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Neos Networks connects more than 180 Oxford public service sites as part of Oxfordshire County Council’s GigaHubs project

From local GP practices, to schools, community centres and the County Council’s own IT estate, over 180 buildings which provide a public service are now connected to full fibre connectivity.

Buildings in Oxford; Oxfordshire has plans to become a smart country, part of Critical National Infrastructure

LONDON, UK, 26 June 2024

Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading business connectivity providers, and Oxfordshire County Council, today announced an update on the county’s ‘GigaHubs’ project. Initially announced in 2021, GigaHubs aims to enhance digital and social inclusion by providing gigabit-capable connectivity to eligible rural public sector buildings, such as schools, GP surgeries, and libraries.

Utilising its high-capacity fibre network and solutions, and aggregating local fibre networks from Openreach, Virgin Media Business and Gigaclear, Neos Networks has now provided full fibre connectivity to 180 out of 193 public buildings contracted. The initial project, delivered by the end of 2023, saw 175 GP practices, schools, libraries and community centres connected to full fibre. However once deployed, Neos was engaged to extend connectivity to a further 18 rural sites in the county that were previously only connected via copper-based services. The fibre networks are now enabling faster provisioning of public services at a fraction of the cost due to Neos’ network rationalisation of services and ability to access an extremely competitive supply chain.

This marks the first stage in a 20-year partnership between Neos and the council aiming to achieve the authority’s vision of a ‘Smart County’. Notably, the GigaHubs project is the first majority council-funded project aimed at improving the service offering available at local sites. The project has so far seen £5m investment from Oxfordshire County Council, £2m from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport’s ‘Project Gigabit’, and a further £250k from the Local Enterprise Partnership.

In addition, to aid Oxfordshire’s connectivity ambitions and mark the successful rollout of infrastructure so far, Neos Networks has also provided £20,000 to an initiative purchasing new IT equipment for the council’s public libraries. The IT equipment can be used by staff and residents, enabling the connected hubs to become key pillars of community activity.

Craig Bower, Digital Infrastructure Consultant at the council said, “Partnering with Neos has been instrumental in our journey towards a smarter Oxfordshire. By leveraging their high-capacity fibre solutions and expertise as a network aggregator, we’ve streamlined our networks and paved the way for a plethora of smart use-cases we’re currently exploring. This was by no means your typical supplier-buyer relationship and we’ve developed a deep and consultative working relationship with Neos throughout the process.”

David Bruce, CRO, at Neos Networks said, “We’re delighted to see Oxford’s GigaHubs project start to bear fruit and that residents, businesses and tourists across the county can now access fast, reliable connectivity across so many of the most important spheres of public life. Oxfordshire’s clarity of vision and commitment to enhancing connectivity for both the unconnected and industry alike should be a model for other local authorities up and down the country to follow.”

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Neos Networks appoints David Bruce as CRO and Matt Rees as CTOO, signalling a new phase of accelerated growth

David Bruce joins the company as Chief Revenue Officer, responsible for driving Neos’ evolving go-to-market strategy and ensuring customer success, whilst Matt Rees takes on the expanded Chief Technology & Operating Officer (CTOO) role.

  • Neos Networks
David Bruce and Matt Rees

LONDON, UK, 14 March 2024

Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading connectivity providers, today announces two C-level appointments to support the company as it eyes accelerated growth in UK business connectivity market. The roles follow the appointment of Lee Myall (CEO) and Craig Forrester (CFO) in 2023, and mark the readiness of Neos to take its recently expanded, high-capacity network to market, as the evolving B2B connectivity needs of the industry continue to change at pace.

David Bruce joins the company as its Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) and brings with him over 16 years of international sales and customer success experience. Having previously held a range of senior roles with the likes of Virgin Media and Vodafone, he was most recently a member of the global executive team at the cloud-centric connectivity provider, Global Cloud Xchange, with overall responsibility for leading sales and marketing for its Wholesale, OTT and Enterprise units across Europe, US and APAC.

At Neos, David will work to ensure that customers across Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), wholesale telecoms and the public sector can all benefit from the recent expansion and upgrade of Neos’ high-capacity UK network. He will ensure that Neos’ service offerings remain relevant and competitive as their needs continue to grow.

Matt Rees, the current Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Neos Networks also sees his role expanded to Chief Technology & Operating Officer (CTOO), reflecting Neos’ commitment to taking a technology-first approach to building networks that are easier to provide and consume, easier to manage and easier to repair. The blended remit will more closely couple technology and operational excellence at Neos in the pursuit of seamless customer experience, and is a key part of how Neos will deliver on its customer strategy.

Lee Myall, Chief Executive Officer, Neos Networks, said: “Neos is proud to operate one of the UK’s leading B2B connectivity networks, and for some of the most important organisations across CNI, telecoms, research and more. As our customers continue to pursue digital transformation and begin to leverage increasingly bandwidth hungry technologies such as AI and IoT, we’re in a great position to support them.

He continued: “David brings with him a wealth of experience in business transformation and has a proven track record in positioning companies for rapid growth. Meanwhile, Matt is the ideal candidate for building out a world of ‘tech-ops’ within Neos, and has already supported the delivery of a range of products and platforms aimed at improving the end-to-end customer journey we provide.”

David Bruce, Chief Revenue Officer, Neos Networks, said: “I’m delighted to join Neos in this next phase of our growth. The company has always had an incredibly strong reputation for putting customers first and I’m keen to maintain that as we partner with them to deliver on their growing connectivity needs.

Matt Rees, Chief Technology & Operating Officer, Neos Networks, said: “The added ‘O’, for operations, in my title carries a lot of significance, and is really a recognition of the approach we’ve been taking at Neos for a number of years now. We’re ensuring our network and product strategy remains grounded in customer experience, and is responsive to changes in behaviour, preferences and new technology approaches too. To meet the growing demands of our customers in a particularly competitive market, we’ll continue to build an increasingly integrated end-to-end customer journey that is personalised, relevant and easy to consume.”

Earlier this year, Neos announced the launch of 10Gbps Managed Dedicated Internet Access, its latest fully managed solution supporting growing enterprise bandwidth needs and also 15 new updates to its LIVEQUOTE platform, which delivered a more personalised and seamless buying journey for wholesale and enterprise customers.

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Neos Networks enhances LIVEQUOTE platform with API-based ordering and ‘quantum quoting’

The update adds 15 new features that simplify the overall wholesale buying experience through increased personalisation, parity between both portal and API purchasing, and an increasingly integrated end-to-end customer journey 

  • Neos Networks

London, UK, 23 January 2024

Neos Networks one of the UK’s leading connectivity providers, today announced significant updates to its digital platform, LIVEQUOTE, and the way wholesale customers provision Neos services through integration with their own platforms. LIVEQUOTE introduces 15 new features such as real-time order and quote status, multi-quote and order baskets, chat messaging, location-based real-time availability, and enhanced personalisation, whilst the enhanced API ensures these services and functionality are also available in customer environments.

With these enhancements to the LIVEQUOTE platform, Neos Networks is improving the ease and efficiency of purchasing connectivity solutions for its wholesale customers as they race to expand connectivity across the UK. This marks a significant step toward a low-touch provisioning experience, reflecting Neos’s commitment to simplifying and streamlining its customer interactions.

The upgrade also puts a huge emphasis on personalisation and user experience. The new “quantum quoting” feature offers customers enhanced choice and precision in selecting services, with location-based quoting and dynamic ordering to streamline the process. Customers can now see locally available products using postcodes, coordinates or an interactive map, filter and sort results by products, access methods and service terms, and interrogate their options with multi-quote baskets to compare prices, perform scenario analysis and build solutions – all of which is linked directly to a multi-quote ordering system.

Mark Charlesworth, Director of Product, at Neos Networks, said: “With the updates to our LIVEQUOTE platform, we’re making it easier to do business with us across all stages – buying, delivery, and support. Our focus is on giving our customers more choices while ensuring consistent and accurate information across all transactions. This upgrade reflects our commitment to supporting our customers’ growth and transformation by delivering a better end-to-end experience, tailored to the diverse needs of both our wholesale and enterprise clients.”

In addition to enhanced API integration, the platform now offers more real-time status updates on orders and quotes. This feature aims to reduce the reliance on traditional communication channels like email and phone calls, providing customers with immediate, transparent access to their transaction information. The integration of chat messaging further enhances this, enabling real-time interactions and support directly through the platform.

The platform’s latest enhancements include bulk circuit ordering within multi-quote baskets, advanced Optical 100G and 400G quoting and ordering, as well as the introduction of higher capacity DIA services up to 10G. The introduction of dynamic ordering simplifies the process, allowing for straightforward order placement with minimal data entry. Additionally, the rollout of Customer API v6 expands capabilities for all product types, while platform reengineering means upgrading to this latest version will be seamless for most customers.

Alongside these additional features, customers also benefit from richer product options whether buying through the portal or via APIs. Wholesale buyers now have more choices beyond Ethernet including optical, Dedicated Internet Access, Cloud Connect and Access Tails.

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Neos Networks launches 10Gbps Managed Dedicated Internet Access

The latest upgrade means Neos Networks Managed DIA customers can now access higher bandwidths alongside active monitoring and management of devices and service.

  • Neos Networks

London, UK – 8 January 2024 

Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading connectivity providers, today announced a major upgrade of its Managed Dedicated Internet Access (Managed DIA) service to provide capacities up to 10Gbps as standard. Previously available up to 1Gbps, the upgrade provides a fully managed, enterprise-grade fibre solution for UK organisations grappling with ever-increasing bandwidth demand and the need for reliable access to the internet.

The latest upgrade means Neos Networks customers across the UK can access the same bandwidths across its Wires-only DIA, and Managed DIA variants, with a clearer upgrade path. The upgrade also promises to simplify the hardware and support available for customers. Neos Networks manages both the maintenance and break/fix of the router, meaning the customer’s network or IT team can focus on other areas of their business.

Neos Networks’ extensive network infrastructure underpins the UK’s digital economy, powering the UK’s critical infrastructure, and connecting public services, telcos and enterprises of all shapes and sizes. This latest upgrade gives such organisations more flexible and scalable options to meet their unique connectivity needs. Devices are monitored and managed 24/7 by Neos, and the service is also optimised for reduced energy consumption and rack space when combined with services such as Neos Networks access tails.

The UK’s connectivity demands are continuously increasing, spurred by ongoing digital transformation and new technology like 5G, IoT and artificial intelligence. In 2020, Neos Networks launched a 10Gbps Wires-only DIA service in readiness for this increasing customer demand. This latest upgrade of Managed DIA means customers who are currently making use of a large number of 1Gbps circuits can look to scale their bandwidth as part of the same service. Neos is making this easier than ever and is poised to deliver across UK telcos, enterprises and critical and national infrastructure.

Mark Charlesworth, Director of Product, at Neos Networks, said: “Our continued investment in our business internet proposition means Neos Networks is now able to provide the same scalable bandwidth across a range of different service models throughout the UK. This provides a much-simplified upgrade path for customers with increasing bandwidth requirements, delivering the level of service they need in a flexible and scalable way”.

Through Managed DIA, Neos Networks steps closer to the customer’s environment, beyond a traditional wholesale fibre infrastructure role. This includes more proactive monitoring, and advanced analytics to support network maintenance and availability. With the impact of the loss of service only becoming more critical for organisations across the UK, Neos Networks’ MPLS core network also ensures that services via Managed DIA are highly resilient.

Neos Networks offers a Managed DIA service supported by 24/7 technical assistance, providing businesses with a broad selection of last-mile connectivity providers, along with diverse and resilient options. The strength of this service lies in Neos Networks’ extensive network coverage, which includes more than 676 high-speed Ethernet Points of Presence across the nation. This expansive reach enhances the quality of its DIA services, ensuring businesses have reliable access. Importantly, all traffic to and from a business’s network is securely transported over Neos Networks’ robust network and IP platform. This guarantees instantaneous access and a high-quality service experience, making it an ideal choice for businesses with data-intensive, real-time applications.

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Neos Networks expands its data centre estate with high profile sites added in London and Manchester

  • Neos Networks

London, UK – 17 October 2023

Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading connectivity providers, today announced that it has added two new key UK data centres to its UK-wide fibre network, as it fast approaches reaching 100 on-net data centres. This proactive investment in the expansion of its data centre estate sees Neos connect two highly significant sites in London and Manchester, enabling more businesses to take advantage of its high capacity infrastructure.

The first site connected and now live is the Equinix MA5 data centre in Manchester which makes Neos one of the first to offer services out of that location. The second site, Telehouse South (THS), located in London Docklands and now the largest facility offered by Telehouse will come on-net in the coming months. Both data centres will be diversely connected with fibre and 100Gbps enabled, providing UK businesses with secure, reliable, high capacity connectivity services that meet their business needs.

Equinix MA5 opened in the spring of last year and occupies a key strategic location in Greater Manchester that acts as the gateway to the North. It joins 11 other Equinix data centres that Neos has on-net across its UK estate, as well as nine other sites across Manchester. MA5 boasts the highest level of security offering in the world, and it will be highly influential in the continued development of Manchester’s fast-growing technology scene. The attractive new interconnection hub also offers remote geo-redundancy for the UK’s capital.

THS is also expected to see huge demand for connectivity due to its location and support for one of the most critical interconnection points in the UK. It is in close proximity with Telehouse North and Telehouse North Two, where Neos experiences some of its highest demand for connectivity services.

“We continue to invest in our data centre offering, expanding the reach of our network to bring critical, core connectivity to more UK businesses. And these two new locations will be highly significant in complementing the growth of the UK’s two biggest cities,” said Matt Rees, Chief Technology Officer, Neos Networks.

“We see huge demand for high capacity services from the Telehouse sites that we’ve brought on-net to date, providing reliable, resilient and secure connectivity to help power the UK’s financial services industry in London’s Canary Wharf. And with Manchester at the heart of the UK’s digital tech scene, ensuring the availability of scalable, reliable connectivity is essential for digital services innovation and establishing the UK’s technology leadership. We know just how important the right connectivity solutions are to fostering environments where UK businesses can thrive.”

Services at these new locations will be available via the company’s LIVEQUOTE portal which provides prospective and existing customers with a quoting, ordering and price comparison service matching its own network against leading third-party offerings. Neos also provides its services to businesses directly or through its network of resellers and partners.

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brsk selects Neos Networks to build better broadband

  • Neos Networks

LONDON, UK, 8 AUGUST 2023

Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading fibre connectivity providers, today announced it has been selected by brsk, the broadband ISP and network builder, to provide diverse national backhaul services as the AltNet looks to accelerate network rollout across some of the UK’s most underserved regions.

brsk is a full fibre broadband provider which focuses on providing connectivity to underserved towns in Britain, located in dense suburban areas. These areas often have poor internet connectivity speeds, limited competitor presence and attractive unit economics.

Underpinned by Neos’s 100Gbps Optical connectivity, brsk has to date deployed fibre connectivity to over 266,000 homes across Bradford, Lancashire, Manchester and South Birmingham/West Midlands, and has its sights set on an additional 800,000 across the UK. Neos Networks initially provided 10Gbps Ethernet services, but as customer numbers grew, the connections were migrated to 100Gbps Optical services.

Neos was selected for its ability to meet brsk’s key criteria of high capacity networks, service availability, speed of delivery and need for continuous network redundancy.

Jody Botham, Head of Networks at brsk, said: “Providing customers with high quality, reliable broadband is our main priority. We also want to give them the resilience and capacity they not only require, but expect, of connectivity services. Neos has been very supportive of this and has helped to drive our growth plans. It has also enabled us to scale our backhaul quickly, which is key given the speed at which we’re building out our FTTP network.”

Sarah Mills, Chief Revenue Officer at Neos Networks, said: “This partnership embodies our dedication to bringing the highest quality connectivity to homes and businesses across the UK, and we’re thrilled to be supporting brsk with its mission to bring high-speed, high capacity broadband to areas which are often overlooked by the biggest players in the space.”

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Neos Networks launches national 400Gbps services

  • Neos Networks

LONDON, UK, 2 August 2023: Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading fibre connectivity suppliers, today announced the launch of national 400Gbps Optical Wavelength services across 26 UK data centres. The service, which adds to Neos’s existing portfolio of optical networking solutions, will provide UK businesses with reliable, resilient and even higher capacity connectivity services to support the transport of increasing volumes of data and growing bandwidth demands.

National 400Gbps services will be available in an initial 26 data centres this month, with more of its 600+ Points of Presence added in the following months. Neos Networks is continuing to push the boundaries of network capacity for UK businesses over its premium network. Its flexible photonic network architecture means the fibre supplier was able to scale its fast-growing network to 400Gbps seamlessly.

The availability of 400Gbps wavelength services will enable scalability on customer backhaul capacity. Over the new service, Neos will facilitate bespoke customer requirements regarding route security, separation, latency, redundancy and availability to meet dynamic connectivity requirements. Neos Networks also provides optical resiliency and encryption options for those that require higher levels of security.

“There is huge demand for high capacity, high bandwidth, low latency services among today’s businesses. For those organisations that handle the transport of huge quantities of data, Optical connectivity services have been revolutionary,” said Mark Charlesworth, Director of Product, at Neos Networks. “The launch of our national 400Gbps service again demonstrates our commitment to continuously driving innovation and delivering market leading connectivity services that meet with our customers’ evolving data demands.

“These capacities are not commonplace in the market, that’s why we’ve launched a dynamic and flexible solution tailored to meet specific and unique business needs.”

Neos can now provision 400Gbps Optical Wavelengths in addition to 10Gbps, and 100Gbps variants, with multiple wavelengths able to be provisioned between sites. By leasing wavelengths, businesses only pay for the capacity they need, but they can also scale up as and when required.

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Neos Networks secures position on NS3 framework

Neos Networks bolsters position as key connectivity provider for emerging technologies to UK Government and Public Services

  • Lee Myall
NS3 Framework

London, UK – 19th July, 2023 Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading fibre connectivity suppliers, today announced it has been named as a supplier on Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) Network Services 3 (NS3) framework. The framework provides access to best-in-class connectivity and communications services, with a focus on emerging technologies such as IoT and smart cities to the UKs public and third sector organisations. This includes central government departments, local authorities, NHS and healthcare providers, emergency services, social housing providers and 168,000 registered charities. Neos Networks’ full suite of connectivity services, including SD-WAN, Dark Fibre, Business Internet Services, Optical and Ethernet will be made available to these organisations via the framework.

NS3 is an update to Network Services 2 (NS2), which includes connectivity to cloud-based data and applications, radio and satellite networking and internet of things solutions, providing public sector organisations with access to the latest technologies and choice, from recognised and trusted providers.

Neos Networks has been selected as a supplier on Lot 1a, which provides access to inter-site connectivity services, a critical component of supporting future technologies and applications that will change the way we live, work, and play.

This award further strengthens Neos’ position as a key fibre provider for public sector organisations, building on its decades of success working with organisations across the UK, including Oxford County Council where it is building gigabit-capable digital infrastructure to improve digital and social inclusion across the county, and Aberdeen, where Neos’ full fibre network is underpinning smart city projects.

“Neos Networks is thrilled to have been named as a supplier on the new NS3 framework, which will ease public sector access to modern connectivity solutions,” said Joanne Green, Head of Public Sector at Neos Networks. “Our heritage and customer portfolio in this sector means we know how best to serve our customers in this space. Earlier this year, we were awarded a place on the CCS G-Cloud 13 framework for cloud-based computing services for the public sector, and today we’re providing further connectivity services for the many UK public and third sector organisations seeking to digitise their services. We’re excited to support more customers and partners on their journey to embracing new technologies and see Neos’s underlying infrastructure support critical connectivity for future-proofed applications.”

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Neos Networks appoints Lee Myall as new CEO

  • Neos Networks

LONDON, UK, 19 APRIL 2023

Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading business connectivity providers, today announced the appointment of Lee Myall as their new CEO.

Lee will join Neos from Kao Data, where he is the Chief Executive, bringing extensive commercial and operational leadership gained in the technology and telecoms sector, with deep management experience of high growth businesses and transformation strategies. Most notably, Lee spent 15 years at Interoute, an operator of integrated network and enterprise services, where he had strategic and operational responsibility for the UK, the largest business unit in the company. Colin Sempill will continue in the CEO role until Lee joins and will continue to focus on key strategic growth projects, including the leadership of the Network Rail telecoms upgrade project.

The Board of Neos Networks commented: “We are delighted to welcome Lee to Neos. With a career spanning nearly three decades, he has extensive experience and deep knowledge of the sector, including an impressive track record in growing and leading telecoms businesses whilst enhancing operational performance. Lee is well positioned to accelerate the momentum already achieved at Neos as we look to strengthen our delivery of high-capacity end-to-end fibre connections across the UK.”

Lee Myall: “I am excited to be appointed Chief Executive Officer of Neos. The company’s prospects are strong and I’m looking forward to working with the team to ensure that Neos continues on its trajectory to be a leading telecoms provider for UK business.”

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Neos Networks on track to enable Oxfordshire’s smart county ambitions

Project is set to deliver broadband upgrades for over 175 public sector sites across Oxfordshire by the end of 2023

  • Neos Networks

London, UK, 22nd March: Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading fibre connectivity suppliers, today announced that it has built infrastructure to over 90 public sector and local authority sites in Oxfordshire to access gigabit capable full fibre broadband. This milestone is part of the GigaHubs project to upgrade connectivity infrastructure across Oxfordshire in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council with additional funding from Building Digital UK.

The project is on track for completion by the end of 2023, by which point Neos Networks will have significantly improved connectivity for buildings providing public services across the region.

The project began at the end of 2021 with four of the eight delivery milestones having been completed to date. Sites including community centres, village halls, schools, libraries, GP surgeries, leisure centres, fire stations and museums, are already benefiting from gigabit connectivity, improving service quality for end users and allowing public spaces to better fulfil their roles as Community Hubs.

Part of a 20-year deal, the project sees Neos Networks act as an aggregator bringing together several connectivity suppliers—including Openreach, Virgin Media Business and regional AltNet Gigaclear—to build, manage and operate the new infrastructure.

The GigaHubs project has a primary aim of bringing fibre right into the heart of communities, improving service efficiency whilst providing fibre ‘hubs’ from which industry can additionally connect other businesses and homes.

Following the council’s Better Broadband for Oxfordshire and Businesses in Rural Oxfordshire projects, the addition of the GigaHubs project will mean over 1,500 km of fibre has been provisioned to lay the foundations for a ‘smart county’.  This improved connectivity is a key component in enabling future innovation such as drone corridors, connected autonomous vehicles, and other ‘Internet of Things’ services for residents and businesses.

As part of the council’s commitment to improving connectivity in rural locations and its corporate buildings, Faringdon Library and Woodcote Community Centre are two of the first to have full fibre broadband under the GigaHubs project. There is an outline plan for community facilities like Woodcote to be able to offer a wider range of services, possibly including health, social care, and third sector services.

Councillor Glynis Phillips, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Corporate Services said: “We’re delighted with the progress that the project has made over the last 12 months. Transforming broadband infrastructure across the county is providing a springboard to improve the services we provide to our community and will be key in maintaining our position as one of the UK’s best-connected counties. We are proud to be delivering on our commitment to our Digital Infrastructure strategy by bringing more opportunities and quality of life improvements to the doorsteps of our citizens.”

Mark McCree, Service Manager of the council’s library service said: “The upgrade to our broadband service at Faringdon Library is having a noticeably positive impact on service delivery. We are seeing much faster speeds on public computers, staff PCs, self-service kiosks, and public Wi-Fi connections. The improved Wi-Fi now supports flexible working, meetings and hotdesking for visiting staff.”

Karen Woolley, from Woodcote Community Centre, said: “We’re always looking for ways to improve our services  for local groups and individuals who hire rooms in our premises. Being able to provide a good Wi-Fi connection has become an increasingly important aspect of our bookings, so we are delighted with the new full fibre broadband that’s been recently installed.”

Sarah Mills, Chief Revenue Officer at Neos Networks, said: “We’re delighted to continue to deliver for Oxfordshire County Council, providing them with better, faster connections. We are in the process of rolling out new fibre across the region in areas that have traditionally suffered from limited access to connectivity and digital services. As the project progresses and we move closer to completion, it will also provide a boost to the local economy as connectivity attracts new investment and businesses to the area.”

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Local Authorities must decarbonise UK public buildings 'five times faster' to meet net zero targets, report warns

  • Neos Networks

Analysis of public building energy usage finds government risks missing its 75% CO2 emission reduction target – by 101 years.

The UK government is currently missing one of its core Net Zero commitments to reduce CO2 emissions by 101 years, according to the Public Building Energy Efficiency Report.

CO2 emissions from public buildings need to be reduced five times faster than they’re currently falling to meet the target of ‘75% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2037’. The report projects that nine out of ten (91%) public buildings will need upgrading in the next seven years – if they’re to meet net zero targets.

The report, conducted by dedicated network access providers Neos Networks, examined the actual energy usage and efficiency of over 450,000 public buildings in England and Wales. It analysed their display energy certificates (DECs) and ‘operational ratings’ (annual CO2 emission kg per m2), and highlighted the areas requiring immediate action and major investment in retrofitting public building stock.

On average across England and Wales, CO2 emissions per m2 have fallen by 0.62% annually over the last 15 years. An annual reduction of 3.75% is needed to achieve the core goal of a 75% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2037, compared to the 2017 benchmark as outlined in the UK governments ‘Net Zero’* and ‘heat and buildings’** strategies.

However, there is a mixed picture across the local authorities. Public buildings in a third (32%) of local authorities have seen an increase in their CO2 emissions per m2. In some areas, operational rating emissions have risen by over 70%.

By contrast, more than two-thirds (68%) of local authorities brought emissions down. Merthyr Tydfil (-68.20%), East Hertfordshire (-54.23%) and Portsmouth (-54.35%) were the best performers, highlighting what’s possible with targeted investment.

What’s needed to improve energy efficiency in public buildings?

The data highlights the need for immediate action. Almost 13% of public buildings fall below the current minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES) EPC rating of E for non-domestic buildings, based on their latest display energy certificate score.

Central government funding for local authorities fell by over 50% in real terms between 2010–11 and 2020–21, according to government committee reports. The report findings reignite calls for government investment to support local authorities improving the energy efficiency of schools, NHS facilities and other public buildings.

William Harris, Senior Account Director, Public Sector at Neos Networks said “These findings highlight the size of the task ahead if authorities are to meet targets.

It’s clear that greater support from central government is needed – and investment in network connectivity across public buildings is a crucial first step. This will enable more effective data collection and analysis – to make informed decisions about the public building stock in each area. Then there can be a targeted approach, guided by specialists, to investing in CO2 emission reduction measures where the need is greatest.”

Daniel Scott, Vice President, Danfoss Climate Solutions, Northern Europe Region, Danfoss, said “Around 40% of the energy consumed in cities can be attributed to buildings and one of the most effective steps that can be taken to reduce the CO2 emissions from public buildings is to make their energy systems more effective. Heating and cooling are the biggest energy consumers in public buildings and more efforts need to be made to prioritize solutions that use less energy overall.

Excess heat is the world’s largest untapped source of energy and yet there are very few efforts to reuse it. Many public buildings are located close to other sources of heat, such as data centres, supermarkets or Underground stations. There is tremendous potential for capturing this excess heat and reusing it to heat local public buildings. In the Greater London area alone, we have identified 648 eligible excess heat sources that could potentially share their heat through a district energy system. All of this is possible with technology that is readily available today.  We urgently need to accelerate the progress of energy efficiency in public buildings. After all, the greenest energy is the energy we don’t use.”

 

Government targets –

Data –

  • Data for public building display energy certificate (DEC) records obtained from The Energy Performance of Buildings Register — https://epc.opendatacommunities.org/
  • DEC data includes certificates issued up to and including 29 Sep 2022
  • The analysis covers England and Wales. Data for Scotland and Northern Ireland was not included in the dataset supplied on the government website
  • Note: the Isles of Scilly and Carmarthenshire are not found in the analysis due to incomplete datasets

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Neos Networks in exclusive talks with Network Rail on major deal to transform the UK’s connectivity infrastructure

  • Neos Networks

New fibre network will underpin UK’s digital railway and provide high capacity, ubiquitous connectivity nationwide

LONDON, UK, 15 February 2023

Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading connectivity providers, today announced that it has been selected as preferred bidder for Network Rail’s Project Reach, a major initiative launched by the railway company to enhance connectivity and create a safer, more modern and digitally connected rail network. Neos Networks is in exclusive discussions to be a key player in the project. As Network Rail’s exclusive infrastructure provider, Neos will invest in the design and build of a new fibre optic communications network track side, that will deliver high capacity connectivity nationwide to support the UK’s digital future.

Network Rail aims to ensure coverage for up to 16,000km of high capacity fibre next to the railway. The network will be used to carry information essential to running the railways, such as signalling for trains, trackside sensors, CCTV, and high-speed broadband provision for trains, railway depots and offices.

Earlier this year, Network Rail announced it was in exclusive discussions to enter a long-term partnership to upgrade ageing telecoms infrastructure. The deal will result in significant savings for the taxpayer and bring improved performance, safety and connectivity benefits for railway passengers.

Neos Networks owns one of the fastest growing, high capacity business fibre networks in the UK, spanning 34,000km and 550 exchanges. Neos’ credentials as a provider of reliable, high capacity critical national infrastructure to UK businesses means it is well placed to deliver the new fibre network for Network Rail. Neos will work in partnership with a tower company looking to leverage its 4G and 5G network infrastructure, with the objective of offering full end-to-end fixed and mobile connectivity to Network Rail.

This project will support Neos Networks in expanding its national network reach to increase UK coverage and improve access to high capacity services. These services will be beneficial in transforming business operations for enterprises, hyperscalers and service providers, as well as mobile network operators looking to enable 4G and 5G connectivity along the rail corridor. The new network will also create opportunities to advance the rollout of Fibre-to-the-Premise connectivity across Britain, improving infrastructure access for alternative network providers, while bridging the UK’s digital divide and rural connectivity conundrum.

Colin Sempill, CEO at Neos Networks said, “This new network will deliver a step-change in connectivity and available capacity, which, in turn will help to transform UK rail for the passengers and neighbouring communities it serves. We look forward to working with Network Rail to finalise the contract and start mobilising this project which will see the creation of numerous jobs in different geographies. This is critical for us as we continue to support UK businesses and service providers with the high capacity connectivity services essential for innovation and help deliver on the government’s plans to improve the availability of high-quality broadband across the UK.”

Harriet Hepburn, Network Rail’s Corporate Finance Director, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for NR, and we are excited at the prospect of entering this long-term partnership. The proposal provides a comprehensive package that will deliver real benefits for passengers and the railway, and also significant savings for the UK taxpayer.”

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Neos Networks named supplier on G-Cloud 13 framework

LONDON, UK, 30 JANUARY 2023
Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading fibre connectivity suppliers, has been named as a supplier on Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) G-Cloud 13 framework. Through the framework— which supports public sector organisations to procure best-in-breed cloud-based services—public sector customers will be able to access a suite of products and services from Neos Networks including its Cloud Connect, Business Internet, Ethernet, Dark Fibre, IP-VPN, Optical services, and SD-WAN.

Neos Networks was named as a supplier on ‘RM1557.13 Lot 1 for cloud hosting’, which provides platform or infrastructure services for processing and storing data, running software or networking. Framework customers will be able to access a variety of infrastructure and connectivity services from Neos Networks through the G-Cloud digital marketplace.

The solutions on offer by Neos Networks can be delivered and scaled in line with an organisation’s individual connectivity requirement to complement its IT strategy. The availability of Neos Networks’ high capacity and low latency connectivity services ensures public sector organisations can deploy applications and services that will enhance their productivity, efficiency and operations.

“Neos Networks is delighted to have been named on the G-Cloud framework to support the UK’s public sector organisations in accessing digital infrastructure services that are critical in propelling them towards a digital future,” said Joanne Green, Sales Director for Public Sector and Transport at Neos Networks. “Through a variety of high-capacity, low latency connectivity solutions we can ensure that public sector sites and local authorities have access to competitively priced services that support their cloud and IT strategies. We look forward to welcoming more customers and partners in future.”

G-Cloud 13 replaces G-Cloud 12 as the UK’s digital marketplace for selling cloud products and services to the public sector. It provides an online catalogue of computing services such as hosting, software and cloud support. It also includes many off-the-shelf, pay-as-you-go cloud solutions.

CCS supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2021/22, CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits equal to £2.8 billion – supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers.

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Gigabit broadband investment plans for Perth

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Perth & Kinross Council is seeking to boost its full fibre broadband network, with expressions of interest being invited from the market to extend the benefits of gigabit capable connectivity to nearly 10,000 residential and business premises across the city.

Partnering with Neos Networks last year the Council – as part of the UK Government Department of Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS)-funded Local Full Fibre Network project – connected 34 buildings across Perth including three Council data centres. The £2m project was also part-funded by the Tay Cities Deal.

The full fibre network, built in Perth city centre and extending out to the west of Perth, uses some of the Councils own 10km of duct laid to connect traffic lights and CCTV, together with Neos Networks duct. This network of duct and fibre, extending to over 20km, gives other network operators the opportunity to gain access to connect local businesses and residential homes to gigabit-capable broadband in a cost-effective manner.

The Council and Neos Networks have reciprocal Indefeasible Rights of Use (IRU) agreements over the use of the duct and fibre for the next 20 years.

Councillor Andrew Parrott, Convener of the Council’s Environment, Infrastructure and Economic Development Committee said: “We are committed to making Perth a thriving and dynamic city and having world-class digital connectivity is a key part of this. We are very happy to be working with Neos Networks to open up our respective duct and fibre network infrastructure to the market to enable this to happen.”

Peter Hatherley, Business Services Director with Neos Networks said: “We are very pleased to be working with Perth & Kinross Council to extend the network we built last year in Perth to provide a gigabit-capable digital future for the community. With our network and POPs in the area, we are very excited to see the benefits that our deployed full fibre connectivity can bring to the region.”

The Investment Prospectus for the network extension is available from https://neosnetworks.com/resources/ebooks/perth-full-fibre-network-expansion/https://neosnetworks.com/ and the Invest in Perth website at https://www.investinperth.co.uk/category/news/news-features/.

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55% of UK freight sector plans for battery electric vehicle fleet in 5 years

  • Neos Networks

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 (URL – https://neosnetworks.com/resources/blog/green-technology-in-freight-is-it-moving-forwards/)

Two in five freight companies are using existing data to improve efficiency, meaning immediate opportunities to decarbonise fleets are being missed, warns industry leaders.

A new study, carried out by leading UK business connectivity provider for the transport and logistics sector Neos Networks, has found that over half (55%) of UK companies are actively planning to adopt battery electric vehicles (BEVs) across their fleet in as little as five years to align with net-zero targets.

BEVs were over two times more popular than competing technologies such as Hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), favoured by 26% of companies, or other alternative fuels, chosen by 23%. In fact, just 7% of operators don’t plan to adopt decarbonisation measures in this time period.

The 2022 Green Technology in Freight report, carried out by Neos, asked business leaders at 34 of the UK’s top logistics companies for their insight on changes made since the decarbonisation plan, what barriers they experience in meeting green targets and what the future holds for the industry.

42% of freight companies highlighted artificial intelligence (AI) and data learning across operations as key to their decarbonisation plan. One year on from the announcement of the UK government’s Decarbonising Transport plan*, industry experts encourage operators to act now and ‘get smart’ to lay foundations for data systems.

Currently, just two in five companies who collect and report on primary (real-time) data of greenhouse gas and/or carbon emissions are using the data to improve operational efficiency. To truly capitalise on the information available, investment is needed in network systems, employee expertise and connectivity infrastructure.

Does the industry truly believe in net-zero targets?

The industry remains divided as to whether the UK government’s target of net-zero emissions in transport by 2050 can be achieved. Over half (55%) of respondents were positive about meeting targets, though 45% of operators are still to be convinced.

The greatest barrier to net-zero targets for three in five T&L operators (61%) is high investment costs, followed by concern that some shippers are favouring lower costs over greener practices. 35% of operators stated that low costs being prioritised over sustainability is a significant obstacle to decarbonisation.

Joanne Green, Sales Director for Public Sector and Transport at Neos Networks, states:

“We regularly talk to leaders in the transport sector, and hear about the challenges they face when it comes to decarbonisation. Smart tech, AI and real-time data are already being introduced by many to enable them to become more efficient. These can be important first steps on the road to achieving net-zero.

The government has also recognised this, identifying greater use of AI and data tools as key to cutting freight emissions, particularly for smaller operators. And yet, for any of these technologies to be truly beneficial, the sector must ensure they have the right infrastructure and support in place to enable them.

Across all kinds of industries, we’ve seen that digital transformation is more successful when connectivity requirements are properly understood and  budgeted for. Integrating smart technology and AI systems into operations is no different – it needs sufficient investment and upfront planning or it simply won’t work.”

Kerry Fawcett, Digital Director at iCompario, says:

“Decarbonisation is an obstacle for logistics and transport, but can also bring about major improvements – recognising that solutions need to be implemented to avoid climate disaster through mismanagement of resources in one of the most pollutive industries. Exploring new technologies will be the key to change.

There are ways to “go green” in the industry by electrifying fleets, however, this comes at a substantial capital cost to the organisation. A soft route into this will be through the use of technology and insights into operating behaviour of vehicles and drivers to better understand how this can be improved.

Reducing idling hours, monitoring fuel usage and insights into driver behaviour will give leaders granular detail to make environmentally aware decisions regarding the use of their carbon-emitting assets.“

Data collected July 2022

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