The operator is working with AI-solutions provider Zinkworks to bring in automation to monitor network performance in real time and resolve potential problems before they affect users.

Thise builds on technology already used in Virgin Media O2’s fixed broadband network, where automation is claimed to have educed repair times by more than a third and cut engineer visits by 12 per cent. Similar results are expected from mobile deployment by preventing faults, reducing manual intervention and limiting call-outs.

The system predicts where issues could occur and triggers corrective action. It will be deployed across radio access and core infrastructure.

Jeanie York, chief technology officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “Greater automation will help us predict and prevent issues and allow us to better spot and fix problems when they arise, reducing downtime and ensuring customers can trust us to deliver the dependable mobile experience they rely on.”

Paul Madden, CEO of Zinkworks, added: “operators are increasingly looking to deploy AI at scale to strengthen network performance and reduce outages”.

]]> https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/uncategorised/article/virgin-media-o2-and-zinkworks-to-plug-more-ai-into-the-network/feed/ 0 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/uncategorised/article/hmd-appoints-new-way-international-as-official-distributor/ https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/uncategorised/article/hmd-appoints-new-way-international-as-official-distributor/#respond Tue, 03 Feb 2026 15:14:40 +0000 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/?p=179754 New Way International is now a UK distributor for HMD Global, handling HMD’s portfolio across the UK channel.

New Way will distribute HMD  smartphones, feature phones, tablets and accessories, supporting customers across retail, reseller, managed service provider (MSP), enterprise and public-sector markets.

The initial focus will be on Nokia feature phones, with the majority of early stock drawn from that range. Nokia feature phones, which sell for around £60, are seeing strong demand in the UK  appeal for value-focused, enterprise and specialist use cases.

New Way says it was selected by HMD for its execution capability and established channel reach. The partnership is expected to improve availability and supply consistency, particularly in segments where reliable access to stock is critical. HMD aims to better support partners operating in both retail and business environments by expanding distribution through New Way.

“This appointment reflects our continued focus on building a strong, relevant mobile device portfolio for the UK channel,” said New Way MD d Nigel Prince,

“Working with HMD allows us to supporpartners with trusted products, consistent availability and the service levels they need to operate efficiently.”

The agreement reinforces New Way International’s long-term growth strategy, which focuses on expanding choice across price tiers and use cases, supporting sustainable demand, and delivering consistent service and availability to UK partners.

Timpson offersproducts and services such as key cutting and locksmith services, watch repairs  phone and tablet repairs, engraving, dry cleaning and laundry services, passport and ID photos and photo printing.

Customers can take a used smartphone into any participating Timpson store, have the device assessed and receive payment directly into their bank account.. The move brings trade-ins onto the high street at scale, combining Timpson’s national retail footprint with musicMagpie’s pricing and device assessment tech.

Research commissioned by musicMagpie highlights strong demand for in-person trade-ins. A survey of 2,000 UK adults found that 73 per cent of people surveyed have at least one unused phone at home. More than two thirds said they would prefer to trade in their old tech in person rather than sending it by post.

One in four respondents said that receiving money “straight away” is important when deciding how to trade in a device.

musicMagpie’s estimates that unused smartphones and other tech sitting in UK homes are worth around £10bn when scaled across the population. Apathy remains a barrier, with around one in three people admitting they rarely think about trading in old devices.

Musicmagpie founder and MD Steve Oliver said the Timpsons’ deal is major step forward for the company’s omnichannel strategy.

“Rolling this scheme out to 1,300 stores in the Timpson network is a huge milestone Mostf Brits want to trade in their unused tech in person. This partnership will now allow people to do that and receive cash iwithin minutes,” he said”

Sid Hubbard, group director at Timpson,said: “Customers across the UK can now add smartphone trade-in to the list of services available at their local Timpson shop”.

The Cheshire-based company is known for ruggedised mobile phones designed for construction, logistics and industrial users. The new senior hires span marketing, sales and digital.

The new chief marketing officer is Amanda Couzens Davies, who will be responsible for marketing, distribution and network support. She previously worked at 20:20 (Now Likewize) and most recently at Assurant, in a senior marketing role supporting device lifecycle and protection services.

Her appointment comes as JCB Tough Phone increases its focus on working more closely with networks to position rugged devices as a core part of enterprise and frontline worker portfolios. 

Ben Stephens has joined from HMD Global as head of corporate and B2B sales to support the company’s B2B operation. He will work within the sales team under Chris Millington, strengthening JCB Tough Phone’s sales into utilities, construction firms and field service organisations. Stephens has held a number of senior commercial roles across the handset sector, spanning both operator and manufacturer partnerships.

The third appointment is Manuel Rosas, who joins from Amazon and will be in charge of digital growth, expanding JCB Tough Phone’s online presence and e-commerce performance and developing a stronger online proposition.

Roy Taylor, CEO  said: “We have strengthened the team following extensive growth in distribution across Europe in 2025, with three impactful recruits to drive further impressive growth. I’m looking forward to what we are going to achieve in 2026.”

The company’s niche products include a phone with an integrated thermal camera.The MAX Pro P20’s (below)  can detects heat loss, electrical issues, and mechanical.failures in real time with a -15°C to 550°C range and claimed two per cent accuracy.

]]> https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/uncategorised/article/jcb-tough-phone-toughens-up-team-as-european-expansion-gathers-pace/feed/ 0 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/uncategorised/article/revolut-launches-full-in-app-mobile-service-powered-by-gigs-os-on-vodafone/ https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/uncategorised/article/revolut-launches-full-in-app-mobile-service-powered-by-gigs-os-on-vodafone/#respond Tue, 16 Dec 2025 16:52:22 +0000 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/?p=179502 Fintech giant Revolut has formally entered the UK mobile market through a partnership with telecoms enablement platform Gigs, launching Revolut Mobile, embedded within the Revolut app aimed at12 million UK customers.

The service is embedded directly within the Revolut app, allows users to activate a mobile plan intantly without visiting a store, contacting customer support or dealing with a separate network operator interface. Revolut Mobile runs on Vodafone’s 5G network, delivered by Gigs’ mobile operating system.

At launch, Revolut Mobile is being offered at an introductory price of £12.50 per month, rising to £14.99 from 24 February 2026 for new customers. Early adopters will retain the lower price. The plan includes unlimited 5G data, calls and texts in the UK, plus 20GB of roaming data across Europe and the US.

Revolut Mobile is positioned as a more flexible digital connectivity product. Features include the ability to manage multiple phone numbers within a single plan, —for example separating work and personal use, alongside global messaging, premium “VIP” number options and enhanced security controls.

The launch underlines the trend of embedded telecoms within fintech platforms. Customers can pay for their mobile plan using Revolut’s loyalty and rewards ecosystem, further blurring the lines between financial services, payments and connectivity.

Gigs is providing the underlying infrastructure that allows non-telecom brands to launch fully fledged mobile services. The company has recently announced similar partnerships with Klarna, Lendable and OnePay, signalling growing demand for telecom capabilities to be built directly into consumer digital platforms.

Hadi Nasrallah, General Manager, Telco at Revolut said: “Revolut Mobile is more than just another mobile service, it’s a truly differentiated alternative designed to change the industry. Our goal is simple: offer the best service, at the best price, leveraging the best user experience. We’re bringing true innovation with features such as multiple numbers & global messaging, while removing any hassle or hidden fees from the process.”

Hermann Frank, CEO and co-founder at Gigs added: “Revolut Mobile represents the breakthrough we envisioned when founding Gigs: the world’s most advanced phone plan, available at a tap and powered by our global connectivity platform. Now, millions of Revolut customers can stay seamlessly connected at home and abroad, all within the app they already trust. This launch demonstrates the versatility of our operating system and marks a turning point in the UK telecom market, with Revolut setting a new standard for how people stay connected.”

For mobile networks, MVNOs and channel players, Revolut Mobile represents anhow large digital brands with existing customer bases are entering connectivity and raising questions around distribution, ownership of the customer relationship and the future role of traditional retail and wholesale models.

She succeeds long-standing CEO Ash Schofield who joined giff gaff in 2013 from Tesco Mobile.  He has been CEO since 2018.

Dohaney has had senior leadership roles at News Corp and Dow Jones before she was appointed chief executive of mechandise agency Orb Group in March 2024 where she ran a modernisation programme.

Virgin Media O2 chief executive Lutz Schüler said: “Kate is a proven leader with a wealth of experience, and I look forward to welcoming her as CEO of giffgaff. She joins at a truly exciting time for the company following its recent expansion into the broadband market and I am confident she will lead the organisation with the heart and tenacity the brand was built on.”

Dohaney said: “giffgaff is known for doing things differently and I’m excited to get started, driving the next chapter of growth for the business.”

The appointment comes as giffgaff pushes deeper into broadband, recently launching full-fibre connectivity in regions including North West England, Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands, the North East, Scotland, South West England, Wales and the West Midlands. The business also plans to leverage Virgin Media O2’s fibre infrastructure to build a nationwide fixed offering.

Launched in 2009, giffgaff built its brand around low-cost, SIM-only mobile plans and a community-driven service model.

The project is part of Vodafone’s wider strategy to use AI and automation at scale to improve network performance and customer experience.

The system, called Rapid RIC, is designed to make Vodafone’s networks more reliable, energy-efficient and responsive to customer needs. It will enable engineers to launch new network apps, known as “rApps,” in weeks rather than months.

These apps can automatically spot and fix network problems, boost signal strength in busy areas, and switch off unused parts of the network to save power without manual upgrades to masts. Customers should see faster connections, fewer dropouts, and more consistent coverage, particularly in rural or high-demand areas.

The new platform is expected to go live early next year across Vodafone’s European markets. It uses Open RANtechnology, which allows operators to mix and match hardware and software from different suppliers.

Rapid RIC uses Generative AI to automatically create software code. Vodafone says this will cut development times by up to 70 per cent and reduce costs. An AI simulator will also test the apps to ensure they run smoothly.

The platform could eventually be offered to other telecoms companies. At launch, Vodafone plans to introduce two apps: One is an energy-saving app that automatically powers down unused network connections and reactivates them when needed. The other is a  performance-boosting app that fine-tunes signal settings for improved coverage.

The ideal candidate will require a full knowledge of creating contract propositions designed for e-retail, from design and development through to the mechanics and marketing of such a service.

They should have a history of dealing with networks and negotiation and should be technically minded.

This is a unique opportunity to be in at the ground level, bolting on another service to the ever expanding portfolio of products on Prepaymania.

Location : Stoke or London

Annual Salary: 30K + bonus

Please send your CV with covering letter to matt@prepaymania.co.uk

We are seeking professional, ambitious and proven Business Development Managers for our Leeds based northern office and Camberley based London office.

Premier Telecom is one of the largest and most successful telecommunications providers in the UK, voted Vodafone’s Platinum Partner of the Year 2011.  A performance driven organisation, with a genuinely entrepreneurial culture, Premier Telecom offers outstanding career opportunities for individuals with well developed sales skills.

Your role will be to establish a good working relationship with business clients, initiating contact & maintaining relations.  You will require the ability to sell a range of communication solutions including mobile, fixed, converged products and SAAS into the Small/Medium enterprise sector.

With good communication & organisational skills, candidates must have a willingness to develop their understanding of relationship management within a commercial environment, in order to achieve strategic goals.

Applications to: opportunities@premiertelecom.co.uk

With a group turnover which has increased from £8 to £16 million in the last 3 years, a mobile base that has doubled to over 30,000 CTNs, dealing with over 6,500 SME’s and still looking to grow it’s an exciting time to join us.

If you have a proven track record of new business sales email your CV to recruitment@ex-c.co.uk