Private 5G mobile networks are now being embraced by global brands including Airbus, Ford, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, John Deere, LG, Tesla, Toyota, and Walmart. The appeal: faster speeds, ultra-low latency, and the ability to connect thousands of devices in real time with high reliability says SNS.

China leads adoption, backed by massive government investment in 5G installations across factories, ports, and mines. Some networks span thousands of base stations, powering autonomous truck fleets, hazard monitoring, and drone-enabled farming. Chinese vendors are also exporting these solutions to markets from Thailand to South Africa.

Businesses are using private 5G for applications such as remote-controlled cranes, digital twins of production lines, wireless quality control, and live broadcasting from hard-to-reach locations.

Tesla has eliminated factory vehicle stoppages caused by Wi-Fi dropouts; Lufthansa has cut cargo handling times by 60%; John Deere plans to reduce wired factory connections by 60%; and the French city of Istres has lowered surveillance camera installation costs by more than 80%.

Lower barriers to entry—such as new shared-spectrum rules—are encouraging more companies to buy directly from 5G equipment makers or work with specialist integrators, in addition to traditional mobile operators.

The market is still led by Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei, and ZTE, but a growing wave of challengers from startups to industrial heavyweightsis pushing modular, software-driven 5G solutionsm says the report. 

Industry analysts agree the momentum is clear: as digitisation and automation accelerate, private standalone 5G is on track to become the default choice for enterprise connectivity, not just a cutting-edge experiment.

Full report HERE:

Five out of six major European markets saw broadband prices drop between 2023 and 2025, but the UK experienced an increase, driven by rising costs of ultra-high-speed plans.

Tarifica’s analysis covered France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK, comparing broadband pricing trends across multiple speed tiers.

The UK, which was already the third most expensive market in 2023, has surged to the top, overtaking Germany and the Netherlands to become the priciest among these key markets by early 2025. Spain, the Netherlands, and France reported double-digit broadband price reductions. Italy remains the most affordable market, while Germany is among the more expensive.

This rise is primarily attributed to a 50 per cent hike in the average cost of plans offering 1000 Mb and above,the segment where consumers demand premium services. Entry-level and mid-tier broadband packages in the UK saw minor price declines, but  these were insufficient to offset the impact of high-end price inflation.

The study  highlights a gap in the availability of ultra-fast broadband. Eighty per cent of operators in five European countries offer plans of 1000 Mbps or more while these arfe available from 38 per cent of UK providers.

This limited availability, combined with higher prices, presents challenges for UK consumers eager to upgrade to next-generation speeds” says Tarifica.

Infrastructure rollout and fibre network investment hurdles continue to hamper speed expansion. 

Will Watts, Vice President of Product at Tarifica, said, “The UK market is experiencing a distinct dynamic. Competition remains robust at lower tiers, but the premium segment is pushing average prices higher. This is a trend not seen in most other European countries. Notably, a leading UK operator still does not offer plans above 250 Mbps, underscoring the uneven landscape for broadband speeds.”.

It’s a surprising gap, especially as remote work surges and digital nomads demand always-on connectivity.

eSIMs, are rapidly replacing traditional SIM cards with a built-in, programmable alternative. In 2024, there were close to 600 million smartphone eSIM connections globally — over three times more than in 2022. eSIM technology offers a range of benefits for mobile users, including flexibility to change providers and global connectivity during international travel.

Laptops users also stand to benefit from eSIM implementation, especially in the case of remote workers. With the number of digital nomads across the world expected to reach 60 million by the end of the decade, eSIMs offer reliable and secure connectivity for laptops, which have historically depended on external Wi-Fi networks or mobile tethering for internet access. Instead, using eSIMs, remote workers can keep connected wherever there is cellular coverage, without depending on potentially unsecure or poor public Wi-Fi.

Yet, eSIM integration in laptops remains low, largely due to compatibility challenges when adding eSIM into existing applications and devices.

So, is eSIM integration worth it for service providers, and how can the implementation process be made easier?

The case for eSIM integration

Although disappointing from an end-user perspective, the lack of eSIM adoption presents an opportunity for businesses to differentiate themselves by harnessing the technology.

Take for example, streaming services providers. Although many subscribers choose to watch video content while travelling, their experience can be poor due to patchy or unavailable Wi-Fi. By integrating eSIM connectivity into their app, streaming services can offer a smoother watching experience.

Any company with a laptop app can benefit from integrating eSIM. For example, security apps can guarantee access to reliable connectivity for real-time updates and monitoring, while gaming apps can ensure enhanced responsiveness for their users. Furthermore, offering integrated eSIM connectivity can boost user engagement and retention, fostering customer loyalty.

Integrating eSIM technology at the hardware level also means PC manufacturers can offer a streamlined independent computing experience by eliminating user reliance on third-party solutions such as mobile tethering or USB dongles.

Some PC manufacturers are already beginning to embrace the technology, with HP recently launching a multi-carrier 5G eSIM laptop that enables automatic switching to the strongest available network. Currewntlmjy it is only available in the US, with worldwide deployment to begin in late 2026 

Manufacturers can also provide a native eSIM management app, making network selection and activation easier for users. This feature can make their devices more appealing, especially to professionals and frequent travellers.

The advantages of laptop eSIMs are not just limited to newer players in the market. For mobile eSIM providers, expanding their offering beyond smartphones to include laptops opens new revenue opportunities.

Remote workers, business travellers and digital nomads require reliable connectivity on the go, making laptops a natural extension of eSIM services. By catering to this market, providers can generate additional income with minimal effort.

SDK support

Given the perceived complexity of integrating eSIM technology into laptops, how can service providers go about providing these benefits to their customers?

Mobilise offers a Windows software development kit (SDK) that simplifies eSIM integration for customers across these segments. The SDK is fully compatible with eSIM-enabled laptops running Windows 10 and above, allowing businesses to incorporate seamless connectivity into their applications and devices without extensive development effort.

For app developers, the SDK ensures quick and easy integration of eSIM management features, enabling them to offer a more connected experience to users. Mobile eSIM providers can expand their reach beyond smartphones with minimal investment, opening up new revenue streams.

Meanwhile, PC manufacturers will be able to incorporate native eSIM capabilities effortlessly, resulting in enhanced product value and competitiveness. Businesses can take advantage of the growing demand for on reliable and secure laptop connectivity, improving customer satisfaction and standing out in an increasingly competitive market.

Smart devices—like trackers, sensors, or machines—need internet access to wor but connecting these devices in different countries can be complicated.

BICS’ says its eSIM Hub simplifies this by letting companies control all their devices from one location from a central control panel for remote set up, management and network selection.

Some countries limit how long devices can stay connected to a foreign network. With eSIM Hub enables businesses to ensure devices follow local rules while still working properly.

The launch comes just as a new global standard is being introduced, which officially recognizes companies like BICS to manage this kind of connectivity in a smart and organised way.

IoT solutions are usually not affected by permanent roaming rules, but some countries do have restrictions to protect local operators by limiting long-term roaming. However, they can make it harder for global businesses to connect their IoT devices everywhere. This also limits how local operators can earn from IoT. eSIM Hub claims to be able to ovhercome these restrictions across networks while supporting local operators’ revenue.

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 investment program would improve the quality of the merged company’s mobile network. This is expected to boost competition among mobile network operators in the long term and benefit customers.

However, short-term protections would be necessary to ensure that retail consumers and mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) continue to receive competitive deals during the initial years of network integration and investment roll-out.

Legal obligation

Vodafone and Three are now obligated to deliver their joint network plan, which outlines network upgrades and improvements to be implemented over the next eight years across the UK. This will be a legal obligation, overseen by both Ofcom and the CMA.

They must also commit to retaining certain existing mobile tariffs and data plans for at least three years and to avoid short-term price increases in the early years of the network plan. Additionally, there must be pre-agreed prices and contract terms to ensure MVNOs can access competitive wholesale deals.

Stuart McIntosh, chair of the inquiry group leading the investigation, said:

“This deal has the potential to be pro-competitive for the UK mobile sector if our concerns are addressed. Our provisional view is that binding commitments, combined with short-term protections for consumers and wholesale providers, would address our concerns while preserving the benefits of this merger. A legally binding network commitment would boost competition in the longer term, while the additional measures would protect consumers and wholesale customers during the network upgrades.”

A final decision is due before the statutory deadline on 7 December. The inquiry group is inviting feedback on today’s announcement by 5 p.m. on 12 November.

Vodafone UK CEO Max Taylor Said:

“We’re pleased the CMA agrees this deal has the potential to be pro-competitive for the UK mobile sector, and we believe the national rollout of a 5G Standalone network has the potential to transform connectivity in the UK. We will need to study the Working Paper in detail, but from what the CMA has communicated so far this morning, we believe it provides a path to final clearance. The CMA’s final decision on the merger is due in early December, and in the coming weeks we will continue to positively engage with them to resolve any outstanding matters”

Telecoms analyst Kester Mann of CCS Insight commented:

“Vodafone and Three can tentatively order in the champagne as their blockbuster UK joint venture appears to have taken another big step forward following a positive statement from the competition watchdog.

“After months of scrutiny, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) indicated it is ready to accept the proposed remedies offered by Vodafone and Three, potentially allowing their planned merger to proceed. Approval would mark one of the most significant developments in the history of UK mobile, heralding the arrival of a new market leader with over 29 million customers.

“The watchdog’s statement won’t be welcomed by all. BT and Sky Mobile have sternly opposed the deal and are likely to vociferously attempt one final effort to have it blocked before the CMA’s final deadline in less than five weeks.”

IoT has transformed businesses, enabling significant advancements in automation, efficiency, and the emergence of new business opportunities. McKinsey predicts that by 2025, IoT could generate an economic impact of up to $12.6 trillion.

However, significant challenges persist, especially for organisations facing obstacles such as inconsistent network availability or seeking to implement IoT for traceability across vast geographic regions.

Where is the key to multi-network redundancy, providing an essential connectivity solution? Most importantly, where can we discover a unified data standard that accelerates innovation in device design and facilitates access across multiple networks?

In order to fully harness the potential of mobile IoT, a collaborative industry approach will be required, adopting a single data standard to bring together the various sub-gigahertz networks into a single, reliable, connected pan-European environment. This environment should also be optimized specifically for low-power IoT applications. 

**0G-WAN**, or Zero G WAN, is a proposed standard for a wireless communication network designed to support IoT and M2M applications. It aims to provide a reliable, low-power, and cost-effective connectivity solution for IoT devices, particularly those operating on sub-gigahertz radio bands.

The Demand for Mobile IoT Solutions

The mobile IoT landscape is already established, with millions of devices connected across both licensed cellular and unlicensed sub-gigahertz radio bands. The main challenge for companies in this industry, however, is that these devices are not linked to multiple networks.

Despite a low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) providing a cost-effective solution required for IoT deployments, they do not operate together in comparison to costly, complicated, and energy-draining cellular alternatives. Each operates to different data standards, from transmission volumes to frequency. As a result, this presents both technical and contractual challenges to overcome to achieve unrestricted roaming across a vast area, limiting mobile IoT deployments to small geographic areas, such as smart cities.

This is a point of frustration for industries with a strong business case for active asset monitoring across Europe. In order to realize these business cases, organizations require genuine pan-European connectivity, and that cannot be achieved without a densified LPWAN network. Organizations need stronger network connectivity assurance as assets pass between different regions and countries. They need redundancy to ensure the availability of communications, even if there is an issue with one of the networks when that arises. Furthermore, this is necessary at scale.

Common Standard

Sigfox is a provider of sub-gigahertz networks that can provide pan-European connectivity when roaming without restriction. Cellular alternatives lack complete coverage and may run into issues during handovers between cell towers. They are often too expensive and power-hungry, making them financially unviable for most mobile asset applications. Even Sigfox, however, cannot provide the unlimited coverage sought after by many IoT applications. It is unlikely that any vendor will come to the market with a single pan-European network alternative.

All of this makes collaboration essential if organisations are to achieve their digitalization goals. This year, a truly densified pan-European IoT network is becoming a reality. A Zero G WAN (0G-WAN) working party has been established to create the standard using converged network devices that will enable applications to work together across all collaborative sub-gigahertz networks.

The recent decision to make the proprietary Sigfox device code publicly available for developers will drive this network convergence and multi-network capability.

The cornerstone of this model lies in establishing a common standard for data specification to ensure the seamless transmission of specific information and data volumes, regardless of the network. By setting a data transmission limit to 12 bits and 140 messages per day on the network, the IoT application becomes compatible with all the accessible sub-gigahertz networks across Europe. The intention is to establish a consensus on this 0G-WAN standard with international standards organizations, such as GS1.

Accelerating 0G-WAN Progress

The aim of the 0G-WAN initiative is to achieve industry commitment and collaboration. The 0G-WAN working party currently comprises semiconductor manufacturers, tower companies, logistics providers, global pooling companies, device makers, and reusable transit packaging manufacturers. Future members will include European-wide retailers and industrial companies.

The aim of the 0G-WAN initiative is to achieve industry commitment and collaboration.

Progress has been significant. 0G-WAN devices are already being created by device manufacturers, which include technology on one chip to provide a single device solution for both static and mobile assets to add network redundancy. Three of the working party members have already agreed to trial devices in their customer supply chains. Their findings will be shared with the rest of the 0G-WAN community, underlining the collaborative mindset of this initiative.

The collaborative model is uniting the sub-gigahertz community to establish a unified approach that enables cost-effective and efficient deployment of IoT-based traceability across Europe. The rate of change is exciting, as the agreement on the 0G-WAN standard is anticipated to take place in 2023, with widespread implementations commencing in early 2024.

The agreement on the 0G-WAN standard is anticipated to take place in 2023, with widespread implementations commencing in early 2024.

Potential

A converged IoT vision is captivating, holding the potential to usher in the next wave of digitalization and automation, leading to cost reductions and risk mitigation. By providing nearly real-time information across various assets, this vision can completely change operational efficiency and control for the better. However, achieving this vision depends on fostering a collaborative mindset.

0G-WAN will provide the network certainty, reliability, redundancy, scalability, and device longevity needed to confirm and approve the IoT business case. It will support the core strengths of sub-gigahertz networks, which are secure and stable low-power implementations. It will support, and make it possible to achieve, the densified coverage needed to remove the desire and requirement for power-hungry contingency solutions, such as GPS, to achieve geolocation services.

Alongside cost-effective pan-European connectivity, the 0G-WAN standard will also unlock fresh market opportunities by enhancing scalability, reducing costs, extending deployment lifespan, and fostering innovation.

By joining forces to create the 0G-WAN standard, the market is instilling confidence in the longevity of mobile IoT deployments.

The 0G-WAN working party is inviting competitors and partners to join forces and is aiming to accelerate the pace of transformation across the industry.

The SIMS were cut off over the last three months and caused the contract base to dip by 66,000. But revenue increased by 5.7 per cent partly due to annual price increases and good growth in Business,

In one of its pandemic-inspired initiatives, at the end of 2020, Vodafone UK gave free connectivity to 250,000 children across the UK to help them access school work from home, catch up on lost learning during school holidays, and continue with their education if they are required to isolate.

Apart from these disconnections the network’s mobile contract base and customer churn was “broadly stable”.

During Q1 of its financial year Vodafone added 42,000 broadband customers t bring the total broadband base to 1.3 million customers. Its partnerships with CityFibre and Openreach has enabled it to reach 12 million households with full fibre broadband which it claims smore than any other provider in the UK.

The merger with Three UK is expect to close before the end of 2024, and will trigger a £11 billion plan to create “one of Europe’s most advanced standalone 5G networks”.

Business landlines have dropped by 44.1 per cent from 10.2 million in 2009 to 5.7 million in 2021 and this trend is expected to continue as businesses shift away from traditional phone lines towards internet-driven communication says the company which predicts the last business landline in use will be seen in 2036.

‘On average, the number of business landlines has reduced by 374,000 per year over the past 12 years” said Ringover’s CEO, Renaud Chevret whose company has just announced €20 million funding round led by Orange Ventures, Large Venture (Bpifrance), and Expedition Growth Capital, for research particularly in AI.

“The days of a business phones on every office desk are coming to an end. The modern worker prefers a system that enables contact from one device, providing flexibility through mobile technology”

Although business landlines are decreasing, residential landlines have remained steady. The number of residential landlines has even increased to 26.48 million in 2021 from 24.99 million 10 years ago.

Ringover calculates monthly minutes per phone line have decreased by 60.7 per cent in 10 years, dropping from 102.6 to 40.43.

But data use by mobile phone customers is up 1,964% between 2013 and 2021 as the internet becomes the primary method of communication.

“Communication will further migrate to online platforms such as VoIP, online gaming, and social media, as people seek more efficient ways to communicate for both business and personal purposes” says Ringover.

TalkTalk’s Business Wholesale Services is to partner with CityFibre to offer UK wholesale customers access to CityFibre’s business Ethernet services.

CityFibre builds fiber-optic communication infrastructure and aims to cover up to a third of the UK by 2025 with eight million homes, 800,000 businesses, 400,00 0ocal authority sites and 250,000 5G access points.

Its platform is used by major internet service providers, as well as new smaller regional internet service providers delivering full fibre broadband.

CityFibre is owned by Antin Infrastructure Partners, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Mubadala Investment Company and Interogo Holding.

An existing relationship already exists between between connectivity provider Virtual1, which was acquired by Talk Talk in March 2022, and CityFibre., makes CityFibre’s Ethernet proposition available across the TalkTalk’s Business Wholesale Services business.

TalkTalk expects other Ethernet suppliers will join the service.

“”This new B2B partnership will grow as its footprint expands and product portfolio widens. see CityFibre as a key partner” said Tom O’Hagan, Managing Director of TalkTalk Business Wholesale Services.

George Wareing, Chief Sales Officer of CityFibre, added: 

“The combination of TalkTalk Business Wholesale Services scale and automation represents a compelling proposition. We look forward to a long and successful partnership.”

BT and Amazon Web Services the subsidiary of Amazon that provides on-demand cloud computing platforms have teamed up to bring 5G and 4G mobile edge computing services to BT’s UK business customers. Edge computing is computing done near the source of the data, instead of relying on the cloud at a data centre to do the processing,

Combining EE’s 5G and 4G networks with cloud services from Amazon Web Services (AWS) will provide faster secure connectivity and faster cloud processing.  AWS Wavelength embeds AWS computer and storage services within 5G and 4G networks, providing mobile edge computing infrastructure for ultra-low-latency applications.

Hosting services directly at the edge of EE’s UK network reduces lag, as application traffic can reach application servers running in the AWS Wavelength Zone without leaving BT’s network. This opens up mobile edge computing infrastructure for businesses to develop, deploy, and scale mobile Internet of Things (IoT) applications over BT’s existing 5G network securely.

Sectors that will benefit from the move include autonomous vehicles, cameras for policing and other public services like community healthcare, live media production and smart industrial robots, wearable cameras for paramedics and ambulance staff, police body cameras for instant replay and higher-grade footage and ‘frictionless retail’, where shoppers can enter a store, pick up their products and walk out without the need to scan, queue, or check out.

A new AWS Wavelength Zone in Manchester will run trials for eligible businesses and public sector organisations within a 100-kilometre radius(including Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield and Blackpool. BT wants to roll out AWS Wavelength to business customers across the UK in the coming years.

“Launching the AWS Wavelength is set to unlock use cases like IoT cameras to help first responders keep communities safe: a real-life example of using tech to connect for the good” said BT Wholesale MD Alex Tempest.

“By building cloud edge services into our 5G and 4G EE network, we can accelerate innovation across industries, and bring fast, secure data processing closer to where our customers need it most. We want to give businesses and public sector organisations all the power of edge computing, wherever they are.”