ISPA scrutinises the TS Bill
Scrutiny of the Telecoms Security Bill continued this month, with the publication of the draft Statutory Instrument providing more detail on what is likely to be expected of members. We submitted our comments on the SI to the DCMS and will continue to press for changes.
ISPA is continuing to work closely with DCMS and members. We are working on a survey to better understand the potential impact on businesses of the strengthened security duties set out in the legislation, and our facilitating regular dialogue between members and government.
Members meet with Senior MP to discuss broadband affordability
ISPA was pleased to support Darren Jones MP to organise a roundtable on broadband social tariffs. Last month, Mr Jones introduced a Ten Minute Rule Bill calling on providers to introduce a 'social tariff' for broadband to bridge the 'digital divide'. ISPA was quick to engage with Mr Jones on this important issue which many ISPs are proactively working on. We agreed to keep Mr Jones and the new APPG up to date on the ongoing efforts by our members in this area and believe that the best outcome would be a market-led approach that encompasses a range of affordable products as well as individual, targeted and innovative ways of supporting customers.
ISPA EVENTS
Raise your company's profile - enter the ISPAs!
The annual 23rd ISPAs launched in February. The registration is now open for 12 categories - including the Best Ultrafast ISP, Best Consumer ISP, Best Customer Service, Best Hosted Service, Best Infrastructure Provider, Best Business ISP and Best Cyber Security. All entrants must register their entries with our testing partner thinkbroadband at https://ispa.thinkbroadband.com/ by 31st March 2021 and then submit the written entry form by 4th June.
For the full list of categories, registration details and written entry forms please visit https://www.ispa.org.uk/ispa-awards/ The winners will be announced in London on 4th November and tickets will go on sale in summer.
There are many sponsorship opportunities to partner with one of the categories and reap benefits throughout the whole year. Please contact awards@ispa.org.uk for more information.
Register for the ISPA Awards 2021 here
ISPA Awards 2021 sponsors
Find all information on the ISPAs 2021 here
ISP Customer Experience
New remote-working environment, increased demand, automation tools: How to rise to customer expectations in 2021
How do you make sure your entire customer journey is seamless, and delivers a top-quality service, at a time of increased pressures and higher customer demand? How have you been supporting your customer-facing teams in the new remote working environment? What best practice, tools or services have you implemented?
Join ISPA members to answer these and other questions through a panel of industry leaders and presentations on 25th March (2pm-3.30pm).
Confirmed speakers:
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- Michael Maltby, CEO, Jurassic Fibre
- Steve Leighton, CEO, Voneus
- John Irvine, CEO, WightFibre
- Jon Perkins, Director of Strategy, Zen Internet
- Anne Todd, Senior Solicitor, Macfarlanes LLP
- Shan Eisenberg, Chief Commercial Officer, Netgem TV
- Niall Robinson, Head of Global Channel Partners, Plume Design, Inc
Register for your free place here
ISPA PARTNERS
ISPA is delighted to welcome two new annual partners – CityFibre and Plume Design – who look forward to engaging with our members on their most pressing challenges. Please discover below the latest news from our key 6 ISPA Partners. From new products and services to insightful case studies and invitations to their webinars, you should find all you need!
Infrastructure Partner
CityFibre is delighted to become an ISPA Infrastructure Partner. As the UK’s third national digital infrastructure platform and with existing networks in more than 60 towns and cities, we provide wholesale connectivity to multiple business and consumer service providers, local authorities and mobile operators. Our full fibre network rollouts are well underway, with plans to pass up to 8 million homes and businesses with open-access full fibre infrastructure. A growing number of Gigabit City projects have been announced for full-city rollouts and we continue to prime our existing network assets for expansion.
Our established open-access approach is already creating opportunities for ISP partners to take an active part in serving the demands from consumers and businesses for full fibre connectivity, be it FTTP broadband or Ethernet. We’ve recently announced several new partnerships, both with consumer-focused ISPs and with traditionally business-focused ISPs who recognise the value they can bring to serving consumers. For each, we provide a dedicated and comprehensive programme of support that enables them to move fast and win new customers.
If you’d like to learn more about our full fibre proposition, please contact us through your ISPA membership or by emailing emma.goodwin@cityfibre.com.
Open Disaggregated Solutions Partner
The Importance of Automating your Test Lab
It's Open Networking Webinar Series
In pandemic environments like COVID-19, having a lab automation solution to remotely setup & configure lab networks is a key tool for business continuity. However the benefits do not end there, as a test lab automation solution reduces testing costs while at the same time accelerating the introduction of new products and services - providing measurable value to the business.
About this Webinar:
We will review how you can automate your hardware test lab so it can be managed remotely 24/7 from anywhere in the world via a novel, software-defined and non-blocking layer 1 switching matrix based on disaggregated switching platforms. Attend this webinar to get an overview of this highly innovative and cost-effective approach to test lab automation that uses commodity white box Ethernet switches to deliver a flexible and scalable VirtualWire fabric for software-defined test lab automation.
You will learn how to:
- Speed up time to service and reduce OpEx with remote software reconfiguration of your lab topology
- Reduce CapEx with commodity white box switches instead of proprietary Layer 1 switches
- Share test ports across labs to improve the ROI on expensive test generators
- Increase efficiency by sharing resources across multiple geographically diverse lab locations
- Mix media and port speeds to increase flexibility and reduce the need to buy dedicated ports
Who should attend:
Lab Managers from Service Providers and Enterprise who want to automate their test labs or who are interested in learning more about disaggregated switching solutions for test lab automation.
Our speakers are Krishna Khandavilli, Technical Marketing Engineer [Pluribus Networks] and Barry McGinley, Systems Engineer [EPS Global] joining us from San Francisco and Dublin.
We hope to see you there!
Fibre Technologies Partner
Our fiber optic closure has gained popularity and trust of our customers and deserverdly was named our Product Of The Year!
Following market trends and customer requirements we present a new model of FOBP-R fiber optic closure! Our superstar FOBP has been equipped with a fiber organizer which provides additional functionalities, including: flexible method of organizing fibers, installing a tube, storing extra length of fibers
Get to know more about our FOBP closure by clicking on https://news.fibrain.com/pobierz/517. We have also created specifically designed webpage of this product ➡ http://fobp.fibrain.pl ⬅ where you can find detailed technical information and new animation showing incredible capabilities of our closure.
Content Partner
British classics binge on Netgem TV - another UK first!
To get Brits through hopefully the last few months of lockdown, Netgem are delighted to announce they are now offering the new Acorn TV service from AMC group - available from today 1st March to the fast-growing number of ISP partners both on their off the shelf service and on the light-branded TV framework such as Origin TV or Community Fibre TV.
Acorn TV offers “British classics and beyond”: exclusive first-rate mysteries, dramas, and comedies from around the world. The service brings the very best from the past, present and future of British programming content to viewers, all in one place for £4.99 per month after a 30-day free trial.
With thousands of hours of commercial-free programming, Acorn TV exclusives and new shows added weekly, it’s safe to say that we’ve got your binging needs covered!
Finally, we don’t mean to brag but, much like Britbox in 2020, AcornTV is only available on Netgem TV and not yet on Sky, Virgin Media, BT TV or TalkTalk TV.
Infrastructure Partner
Channel Live Virtual Conference Programme - Upgrading the UK’s Digital Infrastructure
Openreach’s Director of Managed Customer Migrations, James Lilley, will be making a keynote presentation this week (March 3)to talk about upgrading the UK’s digital infrastructure as part of this year’s Channel-Live Virtual Event. James will be delivering a live talk from 10am on Wednesday, March 3rd, on how Openreach is significantly investing in upgrading the UK’s digital infrastructure from copper to fibre, and how the business will work with industry to meet the challenge over migrating over 15m customers and closing legacy copper services.
The Channel Live Virtual programme is a two day event providing an array of expert-speakers, discussions on vital developments challenges and what the future holds for the channel-focussed business sector, live, and participation via chats, polls and Q&As during each session.
You can find out more about the event itself, other speakers and topics covered here: www.virtual.channel-live.co.uk
All sessions are free to attend, anyone interested can click here to register: https://channel-live-2021-virtual.reg.buzz/openreach
Consumer Experience & Smart WiFi Partner
How an ISP transformed its business model and grew its customer base by 200% in six months
From WightFibre to Virgin Media, Plume is enabling ISPs in the UK, and around the world, to transform the experiences that they provide their subscribers through its award-winning cloud-based platform. Having recently received a significant investment to accelerate its speed of innovation and global presence, the company is well placed to support all ISPA members to meet their business goals when it comes to in-home WiFi and services.
US-based MCTV takes pride in the quality of experience it provides and was not satisfied with the volume of WiFi-related customer concerns it was receiving. The frustrations involved both WiFi-coverage issues and throughput. Determined to improve the customer experience, decrease call volume, and reduce truck rolls, MCTV set out to find a solution.
Plume’s cloud-based, Consumer Experience Management Platform, featuring whole-home adaptive WiFi, made it possible for them to address these issues and transform their business in just six months. MCTV is now known not only for delivering reliable service to customers, but game-changing, smart home experiences designed to improve, personalize, and secure their customers’ home networks.
Read the case study to find out how they did it.
ISPA MEMBERSHIP
ISPA welcomes Rymote to membership fold
For the hardworking businesses and people of County Durham and Northumberland, who deserve life-changing broadband, our full-fibre gigabit broadband products deliver fast, reliable rural and urban internet access services. Our mission is to unlock the full range of content and capabilities the digital age offers for the people of the North East.
PRESS COVERAGE
This month i News published our comments on Why you could be entitled to faster broadband than you realise, read the full story here.
ISPA Awards launch was covered by ISPReview.
PARTNER EVENTS
ISPA offers its members a variety of discounts for events that we partner with.
AI & ASI Expo London 2020: Plan Artificial Intelligence & Artificial Superintelligence Roadmaps for Economic Sectors’ Success - 10th March 2021
White Label World Expo - 9th - 10th June 2021
For more information and discounts please visit our website. If you would like to advertise your events here and on our website, please contact Michaela@ispa.org.uk