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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

  • Neos Networks

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

  • Neos Networks

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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Neos Networks launches business-grade Managed Dedicated Internet Access

  • Neos Networks

Fully managed end-to-end service offers high availability, scalable bandwidth and capacities to cater for all businesses regardless of their data usage

LONDON, UK, October 17 2022 Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading fibre connectivity and business telecoms suppliers, today announced the launch of its Managed variant of its Dedicated Internet Access (Managed DIA) service, to provide businesses with fully managed, enterprise-grade fibre optic internet connectivity. The launch of the new service variant will support a range of markets in accessing complete end-to-end internet connectivity, that includes routing equipment at the end of the circuit.

Neos Networks’ Managed DIA has the ability to scale bandwidth as required, using the latest industry devices, over capacities ranging from 10Mbps to 1Gbps across the UK. Uniquely, Neos does not dictate a single connection type for Managed DIA—customers can deploy the service to gain access to the internet over an FTTP/C connection or an Ethernet fibre connection. This allows for greater flexibility according to business’ connectivity requirements.

By launching its Managed DIA, Neos Networks is able to traverse further into its customer’s environment, beyond a traditional wholesale fibre infrastructure supplier role. Neos achieves this through devices placed at either end of the line, enabling them to perform proactive monitoring of connectivity, providing improved visibility to feed insights and analytics to support network maintenance, assurance and continuous high service availability. Further to this, Neos Networks’ MPLS core network ensures that the solution offers in-built resilience, eradicating the inevitable business concerns around loss of service. It also integrates seamlessly with the Neos Networks’ Cloud Connect capability, providing secure connectivity to a wide range of Cloud Service Providers.

Businesses across sectors are shifting away from private corporate networks towards more internet-based networks. The launch of Managed DIA will enable Neos Networks to develop deeper relationships with its customers and channel partners by taking business problems away and enabling them to focus on growth.

Mark Charlesworth, Director of Product, at Neos Networks said: “The flexibility in our service model will strengthen what we and our channel partners can offer, allowing customers to pick and choose elements of the Managed DIA service based on what is relevant to their business. We will be able to strengthen relationships with customers that want a fully wrapped monitored solution, taking away the management headaches that occur when needing to manage and mature the hardware at either end of a traditional DIA connection.”

Neos Networks’ Managed DIA service boasts 24 x 7 x 365 technical support and a wide choice of last mile connectivity providers, as well as diversity and resiliency options. Neos Networks’ expansive network reach underpins the quality of its existing DIA services and offers businesses access from more than 676 high speed Ethernet Points of Presence nationwide. All traffic to and from a businesses’ network is carried over Neos Networks’ robust network and IP platform, ensuring instant access and a high quality of service. It is an ideal solution for demanding, data-heavy real-time applications.

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Neos Networks enables Aberdeen’s smart city ambitions

  • Neos Networks

Completes 275 kilometre city and regional smart fibre network
Almost 200 public sector and community locations covered

LONDON, UK, 13 October 2022  Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading business connectivity providers, today confirmed it had completed the full fibre network project across Aberdeen city and the wider Aberdeenshire region.

The project, underpinned by a 20-year contract, was delivered in partnership between Neos, Aberdeenshire Council, Aberdeen City Council and NHS Grampian under the Aberdeen City Region Deal. Announced less than two years ago, the project represented a major investment and commitment to bring full-fibre connectivity to the region in order to boost economic activity and quality of life as well as improve the delivery of public services.

The dark fibre network stretches for some 275km and links six major locations – Aberdeen, Westhill, Stonehaven, Banchory, Inverurie and Ellon as well as the smaller communities in between. The new network will connect some 192 public sector buildings, and be within reach of 44,000 homes, and 1,700 business premises. The project is the result of a combined regional investment of £10.5m including contributions from the UK and Scottish governments.

“To have delivered the full fibre network, in this time frame, given all the challenges of the pandemic and various lockdowns, has been truly remarkable,” said Sarah Mills, Chief Revenue Officer, Neos Networks. “Vital, and regionally important sites such as the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, 40-plus medical centres, as well as more than 50 schools and colleges, are supported by the new fibre network. Ultimately, the network will provide access that is critical to stimulating business growth and attracting investment in the region.”

The almost limitless capacity of the dark fibre network will enable GP surgeries to share records and undertake video consultations, as well as providing better connectivity for remote working and virtual teaching. Indeed, the project has included a significant commitment to education and training within the local community. Neos has been visiting local schools, delivering work placements, guest lecturing for higher education students and has created seven full-time apprenticeships. In addition, Neos have held a STEM careers event and ran the Engineering Development Trust Industrial Cadets online programme.

Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Councillor Alex Nicoll said: “The £11.5m full fibre project has transformed connectivity to our public sector sites throughout the region. Additionally, it has given the contractor the opportunity to offer services to local businesses and residents to access far better connectivity in areas that were poorly served previously. I was very pleased that as a result, the investment is also delivering significant community benefits which was recognised by winning the Go Awards Social Value Category demonstrating robust and progressive approaches to fair work practices. Having delivered two out of three digital projects funded by the deal, our focus is now on delivering the final phase which will deliver even more digital connectivity in the region.”

Cllr Anne Stirling is the Aberdeenshire Deputy Leader, and vice-chair of the Joint Committee. She said: “It can be hard to really understand a lot of the scale and aspiration of projects like City Region Deals, but improving connectivity for communities and helping improve public services through better digital connections is something tangible. The benefits of the full fibre network will touch healthcare, schools, homes, businesses in the area and it is so positive to see another project coming to completion under our City Region Deal.”

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Freight's clean future: 94% of UK companies to ‘go green’ within five years

  • Neos Networks
Ethernet

Despite this, operators remain divided on decarbonisation targets — high investment costs, a lack of data analysis skills and market pressure to keep costs low are the key barriers to adopting net-zero changes.

A new survey carried out by UK business connectivity provider and transport and logistics telecoms specialists, Neos Networks, has found that 94% of transport & logistics (T&L) companies are committed to actively reducing carbon emissions by 2027.

One year on from the announcement of the UK government’s Decarbonising Transport plan, a significant portion of the industry are set to implement one or more carbon-reducing solutions into operations over this time. This figure falls to just two thirds of UK T&L companies who are currently active in making steps towards net-zero targets.

When operators were asked which technologies they planned to adopt, the most popular solution was battery electric vehicles (BEVs). More than half (55%) of companies stated they view BEVs as the most commercially viable green solution. This was followed by 42% of firms who highlighted artificial intelligence (AI) and data learning across operations as the most likely option, and 29% of companies who favoured industry-wide sharing of real-time data (throughout the supply chain).

The 2022 Green Technology in Freight survey 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.

Full survey findings available here: https://neosnetworks.com/resources/blog/green-technology-in-freight-is-it-moving-forwards/

The industry remains divided as to whether the UK government’s target of net-zero emissions in transport by 2050 can be achieved. 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. In fact, 35% of operators stated that low costs being prioritised over sustainability is a significant obstacle to decarbonisation.

Companies are encouraged to look at carbon-reducing technologies currently available for commercial use, embracing smart tech and data analysis.

Smart tech and data provides immediate impact

Over half (55%) of UK T&L firms say greenhouse gas and carbon data tracking is a key focus of their decarbonisation plans in the immediate future. A further 45% plan to seek greater efficiency through investing in smart tech, data learning, AI or other technologies.

However, although 52% of operators state they collect and report on primary (real-time) data of greenhouse gas and/or carbon emissions, just 71% of these companies feel they use the data to actually make meaningful changes to their operations. To really capitalise on the information available, investment is needed in network systems, employee expertise and connectivity infrastructure.

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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Neos Networks connects Viking Energy Wind Farm to SSE Renewables headquarters

  • Neos Networks

Provides vital links across Mainland Shetland and back to Perth headquarters

LONDON, UK, 27th September 2022

Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading business connectivity providers, is to provide vital communications links between the Viking Energy Wind Farm, being constructed in Mainland Shetland, and the headquarters of SSE Renewables, in Perth in the Scottish mainland, more than 300 miles away.

Starting its construction in 2020, the Viking Energy Wind Farm is one of the largest projects of its type in the UK. When fully operational, it will also be one of the UK’s most productive wind farms, capable of providing energy for nearly half-a-million homes.

Neos have been appointed by SSE Renewables to support the project with the provision and delivery of a machine-to-machine (M2M) network – which will enable the energy provider to control and monitor the performance of the 103 wind turbines remotely – and provide links back from Shetland to SSE’s headquarters in Perth.

“With any new facility of this size, scope and importance, deploying and provisioning first class communications links are critical to its operational performance,” said Andy Ainsley, Head of Energy and Utilities at Neos Networks. “We’re delighted to have been entrusted with this vital element of the project.”

The Viking Energy Wind Farm site in Shetland is wholly owned by SSE Renewables and construction is expected to be complete in 2024. The wind farm will not only provide a reliable, renewable, energy source for the island’s 23,000-strong population, it will also power homes across the UK and is expected to generate £2.2m annually in community benefit revenue for the islands for its expected 25-year operational lifetime.

Derek Hastings, SSE Renewables’ Head of Onshore Projects, said; “We’re pleased to be working with Neos to deliver the communications links we will need to ensure the efficient operation of Viking Energy Wind Farm. The solution Neos is providing will allow us to share and monitor local wind farm performance data in real time with SSE’s world-class Renewable Operations Centre in Perth, once the wind farm enters commercial operation. This will be crucial in helping ensure that Viking, as the UK’s most productive onshore wind farm, operates at maximum efficiency to deliver homegrown renewable energy to consumers in Shetland and the wider UK.”

The provision of connectivity infrastructure, in tandem, of an undersea 600-megawatt high voltage power cable is vital to delivering the project, enabling the islands to generate wind power for the rest of the United Kingdom. As well as creating around 300 jobs during its construction, the completed project will also diversify the local economy and introduce around 35 permanent employment positions and apprenticeships in the islands.

The communications links are vital for the efficient running of the wind turbines. Performance data can be monitored locally and back at SSE Renewables headquarters to ensure the farm is operating at maximum efficiency, with the M2M comms across the entire site also highlighting any potential issues and enabling preventative maintenance.

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Giganet chooses Neos Networks to drive UK network expansion

  • Neos Networks

Provides crucial backhaul to offer regional and national high-speed fibre connectivity

South Coast towns feature in initial Giganet roll-out

LONDON, UK, 23rd August 2022

Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading fibre connectivity suppliers, today announced it has been chosen by Giganet, an established Internet Service Provider (ISP), to provide backhaul and data centre connectivity to support its new southern counties network and its ambitious plans to rollout gigabit Fibre-to-the-Premise (FTTP) services.

Through strategic network partnerships, Giganet is already able to offer full fibre broadband services to millions of homes and businesses all over the UK. The next step for Giganet is targeting an expansion which will see it cover more homes and businesses, beginning in the south of England using its own network.

Work on the project began in 2021 and Giganet aims to have the core network and first four exchange rings live by end of this year. In the next four years, Giganet plans to build to 300,000 homes across Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset and West Sussex with its own fibre network rollout. Neos Networks – with its 550 unbundled exchange network – will provide Giganet with the local connectivity required to carry traffic to its data centres and across its national network.

Matthew Skipsey, Chief Technology Officer at Giganet said: “Neos Networks rose to the challenge of providing us with resilient and high capacity backhaul circuits across a wide range of exchanges as well as our core data centres.

“Using Neos Networks”, he added, “we have been able to secure connectivity to our points of presence faster than expected, initially enabling each of our first four regional rings with resilient 100Gbps backhaul. This means our south coast roll-out is progressing at pace.”

Giganet’s plans for its own national network service includes a commitment to providing only full fibre connectivity. This network expansion project will see Neos Networks support Giganet to deliver a more than tenfold capacity increase. This increase is underpinned by both Giganet and Neos Networks’ commitment to supporting the UK Government’s levelling up agenda which will see both companies work to help satisfy the increased demand for high-speed fibre connectivity. Having unbundled 550 BT exchanges by the end of 2021, and expanding its network reach to 34,000km, business connectivity provider, Neos Networks, are already ahead of the curve in helping meet this ambition.

Matthew Skipsey added: “The ready availability of high-quality resilient connections to our points of presence, undoubtedly enabled us to quickly roll-out hyperfast, full broadband to a marketplace hungry for improved connectivity.”

Sarah Mills, Chief Revenue Officer at Neos Networks said: “Both Neos Networks and Giganet have adopted a collaborative approach to this relationship. This has resulted not only in solutions being delivered faster than ever, as the Giganet network grows, it also gives us the ability to transition connectivity between points of presence without any disruption. There is no doubt that by working in partnership with alternative network providers, like Giganet, UK residents will benefit from a better, faster, and more resilient connectivity.”

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Neos Networks delivers new dark fibre network for Jisc across Northern Ireland

  • Neos Networks

New network offers greater resilience through sub-sea back-up links to mainland UK

Includes new points of presence and Belfast access centres

Latest project confirms Neos as key Jisc network partner

LONDON, UK, 24th March 2022

Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading business connectivity providers, today confirmed that it had been chosen to supply a new dark fibre network in Northern Ireland by Jisc – suppliers of a digital network and supporting services for the UK’s tertiary education and research sector.

The network will aid educational and research establishments by providing high-capacity fibre connectivity, capable of achieving speeds up to 100Gbps, between Jisc resources and data centres in the UK, Northern Ireland and key partner networks in Dublin. The contract was awarded to Neos following a competitive tender and represents another phase in the ongoing overhaul of Jisc’s Janet Network across 15 UK regions.

The Northern Ireland commission follows hot on the heels of Neos delivering a dark fibre network for Jisc across the North-West of England, which was announced in January 2022. The two contracts form part of an ongoing review and upgrading of the Janet Network, designed to boost the capacity, speed and efficiency of its regional centres.

The new gigabit-capable dark fibre network benefits from improved resilience thanks to two separate back-up routes to mainland UK via submarine cables to the company’s unbundled exchanges in Glasgow and Southport. Deployment of the new network is already underway as part of the initial seven-year contract.

Joanne Green, SD, Public Sector and Transport at Neos Networks, said: “We are immensely proud of our 20-year relationship with Jisc. This latest contract win is another significant milestone. The new network will deliver operational efficiencies for Jisc and enable it to continue to improve the services it offers to its members in the education and research arena.”

Neil Shewry, Deputy Director, Network Delivery at Jisc, said: “We need to continually improve and enhance the connectivity options for the institutions we serve. This new network will give us the bandwidth, the capability and the reliability we need to deliver on that goal. This network will provide future-proof connectivity to Jisc’s members and help to meet increasing demand created by the ongoing shift to the hybrid learning environment.”

Neos Networks was formerly a division of the national energy provider SSE. It has built a strong reputation for its nationwide, high-capacity fibre network, and has focused solely on serving wholesalers, public sector organisations, and critical national infrastructure providers with essential, reliable, connectivity for more than 20 years.

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Building back better: four in five UK companies 'unable to scale' digital transformation plans

  • Neos Networks

As the UK economy seeks to ‘build back better’ from the Covid-19 pandemic, connectivity funding is revealed as the key to successful business growth.

LONDON, UK, 22nd February 2022

Many UK businesses are in danger of suffering stunted growth due to a lack of investment in core IT connectivity systems. A new report has found that four in every five UK firms are unable to scale plans to their fullest potential with current connectivity arrangements. Just 20% of UK businesses state they are in a position to undertake digital transformation plans.

This comes as 84% of enterprise organisations state their digital transformation plans have accelerated due to Covid-19. For almost half (49%) of the firms surveyed, these plans have been accelerated by a year or more. Almost every firm (98%) said they consider digital transformation to be important to their future strategy, underlining just how integral digital plans are to the growth of UK business.

The report found that 81% of companies saw a ‘highly successful’ digital transformation success rate when up to 20% or more of the digital transformation budget was devoted to connectivity or networking. For companies allocating 10% or less of their budget to connectivity or networking, the success rate dropped to 19% and the number of unsuccessful initiatives rose to 62%. This illustrates the fundamental role that connectivity plays in digital development.

Conducted by leading Dark Fibre and business connectivity provider Neos Networks, the report gathered results from 247 medium-to-large UK organisations, and data, cloud and network infrastructure service providers. The findings highlight challenges businesses face in ‘building back better’, what’s needed to ensure UK business has future-ready systems and just how many companies need connectivity investment to grow.

Full report available here

The factors that influence digital transformation success

The report highlighted 14 ‘keys to success’ surrounding digital transformation. The following factors are those most common to highly successful firms:

  • 90% of highly successful firms — recognition of significant benefits conferred by SD-WAN (which include proactive management, better performance information and control of applications)
  • 74% — IT department is always involved in specifying and implementing connectivity solutions used in digital transformation
  • 72% — connectivity and networking budget is 10% or more of the overall digital transformation budget
  • 72% — have a ‘very supportive’ telecoms partner
  • 63% — seeing securing remote internet connections as very important

Industries that embraced these digital transformation indicators are more likely to enjoy ‘highly successful’ digital transformation outcomes. Energy & utility firms are best positioned, holding seven ‘keys to success’, on average. They are closely followed by the transport sector, which has just under seven keys.

The industry with the lowest score was the government & public sector, with just over five indicators met.

However, the reality is that organisations from all sectors have work to do, with none demonstrating more than half of the 14 ‘keys to success’ identified.

Joanne Green, Sales Director for Public Sector and Transport at Neos Networks, says “It’s clear that UK business needs greater investment, particularly after all the commercial challenges and changes the pandemic brought. This report only serves to highlight how integral connectivity and smart technology is to firms hoping to enact digital transformation – and the success of digital initiatives.

“The pandemic has acted as a catalyst in some ways, moving digital ever closer to the heart of businesses. It’s only natural that some industries have more catching up to do than others. What’s important now, however, is that we see investment in connectivity, especially if we want to see real economic growth in the post-pandemic landscape.”

Lyall Creswell, founder & CEO of Transport Exchange Group, says “There’s no doubt that Covid-19 has accelerated digital transformation initiatives. In our industry, this has been driven primarily by changes to consumer behaviour and the huge increase in online purchases and more deliveries. Consumers have warmed to the idea of using ecommerce for everything from grocery shopping to financial transactions, and this has had a massive impact on the logistics industry.

“One of the biggest issues in our sector is a skills shortage – most courier and haulage businesses don’t have dedicated IT resource to map out a proper digital transformation strategy and implement the right tech. Sometimes, there’s also a reluctance to fully support digitalisation. But there’s been a sharp contrast around the acceptance of digital workflow pre and during the pandemic.

Pete Hanlon, CTO at Moneypenny, says “It’s easy to be consumed by the day to day work and put off large projects like digital transformation until next year. It’s also easy to think that it’s just a technology project rather than business change. Without the right level of focus and buy-in from across all areas of the business, digital transformation will never happen.

Companies that are more agile and take a digital first approach have been best placed to ride out the challenges over the past two years. I believe we will see an unprecedented level of investment in digital transformation over the next few years as more and more companies adopt a similar digital first approach. This investment can only be a good thing for the post-pandemic recovery.”

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Neos Networks supports Bakkavor’s network transformation with SD-WAN

  • Neos Networks

UK’s leading provider of fresh prepared food, Bakkavor, has selected

SD-WAN technology from Neos Networks to improve resilience and

continue its digital transformation

LONDON, UK, 1st February 2022

Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading connectivity providers, has today announced a partnership with Bakkavor, the UK’s leading provider of fresh prepared food (FPF), to transform the company’s multi-site network.

As a Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) provider with more than 19,000 employees globally, Bakkavor operates across the length and breadth of the country and supplies all of the UK’s major supermarkets with white label food goods and several private label brands. To ensure the smooth running of its operations, a robust, resilient network that maximises uptime and productivity is of paramount importance.

The project has seen Neos Networks deploy a comprehensive SD-WAN solution across 23 UK sites and one international site in Spain. The network has been built to support secure, reliable connectivity across Bakkavor’s entire footprint including all its food production and data centre locations.

Bakkavor’s legacy network had become outdated and wasn’t flexible enough or able to adapt to the company’s cloud and digital transformation plans. By bringing Neos Networks on board, the business has already begun to gather much greater visibility of its operations; with real-time network insights providing diagnostic data, better traffic management, and greater value for money as well as enabling the all-important shift to the cloud.

The resilient network transformation afforded by SD-WAN is also helping Bakkavor to connect its large, data-rich warehouses and fast-moving supply operations both reliably and securely. The technology allows the full utilisation of bandwidth across multiple connections offering automation and improved delivery of service to its users.

Bakkavor will now be able to undertake tactical work focused on improving overall performance and productivity, with the adoption of SD-WAN also providing the business and its UK-based IT team with added control and uniformity over its growing network.

The delivery by Neos Networks has been such a success that the initial contract was extended earlier this year to support continued network automation and improvement. The additional scope of work will see SD-WAN technology cover additional sites in the US.

Joanne Green, Sales Director for Public Sector and Transport at Neos Networks said: “We’re very excited to be working on such a large-scale project with Bakkavor, helping to provide the connectivity to digitally transform the UK’s leading fresh food provider. As a fellow CNI organisation, we are well positioned to support them with resilient, robust networks ensuring uptime and reliability.

“This project is the perfect example of SD-WAN’s effectiveness in providing network resilience, performance and visibility in a fast-moving, multi-site environment. We’re incredibly proud to continue to play a vital role in helping large enterprises transform their digital operations within key UK industries through our connectivity solutions.”

Richard Barton, Network & Datacentre Domain Lead, Bakkavor said: “As a CNI provider, ensuring our production facilities and multiple sites have a reliable, resilient network to operate is essential. In support of our continued digital transformation and international growth, we selected Neos Networks due to its vast experience in similar projects and knowledge of managing large scale network transformations.

“We firmly believe in the power of SD-WAN technology to help bring independence to our sites with network visibility and resilience, ensuring maximum up-time for our essential production facilities. We’re looking forward to continuing the relationship in the coming years.”

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