ISPA October Newsletter
5 October 2026
Step onto the red carpet at this year’s ISPA Awards!
You are cordially invited to the 28th annual ISPA Awards, hosted by comedy doyenne Desiree Burch.
This year’s edition of the popular event includes 16 revised categories that truly represent the width and depth of the internet industry. The winners will be announced on Thursday 26th November at Sheraton Grand London Park Lane hotel, with a limited number of tickets left on sale here.
We have seen a tremendous amount of interest from across the sector with a record 70 separate organisations participating this year. Find the shortlist here and network with the biggest names in the industry on the night.
ISPA Policy Updates
With Labour Party Conference now behind us, where Andy Burnham gave his first conference speech as Prime Minister, and the Conservatives meeting in Birmingham next week, the autumn is shaping up to be a busy one.
Following the machinery of government changes over the summer, the Government has now confirmed how the former Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) responsibilities have been distributed between the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Ian Murray, new Minister of State in DCMS, is responsible for telecommunications, digital infrastructure and Ofcom sponsorship, while Baroness Lloyd of Effra is Minister for Space, Cyber and Regulatory Reform, a joint BIST–DCMS brief.
Both the Government and Ofcom used Connected Britain to set out their priorities. Ian Murray outlined four: giving businesses the connectivity they need, affordable connections for all, building modern and resilient networks, and a globally competitive UK ecosystem. While Natalie Black sharede Ofcom’s three priorities are: driving adoption; strengthening security and resilience; and focusing on the consumer experience.
The future of TV distribution remains firmly on the agenda. With MPs from across the House recently debated the Media Green Paper, “Watch this space: a new strategic direction for UK media”, whilst questions arise of the future of BBC funding – and whether broadband providers should be part of that. This includes an inquiry report by a parliamentary committee, the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, calling for a replacement of the BBC licence fee with potentailly a household levy. The Social Market Foundation has gone further, calling for an additional £11 on top of broadband bills to replace the licence fee.
On cyber, the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill completed its Committee stage in the House of Lords on 7 September. The only amendments agreed were the Government’s own, though many of the withdrawn amendments are expected to return at Report stage, now scheduled for 26 October.
The Public Accounts Committee has published its report on the regulation of water, energy and broadband, following an inquiry which ISPA responded to. It concludes that the Committee lacks confidence that Ofwat, Ofgem and Ofcom are doing enough to support consumers struggling to afford their bills.
Comms Council UK has published guidance for communications providers on sharing data to help combat telecoms-enabled fraud. It was developed with the Home Office and Ofcom, with input from the ICO. Members are encouraged to share it with their networks.
Finally, the Government’s dispensations from building control approval for fibre installation came into effect on 1 September, and on 22 September, the Building Safety Regulator published guidance on notifying it of completed fibre optic cabling work in HRBs.
ISPA Policy
ISPA continues to work closely with MHCLG and the Building Safety Regulator to make sure the new dispensations work effectively for providers in practice.
ISPA has responded to the Communications and Digital Committee’s Call for Evidence for its inquiry into the effectiveness of the Online Safety Act (OSA) in improving online safety for UK users.
ISPA has also submitted its response to the Media Green Paper, with the aim of ensuring that the transition is phased and evidence-led.
On the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, much of the detail affecting members will be set in secondary legislation and guidance, including the definition of relevant managed service providers and who falls in scope. ISPA’s focus is now on engaging DCMS as these are developed and making sure there is sufficient time for meaningful consultation with industry. On the cyber front as well, ISPA is also preparing its response to DCMS’s Call for Evidence on the impact and effectiveness of Sections 1 to 13 of the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021, which closes on 12 October.
As always, please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions!
ISPA Partner Updates
As switching gets easier, every customer experience counts.
Nearly 3.5 million people have started the One Touch Switch process since its launch. For ISPs, this makes identifying and resolving poor in-home experiences before they become reasons to leave increasingly important.
Aginet’s TAUC platform gives ISPs greater visibility into the customer experience, helping teams diagnose Wi-Fi issues remotely, resolve problems sooner and reduce avoidable churn.
Discover how TAUC can support your customer experience strategy
Icotera at Network X
Icotera will exhibit at Network X in Vienna on 13–15 October 2026, along with our regional partner Normann Engineering (stand L62).
We will showcase our Baldur Fibre Termination and Sága Wi-Fi product lines, spanning our GPON and XGS-PON ONT devices and our Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 CPEs designed for ISPs of all sizes. Product highlights include zero-touch installation and self-service tools that cut support costs, vendor independence through the open prplOS platform, and high-performance, future-proof devices built for 10G broadband.
ISPA Members can get a free exhibition pass here
Your subscribers use Wi-Fi in busy smart homes, not controlled labs. Linksys Signal Studio, located in Reading, gives service provider partners a realistic setting to explore coverage, device interference and mesh placement before deployment.
It is also a space to work with Linksys on the connectivity challenges their customers face. Discover how Signal Studio brings testing and collaboration closer to the real in-home experience, and explore the possibilities for your next deployment.
Check out Linksys Signal Studio
VodafoneThree and Fibrus choose Negem PLEIO for new TV launches
A landmark month at Netgem: VodafoneThree and Fibrus have chosen Netgem’s PLEIO platform to supply their TV and entertainment services – with Vodafone TV launching today!
As the telecom market evolves, delivering exceptional TV experiences is essential to standing out. Netgem’s end-to-end platform empowers altnets and telcos to accelerate RFS conversions, lock in long-term customer stickiness, and reliably boost ARPU. We eliminate content delivery complexity, making TV seamless for both your business and your subscribers.
Ready to supercharge your fibre bundle? Talk to us today. You need TV – we make it easy.
Visit our website to learn more
ISPA Events
Date: Wednesday 4th November
Time: 10:30 – 12:30
Network Lunch: 12.30 – 14.00,
Location: Clarity, Zetland House, 5-25 Scrutton St., EC2A 4HJ
About the Event
For years, UK broadband providers selected network hardware primarily on speed, cost, and rapid deployment. However, as global geopolitical dynamics shift, the conversation around network infrastructure is changing profoundly. Today, digital sovereignty is moving out of abstract policy debates and into the everyday choices that service providers make about vendor provenance, technological autonomy, and supply chain integrity.
At the same time, customer expectations are expanding. Subscribers increasingly look to their broadband provider as the primary guardian of their digital safety. This puts the humble router at the absolute front line of network security, serving as the first barrier against unpatched vulnerabilities, weak default settings, and wide-scale botnet attacks. Coupled with changing UK and European regulatory frameworks around hardware transparency, provenance and trust are becoming essential procurement criteria alongside price and performance.
To explore what these shifting demands mean in practice, ISPA is partnering with Fritz! for an exclusive, member-led roundtable and networking lunch on Wednesday 4th November. Bring together product managers, network operators, security specialists, and policy leads from across the sector, this interactive session will examine how providers can navigate hardware transparency, meet evolving consumer expectations, and build long-term trust in UK network infrastructure.
Register your interest
Date: 18th November 2026
Time: 2PM – 3PM
Location: Online – joining details will be sent when your place is confirmed
About the Event
Digital sovereignty has moved rapidly up the political agenda. As geopolitical tensions rise and reliance on a small number of overseas suppliers deepens – across semiconductors, cloud and telecoms equipment – the UK government has shown it will act decisively where Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) supply chain risk is judged too high, as with the 2020 removal of Huawei from the UKs digital infrastructure backbone. That approach is now extending across sectors: the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, currently progressing through Parliament, tightens the same NIS Regulations covering energy, transport, health, water, data centres and digital infrastructure.
Fibre is now part of this same conversation. As the UK market matures, the discussion is shifting from network build to how that infrastructure is designed, sourced and futureproofed. The hardware layer – optical network terminals, fibre termination and access infrastructure – is dominated by a small number of full-portfolio vendors, mostly based outside the UK. That concentration offers simplicity, but also single-vendor dependence, fixed costs and reduced flexibility – and, in the current climate, a sovereignty question operators can no longer treat as theoretical.
In this context, ISPA is partnering with Icotera to convene a panel of operators, ISPs and technology providers to examine how the sector can build agility, sovereignty and resilience into the next generation of fibre infrastructure – spanning both the technical and commercial dimensions of these choices.
Register your interest
Partner Events
Women in Telecoms Meeting – 15th October, Vorboss, London
ISPA offers its members a 20% discount on the full membership of Women in Telecoms Group. Their next meeting is on the 15th October and everyone is welcome to join. The meeting will be an afternoon event at Vorboss’ offices, featuring guest speakers, drinks and nibbles.
Book your tickets here
ISPA is partnering with Smart Retail Tech Expo
Taking place on 11th and 12th November, you can get free tickets below!
Claim your free tickets here
New ISPA Members
Providing exceptional connectivity, affordable pricing, and customer service from a team that genuinely cares.
Visit their website
VacatAd Ltd operates a UK public Wi-Fi and advertising network in vacant commercial units. We install and run our own routers and captive portal, provide free guest internet access to the public, and sell advertising on the portal landing pages. We act as a genuine communications and media operator supporting beneficial occupation for landlords and agents.
Visit their website
Become an ISPA Partner
ISPA Partnership offers organisations the opportunity to connect, develop relationships and grow their visibility with our 150+ ISP member community.
The packages run over a 12 month period and include 4 in-person events (including our prestigious ISPA Awards), online thought leadership, marketing opportunities and various other deliverables that ensures your organisation grows its connections in the UK ISP sector.
To enquire about an ISPA partnership, please message our Head of Partnerships at krystian@ispa.org.uk
Our Partners