Fibre Broadband

Why London Offices Struggle With Wi-Fi — Even With Fast Fibre

Does this sound like your business, or perhaps a client of yours?

You’ve invested in a fast internet connection – Perhaps 500Mbps, 1Gbps or a leased line. Wired computers connected to the network perform extremely well, but staff are still continuing to report:

Slow Wi-Fi
Teams/Zoom calls dropping
Poor performance in particular meeting rooms
Laptops disconnecting or reconnecting
Devices hanging onto the wrong access point
Good Wi-Fi in one part of the office but poor performance elsewhere
Problems becoming noticeably worse when the office is busy

The in-house IT team checks the internet connection and reports that everything looks fine. And both statements can be true: The Internet connection can be excellent AND the Wi-Fi can be poor.

If your London business has recently installed fibre, leased lines or gigabit broadband, but haven’t seen the improvement you expected with the Wi-Fi then please read on.

What’s the difference between broadband / internet and Wi-Fi?

The Internet connection or broadband is the service bringing connectivity into the building. Wi-Fi is the radio network distributing that connectivity wirelessly around the office.

When you buy a faster internet connection, that only increases the potential bandwidth available at the edge of the network. It doesn’t automatically improve:

Wireless coverage
Interference
Channel utilisation
Access-point capacity
Roaming
Poor AP positioning
Network configuration

Think about it like this. Upgrading the motorway into a city doesn’t necessarily remove congestion from the streets around the destination.

Similarly, conducting a speed test beside an Access Point isn’t evidence that the entire wireless network is healthy and working to the same speed.

Why do London offices tend to be particularly difficult wireless environments?

London offices have a high density of neighbouring businesses and wireless networks. Numerous Access Points may be visible from surrounding offices. This is especially relevant in business in:

Shared office buildings
Serviced offices
Converted buildings
Multi-tenant commercial buildings;
Dense central London locations.

Wi-Fi uses shared radio spectrum. Your network doesn’t operate in isolation simply because it has its own SSID. Other wireless networks and sources of interference can affect the available airtime. The challenge is therefore often much greater than simply achieving “full bars”.

Coverage isn’t the same as capacity

An Access Point may provide a perfectly strong signal but still be overloaded or operating in a congested environment. Traditional office Wi-Fi was often designed primarily around providing coverage. Modern offices need to consider capacity as well.

50 people with laptops and phones can easily represent 100+ connected devices. Then add in:

Company tablets
Meeting-room equipment
Printers
TVs
IoT devices
Wireless presentation systems.

Wi-Fi needs to be designed around how the space is actually used, not merely the size of the floorplan.

The Meeting Room Problem

The Meeting Room provides us with a particularly good real-world example of the kind of Wi-Fi problems you can run into in a London office.

A meeting room might normally contain nobody. Then all of a sudden, 10–20 people enter carrying laptops and phones. Several of these people may start video calls, screen sharing or cloud applications.

Within moments, the wireless demand has changed dramatically.

An AP in the corridor outside may technically provide coverage, but not necessarily sufficient capacity or performance.

Modern office design therefore needs to consider where people congregate, how many of them there are and what devices they could be using and for what.

Why adding more access points isn’t automatically the answer

It’s commonly thought that the solution for poor Wi-Fi must just be to buy another Access Point. And of course, more AP’s can be helpful – When they are properly designed.

But indiscriminately just adding more AP’s can actually introduce additional contention and interference, creating further problems.

AP transmit power, channels, channel width and positioning all matter.

Access Points need to form part of a coordinated wireless design. The aim isn’t simply to produce the strongest possible signal everywhere.

Office Construction and Layout

Walk around London and you’ll see it has a huge variety of building types.

From modern glass offices to converted Victorian buildings – All London offices present different Wii-Fi challenges.

When it comes to construction, potential Wi-Fi obstacles include:

Brick
Concrete
Reinforced concrete
Metal
Glass
Lifts
Stairwells
Plant rooms
Dense storage
Partition walls

Any refurbishments can also dramatically alter an RF environment. An Access Point installed before an office fit-out may no longer be positioned appropriately afterwards.

This is just one of the reasons Wi-Fi shouldn’t simply be designed from a square-metre calculation.

Roaming and the “Wi-Fi is bad when I walk around” complaint

Modern offices frequently have multiple APs, which means that devices need to transition between them. Clients ultimately make many roaming decisions themselves.

Poor network design and configuration can make roaming less effective.

Common symptoms of poor roaming:

The Wi-Fi works, then
The user walks towards another part of the building
The laptop/ phone remains connected but performance deteriorates
User understandably reports “the Wi-Fi keeps dropping”.

Increasing the broadband speed isn’t going to fix the issue.

The 9am problem / Busy-office effect

Wi-Fi can appear excellent while an office is empty. The Wi-Fi Engineer performs a speed test at 7pm and gets fantastic results.

9am and it’s a different story. For a London office with 20-200+ employees, between 9 and 10am the next morning, dozens or even hundreds of devices arrive.

Suddenly the demand for airtime increases dramatically. Video meetings start. Cloud applications synchronise.Phones and laptops connect simultaneously.

Performance problems begin to become apparent.

This is a perfect illustration of why testing needs to consider the real operating environment rather than simply headline download speed.

Why just a normal speed test isn’t enough

Speed tests are useful, but only answer a limited question.

Speed Test results can vary according to:

Location
Device
AP
Network load
Time of day

A professional Wi-Fi assessment should consider much more than merely Mbps. Our expert Wi-Fi engineers here at Geekabit can investigate many potential areas including:

Signal strength
Signal-to-noise
Channel utilisation
Interference
Access Point placement
Channel planning
Client distribution
Roaming behaviour
Wired infrastructure feeding APs
Configuration
Actual user experience.

There is considerably more happening beneath the surface, and focusing just on internet speed is unlikely to fix the problem.

Let’s not forget the wired network

Wi-Fi APs ultimately connect back to the wired network. Poor cabling, incorrect negotiation speeds, unsuitable switches, VLAN/configuration problems or inadequate PoE can also cause symptoms that users perceive as “bad Wi-Fi”.

Specialist troubleshooting therefore needs to look beyond the Access Points themselves.

Our approach at Geekabit is to investigate the network as a system rather than automatically blaming one component.

What can a professional Wi-Fi assessment or Site Survey reveal for a business?

There’s a lot that a Wi-Fi Site Survey can tell us about your business wireless network.

Areas with insufficient coverage.
Areas with excessive overlapping coverage.
Congested channels.
Poor AP placement.
Incorrect configuration.
Capacity hotspots.
Problems caused by building construction.
Wired-network issues affecting wireless performance.
Legacy equipment.
Opportunities to optimise the existing infrastructure without necessarily replacing everything.
Locations where additional or relocated APs would genuinely help.

Using the information provided from the Wi-Fi assessment, Geekabit can then provide evidence-based recommendations rather than trial-and-error equipment changes.

Wireless network replacement isn’t always necessary!

We’re not hardware sales people – We just want your network to function at its full potential. Wi-Fi recommendations following a Wi-Fi Site Survey aren’t necessarily going to say ‘replace everything.’ There are times where an existing Wi-Fi system is actually perfectly capable – It’s just the configuration or deployment that is poor.

A specialist assessment may recommend:

Configuration changes
Repositioning equipment;
Replacing particular components
Adding APs only where needed
Upgrading only part of the network.

Recommendations of this nature should be based on evidence, following a Wi-Fi Assessment or Wi-Fi Site Survey.

Geekabit work alongside your existing IT department or company

We know that many London businesses already have an MSP or outsourced IT provider. Any problems with your network don’t automatically mean that your IT Manager / provider is incompetent.

Diagnosing and resolving a complex wireless problem often requires expert knowledge, whereas general IT support covers an enormous range of technologies. A bit like how a GP knows a little about a lot of illnesses, and then refers you to a specialist for more niche diagnosis and treatments. Wi-Fi engineering is a specialist discipline.

Here at Geekabit we can work alongside:

MSPs
internal IT departments
Cabling companies
Office refurb contractors.

Geekabit can investigate the wireless problem, provide evidence based recommendations and work with the incumbent IT provider on remediation.

When should a London business consider calling a Wi-Fi specialist?

If you’ve been struggling with Wi-Fi issues for a while, it may be time to call in a Wi-Fi expert. If your London business is experiencing any of the following issues, please do get in touch with our friendly team.

Internet connection tests well but users still complain
Problems vary significantly depending on location
Wi-Fi gets worse when the office is busy
Meeting rooms regularly experience problems
Video calls are unreliable
Users disconnect when moving around the office
Additional APs haven’t solved the problem
Different engineers/providers have tried fixes without identifying the root cause
Business is moving office or refurbishing an existing one
Organisation is planning a significant Wi-Fi upgrade
There is pressure to replace the entire network without clear evidence of what’s actually wrong

Call in the Wi-Fi experts at Geekabit

Geekabit specialises in Wi-Fi and wireless networking rather than providing generic outsourced IT support. Our Wi-Fi expert engineers are on hand to provide on-site specialist assistance at your London office.

We approach Wi-Fi problems through measurement, diagnosis and evidence.

Our team has experience with business, commercial and complex environments and has the ability to investigate and support both wireless and wired infrastructure.

We are more than happy to work directly for your London business or alongside an existing IT provider.

Before you spend money replacing equipment or buying an even faster internet connection, STOP. It’s worth finding out what the wireless network is actually doing first. As a Wi-Fi Specialist covering London, Geekabit can help your business diagnose the problem and help deploy the solution.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my office Wi-Fi slow even though we have fast fibre?

Fast fibre only determines how much internet bandwidth reaches your office. Wi-Fi is the wireless network that distributes that connection to laptops, phones and other devices. Poor access point placement, interference, congestion, insufficient capacity or network configuration issues can therefore cause slow Wi-Fi even when a wired speed test shows a very fast internet connection.

Will upgrading to faster broadband improve our office Wi-Fi?

Not necessarily. If your existing internet connection is already fast enough for your business, upgrading it will not fix problems caused by the Wi-Fi network itself. Before increasing broadband capacity, it is worth establishing whether the bottleneck is the internet connection, the wired network or the wireless network.

Why does our office Wi-Fi get worse when more people arrive?

Wi-Fi uses shared radio airtime. As more laptops, phones and other devices connect and transmit data, they compete for that available airtime. An office Wi-Fi network therefore needs sufficient capacity for the number of devices and the applications being used, rather than simply providing a strong signal throughout the building.

Why is the Wi-Fi particularly bad in our meeting rooms?

Meeting rooms can create sudden areas of high wireless demand. A room that is normally empty might suddenly contain 10 or 20 people, each carrying a laptop and smartphone, while several users are making video calls or accessing cloud services. Good Wi-Fi design considers where users congregate as well as basic coverage.

Can adding more Wi-Fi access points make performance worse?

Yes. Adding access points without considering channels, transmit power, positioning and the existing RF environment can create additional contention and interference. More access points can provide greater capacity and coverage when properly designed, but simply installing additional units is not always the solution.

Why does Wi-Fi work well in one part of our office but badly in another?

Wi-Fi signals are affected by distance, building materials, interference and the position of access points. Brick, concrete, metal, glass, lifts and other structural features can all affect radio signals. A professional Wi-Fi assessment can identify how the wireless network actually performs across the office rather than relying solely on theoretical coverage.

Why does my laptop have full Wi-Fi signal but still feel slow?

A strong Wi-Fi signal does not guarantee good performance. Your device may have a strong connection to an access point that is busy, operating on a congested channel or affected by interference. Wi-Fi performance depends on signal quality, available airtime, network capacity and the underlying network as well as the number of signal bars displayed on a device.

Why does Wi-Fi drop when I walk around the office?

In an office with multiple access points, laptops and smartphones need to roam between them as users move around the building. Devices make many of their own roaming decisions, but access point placement and network configuration can influence how effectively this happens. Poor roaming can result in a device remaining connected to a distant access point even when a better one is available nearby.

What is a professional Wi-Fi site survey?

A professional Wi-Fi site survey assesses how a wireless network performs within a real building or planned environment. Depending on the type of survey, it can examine factors including signal strength, coverage, interference, channel utilisation, access point placement and capacity. The findings can then be used to diagnose problems or design improvements based on measured evidence.

Is a Wi-Fi site survey just a series of speed tests?

No. Speed tests can be useful, but they only show the performance experienced by one device at a particular location and moment in time. Professional Wi-Fi troubleshooting considers the wider radio environment, access point deployment, interference, capacity, configuration and the wired infrastructure supporting the wireless network.

Can network cabling or switches cause Wi-Fi problems?

Yes. Wireless access points ultimately rely on the wired network for connectivity and power. Cabling faults, incorrect Ethernet negotiation speeds, switch configuration problems or power issues can all affect an access point’s performance. Users may experience the result as poor Wi-Fi even though the underlying fault is elsewhere in the network.

Do we need to replace all our Wi-Fi equipment if performance is poor?

Not necessarily. Existing equipment may be perfectly capable but poorly positioned, configured or integrated into the wider network. A specialist assessment should identify the cause of the problem before recommending replacement equipment. In some cases, configuration changes or repositioning existing access points may significantly improve performance.

What is the difference between Wi-Fi coverage and Wi-Fi capacity?

Coverage describes whether a usable wireless signal reaches a particular area. Capacity describes whether the network can adequately support the number of devices and amount of wireless traffic in that area. A modern office can have excellent Wi-Fi coverage but inadequate capacity when large numbers of people are using the network simultaneously.

Why are London offices particularly challenging for Wi-Fi?

London offices are often located in dense commercial environments containing many neighbouring wireless networks. Multi-tenant buildings, neighbouring businesses, complex building materials and high numbers of connected devices can create challenging radio environments. Effective office Wi-Fi therefore needs to account for the surrounding RF environment as well as the size and layout of the premises.

Can Geekabit investigate our Wi-Fi without replacing our existing IT company?

Yes. Geekabit can work directly with businesses, internal IT teams and existing managed IT providers to investigate specialist Wi-Fi and networking problems. The objective is to identify the underlying cause, provide evidence and recommend appropriate improvements rather than requiring a business to replace its existing IT support provider.

When should we call a Wi-Fi specialist?

Consider specialist investigation when Wi-Fi problems persist despite having a reliable internet connection, when performance changes significantly around the building or during busy periods, or when previous attempts to fix the problem have been unsuccessful. A specialist assessment can also be valuable before an office move, refurbishment or significant wireless network upgrade.

How can we tell whether the problem is our broadband or our Wi-Fi?

Comparing wired and wireless performance is a useful starting point. If devices connected directly to the network perform well while wireless devices experience poor or inconsistent performance, the problem may be within the Wi-Fi network rather than the internet connection. A proper assessment can investigate the internet connection, wired infrastructure and wireless environment to locate the actual bottleneck.

Should Wi-Fi be planned before moving into a new London office?

Yes. Planning Wi-Fi before an office fit-out allows access point locations, network cabling and capacity requirements to be considered alongside the physical layout of the space. This can avoid access points being installed wherever cabling happens to be convenient and reduce the need for disruptive changes after staff have moved in.

by admin20th August 2026

Business Wi-Fi Cat6 Ethernet Cable Connectivity Fibre Broadband Ubiquiti Ubiquiti UniFi Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Advice Wi-Fi Design Wi-Fi for Historic Premises Wi-Fi for Hospitality Wi-Fi Installation Wi-Fi Site Survey Wireless Network

Geekabit Deploys Wi-Fi Solution to New Gastropub in Historic Space in Farnham, Surrey

This week on the blog we’re excited to share the completion of a recent Wi-Fi project for a client over in Farnham, Surrey.

Find out how our Wi-Fi engineering experts helped to transform this remarkable historic space into a well-connected Gastropub.

The Venue

Third Monkey is a new Gastropub, Restaurant and Cocktail Bar providing high-end hospitality and fun family dining in the heart of Farnham.

The historic building was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in the late 1800’s and whilst much of his original architecture will remain, the updated premises will boast 2 floors of buzzing atmosphere plus a roof terrace.

The building has been used as The South Street Social Club in recent years, formerly known as the Liberal Club, but closed back in 2023 due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic as well as other factors.

Now under new owners, Third Monkey and its Executive Chef are breathing new life into this notable building, bringing with it ‘refined yet relaxed’ vibes through its welcoming Gastropub on the ground floor, and a more elevated dining experience in the Restaurant and Cocktail Bar upstairs. And let’s not forget the Rooftop Terrace complete with weekend DJ’s providing a late-night destination venue for Surrey’s most sought-after town.

You can find this exciting new venue at 46 South Street, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 7RP.

Expert Wi-Fi Solution for Historic Premises Turned Gastropub

Wi-Fi Site Survey

As with all new Wi-Fi projects, we started with a Wi-Fi Survey. This is Geekabit’s key tool in analysing the performance of your network and helping to diagnose issues.

As you can imagine, a historic building built in the 1800’s isn’t going to have been designed with Wi-Fi in mind! Unlike modern constructions, this type of building can present unique challenges for signal penetration and Wi-Fi infrastructure installation. Therefore, carrying out a thorough Wi-Fi site survey is vital.

Upon visiting, it was clear that the Third Monkey, was a completely fresh and new fit-out –
and we could get involved at the earliest stages to ensure that the possibilities for Wi-Fi
access point placement could work with the new building materials being used.

In this instance for Third Monkey, we used the information gathered during the Wi-Fi Site Survey to advise on the necessary networking equipment required as well as Fibre WAN providers.

Wi-Fi Installation

Whilst some may think that installing Wi-Fi isn’t much more than sticking a box on the ceiling and plugging it in, there is actually a great deal more thought and expertise that goes into it if you want a successful Wi-Fi network.

There’s little point in carrying out a Wi-Fi Site Survey to identify how to equip a historic building such as this with robust internet connectivity, if you’re not going to follow it up with expert installation.

For Third Monkey, Geekabit completed a full Wi-Fi Installation using one of our favoured brands Ubiquiti Wi-Fi and Ubiquiti network equipment.

This Wi-Fi network deployment included:

Full data network installation
Network design
Data network cabinet installation
Termination of Cat 6 ethernet cabling
Setting up of network security devices
Commissioning of equipment, Wi-Fi configuration and optimisation, and post-installation Wi-Fi Site Survey

A big part of any Wi-Fi Installation also involves effectively co-ordinating with other suppliers and installers to enhance network efficiency and security.

Of course, we round off any Wi-Fi deployment right back where we started – With a Wi-Fi Site Survey. This ensures we leave our clients with their optimum Wi-Fi network.

Our Wi-Fi engineers are also on hand to provide ongoing Network Support, Wi-Fi Management and Wi-Fi Guest Portal services. Another benefit of bringing in the expertise and knowledge of a Wi-Fi professional.

Why Robust Wi-Fi is a Must for Hospitality Businesses

Despite the potential complexities that using a historic building for a modern use can have, this project shows that the two can indeed go hand-in-hand.

We know how vital it is for hospitality businesses to have reliable Wi-Fi. A strong wireless network is not only essential for operational efficiency (ie. supporting POS systems and internal communications) but also in enhancing customer experience through Guest Wi-Fi.

This particular hospitality venue is striving for a refined yet relaxed atmosphere, offering diverse customer experiences from casual dining to a late-night rooftop terrace. For this venue and others, seamless Wi-Fi connectivity underpins the ability to deliver high-quality service and attract a contemporary clientele, ultimately contributing to its success and reputation.

This Wi-Fi installation for Third Monkey demonstrates perfectly how you can take the charm of a historic building and bring it up to date with the modern amenities we come to expect from a high-end venue. Strong, reliable Wi-Fi is a must.

Steve Cross, Director at Geekabit, comments:

“We’ve been impressed by the team at the Third Monkey, who have been passionate advocates for ensuring they work with specialists in each field to create a high quality fit-out and venue that really raises the concept of the gastropub and restaurant. From an initial site survey visit, through to the entire Wi-Fi and network installation, we’ve been able to support the transformation of an historic space into a great addition to the Surrey town of Farnham.”

by admin21st July 2025

Broadband Broadband Speed Connectivity Estate Agents Fibre Broadband Full Fibre Hampshire Home Network Home Office Home WI-Fi SpeedScore Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Advice Wi-Fi Speed Test Wi-Fi Speeds

Broadband Performance: A Must-Have for Estate Agents to Showcase Dream Properties

A recent survey highlights the critical importance for estate agents to offer broadband performance reports when marketing properties, particularly “dream property” offerings.

Recent research suggests that Estate Agents should be focusing on providing home buyers with broadband performance reports if they want to meet the criteria of buyers dream homes.

The top ranked factor for the ‘dream home’ wish list when looking for a new property was reliable internet.

UK based platform Compare My Move assists home buyers, sellers, landlords and movers with the whole property buying process. They commissioned research with Front Door Comms and OnePoll, creating an online survey of 2,000 adults based in the UK, naturally representative of age, gender and region.

62% Brits Looking for Decent Wi-Fi When Looking at a Potential New Property

The survey found that 62% of survey respondents put decent Wi-Fi as the number one feature they would want in their realistic dream property. Strong Wi-Fi came above a private driveway and a walk-in wardrobe.

This would appear to highlight a shift away from fancy frills, instead favouring functional living and everyday essentials when looking for a new property.

If you’ve ever had your internet go down for a significant length of time then you’ll know how much you rely on that connection. From the obvious things like logging onto your laptop to work from home, to the more taken for granted things like asking Alexa for a timer whilst cooking dinner or trying to listen to music – Having no Wi-Fi is excruciatingly frustrating.

Since the pandemic when the UK was plunged into the world of working from home and home learning, Estate Agents have seen a dramatic increase in questions about reliable broadband when prospective buyers are looking at new property.

So it’s little wonder that prospective home buyers want to know exactly what kind of broadband connection they could expect from a potential new home – And if Estate Agents want to make a sale, and Estate Managers want to find a tenant then they need to be providing information that shows the available broadband for that property.

Reliable Broadband for High End Estate Agency

High End Estate Agents aren’t just matching High Net Worth Individuals with their latest luxury home – They need to give their buyers confidence that they will be moving into a well connected home with strong, reliable broadband.

Co-founder and MD of Compare My Move says it himself – The results show that “people are prioritising convenience, comfort, and connectivity in their everyday lives. While high-end extras might look impressive on paper, it’s the things we rely on daily – like Wi-Fi and a driveway – that really make a place feel like home.”

And thus, this needs to be reflected in the way that Estate Agents (including High End) and Estate Managers are marketing their properties.

Is Slow Internet the Dealbreaker That’s Losing You House Sales?

The survey reported above supports previous research from a few years ago when it was found that 20% of people would not buy a property if it had slow internet speeds.

Similarly, the lack of super-fast internet is often a deal-breaker when it comes to house hunting with many prospective buyers viewing the Wi-Fi connection more important than the number of bedrooms.

Whilst the size of a property is still important, Estate Agents must now recognise that for many house hunters the quality and speed of the internet is now on par with other deemed essentials. In Scotland and the Southwest, some prospective house buyers value the availability of high-quality broadband above everything else – Even house size.

Estate Agency and Estate Management clients are least likely to compromise on high-quality broadband when looking for a new home. Decent Wi-Fi was deemed more important than local amenities and space.

In addition to this, homes for sale that had a worse connection could see Estate Agents selling at approximately £5K less, based solely on whether a home had access to a 300Mbps connection or not.

How Many Homes Have Access to Full Fibre?

According to Ofcom, 20.7 million UK homes, or 69% of the total, have access to full-fibre broadband. This represents a significant increase from 17.1 million homes (57%) in September 2023.

Specifically, Ofcom’s Connected Nations report in July 2024 showed that:

Full-fibre coverage has expanded to 69% (20.7 million) of the UK’s 30.1 million homes.
This is an increase of 12 percentage points (3.6 million premises) since September 2023.
Full fibre is more prevalent in urban areas (71%) than in rural areas (52%).
Gigabit-capable coverage, including full fibre and hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) cable, has reached 83% (25 million) of UK homes.
Northern Ireland leads the way with 93% of homes having access to full fibre.

SpeedScore from Geekabit Wi-Fi Experts

With over a decade of experience providing connectivity solutions to UK markets, Geekabit saw how house buyers, tenants and hospitality customers are getting more tech savvy and starting to ask Estate Agents and Estate Managers questions about internet speeds and reliability.

Thus, we launched our innovative Internet Connectivity Measurement Platform – Geekabit SpeedScore.

This gives Estate Agents and Estate Managers a variety of tools to help provide an independent certification of internet speeds and connectivity. Ideal if you’re trying to make a sale by proving the speed and connectivity of a property’s internet.

Whether it’s a high end luxury property or the dream home of the average buyer, a clear, concise and accurate presentation of a property’s broadband could be the leverage to close that sale.

You can read more about SpeedScore here.

by admin14th July 2025

Broadband Fibre Broadband FTTP Full Fibre Ofcom

New Rules on Misleading Use of ‘Fibre’ Broadband

Ofcom, the regulator for telecoms and media here in the UK, are beginning the enforcement of new rules regarding how Internet Service Providers use the words ‘Fibre’ and ‘Full Fibre.’

ISP websites and contracts listing terms like ‘Fibre’ and ‘Full Fibre’ will only be able to do so if their service network actually brings their fibre optic cables into your home, under the new rules. This means FTTP, FTTH and FTTB services.

In the past, many ISP’s have misleadingly used terminology like ‘Fibre’ to describe a wide range of internet connection technologies. This has included hybrid or part-fibre solutions involving some copper wiring (like FTTC) or even services using wireless connectivity to cover the final part into homes.

These technologies can actually be a lot slower as well as less reliable than the more modern full-fibre (FTTP) services. It’s these services that take an optical fibre cable all the way into the home.

Network operators, ISP’s and consumers have argued about fibre descriptions for quite a while. And with the roll-out of FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) lines over the past few years, capable of multi-Gigabit speed, this has only increased.

If a consumer believes that they already have fibre, even if it’s only via a FTTC (VDSL2) line that is a lot slower, that consumer is more unlikely to consider upgrading to FTTP.

This isn’t the first time the distinction between ‘fibre’ services has tried to be corrected. The Advertising Standards Authority attempted a review, but it was ineffective. CityFibre also attempted a court challenge, but this also failed.

Then in 2021, GigaTAG (the Gigabit Take-Up Advisory Group) made a proposal to change several things, one of which was the clearer labelling of broadband packages. This was so consumers could better understand the differences between technologies, and this was successfully adopted by Ofcom at the end of last year.

As of today, 16th September 2024, the new guidelines for residential and small business services have been formally introduced and enforced by Ofcom. Better late than never!

It’s important to note that this doesn’t yet apply to advertising. Ofcom doesn’t cover advertising, as that is the remit of the Advertising Standards Authority. So let’s hope the ASA follows suit.

Ofcom’s New Guidelines on Fibre Terminology

The below are a summary of points from Ofcom’s website.

Providers should give a short description of the underlying network technology of each broadband product using one or two terms that are clear and unambiguous, such as ‘cable’, ‘copper’, ‘full-fibre’ or part-fibre’. These descriptions should be offered at point of sale on the website, and before the final purchase in contract information, and in the contract summary;
The term ‘fibre’ used in isolation is ambiguous, so it should not be used on its own to describe the underlying broadband technology. This would mean, for instance, that ‘full-fibre’ (or a similar term) is only used to describe networks which use fibre-optic cables all the way from the exchange to the home. Similarly, ‘part-fibre’ (or a similar term) would describe those services with a fibre-optic connection from the local exchange to the street cabinet and then usually a copper wire connecting the street cabinet to the customer’s home; and
Providers should give a more thorough explanation of the underlying broadband technology – for example through a link – so that consumers can understand in more detail what it means for them. This information must be provided in an accessible form that is easy to understand.

Underlying technology information should be given to consumers irrespective of how they sign up for a service. Under Ofcom’s new guidance, those signing up online will be given this information on the broadband provider’s website. Those purchasing a service over the phone or face-to-face will be provided with this information in the Contract Summary and in the contract itself. A Contract Summary with key information on the service must be provided before the customer confirms the purchase.

Ofcom have concluded that this is the most proportionate approach to ensure appropriate information is provided to consumers and reduce customer confusion, while limiting the costs of implementation.

9 Months to Welcome Change

Ofcom announced this change back in December of last year, giving ISP’s plenty of time to implement changes.

Thankfully, a good chunk of the telecoms industry, noticeably the more alternative full fibre networks, have welcomed this change.

But is it too late to make a difference? The terms ‘Fibre’ and ‘Full Fibre’ have long been dished out by ISP’s – Will the new change from Ofcom actually change the perspective of consumers? Years and years of misuse of these terms will mean that it’s entrenched in the subconscious mind of consumers – Can it be changed and will we see a positive impact?

Some ISP’s have already adjusted their approach to communicating their broadband services with consumers. Let’s remember that many if not most consumers pay a lot of attention to service speed and price, and less to what is seen as industry jargon.

One example of the changes being implemented is from Sky Broadband who have re-labelled their packages according to the new rules. Their broadband packages are now described as:

Copper (ADSL)
Part Fibre (FTTC/ G.fast)
Full Fibre (FTTP)

Who will be next?

by admin16th September 2024

Broadband Fibre Broadband FTTP Full Fibre Wi-Fi

68% of UK Premises Now Have Full Fibre Available

Full Fibre broadband is now available for 68% of UK premises.

Over recent years we’ve seen steady growth when it comes to the number of premises having Full Fibre broadband available to them, as you can see illustrated in the graph below.

However, when we look at smaller increments of time, some commenters are frustrated at the length of time it is taking, willing it to be faster. The increase from 67% to 68% has taken just over a month (34 days to be precise) which is slightly longer than the usual time we would expect for a 1% increase. To put it into context, the fastest 1% increase that has been recorded is almost half of this.

So does this mean that the speed and intensity of Full Fibre rollouts are diminishing? Are they a disaster and starting to slow down, rather than sprinting to the finish – A target of 85% coverage by 2025 and national coverage (99.9%) by 2030?

There are several complex factors that can account for the apparent slowing of Full Fibre broadband rollout.

Factors Affecting Full Fibre UK Rollout:

A large influencing factor for the latest % rise taking longer than expected is the overlap between the different networks, in particular nexfibre and CityFibre rollouts.
Another factor to consider is that not every % increase is the same – There seems to be an ebb and flow with Openreach and their rollout where we see a couple of mediocre months in terms of volume, and then a big month. It’s expected that Openreach FTTP will be increasing in volume over the next few weeks.
Remember that Full Fibre broadband availability is not the same as take up. Once it is available, providers obviously want customers to take it up in those areas. This means that some providers temporarily pause their rollout in order to spend time focusing on the take up.

Which parts of the UK have the least Full Fibre availability?

There are still many local authority areas that have low availability of FTTP (Fibre to the Premises).

The 10 local authorities with the lowest availability can be found below.

Local Authority	% Premises FTTP Available	% Increase
Na h-Eileanan an Iar	6.39	No change since 15/3/24
Shetland Islands	5.8	1.35 increase since 7/6/24
Isles of Scilly	9.49	No change since 15/3/24
Orkney Islands	11.94	1.11 increase since 7/6/24
Harlow District	13.7	0.01 increase since 7/6/24
West Dunbartonshire	14.74	0.71 increase since 7/6/24
Argyll and Bute	16.95	0.04 increase since 7/6/24
Perth and Kinross	20.31	1.22 increase since 7/6/24
Telford and Wrekin	23.31	0.35 increase since 7/6/24
South Tyneside District	25.27	2.48 increase since 7/6/24

Where in the UK has the best FTTP coverage?

Unfortunately, there is quite a gulf between the worst areas of the UK for Full Fibre (see above table) and the best.

The top area of the UK for FTTP coverage is Kingston upon Hull, with a whopping 99.75% of premises having access to Full Fibre availability. 77% of these properties even have the choice of two or more networks when it comes to connecting to Full Fibre broadband.

We’re excited to see how Full Fibre broadband coverage continues to increase over the coming months and years as the UK moves towards its target of 85% coverage next year.

We’d love to see more of the least covered local authority areas increase their FTTP availability during that time too so that even more of the UK is covered.

by admin15th July 2024

Broadband Broadband Speed Connectivity Fibre Broadband FTTP IoT Devices Superfast broadband Ultrafast broadband

Confusing UK Broadband Terminology Found By ‘4th Utility’ Survey

Internet Service Provider 4th Utility published results of a new survey last month, reporting that among the 2000 respondents there was a major lack of understanding of vital broadband terms amongst consumers.

4th Utility is an ISP who is currently in the midst of deploying a gigabit speed FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) network to large residential buildings and UK homes. Despite the fact that the term ‘full fibre’ is widely used and that the service is ‘being used by most UK households’, surprisingly their recent ‘Great British Broadband Survey’ found that just 1 in 5 residents actually know what that means.

What Does ‘Full Fibre’ Broadband Mean?

Just in case you’re one of the 1 in 5 who aren’t sure what full fibre broadband refers to, full fibre broadband means that your home is directly connected to the exchange using fibre optic cables.

Standard fibre cables are connected to your home via a street cabinet (so fibre cables from the exchange to the street cabinet and then different cables from the street cabinet to your home). This service uses older copper cables to connect to your home, which are an older technology and less reliable than fibre cables.

28% Have Adopted Full Fibre Network, Ofcom Says

Whilst 4th Utility claims that full fibre is ‘already being used by most households,’ Ofcom says differently.

Full fibre might be available to most UK households, but not all those who are able to adopt the service have done so. According to Ofcom, only 28% of households able to get a full fibre network have adopted the service.

Coverage is not the same as take up!

Is Broadband Baffling?

Despite the slight confusion about full fibre coverage and take up, the fact remains that many consumers are bewildered about broadband terms.

Some respondents said they still weren’t sure what full fibre meant, even after they had had it explained to them. 20% of the 2000 people surveyed said they weren’t sure whether they had the service in their home after having it explained to them, 25% said they didn’t have it and the remaining 45% said they did have full fibre in their home.

Let’s run through some of the other terms that the respondents found confusing, as well as their meanings.

What is Bandwidth?

Only 9% of the respondents knew what bandwidth means. Network bandwidth is a measurement indicating the maximum capacity of a wired or wireless communications link to transmit data over a network connection.

Bandwidth specifically refers to the capacity at which a network can transmit data. For example, if the bandwidth of a network is 60 Mbps, it implies that the network cannot transmit data faster than 60 Mbps in any given case.

What does FTTP mean?

FTTP stands for fibre to the premises and is a type of fibre optic broadband. FTTP is supplied by fibre optic cables from your local internet exchange — a physical location where network providers transmit internet data — directly to your business’s premises.

What is meant by ‘Superfast’ broadband?

Superfast broadband is a broad category of speeds, running from 30Mbps to 100Mbps. The faster your broadband speed, the faster you can download files, movies and games.

Superfast speeds usually reach homes via a part-fibre broadband connection, which uses fibre-optic cables up until the local street cabinet, and then copper phone lines for the final leg of the journey to your home.

Some form of superfast broadband is available to 97% of the UK from the majority of internet service providers, and in many cases is actually more affordable than slower, old-fashioned ADSL connections, especially if you happen to be out of contract on an ADSL package.

Some full fibre deals will offer superfast speeds too, but they come with the capability to boost your speed much further – all the way up to 1Gbps.

What is ‘Ultrafast’ internet?

Ultrafast broadband is generally considered any broadband connection that supplies 100Mbps or faster.

The telecoms regulator Ofcom defines ultrafast as “broadband which offers download speeds of at least 300 Mbps”. However, some providers that use the ultrafast broadband term don’t offer those speeds.

Several broadband providers use the term ‘ultrafast broadband’ to refer to their top-end broadband packages. However, providers use different technologies to deliver their broadband services to your home, and as a result the speeds they can offer also differ significantly.

It can sound confusing, but the general rule of thumb is, that if a provider is labelling a package as ultrafast broadband, it’s one of the fastest packages they provide.

The fastest broadband you can get might not necessarily be the fastest broadband available on the market. It might not even be the fastest broadband your next-door neighbour can get. If you’re not sure what types of broadband are available where you live, you can check to see what the fastest broadband in your area is with the Uswitch postcode checker.

What does Internet of Things mean?

Just 8% of the people surveyed knew what Internet of Things (IoT) meant. The term IoT, or Internet of Things, refers to the collective network of connected devices and the technology that facilitates communication between devices and the cloud, as well as between the devices themselves.

Key Findings of 4th Utility ‘Great British Broadband Survey’

Let’s take a look at some of the more interesting findings from 4th Utility’s recent survey.

What utility nightmare do Brits fear the most?

30% feared a boiler breakdown as the biggest utility nightmare
23% were worried about a water leak
13% were concerned about a total blackout causing utility problems
12% of those surveyed considered a broadband outage as a utility nightmare

Slow internet causing household arguments

20% of respondents reported having slow internet at least 3 times per month, and 1 in 3 said it happened twice a month. Over half of those surveyed (51%) said that slow Wi-Fi caused heated arguments in their household, happening to 3 in 10 people a few times a month, or more.

Over 50% of those surveyed said that they have broadband speed issues, with 14% of those saying it was a weekly occurrence. However, the root cause of those speed issues seemed to be challenging to identify, with 7% of respondents saying they thought that not turning their router off at night was the reason for their problems…

What do UK residents pay for broadband?

Of the 2000 people surveyed, nearly half said they pay over £30 per month for their broadband connection. 1 in 10 people said their broadband bill came to £50 or more per month. The average price for broadband per month was £33.52 for UK households.

Broadband Bewilderment is Nothing New

Here at Geekabit, we might be experts at all things Wi-Fi and wireless connectivity, but even we can sympathise with people getting confused over all the acronyms and terminology when it comes to broadband. It’s no wonder consumers feel a bit baffled.

It’s not a new problem, and it doesn’t help that those in charge (regulators and government) seem to like to change the definitions of things fairly often.

The threshold for ‘superfast’ broadband and download speeds has changed from 24 Mbps to 30 Mbps+ (to match with the EU). And with ‘ultrafast’ speeds on the scene, the speed of ‘superfast’ may be questionable anyways.

Many in the Wi-Fi industry think of ‘ultrafast’ broadband as being 100 Mbps+, whereas Ofcom defines it as 300 Mbps+, so no wonder consumers feel confused at all the jargon.

Often the best course of action is to look at what services are available to your premises, and then compare the advertised speeds from different providers. At the end of the day, even if you don’t know all the lingo, all you need to ensure is that you have an internet service that works, at the speeds you have been promised.

New Ofcom Guidelines to be Introduced Later This Year

Perhaps most annoyingly, some ISP’s use terms like ‘fibre’ broadband and ‘full fibre’ when it’s not strictly the truth. For example, using the term ‘fibre broadband’ to describe connections like FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) when it’s actually slower, hybrid-fibre connections.

Ofcom’s new guidelines will mean that ISP’s will only be able to use terms like ‘fibre’ and ‘full fibre’ broadband when their network actually brings fibre optic cables all the way to your home (ie. FTTP/B). These new guidelines should help make things clearer for consumers, and will come in later in 2024.

by admin15th April 2024

4G 5G Broadband Broadband Speed Fibre Broadband FTTP Mobile Network Wi-Fi

UK Broadband Speeds Vs The World – How did 2023 Compare to 2022?

Is it even a new year if we’re not looking back over the previous one analysing every little thing? What was done well? What could be improved upon? What do we hope the new yera will bring?

The tech world is really no different. We were interested to look back on how the UK performed in comparison with the rest of the world when it came to fixed broadband and mobile broadband (4G and 5G) speeds during 2023 and how that compared to the previous year.

How does the UK compare to the rest of the world when it comes to fixed line and mobile broadband?

If you’re here for the fast answer: In a ranking of the top fastest countries, the UK was 51st (a fall from 44th during 2022) for mobile broadband and came 56th for fixed lines.

You can see the full report over at www.Speedtest.net from Ookla. This service benchmarks internet connections from around the world by publicly tracking the data available.

Whilst it remains true that mobile and fixed line broadband can of course be affected by other factors within each individual connection (like slow Wi-Fi between the router and user device, local network congestion, package choice by individual consumers, the server performance of speedtest.net itself) this is also true for all the countries included so it shouldn’t be enough to affect the results significantly.

FAQ’s on the Data

When is the speedtest.net data collected?

The data is collected in November each year.

What average is used for the data speeds?

The figures are all ‘median‘ averages.

What is the main differentiator for speeds between countries?

The main differentiator for speeds between countries tends to stem from the balance between network availability and the take-up of faster connection types.

Countries will rank highest in the table when they have a high coverage of gigabit-capable broadband networks and/ or strong 5G mobile services (with plenty of radio spectrum to harness).

How are the UK doing when it comes to mobile and fixed line broadband?

Over the past year we’ve seen a consistently strong improvement in terms of the availability of faster fixed and mobile networks here in the UK.

It was recently revealed by Ofcom that 1Gbps capable fixed gigabit broadband networks had reached 78% (up from 70% in 2022), and full fibre / FTTP lines were at 57% (up from 42%).

5G mobile is now available from at least one mobile network operator in approximately 85-93% of UK premises (which is up from 67-78% in 2022).

What Were the Top 50 Fastest Countries for Broadband in 2023?

During 2023, across the world we have seen a continued improvement in fixed and mobile broadband speeds.

Unfortunately, despite big improvements in the UK in terms of full fibre and 5G coverage, we are still quite low down on the rankings compared with other countries who are seemingly able to improve their real-world performance at a faster (or at least similar) pace.

What’s the issue we’re facing in the UK? It could be partly down to the take-up of full fibre and gigabit-capable broadband lines in the UK. We are still in quite an early phase of adoption – Typically it takes 2-3 year for growth and adoption to stabilise for new networks.

You might be interested in what country came top for fastest download speeds for fixed line and mobile broadband. The tables and charts below illustrate the ranking of the top 50 fastest countries in the world for fixed and mobile broadband.

Fastest 50 Countries for Fixed Broadband Speed (DL) in 2023
Country (2023)	Mbps	Country (2022)	Mbps
Singapore	264.15	Singapore	219.57
Hong Kong (SAR)	263.07	Chile	219.34
Chile	248.65	China	203.5
United Arab Emirates	235.72	Hong Kong (SAR)	198.24
China	230.39	Thailand	196.46
Thailand	218.94	United States	182.63
United States	215.72	Denmark	174.67
Denmark	206.8	United Arab Emirates	166.53
Iceland	204.8	Japan	165.53
France	200.99	Macau (SAR)	159.8
Romania	191.36	Spain	157.31
Spain	189.37	Romania	155.07
Monaco	187.49	Switzerland	143.46
Switzerland	187.48	Monaco	142.03
Netherlands	177.88	France	139.73
Japan	170.29	New Zealand	134.19
Canada	165.67	Canada	127.54
New Zealand	163.16	Hungary	119.36
Macau (SAR)	160.52	Taiwan	119.03
Taiwan	157.55	Liechtenstein	118.07
Andorra	156.9	Netherlands	117.74
Kuwait	153.58	Portugal	116.57
Liechtenstein	152.22	Andorra	115.39
Portugal	150.45	Panama	110.96
Hungary	149.85	Kuwait	110.07
Panama	148.76	Norway	106.3
Israel	144.81	Moldova	105.22
Uruguay	143.06	Sweden	105.01
South Korea	139.83	South Korea	99.87
Brazil	136.92	Uruguay	97.48
Poland	133.35	Brazil	95.95
Sweden	127.33	Poland	95.59
Qatar	127.04	Israel	95.54
Norway	123.63	Luxembourg	93.95
Luxembourg	117.66	Finland	93.79
Colombia	111.65	Malta	92.27
Malaysia	110.8	Lithuania	91.5
Jordan	109.58	Malaysia	90.24
Moldova	108.2	Saint Lucia	87.67
Malta	108.19	Qatar	87.33
Vietnam	104.08	Colombia	87.24
Lithuania	103.26	Belgium	85.31
Finland	102.43	Saudi Arabia	85.1
Saudi Arabia	102.41	Trinidad and Tobago	82.94
Trinidad and Tobago	100.68	Barbados	81.92
Saint Lucia	99.96	Dominica	79.83
Ireland	94.62	Vietnam	78.87
Peru	93.52	Slovenia	78.81
Barbados	92.96	Germany	77.34
Philippines	91.08	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	76.86

Country (2023)	Mbps	Country (2022)	Mbps
United Arab Emirates	269.41	United Arab Emirates	138.82
Qatar	206.8	Norway	129.81
Kuwait	191.74	Qatar	126.03
China	164.14	South Korea	125.17
Macau (SAR)	155.75	China	113.5
Norway	146.02	Netherlands	109.45
South Korea	145.25	Denmark	109.29
Denmark	143.63	Bulgaria	106.88
Bulgaria	142.07	Kuwait	102.73
Iceland	139.52	Saudi Arabia	97.81
Netherlands	119.34	Brunei	97.37
Saudi Arabia	106.01	Australia	87.76
United States	103.69	Luxembourg	83.14
Australia	97.44	Switzerland	82.91
Bahrain	97.19	Bahrain	82.67
Sweden	97.07	Sweden	82.1
Finland	95.48	Finland	76.27
Croatia	89.51	Canada	74.77
Singapore	89.45	Croatia	74.35
Switzerland	89.45	Singapore	74.19
Canada	87.85	Macau (SAR)	73.67
Luxembourg	85.76	North Macedonia	73.62
Brunei	85.13	United States	72.34
Lithuania	84.8	Lithuania	67.1
France	82.6	Cyprus	66.33
North Macedonia	81.98	Taiwan	65.93
Austria	78.92	New Zealand	63.15
India	75.86	Portugal	62.19
Taiwan	75.77	Austria	61.25
Portugal	75.71	Hong Kong (SAR)	61.12
Greece	72.45	Maldives	61.09
New Zealand	72.32	Greece	60.57
Estonia	72.07	France	60.54
Hong Kong (SAR)	69.59	Belgium	59.68
Belgium	68.54	Estonia	58.59
Maldives	67.59	Montenegro	57.36
Cyprus	67.37	Germany	57.27
Malaysia	66.84	Slovenia	54.3
Oman	66.02	Malta	50.68
Uruguay	66	Oman	50.03
Germany	64.74	Serbia	47.78
Latvia	64.42	Suriname	46.09
Malta	61.03	Latvia	45.99
Slovenia	60.52	United Kingdom	45.57
Czechia	56.11	Slovakia	43.95
Montenegro	53.16	Iran	42.95
Serbia	52.41	Japan	42.93
Romania	50.95	Czechia	42.24
Albania	50.06	Hungary	42.11
Brazil	47.98	Romania	40.62

Performance Categories (Download)	2023	2022
UK Country Rank for Fixed Line	56th	56th
Global Latency – Fixed Line	9ms	10ms
Global Upload – Fixed Line	40.45Mbps	31.16Mbps
Global Download – Fixed Line	87.79Mbps	72.40Mbps
UK Latency – Fixed Line	13ms	14ms
UK Upload – Fixed Line	24.58Mbps	18.55Mbps
UK Download – Fixed Line	84.93Mbps	69.76Mbps

Performance Categories (Upload)	2023	2022
UK Country Rank for Mobile	51st	44th
Global Latency – Mobile	27ms	28ms
Global Upload – Mobile	11.03Mbps	9.05Mbps
Global Download – Mobile	48.47Mbps	33.43Mbps
UK Latency – Mobile	34ms	36ms
UK Upload – Mobile	7.24Mbps	7.33Mbps
UK Download – Mobile	47.65Mbps	45.57Mbps

by admin8th January 2024

5G AFC AI AR / VR Connectivity Fibre Broadband Gaming / Video IoT Devices Matter ML NaaS OpenRoaming Technology TIP OpenWi-Fi Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 7

The Wireless Broadband Alliance’s CEO Makes 10 Wi-Fi Predictions for 2024

The WBA (Wireless Broadband Alliance) has recently released their latest Annual Industry Report (you can read it here). WBA CEO Tiago Rodrigues has subsequently revealed 10 predictions about how wireless technology will be used by communities and businesses across the globe in 2024 and beyond – From improved connectivity to new consumer experiences.

What will 2024 have in store for the world of Wi-Fi? Here are the 10 Wi-Fi predictions made by WBA CEO for next year and beyond

Prevalence of Gbps, fibre broadband and Wi-Fi 6E/7 to increase

Moving forwards, speeds of 10 Gbps will become more prevalent. The deployment of fibre broadband will continue in most developed and developing markets. This will in turn create a need for home networks to make upgrades in order to utilise this increased bandwidth with their devices. The knock on effect of this will lead to a rapid adoption of Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7. The new ability to access additional spectrum in the 6GHz band will also drive the adoption of Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 as countries open the band.
Wi-Fi 7, gaming and video

With Wi-Fi 7 comes increased capabilities for advanced gaming, video content and immersive experiences. It’s forecasted that video game revenue globally could increased by 50% over the next 5 years. Network equipment will be as vital to gaming as the gaming rig itself. Wi-Fi 7 will be the driving force for the speeds needed as well as near-to-zero latency.New immersive experiences will see game developers breaking barriers. We’ve already started to see Wi-Fi 7 devices with Qualcomm chipsets this year and this will continue into 2024.
OpenRoaming, 5G and IoT networks

The growth of OpenRoaming is set to continue into next yet, extending further in order to integrate with private 5G and IoT networks. By 2026 it will have reached a critical point of exponential growth with the enabling of tens of millions of hotspots. PassPoint OpenRoaming deployments continue to rise, with more brands and identity providers recognising the value, enabling seamless connectivity across different networks.
Co-existence of 5G and Wi-Fi 6E / Wi-Fi 7

The integration of 5G services and Wi-Fi will progress, with the expectation that network engineers will deploy both Wi-Fi and cellular in the coming years. For example, using Wi-Fi 6E/7 for indoor, on-campus, fixed network situations and 5G in outdoor, off-campus, mobile environments. The Wi-Fi community is working to coexist with 5G, especially in identity management, authentication and policy management cases.
Network as a Service

NaaS is currently seen in managed Wi-Fi services in multi-apartment units and will continue to spread beyond these early adopters. Traditional enterprises will acquire NaaS for networks in cloud-first, software-defined, application-centric environments. Why is NaaS attracting customers? Because not only does it accelerate the deployment of devices but it also simplifies it. It also improves security with continuous security updates that prevent and reduce outages and breaches.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

The role of AI and ML cannot be overemphasised. Adaptive AI is predicted to rapidly increase on networks. Not only will it enable Automated Frequency Coordination, it will also be able to predict network resourcing needs. We will also see AI help enterprises and Internet Service Providers accelerate troubleshooting and streamline monitoring as well as proactively anticipating outages, equipment failures, and performance degradation.
Outdoor Automated Frequency Coordination and Rural Connectivity

In countries that have opened large parts of the 6GHz spectrum to Wi-Fi, rural connectivity will find success with outdoor AFC. The rapid growth of 6GHz low-power indoor (LP) devices with an average transmit power of 24 dBm is expected for indoor applications such as residential mesh, indoor public venues, and high-density enterprise networks. The adoption of 6GHz very low-power indoor (VPI) devices with 14 dBm maximum transmit power is also expected for short-range indoor applications such as AR/VR/XR, streaming, and gaming. Users of these devices do not require Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC).
Unified connectivity with IoT tech and Matter

Smart home users will transform their experience with new IoT technology, helping to unify connectivity across multiple devices within the home. Matter will also provide a reliable, secure connection across multiple device manufacturers. The adoption of Matter certified products is expected to grow exponentially in the next 3 years, largely due to the brands involved in manufacturing the devices, like Apple, Amazon, Google and Samsung to name but a few. This adoption of Matter enabled devices in the Smart home will further validate Wi-Fi’s role as being central to the smart connected home.
TIP Open Wi-Fi to rapidly increase

Community-developed, disaggregated Wi-Fi software system TIP Open Wi-Fi will rapidly grow through further pilot projects and trials in developing countries and price-sensitive markets. This is due to its cost-effectiveness and the benefits offered by an open disaggregated model. The more well-established WLAN vendors will also continue to try and be more cost-effective in these markets by investing in ML and AI as well as offering integrated Wi-Fi and 5G to enterprises.
Prevalence of augmented and virtual reality will increase in homes and workplaces

Our day to day lives at home and work will start to see a larger share of augmented and virtual reality. This in turn will mean that indoor broadband networks will be required to adapt and improve in user interfaces and network capabilities, particularly when catering for larger groups of users. By 2025, it’s expected that the metaverse’s economy will generate $800 million (and $2.5 trillion by 2030). Thus, big brands are investing in this technology as the universe of the future.

What does Tiago Rodrigues have to say?

“There has never been a more exciting time for Wi-Fi with technologies such as OpenRoaming more widely available than ever and addressing the challenges in areas including Guest Wi-Fi provision, IoT deployments and private cellular networks. The HaLow program is creating huge interest in low-power extended range Wi-Fi and we are looking forward to working with the Wi-Fi ecosystem to develop industry trials for Wi-Fi 7 during 2024.”

CEO of the Wireless Broadband Alliance

by admin21st December 2023

Fibre Broadband Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Speeds

Watchdog Bans ‘Fastest Wi-Fi’ Advert from Virgin Media

Is Virgin Media Wi-Fi really faster than its rivals like its advert claims? Touted as misleading customers, their advert making this bold claim has been banned in recent weeks.

Virgin Media claimed in their advert that they had the ‘fastest Wi-Fi guarantee of any major provider.’

Understandably, this ruffled a few of their rivals’ feathers leading to Vodafone making a complaint to the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority).

The watchdog agreed that the information presented by Virgin Media was misleading, by leading customers to believe that Virgin’s Wi-Fi was faster than that available from other providers.

Virgin were left feeling rather baffled by the decision, insisting that they did indeed offer a faster minimum speed (guaranteed) than its competitors.

The advert was supposed to communicate the message that Virgin customers are guaranteed a minimum Wi-Fi download speed of 30 Mbps. This guaranteed minimum speed is faster than the minimum speed offered by other providers. If Virgin customers find that their minimum download speed was not met, they would then be given a credit towards their bill.

In comparison to Virgin’s minimum guaranteed download speed of 30 Mbps, Vodafone’s equivalent is 10 Mbps. Hence the claim in their advert, albeit a potentially misleading one.

Despite Virgin’s explanation, the ASA upheld the complaint from Vodafone and agreed that the information presented in the advert was misleading to customers.

There is a subtle difference between ‘guaranteeing the highest speed and offering a guarantee which promised action by the advertiser if a minimum speed was not met’ which led to the ASA’s decision to ban the advert.

They weren’t convinced that the majority of potential customers watching the advert would have understood the actual meaning by the headline claim, but instead would assume it meant that Virgin offered (and guaranteed) they had the fastest Wi-Fi service of all the major broadband suppliers.

In the ASA’s eyes (and likely Vodafone’s) the claim was not substantiated, therefore leading to the conclusion that the advert was misleading.

Virgin were told that they could no longer run the advert, and were not to imply that they could guarantee that they offered the fastest Wi-Fi service of all major broadband providers unless of course that was the case.

Originally appearing on their website on the 3rd July presenting their Wi-Fi guarantee, Virgin further specified that it only applied to customers with access to fibre optic broadband and those opting for their M50 broadband package in which they offer an average download speed of 54 Mbps.

The guarantee was a promise to give the customer a £100 credit if they didn’t get at least 30 Mbps in each room of their home, following up to 3 Wi-Fi signal boosters to help achieve that minimum speed.

Virgin remained adamant that their customers would understand the meaning behind the claims in their advert and were both disappointed and surprised that the ASA ruled it as misleading.

Virgin insisted that they are not the only major broadband provider to promote Wi-Fi guarantees to their customers and even managed to support their claims that consumers understood the meaning of the advert with an independent poll reflecting that the majority did indeed correctly understand what was meant by the guarantee.

by admin21st December 2023

Broadband Fibre Broadband FTTP Openreach Openreach Advanced COnnection

Jan 2024 – FTTP Broadband Advanced Installs Launching from Openreach

From the 2nd January 2024, those ordering an Openreach FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) broadband ISP product will be able to get their new ‘Advanced Connection’ service.

This service will be leaving its pilot phase and launching fully on the 2nd January, providing an option for situations where installation is a bit more complex than usual.

Although this has already been implemented on other broadband products, this ‘Advanced Connection’ option from this operator is quite a recent addition.

This ‘Advanced Connection’ on FTTP lines has been piloted by Openreach since July last year, and is now ready to launch at the beginning of January to the wider public.

How much does an Openreach installation cost?

Did you know that an Openreach installation costs from £114.78+VAT? There are a couple of options available when installing a FTTP broadband connection..

Standard Openreach Installation

On a consumer broadband line, the Standard FTTP Openreach installation will generally cost a one-off price of £114.78+VAT*.

This only covers the basics.

Premium Openreach Installation

For more choice, the Premium Openreach installation gives consumers more options when it comes to the connectivity inside their home or premises.

Things like:

Router repositioning
Wi-Fi analysis
More extensive testing

These options help to optimise the connectivity.

This Premium option costs £154.78+VAT*.

What if it’s a difficult Openreach install?

The new ‘Advanced Connection’ installation provides an option for more complicated setups where a standard Openreach install isn’t an option for that property.

The cost of the new ‘Advanced Connection’ will cost ISP’s £289.78. As this is quite a significant cost, this is likely to be passed onto the customer.

This new option for more complicated Openreach installations is most likely to be useful for businesses and public sector users. The cost for these types of premises have a much higher connection charge.

Some homes that are particularly tricky may also benefit from this new ‘Advanced Connection’ option.

ISP Charges

As Wi-Fi engineers ourselves, we think it’s useful to know what the charges are to the actual ISP, so that consumers can better understand the costs that they then are quoted for Wi-Fi work.

Especially when it comes to an Openreach difficult install or people wanting to move their BT master socket.

* The price charged by ISP’s may vary to those quoted, as there are often discounts and other considerations. Some ISP’s offer the standard installation option free of charge.

What Are The Capabilities of the ‘Advanced Connection’ Openreach Installation?

Available from the 2nd January 2024, this new ‘Advanced Connection’ option from Openreach will offer wider capabilities compared to the Standard and Premium installations.

‘Advanced Connection’ Openreach connection benefits:

From where the Openreach network connects to the premises, up to 100 metres of internal wiring is offered
The option for more complex cabling for example, through multiple walls, or new cable trunking
Utilising existing horizontal or vertical cable trays
Ability to go through ceiling or floor tiles (that are accessible and removable)
Utilising in-situ structured cabling to provide the service
The option to connect to existing structured cabling in the building, with a preference for NTE (Network Termination Equipment) or ONT (Optical Network Terminal) install location, for example in the comms room
Where installs require more than the 100m of internal wiring that is included, an installation with Excess Construction Charges can be applied to pay for the additional work required

by admin11th December 2023