Telecoms

To ensure that SMEs have a front-row seat to telecoms standards making, our Standards Champion, Andy Reid, attends key standards meetings to observe, participate in conversations and report back on key themes and discussion points.

Here, Reid shares his reflections from FYUZ.

BT announced the launch of a sovereign platform which will deliver a pioneering suite of new digital sovereignty services for the UK private and public sector.

Cloud-Delivered Security Continues to Outperform while Hardware-centric Segments Normalize

Semiconductor solutions firm Marvell has agreed to acquire Celestial AI, which makes an optical interconnect technology platform for AI computing called Photonic Fabric.

A report by satellite firm Viasat claims 60% of customers would pay more for direct-to-device satellite services.

The report was conducted by GSMA Intelligence and surveyed more than 12,000 mobile phone users across 12 markets, quizzing them about their views towards satellite services.

Worldwide smartphone shipments are forecast to grow 1.5% year-on-year (YoY) in 2025 to 1.25 billion units, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.

On December 2nd at the Tobacco Dock in London, UKTIN and DSIT hosted an exclusive showcase highlighting the lasting impact and legacy of the Future Network Programmes, with a spotlight on creating sustainable business and funding models.

Abingdon-based broadband ISP Gigaclear, which has built a full fibre (

• Softbank and Yaskawa Electric are collaborating on the social implementation of a new type of AI by exploiting AI-RAN
• They will carry out integration analysis of different types of data in real time to offer robots capable of multiskilled functionality in multiple roles
• Data from sen

Nokia and du say they have implemented a 5G Advanced autonomous network slicing solution, promising “self-optimising 5G services for enterprises, industries, and consumers.”

Equipment makers that want to stand out to potential telco customers need to tap into their efficiency drives and also offer a path to monetisation.

Annual smartphone shipments will grow by a modest 3.3% this year, but more importantly, the market is on course to see a significant change in the global pecking order.

According to predictions shared by Counterpoint Research, Apple is expected to overtake Samsung in shipment terms for the first time in 14 years.

Photo Credit: Nathan Pitt - University of Cambridge

O2 has switched on its 5G standalone network in Norfolk, covering areas like Norwich, Great Yarmouth, Kings Lynn and Thetford.

The future of the network slicing market is so bright as to be incandescent, if ABI Research's latest forecast is anything to go by.

• Network faults remain one of the biggest and most costly challenges facing telcos
• Root cause analysis (RCA) processes still require innovation
• Major industry bodies are supporting the AI Telco Troubleshooting Challenge, which aims to ultimately improve RCA
• AT

Virgin Media O2 has extended its high-speed broadband and mobile coverage to half of the population of Scotland.

The operator shared a series of data points on its Scottish prowess as part of a visit from First Minister John Swinney to its new Maxim Park office in Lanarkshire, which houses 350 VMO2 staff and opened earlier this year.

The Leo Ultra antenna promises download speeds from satellites of up to 1 Gbps.

Some AI and 5G trials at a stadium in Milton Keynes promise to improve signal for sporting events.

The trials were developed through Project ARANA, a collaboration between the University of Bristol’s Smart Internet Lab, AI operation Madevo, as well as some other industry partners, led by Weaver Labs.

UK altnets are still struggling to make ends meet and mounting losses mean the only alternative for the sector is consolidation...as soon as possible.

The market for mobile radio access network equipment was essentially flat in the third quarter of this year, but growth continues at the core, according to new analyst data published this week.

Five UK-led European satellite projects will get a bit of public money to help them, while promising to incubate ‘promising’ UK AI startups.

As 2025 approaches the rearview mirror, a survey of over 200 telecom professionals places security at the forefront of 2026.

Ofcom’s annual Connected Nations report finds that Brits used 18% more mobile data in 2025 than the previous year, which totals 1.2 billion GB each month.