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How collaboration and network growth can help address the UK’s digital divide

There’s no doubt that high-speed internet connectivity forms the foundations of hybrid working and blended learning. It helps power our businesses, educate our children and unlock career opportunities. Yet behind the discussions about levelling up, there’s a lot to achieve to truly end geographical digital inequality across the nation?

A lot can (and has) happened since February when the government published its levelling up whitepaper.

The whitepaper acts as a framework to end economic and social digital inequality across the UK. It aims to boost economic growth, enhance educational attainment and restore the social fabric of those parts of the UK that have stalled.

In short, it has the potential to transform our digital landscape. But it can’t achieve success without a solid countrywide commitment to an improved digital communications infrastructure.

The pursuit of geographical and digital equality

High-speed connectivity plays a pivotal role in ending geographical and digital inequality. It can help to enable citizens across the nation to have fair and easy access to the internet, regardless of their location. Connectivity is the backbone that supports economic dynamism and innovation. It drives growth, unlocks jobs and unleashes the power of the private sector. With hybrid working and blended learning programmes looking set to stay, it is necessary to shine a spotlight on connectivity shortcomings and expose the extent of the UK’s digital divide.

Yet connectivity and mobile infrastructure issues are surprisingly scant within the government’s whitepaper, covering just three of its 332 pages. However, it’s not all bad news. As the whitepaper points out, back in 2020, the government committed £5 billion in public funding to deploy gigabit connectivity across at least 85% of the country by 2025. Something we and our partners are actively striving to support.

Often referred to as the AltNet fund, this money was seen as a pledge to support the delivery of gigabit networks across the 20% of the country that is most difficult to reach.

The essential role of AltNets

AltNets, or alternative network providers, are independent telecommunications companies building out their own networks (as well as relying on the networks of others, like ourselves). They offer high capacity fibre connectivity services to UK residents, competing against the two large incumbents, Openreach and Virgin Media. There’s been a groundswell of AltNet activity over the last few years, much of which has been focused on typically underserved regions of the UK.

With many AltNets locally focused, we’ve been working in partnership to extend both their reach and their capacity options. They rely on our exchange backhaul services, to connect into our wider UK network, giving them access to better, more reliable connectivity at the speeds being demanded of their surrounding residents.

As our partnerships progress, we’re also seeing them investing in FTTP builds or working with residential providers like CityFibre to support and extend the opportunity.

Achieving high-speed access in the Midlands

We used this partnership approach to help Gigabit Networks achieve its vision to connect the Midlands. Rolling out connectivity services to key cities that include Derby, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Leicester and Nottingham, the full fibre network will eventually cover up to 60,000 SME businesses and more than 750,000 households.

That includes the deployment of high-speed services to around 70,000 social housing residents. These areas have previously been denied access to high-speed internet, a problem that became particularly evident during the pandemic.

Full-fibre end-to-end future for Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester and London

Following the completion of our Project Edge network expansion rollout, we doubled our network reach across 2021 – unbundling 550 Openreach exchanges with capacities up to 100Gbps. In the wake of this success, we recently announced that we’re launching our first access network, bringing high capacity end-to-end connectivity to four key business hubs across the UK, Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester and London.

This full-fibre, last-mile investment will help regionally based businesses and offices keep pace with their national and international competitors. It goes a long way towards our aim of bringing high capacity 100Gbps connections within reach of more UK businesses, as well as facilitating the rollout of advanced 5G services and other next-gen technologies.

Is there an over-reliance on Openreach and Virgin Media?

A January report by the Public Accounts Committee suggested the government is over-reliant on Openreach and Virgin Media to deliver the nationwide connectivity solution.

The report found that the two telecom giants are focused on the less costly, easier to reach urban conurbations, leading the government towards a potential failure to deliver on its promise of providing affordable solutions for rural areas and remote towns and villages.

There’s also another reason for the slow progress. Not all potential suppliers of connectivity infrastructure are treated equally by existing planning legislation.

Exposing the barriers to equality

In December last year, the House of Commons Library published a research paper, Building Broadband and Mobile Networks, which outlined for MPs the current challenges and legislative framework covering how networks are built, including planning requirements and access agreements.

The incumbent national communications network operators have permitted development rights. This means they can install roadside broadband cabinets, build mobile masts or erect telephone poles without the need to obtain planning permission.

For other companies, there are barriers that are delaying their ability to build that infrastructure at the speed needed to meet the government’s targets. Obtaining those access agreements and wayleaves is often difficult and long-winded, with the process sometimes taking up to two years.

An even playing field

There is a clear and present need to move beyond the usual national suppliers. This has been emphasised by the £5 billion AltNet fund. However, while some suppliers are able to move at speed without the need to negotiate permissions and access rights, others face speed bumps that slow down the rollout.

It seems that when it comes to levelling up, this fairness of play should apply to the challenger companies in the telecoms infrastructure supplier community as well. Levelling the supply playing field will help to accelerate the gigabit rollout and advance the government’s plans. It’s almost a no-brainer.

In the meantime, we’ll continue to work with the AltNets, assisting in high capacity fibre network deployments that connect communities and boost regional businesses. And as the UK strives to become a truly digital nation, hopefully we’ll see the competitive shackles fall away.

Will levelling up become an achievable, balanced and sustainable reality? We certainly hope so. And Neos Networks will be there every step of the way.

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Green transport in smart cities: the path ahead and how to get there

We spoke to Adam Wears, Senior Content Specialist at Juniper Research.  

When questioned about the purpose of smart cities, there was a resounding response: they help to mitigate human impact by addressing environmental issues. But how do they achieve this? There are two clearly identified routes in the transport sector; through the collection of key data and analytics, or by reducing our carbon footprints.

In line with this, sustainability will also sit at the heart of most smart city plans, whether this comes in the form of transport, energy use or environmental monitoring. And while there are some fundamental infrastructure challenges to overcome, the potential of green transport in smart cities is undeniable.

Follow the green brick road

Autonomous vehicles steal all the headlines when it comes to the future of transport, whether it’s driverless buses in China or Apple entering the driverless car market. But that really is just the tip of the iceberg. Adam Wears, Research Analyst at Juniper Research believes: “It really comes down to mass transport and smart traffic management. They are aligned to the same goal, which is to reduce congestion and reduce emissions, but they do this in two similar, but distinct ways.

He continues, “In terms of mass transport it's about making cities’ transport networks work more efficiently. This not only reduces the number of commuters in cars, but links transport up so that you don't need to drive. It gets people moving on more sustainable environmentally friendly forms of public transport. It's about making these transports methods synchronise in such a way that cars are required less.

“Traffic management systems work in a different way. They cause traffic signals to respond to real-time conditions to enable a smoother flow. A benefit of this is reducing the number of times cars stop during a journey. You don't want a car idling for minutes at a time: this produces massive amounts of carbon emissions unnecessarily.”

Of course, to understand demand, you need data, huge amounts of data.

Wears continues: “Systems such as mass smart traffic management rely on data to educate us on things like supply and demand, traffic times and peak times. They need all this data to function. We find that the cities that are best at tackling this challenge are the cities that have implemented open data.”

But to carry these extensive levels of data, cities need robust, low-latency networks, running throughout them. That’s where network providers come in. Over the last few years, they’ve been investing heavily in fibre builds in cities across the UK to be able to support this move to a more digital future.

Planning for a new era in transport

If people are to use new modes of transport – or at least fewer cars – in smart cities, it follows that transport planning on the ground will also to change.

Wears outlines some of the possibilities: “If you deploy mass transport successfully and you reduce the number of cars operating in cities, eventually you’re going to end up with a surplus of car parking facilities. The bigger question therefore would be, how can we better use those spaces to aid things like public transport?”

“It's the same with street furniture. When you're walking down the street, you might see more e-scooter and e-bike stands. These are everywhere in London. The hope is that eventually, as these initiatives roll out, you're going to see more street furniture that is designed to support a sustainable future.”

There is also constant innovation happening around roads themselves. In the future, roads will be able to charge vehicles or do the opposite and generate energy from cars moving over them. Other possibilities include roads which warn of accidents, weigh goods vehicles and automatically issue speeding fines when they detect offences.

Of course, all these innovations are underpinned by the transmission of data, likely supported by 5G networks requiring stable core connectivity. Investing in solid digital infrastructure can pave the way for some truly fascinating smart city applications in transport.

The roadblocks

Of course, upgrading something as fundamental as a whole city’s core connectivity requires significant investment. But as Wears points out, there are all kinds of reasons why cities have to do this, going far beyond transport.

“It's not just about focusing on mobility, but bringing in all the diverse areas of the smart city, from things like smart grid, to smart lighting, to smart mobility and smart traffic management. It’s a real holistic process that must be built from the bottom up, with core connectivity infrastructure as the foundations of any smart city.

Changing minds

However, before any ground is broken on digital infrastructure investments, both stakeholders and citizens will need to be convinced of the way forward for transport.

Wears says: “It's going to require a complete mindset change. Even at the city level, it's going to be about how we get these agreements in place. How do we get transport operators on board with these initiatives? Because these systems need to work for every stakeholder in the process.”

“Eventually, we will have to conclude that any inconvenience is worth it, that it’s a price we have to pay to improve the planet, to improve our cities, to improve the direct health consequences of congestion and emissions on people.”

Neos Networks has helped a number of cities to become truly smart, supporting local authorities across the nation including Oxfordshire, Aberdeenshire and Perth and Kinross councils.

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MPLS Line vs Leased Line: Which Is Better for Business? | Neos Networks

Businesses today are nothing without connectivity. Connectivity is the fuel of commerce, powering corporate engines and allowing companies to accelerate forward. Choosing the right connectivity solution is one of the most significant decisions you’ll make. And if you’re currently weighing up the difference between leased line and MPLS options, here’s the detail that will help inform your decision.

In this blog post we’ll:

  • Explain what MPLS is and how it works
  • Explain what a leased line is
  • Explore the differences between MPLS and leased lines
  • Compare the benefits of MPLS vs leased lines
  • Evaluate which option may be best for your business

What is MPLS and how does it work?

Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) is a networking technology. It is typically used by businesses and service providers to deliver private networks over shared infrastructure. Unlike other network protocols, which route traffic based on the source and destination addresses, MPLS uses predetermined routes which the network obtains from labels that are attached to the data packets by the network infrastructure.

These labels control the path that each packet follows. Instead of examining the packet itself, decisions are made based on the label, guiding data across a network without having to use complex lookups or find network addresses.

This results in higher traffic speeds and lower latency, which improves performance for applications that are sensitive to data speed or latency changes. Typically, MPLS services, as they are business focused, are also offered with speed guarantees and enhanced SLAs.

MPLS provides dependable connectivity for business-critical applications. It’s a highly reliable method of data transfer, and can use a full mesh network architecture, so there are multiple pathways to every node. This is a sophisticated and comparatively expensive way to build a network, but ensures reliability, even if one pathway fails.

Put simply, MPLS lets users control the network routing, creating paths that work like point-to-point connections while still maintaining flexibility.

What is a leased line?

A leased line, also known as a private connection, provides dedicated internet access between two points, supplied by a provider directly to the customer. Each leased line is exclusive, and there is no sharing of lines between different customers. This ensures a built-in physical separation between every connection.

The main benefit of a leased line is that it is private, so it has a higher level of security. It’s also fast, reliable and resilient, and your speeds won’t be affected by other organisations’ network usage. You’ll enjoy a dedicated, fixed-bandwidth data connection, with guaranteed and identical upload and download speeds.

What is the difference between an MPLS and a leased line?

There are many differences between an MPLS and a leased line, some are subtle and some are considerable. The main fundamental difference is a leased line is a dedicated point to point connection, while an MPLS is a complex private network built across a shared network infrastructure.

Here are the key differences that you need to be aware of when choosing between an MPLS and a leased line.

  • Security is higher with a leased line, as there is physical separation of traffic. MPLS relies on shared infrastructure.
  • Reliability is higher with a leased line, as they often use fibre cable, come with high-grade hardware and are usually governed by demanding SLAs. With an MPLS, the service reliability is dependent on traffic routing, though network availability is ensured.
  • Scalability is faster and easier with MPLS, without expensive hardware requirements. Leased lines are difficult to scale up, due to high cost and longer timescales associated with a dedicated fixed-bandwidth data connection.
  • High complexity businesses with operations distributed across many locations, will find that MPLS is better suited to them. The technology provides point-to-point and one-to-many connectivity, whereas leased lines are limited to point-to-point only.
  • Costs are typically lower with MPLS than leased lines. That’s because, with a leased line you’re getting a dedicated connection that can only be used by your organisation.

Which is best for my business, an MPLS or a leased line?

When you’re comparing the differences between MPLS vs leased line and wondering what’s right for you, the differences that we’ve highlighted above will help.

If your business is a large enterprise with multiple sites spread across a large area, then you should consider MPLS. Furthermore, if you’re operating within a fast-growing organisation and you expect to open new sites in the future, MPLS will give you the flexibility you’ll require. Despite having a high level of security, due to logical separation of traffic, MPLS is still less secure than a leased line.

As a leased line is installed directly between two points, it’s a reliable way to transfer data between sites at speed. There’s also less of a security risk when compared with MPLS, as you never have to share your connection with anyone else, and your bandwidth is guaranteed, too.

So, if your business is unlikely to rapidly scale up across multiple sites over the mid-term, a leased line is your best option. It provides fast, reliable and secure connectivity both on site and to homeworking employees, and it’s very unlikely to let you down.

Seeking a leased line solution?

Every business has its own individual needs and requirements. If a leased line seems like the right solution for you, contact our experts to explore your options in more detail. If you’re still unsure whether your business requires MPLS or leased line connectivity, get in touch and we’d be happy to discuss.

Ethernet FAQs

Take a look at our FAQs for Ethernet

  • What is Ethernet connectivity?

     

    Simply put, business Ethernet or carrier Ethernet is the most common type of connectivity used today, enabling high-bandwidth connectivity for businesses across the country. It comprises a fibre connection that runs from the network directly to your premise. Before understanding why Ethernet is vital for business bandwidth it's important to know what is Ethernet connectivity.

     

  • What is Ethernet over FTTx?

     

    Ethernet over FTTx is a hybrid Ethernet connectivity solution. It enables businesses not yet ready to make the leap to Full Fibre Ethernet to take advantage of its benefits but at more manageable capacities.

    Learn more about our Ethernet over FTTx service and see related content here.

  • What is Ethernet First Mile?

     

    Ethernet First Mile (EFM) is a popular and affordable way for businesses to get easy, dedicated connectivity that delivers fibre-like connectivity using copper cables already in place and can enable speeds up to 30Mbps – dependent on the length of copper cable needed and how many pairs are used. We provide a breakdown on what Ethernet First Mile is and highlight its top three advantages.

  • MPLS vs SD-WAN

     

    Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) has been popular for a number of years now and is very good at providing robust and reliable connectivity as well as ensuring critical business information continues to flow, but it’s flexibility has also become a limiting factor. You can learn more about the differences of MPLS vs SD-WAN here.

  • EPL vs EVPL

     

    Ethernet Private Line (EPL) and Ethernet Virtual Private Line (EVPL) are Ethernet services defined by the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) and fall under their Ethernet services category ‘E-Line’.

    Both EPL and EVPL Ethernet provide the simplicity of private connections combined with the flexibility and scalability of MPLS technology across a range of bandwidths, but the main difference for businesses is the configuration they would require.

  • MPLS vs Dark Fibre

     

    MPLS can offer robust and reliable connectivity, yet Dark Fibre offers a level of network future-proofing that other means of connectivity can’t. MPLS has been around for a while and has several benefits, we discuss the pros and cons of both, MPLS vs Dark Fibre here.

     

  • Ethernet vs Dark Fibre

     

    Ethernet for business is where the bandwidth required is leased from a connectivity provider who manages the network where as Dark Fibre is as it sounds and refers to fibre that is unlit and unmanaged but owned or leased wholly by the business purchasing it. We explore the differences between Ethernet vs Dark Fibre here.

  • What’s the importance of a point-to-point network?

    A point-to-point network gives organisations secure and private connections, for transmitting internal or sensitive data. They are particularly useful for businesses operating over multiple sites, who have to integrate networks and communications, including such bandwidth-hungry activities as the increasingly popular video-conferencing. While some organisations can achieve this integration via the public internet, larger companies may face issues with security, privacy and bandwidth, as well as the reliability of the network. 

    A leased line can provide a solution to these issues, but you may find a point-to-point network is more suitable and, possibly, more economical than a leased line. These networks are available in various bandwidth speeds.

    If your company needs a high capacity, private network to do business, the importance of a point-to-point network cannot be overestimated. Choose the right provider and you’ll get a reliable, high-speed connection perfectly suited to your organisation, at speeds from 10Mbps to 10Gbps.

  • What is the benefit of a point-to-point leased line?

    As well as providing a reliable, private connection, a point-to-point network will give your business a whole host of benefits. One of the most important is speed, with point-to-point networks taking your data along the most direct route possible. Allied to this, upload and download speeds are guaranteed and you won't have any concerns about bandwidth because the connection is private and dedicated.

    Common applications for point-to-point networks include file sharing, data backup, point-to-point VOIP and video-conferencing, all of which take advantage of the direct, high capacity nature of these networks. These networks are ideal for a range of everyday business needs, helping your organisation to work more efficiently.

  • What is a point-to-point circuit?

    This type of private data connection links multiple locations. As a closed network data transport service, it doesn’t use the public internet, making it secure enough to not require any data encryption. 

    Another advantage of this type of connection is the high quality of service: private lines always follow the same direct pathway and don’t have any competing connections on the same line. This means they’re completely reliable as well as secure, making them attractive for companies conducting credit card transactions and similarly sensitive operations. They’re also desirable for organisations transmitting large amounts of data, with many providers offering unlimited data usage.

    Point-to-point circuits are available at different speeds and bandwidths. As a result, they’re as flexible as they are reliable.

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Green technology in freight: is it moving forwards?

This report was created by UK dedicated internet access provider and transport and logistics telecoms specialists, Neos Networks. If using data or other material from the report, please do so with the appropriate credit with a link to this report page.

According to the Department of Transport, the freight and logistics sector is ‘critical to our economic wellbeing, ensuring the flow of goods along our supply chains is reliable and efficient’. In 2019 alone, 154 billion tonne-kilometres (tkm) of UK domestic freight goods were transported by road, compared with just 25 billion tkm by ship, and 17 billion tkm by train.

There is, however, a downside to this. In 2020, HGVs and light vans were responsible for 19% (18.6 Mt CO2e) of the UK’s total domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions (98.8 Mt CO2e). Transport (including passenger transport) causes more emissions than any other: it’s responsible for 24% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. So it’s not surprising that at last year’s COP26, the logistics industry was a key focus for decarbonisation targets.

In July 2021, the UK government released the Decarbonising Transport plan. Setting out aims for delivering a zero-emission freight and logistics sector, it states:

“Decarbonising the last mile will create cleaner, more liveable places and there is scope for greater use of artificial intelligence and data tools in the freight sector. This could improve efficiency and cut emissions, particularly for the many small operators in a fragmented industry. "

In June 2022, the government’s Future of freight report outlined the role of technology and data-enabled opportunities in improving the efficiency, reliability, resilience and environmental sustainability of the sector.

In the wake of these two important reports – and to better understand the green tech freight landscape – we asked UK transport and logistics (T&L) operators:

  • Whether they’re implementing the decarbonisation targets into current operations
  • What barriers they experience in meeting decarbonisation targets
  • What they need to reach these targets
  • What role real-time data could play in achieving decarbonisation targets in the near future

Key findings:

  • Industry action — More than two-thirds (68%) of T&L companies have taken steps towards green tech since the Decarbonising Transport report
  • Going green — Over half (55%) of UK T&L firms will take measures to decarbonise fleets by 2024
  • Data is key — 55% of UK T&L firms say greenhouse gas and carbon data tracking is a core part of decarbonisation plans, over the next two years
  • Capacity is a challenge — A third (35%) who can’t use data to reduce carbon don’t have the core connectivity to share large amounts of primary supply chain data
  • Long-term goals in question — 45% of T&L companies don’t believe they’ll hit the ‘net-zero by 2050’ pledge
  • Convincing needed — 45% of companies don’t see battery electric vehicles (BEVs) as currently commercially viable, while 68% feel the same way about AI and data learning
  • Investment squeeze — three in five operators (61%) say the high cost of investment is the biggest barrier to achieving targets

One year on: how many companies have taken steps in a greener direction?

A year after the government released the Decarbonising Transport plan, what steps has the industry taken to lessen its impact on the environment?

More than two-thirds (68%) of transport & logistics companies have adopted emission-reducing technologies, prepared steps towards taking green measures, or held consultations around putting plans in place.

By contrast, almost a third (32%) of T&L firms haven’t made any moves at all towards emission reductions.

There’s an urban/rural gap, which surprisingly reveals urban firms are less likely to be making efforts to cut emissions. Some 36% of companies in towns and cities have made no attempts to make operations greener.

Outside of urban areas, only one in five (20%) T&L firms haven’t taken action, meaning that 80% of companies are trying to reduce emissions, or heading in that direction.

Levels of green activity also differ according to company size. Enterprise-level organisations are most likely to be environmentally friendly, with 77% of them on the path towards becoming greener. Two-thirds (67%) of SMEs are also on that path, while large companies are slightly less likely (60%) to be making emission-cutting moves.

Is sustainability on the short-term agenda?

With an uncertain economic climate in the UK, how much are T&L companies looking towards the future? And if they are, where does their focus lie?

It’s clear that many T&L firms are prioritising green/decarbonisation initiatives over the next two years. If all goes to plan, by 2024 we should see significantly reduced carbon emissions from the sector, with more than half (55%) of UK T&L operators actively seeking to decarbonise their service/fleet. While 52% of companies are making preparations to do the same.

Using data can greatly speed up the process, and 55% of UK companies are including greenhouse gas and carbon data tracking in their immediate plans. In addition, 45% of companies plan to adopt smart tech, data learning, AI or other technologies for greater operational efficiency.

A drive for efficiency is proving more popular among T&L operators than expansion plans. Almost 50% more operators are seeking to reduce emissions or decarbonise than those looking to expand in the UK. When it comes to expanding outside of the UK, green initiatives are over three times (240%) more common as a short-term goal.

For all the attention devoted to becoming more efficient, however, only a quarter (26%) of firms are planning to recruit tech experts to optimise their business. This implies that there will be a surge in demand for outsourced data analysis and tech troubleshooting.

What approach does the industry favour for reducing carbon-emissions?

For decarbonisation technologies and policies to achieve widespread uptake, the industry must believe in their commercial viability. However, our research highlights a lack of consensus on the best way forward, which makes it more difficult to implement change.

94% of T&L companies plan to adopt one or more solutions for reducing carbon emissions, in line with the UK government’s Decarbonising Transport plan, taking steps to improve fleet efficiency in the next five years or so.

For most of these companies, the most commercially viable solution involves a combination of alternative fuels – notably battery electric vehicles (BEVs) – and digital systems such as smart tech, AI and data learning. Twice as many firms believe BEVs are commercially viable as believe alternative fuels can represent a solution.

Those companies hoping to use smart tech and real-time data to become greener will need to invest in core connectivity, which government incentives can encourage. Technology development for proof of concept return on investment can also drive greater adoption of green initiatives.

How important is core connectivity to decarbonisation success?

By investing in core connectivity, companies will acquire the capacity to collect and process the real-time data needed for smart technology and the integrated tech of the future. Both smart tech and findings from data will contribute to increased efficiency and decarbonisation.

As reported in the Neos Networks ‘Core connectivity: The key enabler of digital transformation’ ebook, under-resourcing connectivity and networking is linked with less successful digital transformation projects. Conversely, organisations which budget for connectivity properly are much more likely to deliver highly successful digital transformation programmes.

The research shows that where more than 20% of the budget for digital transformation projects is allocated to connectivity and networking, 38% of companies rated the outcome of the project ‘highly successful’. By contrast, projects with 10% or less dedicated to connectivity and networking were unsuccessful in 62% of cases.

Does the size of the company influence the green solution?

Our research shows that the use of AI and data learning is universally favoured as a solution for decarbonisation by firms of all sizes. When it comes to other options, however, companies of different sizes have differing opinions.

SMEs:

Smaller businesses are nearly twice as likely (42%) to see industry-wide sharing of real-time data (throughout the supply chain) as a feasible way to reduce emissions. This shows, perhaps, their eagerness to embrace a cost-effective method.

When it comes to alternative fuel types, BEVs are most popular among SMEs, with 58% seeing them as a real way forward. SMEs are also more likely than other businesses to back alternative fuels like liquefied natural gas (LNG), compressed natural gas (CNG), bioLNG and biodiesel.

Enterprise-size companies:

In contrast to SMEs and enterprise-size firms don’t see liquefied natural gas (LNG), compressed natural gas (CNG), bioLNG and biodiesel as a realistic option: just 8% state they’re a commercially viable solution. Enterprise-level companies support BEVs as the most viable solution (38%), followed closely by fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

What does the industry think of meeting net-zero targets by 2050?

To meet the net-zero by 2050 target, it’s clear that the transport and logistics industry will need more technology, greater industry buy-in and assistance in the form of government policy.

Given the efforts required, how many companies are confident that the target is realistic?

The industry is split on this question, indicating that more work is needed to galvanise operators. Just over half of the UK’s T&L companies think they can meet government decarbonisation targets by 2050.

Companies with greater resources are more confident: 64% of enterprise-level companies believe they can meet the target, compared to 45% of SMEs.

What obstacles to this are operators experiencing?

Before motivated organisations can get anywhere close to reaching net-zero targets, they must first identify the factors preventing them from adopting a greener way of operating.

  • Three in five operators (61%) say high investment costs are seen as the most common barrier to achieving targets.
  • Almost twice as many firms cited cost as a barrier than the next factor on the list (with 35%): a lack of industry tech knowledge or shippers favouring low costs over green operations.
  • A quarter (26%) stated a lack of national fuelling and service infrastructure was an issue, which obviously needs government intervention.

Which sectors are supporting green changes in freight?

With a third (35%) of T&L companies being deterred from decarbonisation by shippers who pressure them to run cheap operations, it’s clearly a common issue. Even if firms are eager to become greener, they must strike a balance between remaining commercially competitive and investing in emission reduction.

T&L customers obviously influence companies’ policies, yet nearly a quarter (23%) of companies can’t identify a single industry in their supply chain that’s pushing for greener practices.

The data divide: Where smart systems, data and connectivity meet net-zero emission targets

Our report shows that T&L companies recognise that collecting and acting on real-time data can reap great sustainability benefits, helping them take steps towards net-zero targets. The data can be used to aid smart tech, AI and, of course, data learning.

Although more than half (52%) of the industry can access the necessary data, there’s some way to go before we see a totally data-connected industry. As it stands, almost half of the companies in T&L are not utilising greenhouse gas / carbon emissions data to clean their operations up.

There’s even further to go in rural areas, where 6 in 10 companies can’t use such data. Even if companies like this are trying to go greener, they might be doing it in an ineffective way. They need greater investment to level-up their data-collecting and reporting capabilities.

How many transport and logistics companies use real time data to its full potential?

Over half of T&L companies have the ability to collect and report on real-time data on greenhouse gas and/or carbon emissions. Yet how many can use this data to actively reduce their carbon emissions?

Even among the 52% of companies who can access accurate and up-to-the-minute data, just 71% of them feel confident using the data to improve operations. Just under a half (42%) use it to become more efficient, while 29% employ it to boost customer service levels.

As we’ve mentioned, core connectivity has a great bearing on data-gathering capabilities. Of those firms unable to use data to make practices greener, one in three (35%) say inadequate capacity or core connectivity is stopping them from sharing large amounts of data. Around a fifth (19%) can’t share more significant amounts of data and don’t plan on remedying that situation in the next year. This is clearly an issue when it comes to implementing smart tech, which is a key strategy for decarbonisation.

Smaller numbers of companies say they either don’t see the value in sharing data or have security concerns, but the vast majority are willing to embrace the concept – some just need a helping hand.

Other companies are trying to embrace data use and smart tech, but are finding roadblocks in the way. So what are the most serious barriers they’re coming up against?

What challenges do companies have to overcome in adopting smart data?

Whether or not companies can collect data that can be used to reduce carbon emissions, what do they see as the main challenges for using real-time data in green initiatives?

With over a third (39%) of firms citing a lack of government support, the message to government is loud and clear: more investment is required to move towards net-zero in 2050. Around a quarter (23%) also say their own funding is insufficient.

Over a quarter (26%) point to a lack of tech-skilled employees, which would mean that even if they can process the data from a technical viewpoint, they couldn’t achieve it without extra personnel on board.

Almost that number (23%) of companies simply feel that the type of data produced doesn’t meet the needs of the T&L industry, which could be something that awareness campaigns might remedy.

Do views change with company size?

SMEs:

Understandably, SMEs identify a lack of tech-skilled employees as an issue. Not all companies have the kind of resources needed, with 36% of SMEs saying they don’t have the required people on board.

Funding is another significant barrier for SMEs, with 18% stating they have insufficient funds for investing in smart tech and data – and more than a quarter (27%) wanted more help from government.

Large / enterprise companies:

Even with larger companies, insufficient government funding was an issue: 39% said more was needed if they were to adopt efficiency-enhancing tech. Of course, another factor for the government to consider is that larger organisations will obviously require more funding than SMEs.

The amount of data for processing is also more of an issue for larger companies – and one in five (21%) say they don’t have the tech and core connectivity to handle the data.

Conclusion

Many T&L companies are willing to invest in decarbonisation and have already acted since the government's Decarbonising Transport plan was released in 2021.

In the medium term, however, a large proportion of companies remain sceptical about the commercial viability of the technologies currently available. For example, 68% feel that AI and data learning aren’t commercially viable green solutions. The industry is also split on whether the net-zero goal by 2050 is achievable. Overall, there is more work needed to convince the market.

As well as government placing more emphasis on the tech – and more funding behind it – stakeholders such as consumers and T&L customers can exert more pressure to accelerate decarbonisation.

However, before the industry races towards a tech-led green revolution, companies must consider the role of data. To implement smart technology and benefit from real-time data, they need systems that can handle the amount of data. This is where core connectivity infrastructure comes in, laying the foundations upon which decarbonisation can progress.

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Blue Planet: enhancing customer experience through automation

Chief Technology and Information Officer, Chris Voudouris, Neos Networks

At a time when many of the processes in our day-to-day lives are automated and digitised, it’s crucial that industries embrace and emulate this sought-after approach. Consumers have come to expect more from the businesses they work with, and speed, efficiency and ease of use are key.

In collaboration with Blue Planet (part of Ciena Networks) and Cerillion, we at Neos Networks have completed a seismic transformation of our BSS/OSS platforms from quoting and ordering, to fulfilment processes and service orchestration, meeting the ever-growing customer demand for better efficiency and speeds.

Fundamentally, the programme has seen us simplify and automate our processes, improve customer experience, and increase orders, enhancing customer and team satisfaction. A key part of the programme involved implementing Blue Planet Orchestration platform (MDSO) bolstering the roll-out of automation of our Ethernet services across all elements of the process.

What did we set out to achieve?

Following an increase in demand for Ethernet services via our online pricing and ordering tool, LIVEQUOTE, we recognised the vital need to automate the entire customer journey and process - from order, to deployment, to fulfilment. This created the need for a new Software-Defined Network (SDN) solution with end-to-end orchestration.

What was the process?

The new solution was deployed in four stages:

Phase one: Three SDN controllers for Nokia, Infinera and Ciena across layers 1, 2 and 3 of the network were implemented

Phase two: Blue Planet Orchestrator deployed with Neos Networks developed resource adaptors allowing for P2P, P2NNI, P2Cloud and Ethernet service fulfilment

Phase three: Blue Planet Inventory solution developed and deployed providing analytical insight into passive, service and logical network data

Phase four: Cerillion (BSS) was layered on top of the Orchestration, creating a single ecosystem. New APIs were developed to allow better integration between all layers

The new solution inspires a new way of operating, moving from manual Command Line Interface (CLI) to a fully automated solution drastically decreasing on-net provisioning times and realising Neos Networks’ vision to develop a Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) capability.

This entirely new way of planning and managing the programme, following agile methodologies and a secure-by-design approach leveraging cloud, has laid the foundations for conversations around how to simplify assurance, provisioning, and management of new and existing services across the IT and network layers.

What challenges did we come across?

Neos Networks has organically grown throughout its 20+ year lifespan. This meant that entirely changing the architecture of the network wasn’t a possibility, and therefore required an extremely innovative approach. The MDSO and SDN had to overcome the hurdle of deploying new systems based on legacy architecture, which were not designed for automation.

Further challenges included the need to maintain security accreditations, minimising impact and disruption for customers, integrating multiple teams into a fusion working group and ensuring the project stayed within budget.

What was the outcome?

The new Blue Planet Orchestration/Inventory and Cerillion platforms will be fully implemented by the end of the year. The most significant successes from the programme are set to be felt by the overall business, our people, our partners and most importantly, our customers over the coming months. The key benefits include:

  • Enhanced customer experience and satisfaction - the process - from ordering to fulfilment - is an entirely digital experience. This streamlines the process, improving overall customer satisfaction. In addition, further innovation will provide a more complete customer journey and new product features and capabilities through a NaaS approach.
  • Reducing the need for repetitive tasks - the automation of the new process reduces the need for tasks of a repetitive nature to be carried out by our sales and engineering teams, allowing them to focus on delivering strategic improvements to the service.
  • Zero-touch provision of services - the project has laid the foundations for the overall BSS/OSS, allowing Neos Networks to move towards genuine zero-touch provision of services and continues to improve our services for our partners and customers.

To learn more about how you can benefit from our new, highly automated Ethernet services process, get in touch with our CTIO team.

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What role does data play in the roll-out of smart cities?

We spoke to Daniel Clarke, Strategy Partnerships Manager at Connecting Cambridgeshire. Daniel developed the Smart Cambridge programme which included the development of a city data platform and deployment of sensors.

Smart cities promise to bring some truly remarkable opportunities to citizens across the UK. But to make a city truly smart, data must play a prevalent part. Sensors collect it, insights are gained from it and, ultimately, improvements to everyday lives come from it.

As AI comes of age and begins to make decision making and routine smart city management more efficient, data will become even more crucial.

But what part does data play in today’s smart cities and how can we make this easier access to information enrich our day-to-day (and business) lives?

The status quo

At this relatively early stage of smart city implementation in our societies, data is enabling local authorities to better understand the capabilities and applications of smart technology.

“Our primary role has been looking at how we can collect better, more granular data across the city.” says Daniel Clarke. “We’ve been examining how we can understand people's movements, whether that's transport movement, pedestrian movement or cycle movements. We’ve also been striving to gain a better understanding of energy usage and how power grids are performing.

“There's a whole range of data that we collect.” Clarke continues. “We're looking at things like real-time bus and train data. We also benefit from electric scooters and electric bikes, so we’re collecting that data too. We utilise all of this data to  to further develop our city, while enhancing the lives of its residents.”

In addition to the areas outlined above, Cambridgeshire are also now benefitting from live bus tracking for passengers, using sensors in bins to prompt waste collection and reducing congestion through traffic flow sensors – all of which are driving data-led improvements in the area.

Clarke elaborates on the benefits: “We’ve been using real-time transport data to build tools that make it easier for people to make sustainable travel choices around the city. For example, we built Motion Map to give residents better visibility of our transport system. It's about giving our people greater access to better information”.

Clarke continues: “We're beginning to look more and more at air quality data and how we can disseminate air quality data. We've also worked with a company called AppyParking, where we put parking data into their app to make sure that people can find parking whenever and wherever they need it.”

With innovations like these, it’s not just the amounts of data channelled that necessitate carrier-grade networks. The use of real-time data also dictates that low latency connections are a must.

Data that’s open for business

When we consider the prospects of smart cities in the UK, one greatly encouraging factor is that many local authorities and smart city organisations are committed to the concept of open data. Currently cities including London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester, Bristol and Nottingham are leading the way.

From making citizens feel consulted, to accumulating greater quantities of data, and the potentially global sharing of ideas, this approach has many advantages for smart cities. It’s not difficult to see why Connecting Cambridge is employing a policy of open data.

Clarke outlines their set-up: “We make our data open through Cambridgeshire Insights, which is a data platform. It basically means that citizens are welcome to come and use our data, which they’re certainly taking advantage of. We also began to put that data into dashboards through tools like Power BI. This enables us to better visualise how data is used as a communication method.”

Making sense of the data noise

Collecting such vast quantities of data can potentially lead to a surplus of information, which could actually make interpretation and useful application more difficult. Connecting Cambridgeshire has recognised this as an issue and found a prestigious partner to help overcome it.

Clarke explains: “We've worked with the University of Cambridge to look at how we can better process and structure travel data, and how we can output that travel data into different digital tools. We’ve then worked with businesses in the area to understand what’s possible, where the commercial sector is going and how we can take our early stage pilots and trials and turn them into something more commercial.”

It’s absolutely vital that local authorities and smart city planners devise ways to package data to make it accessible to all and actionable. Clarke goes on to say: “The data gatekeepers must always have commercial value in their thoughts. Without any intrinsic commercial worth, a dataset becomes a fruitless endeavour”.

Another difficulty is the variety of systems used to collect information. To achieve a satisfactory degree of efficiency, solutions to this problem must be found.

Clarke continues: “One of the issues that we've come across is that it’s still quite a fragmented market. For example, if we put in a sensor to measure traffic movement, that sensor will come with a data platform and an air quality sensor will come with a separate data platform. This means that we end up with lots of sensors and lots of platforms. What we need is a centralised system to combine and analyse information more easily”.

“Over the last few years, we've started to move towards this ambition, building a data platform with the University of Cambridge at smartcambridge.org. This has allowed us to move data away from legacy systems, instead compiling it in one place.”

Levelling infrastructure up to deliver data

Many smart city technologies – particularly Internet of Things-powered innovations require 5G networks, which is one of the reasons more emphasis is being placed on smart cities, as 5G connectivity becomes a reality. However, in turn, 5G networks need far-reaching, reliable, high-speed fibre infrastructure to be able to power them.

Clarke spells this out: “I think fibre is the foundation on which smart cities are built. It is critical to their success. Simply, it supports everything from mobile connectivity to business processes”.

“As with everything in the smart cities domain, in order for our dreams to become a reality, we need to be much more collaborative in our approach both to planning fibre and ensuring that this fibre is going to the right places. Over the years, we’ve built a very collaborative relationship with fibre providers. As cities, we can enable the fibre footprint by doing things like putting ducting into all of our infrastructure schemes. To help increase fibre footprints, we support things like wayleaves, permits and licensing, to try and remove some of the barriers that fibre providers face when they come into a city.”

For local authorities to deliver on their smart cities promises, providing seamless, behind-the-scenes solutions to everyday living, they will need to ease the way for fibre providers, just as Cambridge has done.

One thing is for certain, data will continue to play a pivotal role in the development of smart cities. Operations will only become seamless when the underlying core connectivity is in place that will enable high-speed connections, capable of transmitting these previously outlined large volumes of data. A crucial first step to ensure ambitious smart cities plans succeed, is to ensure high-performance infrastructure is in place to handle massive – and constantly growing – quantities of data.

Neos Networks has helped a number of cities to become truly smart, supporting local authorities across the nation including Oxfordshire, Aberdeenshire and Perth and Kinross councils.

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Leased line vs FTTP: what’s the difference?

Do you need a dedicated internet connection for your business, or is shared FTTP broadband enough?

Neos Networks | 29 July 2022
Dedicated internet access or leased line connection

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What is a leased line?

A leased line, also known as Dedicated Internet Access (DIA), is a private, high-speed connection between your business and the internet. Unlike business broadband, a leased line is:

  • Uncontended: You don’t share your bandwidth with other users, so you don’t suffer from slowdowns at peak times.
  • Symmetric: Download and upload speeds are identical, ensuring a smooth connection for real-time applications.
  • Reliable: Leased lines are backed by robust service level agreements (SLAs), guaranteeing uptime and rapid fault resolution.

This makes them ideal for businesses that rely on cloud applications, VoIP, large data transfers, or any organisation needing fast, reliable connectivity.

What is FTTP?

Fibre to the Premises (FTTP), also known as “full fibre”, is a high-speed broadband connection that runs a fibre optic cable all the way to your premises. Unlike standard broadband (Fibre to the Cabinet or FTTC), which uses copper wiring between the street cabinet and your building, FTTP’s full fibre connection delivers faster speeds and lower latency.

However, unlike a leased line, FTTP is a contended connection. Your bandwidth is shared with other customers, which can slow down your connection at peak times. In addition, speeds are typically asymmetric, with download speeds significantly higher than upload speeds.

FTTP also lacks the strict SLAs and dedicated support a leased line offers, making it less reliable. But its lower cost can make it a viable option for small businesses or those that can tolerate occasional fluctuations in network performance.

Leased line vs FTTP: what’s the difference?

When choosing between a leased line and FTTP, you need to consider factors like speed, reliability and cost. Here’s a breakdown of the main differences to help you decide.

Leased line vs FTTP: 8 key differences

Leased line Broadband
Connection type Dedicated, uncontended connection Contended line sharing bandwidth with multiple users
Speed Typically from 10Mbps to 10Gbps, with speeds guaranteed Typically up to 1Gbps (download)/220Mbps (upload), depending on network traffic
Bandwidth Symmetric guaranteed download/upload bandwidth Asymmetric download/upload bandwidth, depending on the package and available bandwidth
Latency Consistently low latency, ideal for real-time applications like VoIP and video conferencing Higher latency that varies with network traffic
Reliability Backed by strict SLAs and 24/7 support, ensuring maximum uptime and quick fault resolution No strict SLAs; support is typically on a “best endeavours” basis
Cost More expensive as you need to install and maintain a dedicated line Cheaper as it runs on existing fibre infrastructure
Installation time Typically 30-90 days Typically 7-14 days
Suitable for Organisations requiring a consistent, high-speed internet connection, such as large enterprises or those with critical online operations Smaller organisations or those that can tolerate occasional network slowdowns or downtime

 

FTTP vs leased line: which is right for your business?

Choosing between FTTP and a leased line depends on your business size, internet usage and budget. If you need guaranteed performance, symmetric speeds and maximum reliability, a leased line is the obvious choice. It’s ideal for larger businesses, data-intensive industries or organisations needing reliable, high-speed internet for real-time applications.

On the other hand, FTTP offers a cost-effective connection for smaller businesses that can tolerate some variability in speeds and uptime. While considerably faster than standard broadband (FTTC), it lacks the dedicated bandwidth and strict SLAs of a leased line.

Ultimately, the right option depends on how critical speed, reliability and support are to your operations. If you’re a smaller outfit and cost is your main priority, FTTP could be enough. But if network downtime or congestion could impact your productivity, reputation or bottom line, a leased line may be well worth the investment.

Leased line options

If you’re considering a leased line for your business, we can help. At Neos Networks, we deliver high-performance Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) leased lines to organisations of all sizes across the UK.

Learn more about DIA leased line services, including “wires-only” and fully managed options.

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Or get a quick quote with LIVEQUOTE, our online pricing and ordering tool.

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If you’re unsure if a leased line could work for you, get in touch. We’ll be happy to explore the best connectivity option for your business.

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What is a Managed Service Provider?

Hiring a Managed Service Provider (MSP) could improve operational efficiency, giving your teams time to work on other tasks while reducing business connectivity costs.

In this guide, we’ll discuss:

  • The range of services MSPs offer
  • How partnering with a Managed Service Provider could benefit your business
  • Whether you should be outsourcing your connectivity

What is an MSP?

MSPs manage end-to-end user systems and IT infrastructure on behalf of businesses, charities, government bodies and more, on a third-party basis. They are known for providing a full suite of products and services that both complement each other and a business’ requirements.

They offer numerous services, including:

  • Application and networking
  • Infrastructure and security
  • Monitoring and management

While some specialise in specific sectors, others are service-led or prefer to focus on particular IT elements.

What does a Managed Service Provider do?

Businesses often look to an MSP for full support over their connectivity network. This might include email, help desk, cybersecurity, underlying infrastructure, telephony, VoIP requirements and more.

They can often assist with hardware and software acquisition too - providing insight into customer downtime, user behaviour, and technical issues.

What do managed services include?

MSPs offer their clients a range of connectivity and telephony options that can be delivered individually or as end-to-end solutions:

Outsourced IT management

Hiring full-time specialists exceeds most small businesses' budgets. MSPs can provide support as and when required (whether that be full time, or ad-hoc basis). They also often bring expertise of brand new, next-generation technologies and services.

Research and evaluation

Technology can be a barrier to business if not set up and managed correctly. MSPs shorten the learning curve and prevent wasted expenses by evaluating hardware, software and providers to ensure the right decisions are made when it comes to your connectivity and telephony.

Protection from cyberattacks

Whether you need to outsource completely or fill resource gaps during busier times, working with an MSP will cost-effectively ensure you’re protected around the clock. Your provider can also update antivirus software and network security to protect you from threats.

Your one-stop-shop solution

MSPs can handle all aspects of IT, providing a full suite of products to help your business meet its connectivity and technology goals. An added benefit is that you often pay one flat OPEX cost, instead of having to worry about additional expenditure - helping your business to budget more effectively.

What are the benefits of MSPs?

  1. Lower monthly repair and maintenance costs - because rolling retainers can work out cheaper than paying by the hour
  2. A one-stop-shop for all your connectivity needs, with a single point of contact
  3. Providing you have an agreed SLA document, your MSP is contracted to get you back up and running meeting pre-agreed SLAs in the event of a disaster
  4. Round-the-clock network monitoring and cloud management - giving your business 360° visibility
  5. The ability to scale by expanding your resources gradually, permanently or short-term
  6. Robust security measures that better protect your business from emerging threats

Should I use an MSP?

MSPs tailor end-to-end solutions by combining services from different providers into one package. Our dedicated price comparison tool helps them to achieve this, by making the comparison of providers and solutions for networking easier.

That being said, few providers cover every area of technology, so you may still need to support and manage certain applications (for example, your cloud connect service) internally.

Overall, however, by using an MSP you’ll get fast access to skilled experts who you can engage at short notice - making your business agile and reactive. And the sophisticated technology used by MSPs translates into better data insights and analytics too - so you can make more informed decisions.

Your next step

Would you prefer to outsource to an MSP or a network specialist with a proven track record of supporting UK businesses? Contact us to learn more about our products and services.

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The future of networks as telcos embrace cloud

Chris Voudouris, CTIO, Neos Networks

Telcos have been adopting cloud for a number of years, primarily to replace IT systems with Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions and also to host services for different applications. Furthermore, they are becoming increasingly reliant on the capabilities of Hyperscalers like Amazon, Google and Microsoft to facilitate agile development of their digital, AI and data services.

As telcos continue to transition towards 5G and fibre deployments, their focus is shifting in terms of what they can achieve with cloud on the service side. There’s huge demand for telcos to start developing and delivering services that capitalise on new capabilities like network slicing, and Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) offerings that address enterprise business needs through subscription models.

There is also huge potential for IoT and edge services across vertical industries as well, with distributed cloud architectures touted as key enablers of these use cases. Telcos are also now starting to use the cloud in the RAN, 5G core and they are increasingly focused on virtualizing network functions through technologies like Kubernetes. While this is all very promising for telcos, their greater dependency on the Hyperscalers across networks, services and IT creates the challenge of a deeper lock-in.

Creating the cloud fabric

Cloud adoption isn’t just a foregone conclusion for telcos. Vertical industries that deploy operational technologies previously implemented as hardware solutions are exploring cloud to achieve greater flexibility and cost efficiencies. In turn, this is shifting expectations amongst industry players in sectors such as healthcare, transport, manufacturing and financial services, for how solutions are delivered.

Telcos are eager to capitalise on this, expanding their solution portfolios with the aforementioned 5G and edge-enabled services to target new revenue streams. But with this comes a need for service providers to adopt long overdue open architectures and open software models. This is where initiatives on Open RAN and Open BNG start to receive attention and focus from the major telcos.

And yet, to maximise the potential of cloud (the delivery of interoperability, flexibility, automation and innovation) it must be seen as more than the traditional technology transformation. To achieve this, telcos can either look at cloud from a tactical or strategic perspective. Employing it tactically explores what capabilities and services can be moved to the cloud to improve operations and IT, but that leaves the telcos in the laps of the Hyperscalers. What telcos should instead consider is developing an overarching strategy that leverages the cloud and considers how it can deliver both business and technological transformation.

Cloud for business transformation allows business units to improve customer experience and rapidly develop new digital services and channels. Ultimately creating a cloud fabric that enables providers to innovate, launch digital operational improvements and facilitate the evolution of the network to meet new, elastic demand for connectivity and technology solutions.

Partnership vs competition

As part of that journey, it’s important to consider a multi-cloud approach to mitigate against cloud provider lock-in. There has been increased competition in the telecoms vertical from alternative service providers including Hyperscalers. There are, however, opportunities for partnerships between telcos and the cloud providers in areas such as 5G, edge and IoT, therefore striking this balance should be a key priority for telecoms businesses.

The risk is that some of the large integrated telcos will end up purely playing the role of infrastructure provider - the typical dump pipe scenario - with Hyperscalers orchestrating the ecosystem. To establish a strong position in the value proposition, telcos have to take NaaS further to capitalise on the variable consumption of connectivity. The telco needs to act as a marketplace, aggregating a variety of offerings: security, cloud connect features, connecting data centres to several cloud providers as well as core connectivity complemented by IoT and edge services. Finding that balance in collaboration and competition will be critical.

All this leads to the next stage for the market - the new battlefield of multi-cloud and distributed cloud. It’s prime real estate for telcos to orchestrate an ecosystem for businesses that connects them to a variety of cloud providers with technology solutions and services that are built to address very specific business needs. They can play a transparent and neutral role, shifting workloads between public, private and distributed cloud environments with flexibility and scalability to meet enterprise objectives. That flexibility in network services is not there today, so telcos must build a cloud fabric within their businesses that adopts a cloud strategy for both technology and business transformation.

By supporting a multi-cloud proposition in this way, telcos can establish real value in the ecosystem.

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How core connectivity can deliver a brighter digital future for the public sector

Joanne Green, Public Sector and Transport Sales Director, Neos Networks

Covid-19 changed everything about the way we work, with many believing the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation.

We recently conducted a survey to investigate the relationship between the level of attention paid to core connectivity and the extent of digital transformation success experienced by large UK organisations.

For the public sector in particular, the survey brought to light some interesting statistics with the research revealing that transforming digitally remains high on the agenda of many, with 65% of organisations stating it is important to their future strategy.

As one might expect with the public sector, this appears to be a strategy focused around bettering the lives of people. The research would suggest that this is being considered in two primary ways; through the improvement of internal processes which will make the working day easier for employees, and through the introduction of technological advancements designed to improve the lives of citizens.

The challenges facing the public sector in digital transformation

Government has a reputation for being slow to adopt change and our survey suggests that the public sector are taking a very measured approach to digital transformation, with 90% stating they have a roadmap in place to support their strategy. While this looks positive, greater internal inclusivity is an issue with just over half (53%) of public sector respondents suggesting their roadmap has been agreed across all departments within the organisation. This compares to almost three quarters (74%) of those organisations reporting highly successful digital transformation programmes ensuring the strategy was agreed across all departments.

Public sector organisations are focusing on three key areas:

With improving efficiency of the IT function and operations and increasing productivity as the key motivators, these are the same three focus areas adopted by those organisations reporting highly successful transformation programmes. This bodes well for the sector and suggests that the priorities do indeed surround the desire to ensure the underlying network infrastructure is robust and resilient enough to contend with future demands.

The 4 key issues for Digital Transformation by the public sector

  • Safety and risk:
    With so much emphasis on safety and risk, it’s no surprise that the biggest digital transformation challenge for the sector is information security. This undoubtedly will impact the level of pace and innovation afforded when trying to evolve digital estates.
  • Resource:
    Another common challenge was the extent to which internal IT teams are stretched, with plans suffering setbacks as a result of Covid-19. While most respondents, including those in the public sector, have suggested the outbreak accelerated transformation programmes, it is here that you are most likely to find an organisation that has experienced a reduction in the pace of roll-out also.
  • Connectivity:
    More than eight out of ten (84%) in the sector are plagued by slow lead times when implementing new technology solutions. It’s also the sector most likely to suggest it needs more help and advice regarding the optimal balance of connectivity performance versus cost, and the most likely to be uncertain about which connectivity technologies will be fit for purpose in the future.
  • Supportive telecoms providers:
    Just a fifth of respondents in the public sector stated they were happy with the advice provided by their current telecoms provider on which new technologies can help with digital transformation; a key differentiator between the sector and those businesses successfully progressing their digital transformation programmes.

Emulating organisations leading the way
Despite these challenges, public sector organisations are taking positive steps towards achieving success with their digital transformation programmes. The sector’s priority focus on adoption of cloud infrastructure and cloud applications is testament to this, given those succeeding in digital transformation are taking the same approach.

One of the most promising indicators of all however, is that almost six out of ten (58%) in the sector acknowledge their organisation is extremely reliant on the robustness and reliability of its connectivity solution – another common characteristic of those businesses reporting high levels of success with their digitisation processes.

That being said, the sector appears to be failing to attribute an appropriate amount of budget towards improving it. 43% of respondents within the public sector revealed that, at most, 20% of the IT budget would be spent on digital transformation with just under half of those respondents (48%) spending between 5% and 20% of that budget on connectivity. Furthermore, the public sector is likeliest of all to attribute less than 5% or in some cases even zero digital transformation budget to enhancing connectivity solutions.

Replicating a successful rollout
It’s important to gain a greater appreciation of exactly how the solutions implemented will add tangible value to the organisation. The majority of respondents demonstrated a lack of faith that their current digital transformation plans will address the connectivity challenges experienced. Those in organisations achieving high levels of success in digital transformation appear to show far more concern about the solutions they are implementing. This might suggest organisations in the public sector have too much blind faith in their digitisation plans, when in fact they should be doing more to comprehensively understand what they need and how it will deliver benefit, both immediately and in the future.

The level of visibility and control over the network has been key to highly successful organisations, with 90% recognising significant benefits of SD-WAN (Proactive management, better performance info., control of applications). This can be achieved with the latest WAN solutions, such as SD-WAN and IP-VPN, and should be considered by organisations in the public sector looking to achieve more in this regard.

Our research into the relationship between connectivity and digital transformation success highlighted much to consider. Ultimately, to maximise impact and demonstrate value, organisations in the public sector must re-consider their approach, their priorities, and the extent to which they are prepared to invest in improving connectivity solutions as part of their digital transformation programmes.

To find out more, read the full report, Digital transformation in the public sector: How core connectivity can deliver a brighter digital future for UK citizens

 

End note –

During the summer of 2021, Neos Networks partnered with B2B International to investigate the relationship between the level of attention paid to core connectivity and the extent of digital transformation success experienced by large UK organisations. By way of an independent survey, 247 respondents across a range of industries were interviewed in order to understand more about the attitudes and strategies around digital transformation, the challenges faced and what good looks like.

 

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Normalising anxiety: making the taboo commonplace

Kelly Billing, Head of Marketing at Neos Networks shares her experiences on Mental Health Awareness week

Over the last few years, mental health has become a hot topic. Friends, families and even businesses are recognising the impact that mental health can have on a person and are offering increased support.

And yet, when it comes to mental health, in particular anxiety, the subject can still feel taboo, especially to those living the experience.

It’s all very easy to say, “If you’re struggling, speak up”. But the reality is often not so simple. It can be daunting to tell someone that you’ve been battling internally with worries and anxieties. Then there are the additional concerns around telling your manager. By admitting how you feel, will you raise red flags over your ability to do your job? (It’s worth stating right now that no, this is not the case).

This fear has become ever more real for many as we start to return to offices more and more following over 18 months working in solitude.

What does anxiety feel like?

I wish I could answer that simply, but the truth is that anxiety comes in many forms. What for one might feel like butterflies in their tummy, for someone else could result in physical symptoms making them unwell. Common physical symptoms include; increased heart rate, hyperventilation, shaking, dizziness, increased headaches, pins and needles and sickness. I know this all too well having battled, and learnt to manage, anxiety over many years. I wanted to share my story to put out one simple message; you’re not alone and it’s ok to own – and even accept - your anxieties.

Where it all began

They say that mental health issues can start from one small act. In my case it was as simple as being homesick and encouraged (what I saw as forced) to eat breakfast on a middle school trip – yes, it goes back that far. Nothing much happened at that time, my parents picked me up at the end of the trip, I went home, and life returned to normal.

Years later – yes years – I went on another school trip, as a teenager and everything flooded back. I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep and was hyperventilating and being sick daily. This started a battle in my head that has continued ever since, one that – for me – is very much linked to feeling out of control.

What followed were a very turbulent few years.

I lost a lot of weight…fast. Anxiety wasn’t understood in the early 90s, and so my classmates assumed that I had an eating disorder. I then became too scared to join in with everyday things – like going to class – and so had to take a large proportion of my lessons in the school library, alone. GCSEs came, and I also had to do these in solitude.

Around this time, it all came to a head. Luckily, thanks to a great and understanding doctor (and very concerned but patient parents), I was provided with the support required to help start my recovery. By the time I got to college I felt back to my old self and had a renewed sense of confidence. But this also made me acutely aware of how uneducated people are on anxiety and so I started to speak out about my experiences.

The present

Fast-forward to today and I’m lucky enough to have learnt how to manage my anxiety. This was by no means an easy feat, it involved hours of therapy (both talking to psychiatrists and participating in cognitive behavioural therapy), a lot of growing, learning and accepting of who I am and, for me, being able to confidentially and calmly talk about what I’m going through. That’s not to say I don’t have flare ups. We all do. But I now try to accept these as what they are – a blip to overcome in my day.

Did I tell Neos Networks and my manager about my anxiety? I never brought it up as a specific subject. For me it’s become such a part of my life that it came out naturally. And when it did, no-one batted an eyelid. Support was offered should I need it, but otherwise I’ve continued on and developed my career, regardless of my history of anxiety.

The moral of the story is this. Yes, it may seem petrifying to open up and be honest but (I promise) honesty really is the best policy. At Neos Networks we’re extremely lucky to, not only have a great support system in place, but to also have mental health first aiders we can confide in and, most importantly, a group of welcoming, accepting colleagues.

The importance of Mental Health Awareness

This years theme for Mental Health Awareness week is Loneliness. The Mental Health Foundation outline that one in four adults feel lonely some or all of the time and that, the longer we feel lonely, the more we are at risk of mental health problems. Some people are also at higher risk of feeling lonely than others. For Mental Health Awareness Week this year, the Foundation is raising awareness of the impact of loneliness on our mental health and the practical steps we can take to address it.

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International Girls in ICT Day

Girls in ICT Day

28 April 2022 is International Girls in ICT Day. The initiative was established by The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and is acknowledged in over 150 countries around the world. It celebrates girls and young women looking to pursue studies and careers in the technology sector.

At Neos Networks, we’re very proud of all the women who make up our company! Not only do we want to encourage girls to consider a career in ICT, we also feel it’s important to mark the day. With that in mind, we caught up with a number of our female employees to find out about their experiences getting into the sector and to see what advice they would give to those considering a career in ICT.

Diane Hill is Director of the Infrastructure Delivery & Cost Transformation Programme. She has a First-Class Honours Degree in Management Sciences, which was based on Technology and Science. This naturally led her to start her career in ICT as a graduate at BT.

“I initially started working as a Project Manager in the Payphones Business (I know that really ages me!), and then was chosen on a graduate high potential fast-track within BT, which involved me moving around the whole of the business getting exposure of many different types of technology and businesses. From the get-go, I was hooked on Telecoms, and haven’t looked back since!”

When asked what inspires her, Diane said “I am inspired by other’s attitude and their values in how they approach their day-to-day life. I believe that having strong and consistent integrity, values and behaviours in your professional life will not only make your time more fulfilling, it also has a positive impact on others around you.”

For girls looking to start a career in the ICT industry, Diane would advise that the most important thing is to ALWAYS be yourself!

She states, “Be fearless in your questions, never assume that because someone is more senior than you, you can’t question what their strategy is, the approach or suggest alternative ways to doing things.” 

Diane has faced challenges in her career in ICT but has always turned these into a positive. “When starting in Telecoms, I was the only female in both my graduate group and my business unit – and significantly younger than most of my project teams. However, I refused to let that define me. I actively decided to be myself, not accept that I was anything different and not accept being treated differently to my counterparts. It wasn’t always easy, but in choosing that mindset, I carved my career in the industry.”

 

Stacey Burge is a Project Management Office (PMO) analyst. She is involved in activities including supporting governance processes, as well as reporting and analysis. Stacey is also involved in various voluntary sub-groups within Neos Networks helping to improve our Environmental and Sustainability initiatives.

Stacey got into the industry by pulling together skills from previous experiences. Her professional focus has always been how we can operate more sustainably as a society. After her undergraduate degree, she sought work in many different areas to learn what part she could play in this. She went from working in flood prevention, waste and recycling, water retail services and then, more recently, moved into her current role in ICT. Each step opened the door to the next and she learned a lot about herself along the way.

When asked who inspires her, Stacey said “Firstly, the Head of Technology at Isle Utilities was my mentor in a previous role and secondly, the Director of Resilience at CPEX Louisiana, who was integral in my MSc research. They both provided me with the access, support and tools necessary in order to reach opportunities I never would have thought possible, including publishing academic work. This also led to projects that were outside my day job, giving me deeper technical skills, ultimately contributing to my now working in ICT. I plan to pay this forward as much as I can.”  

For girls looking to start a career in the ICT industry, Stacey would advise that when it comes to thinking about your future and choosing opportunities, it’s ok to have a change of heart from what you originally planned and risk stepping outside of your comfort zone to try something new.

“I think we can sometimes get bogged down with what we ‘should’ be doing, rather than what we simply want to do."

Stacey has also faced challenges in her career in ICT but has always turned these into a positive. She said “A challenge has been getting through the door and progressing with scarce technical expertise and little confidence. Instead of focussing on this, I’ve highlighted what I do have to offer and made an impact really demonstrating transferable skills which are vital, whatever industry you work in”

 

Kelly Billing is Head of Marketing and leads the marketing and campaigns team. Her role is to make sure that our brand is thoroughly represented in the marketplace and that when customers and prospects are looking for a business connectivity provider, Neos Networks is front of mind.

Kelly’s path into the ICT industry started with carrying out a degree in marketing and design. Following completion of this, she then got ‘the first job she could to pay the rent’ and found herself working in an engineering organisation as a Service Planner. Knowing her heart was in marketing, she opened up to her then-CEO and he agreed to allow her to pick up ad-hoc marketing tasks outside of working hours to better her knowledge. From here she moved into a technology-focused marketing agency, then moved in-house to a well-known communications company and, six years ago, joined the Neos Networks marketing team.

When asked if Kelly met any inspiring women along her career, she said

“I’ve met some amazingly inspirational women in my career, from my first manager in my first role in engineering who made it clear from the get-go that, while women don’t dominate our industry, that doesn’t mean they can’t gain a substantial spot at the table, to a number of women across my previous telecoms role and more recently at Neos Networks who inspire me every day with their industry knowledge, expertise and skills.

For girls looking to start a career in the ICT industry, Kelly would advise “don’t be put off by the fact the sector is still very male-dominant. The market is very much looking for new blood and new expertise, regardless of gender. The sector itself is hugely exciting with some real leading-tech changing the way that we all go about our lives (both in work and at home). It’s an ideal time to get involved.”

 

Lisa Miles is our Head of Service Management. Her role is to ensure that our customers are receiving the very highest standard of service and that we deliver a great customer experience every time.

Lisa started her career at Vodafone in 2000 working as a call centre agent, managing the mobile base for corporate clients. Back then mobile phones were really taking off and she found the fast pace of the industry exciting. It was here that she really developed her passion for people and customers. She progressed to Team Manager then Operations Manager and finally took the leap into Service Management. In 2015 we were lucky enough to have her join our ranks.

When asked who inspires her, Lisa said

“I don’t have an individual person that has inspired me however collectively I want to shout out to all of the working mums I have met during my career. Balancing full time work, managing children and day-to-day life can be tough, even more so during a pandemic when you add home schooling into the mix. It’s taken my organisational skills and tolerance to a whole new level.”

For girls looking to start a career in the ICT industry, Lisa would advise “Go for it! The ICT industry is no different to any other. If you are resilient, passionate about what you do and are focussed on achieving your goals, you can do anything.”

Lisa loves working in the ICT industry and sees a lot of positives. She didn’t have any challenges getting into the industry and although her direct peers are all male, she feels she is judged on her performance and skills and not her gender.

 

At Neos Networks, we’re really proud of the talent and skill that our employees bring to our business every day. Days like ‘International Girls in ICT’ really bring to the forefront the importance of bringing fresh, new talent to the industry. If you’re looking to develop your career in the sector, take a look at our Careers page and see if Neos Networks could be the right next step for you.

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PTSN Switch Off in 2025: Everything You Need to Know

The big public switched telephone network (PSTN) switch-off is imminent. As 2025 ends, this system – which is operated by BT – will be turned off forever.

The UK’s PSTN has been with us since 1876, routing phone calls to and from phones all over the country, using millions of miles of network cable. But there are now more efficient systems available, which is why the switch-off is happening.

In some countries, it’s already happened. The Netherlands and Estonia, for instance, have already seen PSTN lines phased out. Others, including Japan, Germany and Australia, have set dates for their own PSTN line switch-offs.

This means that individuals and businesses using PSTN-based telephony will need to upgrade their set-up to ensure they can continue communicating.

So, what options are available if you need to migrate before the PSTN switch off?

The alternative is hosted VoIP (voice over internet protocol): a digital service that allows users to make voice calls using a connected device via the internet.

In this guide, we’ll explain:

  • How PSTN works
  • How PSTN and ISDN differ
  • Why they’re both being switched off
  • The technology that’ll replace it
  • What you can do to get ready

If you still have questions afterwards, why not contact our team for further guidance?

What does PSTN stand for and mean?

PSTN is short for public switched telephone network. It’s a global system of telephone networks that use copper wires to transmit analogue voice data. But the equipment used to run it is old and expensive to maintain. That’s why providers like BT are investing in digital technology designed to better meet the needs of their customers.

But just what is a PSTN phone line?

PSTN phone lines are made of copper. They connect most UK homes and offices to cabinets on the street, which are then connected to local telephone exchanges.

It’s important to note that PSTN lines are dedicated. As a result, people can only use a PSTN phone line for one purpose at a time. This is why, in the early days of the internet in the 90s, households couldn’t use the internet and their landline phone at the same time.

How do PSTN phone lines work?

This is how the UK’s current system of PSTN lines works:

  • You pick the phone up and dial a number
  • A dedicated circuit is created between your phone and the phone you’re calling
  • When you speak, the sound waves are converted into electric signals
  • These signals are transported through telegraph lines (distribution points) to street cabinets (or primary connection points)
  • From there, the signals go to the telephone exchange (also known as a central office, switching office or network tandem)
  • Those signals are then relayed to the phone you’re calling and are converted back to sound waves

The rate of data transmission over PSTN lines is influenced by various factors, including the type of copper wire, distance covered and external conditions. 

The electromagnetic properties of copper can also interfere with the speed of transmission. As these phone lines were usually laid underground next to electrical cables, electromagnetic fields can occur and affect phone signals.

What are PSTN lines used for?

The main function of PSTN lines in the UK has been to connect phone calls. However, some other technologies also use the PSTN system and will need to be reconfigured after the PSTN switch-off. These include:

  • Fax machines
  • Electronic point of sale machines
  • Alarm systems for houses and businesses
  • CCTV
  • Door entry systems

What are the benefits of PSTN?

The PSTN system has served us well, particularly in places like the UK, where it’s been in use for over 150 years. There are several advantages that have contributed to its longevity:

  • Reliability – PSTN lines are generally stable, with voice distortion or call dropout rarely occurring
  • Security – dedicated lines make PSTN systems highly secure
  • Low maintenance – while business lines or a private branch exchange (PBX) cost more in upkeep, residential PSTN lines need very little maintenance. This is one reason the system has endured so long.
  • Always on – as the power supply is fed directly over the phone line from the exchange, it’s not affected by the building’s electricity supply

Ultimately, however, PSTN is an outdated system, overtaken by the digital world and new ways of living and working.

What are the disadvantages of using PSTN?

PSTN has been a trusty servant, but governments around the globe now recognise its time has come. In today’s world, holding onto a PSTN system would have various disadvantages:

  • Expensive set-up – between £6,000 and £10,000 for a 30-person business
  • Expensive calls – costly international and mobiles, compared to free VoIP-to-VoIP calls
  • Higher monthly costs – it can cost up to £50 per user each month
  • Integration – PSTN offers no possibility for software integration
  • Difficult to scale – extra hardware makes scaling up complex and costly
  • Outdated – PSTN is not supported over the internet 

What is a PSTN line fault?

Typically, a PSTN line fault occurs when the PSTN line fails to transmit the connection signal from its point of origin to its intended destination, or when the digital signal quality deteriorates. 

This scenario is becoming more and more common since the lines are now so old. In some cases, the copper wires are suffering corrosion after the protective rubber covering has degraded over time.

Whatever the cause, more frequent faults are resulting in more unpredictable service, higher maintenance costs and greater repair costs. The case for switching off PSTN is becoming more and more compelling.

What is the difference between PSTN and ISDN?

ISDN stands for integrated services digital network and has (alongside PSTN) been the primary form of communication for decades. PSTN uses a single line, while ISDN supports up to 30 lines over a digital transmission connection of up to 2Mbps.

This is how ISDN enables you to manage multiple calls across the same line at once, ideal if multiple people are on the phone in the same office. PSTN lines, however, don’t – and that’s a problem if you run a business. If customers can’t get through, they’ll give up and go elsewhere.

Although ISDN uses the PSTN network to operate, it’s completely digital. This means it can provide multiple lines and a host of other useful features, which can be scaled quickly, resulting in superior call quality and video. This makes it much easier and faster than old PSTN set-ups, where each line needs to be physically plugged in. So you may be surprised to hear ISDN is also nearing the end of its lifespan.

Why is ISDN being abolished? Like PSTN, it transmits data using copper wires that are expensive to maintain. This cost is then passed on to customers in the form of prohibitively expensive line rental packages.

What is the 2025 PSTN switch-off?

The PSTN switch off will happen in December 2025, but new orders will be stopped from two years prior. BT owns the service, which includes various Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) and ISDN products. These products are purchased by Communication Providers (CPs) who sell them under their own branding at regulated prices.

Here are the key points to remember:
1. The PSTN switch off will also affect ISDN lines. However, businesses can still purchase ISDN lines until 2023. But providers are encouraging their customers to invest in newer technologies instead - because purchasing ISDN equipment will become harder and support for it will rapidly decrease.
2. PSTN and ISDN are being replaced by fast fibre broadband. The cost of maintaining these seldom-used systems makes little sense when providers could use that money to invest in a faster and more efficient infrastructure that provides a better service for end-users.
3. The PSTN switch off is imminent. This means individuals and businesses using outdated legacy systems should speak to their providers and seek advice about the next best steps if they’re to avoid costly disruption and to keep up with competitors.
4. Phase one will occur in September 2023 when BT stops selling Wholesale Line Rental (WLR). WLR is a service that lets a Communication Provider (CP) use an operator’s service and sell it under its own branding. Finally, in December 2025, PSTN and ISDN will be switched off permanently.

What will replace PSTN?

The UK government has a target of equipping every home with gigabit broadband by 2030. By the time of the PSTN switch-off in December 2025, the government is aiming for 85% full-fibre coverage. Although there is still work to do, expect IP-driven services like VoIP to become the norm soon.

Our fast fibre future will see us communicate using internet-driven services like voice over internet protocol (VoIP). Also known as IP technology, VoIP doesn’t require a circuit-switched network. Instead, it sends voice data in chunks or packets, which makes it faster than the PSTN.

In addition, VoIP offers advanced, in-built features such as call forwarding, call waiting, caller ID, conference calling and voicemail.

PSTN vs. VoIP

Compared to PSTN, VoIP is cheaper, offers unlimited scalability, can be tailored to the needs of subscribers, and removes the need to change numbers when a business moves premises. Here are some of the biggest differences between the systems:

Price

Set-up and monthly costs are cheaper with VoIP. Plus, VoIP-to-VoIP calls are free.

Security

With VoIP, how secure your system is depends on the security of your internet connection. PSTN lines are extremely secure because they’re dedicated.

Scalability

Increasing the number of users is simple with VoIP. You can even do it instantly, in many cases. Extra hardware is required for upscaling PSTN lines.

Features

VoIP gives you more in-built features, including video calling, voicemail, click-to-call services on websites, recording services, messaging and presence information.

Power

Traditional corded landline phones – using PSTN – will work during a power outage, while VoIP relies upon an internet connection and won’t work.

What are the benefits of the PSTN switch-off?

The benefits of the switch-off are clear to see:

  • No more time or money spent supporting an outdated system
  • Opportunity to replace PSTN with a more modern, efficient system
  • Businesses get a future-proofed, scalable solution instead
  • Better integration will improve productivity
  • Everyday costs will fall
  • Voice calls are available over any device

How can your business prepare for the PSTN switch-off?

One thing is for certain: the PSTN and ISDN switch off will happen in December 2025 and the impact on unprepared businesses will be extensive.

If you rely on either or both of these legacy systems, you’ll need to take steps to prepare your business and avoid costly and disruptive problems later.

Here are three initial steps you can take:
1. Audit your telephony estate
Which (if any) areas of your business use PSTN or ISDN? This is especially important for businesses operating across multiple sites. Some premises may use fast fibre broadband - while others still rely on PSTN or ISDN technology.

Auditing your infrastructure will give you the bigger picture. When running your checks, don’t forget to include other systems, like alarms, which may also rely on PSTN or ISDN to function.

Finally, consider whether these systems can be adapted or need to be replaced entirely. Your provider will be able to help with these questions.

2. Check your internet speed
Even if your system is up-to-date, is it good enough? Fast fibre broadband is becoming the go-to choice for businesses worldwide which means investing in the latest technology is essential unless you want to fall behind your competitors. Additionally, cost of fibre services are largely competitive now, meaning your business could benefit from better performance for nearly the same rate.

3. Create a plan - check it often
It may not seem it, but December 2025 is imminent. Setting a plan in motion now will help you get ready for the PSTN switch off and avoid surprises. That doesn’t mean things are set in stone. Watch developments and adapt your plan to reflect changes before committing to a strategic decision.

4. Exploring the market
There are a variety of providers who can support you throughout this migration and help you select the best solution for your needs. The research and implementation process can take some time, so it’s worth starting this process well ahead of time to avoid any unnessecary business disruption.

Working with an experienced fibre network specialist will help ensure you make the right choices. Connect with one of our knowledgeable experts to discuss your circumstances so we can find a solution that best suits your needs.

How can we help?

We’re focused on ensuring our customers have the connectivity their business needs. Whether it’s Dark Fibre, Dedicated Internet Access or Ethernet, we’ll find a tailored solution that offers you a reliable, smooth internet connection. We’ll make sure you’re thoroughly prepared for the PSTN switch-off, giving you a cost-effective service that supports VoIP and more integrated communications technology.

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Celebrating Neos Networks as we turn one!

Colin Sempill, CEO

First Birthday

Neos Networks are one year old! And what a year it’s been.

When we look back over the last 12 months, it’s fair to say that with COVID still rife, at times it’s been challenging. And yet we’ve continued to develop, expand, and enhance our business with great success. Our fantastic teams play a huge part in this, ensuring that we’re always delivering for our customers.

In fact, providing great service to our customers continues to remain a top priority. It’s therefore extremely pleasing to see that the key indicator of our customer relationships – our Net Promoter Score (NPS) – remains strong with the business currently averaging a market-leading +67. This comes as a result of the business working tirelessly to ensure our customers always get the very best experience every time.

Another key focal area for the business is in positioning ourselves as an ethical leader in the industry. One way we’re leading the way in this is through our ambitious target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. Something we’re well on track to deliver.

We also remain strong in our delivery.

Across the industry, delivery is often a sore point. This year we’ve managed to deliver a number of key projects and initiatives to budget and to time including for Aberdeenshire County Council and Perth and Kinross Council. Then of course there was our exchange roll-out programme which saw us invest in and deploy 172 new exchanges over the year. We also have some exciting projects in-flight with Oxfordshire and telent making great progress.

Earlier this year we also announced the launch of our first direct access proposition – due for deployment across 2022 and 2023. This will see us bring end-to-end connectivity, delivered wholly by Neos Networks, to businesses across Birmingham, Liverpool, London and Manchester.

One of the key highlights of the year for me has been the progress made transforming our business. Can you believe it’s been one whole year since we launched the Neos Network brand?

In July, we migrated to our own IT platform, with a stand-alone version of Office 365. Also in July we launched our new Workday ERP system. Finally on our transformation journey, we are in full testing mode for our new end-to-end BSS system. All this collectively means that we are on track to be a standalone business by the end of this summer.

It’s fair to say that there is a lot for our business to be proud of as we celebrate 12 months as Neos Networks. Over the next 12 months we plan to keep up the momentum, continuing to grow our reach, develop our partnerships and forge new and exciting relationships.

Will you be joining us on our journey?

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Why self-service should be the first choice for resellers

Business Development Director for Wholesale, Simon Willmott

In the digital age, self-service is becoming the first choice for many. Long gone are the days where multiple phone calls and emails were required in order to price up a service. Nowadays, it’s imperative that answers can be found in a few clicks of a button.

Recognising this, we invested millions in a customer quoting and ordering portal, LIVEQUOTE, to provide our partners with more convenience, better transparency and greater choice than ever before.

We had a chat with our Business Development Director for Wholesale, Simon Willmott, about why our LIVEQUOTE portal is ideally placed to support our partners current and future needs.

Why is it important to make complex quoting simple?

Rather than reaching out to multiple providers and often waiting days to review responses, our partners can easily and instantly compare connectivity quotes side by side in a centralised place, before making their purchasing decision. We also allow our partners to compare a range of services including Business Ethernet, Optical Wavelengths, Dedicated Internet Access and Cloud Connect, where they can also compare suppliers, postcodes, bandwidths, bearers and more.

LIVEQUOTE is not just limited to Neos Networks’ reach either. We work with third-party providers including BT Wholesale, Openreach, Virgin Media Business, TalkTalk Business, Colt, Sky and CityFibre, meaning we can offer complete nationwide coverage beyond our own network, providing visibility and choice to end users.

In addition, we’re continually reviewing, improving and expanding our tool. Over the next 12 months we’ll be looking to add new products, continue to review our pricing and add additional suppliers to make the portal as intuitive and useful to our customers as possible.

For those partners with high demand, we also offer an API (Application Programming Interface) which allows users to connect their platform into ours in a seamless way.

Why is high capacity connectivity such a hot topic right now?

Up until now, when looking at high capacity connectivity options, choices have typically been restricted to Optical and Dark Fibre services and not many providers could offer a digital interface to understand availability and pricing immediately.  More recently however, due to increased popularity and reduced cost to serve, demand for high capacity services is becoming more commonplace within the wholesale community. This led us to introduce our national 10Gbps Ethernet services.

Historically 10Gbps capacity have been limited to Optical services. At Neos Networks, our fully diverse 10Gbps Ethernet service provides a new option to the market. It offers built in resilience and increased availability while reducing costs.

High capacity services are imperative in serving the needs of your business and the needs of your end-customers. Couple this with a number of next-generation technologies also being introduced, including 5G and IoT devices, high capacity connectivity is becoming more necessary than ever before.

Today, we’re proud to have one of the most pervasive national 10Gbps networks in the UK. Even better news, many of our services can be quoted and ordered easily from LIVEQUOTE.

In short, it’s evident that high capacity connectivity is here for the long-haul and we want to be the provider who you turn to in order to facilitate your high capacity needs.

What is backhaul and how can it propel our partners into the future?

Backhaul connectivity allows you to take connectivity from our unbundled BT exchanges to other exchanges or data centres across the UK, connecting directly into your customer premise and back to your core network. This effectively allows you to connect end customers more quickly and cost-effectively enabling them to access next generation connectivity.

This effectively enables service providers, like yourself, to take advantage of the network of other providers (like us), without having to foot the hefty bill that comes with delivering diverse fibre into exchanges yourself.

Our backhaul service can be accessed on LIVEQUOTE  in both Ethernet and Optical variants.

What does the future of Neos Networks look like?

We’ve just completed the latest phase of our network expansion programme, Project Edge, pushing our reach further than it's ever been before. Today, we can provide you with access to 550 unbundled exchanges, 676 PoPs, 90 data centres and 34,000km of fibre infrastructure. We specialise in high capacity national services and we’ll continue to invest in our network in areas with high customer demand.

We also recently announced the launch of our metro access network. Once live, this will allow us to provide full end-to-end fibre connectivity directly to businesses within Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London – all connected to our UK-wide network. Our access proposition provides a cost-effective alternative to EAD LA services, allowing customers to reduce their dependency on Openreach. This will ensure a single supplier delivers your full connectivity service from the end-customers building directly into a Network-to-Network Interface.

As we continue to invest in our own network, there has never been a better time to discuss how we can help you deliver more services to your customers. To discuss your network strategy and how we can help send us an email by clicking here, and we’ll get in touch.

If you would like access to LIVEQUOTE our Account Directors can provide you with a demo. Simply request access here. Alternatively, if you have an account, log in here.

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