John Murray

More consolidation in the UK Fibre market with Netomnia and Brsk announcing a merger. Not a surprise given the amount of altnets in the market, and a trend that mirrors the MNO landscape of consolidation in order to pursue growth. Will be interesting to see what happens next. #connectivity #networks #merger #investment #innovation #mnos #fibre #business #enterprise #altnet #UK #fibre #property #realestate #growth #telecoms #telecommunications #technology

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🌐 If your business needs high-speed connectivity between your nearby sites, how do you you cope if you're struggling with slow and unreliable Internet services or costly Fixed Line or Private Network Services such as MPLS? 🤔 At CDN Networks Limited, we specialise in connecting sites with ultra-reliable high-speed low-latency wireless networks🛜 ensuring your operations are smooth and efficient, with considerable long-term cost-savings. How crucial is network reliability for your business operations? Share your experiences and challenges! 👇

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Interesting article by Mike Dano about mobile voice. But wow. 15 years after I started running “Future of Voice” workshops & advising on voice applications “beyond the call”, parts of the mobile industry are finally starting to wake up to the idea that there could be options beyond basic telephony. ☎️ But these use-cases are still the same old “session” and call-centric ideas. And they’re stuck in the trap of thinking that IMS is a platform. They’re blending dead-end phone calls with undead zombie RCS 🤦🏻‍♂️ As a reminder, IMS was already obsolete in 2006 and yet here we are, nearly 20 years later, still trying to pretend it’s a suitable basis for voice innovation… just because operators were forced to deploy it to support the deeply-flawed VoLTE. 📞 Meanwhile the real world of value in voice communications has bypassed telcos. Look at the world of non-call voice, from chatbots & smart speakers, to in-game voice chat and even podcasts. There are no 5G microphones at 5G conferences, for instance. 🎤 I’ll have to do a deep dive on this at some point, but I’ll note that the GSMA “5G New Calling” paper doesn’t once mention the words “acoustic”, “echo” or “noise”. This should give a warning of how much they understand the broader world of audio communications and human voice experience. A further warning of irrelevance should be its use of the term “OTT” and its insistence on the 140 year model of a “call”. 🔊 (Edit: a historical note that in the 1890s, it was already possible to get one-way "streaming music" via phone networks, aka The Theatrophone. No, it wasn't monetised by telecom operators, beyond the user paying for a phone call as access) #5G #standards #VoLTE #GSMA #RCS #mobile

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New Ofcom rules demand clarity on broadband tech. No more 'fibre' confusion! At Grain, we've always been crystal clear: our network is 100% Full Fibre. Read our blog to learn more: https://zurl.co/1UVe #BroadbandTransparency #NoFakeFibre

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Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is becoming increasingly significant to the telecom industry📶 Did you know it is now a popular alternative to fixed broadband? Speed-based tariffs are now being offered by 40% of FWA service providers around the world 🌎 This compares to 27% of FWA service providers a year ago. The recently published June 2024 edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report has the full story of how FWA service providers are responding to consumer demands for speed-based tariffs of the type traditionally offered for fiber or cable broadband services. The report also has the latest telecom industry insights, data and analysis. Get your copy: https://lnkd.in/evQ3dhA9 #MobiltyReport #FWA #Technology

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The newest State of UK #Broadband report from thinkbroadband is out, covering UK #FTTP market, with a lot of analysis of #altnets. Well worth downloading and reading, especially for its analysis of #overbuild, where multiple players build parallel infrastructures along streets. Link: https://lnkd.in/eMvVvf9b The UK market is now at 69% homes passed, predicted to be 95% in May 2026. There isn't as much detail on homes (or businesses) connected, or exactly what "passed" really means. For those unfamiliar with the UK market, there has been a gold-rush in recent years, especially when interest rates were low. Over 150 networks started building out fibre, ranging from local cooperative ISPs to major PE-backed players such as CityFibre. New entrants mostly focused on specific towns / districts, rural areas or building types. Some went straight to XGS-PON. Consolidation is now ongoing. BT Group was slow to adopt full fibre, with both its retail ISP and wholesale Openreach more focused on FTTC / VDSL until about 3 years ago, when it started pushing FTTP *hard*. It has been overbuilding altnets' fibre in many places. #Overbuild is a contentious issue. Received wisdom is that a roughly 30% "take-rate" is needed for positive ROI on fibre build, although that varies by area and other factors. At the moment, the report estimates 22% of UK premises have two FTTP networks, and 3% have three or more. In theory, if there's good #openaccess wholesale with slick processes, high-quality build, flexibility (eg for symmetric 1G/2G if ISPs want) then overbuild can be inefficient. In reality, some overbuild is inevitable and even desirable, especially at a fine-grained level, such as fibre along both sides of a busy road. It helps keep the wholesale market "honest", especially as Openreach's footprint grows. It ensures coverage occurs faster and more completely, with access to not just homes but also MDUs, business premises, street assets like mobile towers and so on. Some homes on sideroads, like mine, don't have FTTP availability despite a build on the main street about 50 metres away. Wholesale regulation is broadly OK, but slow to keep pace - the next Ofcom Telecom Access Review is ongoing for 2026-2031, but presumably may be influenced by the recent change of government. There's a risk that altnets get ignored by policymakers, as seen in the EU. The fact that BT only overbuilds, rather than uses perfectly good existing alternative FTTP assets doesn't suggest confidence in the concept of wholesale. It's prepared to be a seller but not a buyer - even as a retail ISP. It doesn't suggest that competition or structural decomposition is currently as effective as it could be. That shoudl change. (I see a similar lack of symmetry in network APIs - telcos should be on both sides of the market). It will also be interesting to see if the new (delayed) one-touch switching process changes the competitive landscape. Plenty to keep an eye on!

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New data from UK telecoms regulator Ofcom has shown further throttling back on rollout plans by the country’s fibre players, amid more constrained financial circumstances. Read the full article on TelcoTitans: https://lnkd.in/gwYDeUgC #TelcoTitans #Telecoms #UK #Fibre #FibreCos #Network #Ofcom #BDUK

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Time to get back into the swing of industry news with the latest #fibre updates! Explore our Telecom Digest, dive into the #insights from our Policy & Regulation Committee, and check out the upcoming #events by the FTTH Council Europe. Stay informed with the latest edition of Fibre Horizon ➡️https://lnkd.in/d_SExcmA

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Understanding fibre broadband can be confusing with terms like FTTH and FTTC. Our latest guide breaks down these acronyms to help you choose the best option for your internet needs. ​ Dive into our comprehensive guide to make an informed decision about your broadband at https://ow.ly/2l2r50TAZNu​ #FTTC #FTTH #FTTP #FullFibre #FullFibrebroadband ​#FullFibrexplained #CommunityFibre ​

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Question for the day. Is a wholesale market for 5G network slices a good opportunity for differentiating an IoT MVNO? I'm digging into the intersection of 5G Stand Alone and IoT at the moment. Predominantly what monetisation opportunities there are for MNOs in 5G overall and particularly SA, and specific to IoT. So digging into things like RedCap (again!), Network Exposure Function, APIs, QoS, SLAs, cellular V2X, and a bunch of other things. Alongside dedicated slices for specific organisations (or e.g. emergency services) and functions (e.g. latency), there's also likely to be a wholesale market. So, perhaps, MNOs selling an optimised IoT-oriented slice for MVNOs. Which would create something of a two-tier IoT MVNO market. Can you provide high grade connectivity or is your offering just based on regular wholesale (or, indeed, someone else's wholesale)? Would anyone care? Maybe if it's marketed well enough. Having something that is a recognised term for a higher QoS/reliability/capability should presumably be appealing to customers. I can't help but note, though, that most enterprise customers have been conspicuously incapable of discerning the difference between a cheap and cheerful sponsored-roaming-based offering where disconnection or similar headaches aren't far away, and a robust offering based on local carrier agreements. So maybe they don't really care. Or maybe no-one ever quite came up with the right term for 'this is something you'd rely on' vs 'this is something you wouldn't'. When does it matter? Not for a long time since MVNOs operate overwhelmingly on n-1 generation and we have 10+ years of LTE still to go. But in a 5G world, maybe it does matter eventually.

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Latest #BTwatch Weekly Briefing: 📈 Openreach Fibre Build Director Georgia Grimes laid out the latest FTTP progress 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 The final Scottish 4G Infill mast was hooked up to EE’s network 🌧️ Openreach and nexfibre jointly dampened expectations of imminent 25G PON and 50G PON launches 🌐 Full briefing includes updates on ambitions to offload Irish business, confirmed legal panel, key new hires and partnerships, and much more... Read the full briefing: https://lnkd.in/eiQM7NYg ⚡ Weekly Briefings are new for 2024, crafted exclusively for those who need to be in the know by our authoritative editors and analysts. Subscribers get the full picture in one place online or by newsletter. Now available for Digital Infrawatch, Vodafonewatch, BTwatch, Deutsche Telekomwatch, Telefónicawatch. From TelcoTitans — #1 for EMEA Telco & Digital Infra Leaders. #TelcoTitans #Telecoms #BT BT Group #Openreach #EE #UK #Network #Fibre #ConnectedNorth #4G

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A topic that is coming up increasingly regularly for me is timing and synchronisation for networks. Especially for #5G RAN, but I’ve also seen it talked about for cloud recently as well. I’ve been meaning to do a deep dive sometime, so this post is a nudge to myself, as well as a note for readers. Key points: - radio elements need to know accurate timing, down to the level of microseconds or nanoseconds. This is harder than it sounds. - there are various functions, but a key one is to make sure that #radios which use TDD (time division duplexing) all coordinate their uplink and downlink time slots to avoid interference with neighbours. TDD uses the same band for up and down transmissions in sequence - so getting the timing right is essential. - timing is especially essential for capabilities such as low-latency and deterministic-latency connections. TSN = time-sensitive networking - a common way to get access to accurate time is to use a GPS #satellite receiver (or other #GNSS system), as they broadcast highly accurate signals with a known timing configuration. - However GPS has various issues. It can be costly to have a receiver for each site, it doesn’t work indoors, and it can be prone to jamming or spoofing. The latter is becoming a critical area in some regions with conflicts or major geopolitical issues. - The key alternative is to distribute #timing signals over another network - typically fibre transport networks, but I also see discussion of using other wireless systems, including private networks & indoor wireless including WiFi - IEEE’s 1588 PTP (precision timing protocol) is a key enabler here - Timing also has a clear overlap with cloud-controlled radio networks (eg #OpenRAN) and also has to align with cloud-native core networks, especially for delivery of services such as 5G URLLC which has timing / latency as a central feature. There was a good post by Mike Dano with an interview with a DISH Network spokesperson this week on this topic - This is also an issue for private networks or deployments of small cells, especially if the backhaul is over basic broadband networks or normal building LANs. It was one of the challenges with the original (3G / 4G) home femtocell deployment model. - The cost and indoor issues are also particularly challenging for timing #synchronisation for #private5G - Timing is so important that it needs its own testing, monitoring, cybersecurity & assurance systems to make sure it works with absolute reliability This is an area I can’t claim to be an expert in, but am keen to continue building knowledge around. The future may feature some #quantum timing solutions but that’s even further outside my normal area. In the comments I’ve linked to a really good Light Reading podcast with a Ciena exec about timing distribution, but I’ve also had relevant discussions about this with various others including clients Spirent Communications , Shabodi & Airvine recently. #networks #smallcells #privatenetworks

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The UK mobile networks are very shoddy most of the time, with more not spots than hot spots , but this is the fastest 5G speed test I have seen . The THREE network in Barry, South Wales , somewhere close to the mast I assume 🤔. Have you seen faster over a 5G SIM?

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Monday Musings : Network Automation with 4 RAN Vendors! With 3 options for every session (Track A, B and Exhibition/Networking space) it’s impossible to catch every session, so I’m catching up with last weeks FutureNet World on demand.   ThreeUK CNO Iain Milligan’s fireside chat with Erol Hepsaydir, teased out several significant points. 🎤That AI might be a ‘sledgehammer to crack a nut’ if used over-enthusiastically as a magic bullet. Don't overhype. 🎤That networks can be built with rather poor routing inefficiencies which wouldn’t normally be identified through desktop review, but AI can objectively tease out and reduce ‘lost latency’. 🎤That having 4 tRAN (Traditional RAN) vendors in one area (Nokia 3G, Samsung 4G, Huawei 4G&5G and Ericsson 4G&5G) is not something that AI can really get it’s teeth into. But having a network with common SW in an area would be an opportunity. Inadvertently Iain had identified an undervalued benefit of (Open) vRAN. Iain talked about a great Ericsson tool, but this can clearly be applied only in the Ericsson sites. There’s often a (selfish?) bias in how traditional RAN vendors present a ‘single hand to shake’, as though there is only ever a single vendor in the (RAN) network. But – even excluding the one-off HRV impact in the 3UK network – networks are almost always in the throes of swap. A typical deployment takes 3.5 to 4.5 years and happens every 7-10 years. ThreeUKs case demonstrates that the tRAN vendors erroneous implication that swaps are quick and are completed negates some of their claims. Nokia equipment from 2000’s and Samsung equipment from 2013 is still live. So if these sites were built as Open vRAN, the SW in an entire city (or county or country) could be swapped, and the legacy radios talk to the new vDU SW vendor. Now either through vDU vendor apps – or 3rd party xApps and rApps – the MNO or carrier can optimise the network holistically.  #EveryDaysaSchoolDay #Mobile 🤳🏼 #Telecommunications #vRAN #Infrastructure Previous Post: https://lnkd.in/e5gVU5SS

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Here is some information about the pending 3G network switch off:

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Culprit no. 1: the new ECC, regulatory overreach that slowed Britain’s 5G roll-out to a crawl while the developed (and even some of the developing) world sprinted ahead. The U.S.: limited regulation, 95% 5G coverage across a country the size of a continent. The EU: slightly more regulation: 81% 5G coverage. The UK: dramatic regulatory overreach giving operators and infrastructure companies significant power to reduce rents without requiring that the resulting savings be used for network roll-outs: complete market collapse, 51% 5G coverage. Even Bulgaria, Costa Rica and the Philippines are doing better.

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Openreach, the UK digital network provider owned and run at arm’s length by BT Group, is taking a significant step towards a more agile and automated future with the deployment of Nokia's Altiplano Access Controller platform across its fibre network. This move is important for the continuing shift over to Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and its potential to revolutionise fixed and fibre connectivity in the UK. Why this matters: ▪ Enhanced Network Automation: Altiplano's SDN capabilities will enable Openreach to automate network management tasks, improving efficiency and reducing operational costs. ▪ Improved Network Visibility: The platform should provide real-time insights into network performance, enabling proactive identification and resolution of issues. ▪ Increased Agility: SDN allows for dynamic provisioning of services, enabling Openreach to respond quickly to customer demands and market changes. It's probably very obvious why this is all very useful but providing fibre to the premises in both domestic and business environments is becoming increasingly mission critical for many. Adding in this level of control to large parts of the network should mean that the service is more reliable as issues are identified and resolved earlier and more quickly. That said, its not an easy integration process and is likely to take longer than many anticipate. The good news is that once it has been deployed it will be available to all providers who utilise Openreach network for their networks. In reality that is most of the broadband networks in the UK. #Openreach #Nokia #Altiplano #SDN #Fibre #Connectivity #Innovation #Telecommunications #UK

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The highly anticipated 2024 report on the UK's 5G rollout is finally here, and it's sparking conversation across the industry. Key takeaways: Progress, but challenges remain: The report highlights the progress made in deploying 5G infrastructure across the UK. However, it also identifies challenges that need to be addressed to ensure widespread adoption and maximize the benefits of this transformative technology. Focus on network coverage and affordability: A key area of focus is ensuring adequate network coverage, especially in rural and underserved areas. Additionally, the report emphasizes the need for affordable 5G data plans to encourage user uptake. Security considerations: The report underlines the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard 5G networks from potential threats. What are your thoughts on the UK's 5G progress? This post is intended to spark a discussion about the 5G landscape in the UK. Share your thoughts in the comments below! #5G #UKTech #Innovation #Telecoms

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