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The future of telecoms doesn’t just depend on cutting-edge technology – it depends on people.  As the UK pushes forward with next generation connectivity, from AI powered networks to 6G infrastructure, one challenge looms large: a growing skills gap.

beem is the new cybersecurity solution from Swisscom, specially developed for business customers of all sizes. By directly integrating cybersecurity into its network, Swisscom is setting new global standards. Protection is no longer primarily provided on devices or at company sites, but via the network.

New criteria to give certainty to world-class research organisations, helping to attract greater private investment and grow the UK economy.

Hello, I’m Professor Howard Benn, an independent consultant specialising in telecom standards. I retired last year from Samsung, where I was the Vice President of Communications Research, and I previously worked at Motorola. 

Satellite operator AST SpaceMobile has provided a launch update as it inches towards offering consumer services.

The Institute of Telecommunications Professionals (ITP) has officially been approved as a registered training provider for the Level 4 Cellular Network Field Engineer (CNFE) apprenticeship — a move that directly responds to the UK’s growing need for skilled telecoms engineers.

Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) will combine its B2B arm with Daisy Group in a deal that might not go down too well with some of the latter's customers.

Under the agreement, Daisy will be consolidated into VMO2 Business, with each party respectively controlling 30% and 70% of the combined entity.

DySPAN 2025, the premier international conference on spectrum innovation, was held in London from May 12th to 16th at King’s College London.

Hello, I’m Matthew Key, and I’ve worked in the telecoms sector for around 25 years. Previously, I worked at BT, where I gained a lot of contacts, and now I am an independent consultant, under the umbrella of Ideas Crucible. 

EU Commissioner visits London as UK researchers and businesses get access to more Horizon Europe funding calls for quantum and space research

UK comms regulator Ofcom has closed a loophole that can allow fraudsters to manipulate mobile networks.

Londoners experience a poorer quality of experience on 5G mobile networks than residents of other UK cities and the gap appears to be widening, according to new data published this week.

44% of UK respondents said they used AI in a professional setting, compared to the global average of 67%, according to a report by EY.

Hello, I’m Dimitrios Pezaros, a professor of Computer Networks at the University of Glasgow.

• The UK universities of Bristol and Cambridge have been collaborating on quantum-safe networking developments
• They have achieved live, quantum-secure transfer of encrypted medical data, secure remote access to a distributed datacentre and the world’s first long-distance quantum secured video call.

The UK government has found £121 million at the back of the sofa to throw at quantum research, which it says will “bolster the UK’s world-leading research programmes.”

Vodafone’s pioneering ‘Network as a Sensor’ technology is being used to forecast rainfall and other weather conditions at a micro-climate level to alert people and first responders of flooding, and other natural and man-made dangers.

Join IEEE DySPAN 2025: Shaping the Future of Spectrum Innovation
 

As connectivity becomes crucial for business, industry, and society, the UK's Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) seeks innovative solutions through its Open Network Programmes.

In sum – what you need to know

Private wireless surge – private wireless growth catches Dell’Oro by surprise, as private 4G/5G RAN sales jump by over 40% in 2024, reaching 3-5% of total RAN sales.

Hi, I’m Joslyn Knaap, an intern at Dorset Council working on the DONE (Dorset Open Network Ecosystem) project – a DSIT-funded initiative focused on advanced research and development into how cutting-edge technology can transform the rollout of mobile networks in rural areas.

As part of a new Digital Connectivity Forum (DCF) initiative, some of the UK’s largest broadband and mobile connectivity players have signed a joint letter encouraging their suppliers to adopt voluntary minimum standards as part of their efforts to reach climate goals.

The UK’s telecoms market is thriving, but understanding how the ecosystem is innovating can be difficult, especially considering the rapid advancements in academia.

Image Credit: Bhagesh Sachania Photography

On 26 March, the University of Bristol, with its partners in JOINER and REASON, hosted the Connected Futures Festival, with satellite events taking place in Belfast, London and Cambridge.