Infrastructure & Telecoms
Networks, data centers, connectivity and the switch-offs reshaping them.
Brussels proposes data center ratings and consults on minimum standards
Sites above 500kW could carry sustainability labels from 2027 if the scheme survives scrutiny. Binding performance standards are only at consultation stage, which closes on 14 December
Civo names Hertfordshire as first of 40 planned UK edge data centers
The UK cloud provider is pitching regional AI inference on Nvidia's newest hardware as a sovereign alternative to the hyperscalers, though most of its gigawatt plan rests on sites still to be built
Vodafone’s 50G fiber trial puts business parks first, not homes
Vodafone and Nokia have shown 50G PON can share existing fiber with the systems already in use. But the first demand Vodafone expects is from business parks, and shared fiber is not a leased line
Global Switch exits give UK colocation buyers more bargaining power
Kao Data and Pulsant have hired Global Switch’s former finance and sales leaders within two days. One hire points to enterprise accounts, the other to capital, and both give colocation buyers something to test
VodafoneThree’s merger scorecard is redacted: buy coverage by contract
The Competition and Markets Authority has published VodafoneThree’s first report on the network pledge that cleared its merger. It says the operator is on course, but withholds the numbers that would let customers check
Great British Grid: power certainty becomes a contract term
The government wants a public grid company and a wider right to self-build connections. But neither puts a date on anyone’s power supply, and self-build moves grid risk onto developers and their customers
Scotland requires impact assessments for data centers above 50MW
The 16 September planning direction is the second move on large data centers from Scottish ministers in a month, after councils were told to report every such application
VodafoneThree switches on Ericsson 5G core for network slicing
The cloud-native core underpins VodafoneThree's new standalone 5G services and gives the operator a base for selling committed performance targets to business customers
Sky’s £38 for 1.6Gbps puts the business broadband premium on notice
Sky is selling 1.6Gbps full fiber over Openreach to nearly four in five UK homes for £38 a month. Businesses paying a premium for headline speed on the same network now have a number to take into renewal
The altnets won at Ofcom, and the channel paid the bill
Ofcom has blocked Openreach’s new-customer rebate, and the altnets are celebrating. For anyone selling over Openreach, the ruling is a referee’s decision, not a pricing strategy
Openreach prices its PSTN safety net and adds broadband retention
Providers with lines still on the analog network after January 2027 face a pricier fallback service. Openreach calls it a last resort, and has priced it like one