All BDUK (Project Gigabit) articles – Page 3
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M&AFreedom Fibre: UK challenger joins with VX in hunt for regional muscle
Latest UK fibre market consolidation sees Manchester’s Freedom Fibre tie with Midlands altnet VX UK, with asset management backers Equitix and InfraBridge enabling the move. Implications for ambitious Freedom Fibre build targets not yet confirmed as small-scale regional operators expand beyond county borders…
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Network & InfrastructureConnect Fibre wins again in Project Gigabit awards
Connect Fibre won its second Project Gigabit contract, but the BDUK initiative experienced a setback as an anticipated £80m contract in the North East fell through.
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Strategy & ChangeSelley ‘cracks the code’ on fibre as Openreach brews overbuild, upgrade plans
Openreach Business Briefing: Halfway to Openreach’s 2026 fibre rollout target, CEO Selley claims spending and recruitment peaks for Openreach have passed; fibre’s benefits are being felt…
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Network & InfrastructureLabour veers away from UK broadband nationalisation as Project Gigabit plods on
With a UK election expected within a year, the shadow digital minister backs infrastructure competition, and suggests Project Gigabit plans would be maintained by Labour, despite reservations.
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EventwatchProject Gigabit draws criticism over voucher headaches and cross-regional contracts
INCA Conference 2023: see what “nightmare” is haunting altnet leaders within Project Gigabit; confusion over cross-regional contracts; and what new BDUK CEO has to say on it all…
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Partnerships & AlliancesBT exploring HAPS-based 5G business case as R&D taxis for take-off
Partnership with Stratospheric Platforms sees HAPS-based 5G tested at Adastral Park ahead of airborne trials next year.
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Strategy & ChangeUK Infrastructure Bank keeps watch on ‘stretched’ fibre space
Digital remains a sector of focus for new, state-owned investment house, attracting four more deals and more than £500m of commitments during its last fiscal year.
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Network & InfrastructureUK MNO trio call for deadline extension as Shared Rural Network stagnates
Laggards Three, VM O2, and Vodafone ask for two-year delay to interim timeline to account for claimed planning permissions and pandemic obstacles. EE smugly maintains committment.
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Public AffairsUK infra body: name local authorities that respond slowest on mobile site rollout
National Infrastructure Commission publishes latest scorecard on how UK government is doing on project delivery, and highlights fibre uptake, local planning processes, and cross-sector infra coordination as areas where work is required.
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InterviewCEO Interview: CityFibre on M&A watch, competition bottlenecks, BT economic rationale questioned
‘BT’ called out for obstinate, irrational, anti-competitive behaviour that penalises own shareholders — needs to prioritise copper shutdown to deliver fibre payback, and start serving consumers outside Openreach footprint. Also CityFibre’s M&A tracking/ranking and NetCo purism, big-3 ISP lockout, regulator told to keep sharp, and more…
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PremiumElsewhere in Openreach: Openreach altnet rival hits connections milestone
Openreach altnet rival hits connections milestone.
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Network & InfrastructureOpenreach wants higher Scottish FTTP take-up after one million passed
Operator reveals 20 locations across Scotland with best FTTP coverage after passing one million premises, up from 850,000 this May.
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EventwatchRural fibre business case “getting stronger” as UK altnets look to boost take-up
Connected Britain 2023: UK fibre builders warming up to rural rollout as private funding becomes harder to access. Perspectives from Lothian Broadband, County Broadband, CityFibre, Openreach, and CommScope.
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Digital ReportsBTwatch Report #348 - September 2023
Key stories include: State infra projects slated | BT back on EU Horizon | New EE enters Orbit | Collaboration driving green momentum | All-IP migration kicks on
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Network & InfrastructureThe Backfill: Stonepeak secures stake in Cellnex Nordics
Stonepeak acquires 49% stake in Cellnex’s Nordic operations. Eutelsat closes out merger with OneWeb, while CityFibre, Community Fibre, and YouFibre continue expansion efforts in UK fibre scene. Read more…
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M&AMacquarie-backed Voneus swallows up UK altnet rivals
UK rural fibre provider Voneus snaps up Cadence Networks and SWS Broadband.
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Strategy & ChangeBT quashes talk of Openreach split
Connected Britain 2023: Howard Watson and Clive Selley say structural separation is not on the agenda; BT focused squarely on driving full-fibre deployment.
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EventwatchInvestors say “time to think better” on UK altnet strategy
Connected Britain 2023: investment firms express clearer vision for which altnets it anticipates will succeed in the market.
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PremiumOpenreach provides a square deal for BDUK
No sign of excess returns as government investment provides speed boost for rural areas.
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Network & InfrastructureThe Backfill: Helios Towers bags $720m in debt facilities
Helios Towers signs off on new debt facilities, partially to fund new cash tender offer. Fibre M&A continues in Europe, while MTN Nigeria replaces IHS with ATC in new tower deal. Read more…