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This Industry Spotlight was authored by SAP’s Sandeep Chowdhury
As behemoths like Google, Meta and Netflix continue to devour bandwidth across the network value chain, the common refrain among network providers who are investing so much to build the infrastructure on which platforms like these rely has been, “What about us?” … [visit site to read more]
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We had a record breaking number of entries this year, reflecting Britain’s ever-growing and rapidly evolving digital economy.
Our shortlist this year represented a fantastic array of diverse organisations and individuals, with the traditional big players being joined by many organisations of varying sizes from all corners of Britain. This is a clear reflection of how the whole digital economy is now working towards the same goal of improving lives through connectivity.
From the latest technological innovations to the most impactful community initiatives, the Connected Britain Awards strives to highlight excellence in every corner of the UK.
A big thanks to all our award presenters, our generous sponsors and the excellent panel of judges, who spent the last number of months analysing entries for each of the 15 categories.
Onto the 16 awards…
The Full Fibre ISP Innovation Award
Winner: Brsk Ltd
Featuring a massive increase in homes passed (919%) over the year in question and an excellent customer satisfaction record, Brsk is well on the way to becoming a fibre powerhouse in the north of the UK. “Good customer feedback, great use of locally based community liaison officers, and quality engagement with other local stakeholders.”
The finalists were:
Gigabit Networks
Giganet
Hey! Broadband
Hyperoptic
TalkTalk Wholesale Services
The Barrier Removal Award
Winner: Intelligens Consulting with Renfrewshire Council
Intelligens Consulting’s work supporting Renfrewshire Council’s fibre journey has been transformational, turning a previously underserved area into the third most fibre-enabled local authority in Scotland.
The judges praised the entry’s clarity, saying it clearly outlined the scale of the challenge at hand, the methodology used to meet that challenge, and the exceptional results delivered.
The finalists were:
CityFibre
Kent County Council – Kent Wayleave Toolkit
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA)
Lothian Broadband Networks (LBN)
Trenches Law
The Industrial Innovation Award
The winner: Vodafone – 5G SA Slicing
Vodafone’s entry demonstrated the success of 5G network slicing on one of the biggest stages of all, supporting the broadcast industry to deliver live footage of the coronation of King Charles III.
“This is a perfect example of what 5G slicing is intended to do,” said one of the judges, noting the broadcast industry’s unique set of requirements, especially for covering a major event such as the coronation.“
The finalists were:
Dexgreen Ltd – Virtual Buddy Training App
Neutral Wireless – Private 5G Network Deployed for King Charles III’s Coronation
Prodapt OpenFibreXchange
Zeti Limited
The Wireless Innovation Award
Winner: Quickline Communications
Quickline Communications delivered fascinating project using fixed wireless access over a bespoke cloud-based 5G standalone network using shared spectrum. Overall, a great use-case cited for rural broadband coverage.
“Proper innovation with extensive real-world applicability,” commented one of the judges, with another calling it “a true commitment to the use of high bandwidth FWA to serve the most challenging rural areas”.
The finalists were:
EdgeQ
Freshwave and the City of London Corporation
Jangala
Neutral Wireless – Private 5G Network Deployed for King Charles III’s Coronation
Scottish Water, Blackspot Networks and Atos
Broadband Provider of the Year
Winner: Brsk Ltd
With impressive growth, customer-centric initiatives, and an excellent Trustpilot rating, Brsk demonstrated impressive results since its launch in 2020.
“The focus on customers appears to permeate the entire organisation,” concluded one of the judges, while another noted that “ambitious deployment plans and innovative approaches, including same-day installation, sets Brsk apart”.
The finalists were:
Fibrus
Giganet
Lightning Fibre
Truespeed
Wessex Internet
Wildanet
Enterprise Solution of the Year
Winner: Vitruvi Software
Virtuvi’s GIS-based build management software offers altnets a way to automate a traditionally highly manual process, ultimately allowing them to deploy fibre at recording-breaking speeds.
The solution was praised as “a highly impressive tool” by the WCA judges, who also commented on the excellent customer feedback supporting the entry.
The finalists were:
Eseye Infinity IoT Platform
IFS Planning & Scheduling Optimization (PSO)
Jetty
Qualcomm Technologies, Wi-Fi 7 Networking Pro Series platforms
VETRO
Project Rollout Award
Winner: Liverpool City Region Combined
Authority (LCRCA) and LCR Connect
An excellent example of public–private collaboration in action to deliver major community benefits. This project shows a local authority that truly appreciates the importance of delivering high quality connectivity infrastructure to deliver economic growth.
“A good partnership model and phased deployment that is delivering some impressive results”
The finalists were:
CityFibre
County Broadband Ltd
Lothian Broadband Networks (LBN)
Openreach
Truespeed
The Access Innovation Award
Winner: Norfolk County Council
With a holistic approach to expanding broadband penetration in Norfolk through numerous initiatives, Norfolk County Council has more than doubled the county’s superfast coverage to 96%.
“This entry demonstrates an excellent appreciation for numerous technologies and doesn’t shy away from the challenges of delivering broadband to some of the UK’s hardest-to-reach areas,” said the judges.
The finalists were:
Avanti Communications
DexGreen Ltd
Lothian Broadband Networks (LBN)
Scottish Water and Atos using Starlink
The Smart Places Award
Winner: Connected for Success:
Welcome to Sunderland, City of Smart
Featuring a layered approach using a range of technologies for different industry verticals, this entry sought to drive ‘cross-fertilisation’ of ideas between sectors.
“With a focus on infrastructure, skills, digital inclusion, and applications – Sunderland showed it has everything needed for a Smart City to really develop”
The finalists were:
FarrPoint Western Isles IoT Project
Living Map Ltd
NYnet Ltd / North Yorkshire Council
Virgin Media O2 Business and partners. Greater Manchester Local Full Fibre Network programme
The Community Improvement Award
Winners: Get Online London
Greater Manchester Combined Authority –
Get Online Greater Manchester: for care leavers
For the first time ever in the history of the Connected Britain Awards, the judges were unable to separate two excellent projects, both of which supported some of the most vulnerable people in society.
“Both of these projects feature the coordination of fragmented resources to help make a real and lasting difference to peoples’ lives. Digital inclusion at its best”
The finalists were:
Coventry City Council #CovConnects
FullFibre – Fibre Heroes’ Community Investment Fund
Ogi, ‘Cefnogi’ Community Fund
Sunderland City Council’s local connectivity shapes communities fit for the future
Three Discovery
Wildanet
B2B Service Provider of the Year
Winner: Vodafone Business UK
With its comprehensive range of products and services backed by numerous success stories, Vodafone Business’s dedication to meeting their business customers evolving needs was evident throughout this entry.
“V-Hub, the business.connected programme, and free training courses for SMEs demonstrate the company’s commitment to going above and beyond when it comes to customer support.”
The finalists were:
Gigabit Networks
Giganet
ITS Technology Group
Pangea
Truespeed
Digital Skills Award
Winner: Dorset Council – Embedded digital champions
Dorset Council’s Digital Champions initiative showcases a proactive and impactful initiative to tackle the digital divide head on, providing digital skills to empower those that need it most.
“Digital Champions are a proven means of delivering digital skills at scale – perhaps the only proven means of delivery at scale,” said one of the judges. “Dorset Council’s approach of encouraging and supporting a wide range of individuals to become Digital Champions should be seen as best practice for the future.”
The finalists were:
Innovation Nottinghamshire – 5G Careers Programme
Kent County Council (Digital Kent)
Lloyds Banking Group and We Are Digital
Vodafone Business & Enterprise Nation – business.connected
The Sustainability Award
Winner: Wildanet
Wildanet’s B23 strategy saw them greatly improve their sustainability credentials, leading the charge in their local communities.
“Here’s a company that’s tackling the issue of sustainability in numerous forms and bringing local businesses along with them. Very impressive”
The finalists were:
FarrPoint Western Isles IoT Project
iLOQ Oy – iLOQ 5 Series Battery Free Locking Solution
KCOM
Openreach
Zayo: Zeus
The Rising Star Award
Winner: Dorset Council – Embedded digital champions
James’ journey from soldier to cable specialist exemplifies the enormous potential a telecoms career can offer anyone with passion, drive, and the will to learn. What’s more, with Cable Giants, James is helping others take that same journey, building a highly successful company in the process.
“Hard work, skills and a positive attitude are clearly paying dividends”
The finalists were:
Chris Founds, CJ Founds Associates
Franck, Courbon, Ethicronics
Haseeb Ahmed, NETS International Ltd
Liam Ceaplen, Jetty
Phil Bairsto, Freedom Fibre
The Startup Award
Winner: Artifeel
The winner was selected by the judges on day one of Connected Britain, with all shortlisted entries having their chance to take to the stage and present their business case.
The shortlist was:
AssetHUB
Emu Analytics
Groundhawk io
Inteliports
Jetty
Lumilinks
SecHard
Stacuity
Weaver Labs
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Also in the news:
EE announces 3G switch off timeline
VMO2 conducts Connected Farm trial in Barnsley
Project Gigabit contracts awarded by CityFibre
Three items of regional fiber news and a new player in the global data center infrastructure space: … [visit site to read more]
Keep up-to-date with all the latest news, articles, event and product updates posted on Developing Telecoms.
Subscribe to our FREE weekly email newsletters for the latest telecom info in developing and emerging markets globally.
Three regional moves with the help of key vendors, and a couple of interesting executive hires: … [visit site to read more]
MONTCLAIR, N.J., Sept. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Sitetracker, the global deployment operations management software provider serving nearly 300 companies, today launched new capabilities to its already market-leading solution designed to help network operators, engineering, and construction companies accelerate the rollout of fiber broadband by layering construction plans with geographic information systems (GIS) data.
The new solution, Sitetracker GIS Link, connects geospatial data from web GIS systems such as Esri’s ArcGIS within Sitetracker’s deployment operations suite. GIS Link will also support new functionality within Sitetracker that will provide network operators enhanced visibility into deployments by rolling up key metrics such as homes passed by market and servicing area. These new capabilities will allow GIS data to be shared more efficiently, driving improved collaboration between internal and external parties, and enabling broadband to reach rural and underserved communities faster.
“We’re excited to be among the first to roll out Sitetracker GIS Link! With fiber work continuing to ramp up, GIS-enabled workflows are vital to improving collaboration while reducing inefficiency,” said Rob Reynolds, Chief Information Officer and Chief Administrative Officer at Congruex. “Aligning geospatial data with projects is a logical evolution that enables Sitetracker to remain a key and core system in our overall architecture.”
Sitetracker GIS Link will also benefit telecom tower operators, solar developers, EV companies, and other infrastructure companies by enabling multiple map layers, so companies can reduce swivel-chair analysis of wireless site candidates or solar developments and instead use proprietary site data within their deployment operations management functionality.
“Globally, broadband deployment is at an all-time high driven by large-scale investments from both public and private sectors, and providers simply cannot work quickly enough to meet this surging demand,” said Charlie Kennamer, Sitetracker’s Vice President of Telecom, Americas. “We can only meet aggressive build-out targets by shedding outdated processes and adapting modern, efficiency-oriented technology and solutions.”
With fully integrated geospatial data, GIS Link makes it easy to align planning, engineering, and construction work. The solution offers a unified, real-time workflow between stakeholders allowing them to keep network plans aligned with construction progress and enabling more efficient handoffs. For project managers, engineers, and construction managers still relying on paper copies and ad hoc collaboration tools, the software simplifies the ability to receive GIS-based work plans, organize and schedule work, accurately capture production progress, and quickly report – all without manual processes or duplicate data entry. With these capabilities, Sitetracker GIS Link helps accelerate broadband and other types of deployments to meet the lofty goals set out by programs such as Internet for All in the United States, Project Gigabit in the United Kingdom, and the European Union’s Digital Decade.
According to the World Broadband Association, fiber connectivity is tied to economic growth and participation among citizens in education, business, and civic opportunities. Yet, the cost of deployment, regulations, and resource constraints are hindering broadband deployment, particularly in rural areas and developing countries. Efficiency gains are key to more critical infrastructure development.
“We are excited about the efficiency gains that the Esri Sitetracker partnership will provide the industry to better bridge the world’s digital divide,” said Randall René, director of telecommunications industry solutions at Esri.
Even before the launch of GIS Link, Sitetracker helped companies shorten their construction timeframes from project launch to close-out by 31% on average, allowing them to more easily manage projects, assets, and sites as well as processes for capital planning, permitting, ongoing maintenance and more, all in a single platform.
To learn more about Sitetracker’s deployment operations management solution for fiber network operators, contractors, and other critical infrastructure stakeholders, please visit the Sitetracker website.
About Sitetracker
Sitetracker powers the rapid deployment of tomorrow’s infrastructure. The global leader in deployment operations management software, Sitetracker helps innovative companies like Cox, Telefonica, EVgo, Nextera, Comcast, ChargePoint, Ziply, Southern Company, Iberdrola, Vodafone, Vantage Towers, VerticalBridge, and Congruex plan, deploy, and manage millions of programs, projects, sites, and assets across nearly 300 customers globally. By giving telecommunications, EV charging, renewables, utility, and real estate teams a cloud-based solution that works easily and effectively, Sitetracker accelerates the transition to a fully connected and sustainable future. Deploy what’s next. For more information, please request a demo.
Sitetracker are silver sponsors at this week’s Connected Britain – catch them on stand 114!
Also in the news:
SK Telecom and Netflix settle network usage dispute through new partnership
Connected Britain 2023: Which tracks are right for me?
KKR to acquire $800m stake in Singtel’s data centre business
Brazilian regulator Anatel’s board of directors has approved a survey that addresses the very high payments made to the public purse by the telecommunications sector. It will be forwarded to the ministries of finance and communications, bodies responsible for studying and proposing legal changes related to the taxation of the sector.
The Teletime news service reports that the study addresses three themes: the current tax system, the redesign of the tax system, and the redefinition of the tax burden.
It proposes a broad tax review, which, it seems, recognises the positive potential of a lower tax burden on service prices, quality and access to services, not least given the present situation. This is one of a high tax burden applied to telecommunications service providers in Brazil – one of the largest such burdens in the world, the report clams.
The report also points out that it’s not just the taxes themselves that are an issue but the complexity of calculating and policing them, itself an additional cost for the sector and for Anatel itself.
Anatel’s board has proposed a significant simplification of the tax system as well as a reduction of the tax burden. The president of Anatel, Carlos Baigorri, argues that this is both important and relevant at a time when, apparently, the National Congress is discussing tax reform.
According to Anatel, the proposal is of paramount importance, but will government agree? Given recent similar sentiments from both Hungary and Nigeria, it will be interesting to see whether there is a positive response to Anatel’s report. We can probably take it as read that service providers will be supportive.
Madrid, 19 September 2023. lyntia, a leading telecommunications service provider in Spain, has created, in collaboration with Vyntelligence, a unique collaboration platform that enhances the deployment processes of the fibre network in the country. This innovative solution allows for intelligent interactions between lyntia and its fibre deployment partners, auditors, and contractors, driving a superior customer experience with faster delivery and high standards of quality and security.
The initial results have led to a more agile installation process, reducing the quality control process by almost a third (33%) for customers awaiting new broadband connections. These advancements underscore lyntia’s growth in its mission to provide robust coverage in Spain through innovative projects that emphasise its commitment to digitalisation.
José Antonio López, CEO of Lyntia Networks, stated, “Our partnership with Vyntelligence marks a significant step in our commitment to provide a reliable and next-gen optical fibre network. Together, we are reshaping the fibre connectivity landscape, offering innovative solutions to our clients. By using the Vyntelligence platform, we are significantly reducing installation times and delivering networks with efficiency, quality, and agility. Simultaneously, we are fostering better collaboration with our supply chain and our deployment partners and contractors, which is essential as the local industry struggles to scale up with expertise and rapid skills.”
Kapil Singhal, co-founder and CEO of Vyntelligence, said, “We are delighted to partner with Lyntia Networks as a benchmark client in Spain. The senior management’s commitment to change and a culture of active collaboration have helped us achieve tangible results in a very short time. We are changing the way people work and how teams are organised for intelligent collaboration.”
In this regard, one of their applications comes from Vyntelligence’s SmartVideoNotes® Remote Assurance solution, which reduces installation approval time to less than 24 hours, guides Lyntia Networks’ contractor teams to get the job done right the first time, and automates the installation’s approval and delivery process. The result is a 200% increase in remote audit coverage, enhancing the quality and resilience of the network.
Similarly, the AI ML-powered Vyn® Contractor Self-Audit solution saves rework and costly on-site inspection visits to provide a faster acceptance process on a larger scale with fewer experts.
Lyntia Networks is the go-to neutral operator in the wholesale telecommunications market, with about 44,000 km of deployed fibre, offering connectivity services over optical fibre with extensive network coverage and a vast reach. Furthermore, Lyntia Networks provides all kinds of connectivity services: dark fibre, capacity, wholesale FTTH service, VSAT, internet, and co-location.
Lyntia Networks’ optical fibre network connects the country’s most crucial cities and serves over 3,200 towns. It also has connections to the main data centers and docking points for the Peninsula’s submarine cables.
For more information, visit www.lyntia.com.
Vyntelligence (Vyn) accelerates digital transformation of customer and frontline operations to deliver financial and ESG value. Vyn is a unique video-capture, collaboration and remote assurance platform.
Vyn enables faster deployments, quotes and resolutions via its self-service AI/ML-powered platform. The platform automatically predicts next actions, enabling experts to remotely get more jobs done effectively with improved quality and safety. Vyn improves customer experience and sustainably accelerates revenue realisation. Headquartered in London, Vyntelligence has been delivering up to 9X ROI for global energy, telecom and utilities customers such as Cadent Gas, Engie, EDP, Northumbrian Water, Welsh Water and Openreach.
Vyntelligence has won the Orange Fab France Women Start Program amongst over 250 innovative global startups and has joined Tomorrow Street’s SCALEUP X, the next generation of strategic suppliers to Vodafone. Ranked in the top 25 in the 2021 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 UK list and declared as a winner by top 10 global utilities at the Free Electrons Global Energy Startup Program in 2020, Vyn has been granted US patents for Smart Data Capture, Ranking and Delivery of Insights.
Vyn SmartVideoNotes and Vyntelligence are registered trademarks of humanLearning Ltd.
To learn more, visit www.vyntelligence.com
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Also in the news:
Connected Britain 2023: Which tracks are right for me?
Tarana raises $50 million for FWA deployment
UK government announces £88 million investment in connectivity R&D
