Fibrus adds 33,000 customers in FY26, as revenue grows 53 percent
UNITED KINGDOM 17:36

Fibrus adds 33,000 customers in FY26, as revenue grows 53 percent

Fibrus, Belfast-based fibre broadband provider operating in Northern Ireland and the North of England, ended the year to 31 March 2026 with 146,700 connected customers, adding 33,000 customers during the year. This gives a penetration rate for premises ready for service (RFS) of 31.1 percent. The total number of RFS premises reached 471,800, up from 407.300 at end-March 2025; with ARPU up 10 percent to GBP 27.14. The figures were presented in accounts filed with Companies House by owner Ox (Holdco). 

Highland Broadband almost doubles revenue to GBP 3.34 million
UNITED KINGDOM 17:25

Highland Broadband almost doubles revenue to GBP 3.34 million

Scottish rural fibre altnet Highland Broadband Networks (previously Lothian Broadband Networks) has reported revenue of GBP 3.34 million for the year ending 31 January 2026, up 90 percent from GBP 1.76 million a year earlier. Accounts filed with Companies House show a gross profit of GBP 2.22 million for the year, up 140 percent from GBP 879,000 a year earlier; with an operating loss of -GBP 8.39 million, compared to an operating loss of -GBP 7.04 million in the year to 31 January 2025. The total loss for t

Kinetic rolls out new AI-powered fibre installation platform
UNITED STATES 17:08

Kinetic rolls out new AI-powered fibre installation platform

US fibre broadband provider Kinetic has partnered with Skyovi to deploy a new AI-enabled fibre design platform for fibre installations. The new AI-powered platform will help the company plan and deploy final fibre connections to homes and businesses more accurately and quickly. The Skyovi platform automates fibre connection design and tracks materials to keep network build and connections on budget and on time.

Bluebird Fiber launches new Tera-Core network architecture
UNITED STATES 16:56

Bluebird Fiber launches new Tera-Core network architecture

Kansas City, Missouri-based Bluebird Fiber, communications infrastructure provider and data centre operator, has announced a new optical transport and IP backbone architecture called Tera-Core. This builds on existing 400G capabilities to support future 800G wavelengths, higher bandwidth services, and multi-terabit capacity. Bluebird Fiber now offers 400G-capable routes, with more routes coming onstream by end-2026 and during 2027. 

UK govt announces new Data Centre Covenant
UNITED KINGDOM 16:42

UK govt announces new Data Centre Covenant

UK Chancellor John Healey has used the 2026 Budget to announce a new a Data Centre Covenant. This will establish tests that data centres will have to meet, such as their contribution to local communities and UK economic interests. This will be supported by government action to support the capacity required for technological sovereignty.

BT completes Scottish public sector connectivity upgrade contract
UNITED KINGDOM 16:09

BT completes Scottish public sector connectivity upgrade contract

BT has completed a contract to upgrade connectivity across more than 5,000 public sector sites in Scotland through the Scottish Wide Area Network (SWAN) programme. Working with Openreach and other deliver partners, BT has delivered the upgrade ahead of schedule, providing improved connectivity for sites such as libraries, schools, local government offices, pharmacies, GP practices, dentists, transport hubs and hospitals. BT won the 6-year, GBP 350 million SWAN contract in 2023. 

Lumen expands Microsoft co-selling pact to capture AI demand in the enterprise
NORTH AMERICA 16:07

Lumen expands Microsoft co-selling pact to capture AI demand in the enterprise

Lumen Technologies and Microsoft have reached a deal to expand co-selling activity in the enterprise AI segment. The partners aim to implement more account planning and joint sales engagements concerning converged enterprise playbooks that incorporate network modernisation, Azure cloud migrations, and AI upgrades. The alliance brings together enterprise IT modernisations enabled by Microsoft Azure with Lumen's extensive networking capabilities and on-demand orchestration. By aligning these feature sets, the

Cable One names restructuring expert Keglevic to board
UNITED STATES 16:05

Cable One names restructuring expert Keglevic to board

US operator Cable One announced the appointment of Paul Keglevic to its board of directors, taking the board to a total nine members. He starts immediately to assist in the company's ongoing talks on securing new financing or other strategic alternatives, sitting on the special committee considering the strategic plans. 

Orange Romania completes first 50G PON test, demos 40 Gbps symmetrical speeds
ROMANIA 16:04

Orange Romania completes first 50G PON test, demos 40 Gbps symmetrical speeds

Orange reports it has conducted its first 50G PON test in Romania, achieving symmetrical speeds of 40 Gbps and latency below 1 ms. The tests took place at the Orange 5G Lab in Bucharest, located within the Campus Research Centre of the Politehnica University, with the participation of Orange technical specialists and university researchers.

Lithuania steps up notification requirements for network service disruptions
LITHUANIA 15:49

Lithuania steps up notification requirements for network service disruptions

New requirements came into effect for communication service providers from 01 November in Lithuania, including an obligation to inform consumers about service interruptions. Under the new procedure, all communication service providers must inform consumers about any interruption to communication services, immediately and free of charge. In the event of a large-scale service disruption, information must be provided to the sector regulator RRT within two hours, and the resolution of the issue must be reported

Rostelecom and Sber2B team up to serve small businesses
RUSSIAN FEDERATION 15:46

Rostelecom and Sber2B team up to serve small businesses

Russian national operator Rostelecom and the Sber2B business group agreed to expand their cooperation and work together to improve the customer experience for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Territory forum in St. Petersburg. As part of this partnership, the companies will feature their product offerings across the channels already used to serve their respective clients. The partners also plan to implement product and technological integrations, en

Latvia launches AlliedTechLabs to develop dual-use technologies
LATVIA 15:44

Latvia launches AlliedTechLabs to develop dual-use technologies

Latvia launches AlliedTechLabs, an international centre for developing defence and dual-use technologies. AlliedTechLabs will serve as a dedicated platform to develop, test, and accelerate technologies that strengthen the capabilities of Latvia and its allies. By bringing together international academia and industry partners, the centre aims to bridge the gap between laboratory research and field-ready solutions.

NETHERLANDS 15:41

ING adds travel eSim service for banking customers

Dutch bank ING has started offering customers a travel eSim service. It's available to banking customers within the ING app. The bank works with Gigs on the data roaming service, to offer customers services in over 140 countries around the world. 

NETHERLANDS 15:34

Dutch mobile antenna sites increase in September

There were 15,734 mobile antennas sites in the Netherlands at the end of September, a small increase from 15,722 in August, according to the latest figures from the Antenna Bureau. The number is down from 16,353 at the start of 2026.

THAILAND 15:30

True appoints Birathon Kasemsri Na Ayudhaya as CEO of TrueVisions unit

Thai operator True has appointed Birathon Kasemsri Na Ayudhaya, as CEO of its pay-TV, streaming, mass media unit TrueVisions, effective immediately. Kasemsri Na Ayudhaya currently serves as True's chief content and media officer. He will retain his existing role at True.

BELGIUM 15:17

Video behaviour of Belgian consumers 2026-Q3

In this report, we provide insights into the Belgian video market, distinguishing between the three regions of Belgium: Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels. Beyond language differences, the markets also vary in terms of subscription rates for the SVOD services and viewing behaviour. These differences prompted us to set up a comprehensive study for each region. The following SVOD services are included in this report: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Be tv, DAZN, Disney+, Netflix, HBO, Streamz and YouTube Premium. .

NETHERLANDS 15:03

VodafoneZiggo proposes increasing days at office to minimum 3 per week

VodafoneZiggo has proposed a minimum three days a week working at the office for its employees. Pending approval by its works council, the Dutch operators wants the new policy to take effect from the start of 2027. It currently has a minimum two days a week and said the extra day would provide more opportunity for meetings and collaboration. 

BELGIUM 14:57

Orange Belgium organises AI vibe coding hackathon for women students

Orange Belgium organised with BeCode and WomInTech the first edition of VibeHack, a hackathon designed to give female students practical experience with AI. Around 50 students from the Brussels university ULB participated in teams, designing websites and apps using AI tools. VibeHack, held on 26 October, is part of Orange's international programme 'Hello Women' to encourage more women to join the ICT sector.

UNITED STATES 14:53

T-Mobile updates fibre broadband offer with lower prices, 5 Gbps service

T-Mobile US introduced a new top speed of 5 Gbps on its FTTH network. Priced at USD 90 per month plus taxes and fees, the service comes with a 10-year price guarantee, T-Mobile said. The launch is part of a wider refresh of its home broadband plans, with reduced prices. 

GERMANY 14:35

1&1 reaches more than 25 million households in Germany with fibre

Germany's 1&1 announced it can provide fibre-optic connections to more than 25 million households In Germany. The company is expanding its own high-speed network while at the same time its network of partners is growing. 1&1's network partners include, among others, Deutsche Glasfaser, Deutsche Telekom, GlasfaserPlus, OXG and numerous other local and regional fibre-optic operators such as Glasfaser NordWest, Ewe Tel and WestConnect. 1&1 has a built a network of 25 partners in total. 

GERMANY 14:34

Welt TV signs new multi-year agreement with SES to broadcast news programs

Welt TV, the news broadcast channel of Axel Springer media group, signed a new multi-year agreement with SES to broadcast its programs over satellite. The agreement covers the Welt HD and N24 Doku channels on SES's satellites at 19.2 degrees East. Welt HD remains part of the HD+ offering while N24 Doku is available free-to-air. SES has been a partner of Welt for many years.

ETHIOPIA 14:16

Ethio Telecom and Ericsson celebrate 132-year partnership

Ethio Telecom and Ericsson have celebrated 132 years of business ties at a meeting in Addis Ababa led by Patrick Johansson, president and head of Ericsson Europe, Middle East and Africa. The occasion comes as Ericsson marks its 150th anniversary (1876-2026) and coincides with the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and Sweden. The partnership dates back to 1894 when Ericsson first supplied telephone receivers to Ethiopia, according to company archives.

GLOBAL 14:05

Marvell agrees Lumentem takeover for USD 115 billion

Marvell Technology has agreed the takeover of Lumentum for USD 115 billion including debt, in an effort to secure a leading position in the emerging optical interconnect market for data centres and AI computing. Marvell said the acquisition will help it deliver more highly integrated optical solutions for network connections within and between AI servers, in line with the industry transition towards high-bandwidth optical connectivity. The combination brings together its strengths in electrical and optical

OMAN 14:04

Beyon Connect partners with PhazeRo to expand digital trust services in Oman and GCC

Beyon Connect has signed a memorandum of understanding with PhazeRo, an Omani technology firm specialising in AI, data science and software engineering, to offer digital trust services in Oman and the GCC. Their MoU was signed at Gateway Gulf 2026. It establishes a framework for the pair to address regional demand for secure identity, electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) and trusted digital services.

Just In

17:36

Fibrus adds 33,000 customers in FY26, as revenue grows 53 percent

17:25

Highland Broadband almost doubles revenue to GBP 3.34 million

17:08

Kinetic rolls out new AI-powered fibre installation platform

16:56

Bluebird Fiber launches new Tera-Core network architecture

Commentary

11:50

SpaceX talks to Echostar on using Boost assets for Starlink mobile service - report

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SpaceX wants to join the mobile market, but why?

24 SEP 13:37

What is KPN's response to the brand expansion at Odido and VodafoneZiggo?

Background

00:41

The week in telecom: Samsung rethinks phone range after Q3 loss; Mistral and Cohere mount AI challenge with telco backing

31 OCT 16:24

German Weekly - Week 44

31 OCT 15:53

Dutch Weekly - Week 44

29 OCT 15:20

Most telecom consumers use provider app as much as possible for service queries