January started with a bang, with policy activity picking up in 2026. On the online safety front, there has been much conversaion in the media, industry and policy landscape over a potential social media ban for children under the age of 16. This comes as Australia has introduced its own ban. Following this, the House of Lords have voted in favour of a social media ban for under-16s,and would likely be secondary legislation to the Online Safety Act. An additional notable amendment also voted through for ISPA members is the prohibition of VPN services to anyone under 18, which would require VPN services to use age assurance. Should this become part of the OSA regime, platforms which do not abide by these rules risk facing business disruption measures such as blocking.

This comes as  Ofcom has committed to continue its ongoing investigation into X under the Online Safety Act (OSA) to determine whether X has failed to comply with its legal obligations under the OSA.  X had responded first by limiting Grok AI usage to paid users only. Following a further outcry, it has now introduced geoblocking for this use of Grok in jurisdictions where the sharing of such material is illegal, such as the UK. Secretary of State Liz Kendall gave a statement to the House of Commons on this topic, urging Ofcom to use its full "backstop power" under the OSA, including seeking a court order to block access to X in the UK, and to act swiftly.

We’ve also been monitoring the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, which has undergone second reading in the House of Commons this month. The Bill is set to be passed through the lower house, with the expectation of Royal Assent in mid-2026.  The new UK legislation modernises the national cyber framework, expanding regulated services, strengthening reporting, and enhancing enforcement, aligning the NIS regime more closely with the EU's NIS2 directive. The Bill now moves to the committee stage for finalising entity scope, penalties, and detailed security requirements, which ISPA will monitor and engage with.

ISPA has also met with the Minister for Telecoms, Baroness Lloyd, on 20 January to discuss the overall direction of the UK telecoms market and ISPA’s role as a constructive partner to the government.

Looking ahead, ISPA is set to engage in a forthcoming roundtable discussion with the Chancellor and Liz Kendall, the Secretary of State for DSIT. This meeting will allow ISPA to represent its members on two key topics: consumer pricing transparency and stimulating broader investment in the UK's digital infrastructure. This engagement coincides with the Government's request for Ofcom to conduct both interim and full reviews of the 'pounds-and-pence' pricing transparency measures introduced in January 2025.

Following industry pressure including from ISPA, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has launched a consultation on targeted regulatory dispensations for telecoms work under the higher-risk building (HRB) control regime and wider building control system. The proposals, due by 24 March, aim to streamline procedural requirements for: (1) drilling for fibre optic cabling (under both regimes) and (2) work on mobile communication masts (HRB regime only). ISPA views the proposals as broadly positive for reducing unnecessary burden. The HRB Working Group will discuss its response this Friday, 6 February, ahead of a call with MHCLG on Monday, 9 February.

DSIT is also consulting on new laws to grant leaseholders in flats the right to request gigabit-capable broadband, limiting freeholder refusal rights. This applies to residential flats only. ISPA's MDU Access Working Group will respond, advocating for expanding the scope to include social housing and commercial premises, and granting this right to all tenants and renters. ISPA is finalising the member-informed response before the 16 February deadline.

Stay ahead of the curve on all things policy and Parliament. ISPA members can subscribe to the ISPA Monitor, a weekly round up of the key developments in cyber, broadband and wider digital policy curated by our policy team.

As always, please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions!

ISPA Partners

Calix is honored to join the Architects of the AI Age keynote at MWC Barcelona this March, alongside other visionary leaders helping shape the future of AI. With over $2B invested, 14 years of innovation, and our 3rd‑generation platform already powering 300+ customers, we’re accelerating the future with Calix Agent Workforce - AI for everyone.

If you’re attending MWC, let’s connect - click below to reach out!

Email Aleksandra.Ciric@calix.com to schedule a meeting.

Click here for session details.

Voneus is bundling television with the help of Netgem!

Since launching PLEIO in November 2025, Netgem has announced partnerships with Connect Fibre, Brsk, and WightFibre. These providers are already offering PLEIO to their customers as a fully managed, white-label service.

In mid-January, it was announced that Voneus will be the next ISP to launch PLEIO — an exciting partnership that marks Voneus’ entrance into the television landscape and broadens the scope of its FTTP bundles and customer base.

Netgem PLEIO is helping ISPs across the country enable their customers to watch, stream, and play — with more to come!

Learn more about PLEIO here.

The evolution from Managed Wi-Fi to Smart Wi-Fi unlocks powerful AI-driven capabilities that optimise the online customer experience.

For service providers, this means happier subscribers, lower OPEX, and reduced churn. For consumers, it means spending less time troubleshooting connectivity—and more time enjoying what matters most.

Read the full article here.

Industry Insights

ISPA Partner eero releases Wi-fi 7 Operator Survey

ISPA Partner Genexis Announces NuFibre as First UK Customer for Elite HX30 Gateway and Home CX30 Extender

Insights with TP-Link – PON Deployment & Beyond: Solutions, Gaps, and What’s Next

ISPA Events

ISPA is partnering with Actifai to bring together senior executives to discuss the core metrics for sustainable returns and the commercial strategies required to meet the objective of maximising enterprise value in a consolidating market in the roundtable on 25th February. If you are interested in attending please reach out to krystian@ispa.org.uk for more information.

Join us at the ISP Summit 2026 on Wednesday 13th May, 9AM–6PM at The Minster Building, London EC3R 7AG for a day of insight, debate and collaboration across the UK internet sector. Through a series of keynote speeches, high-level panel sessions, and, for the first time, a multitude of interactive and in-depth breakout sessions, attendees will actively engage in discussions on critical topics shaping the future of connectivity and digital infrastructure.

Our 28th annual ISPA Awards will launch next week. As always, we’ve followed market innovations and trends to update our categories for this year. The awards ceremony will take place on Thursday 26th November and there are many opportunities to raise your company’s profile by participating or sponsoring the event. For more information contact awards@ispa.org.uk.

ISPA Members

ISPA welcomed UK Fibre Networks into our membership fold.

UK Fibre Networks, trading as Fastr Broadband is a York-based, independent broadband provider helping independent businesses and residents in York city centre with the fastest broadband they’ve never had. They’re considerately building our brand new, gigabit-capable, full fibre broadband network in the heart of the city, to connect businesses and homes to the future of broadband, so they can do what they want online, when they want, with as many people as they want.

Partner Events

Channel Live is back!

With MSPs and Resellers playing a critical role in getting the right technologies into every business across the UK, it's essential to bring the best people and companies of the Channel together.

Taking place on 10th March 2026 at Tobacco Dock in London, Channel Live 2026 has been designed with a community feel in mind and will provide everything you need to stay competitive.

Incredible brands are lined up which include: BT Wholesale, Giacom, NFON, ProVu, 8x8, Vorboss, Nebula, Wavenet, Tinkle, Access4, Sangoma, KASM and more. Plus, 3 thought-led conference theatres, one-to-one meetings, roundtables and a post-show social - there are limitless networking opportunities that you don't want to miss!

Channel Live is free to attend for MSPs, Resellers and qualifying Channel partners. Click here to register to attend.

Fraud Summit 2026

CCUK Fraud Summit, which takes place on the 15th April, brings together representatives from sectors such as telecoms and banking, as well as regulators, law enforcement bodies. Comms Council UK represents the second Fraud Summit, at One Birdcage Walk - an event which brings together representatives from sectors such as telecoms and banking, as well as regulators, law enforcement bodies, and civil servants to share insights on how to tackle fraud effectively.

Throughout the day, representatives from Ofcom, the National Crime Agency, Home Office, Trading Standards, and more will be joining our sessions and panels.

Tickets are discounted for ISPA members and include refreshments, lunch and networking drinks reception. Book your tickets here.

Partners of ISPA