BT Group Newsroom

Whisky, waves and wildlife: EE breaks new ground to connect communities on Islay

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 09:30:00 +0000

More than 100 kilometres west of Glasgow, proudly overlooking the vast Atlantic Ocean, lies Islay – the Inner Hebrides’ most southernly island. World-famous for its whisky distilleries, Islay is home to just over 3,000 people but regularly attracts hundreds of thousands more visitors every year from around the world, who come to immerse themselves in the island’s rich heritage, unique wildlife and scenic walks.

Despite being the fifth-largest Scottish island, with growing tourism and agricultural industries, some parts of Islay have never had any mobile signal from any operator.

Until now.

No more not-spots

As part of EE’s role in the Shared Rural Network, our team led the build and delivery of a new mobile mast designed to address a long-standing mobile not-spot on the west of the island. The new mast now serves the local community by providing fast, reliable mobile connectivity to residents, businesses and visitors across parts of Kilchoman, Machrie, Rockside, Aruadh, Ballinaby, Smaull, Braigo, Sanaigmore, Carnduncan, Grainel, Lyrabus, Gruinart and Craigens.

It also provides new 4G connectivity to 14 kilometres of roads, paths, and tracks – including parts of the B8018 and B8017 – as well as popular tourist attractions such as Loch Gorm, Machir Bay Beach, and the RSPB Loch Gruinart nature reserve.

The new site not only addresses one of Scotland’s most persistent mobile not spots but also:

Ensures greater resilience and support for emergency services across Islay
Helps close the divide between rural and urban areas by providing residents with access to critical online services like healthcare and banking
Improves safety for those travelling or working in remote areas, including seafarers and fishermen passing by and working near the island
Supports local businesses with improved connectivity

With all UK mobile operators now live on the same site, it also means the community benefit from greater choice over which network to rely on every day and improved resilience for emergency calls – without the need for additional infrastructure.

Better signal, brighter future

Research shows that mobile connectivity from a single EE mast can deliver between £740,000 and £1,054,000 for rural communities in Scotland over the course of its lifetime.

This positive economic impact will serve as an important lifeline for many local businesses on Islay, including the family-run Kilchoman Distillery – the first farm distillery built on the island in more than a century.

Islay Heads, General Manager at the distillery, is excited about how the new mobile connectivity will help the business thrive – opening up new ways to engage customers and generate revenue: “I think people on the mainland take reliable 4G connectivity for granted, but we certainly don’t. From a business perspective, our visitors are now able to post reviews and photos before they leave the site, something guests often forgot to do before, as they had to wait until they had a mobile signal. We can also now run live presentations and tastings from areas outside the distillery which allows more people to see how our traditional farm distilling process works.

“It makes our ability to communicate with suppliers and team members much quicker as well. In modern business, these sorts of efficiencies are important to our overall success as a local enterprise and international brand.”

An Atlantic adventure

Bringing reliable mobile coverage to one of Scotland’s most remote islands is never simple. Behind this important milestone for the community is a story of persistence, collaboration, and the kind of engineering problem‑solving that only comes from working at the very edges of the UK’s geography.

Having been part of the team that has delivered significant mobile improvements for BT and EE customers in almost 2,000 rural communities across the UK in the last five years, it’s a journey that Nora Kileen, Deployment Delivery Manager at BT, knows well.

“Islay is one of Scotland’s most unique places, and it certainly presented us with some unique challenges when it came to making this new mast a reality. We submitted our planning application back in late 2023 and whether it was the raging storms and strong winds in winter, securing the necessary wayleaves for a power supply, or navigating the transport of an entire tower, crane and crew of engineers to Islay via ferry, there have been multiple obstacles to overcome.

“We have always been extremely conscious of respecting the wildlife and ancient ruins dotted across the island too, so spent time carrying out important ecological and archaeological surveys. We even paused the build last summer to allow red-billed choughs – a critically endangered bird species on Islay – the space they needed as part of their nesting season.

“But with the support of our partners at Openreach, Mova and WHP Telecoms, and even more importantly, our ongoing collaboration with the local community and organisations like NatureScot, we’ve been able to make history and finally deliver mobile coverage to this part of Islay for the very first time.”

Connecting customers, communities and the country

Switching on our first total not‑spot site as part of the Shared Rural Network is a significant step forward for residents, emergency services and businesses alike. But our work on Islay is more than a successful engineering project: it’s a symbol of our ongoing commitment to connect even the hardest‑to‑reach communities.

More than 90 percent of the entire UK landmass now has reliable mobile coverage from our terrestrial network. From the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales, to Penmachno in the Welsh valleys and Scottish islands like Jura and Shetland, we’re proud to be delivering meaningful improvements for some of the UK’s most remote areas, ensuring that everyone - no matter where they live, work or travel - has access to reliable connectivity.

Photos courtesy of Mova

From not-spot to hotspot: EE delivers UK first for the people of Penmachno

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 13:21:33 +0000

Residents and businesses in Penmachno, a rural Welsh village in the valleys of Eryri National Park, are no longer cut off from the outside world after EE becomes the UK’s first operator to deliver mobile coverage to the community.
Until recently, Penmachno’s 600 residents were living in the ‘forgotten’ four percent of the UK that had no reliable mobile signal from any operator.
EE’s connectivity is now being used to improve safety for residents and tourists, provide access to critical online services, and boost the local economy.

27^thJanuary 2026: Residents and businesses in the scenic Welsh village of Penmachno are celebrating the start of a new, connected era after EE became the first UK operator to deliver reliable mobile connectivity to the community.

Situated in the Machno Valley, a few miles south of Betws-y-Coed, the village is steeped in centuries of rich history with a strong farming community and 30 kilometres of renowned mountain bike trails. However, its 600 residents were, until recently, living in part of the ‘forgotten’ four percent of the UK that is without reliable mobile signal from any operator. ¹

Living in one of the UK’s last remaining mobile not-spots left the community isolated for many years, with residents having to travel to nearby villages to make phone calls, struggling with organising home deliveries of food and medication, and left stuck with restricted access to secure online banking and other digital services.

That has all changed now. EE, with the support of Bro Machno Community Council, has discreetly built a new mobile mast at the edge of a forest on the slopes of the Machno Valley, providing fast and reliable 4G connectivity to the village, as well as critical signal for the emergency services as part of the Home Office’s Emergency Services Network. ²

“We’ve always been 100 percent behind the mast and that has helped our journey to where we are today, with a mast in the forest and signal for everybody,” said Daniel Tomos, Clerk of Bro Machno Community Council.

Greg McCall, Chief Security and Networks Officer at BT Group, added: “As part of our work to connect the unconnected, we’re going further and faster than anyone else to ensure every rural community in the UK has the reliable connectivity they need. There is more to do to completely eradicate the UK’s digital divide but our collaboration with the local residents of Penmachno is a shining example of what can be achieved when mobile operators and communities work together to tackle the issue head on.”

Connected and protected

Being in the heart of Eryri National Park means Penmachno attracts a lot of tourists, including hikers and mountain bikers. Residents David and Emma Dallimore, who regularly ride Penmachno’s mountain bike trails, believe the additional safety offered by reliable mobile signal will encourage more people to visit the area: “Safety was quite a concern for people coming into the area because there was no mobile reception. If people were injured, particularly if they were out riding on their own, there was no way of getting hold of anyone to help. The fact it is now safer is a very good thing for all of us.”

They are also excited about how the new mobile connectivity will enable them to use more sustainable technology, including a smart meter and EV charging point: “There are people that we know in the village that have got mobile reception for the very first time and are chuffed to bits. It’s important for mobile operators to come to places like this and offer what the rest of the country has, as it enables us to contribute and live and work in the way people in more urban areas can.”

Full bars under the stars

Paul Huckstep is co-owner of Benar Cottages, a local holiday-let business offering luxurious stays in 16^th century cottages overlooking the surrounding valley. The new mobile connectivity is having a positive impact on his customers, many of whom come to explore Penmachno’s forest and river walks, as well as its natural scenery.

“Now that we’ve got the mobile mast, it will make running our business easier. In the past we have had guests leave us negative reviews because of the lack of mobile phone service, but now all that has gone away. Guests can arrive, open their phones when they get here, find out where they are staying on-site, and keep in contact with everyone they need to,” he said.

Future-fit connectivity for future generations

The new mast in Penmachno is part of EE’s ongoing work to help close the UK’s digital divide so rural communities can thrive in the modern age and attract future generations to live and work in countryside communities.

Owen Davis is a father of four and has lived in Penmachno for more than 25 years. He said: “Having a mobile network here in the village is making an immediate difference to everyone who lives here, helping them feel that they have the same opportunities as other places. When I think of my family and particularly my younger children, it’s reassuring to be able to track them using tools like Find my iPhone and just know where they are, as we don’t want to restrict them when we live in such a lovely area.”

Owen is also a co-ordinator for Penmachno’s new Community Hub – the village’s old memorial hall which has been renovated into a vibrant and modern community space running events, fitness classes, and skills sessions for all ages.

He believes the new connectivity will also help support the local economy while bringing the tight-knit community even closer together: “One of the opportunities we’re exploring with the Community Hub is starting a monthly local producer’s market, for people to sell their eggs and fresh vegetables. The opportunity to be able to use the mobile signal to take online card payments will be a benefit to us.”

Research from analysts at Farrpoint examining the impact of mobile connectivity in Trawsfynydd, which is a 30-minute drive from Penmachno, shows that 4G signal from a single EE mast can deliver up to £383,000 in economic value to rural Welsh communities over its lifetime.

EE’s investment has seen it expand and strengthen its network in more than 1,800 rural locations across the UK in the last five years, including some of the most remote and hard-to-reach communities – taking its mobile coverage in Wales to record levels, with reliable signal now covering more than 90% of the country’s landmass.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors:

¹ According to Ofcom’s Connected Nation’s Report 2025, while 96% of the UK’s landmass has 4G connectivity from at least one network operator, the remaining 4% has no mobile coverage from any mobile operator.

² The Home Office’s Emergency Services Network (ESN) is providing mobile coverage for the emergency services in some of the most rural and remote parts of Great Britain. ESN will enable fast, safe and secure voice, video and data across the 4G network, giving first responders immediate access to life-saving data, images and information in live situations and emergencies on the frontline.

There will be a total of 20,840 new and upgraded sites to facilitate the coverage needed for ESN across Great Britain. This will include the current EE network of 19,795 existing sites which have been updated, as well as the construction of 1,045 new 4G masts (figures correct as of January 2026). Of the 1,045 new masts being built, 753 will be built by EE to support the existing network. The Home Office is also building 292 additional masts, known as the Extended Area Service (EAS). EAS is a critical part of ESN and will supplement EE’s ESN coverage, ensuring maximum emergency service coverage in hard-to-reach areas.

EE’s first 5G small cells go live, with capacity-boosting mini-masts now deployed at 1,000+ locations across the UK

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 09:00:00 +0100

Street-level mini masts, known as small cells, take advantage of existing street infrastructure to boost mobile capacity in busy areas
Latest deployments include the first 5G small cells in London trial
New 4G sites in major cities, towns and tourist sites including Cardiff, Dundee and Cumbria

EE has now deployed over 1,000 small cells across the UK, marking 400 new deployments over the last 12 months including its first 5G sites, recently installed in Croydon, London.

Small cells are miniature mobile masts which offer performance boosts in high-demand areas thanks to their size, which makes them easy to install on everyday street infrastructure including BT’s iconic red phone kiosks and digital street hubs, as well as lampposts and other furniture.

In the last year, EE has expanded its 4G small cell estate to towns and cities including Cardiff, Dundee, Luton, Norwich and Stoke-on-Trent, as well as continuing to improve capacity in summer hotspots like Torbay and Cumbria.

Elsewhere, EE’s first 5G small cells are also now live as part of a trial taking place in the London Borough of Croydon. Seven sites, including four along Croydon’s London Road – a busy thoroughfare lined with businesses, shops and homes – are now supporting the local community, seeing over 3TB of traffic each day.

EE uses advanced network analytics to identify specific locations which would benefit from the performance boost enabled by a small cell. It then works with partners Nokia and Ericsson to deploy the solution itself, reducing congestion and enabling customers to benefit from speeds of up to 300Mbps for 4G cells, and 600Mbps for 5G. EE is unique within Europe in combining licenced 1800MHz and 2600Mhz spectrum with unlicensed 5GHz spectrum in its 4G small cells, which helps to deliver excellent capacity and speeds. The new 5G cells in Croydon are configured with licensed 1800MHz spectrum for 4G and 3.5GHz for 5G.

Greg McCall, Chief Networks Officer, BT Group, said: “Small cells are an integral component within our mobile network, ensuring that even in the busiest places our customers have access to the full performance of the UK’s best network. To reach 1,000 deployments, including our first 5G sites, demonstrates our commitment to delivering unrivalled mobile connectivity to all four corners of the UK.”

Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon, said: “This is great news for Croydon – we’re delighted to be the first town in the UK to be trialling 5G small cells with EE, bringing the latest mobile connectivity to our borough. These 5G small cells will improve the network capacity in high-usage areas, giving faster download speeds for our residents, businesses and visitors.”

Lyca Mobile partners with BT Wholesale, levelling up connectivity, speed, and coverage for customers

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 14:36:00 +0100

Lyca Mobile, the world’s largest mobile virtual network operator, is partnering with BT Wholesale – giving customers access to EE, the UK’s number 1 network, as it targets a new phase of growth in the UK.

The move is part of Lyca Mobile’s strategy to build on its heritage of delivering reliable, low-cost international calling to target a broader value-seeking market by satisfying customer demand for cost-effective mobile connectivity built around three priorities: value, service and reliability.

The new partnership with BT Wholesale will mean that Lyca Mobile’s customers in the UK will gain direct access to EE’s 4G and 5G radio access network. EE was this year named the UK’s best network for the 19th time running by RootMetrics®, rating the network top for reliability, speed and accessibility. EE’s 5G network has availability in nearly every UK town and city covering more than 68% of the UK population, and its 4G network already covers 99% of the population.

As well as connectivity advantages, the customer experience will be enhanced through the full-service wrap provided by BT Wholesale. The partnership will also provide Lyca Mobile customers with future access to services such as WiFi calling.

Richard Schäfer, Lyca Group CEO, said: “The partnership with BT Wholesale is a critical milestone in Lyca Mobile’s strategy to target a broader section of UK mobile users with compelling offers designed to give consumers what they want from their mobile provider - which is quite simply cost-effective and high-quality services. Network performance has become a vital concern for mobile users in a competitive market. Through the EE network, Lyca Mobile customers will not only enjoy the low-cost services we’re famed for, but will be able to enjoy super-fast connectivity and improved coverage.”

Alex Tempest, MD, BT Wholesale, said: “This major new MVNO deal with Lyca Mobile reflects the ongoing importance of wholesale to BT and is testament to the high quality of service we provide to customers and the strength of our EE network – the UK’s best network according to Rootmetrics.*

“Thanks to this partnership, Lyca Mobile customers will receive access to EE’s 4G and 5G network, which currently supports data speeds that are around four times as fast as what they received previously**.

“The deal will see Lyca’s entire customer base move across to EE in what is set to be record time, with BT Wholesale team showing industry-leading capabilities in ensuring a smooth transition of an MVNO between networks.

“We now look forward to working closely with Lyca Mobile as part of this new long-term partnership and aim to provide the best mobile experience for customers.”

Earlier this year, Lyca Mobile announced a freeze on its prices until the end of 2023 amidst industry-wide rises, and has guaranteed EU roaming for customers across its plans. This provision will continue unchanged under its new partnership with BT Wholesale.

BT Wholesale is one of Europe’s largest wholesale telecoms providers and provides communication, collaboration and connectivity services to a range of partners. Its dedicated MVNO Team has many years of experience and supports over 50 brands, providing mobile services to almost 3 million end users.

Notes to editors

UK’S NUMBER 1/BEST NETWORK: Rankings based on the RootMetrics® UK RootScore® Report: H2 (July - Dec) 2022. Tested at locations across the UK with the best commercially available smartphones on 4 national mobile networks across all available network types. Your experiences may vary. The RootMetrics award is not an endorsement of EE. Visit ee.co.uk/claims for more details.

** Four times faster claim based on median download speeds of 58.5 Mbps (EE) and 14.1 Mbps (O2) reported in 2H 2022 by RootMetrics. Visit https://rootmetrics.com/en-GB/content/uk-mobile-performance-review-2h-2022 for more details.

Smarter utilities: How connectivity is bringing sustainability benefits to the water industry

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 10:11:00 +0100

With many parts of the UK currently recently experiencing scorching temperatures, last year being one of the driest on record and the impacts of climate change weighing heavy on us all, using our water sustainably is more important than ever. In this blog, Ashish Gupta, MD of Corporate & Public Sector at BT, talks about some of the innovations BT and the water industry are developing to meet this challenge.

Water. It’s our most precious natural resource and we all need it to survive.

But, climate change means both flooding and water scarcity have presented huge challenges over the past few years. Whether it’s taking steps to improve the UK’s flood defences or becoming more efficient with the way we use water, one thing is clear: we need to act now to protect our environment and natural resources.

According to the Met Office, last summer was one of the driest on record. And experts are predicting that drought conditions could return this year too. In April, a hosepipe ban was introduced hundreds of thousands of people in the south-west due to the knock-on effect of below-average rainfall last year, and a dry start to 2023.

During periods of drought, water sources such as reservoirs play an important role. They can supply water to our towns and cities and ensure the water keeps flowing, even when there are no raindrops falling from the skies.

So, ensuring they are working at full capacity and as efficiently as possible is a priority for water companies. And connectivity can be a big enabler.

Cutting Carbon in Nidderdale

One example of this is the work we’ve done with long-time BT partner, Yorkshire Water, using connectivity to help the business and the local community of Nidderdale in the Yorkshire Dales.

Nidderdale is a sparsely populated village, around 15 miles north of Harrogate. For many years, Yorkshire Water’s engineers have taken manual readings measuring water quality along the Scar House reservoir. This is costly and time-consuming for the water company and the resources dedicated could be better used elsewhere.

To tackle this problem, we worked with Yorkshire Water to install state-of-the-art IoT (Internet of Things) monitors on water courses feeding the reservoir, to help remotely monitor water quality. A new EE mast installed nearby provides connectivity for these smart sensors to relay data back to Yorkshire Water – where scientists and engineers use it to proactively select the best available water sources for transfer to the treatment works.

A key reason for installing the monitors is for sustainability purposes, which is an area which both our businesses are passionate about. For Yorkshire Water, better insights on water quality can have a knock-on impact on their carbon footprint. For example, by using IoT tech to monitor the temperature, weather, and condition of the moorland effectively, they can understand how much peat is in the water – and select water sources with better quality. The less peat there is in the water, the less treatment it needs. The better quality the water, the less time it will take to process; meaning greater efficiency for Yorkshire Water as it continues to provide great quality water to its customers – as it always has done.

The new IoT setup in Nidderdale is a perfect example of putting our purpose – to connect for good – into practice. And as an added benefit, the EE mast that has been installed is also providing 4G connectivity for around 1,000 local residents, small businesses, and holiday homes.

Using IoT to work smarter in Derbyshire

Another challenge faced by water companies as a result of climate change has been how to manage overflow of wastewater during periods of flooding; the UK experienced 825 raw sewage spills per day in the last year alone (Yorkshire Post, 2022). And AI (Artificial Intelligence) could help. Following our collaborative success in securing funds from the £200m OFWAT Breakthrough Challenge, BT has been working on a UK-first project in Derbyshire, in collaboration with Severn Trent. Essentially, we are working together to transform wastewater catchments by trialling new AI technology that can be used to predict weather conditions, forecast maintenance and most importantly, control waste flow autonomously. This in turn can help water companies prevent flooding and pollution of clean water sources – all through the use of highly secure data transactions.

As part of the trial, the AI technology will be deployed on Severn Trent’s pumping stations– operating independently, using monitors, and providing forecasting. The aim is to see if it can predict issues, such as storm weather conditions, before they occur. In tandem, Severn Trent will automatically have storage ready for any extra water entering the network, diverting it away from overflows and hotspots, and in-turn preventing issues like flooding.

This partnership brings together various partners from the industrial and water sectors, including Southern Water, South West Water, Thames Water, and Hafren Dyfrdwy, alongside global innovators Microsoft, Rockwell Automation, Blackburn Starling, 8power and the University of Exeter.

Managing water at its source in this way is a more cost effective and environmentally friendly approach, and our hope is that it can pave the way for a simple but innovative solution to a growing issue for water companies.

Connecting for good

These recent projects in the water industry are just two examples of how we can use tech to work smarter, benefiting both local people and the environment. After all, the climate pressures on our planet, and our natural resources, weigh heavy on us all: in businesses and communities across the globe. At BT, we believe technology can be a force for good – and that with the right innovation, it can help us play a bigger part in creating a more sustainable world.

To find out more about the innovative technology we are providing to the water industry please click here

BT launches Immersive Spaces: the UK’s first 5G-enabled, interactive simulation experience

Fri, 26 May 2023 09:37:00 +0100

New connected spaces provide fully immersive experiences by combining interactive, 360° video content – complete with lights, sounds and smells – compatible with Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and Extended Reality (XR)
BT Immersive Spaces simulate real-life environments for business and public sector organisations – including education, healthcare, retail, transport, tourism, manufacturing, construction and sport
Launched in partnership with Immersive Interactive Ltd, the 5G-enabled immersive spaces can help enhance learning and development, create consumer experiences and immersive corporate meetings
Cadoxton Primary School in the Vale of Glamorgan and Borders College in Galashiels amongst first customers, both introducing interactive immersive classrooms

BT today announced that it has launched immersive spaces for business and public sector customers – creating the UK market’s first 5G-enabled interactive simulation experience.

Launched in partnership with Immersive Interactive Ltd, BT Immersive Spaces simulate real-life environments within an internal or external room, or mobile unit – to create an interactive immersive experience.

The fully immersive rooms are connected to the EE mobile network, using cameras and HD projectors to bring 360° content to life across the space’s walls and floor. Inside the space, users can experience real-life or imagined scenarios in detail, and add interactive elements – virtually transporting themselves into simulated environments, augmented with lights, sounds, and even smells.

Each space comes with a content library of more than 3,000 computer-generated scenarios, real-life environments, games and training experiences. BT Immersive Spaces can be used for anything from training paramedics in a simulated, gamified roadside accident scene or hospital unit, to recreating fan experiences at a football match, important historical moments, or even a trip to a beach in Thailand. The spaces are also compatible with VR, AR and XR technologies to enhance the user experience.

Immersive Spaces offers use cases across a huge variety of sectors. BT is experiencing early demand for training and development use cases across education, healthcare, retail, transport, tourism, construction and sport – creating virtual experiences inside operating theatres, buses, warehouses, supermarkets, building sites and arenas. They are suitable for any business or organisation with a learning or development requirement.

Initial customers for BT Immersive Spaces include Borders College in Galashiels, Scotland and Cadoxton Primary School in South Wales. Both are using the technology to create fully immersive and interactive classrooms.

“The children absolutely love it,” said Hannah Cogbill, senior leadership at Cadoxton Primary School. “Their favourite one so far is life under the sea. We can't wait to explore more of the experiences and collections and then begin to develop our own content. We are looking forward to using it to support our children's development and progression of imaginative writing. But it will also be a great scaffold to support learners with pre-experiences that they might be nervous about – for example catching a train or going on an aeroplane.”

Construction students at Borders College, who have previously not had the opportunity to access large-scale inner-city developments for on-site learning, can now experience first-hand teachings of the construction environment using the technology. Students taking courses from engineering to medical and health and social care also benefit, as they can manage real-life scenarios and increase their understanding of working in each career path. This will include Electrical Safe Isolation, ambulance training and dementia training.

David Lowe, Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Sustainability at Borders College, said: “Thanks to this new innovative 5G enabled equipment from BT, there will no longer be a divide between the opportunities offered to rural and inner-city students. Our students will be able to learn from wide-ranging developments, which is incredibly important in helping them to navigate their career opportunities and understand where their preferences lie in this diverse sector. As lecturers, it will give us far more agility to update our courses as new practices and techniques enter the market, which will unlock a wider and ‘green’ range of skills among students.”

BT’s Immersive Spaces are the first in the UK to allow customers to edit and create interactive content of their choice. As well as a pre-populated content library, this includes the option to film, edit and even live stream their own videos using a 360° camera, supplied by BT.

Alex Foster, Director at Division X – BT’s business innovation team, said: “Immersive Spaces bring together EE’s unrivalled connectivity with the very best immersive tech – combining the real and digital worlds to create new benefits for business and public sector organisations. This technology has the potential to be a game changer for training and development in any industry. Putting the power of immersive content into the hands of customers allows people to experience learning in a completely new way that is targeted specifically to their needs – which can significantly improve information retention and problem-solving skills. It can also enrich remote sales experiences, add a new layer to gaming and sports, and transport people virtually to any location, anywhere, during any point in history.”

BT’s Immersive Spaces are fully supported by EE’s 4G and 5G network. With 5G, users can live-stream content from a real-life location directly into the BT Immersive Space. Where this isn’t possible, they can download content and store content over 4G or even fixed fibre.

David Salt, MD at Immersive Interactive Ltd, said: “The potential for immersive technologies is huge. Being able to interact with every surface of an immersive room, as well as enjoy additional sounds, smells and sensory effects, allows people to become truly submerged and virtually transported to new environments, as if they were experiencing the real thing. We are thrilled to be working with BT to bring this technology, with limitless potential, to businesses and consumers who can benefit from learning in a new, interactive way.”

BT provides customers with an end-to-end service – from building and preparing Immersive Spaces, providing 360° video equipment, right through to training and guidance on how to use the spaces, as well as 24/7 customer service support.

For more information please visit here

Our network vision – one year in and smashing our targets

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 11:11:00 +0100

Howard Watson, CTO, BT

In the future, your calls should never drop and your journeys – however remote – are never out of reach of a connection. This was the premise of our network vision, launched a year ago, which outlined how we will get there:

By 2023, new smart core technology powering our network,
By 2025, 4,500 square miles of new rural mobile coverage,
And by 2028, a 5G connection possible anywhere in the UK.

Our vision remains one-of-its-kind, underpinned by BT’s unique ability to fuse the best of mobile, Wi-Fi and fibre through an intelligent single core. No other network has the combination of scale, pedigree, or expertise to achieve it.

So how are we doing?

An unbeatable 5G network

We’ve smashed our first target on 5G, becoming the first operator to pass 50% of the UK’s population. We’re growing further, adding new sites every day while making sure that EE’s 5G has the mark of quality too. We’re also bolstering 5G in the nation’s busiest spaces: tourist hotspots, stadiums and university campuses. EE customers at Glastonbury took for granted their ability to upload their memories – but ask friends on other networks whether they had the same experience?

Lift the bonnet and you’ll see the real power of the network. Our new 5G core is now launched and will be fully live in 2023, as planned. We’ve successfully migrated the first customers on to it, a critical milestone. By embedding both our mobile and fixed core networks in BT’s private network cloud, we will deliver ever better customer experiences. These changes are critical to fusing the power of multiple networks and critical for the future launch of 5G standalone services.

Enhancing our award-winning 4G network

Want to coach table tennis over video? That’s just one of the thousands of ways that customers are innovating over our expanding 4G network.

4G is the bedrock of our current network and we’ll pass 90% of UK geography within a few years. We’re now at 86% and adding miles upon miles of it every month. In fact, we’ve expanded our coverage by more than 1,000 square miles over the past twelve months, through hundreds of new masts and over 4,000 upgraded sites. We’re partnering on many of these, working with national Governments to deliver 4G in places that have never before been connected. We’re on 27 of the 28 masts in Scotland’s 4G infill programme for example. And best of all, on any new site we build, other networks can apply to share it.

Industry leading fibre deployments

As a business, we’ll shortly update how many people are now able to take advantage of the £15bn investment we’re making into the gold standard of fixed connections - full fibre. Across the UK, demand for connectivity is rising: for access to it, for speed on it, for reliability within it and for performance over it. Fibre is the solution and we’re literally embedding our future connectivity throughout the highways and byways of Britain. Week in, week out. Best of all, expanding fibre strengthens our mobile network. Nearly 4,500 of our mobile sites now connect over 10Gb fibre connections, giving them ‘best in class’ performance, now and into the future.

Remaining the most reliable

Our customers want to know their phone will just work when they pick it up and that’s where we continue to lead the pack. Many networks are built to deliver peak speeds in a few areas. Ours is built to deliver peak performance more widely – delivering industry leading speeds to customers beyond just the busiest cities.

We’re resilient too. Last week, as the UK baked in record temperatures our infrastructure kept its cool. Our data centres, exchanges, routers and major mobile sites continued connecting customers’ calls - in some cases delivering life-saving connections – and our teams worked quickly to tackle any local issues where they arose. Like many, I’m concerned by our changing climate, but I’m also extremely proud of how BT’s infrastructure stood up to a fierce test.

No doubt we’ll face more challenges this year but we’ll always strive to keep everyone connected. Our eyes are on the promises we made last year, delivering a seamless connection wherever its needed, fueling innovation and being a major contributor to the UK’s economic growth.

We’re connecting for good and we’re just getting started.