, taking place this week! Free tickets still available

Press Release

A comprehensive new analysis warns that data centre operators and telecom infrastructure providers face their most challenging decade yet, as AI workloads create unprecedented demands on power, water, and regulatory systems that threaten traditional operating models.

The strategic report “From Infrastructure to Intelligence” by StrategyARX Managing Director Roland da Silva argues that AI workloads now represent 20-25% of data centre capacity and are growing at 300% annually, demanding GPU-dense architectures that consume 10x more power per rack than traditional enterprise workloads.

Infrastructure Bottlenecks Reshape Market Dynamics
The analysis identifies critical infrastructure constraints now defining market entry strategies:

• Grid Access Crisis: New facilities facing 2-7 year lead times for grid connections and water access, with Northern Virginia experiencing particular strain
• Water Resource Scarcity: Water consumption has increased 3-5x for AI-optimized facilities, triggering regulatory pushback in water-stressed regions
• Regulatory Timeline Extensions: Development timelines in developed markets have extended to 5-7 years due to planning processes, environmental reviews, and community resistance

Competitive Landscape Transformation
The report projects significant market consolidation, with the top 10 players controlling 80-85% market by 2030. However, new entrants including utilities, sovereign wealth funds, and government entities are disrupting traditional competitive dynamics through superior resource access and regulatory relationships.

Utility companies particularly pose a strategic threat, offering 22% lower power costs through direct generation integration and average 18-month approval timeline vs. 42 months for traditional operators.

Geographic Arbitrage Opportunities
The analysis highlights emerging regulatory arbitrage opportunities, with jurisdictions like Estonia offering 6-month approval process versus Ireland’s 7-year moratorium. This regulatory fragmentation creates what da Silva terms “generational wealth transfer” opportunities for operators willing to target Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets.

Technology Investment Strategy Framework
The report recommends a three-horizon technology investment approach:

• Horizon 1 (70%): Proven systems including current-generation cooling and power infrastructure
• Horizon 2 (20%): Emerging technologies such as advanced immersion cooling and small modular reactor partnerships
• Horizon 3 (10%): Breakthrough options including quantum-ready infrastructure and direct air capture integration

Financial Impact and Investment Requirements
Market entry investment requirements vary significantly by tier:

• Tier 1 Markets: $500M-$2B+ with 4-15% IRR expectations
• Tier 2 Markets: $200M-$1B with 8-18% IRR potential
• Tier 3 Markets: $100M-$500M targeting 10-25% returns

The report emphasizes that development timeline and utilization rate have 2x greater impact on returns than power costs, contradicting industry focus on energy efficiency optimization.

Strategic Framework for Market Leadership
Da Silva proposes a new success equation: Intelligence × (Power + Water + Permission) × Social License = Market Leadership, emphasizing that future market leaders must excel across technology capability, resource access, regulatory approval, and community acceptance.
“The winners will not be those who predict the future most accurately,” states da Silva, “but those who build adaptive capabilities that perform well across multiple possible futures.”
Industry Implications

For telecom infrastructure providers and data centre operators, the analysis suggests:

•  Immediate Action Required: 3-year window for first-mover advantages in emerging markets
• Partnership Strategy: Utility partnerships and government relationships becoming strategic necessities
• Technology Hedging: Balanced approach between proven systems and innovation pilots
• Community Engagement: Social license to operate now critical for long-term viability

The full report “From Infrastructure to Intelligence: Strategic Pathways for Data Centres in the Age of AI, Energy Scarcity, Water Constraints, and Digital Sovereignty” is available from StrategyARX Advisory.

About StrategyARX Advisory
StrategyARX Advisory is a boutique strategy consulting firm specializing in telecommunications and technology

Press Release

Gigaclear becomes the first retail fibre provider to harness Vyntelligence AI technology, transforming rural broadband installations. This makes Gigaclear the first retail fibre provider to adopt Vyntelligence’s Agentic AI-powered Vyn® platform, setting a new benchmark for innovation in the UK fibre industry. 

Since launching the initiative, Gigaclear has already seen impressive results. To date, over 1,100 customer submissions have prevented nearly 200 avoidable site visits, saving time, improving first-time installation success rates, and minimising disruption for customers in some of the UK’s hardest-to-reach areas. 

In fact, the partnership has been so successful that the technology will now be rolled out to all Gigaclear customers.  

The technology enables Gigaclear customers to capture short guided videos of their homes and preferred installation routes using just their smartphones. Vyntelligence’s Agentic AI then analyses the footage, summarising key information and automatically assessing installation complexity. As a result, Gigaclear engineers and contractors can prepare more effectively, cutting down unnecessary visits, reducing costs, and ensuring smoother, faster connections for rural households and businesses. 

Ben Woods, Chief Operating Officer at Gigaclear, said: “As the UK’s largest rural-focused full fibre provider, we’re committed to removing barriers to connectivity. Partnering with Vyntelligence puts customers in control of their installation journey while helping our teams deliver a faster, more reliable service.  

“Being the first retail fibre company to adopt this technology underlines Gigaclear’s commitment to innovation and to bridging the digital divide in rural communities.” 

The collaboration also supports Gigaclear’s sustainability goals. By reducing the number of unnecessary callouts, the partnership cuts vehicle journeys, helping to lower carbon emissions and lessen the environmental impact of fibre rollout. 

Vyntelligence, which has delivered similar solutions in utilities, renewable energy, mobile & fixed networks, and retail, is excited to extend its award-winning platform into retail fibre for the first time. 

Vyntelligence CEO, Kapil Singhal, commented: “We are excited to welcome Gigaclear as a ‘game changer’ partner committed to improving experience for its customers. Our purpose is to make everyday customer and field processes simpler, smarter, and more sustainable. By deploying Agentic Video Intelligence into Gigaclear’s customer journey, we’re proud to support both efficiency and sustainability, while enhancing the experience for rural communities that have traditionally been underserved.” 

This partnership will be showcased at Connected Britain 2025, where Gigaclear CEO Nathan Rundle will join a panel on rural connectivity, highlighting how innovation can unlock greater broadband adoption across the UK’s countryside. 

With a network that already covers over 600,000 premises across 26 counties, Gigaclear continues to lead the way in connecting rural Britain – now with the added advantage of AI-powered customer journeys that make installation simpler, faster, and greener. 

To find out more about Gigaclear, visit www.gigaclear.com. 

Meet us at Connected Britain – Booth 328

Register for a Connected Britain ticket here 

Contributed Article

By Richard Moyes, Digital Solutions Business Director at Prysmian

With universal broadband access now recognised as a vital enabler of economic growth, some challenging targets remain.

At present, 86% of homes can connect to gigabit-capable broadband, but the remaining 14%—largely rural and remote properties—remain underserved. By 2032, the target is for 99% of premises to be connected.

Achieving this will require thousands of kilometres of new fibre, but equally significant is the need for upgrades to existing networks to meet rising demand.

Rising demand, shrinking copper

Households are now full-time bandwidth hubs, with simultaneous gaming, streaming, video calls, and online schooling. The copper switch-off by 2027 will transition legacy phone lines to digital solutions such as VOIP, further increasing reliance on broadband networks. In 2023 alone, UK broadband use rose by 10.5%.

This growth places increasing pressure on existing fibre infrastructure. Inferior fibre that cannot support higher bandwidths may soon face obsolescence, driving the need for network upgrades.

Smaller, more efficient cables are key to these improvements: they allow operators to retrofit new high-performance fibre into already congested ducts through a process known as overblowing, saving time and cost.

Prysmian’s Sirocco Extreme 864f microduct cable, for example, packs 864 fibres into just 9.8mm, achieving a record density of 11.5 fibres per square millimetre. This makes it possible to install in ducts as small as 12mm, unlocking greater network flexibility without disruptive civil works.

Beyond traditional fibre: The promise of hollow-core

The next frontier in broadband performance lies in hollow-core fibre technology. Unlike traditional glass-core fibres, hollow core features an air-filled core supported by precision-engineered anti-resonant structures.

This groundbreaking design creates a near-perfect mirror effect, enabling data transmission at transmission speeds nearly 50% faster and distances extended by 1.5 times. That means lower latency and connectivity stretching from 60km up to 90km. Prysmian, in partnership with Relativity Networks, is at the forefront of this development.

The economics of longevity

While innovation promises exciting future capacity, the durability of today’s fibre infrastructure is just as critical. Longevity is important because of the serious consequence of cable failure.

Cable replacement can be expensive: up to 60% of the total investment cost of a fibre optic network, particularly one in a congested urban environment, can be attributable to cable installation. As a comparison, the capital cost of the cable itself and connectivity hardware is about a fifth of that, at around 12% of the total investment.

Installing inferior quality fibre could result in some ISPs facing expensive rebuilds sooner than anticipated, rather than undertaking simple equipment upgrades. Where cable replacement is needed, innovative installation techniques, such as overblowing, will allow for retrofitting cable in existing ductwork without the need for extensive ground works.

Prysmian’s high-quality Sirocco fibre has been designed to be overblown. It has been tested for a 50-year field lifespan, giving ISPs confidence in its resilience.

For investors, longevity is equally important. As the UK broadband sector consolidates, Alt-nets with inferior quality networks risk devaluation, while robust networks built with premium fibre offer stronger long-term value.

Building for tomorrow

Quality is the foundation of longevity. Using high-grade materials and ensuring system compatibility between cables and connectivity components minimises faults and maximises efficiency. Prysmian, as one of the few manufacturers able to deliver complete solutions, provides operators with not just the products, but also the technical expertise to future-proof networks.

The UK’s broadband ambitions rest on more than just hitting coverage targets—they depend on building networks that can withstand decades of growth, demand, and technological change. With the right fibre, Britain can create an inclusive, resilient digital infrastructure fit for the next half-century.

Want to learn more about Prysmian and the networks for tomorrow? Join them on Stand 141 at Connected Britain 2025 taking place next week! Free tickets are available 

Private LTE networks are a well-established market and have been around for more than a decade, albeit as a niche segment of the wider cellular infrastructure sector.  However, private cellular networks or NPNs (Non-Public Networks) based on 3GPP-defined 5G specifications are just on the cusp of becoming a mainstream technology, with a market potential exceeding that of private LTE. Over the last 12 months, there has been a noticeable increase in production-grade deployments of private 5G networks by household names and industrial giants such as Airbus, Aker BP, Boliden, CIL (Coal India Limited), Equinor, Etihad, Ford, Hutchison Ports, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, John Deere, LG Electronics, Lufthansa, Newmont, POSCO, Tesla, Toyota, and Walmart, paving the way for Industry 4.0 and advanced application scenarios.

Compared to LTE technology, private 5G networks can address far more demanding performance requirements in terms of throughput, latency, reliability, availability, and connection density. In particular, 5G’s URLLC (Ultra-Reliable, Low-Latency Communications) and mMTC (Massive Machine-Type Communications) capabilities, along with a future-proof transition path to 6G networks in the 2030s, have positioned it as a viable alternative to physically wired connections for industrial-grade communications between machines, robots, and control systems. Furthermore, 5G’s wider coverage radius per radio node, scalability, determinism, security features, and mobility support have stirred strong interest in its potential as a replacement for interference-prone unlicensed wireless technologies in IIoT (Industrial IoT) environments, where the number of connected sensors and other endpoints is expected to increase significantly over the coming years.

As end user organizations in the United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, France, China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Brazil, and other countries ramp up their digitization and automation initiatives, private 5G installations have progressed to a stage where practical and tangible benefits – particularly efficiency gains, cost savings, and worker safety – are becoming increasingly evident. For instance, Tesla, LG Electronics, and Hyundai have eliminated connection-related stoppages since migrating AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) and AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) communications from unlicensed Wi-Fi systems to private 5G networks at their production facilities in the United States and South Korea. The French city of Istres has reduced video surveillance camera installation costs from $34,000 to less than $6,000 per unit by replacing fiber-based connections with a private 5G network. Among other examples, China Huaneng Group relies on a tri-band (700 MHz, 2.6 GHz & 4.9 GHz) 5G-Advanced network to safely coordinate a fleet of 100 unmanned electric mining trucks at its Yimin open pit coal mine in Inner Mongolia, China.

SNS Telecom & IT’s  “Private 5G Market: 2025 – 2030” report projects that annual investments in private 5G networks for vertical industries will grow at a CAGR of approximately 41% between 2025 and 2028, eventually surpassing $5 billion by the end of 2028. Although much of this growth will initially be driven by highly localized 5G networks covering geographically limited areas for Industry 4.0 applications in manufacturing and process industries, sub-1 GHz wide area critical communications networks for public safety, utility, and railway communications are anticipated to accelerate their transition from LTE, GSM-R, and other legacy narrowband technologies to 5G towards the latter half of the forecast period. For more information, please visit: https://www.snstelecom.com/private5g

London, UK, 15th September 2025 – Ontix, the next-generation infrastructure-as-a-service provider, announces the appointment of Chris Newall as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in a new chapter for the company. With over 30 years’ experience in the telecommunications industry, Chris joins Ontix from Clarke Telecom, where he was Sales & Strategy Director, following his role as Chief Commercial Officer at Indigo Telecom Group.

Chris’s goal as the incoming CEO is to steer the business toward creating lasting value for its customers and to reinforce Ontix’s role as a leading provider of connectivity for all communities across the UK. Chris has a track record of securing transformational customer wins and enabling significant, sustained growth for the businesses he has led across hardware, software, and professional services. 

Chris Newall, CEO at Ontix, said: “I’m joining Ontix at a pivotal moment, as reliable mobile coverage becomes ever more essential. The growing demand for higher data capacity and truly ubiquitous 5G coverage, both indoors and outdoors, across public and private networks, brings complex challenges. Ontix has proven it can address these challenges, designing and deploying advanced infrastructure quickly and cost-effectively. I’m excited to get started with the Ontix team and our customers to accelerate the rollout of the next-generation mobile infrastructure the UK needs.”

Thor Johnsen, Managing Partner at Digital Gravity Infrastructure Partners and Ontix Board Chair, added: “The Ontix Board is delighted that Chris is joining to lead the team and the business through the next stage of growth. His proven experience as a commercial leader will ensure focus and delivery of Ontix’s advanced wireless solutions to our growing customer base.”

-ENDS-

About Ontix

Ontix is a next-generation infrastructure-as-a-service provider, disrupting the business model for delivering lightning-fast connectivity wherever it is needed. Ontix makes it cheaper, easier and quicker for mobile operators and wireless network providers to add next-generation wireless networks through its turnkey solutions. Ontix is transforming the entire process for wireless network densification by investing in shared small cell infrastructure – including connectivity – and licensing this to operators.

Today Lit Fibre announces the launch of three new Line-only broadband services,
designed to meet the growing need for fast and reliable business connections. With
service speeds from 500Mbps up to 2.4Gbps and contract options of 36, 24 and 12
months available, Lit Fibre’s new offerings provide a future-ready solution for
businesses of all sizes.

Broadband has become as essential to businesses as electricity. From cloud services
and video conferencing to EPOS systems, guest Wi-Fi, and robust security, modern
businesses depend on fast and reliable connections to operate effectively.
“We know the business landscape has changed,” said Tom Williams, CEO at Lit Fibre.
“Whether you’re an independent local business or a multi-site enterprise,
connectivity that’s both fast and reliable is non-negotiable. Lit Business puts
businesses back in control, combining ultrafast speeds, responsive human support,
and service standards that raise the bar. This is internet done properly; this is
internet that means business.”

To suit individual business needs all Lit Business connections are customisable with
optional add-ons including our advanced Lit Hub Pro and MESH.
Lit Fibre’s new business connections are now available to order across the CityFibre
network, for more information, to order, or to request a quote please see
Litfibre.com/business

First Lit Business Connection is Live with FC Clacton

FC Clacton, home of The Seasiders, is the first business to benefit from Lit Business.
Harry Underwood, Chairman, said: “Having Lit Fibre’s ultra-fast full-fibre broadband
installed will be a real game-changer, not just for matchday operations, but for
everything behind the scenes too. It’s great to have a partner that shares our drive for
speed, reliability, and progress both on and off the pitch.”

Press Release

Virgin Media O2 has today announced that its next generation 5G Standalone network is now live in 500 towns and cities across the UK. Available to more than 70% of the UK population – some 49 million people – this represents the country’s largest 5G Standalone deployment.

Customers in the 500 locations can benefit from an improved mobile experience with broader 5G coverage, higher speeds, and reduced latency. Unlike other operators, the new network is available at no extra cost to customers with 5G Standalone-compatible devices and SIMs.

In all 500 locations, Virgin Media O2’s 5G Standalone network provides at least 90% outdoor coverage ensuring that customers looking to benefit from the technology receive a reliable and consistent experience.

Since Virgin Media O2 launched its 5G Standalone network last year, there has been a significant increase in the number of customers using Standalone capable devices, with the majority of flagship handsets now boasting access to the network.

Unlike previous 5G services that relied on elements of the 4G network for data transmission, Virgin Media O2’s 5G Standalone network is a new end to end 5G network built on the latest future-proofed radio infrastructure and a fully cloud-based 5G core. This enhances network reliability, expands coverage, and will pave the way next-generation digital experiences.

5G Standalone will also unlock many of the innovative use cases associated with 5G, including autonomous transport solutions, remote healthcare and fully robotic factories.  Virgin Media O2 launched Standalone for business customers earlier in the year in an important step towards unlocking future industrial innovation and use cases.

The historic town of Bakewell, Derbyshire, became the 500^th location to benefit from Virgin Media O2’s industry-leading 5G Standalone rollout, where the milestone has been celebrated with the creation of a record-breaking giant Bakewell Tart.

Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “We are investing £2m every single day to improve our mobile network and provide a more reliable experience for our customers. By expanding our 5G Standalone network to 500 towns and cities and 70% of the population, we are continuing to deliver on that and are excited about the opportunities the new network will bring. This customer-centric rollout is about futureproofing our network and will pave the way for exciting customer led innovations that lie ahead.”

Kester Mann, Director of Consumer and Connectivity at CCS Insight, said: “Expanding 5G standalone coverage to 500 towns and cities is a significant milestone that will improve the mobile experience for millions of O2 customers across the UK. Not only will it support faster speeds and ensure more reliable connections, but it also paves the way for the introduction of innovative services in the future, particularly for the enterprise market.”

These upgrades are part of Virgin Media O2’s Mobile Transformation Plan, which will see the operator invest approximately £700m this year to future-proof its mobile network. The plan is focused on expanding 4G and 5G coverage, a dedicated small cells rollout to boost capacity in dense urban areas, and innovative solutions to address persistent network pain points including along railway lines, at airports, on motorways, and in stadiums and arenas.

Virgin Media O2 recently announced that it had agreed a deal with Vodafone UK to acquire 78.8 MHz of spectrum, bringing the operator’s total spectrum holding to approximately 30% of UK mobile spectrum and materially enhancing the company’s network position.

What impact will 5GSA have on the UK economy? Join the UK’s mobile ecosystem in discussion at Connected Britain 2025, taking place next week!