Press Release

eCommunity™ Fiber, a leading open-access fiber network provider, today announced the deployment of Ciena’s (NYSE: CIEN) routing and multi-layer network control solutions as the high-capacity backbone connecting The District in Morrow, Georgia, directly to the Atlanta Internet Gateway. This continued collaboration with Ciena underscores the foundational technical infrastructure enabling Morrow’s ambitious smart city transformation.

Ciena, the global leader in high-speed connectivity, has been the central technology provider for eCommunity™ Fiber’s network over the last 3 years. It is now being expanded to provide Morrow with resilient, high-bandwidth connectivity essential for supporting a new era of municipal innovation—from sophisticated IoT integrations and advanced public safety applications to ubiquitous community Wi-Fi and citizen-centric digital services.

Ciena’s 5164 Routers ensure reliable and scalable transport, acting as the vital artery that links Morrow’s developing smart city network, including the recently activated services at The District, to the broader digital landscape via the Atlanta Internet Gateway. This core connectivity empowers eCommunity™ Fiber’s open-access model, allowing multiple service providers to deliver high-speed internet, voice, and video services over a shared, cutting-edge infrastructure.

“The City of Morrow very much understands the difference between internet access and connectivity and how to prepare themselves for the future of technology,” explains Jerrald Rector, COO of eCommunity™ Fiber

Building a future-ready smart city requires a network backbone that is not only high-performing and reliable but also inherently scalable to meet evolving demands. Ciena’s routing and multi-layer network control technologies provide the critical capacity and resilience needed to extend advanced digital capabilities throughout Morrow, ensuring seamless connectivity for residents, businesses, and crucial smart city applications.

“Ciena’s routers and multi-layer management provide the high-capacity, low-latency connectivity that’s essential for a successful smart city initiative. eCommunity™ Fiber’s backbone will give Morrow a reliable, future-ready foundation to support its diverse smart city applications,” said Kevin Sheehan, CTO of the Americas, Ciena.

The deployment of Ciena’s 5164 Routers and Navigator Network Control Suite is a significant step in Morrow’s multi-phased smart city initiative, supporting the activation of a fully integrated 4-tier private network featuring Fiber-to-the-Premise, Wi-Fi, LoRaWAN, and LTE 4G/5G technologies. This robust infrastructure is a blueprint for other municipalities aiming to leverage advanced connectivity to enhance public services and drive economic growth.

About eCommunity™ Fiber

eCommunity™ Fiber is the public-facing brand of A2D, Inc., a Georgia-based open-access network provider dedicated to closing the digital divide in underserved communities across the U.S. By investing in cutting-edge technology and strategic partnerships, eCommunity™ Fiber empowers communities with the digital infrastructure needed to thrive in the 21st century.

About the City of Morrow

The City of Morrow, located in Clayton County, Georgia, is committed to fostering innovation and enhancing the quality of life for its residents. Through strategic partnerships and forward-thinking initiatives, the city is building a digitally inclusive future, with developments like The District at Olde Town Morrow serving as a dynamic hub for community engagement and technological advancement.

Ciena are Bronze sponsors of the Broadband Communities Summit, taking place in Houston, TX from June 23-25th 2025. Book your ticket by visiting www.bbcmag.com/summit 

Indianapolis, IN – June 11, 2025 – Rural Tower Cooperative, a for-profit agricultural cooperative dedicated to bridging the digital divide, announces its portfolio of GIS-qualified rural parcels available for telecom companies seeking to expand broadband infrastructure. With pre-screened sites across the midwest including Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Virginia, the cooperative offers telecoms a streamlined path to deploy 5G towers and fiber networks in unserved BEAD and RDOF zones.

Rural Tower Cooperative connects motivated landowners with telecom providers at no cost to farmers, using advanced GIS analysis to identify parcels with optimal terrain, road access, and power proximity. “Our mission is to accelerate rural broadband by providing telecoms with ready-to-lease sites,” said David Christophersen, General Manager. “Our parcels are vetted to meet ISP needs, saving time and costs in site acquisition.”

Telecom companies, including ISPs and tower operators, can access these parcels through Rural Tower Cooperative’s efficient lead generation process, ensuring exclusive, high-value opportunities. The cooperative’s model supports federal initiatives like USDA ReConnect, positioning it as a key partner for broadband expansion.

For inquiries or to explore available sites, contact David Christophersen at info@ruraltowercoop.com Visit http://www.ruraltowercoop.com for more information.

About Rural Tower Cooperative
Rural Tower Cooperative is a for-profit agricultural cooperative based in Indiana facilitating rural broadband deployment by connecting landowners with telecom providers. Our database of GIS pre-screened sites combined with motivated landowners is designed to help telecom companies accelerate deployment for RDOF/BEAD projects nationwide.

Media Contact
David Christophersen
General Manager, Rural Tower Cooperative
(317) 606-1025
info@ruraltowercoop.com

News

The solution allows riders on bus journeys to enjoy Wi-Fi connectivity via satellite

This week, satellite operator Viasat has announced that Brazilian transport operator Satélite Norte is the first to make use of its new Digital Bus solution.

Through the installation of Viasat hardware, Digital Bus combines satellite and cellular connectivity (when available) to provide onboard Wi-Fi services, even when driving in a remote location.

In tests, the solution showed provided consistent Wi-Fi performance on vehicles travelling from Goiânia, in the state of Goiás, to São Paulo, over 500 miles away.

In addition to benefits for customers, the integration of satellite connectivity also allows the transport company to better track, monitor, and manage its vehicle fleet. It will also allow for targeted and dynamic advertising, as well as a platform for gathering passenger feedback.

“Across many regions of the world buses are a key transport link – particularly in places where air travel is expensive, and rail routes are lacking,” said Andy Kessler, Vice President, Enterprise and Land Mobile at Viasat. “After launching Digital Bus earlier this month, we are proud to partner with Satélite Norte to bring our Digital Bus solution to Brazil. Together, we’re proving that reliable connectivity is transforming the passenger experience and helping operators digitize and elevate their entire operation. As premium road travel continues to grow, internet access is no longer a luxury, it’s an essential part of the journey.”

For Satélite Norte, this more reliable connectivity is viewed as a differentiator, allowing them to offer a service unavailable to competitors.

“Our partnership with Viasat aligns perfectly with our mission to offer comfort, innovation, and a differentiated experience to our passengers. We believe that high-quality onboard connectivity will become a competitive advantage and add even more value to our luxury route between Goiás and São Paulo,” said Waldir Sampaio, Executive Director of Satélite Norte.

Viasat says it is working with OEMs line-fit the solution in the near future.

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Also in the news:
SWR deploys Europe’s first ’Rail-5G’ Wi-Fi  
BT accelerates fibre rollout amid cost cuts
AT&T agrees $5.75 billion deal for Lumen’s consumer fibre asset

Rome, 9 June 2025

Sparkle, the first international service provider in Italy and among the top global operators, announces the availability of its “Quantum Safe over Internet” (QSI) to Amazon Web Services (AWS) customers. The service is already available through Sparkle’s commercial channels and will soon be accessible on AWS marketplace.

QSI is a cloud-native solution that offers secure VPN connectivity between customer sites or data centers and cloud providers, protecting sensitive data against quantum computing threats. It operates without requiring changes to existing infrastructure and leverages Sparkle’s network and advanced encryption technologies to ensure fast and secure data transmission with simple, automated management. With the NaaS approach, customers can use the service through a dedicated portal or via API, in an agile, flexible, and fully automated way.

The solution was validated through a dedicated Proof-of-Concept (PoC) conducted across two AWS regions – Frankfurt and Ireland – in collaboration with AWS and Sparkle’s technology partners. The PoC demonstrated the ability to establish secure, quantum-safe VPN tunnels between the two countries while ensuring continuous key rotation and encryption integrity without performance degradation.

“Quantum Safe over Internet” was launched in December 2024 to enable customers to access Sparkle’s network, establish secure connections between their offices, and utilize cloud resources with assurance against quantum attacks. It is the first service of Sparkle’s Multi-Quantum solutions suite which will soon include other use cases.

“This new offering confirms Sparkle’s strong commitment to delivering future-proof cybersecurity solutions to our customers while demonstrating our ability to bring quantum-safe protection into real-world hybrid architectures” said Antonella Sanguineti, Head of Marketing & Product Management Networking, Cloud, Security & Identity Solutions at Sparkle.

About Sparkle

Sparkle is TIM Group’s Global Operator, first international service provider in Italy and among the top worldwide, offering a full range of infrastructure and global connectivity services – capacity, IP, SD-WAN, colocation, IoT connectivity, roaming and voice – to national and international Carriers, OTTs, ISPs, Media/Content Providers, and multinational enterprises. A major player in the submarine cable industry, Sparkle owns and manages a network of more than 600,000 km of fiber spanning from Europe to Africa and the Middle East, the Americas and Asia. Its sales force is active worldwide and distributed over 32 countries.

Find out more about Sparkle following its X and LinkedIn profiles or visiting the website tisparkle.com

Media Contacts:

sparkle.communication@tisparkle.com

X: @TISparkle

News

A new multi-year deal will see Eutelsat’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation support Orange’s terrestrial networks

This week, Orange and Eutelsat have deepened their existing partnership, leveraging the satellite operator’s LEO offerings to support enterprise and government customers, as well as bolstering mobile backhaul.

The deal will combine the satellite network with Orange’s terrestrial networks, aiming to provide seamless connectivity to these customers even in highly remote locations.

“It is of strategic importance for Orange to invest in the unique LEO European solution that provides best in class, resilient, tailored and sovereign digital connectivity services to serve our customers wherever they are located,” said Jean Louis Le Roux, EVP Orange International Networks. “The partnership with Eutelsat for OneWeb services is of vital importance to support their digital transformation.”

Financial details of the deal were not revealed.

Eutelsat operates 35 geostationary satellites and over 600 LEO satellites, having merged with British satellite operator OneWeb in 2023.

Orange first partnered with Eutelsat back in 2020, purchasing capacity on its EUTELSAT KONNECT satellite to cover the entire French territory. Earlier this year, the deal was expanded to cover Orange’s operations in the Middle East and Africa.

Alongside Eutelsat, Orange also has deals with Starlink “in certain geographies, particularly in Africa”, according to CEO Christel Heydemann.

The company is also working to develop its own “sovereign solution” with its satellite subsidiary Nordnet.

In related news, reports this week suggest that Eutelsat is in discussions to raise €1.5 billion in order to further expand its LEO capabilities.

The company has already secured the procurement of 100 new satellites, which are aimed at launch by the end of 2026, but says that a further 340 will be needed to meet its obligations to the EU’s IRIS² project.

Keep up to date with the latest telecoms news by subscribing to our newsletter 

Also in the news:
SWR deploys Europe’s first ’Rail-5G’ Wi-Fi  
BT accelerates fibre rollout amid cost cuts
AT&T agrees $5.75 billion deal for Lumen’s consumer fibre assets

News

The operator group says its AI Tutor is the first of many digital services to be enhanced with its local language AI models

This week, mobile network operator group Veon has announced the launch of its newest GenAI product: an AI Tutor aimed at teaching users the Kazakh language.

Powered by the Kazakh language AI model KazLLM, AI Tutor provides six gamified learning modules focussed on language learning, supported by a GenAI assistant. Additional modules covering other disciplines are planned for the future.

AI Tutor will be available to Beeline Kazakhstan customers via the company’s super-app Janymda, which currently has 4.9 million monthly users.

“AI Tutor makes learning more accessible to speakers of Kazakh and those who would like to learn Kazakh language by turning AI capabilities into a locally relevant product, seamlessly integrated into Beeline Kazakhstan’s leading digital platform Janymda,” explained Kaan Terzioglu, CEO of VEON Group in a press release. “This is exactly what we intended to offer to our customers when we positioned our AI1440 as a tool that augments human capabilities, and we are determined to put similar technologies to the service of millions of users in our frontier markets through our widespread and accessible digital services and solutions.”

Veon has been espousing the benefits of creating local language LLMs for some time now. Beeline Kazakhstan launched its software company QazCode in 2023, with the company quickly put to work co-developing KazLLM alongside the Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence at Nazarbayev University, and Astana Hub, with the coordination of the Kazakhstan Ministry of Digital Development. KazLLM was formally launched in December 2024, with Veon saying it would use this resource to create “augmented intelligence tools” to “enhance the daily lives” of its customers in Kazakhstan.

Speaking to Total Telecom in an interview at MWC Barcelona earlier this year, Veon’s Group Chief Digital Operations Officer, Lasha Tabidze, explained the rationale for the creation of KazLLM.

“There is a big misconception around using LLMs that everyone speaks English and can prompt effectively in English. That simply isn’t true,” he explained. “There are thousands of languages in the world, but there are only seven that are fully resourced [with public online data], so these are the ones the big players are fine tuning. Less-resourced languages are not getting the attention they deserve.”

According Tabidze, KazLLM already offers answers “40% more precise” than ChatGPT in the Kazakh language, providing local users with a more nuanced experience.

At a press event this week, Tabidze re-emphasised that Veon was “not in competition with the hyperscalers” when it came to LLM creation, since these tech giants have little incentive to build AI models for relatively small markets.

“It’s a different race, a different game,” he said. “This is about supporting our customers and creating solutions for them in their language.”

“AI can be a great tool to shrink the digital divide. But if we don’t make these tools available in local languages, then we risk making that divide even bigger,” he added.

Of course, there is also a significant commercial upside to developing local language LLMs too – particularly where they face little direct competition from the hyperscalers. Veon has been greatly expanding its range of digital services in recent years, from digital healthcare platforms to ride-hailing apps, all of which can be significantly enhanced by incorporating local language AI models.

“We have 40 million plus users out of our super apps, 37 million plus of our financial services, and 28 million users in Ukraine registered on our Helsi platform,” said Tabidze. “We’re using all the power and knowledge we gathered […] to create augmented intelligence agents and bring it into the hands of people.”

Currently, Veon’s digital services revenue stands at just over 14%. Tabidze says Veon’s goal is to increase this figure to 50%, a goal he thinks is achievable in “3–5 years”.

Finally, in addition to leveraging their LLM for their own digital products, Tabidze says Veon plans to offer its LLM to enterprises on an ‘as a service’ basis.

“KazLLM is a foundational model,” he said. “If a company in Kazakhstan decides that they want to train this model themselves on their data – not just use this as a ready agent, but train it – then that’s where LLM as a service comes into play.”

Veon is currently working on additional LLMs in languages including Uzbek, Begali, Ukrainian, and Urdu. Additional LLMs for minority languages in each of Veon’s operating markets are also being created.

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Also in the news:
SWR deploys Europe’s first ’Rail-5G’ Wi-Fi  
BT accelerates fibre rollout amid cost cuts
AT&T agrees $5.75 billion deal for Lumen’s consumer fibre assets

News

Consumers and small businesses will be able send text messages via satellite

Australian telco Telstra has announced the launch of its direct-to-device (D2D) satellite text messaging service through its partnership with SpaceX’s Starlink.

Customers on selected plans and with compatible devices (currently limited to the Samsung Galaxy S25) will be able to use Starlink’s satellite network to send and receive text messages wherever they can see the sky.

Starlink’s low Earth orbit satellite constellation currently covers all of Australia except for the Australian Radio Quiet Zone in Western Australia and remote offshore territories and islands.

For customers with compatible plans and devices, all that is required to access the new satellite service is a simple software update, with Telstra suggesting that all eligible customers will be enrolled in the coming weeks.

Enrolled customers will automatically be connected to the satellite network whenever traditional terrestrial mobile coverage is unavailable.

Telstra first began working with SpaceX to make use of its Starlink constellation for enterprise customers back in 2023. The partnership was expanded to include D2D messaging with Starlink at the start of this year, with extensive testing of the messaging service running over previous months.

For now, Starlink’s D2D service is limited to the text messaging and even that, Telstra warns will be somewhat intermittent in delivery; customers are being warned they may face delays in sending and receiving messages based on factors such as their location and the proximity of the nearest orbital satellite.

“This means customers are likely to find that some messages are sent or received almost instantly, while others may take many minutes or longer,” said Telstra’s Tom Beach on the company website.

In future, Starlink’s D2D services will be expanded to include voice and data services. The number of compatible devices will also increase.

Keep up to date with the latest telecoms news by subscribing to our newsletter 

Also in the news:
SWR deploys Europe’s first ’Rail-5G’ Wi-Fi  
BT accelerates fibre rollout amid cost cuts
AT&T agrees $5.75 billion deal for Lumen’s consumer fibre assets

Press Release

by Bas Burger, CEO, International, BT

Today, we launch BT International, serving our multinational customers as a dedicated operation within BT Group with its own people, products and platforms.

It comes as our customers face unprecedented disruption across their markets driven by geopolitics, regulation and technology — with AI catalysing change faster than ever. We have designed BT International specifically to help our customers meet these challenges head on and anticipate future opportunities to thrive.

The way we do this centres on two highly scalable telco platforms designed for the age of multi-cloud and AI: Global Voice and Global Fabric, with security built in by design. We’ve channelled our investments into these cloud-centric global platforms and concentrated our expert teams where customers need them most.

From asset-light to platform-rich

We have evolved our ‘asset-light’ strategy for several years, designing our platforms to reflect the trends we see in customer traffic crossing our networks — from data flows to and between the big cloud providers to the emergence of hybrid cloud as a preferred model for many businesses. We see that AI has unpredictable impacts on our customers’ networks — from the lumpy, bulky training workloads of large language models (LLMs) powering GenAI to the low latency demands of conversational AI and augmented reality. These trends are set against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving cyber security threat landscape and a fast-moving regulatory environment.

Telecoms gets its voice back

Our Global Voice platform enables businesses, governments and the people they engage with to communicate with each other effortlessly. We’re already world leading in the global voice services market, managing over 16 billion calls to customer call centres in over 70 countries every year. We’ve migrated these services onto a new SIP-powered, cloud focussed platform enabling voice to be carried across data networks. SIP has been around for a while but the fact that Global Managed Voice is both SIP-powered and cloud-focused means that it’s perfectly poised to unlock the full potential of integrating voice with AI.

Indeed, Gartner predicts that 30 per cent of Fortune 500 companies will offer customer service through only a single, AI-enabled channel by 2028. I believe our Global Voice platform is strongly positioned to enable this, backed by our experts who have delivered over 5,000 contact centres to over 2,000 customers around the world.

Wrapping the world in Global Fabric

Next, we have Global Fabric, our brand-new, AI-ready, cloud-centric network-as-a-service (NaaS) platform. This offers customers instant, secure and resilient connectivity to practically every app or digital service they want, including the world’s top cloud and software-as-a-service  (SaaS) providers. It launched to live customer traffic earlier this year and it is the platform that will help us achieve our goal to be the world’s number one provider of secure multi-cloud connectivity.

Global Fabric could have hardly arrived at a better time. We were one of the first telcos off the starting blocks with a truly greenfield international platform to eliminate the drag that the previous generation of networks had on customer innovation. With traditional networks, setting up or making changes to connectivity for a new or existing app, including AI, could take days or weeks. With Global Fabric, it happens in an instant.

Now think of the increasingly complex international regulatory environment. Technology and data have become geopolitical pawns. That means customers must double down on sovereignty, ensuring the right data stays within the right jurisdiction while enabling them to unlock its value to the business. With Global Fabric, customers can choose both the cloud destinations their data goes to and the route it takes along the way. This means regulated data never leaves the designated national borders and helps customers stay compliant.

Sharing a platform for success

Looking to the future of our industry, we believe international networks will gravitate towards fewer, larger, telco platforms able to manage the demand generated by increased cloud and AI services. We invite other service providers to work with BT International, as we build out our ecosystem of partners, including our recently announced partnership with Google Cloud, and scale fast so we can, as an industry, offer the best value to customers across the globe.

We’re at a pivotal moment as an industry. It is an opportunity to move away from fragmented legacy international networks to a platform designed with the reality of AI, cyber and cloud at its core, reflecting customers’ expectations of speed, security, sustainability, sovereignty and naturally the skills to support future growth and prosperity.

Join us at Connected Britain, 24-25 September in London. Tickets available here  

Also in the news:
SWR deploys Europe’s first ’Rail-5G’ Wi-Fi  
BT accelerates fibre rollout amid cost cuts
AT&T agrees $5.75 billion deal for Lumen’s consumer fibre assets

Interview 

BT’s Head of Environmental Sustainability Gabrielle Ginér explains how the Joint Alliance for Corporate Social Responsibility (JAC) is helping telcos tackle sustainability issues collectively 

As the telecoms sector sets its sights on net zero, it faces a major challenge to reduce emissions from the global supply chain. For most operators, Scope 3 emissions (those generated outside of their direct operations) account for much of their carbon footprint, and it is a problem they cannot solve in isolation. 

This is where the Joint Alliance for Corporate Social Responsibility (JAC) comes in. 

“JAC is a not-for-profit association of telecom operators dedicated to developing Corporate Social Responsibility across the Information and Communication Technology supply chain,” explains Gabrielle Ginér, Head of Environmental Sustainability at BT and a board member of JAC. “JAC verifies, assesses and implements CSR while sharing resources and best practice to develop long-term supply chain sustainability.” 

With over 30 members and growing, including industry giants like AT&T, BT, Vodafone, and Singtel, the JAC represents a large portion of the telecoms market, and its influence is expanding in both scope and ambition. 

A shifting focus 

The JAC was founded in 2010 by Deutsche Telekom, Orange, and Telecom Italia to promote basic CSR principles, but members’ priorities have quickly evolved. The alliance has expanded to also focused on three emerging areas: climate change, supply chain due diligence, and circularity. 

To support these goals, JAC has created dedicated working groups. One is focused on accelerating progress toward net zero by helping members reduce Scope 3 emissions. Another is addressing human rights risks across global supply chains through collaborative due diligence. A third, more recently established, group is working on circularity, exploring how telcos can reduce waste by reusing components from network equipment and consumer devices. 

“Most of JAC’s members either have circularity targets in place or plan to set them in the next three years,” Ginér explains. “The top three motivations for pursuing re-use and recycling are carbon reduction, waste reduction, and regulatory compliance.” 

Sustainability down the supply chain 

While collaboration between telcos is important, JAC’s impact depends on execution, and that means working directly with suppliers. The body’s Supplier Engagement Programme (SEP) uses data to assess more than 900 suppliers on their environmental maturity, offering tailored support to help them improve. 

In parallel, the Carbon Reduction Programme (CRP) focuses on around 50 high-impact suppliers. These are the companies whose products and services contribute most significantly to telecom operators’ Scope 3 emissions. Suppliers are asked to disclose product-level carbon footprints and to provide clear, time-bound reduction plans. 

A standout example of this work involves BT, Ericsson and the electronics manufacturer Flex.  

“Ericsson worked with one of its suppliers, Flex, that switched to 100% renewable electricity for its factory in Tczew, Poland,” Ginér explains. “Of the 1.1 million products Flex produced for Ericsson in Poland, 1,401 baseband units were shipped by Ericsson to BT Group. As Flex switched to renewable energy at its Tczew site, Flex and Ericsson estimated an 11k-tonne reduction in Flex’s Scope 2 carbon emissions dedicated to Ericsson for 2022, which translates to a 14-tonne reduction in embodied carbon emissions for the 1,401 baseband units shipped to BT Group.” 

“It may seem like a small improvement,” she adds, “but these types of actions are necessary in the journey towards net zero and set a precedent for how these types of collaborations can be scaled in value chains.” 

Sustainability at BT 

BT is also progressing with its own sustainability agenda, both operationally and within its supply chain. It aims to get to net zero by 2031 within its own operations, and in its wider supply chain by 2041. The company is rolling out more energy-efficient fixed and mobile networks, phasing out legacy infrastructure, and consolidating real estate to reduce emissions from buildings. Last year, it recovered 1,750 tonnes of network equipment and reused 1,548 items in its network. 

“We switch off the energy-intensive 3G network in 2024 which saved over 60 GWh,” Ginér notes. “When older networks are switched off, we recover the network equipment so it can be reused or recycled.” In October last year, it secured £105m from recycler EMR (European Metal Recycling) for its surplus copper networks. The income stream is significant, even after the costs of extracting and processing the cabling. 

The company is also transitioning its fleet to electric and zero-emission vehicles, with over 5,500 electric vehicles already in use. It placed its largest ever order of 3,500 EVs in January this year. “We’re working hard and investing to convert the majority of this fleet to electric or zero-emission vehicles by the end of FY31 – where that’s the best technical or economic solution.” 

Supplier expectations have also been formalised. ESG-related topics now carry a 20% weighting in BT’s supplier assessments, and environmental criteria are embedded into onboarding.  

“Today, suppliers representing more than 65% of our supply chain emissions are reporting to CDP,” says Ginér. CDP stands for the Carbon Disclosure Project, a platform where companies report environmental data such as carbon emissions, to promote transparency and accountability. 

The next steps 

As telecom operators face mounting pressure to decarbonise, improve transparency, and reduce waste, the need for collective action only intensifies. 

“The sector is doing quite well,” says Ginér, “but of course there is always more to be done, especially in tackling Scope 3 emissions.” 

With most JAC members now committed to science-based or net zero targets, and an increasing number taking action on circularity and due diligence, the foundations are in place. The next challenge is scale, ensuring that pilot programmes and successful supplier partnerships become standard practice across the global telecom ecosystem. 

Also in Feature Week:

UK data centre expansion sparks net zero concerns 

Published by The Sunday Times in partnership with workplace engagement platform WorkL, the annual list acknowledges businesses in the UK that exhibit exemplary inclusion, wellbeing support, and satisfaction among staff members. With more than 500 companies evaluated, Altnets is unique not just for its industry but also for its scale, values, and culture.

Founded in 2020 with just three employees and no permanent workplace, Altnets today employs 17 individuals and runs from a state-of-the-art office overlooking Brighton Marina. In addition to being an established leader in telecommunications, the business is regarded by its staff as one of the most fulfilling and content workplaces.

Co-Founder and Director Sam Bangle commented, “This award reflects the outstanding team spirit we’ve built at Altnets.

“What makes us unique is the passion, creativity, and focus our employees bring to their jobs. Without them, Altnets wouldn’t be the business it is today.”

From servicing 33 clients in 2021 to over 100 by 2024, Altnets has expanded rapidly, but its ultimate objective remains unchanged: to connect communities digitally across the country, while cultivating a thriving, people-first culture within its team.

With its comprehensive healthcare plans and insurance benefits, annual team-building excursions for the team, monthly social gatherings, and flexible work schedule designed to encourage a healthy work-life balance, Altnets is creating a working experience where staff members feel appreciated, encouraged, and seen.

“We’re more than a company that serves customers – we’re powered by our people,” Bangle added. “Our success demonstrates that, alongside our efforts to build digital connections throughout the UK, we are equally committed to maintaining a thriving and encouraging community here in Brighton.”

Altnets is one of only two Brighton-based companies to be named in the ‘Small Organisation’ category of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2025 – and the only telecoms business of its size to be featured nationwide. This distinction demonstrates Altnets’ commitment to its employees and solidifies its standing as a leader in a field that isn’t frequently recognised for having an impressive workplace culture. While men largely dominate the telecoms sector, Altnets actively strives to diversify its workforce by recruiting more women than the industry average. Altnets strives to be regarded as one of Brighton’s best places to work, establishing a benchmark for small businesses across the UK.

The Sunday Times commented: “Recognition is the watchword at this Brighton telecoms company. Its 17 staff enjoy structured rewards, team-building and social events, including pizza days and charity skydives. There is also a commitment to personal development, with professional certifications and leadership coaching, and a wellness programme to ensure they care for themselves. They enjoy private healthcare, mental-health support and David Lloyd gym membership. Volunteering days allow people to give back to a cause they care about.”

Open communication, respect, and enjoyment are the foundations of the Altnets culture, reflected in schedule flexibility, opportunities for professional development, and regular after-work socials. The outcome is an unrivalled staff community and a place of employment staff genuinely enjoy being part of.

This recognition from The Sunday Times is more than simply an award – it’s an endorsement of the uplifting, collaborative culture that each team member works to develop and sustain.

A Company to Watch in UK Telecoms

With demand for high-quality telecoms solutions continuing to grow, Altnets is proving that investing in people is not just the right thing to do — it’s a powerful business strategy. From driving digital infrastructure forward to setting a new cultural benchmark in the sector, Altnets is one to watch.

Whether you’re starting out or looking for your next step in the industry, Altnets is always keen to connect with passionate, driven individuals who want to be part of something special. To find your next career opportunity with an award-winning company, email: info@altnets.co.uk