Connectivity remains a critical but evolving priority for local authority digital leaders, as the importance of 5G grows, connectivity data and funding challenges persist, and the adoption and take-up of digital solutions become a bigger focus. 

These are some of the key findings from the third annual survey of digital leaders at councils across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, conducted by connectivity consultancy, FarrPoint.

LightSpeed has partnered with Neos Networks to accelerate the rollout of fibre-to-the-remises (FTTP) and wholesale services.

As a result, the partnership strengthens LightSpeed’s pledge to deliver Gigabit broadband to underserved communities while also enhancing its network infrastructure.

According to the company, by tapping Neos Networks’ extensive UK-wide infrastructure, LightSpeed can provide greater connectivity options and availability for its wholesale customers.

Ofcom is looking to slash the time it takes to resolve telco customer complaints through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

ADR is available free of charge for telco customers either unhappy with the outcome of a complaint against an operator, or if their complaint goes unresolved after eight weeks.

Ofcom has proposed reducing the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) timeframe from eight weeks to six weeks to give consumers faster results to their complaints.

Amazon is investigating the possibility of creating a transatlantic subsea fibre optic cable that would stretch from Ireland to the US East Coast.

Filings with Ireland’s Maritime Area Regulatory Authority reveal that Amazon wants to run a cable stretching from County Cork in the south of Ireland to an unconfirmed US site.

Amazon’s maritime usage licence application requests that the company conduct geophysical surveys in Castlefreke, Long Strand, and Ireland’s exclusive economic zone, which extends some 200 miles from the coast.

As the Future Network Programmes conclude, UKTIN is working with DSIT to reflect on the government-funded projects, outlining the key outcomes and the lessons learned to help improve future telecoms initiatives. 

Vantage Towers, TOTEM, Orange, O2 Telefónica and the Saarland University of Applied Sciences (htw saar), announce a pioneering collaboration to create one of Europe's first cross-border 5G highway corridors. 

This ambitious project, named "5G Autobahn to Autoroute" (5G A2A), will connect the cities of Metz in France to Saarbrücken in Germany, covering a 60-kilometer stretch. Construction will begin in early 2025 with completion scheduled for the end of 2027.

• Ericsson, in collaboration with IBM, is set to deliver a new network to transform frontline emergency services in Great Britain
• The project will utilize products and solutions from Ericsson’s Core Network, and Business and Operations Support Systems portfolios, alongside its mission-critical expertise and other professional services to deliver the new network
• The Emergency Service Network will coordinate efforts and responses from frontline staff, making the UK’s streets safer and delivering on the UK government’s Plan for Change
• 300,000 personnel will benefit f

As the Future Network Programme concludes, UKTIN is working with DSIT to reflect on the government-funded projects, outlining the key outcomes and the lessons learned to help improve future telecoms initiatives. 

Improving digital connectivity and supporting innovation is critical for the UK’s economy. Some of our country’s most profitable industries including tourism and farming are based in hard-to-reach areas, with rural England contributing 16.2% of the country's total gross value added (GVA) in 2022. 

Hello, I’m Helen Duncan, Chief Executive Officer at Blueshift Memory, a next-generation computing technology company in Cambridge. I have also managed my content agency, MWE Media, and sit on various committees including the UKTIN Semiconductor Expert Working Group. 

While 5G will become the dominant mobile technology in Europe by 2026, the mobile industry lobby group says ‘urgent policy reforms’ are needed to drive access to investment to keep the continent competitive globally.

The report clears its throat by pointing to the successes of 5G across Europe so far. 5G accounts for the majority of connections in Germany and Switzerland, while adoption rates in Denmark, Finland, Norway and the UK have exceeded 40%, we’re told.