News - 2 - Mobile News

Vodafone connects first space video call over AST SpaceMobile BlueBird satellites using standard phone.

Following the success of the first LEO satellite-routed video call using a regular 4G/5G device, Vodafone plans to roll out Europe’s first commercial direct-to-smartphone broadband satellite service in 2025-2026, expanding network coverage to rural and underserved areas across the continent. Operating from low Earth orbit, Vodafone says its satellite service using AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird satellites

January 29, 2025

Ericsson to equip SailGP race venues with 5G Private Networks

Ericsson will provide 5G private networks to SailGP race venues, enabling real-time, high-quality live camera streaming from racing catamarans. This connectivity will also transmit crucial data on team locations, tactics, and strategy. Each high-performance F50 catamaran will be equipped with Cradlepoint edge routers installed in the wings of the craft, to process over 53 billion

January 29, 2025

Vodafone and Carbon Trust develop app to monitor Co2 emissions from device usage

Vodafone has launched a Carbon Calculator app, a tool designed to help business customers better understand the carbon emissions generated by their mobile phone usage. The app calculates the emissions associated with mobile plans and was developed in partnership with the Carbon Trust. According to Vodafone, by gaining insights into the environmental impact of their

January 28, 2025

Competition Czar to investigate Apple and Google ecosystem dominance

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating Apple and Google’s dominant positions in the mobile ecosystem. The investigations, scheduled to end in October, will examine impact on end-users and the thousands of businesses developing apps “Apple and Google are able to exert considerable influence over much of the content, services, and technological development provided

January 27, 2025

EE takes the lead in mobile data performance according to nPerf test app

EE has emerged as the dominant network in key areas of mobile connectivity, according to an analysis by nPerf. The analysis is based on 91,281 tests conducted by users under real-world conditions using the nPerf application, available on both Android and iOS. EE achieved the highest nPerf Score in categories such as latency, video streaming,

January 24, 2025

Samsung Galaxy S25 range claims pole position for advanced AI in smartphones

Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S25 Ultra, S25+, and S25 range which will be available from February 7, with prices ranging from £799 to £1,549. Samsung says the advanced AI capabilities, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, enable the Galaxy S25 series to deliver natural, context-aware interactions that redefine the mobile experience. “This series

January 22, 2025

Onecom secures £100m multi-year facility to fuel growth and acquisitions

Onecom has secured a significant £100 million acquisition finance facility through Ares Capital. The refinancing allows Onecom to consolidate its existing financial arrangements while providing the flexibility to pursue new market opportunities. It will also enable the company to enhance its services across fixed-line voice, connectivity, managed cloud, and IT solutions, serving nearly 100,000 business

January 21, 2025

Virgin Media 3G switch-off could trigger £10.3m e-waste gold rush

The phase-out of Virgin Media O2’s 3G network could generate electronic waste worth £13m, including £10.3m from just 146 kilograms of gold, according to new research from BusinessWaste.co.uk. The analysis highlights the environmental and economic implications of decommissioning legacy network technologies, with millions of devices rendered obsolete and valuable raw materials at stake. The report

January 17, 2025

Ericsson to build new core network for Three to triple data capacity

Three UK has partnered with Ericsson to build a new cloud-based core network that will more than triple the network’s capacity to 9Tbps (terabits per second). Data traffic on Three’s network doubled to over 2Tbps in December 2024 compared with two years prior. Notably, it took nearly 20 years for data traffic to reach 1Tbps.

January 17, 2025

Households sitting on £218 of unused mobile phones, research finds

A study by Censuswide, commissioned by Virgin Media O2, reveals that the average household has £218 worth of unused mobile phones. Despite this untapped value, only one in 10 people have traded in a device over the past five years. Virgin Media O2 is urging households to recycle their old smartphones through O2 Recycle, highlighting

January 16, 2025

Home Office chooses Samsung and IBM to provide equipment for the Emergency Services Network

Samsung Electronics and IBM (with Ericson) are to provide critical communication solutions for the UK’s Home Office as part of the Emergency Services Network (ESN). This project is Samsung’s first major public safety initiative in the UK, building on its experience with commercial and public safety networks globally. Ericsson will be collaborating with IBM to

January 15, 2025

Lyca Mobile Partners with Revolut to Streamline Payment Capabilities

EE MVNO Lyca Mobile has joined forces with fintech giant Revolut to introduce seamless payment features for its users. This partnership enables customers to enjoy a range of facilities, including automated subscription and bill payments, real-time payment status notifications, and one-click top-ups without the need to enter bank details manually. Revolut, known for its innovative

January 15, 2025

Samsung knocks Apple into No2 slot for global sales – Counterpoint Research

The global smartphone market returned to growth in 2024 after two consecutive years of annual declines, according to preliminary results from Counterpoint Research’s Market Pulse. Samsung continued to lead the market in 2024, led by strong demand for its S24 series and A-series product lines. The S24 series, the first phone positioned as an AI

January 14, 2025

Virgin Media O2 to begin 3G switch-off in Durham in April

Durham will be the first location to lose Virgin Media 3G coverage in the company’s transition toward more reliable 4G and 5G announced in 2023. Vodafone, Three, and EE have already completed the switch-off, with O2 the last mobile network operator left to turn its 3G network off. The switch-off is expected to have minimal

January 13, 2025

SIM distributor GK Telecom launches IoT-focused SIM-only plans

SIM Distributor GK Telecom is introducing a range of SIM-only data plans specifically designed for IoT devices. The IoT Mobile plans offer options on 12-month and 24-month contracts. Prices range from £11 per month for 12GB of data to £23 per month for unlimited data. Ravi Navaratnam, Managing Director of GK Telecom (main pic left)

January 8, 2025

Comms Council UK appoints Magrathea Telecoms MD Tracey Wright as new Chair

Comms Council UK (CCUK), the trade association representing telecommunications companies that provide services to business and residential customers in the UK, has elected Magrathea Telecoms Managing Director, Tracey Wright, as its new Chair. She succeeds XConnect CEO Eli Katz, who steps down after 20 years and has been named Lifetime President by the CCUK Council.

January 8, 2025

Lyca to slash London head count to 48 as it reorganises to concentrate on Africa markets

Lyca Group’s London operation will be cut to a skeleton staff of 48 to handle regulatory and compliance issues as part of a reorganisation to streamline its business operations, slash costs and improve global growth. Lyca’s is consulting with around 300 staff about the job cuts. The UK workforce will be reduced to a core

January 7, 2025

JCB Phones appoints ex-Bullitt product management VP Peter Cunningham as chief strategy officer

Rugged device manufacturer JCB Phones has appointed Peter Cunningham as Chief Strategy Officer. Cunningham has held senior roles at organisations such as Bullitt Group, Canalys, and Panasonic. In his new role, he will focus on enhancing JCB Phones’ product portfolio, generating new market opportunities, and developing partnerships for long-term growth. “We are thrilled to welcome

January 6, 2025

BT Wins Class Action Over Alleged Overcharging of Landline Customers, Avoids £1.3 Billion Payout

BT has successfully defended itself in a class action lawsuit over alleged overcharging of landline customers, avoiding a potential payout of around £1.3 billion in compensation. The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) ruled in BT’s favor after an eight-week trial of a class action brought by Justin Le Patourel, founder of CALL (Collective Action on Landlines).

December 19, 2024

Lycamobile planning to lay of most UK staff according to The Guardian

Lycamobile is planning to lay off 90 percent of its UK workforce, according to a report in The Guardian. The company has not responded to requests from Mobile News for a statement on The Guardian”s report that around 300 staff were informed last Friday that the EE MVNO was planning to cut hundreds of jobs,

December 18, 2024

Kingfisher MX UK head John Coleman to leave the company

John Coleman is to leave his role as Vice President, UK, at Kingfisher MX, the circularity company founded in 2016 by CEO Georgiann Reigle and Peter Hirschmann, the former CEO of Assurion Asia. Kingfisher collaborates with networks across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific on re-circulating used devices. It was acquired two months ago by

December 17, 2024

Consumers unimpressed by AI in smartphones – new survey

Almost half the UK population believes AI features on smartphones are overhyped, according to a new study commissioned by Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service. The survey, conducted by research firm Opinium, quizzed 2,000 UK adults last month. The results reveal that consumers want AI tools to be practical, intuitive, and relatable. For brands to

December 16, 2024

Virgin Media rated leading broadband provider by Opensignal

Virgin Media O2 has been rated the top national broadband provider in the UK by Opensignal. It secured first place in four out of five award categories, based on billions of daily measurements from over 100 million devices assessing mobile and broadband performance globally. Opensignal specialises in measuring and analysing mobile network performance and user

December 15, 2024

Comms specialist Yappl to provide MoneySuperMarket with comparison data

Normanton-based business connectivity and communications provider Yappl has partnered with price comparison website MoneySuperMarket. This collaboration is designed to help businesses easily compare information on business mobile phones, SIMs, and tablets tailored to their specific requirements. Companies can filter options based on the number of devices needed, data allowances, and preferred network providers, simplifying the

December 13, 2024

Virgin Media O2 launches massive 5,000 sq ft new flagship store at Westfield Stratford City

Move over, EE Experience—there’s a new retail sheriff in town. Virgin Media O2 has launched its new flagship store at Westfield Stratford City, which, at nearly 5,000 square feet, is claimed to be the largest telecoms retail space in the UK. Westfield Stratford City is one of Europe’s busiest retail destinations, drawing 50 million visitors

December 12, 2024

Vodafone and Gigs partner to power UK startups who want to launch mobile comms services

Vodafone has partnered with Gigs, to provide UK startups the ability to launch their own mobile services. The announcement comes less than a week after Vodafone revealed a similar “MVNO In A Box” initiative with eSIM Go. Gigs is a platform that enables businesses to integrate mobile connectivity into their products and services and offer

December 9, 2024

Vodafone and Three merger gets the go ahead from CMA but with strings attached

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has cleared Vodafone’s historic merger with Three. The deal will be completed in the first half of next year and is conditional on both companies signing binding commitments to invest billions to roll out a combined 5G network across the UK and cap tariffs and offer preset contractual terms

December 5, 2024

Top Comedian Milton Jones to Host Mobile News Awards 2025

The Mobile News Awards, the premier awards event for the UK mobile channel, promises to be another unforgettable night in 2025 with the announcement that award-winning comedian and television star Milton Jones will host the evening on April 3 at The London Hilton on Park Lane. Known for his unique style and brilliant wordplay, Milton

December 4, 2024

Cellhire wins Broadcast award for election night vote count tech

IoT and eSIM specialist Cellhire’s ‘Count Cam’ technology has won Best Tech Innovation in Live Production category at the Broadcast Tech Innovation Awards. The solution enabled the BBC to broadcast real-time results from 369 vote-counting locations during the General Election. The Broadcast Tech Innovation Awards were established in 2019 to promote creative and innovative uses

December 3, 2024

Vodafone UK and eSIM Go launch ‘MVNO In A Box’ partnership to enable UK businesses to become MVNO’s

Vodafone UK and eSIM Go have partnered to enable UK organisations to become instant MVNO’s without any upfront costs or technical expertise. This solution, described as an ‘MVNO-in-a-box’ allows businesses to seamlessly integrate mobile services into their digital platforms. eSIM Go’s platform already supports over 300 MVNO partners globally, including prominent brands like Western Union,

December 3, 2024

Six EE distributors win EE PAYG Partnership Awards

Six EE distributors were recognised at the EE PAYG Partnership Awards 2024, held last Thursday at The Ned, a private members’ club in London (Main pic And Wilton EE Senior Manager, Ravi Navaratnam MD GK Telecom, Gummy Dulku Director, GK Teleco) Lewis Milward EE New Market Director – Commercial. Winners are: GK Telecom – Best

December 2, 2024

Chess ups its Microsoft game with acquisition of Microsoft Certified Partner Silversands

Chess ICT has acquired Poole-based IT consultancy and Microsoft Certified Partner Silversands, which specialises in productivity software, Microsoft 365, Azure, Power Platform, on-premises solutions, and devices. Founded in 1987, Silversands provides Microsoft technologies and support to around 100 enterprise and public sector clients, including NHS Trusts, the London Fire Brigade, and government departments. Its 29

November 28, 2024

Onecom founder’s team bike ride raises £30,000 for Havant Academy

A team of cyclists led by Onecom, Onestream, and WeBuyAnyPhone.com founder and entrepreneur Darren Ridge has raised over £30,000 in a sponsored bike ride to buy a Cubbie unit space for Havant Academy in Leigh Park. Cubbie units are sensory management systems designed to provide a controlled environment are often used in schools, therapy centres,

November 28, 2024

Bell Canada exec Claire Gillies to replace Marc Allera as new BT Consumer CEO

Marc Allera will step down as CEO of BT’s Consumer division on March 31 and will be succeeded by Bell VP Claire Gillies, the company has announced. Allera leaves after nine years with the company. From April 1, Gillies will assume the role of CEO and join BT’s Executive Committee. He said: “Over the past

November 27, 2024

Sky Raises Alarm Over Vodafone-Three Merger Remedies Citing Risks to Competition and MVNOs

Sky has expressed strong opposition to the proposed remedies to safeguard competition resulting from a merger between Vodafone UK and Three UK Sky has called the remedies suggested by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) “weak” and “temporary.” The company argues that the measures fail to adequately safeguard competition in the mobile wholesale market, leaving

November 26, 2024

Now Birmingham gets the EE Experience

EE has opened its latest Experience in Birmingham as part of a £6 million investment in brick-and-mortar retail this year. EE has now opened 30 experience-led stores. EE has been expanding its Experience Stores with recent openings in the Metrocentre in Gateshead and the Bluewater Shopping Centre. Since the launch of its flagship EE Studio

November 26, 2024

Focus Group brings acquisition tally to 12 with Prism buyout

Barely week after announcing the acquisition of TMAC, Focus Group has snapped up its twelfth target, this time acquiring Prism, a managed service provider specialising in the SME and financial services market. Founded in 2001, Prism has a team of 50 staff members and supports over 6,000 end users with services in Managed IT, Modern

November 20, 2024

Redsquid buys Aberdeen-based IT Hotdesk to increase Scotland presence

IT managed services provider Redsquid has acquired Aberdeen-based *IT Hotdesk to boost service offerings in the region. IT Hotdesk’s team and operations will be integrated into Redsquid’s existing structure. This is Redsquid’s third acquisition this year. In August Redsquid bought OptivITy, a managed service provider specialising in the film industry. In March it acquired Epoq

November 20, 2024

Business as usual as two-year strategic review begins – Exertis UK CEO Tim Griffin

At the end of a week when it was announced Exertis owner DCC Group is selling the distributor to focus on its energy business, UK CEO Tim Griffin is upbeat and positive about the news. “It’s not a drama from my point of view. I see it as a big opportunity to have an owner

November 15, 2024

Exertis seeks a buyer as parent company DCC plans to concentrate on the energy sector

DCC plc, the parent company of Exertis, has announced it will sell the top-tier distributor as part of a new strategic direction focusing on the energy sector. DCC aims to streamline its portfolio to capitalise on growth opportunities in energy. This announcement was made by DCC Chief Executive Donal Murphy during the company’s interim results

November 13, 2024

Gist Mobile utilises Mobilise HERO tech to join the eSIM revolution

Gist Mobile has partnered with eSIM tech provider Mobilise to introduce eSIMs to its mobile application. Founded in 2020, Gist Mobile started as a VoIP provider, offering virtual numbers, voice and SMS features. It is now using Mobilise’s HERO to introduce eSIMs which allows service providers to offer connectivity services using their existing app in

November 13, 2024

Ymobile to sell data eSIM products as a Three MVNO

Three has welcomed Ymobile as a new MVNO to offer data-only eSIM plans that can be bought through the Ymobile app without any contractual obligations. Ymobile offers five flexible, 30-day data plans. These are 2GB for £2, 5GB for £5, 10GB for £7, 50GB for £10, and 100GB for £15. Ymobile is an MVNO brand

November 13, 2024

Lyca Mobile and Sim Local team up to broaden international data eSIM products

MVNO Lyca Mobile and Sim Local have teamed up to now offer Lyca’s data eSIM plans across the UK, France, Ireland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the USA. Sim Local’s platform offers eSIMs to international global travellers which connect to data packages from regional providers The partnership with Sim Local is Lyca’s first e-commerce retail

November 12, 2024

Focus Group notches up 11th acquisition with TMAC takeover

Focus Group has completed its eleventh acquisition of its fnancial year with the takeover of Ipswich-based mobile specialist TMAC Wireless Solutions. Established in 2001, TMAC specialises in mobile services, VoIP systems, and mobile broadband. It also operates the ArmaFone mobile device repair service. Keane Beaken, Mobile Director at Focus Group, commented: “TMAC brings a deep

November 8, 2024

iD Mobile surpasses 2m customers – with 488,000 added in the last year

Currys’ MVNO iD Mobile, has reached the two million subscriber milestone, adding 488,000 new subscribers in the past year. iD Mobile, whch launched nine years ago is hosted by Three and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Currys. It positions itself as a “value” network promoting affordability, flexibility, and a variety of features. It received ‘Great

November 6, 2024

CMA expected to OK Vodafone and Three merger as competition fears subside

The proposed merger between Vodafone and Three is nearly a done deal. The Competition and Markets Authority has agreed that a significant network upgrade by the merged company could address competition concerns and allow the merger to proceed. The CMA now states that a legally binding commitment from Vodafone and Three to undertake their proposed

November 5, 2024

GK Telecom becomes an MVNO enabling it to offer voice calls as well as data on travel eSIMS

SIM distributor GK Telecom has become an MVNO enabling it to offer travel eSIM with phone numbers and support texting and voice calls. From January, travellers using a GK Telecom travel eSIM will experience roaming as if on their home network, albeit with a different eSIM number. Travel eSIMs are typically data only, requiring users

November 1, 2024

Paul Jacobs promoted to Exertis trading director

Exertis has appointed Paul Jacobs as its new Trading Director as part of a management reorganisation designed to “sharpen the distributor’s focus on key markets” including AV, Components, IT Solutions, Mobile, Print, and consumer channels. Previously, Jacobs was Trading Director for Devices. He assumes responsibility for commercial, purchasing, and business development functions. Jacobs joined Exertis

October 31, 2024