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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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Jisc selects Neos Networks for new gigabit fibre network serving North-West England

  • Neos Networks

Partnership will help connect region’s major Universities and Research Centres to new gigabit-capable fibre network

Network offers up to 100Gbps connections and ten-fold increases

LONDON, UK, 18th January 2022

Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading business connectivity providers, today confirmed that it had been chosen by Jisc – suppliers of a digital network and supporting services for the UK’s higher education and research sector – to deliver a new Dark Fibre network spanning the North-West of the UK.

The new network will replace Jisc’s existing Janet North network which currently serves the region. It will provide gigabit capability to all the sites using the new network, with some seeing a ten-fold speed increase compared to their current offering and all achieving high-capacity speeds up to 100Gbps.

The contract was awarded following a competitive tendering process and is the latest instalment in Jisc’s ongoing overhaul and rationalisation of 15 regional networks connected into the organisation’s national backbone infrastructure.

As well as this latest North-West network contract, Neos has previously secured the contracts to upgrade and merge two Midlands networks into one new high-speed, high-capacity network, and also the contract covering Jisc’s South of England network. Supported by its aggressive programme to unbundle BT exchanges across the country, these agreements cement Neos’s position as Jisc’s primary network communications provider.

For Neos, Joanne Green, SD, Public Sector and Transport said: “Our relationship with Jisc goes back some 20 years and we are very pleased to take on this latest rebuild to significantly upgrade the Janet network in the North-West of England. Traffic on the network continues to grow exponentially, and the new gigabit fibre capability will ensure that Jisc stays ahead of the requirement in terms of speed, capacity and future growth for its member universities, colleges and research centres.”

The North-West is one of Jisc’s busiest regional centres serving more than 150 sites across the region including large universities in Manchester, Liverpool and Lancaster, numerous colleges, and major research establishments such as Jodrell Bank, and the Science & Technology Facilities Council laboratory at Daresbury, which is the central point for handling data arriving in the UK from the Hadron Collider in CERN’s Switzerland laboratory.

Jeremy Sharp, Chief Technology Officer at Jisc, said the new network was a crucial step forward within a changing communications environment. “The network will play a key role in the ongoing shift to the hybrid learning environment, as well as the greater dependence on cloud-based resources that is being experienced across the higher education sector.

“Importantly,” Sharp added, “as a publicly funded body, this agreement helps future proof our network, provides 5G backhaul capability for our members, and ensures we can deliver value for money not only to our member organisations, but also to those commercial customers that seek access to our services.”

Deployment of the network will begin immediately and Jisc expects it to begin offering services to member institutions as early as the third quarter of 2022.

In recent weeks Neos has announced the completion of its Project Edge programme, unbundling over 270 exchanges in key business areas across the UK and extending their national reach to 550 BT exchanges to further improve availability of its nationwide fibre network. In addition, it has also recently announced a major programme to offer direct access to its network in key metropolitan centres including Liverpool and Manchester in the North-West. Jisc is already confirmed as its first customer to benefit from the Liverpool access network.

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 businesses, public sector organisations, and critical national infrastructure providers with essential, reliable, connectivity for more than 20 years.

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Neos Networks brings broadband upgrades for public services across Oxfordshire

  • Neos Networks
Internet connection with optical fiber. Concept of fast internet

Will connect 200+ public service sites across Oxfordshire in a bid to improve digital and social inclusion

Contract will see Neos Networks aggregate suppliers to build, manage, and operate new infrastructure

LONDON, UK, 14th December 2021In a bid to improve connectivity and digital inclusion across the county, Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading business connectivity providers, has been selected by Oxfordshire County Council to build full fibre gigabit capable broadband infrastructure to a range of public sector and local authority sites in the region, including schools, libraries, county council buildings, GP surgeries, fire stations, leisure centres, community centres and museums. As part of a 20-year deal, Neos will work with Openreach, Virgin Media Business and locally based Gigaclear.

The project is funded with a £5m investment from Oxfordshire County Council and circa £2m investment from the Government’s DCMS GigaHubs project, part of Project Gigabit. The GigaHubs project provides a footprint of rural full fibre that will incentivise broadband providers to connect surrounding homes and businesses to next generation speeds.

Oxford regional network map

Currently 98.4% of Oxfordshire has access to superfast broadband, however this initiative will significantly improve connectivity for over 200 buildings which provide a public service, many of which are located in rural locations where fibre connectivity is both difficult to facilitate and expensive to provision. Neos will manage the implementation with the first phase of the programme set to be delivered by March 2022. This marks the first majority council-funded project aimed at improving the service offering available at community centres and village halls whilst also offering a more cost-effective connectivity solution for public sector sites.

Julia Lopez, Digital Infrastructure Minister said: “This huge government-funded deal for Oxfordshire will mean better public services that deliver more for communities and faster rollout of better broadband for surrounding homes and businesses. Upgrading schools, hospitals, libraries and other public buildings is just one way our £5 billion Project Gigabit scheme is levelling up the UK, with thousands of rural homes and businesses set to receive the fastest, most resilient connections available. This is not just about fantastic internet speeds but about future-proofing homes and businesses for a world in which technology plays an increasingly important role, from healthcare and education to industrial application.”

The project builds on Oxfordshire’s wider commitment to improve connectivity across the county through its Digital Infrastructure Programme. It will enable Oxfordshire County Council to realise its ambitions for equipping community centres to become ‘community working hubs’ offering enhanced community services, health and social care support, and reducing the need for people to travel further afield to access these services. This will in turn help the county council in meeting its objective for net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. Additionally, the new infrastructure will allow the council to migrate to lower cost fast broadband connections for its office buildings.

Councillor Glynis Phillips, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, commented:

“This is an exciting time for Oxfordshire. We are putting a lot of time and resource into ensuring that we are one of the best-connected counties in the UK. This project strengthens our commitment to our Digital Infrastructure strategy and to improving local access to services, reducing the need to travel. We particularly look forward to finding ways to maximise the range of services that will be enabled in Oxfordshire’s vibrant community centres and village halls where collaboration with parish, district, and the county council will be key alongside our colleagues in the NHS”.

Neos was awarded the contract following a competitive procurement process, due to its ability to aggregate and manage multiple broadband suppliers to deliver the best and most cost-effective solution to Oxfordshire County Council. In doing so, Neos will leverage existing infrastructure as well as delivering entirely new full fibre connectivity to the sites in scope. In addition to driving the delivery of gigabit services for the council and its stakeholders, the new infrastructure will also encourage the build of FTTP services by AltNets in the region.

“We are delighted to be working with Neos Networks and its suppliers on this project,” said Craig Bower, Oxfordshire County Council’s Digital Infrastructure Team Programme Director. “This project builds on the success of our superfast intervention programme, with the county council investment being entirely sourced from the take-up gainshare funds accrued from our recently completed ‘Better Broadband for Oxfordshire’ contract with Openreach.”

Jess Tweedie, Headteacher at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School said: “We are developing our school’s technology provision and the use of ICT and online platforms and are investing in devices as a tool in the classroom. This hopefully will enrich and enhance our curriculum as well as the efficiency of work with staff. We would also like to host more online parents’ events to support our community who largely work at the hospital and can find it difficult to attend meetings in person. Our current internet can only just cope with this and there is often buffering when many of us are in online at the same time, so having access to full fibre broadband will be a huge benefit.”

Commenting on the new deal, Colin Sempill, CEO at Neos Networks, said: “We’re excited to be working alongside Oxfordshire County Council to deliver the next stage in their connectivity strategy. Councils up and down the UK are having to deal with sub-par connectivity, particularly in more rural locations. In building and deploying this new fibre infrastructure, we’re able to provide Oxfordshire County Council with an important core fibre network that will bring new digital services to its premises, as well as to the homes of many across the county in the near future.”

Neos was formerly a division of the national energy provider SSE. It has built a strong reputation for its nationwide, high capacity fibre network, and today works with a number of businesses and public sector organisations, Neos was most recently appointed by local authorities in Perth & Kinross and Aberdeenshire for their connectivity deployments.

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Neos Networks completes major stage of network expansion programme

  • Neos Networks

Hits target of 550 unbundled BT exchanges on schedule

Confirms plans to continue expansion and boost local access networks

LONDON, UK, November 30 2021 Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading business connectivity providers, today confirmed it has completed a major stage of its ambitious Project Edge network expansion programme. The company said it has hit the target of unbundling some 550 BT exchanges before the end of 2021, bringing up to 100Gbps high capacity fibre connectivity within reach of almost 750,000 business postcodes across the length and breadth of mainland UK.

Today’s announcement will see the company reach a full fibre footprint of more than 34,000km before the end of the year, an achievement that will help underpin the UK Government’s target for full fibre, gigabit connectivity to 85% of UK premises by 2025.

The company’s Project Edge network expansion programme is also designed to help facilitate the roll-out of a new wave of advanced 5G services for Three UK’s mobile network.

Colin Sempill, CEO of Neos Networks, hailed the company’s achievement of hitting the unbundling target but said there would be no let-up in its expansion plans.

“We’ve hit our 2021 target slightly ahead of schedule and that represents a great leap forward for our company and our vision to be the premier supplier of B2B focused infrastructure in the UK. But it cannot stop there, and Project Edge will continue to reach out to help UK businesses access full fibre, high-speed, high-capacity connectivity on their doorsteps.

“During 2022 I would expect the number of unbundled BT exchanges to continue to climb towards 700, and we will also look to target last-mile fibre connectivity in key regional business hubs,” he added.

In the last year, Neos confirmed that it had unbundled more than 300 BT exchanges in order to hit its target, despite the complexities and challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic and periods of national lockdown. The company’s substantial UK network is well-known for the quality and reliability of its services, designed to improve and enhance connectivity for its business customers—including wholesalers, network operators, AltNets, and ISPs, as well as a wide range of public sector organisations and enterprises.

All the unbundled exchanges will be available via the company’s LIVEQUOTE portal which provides prospective customers with a quoting, ordering and price comparison service matching its own network against leading third-party offerings.

Neos provides its services to businesses directly or through its network of resellers and partners. The company’s wholesale offering provides extremely price-competitive fibre, ethernet, optical wavelengths and internet services, with a promise of quicker delivery, greatly improved speeds and significantly higher capacity guarantees compared to existing suppliers.

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 businesses, public sector organisations, and critical national infrastructure providers with essential, reliable, connectivity for more than 20 years.

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Expansion into Blackpool landing station enables Neos Networks to better facilitate high capacity fibre connectivity

  • Neos Networks

Network access point will enable Irish businesses to connect into Blackpool and onwards throughout the United Kingdom, taking advantage of Neos Networks’ expansive 24,480+km UK wide network, while also bringing high-capacity connectivity to West Lancashire

LONDON, UK, 8th September Neos Networks, one of the UK’s premier connectivity providers, today announces significant network expansion across Lancashire. The UK telco is set to bring high-capacity connectivity services to the area and help create a gateway between Ireland and Blackpool for hyperscalers and international businesses looking to access fibre connectivity across the UK and beyond.

The news comes as independent Trans-Atlantic subsea connectivity provider, Aqua Comms, approaches completion of its Dublin to Blackpool sub-sea cabling connectivity project CeltixConnect-2 (CC-2). Neos Networks is acquiring a number of sub-ducts that connect Blackpool’s landing station directly into its 24,480+km UK network via a 30km Dark Fibre pathway, creating greater capacity and routing options for the Blackpool region.

The Dark Fibre connection across the Irish Sea will provide businesses the ability to route their traffic into and across the UK via Neos Networks’ expansive footprint and then on into their desired European or global location.

The project is perfect for hyperscalers and large content providers looking to utilise diverse and resilient networks, as well as offer greater choice to their customers. With connectivity backhaul into the UK telco’s network, these organisations will also have access to a single, end-to-end connectivity supplier to meet the entirety of their UK connectivity needs, reducing costly and inefficient multi-partner relationships, whilst also facilitating a connection between Trans-Atlantic routes for those with global connectivity requirements.

The announcement comes as Neos Networks continues to extend its network reach across the UK by growing its significant fibre core network to strategic landing stations, critical for those looking to extend from the UK into mainland Europe. The telco is also nearing completion of its network investment programme, Project Edge, which sees the business more than double its footprint by the end of the calendar year, unbundling 550 BT exchanges, making it one of the fastest growing network providers in the UK.

Sarah Mills, Managing Director for Wholesale and Smart Infrastructure at Neos Networks said: “Aqua Comms’ new CC-2 subsea cable system into Blackpool has opened up a number of exciting connectivity possibilities, not just locally but across the UK, Ireland and through to Europe. Extending Neos Networks’ core network as a Dark Fibre route via Preston into this region, enables us to offer hyperscalers direct access into the UK’s national fibre infrastructure, and on into the data centres of mainland Europe. Neos Networks will also enable digitisation for Lancashire industry, as we enhance our capability to deliver enterprise-grade connectivity services to the local businesses and organisations in the area.”

Nigel Bayliff, CEO Aqua Comms said: “We’re delighted that Neos Networks, one of the UK’s most trusted and fast-growing telcos, is making the most of our infrastructure, creating UK-wide routes for the hyperscaler market, while improving the connectivity options available to local businesses.

The work they have undertaken with their Dark Fibre network showcases how a connectivity provider can maximise the value of our duct, connecting the UK with European and cross-Atlantic data streams helping to create advanced digital networks.”

Find out more about our development in Blackpool landing station by checking out our blog here.

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Neos Networks transforms Perth & Kinross Council’s infrastructure with the completion of its DCMS-funded Local Full Fibre Network project

  • Neos Networks

Delivery achieved significantly ahead of schedule, despite the need to navigate challenges such as the pandemic, to help underpin the region’s digital future

London, UK, 17 August 2021: Neos Networks, one of the UK’s leading B2B connectivity providers, partly owned by SSE Group, has announced the completion of its DCMS funded Local Full Fibre Network project in Perth, Scotland, ahead of schedule. The fibre network connecting three key Council data centres and 31 public buildings and community establishments within Perth was completed two months ahead of the scheduled completion date at the end of September.

Spanning 19.5km, the new end-to-end full fibre network covers city centre locations, including educational institutions, council buildings, leisure centres and sheltered housing, as well as key public buildings such as Perth fire station and the CCTV monitoring centre. It stretches out to the west of the city, close to the new 3,000-home Perth West housing development.

Perth and Kinross Council awarded Neos Networks the major gigabit-capable connectivity project in November 2020, with the goal of facilitating next generation technologies such as 5G and Internet of Things (IoT), crucial to futureproofing businesses in the area and the local community.

The full fibre network deployed by Neos Networks, the second alongside another successful project in Aberdeenshire, now underpins significant infrastructure within the region and was completed ahead of schedule, in July 2021.

Forming part of Wave 3 of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Local Full Fibre Network programme, the project received £1m of funding from UK Government and was supported by Council and Building Digital UK (BD-UK) officials from procurement through to completion. The project also utilised just under half a million pounds of UK Government funding allocated to the Tay Cities Deal for digital projects as a local contribution.

The Neos Networks delivery team was required to connect buildings close to an existing 10km duct network owned by the Council, and used for traffic lights and CCTV, utilising existing SSE duct and building new duct where necessary. Neos Networks encountered numerous challenges throughout the project, including adverse weather and the COVID-19 pandemic. Issues with existing Council duct infrastructure also emerged. For example, technical concerns identified during early surveys, resulted in a month’s redesign work, which was undertaken in just two weeks.

Alternative solutions that were just as cost efficient, environmentally friendly and minimally disruptive as those in the initial plan were identified and implemented at pace. One example was Neos Networks’ use of existing council duct across the Queen’s Bridge, initially designed for CCTV and traffic light systems, to deliver the full fibre cable across the River Tay without laying new ducts reducing costs, saving time and minimising disruption.

Now the network is fully installed and ready for operations scheduled for the end of September, the connectivity provider will help serve Council buildings and the local community for the next 20 years, under IRU agreements between the Council and Neos Networks, futureproofing the region against the ever-growing demands of the digital economy.

Aside from the direct benefits of connectivity, the project is supporting the local economy through investment, government driven initiatives and schools training programmes to deliver connectivity to rural communities, helping bridge the social divide.

Joanne Green, Sales Director for Public Sector at Neos Networks said: “The importance of effective collaboration and constant customer contact has been key to the success of this project. Working in conjunction with Perth & Kinross Council has been outstanding and is a prime example of how public sector bodies and service providers can work in partnership to transform society and secure a gigabit-capable digital future for the community. The joint effort from everybody involved has helped us complete the project on time and to a high standard. We are all very excited to see the benefits that our deployed full fibre connectivity can bring to the region.”

Councillor Murray Lyle Leader of Perth & Kinross Council added: “We are delighted with the work that Neos Networks has carried out and fully believe the benefits it brings will transform the city and surrounding communities. The team were not only flexible and adaptable across the many challenges faced, but they also met all our requirements delivering on budget and ahead of schedule, providing our local buildings and community with the connectivity they need.”

Matt Warman MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for digital infrastructure stated: “I’m delighted that this game-changing gigabit network in Perth has now been completed thanks to funding from the UK government.

“Across Scotland we’re busy upgrading hundreds of hospitals, schools, libraries and other public buildings to gigabit broadband and will soon be announcing more areas that will benefit from our record £5 billion fund to connect hard-to-reach homes and businesses.”

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