As well as news from INCA itself we are keen to include relevant news items from INCA members. Please send relevant items of news, ideally including a photo where relevant, to news@inca.coop. We'll publish news from members that we feel is of interest.
The alternative network providers enter 2019 with great ambitions. The latest stats from Point Topic show that the altnets now reach well over 1m premises with full fibre connections and up to 2m mainly rural premises are in reach of a wireless broadband network. The key companies in the sector are all predicting significant growth over the next two years supported by more than £3bn of investment announced in 2018.
Many thanks to all who helped make INCA’s Annual Conference in November such a great success. We had 250 registered participants, a topical agenda, excellent speakers, very supportive sponsors and great feedback from the event.
Recognising innovation and achievement across the UK broadband industry, eight awards were presented at the INCA Awards Dinner, with accolades going to:
INCA welcomes Chancellor Philip Hammond’s additional funding of £250 million and pledges to use it to connect some of the most remote parts of the country to super-fast fibre broadband.
During the budget announcement, Hammond stated that he intends to place a renewed emphasis on UK-wide technology investments with funds being allocated to develop next-generation broadband networks in rural schools, libraries and homes and businesses.
INCA CEO Malcolm Corbett said the extra funding comes at what is a critical time for the UK’s digital infrastructure and it will ensure alternative network providers (altnets) can continue to make an impact by encouraging the deployment of new networks.
Government have published the second tranche of No Deal Brexit Technical Papers, intended to outline the sector specific impacts of a no deal Brexit in a number of areas. These have been reasonably low on detail and in the most relevant areas to INCA members say little that has not already been discussed.
Please find a brief summary of the papers on telecoms, mobile roaming and data protection below.
The collection of papers (which range from Driving licences to the handling of civil legal cases) can be found here.
The programme for November's INCA Conference "Full Fibre & 5G: The Road Ahead" is now available. The conference, running over November 5 and 6, offers a carefully crafted programme, giving participants real insights into the shape of things to come in our industry. With keynote speakers yet to be announced, the programme already packs a punch, including Erzsebet Fitori, James Heath, Dana Tobak, Justin Leese, James Fredrickson, and many more. And we're finalising details on three in-depth workshop sessions running side by side on the afternoon of November 5 focussing on Rural, Digital Infrastructure Investment, and a Technical Showcase.
INCA welcomes the Government’s call for local authorities to apply for a share of the remaining £95 million from the LFFN Challenge Fund.
Launched last year, the £190 million fund is part of more than £1 billion of funding to stimulate further and faster roll-out of full fibre networks and drive the next-generation of mobile connectivity. The programme has already allocated grants in two prior waves of funding.
INCA CEO Malcolm Corbett said this support would provide a significant boost to the UK’s digital infrastructure.
The Independent Networks Cooperative Association has today offered support for the Government’s Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review (FTIR) and welcomed the emphasis placed on full-fibre, 5G and the role alternative network operators (altnets) play.
Designed to transform the UK telecoms industry, the FTIR aims to open up access to world-class connectivity, regardless of where users are geographically located. It is hoped that this move will ignite new channels of competition within the UK telecoms industry and provide transitions for emerging technologies such as 5G.
Today we launch a search for the heroes of the UK’s digital infrastructure industry as we announce The INCAs, our inaugural awards scheme which will recognise alternative network providers (altnets).
Celebrating the best of the UK’s independent network builders and operators, the INCAs will highlight the innovative work being carried out by altnets across the UK.
UK broadband regulator Ofcom needs to consider new approaches to spectrum management to realise the full possibilities of 5G across the country, INCA CEO Malcolm Corbett said today, as a new report revealed Fixed Wireless Access can play a crucial role in delivering high-speed broadband across the country.
Commissioned by INCA and UKWISPA and conducted by Plum Consulting, the report ‘High performance wireless broadband: an opportunity for rural and enterprise 5G’ discusses the role independent networks will play in realising UK Government broadband targets especially in rural areas where investment in full fibre will take much longer to realise.
