Clive Selley

State of the US fixed Broadband market in 2024 This week, Jonathan Chaplin visited Roger Entner and Don Kellogg to discuss US fixed broadband in the spring of 2024. 1. The US Fixed broadband rate is coming down from 2.7% as subsidy programs taper off. 2. Historically, The maximum US reach for mass market technology has been 96%, the peak number for fixed telephony. 3. Cable faces the challenge of addressing the culturally related customer service proposition or the technology-related speed and reliability proposition. 4. Consumers who subscribe to a fiber provider that advertises symmetrical capabilities think they need it more than consumers with different fiber providers. 5. Spectrum assets are crucial when looking at further redefinitions of the competitive landscape. An insightful episode on the state of fixed Broadband in the US. #5G #FWA #Fiber #Cable #DigitalDivide John Yazlle | Paul Challoner | Jaime Gomezjurado

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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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Bulk Broadband Contracts are the very reason there is more competition and more providers to choose from than ever before in our industry! However, well intended regulation could put a halt to this competition and the increasing provider choices we have to service residents! Come hear the discussion.

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Thursday School: Spectrum Access : Improved Opportunities and Outcomes? Access to spectrum is the lifeblood of Mobile Networks. There are currently a number of initiatives in the UK and elsewhere aiming to improve access to spectrum for non-MNOs, largely recognising that these mechanisms have positive effects of society. The mechanisms vary, from CBRS, Local Access Licensing, Campus Spectrum, Shared Access (Lightly Licensed) and now new initiatives in Spectrum Sandbox. Looking, for example, at the proliferation and use of Shared Access Spectrum, we can see that the numbers and distribution are broadly good. 890 - mostly outdoors - licenses issued right across the UK. But what are they used for? The major use is different slants of Private Networks. Private Networks add coverage and capacity in unserved and underserved locations. They maybe Neutral Host Networks – deploying publicly accessible spectrum – Host Private Networks – deploying spectrum for exclusive use of the deploying body or landlord – or a Hybrid, deploying spectrum for both. For Neutral Host, integration with MNO systems and processes is needed. Freshwave’s Omni solution announced yesterday is an example of this, as well as Shared Access, Boldyn Networks, Dense Air, Cellnex UK, Wireless Infrastructure Group, NET CS and many others. For Host Private Networks, integration with Enterprise IT systems and processes is needed. Industrial and FWA are 2 examples of this. For Hybrid, it’s clearly both. A campus network could be a great example, opening up Private Land for Public Mobile Access, but also allowing connection and processing of private data, such as sensor data, CCTV cameras (optionally including Video Analytics/Computer vision). But it’s clear from measures to further improve access, that the spectrum access is adding value and will continue to do so!  #InvisibleInfrastructure #EveryDaysaSchoolDay #Mobile 🤳🏼 #Telecommunications Previous Post: https://lnkd.in/epakF_6T

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We acknowledge BT's recent announcement to extend the switch-off deadlines from 2025 to 2027. While this move was not entirely unexpected, it remains frustrating for us and many other providers who have diligently worked to transition customers to replacement products and services in anticipation of the original 2025 deadline. As a business, we have consistently advocated for increased awareness of this transition, as the lack of communication with end users has led to significant confusion. Customers must receive clear messaging moving forward to fully understand the implications of the switch-off and the necessary steps to take. Despite the revised deadline, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the original timeline. Openreach will continue to raise prices, and we are urging businesses to move away from outdated services. Proactive communication is essential for a smooth and efficient transition. If you're in the dark about what the switch-off means for your business, get in touch. We're here to keep you informed. #bigswitchoff

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SHAKING UP UK BROADBAND: NETOMNIA AND BRSK’S GAME-CHANGING DEAL Big news in the UK broadband world: Netomnia and Brsk are joining forces in what's being called the biggest merger yet among alternative network providers. This move is part of the industry's bid to give BT and Virgin Media O2 a run for their money in the full-fibre rollout across the country. The companies struck the deal last week, creating one of the largest "altnets" out there. Investors have been pouring billions into these altnets, hoping to challenge the big players. With the focus shifting from just laying down fibre to actually signing up customers, this kind of consolidation was pretty much expected. Everyone’s looking to get a return on their investment in the digital upgrade. We've seen other big moves recently too. For example, CityFibre announced it was buying Lit Fibre back in March, and Virgin Media O2 agreed to take over Upp in September. In this deal, Brsk will come under Netomnia’s parent company, Substantial Group, but it’ll still run independently with Brsk's CEO, Giorgio Iovino, staying in charge. They’re also creating a new wholesale company to combine their networks and potentially bring other altnets on board. Jeremy Chelot, CEO of Substantial, Netomnia, and their sister company YouFibre, said this merger is a major step towards becoming the UK’s third-largest full-fibre network, aiming to compete with Openreach and Virgin Media O2. Chelot mentioned that the market has been pretty fragmented with many small players, leading to uncertainty. This deal aims to create a more stable competitive environment, and they’re open to further consolidations. Currently, their full-fibre services reach 1.5 million premises with 140,000 customers already connected. They’re planning to use up to £900 million in debt to expand to 3 million premises and around 500,000 customers by the end of 2025. Iovino added that merging will help them break even on earnings a lot sooner and make the group an attractive consolidator in the market. The merger is set to be finalised soon, pending regulatory approval. No job cuts are expected. By the end of 2023, altnets collectively reached 12.9 million premises and had 2 million customers. #broadband #consolidation #netomnia #brsk #altnets

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Spectrum sharing announcements are always welcome. Recently in Spain, three MNOs have agreed to share spectrum, marking a step in the right direction though I have not seen tangible details or build-out commitments. Resource sharing among MNOs is becoming increasingly compelling due to flat ARPU, rising customer usage, the deployment of more spectrum with related equipment (antennas, RRUs, BBUs, power supplies, etc.), and the undeniable need for more coverage and capacity. Cellular sites will continue to proliferate for these reasons. We see deployments in-building, on campuses, for private networks, as small cells in populated areas, and macros in more rural locations. Rural applications include expanded coverage for basic connectivity, 911/Public Safety via programs like FirstNet, and Fixed Wireless Access. However, funding expansion for these use cases remains a challenge. Exclusive spectrum licensing places deployment in the hands of a few MNOs in the US, who are primarily accountable to Wall Street. These MNOs are tied up with their own pressing matters and lack (have not built in) the capacity to collaborate with smaller providers on innovative spectrum sharing or resource sharing via neutral host options. Historically, there has been little incentive to work with smaller providers, but this may be changing. CBRS has provided some relief, though power levels are extremely limited compared to the adjacent C-Band. Without a CBRS PAL channel, small providers face the power and interference constraints of GAA and unlicensed bands. The MNOs and their organization, the CTIA, call for more exclusive mid-band spectrum. However, this only extends the runway for FWA capacity growth and avoids addressing the fundamental issues of financial viability for deployments and practical means to deploy more sites through partnerships. Spectrum sharing, infrastructure sharing, and Open RAN are potential solutions. While each comes with significant operational challenges, it's clear that we cannot meet future needs by continuing with the status quo.

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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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This is a good piece on how to optimise and modernise your organisation’s contact centre, to enhance the full customer experience journey. Read about BT and Five9’s CCaaS solution, with advanced technology and A1, helping to deliver an exceptional customer experience. 

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Ofcom recently published telecoms market data for the UK. https://lnkd.in/ehJa-5Xf 🔗 It shows mobile data growth rates of only 15% over the last year. Mobile data growth rates are slowing and at a rapid rate. Interestingly, mobile revenues in the UK increased 6.6% from the same period a year earlier. ARPU increased from £12.52 in 2022 up to £13.05, bucking the trend of years of steady decline. This increase is thanks, in no small part, to inflation-linked price increases from the major operators. Historic predictions out of Ofcom in 2022 offered data growth scenarios up to 55% by now. I wonder how many MNOs considered this data when assessing the ROI of 5G implementations! The debate continues about whether 5G is actually needed by the 98% of ‘normal’ users, where 4G seems perfectly sufficient. However, one could argue that the UK is still predominantly not sufficiently 5G SA, and therefore, do 5G users experience the full benefits 5G has to offer yet? The data growth story gets skewed when looking at a global view where countries with large populations are still experiencing significant growth. Ericsson is putting numbers out like 59Gb by 2029 in Western Europe. Ofcom shows growth from Q3-Q4 2023 was only 1.5%, or 6% if annualised. So question marks arise over Ericsson’s view❓. What is apparent from Ofcom is that data growth rates in many mature markets are decreasing. What will be the new device or use case that drives growth again? Virtual reality, connected cars….? #mobile #data #telecoms

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Now the dust has settled after ANGA, it's been great to reflect on the strategic opportunities and options available to Network Operators investing in the path to 10Gbps.. Whether that's FTTP, D4.0 or a combination of both. In today's tough economic climate and challenging penetration rates, do you really need to deploy 100% OLT Port capacity on day 1? Some operators are now using HDOSS to re-phase OLT CAPEX investments, whilst providing a simple, flexible and future-proof upgrade path. Regardless of technology choice or strategy, Technetix have a full portfolio of products that allow Operators to optimise end to end network capacity investments without compromising on quality.

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We are often asked about proven, scalable use cases for 5G technology and one of the key sectors we will highlight is broadcast and media. The ability to deliver very high capacity, high speed secure networks to broadcasters has been a huge success at many events. Expect to see many of these examples to be demonstrated at at the Olympics in Paris next month. Before that we have the 2024 European Championships kicking off at the end of this week and Deutsche Telekom has been pushing its private 5G networks will be used by broadcasters to beam the action around the world. Deutsche Telekom's partnership with RTL Deutschland for UEFA EURO 2024 is a prime example of how 5G SA is revolutionising these live events. Its private 5G SA network will ensure live broadcasts, even with heavy mobile network traffic at many of the venues. It's no surprise that Deutsche Telekom is leveraging this technology for Euro 2024, following its successful implementation at other high-profile events, 5G SA is proving to be a game-changer for live broadcasting.  We've already seen 5G SA deliver exceptional performance at the Coronation of King Charles in the UK last year, and at the Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham in 2022. These successful deployments demonstrate the power of 5G SA to transform live broadcasting, guaranteeing exceptional video quality, even in crowded and data-hungry environments. Deutsche Telekom is going seeking to create a deep reliable mobile experience for fans at Euro 2024. Their efforts extend beyond the deployment of a 5G SA network that echo what is happening elsewhere in the world in big location based event connectivity. Here's a closer look at the approach: ⚽ Infrastructure Upgrades: Mobile communications infrastructure at all 10 Euro 2024 stadiums is being significantly upgraded to handle the anticipated surge in mobile data traffic. This includes enhancing existing cell sites and installing new ones to ensure optimal network coverage throughout the venues. ⚽ Temporary Mobile Sites: To provide additional capacity Telekom is deploying over 130 temporary mobile sites around the stadiums. These temporary sites will be strategically placed to ensure a strong and consistent signal for all spectators, regardless of their location within the stadium. Wherever they are deployed, these commitments are not straightforward and can be extremely complex but networks and organisers understand that a significant and reliable mobile and data presence is vital both to those in the stadium and to amplifying the event on social media and video sites. #5GSA #5GEuro2024 #LiveBroadcasting #DeutscheTelekom #Connectivity #Innovation

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In a market dominated by fibre, licensed 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is increasingly becoming the top choice of connectivity for SMEs. Darren Morgan, COO at Comsol, reveals why businesses are making the switch: faster deployment, superior reliability, and seamless scalability. Read the full article here: #5gfwa #fwa #businessconnectivity #fixedwirelessaccess https://lnkd.in/dF_Z9uMQ

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Proactive Planning for Business Continuity in 2025 The forthcoming BT Openreach network closure presents an opportunity to modernise your business communications. Xi Comms offers a no-obligation review to assess your current setup and develop a customised plan for a seamless transition to a future-proof telecoms solution. Avoid potential disruptions and embrace the benefits of post-2025 telecoms - contact Xi today. #HarrogateBusiness #XiComms #BePrepared

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ChargeUK calls on next government to accelerate chargepoint rollout Check out Current News recent article to learn more.

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The growth of the fiber based broadband services is fueled by various factors including increased demand for reliable high-speed internet, rising data consumption, government initiatives on bridging digital divide - all contributing to the need for robust broadband infrastructure along with long-term cost savings which can be provided by FTTx deployments. There is an increasing momentum for the XGS-PON and multi-PON OLT/ ONT platforms that ease the technology evolution from the service providers' point of view. Tejas xPON platforms are designed for a seamless technology evolution. Our platforms are used in some of the largest fiber roll-outs in the world - such as the BharatNet (https://lnkd.in/gPzabak7)   Find more about our OLT (https://lnkd.in/g92uyN75 ) and ONT (https://lnkd.in/ga6Myzc9) platforms and explore how our platforms can help you achieve your xPON network expansion and evolution. #Telecom #TejasNetworks #ICT #ONTs #Connectivity #Innovation #MarketTrends

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Fibre broadband infrastructure is energy efficient once deployed, but the deployment process can have a considerable impact on the local environment, workers and local communities. The high cost of deployment also contributes to a persistent digital divide meaning that the socioeconomic benefits of fibre broadband are not evenly distributed. Discover some of the most effective initiatives for mitigating against these negative impacts: https://bit.ly/4bLzrHL #GreenTech #ESG #Sustainability

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