Latest news with #MaxTaylor
Daily Record
28-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Unlocking Scotland's digital potential with a new era of connectivity
We live in an age where digital technology and internet access shape almost every aspect of daily life. From staying connected with loved ones to accessing essential services, learning new skills, or running a business, being online is now woven into the fabric of how we live, work, and interact. While digital connectivity has made significant strides, ensuring every corner of Scotland can benefit from it remains a challenge – it now underpins almost every aspect of daily life. Whether it's applying for work, booking a GP appointment, studying online or launching a business, being connected is essential. In 2023 alone, 18,275 new small businesses were launched across Scotland*. Digital access plays a critical role in fuelling ambition and growth. Whether it's from the lively streets of Glasgow and Edinburgh to the far-flung islands and remote Highland villages, Scotland's geography is as varied as its communities, and this diversity means digital progress looks very different depending on where you live. With Scotland experiencing its fastest population growth since World War II** – demand for digital services continues to rise – but so does the need for solutions that reflect local realities rather than blanket approaches. Different communities with different needs There are stark differences in how communities are able to harness these digital opportunities. According to VodafoneThree, while some areas are thriving, others risk missing out unless support is tailored to their unique circumstances. What works for a city like Aberdeen may not be suitable for Inverclyde or Argyll and Bute. For some areas, progress means building new infrastructure; for others, it's about empowering people and businesses to get more from what's already there – whether that's digital training for jobseekers or better online access for families managing their health needs. Recognising this, VodafoneThree commissioned new research to investigate how digital connectivity links with economic and social outcomes, from employment and education to business growth. The research, carried out by WPI Strategy, shows that good infrastructure is only part of the puzzle. Real value, it says, comes when people have both the skills and affordable access needed to make the most of what's available. That's why VodafoneThree, the newly formed company, has pledged to invest £11 billion over eight years in what it believes is one of the UK's largest-ever private infrastructure projects – aimed at delivering what the company hopes to be one of the UK's leading network. It is set to provide nationwide 5G coverage by 2034, reaching 90% of the UK's landmass within three years – connecting city centres and suburbs alike. Projects like a proposed subsea cable to Shetland show that even Scotland's most remote communities are part of this vision. Max Taylor, CEO at VodafoneThree, highlights the importance of going beyond basic connectivity. He said: 'The findings in Scotland make one thing clear: connectivity is just the starting point. 'At VodafoneThree, we believe in a truly inclusive digital UK. That means fixing poor connectivity, helping communities maximise infrastructure, and working with the government to ensure our network investment aligns with the UK's social and economic renewal. 'That's how we make sure our network delivers for every community in Scotland – and across the UK.' What do the findings say about Scotland? Despite improvements in digital infrastructure, not every Scottish community is seeing equal benefits. To get a clearer picture, researchers assessed each local authority on unemployment rates, life satisfaction, productivity (GVA per hour), new business creation and education levels. Based on these factors, local authorities were grouped into three categories: Communities needing focused support According to the research, these areas underperform across key indicators and risk falling further behind without urgent intervention. Inverclyde is an example of an area in this group, facing higher than average unemployment (4.2%), the lowest productivity in Scotland (£27.10 GVA per hour), and over one in five residents (20.8%) without formal qualifications. Communities performing around average While 18 local authorities, including Dundee City, South Lanarkshire and North Ayrshire, are performing around average, the company said they have significant potential for improvement with the right support. Dundee City, for example, has above average unemployment (5%), below average productivity (£32.50 GVA per hour) and 17% of its population without formal qualifications. South Lanarkshire has an above-average rate of residents without formal qualifications (18.3%) but stands out with strong new business creation (1,115 SMEs started in 2023). North Ayrshire also faces challenges with unemployment at 4.1% and a high proportion without formal qualifications (20.4%), though it enjoys above-average productivity (£39.20 GVA per hour). These areas, said VodafoneThree, could benefit greatly from targeted digital skills initiatives and improved access. Communities with strong foundations The final group includes 13 local authorities in Scotland that are already performing well, but needing to prepare for future demand as technology evolves. Edinburgh leads with high productivity (£49 GVA per hour) and a low proportion of residents without formal qualifications (9.7%). The Orkney Islands combine impressive productivity (£46.20) with one of the lowest unemployment rates in Scotland (2.6%), despite their remoteness. Moray also excels with strong productivity (£42.80), low unemployment (2.5%) and high life satisfaction (7.44/10). Looking ahead to the future As Scotland continues to grow and evolve, so does the demand for reliable high-quality digital services. But as this new research shows, each local authority faces unique challenges and opportunities that demand localised solutions.
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Three brand to be axed for business customers following £16.5bn Vodafone merger
The Three brand is to be axed for business customers following the completion of the mobile operator's £16.5 billion UK merger with rival Vodafone at the end of May The combined group's chief executive Margherita Della Valle said the Three Business's customer base, which past the one million connections mark earlier this year, was much smaller than Vodafone's. She said the brand will be phased out over the course of the year. However, she insisted the company was committed to a 'multi-brand' strategy for consumers for the foreseable future with both names operating side by side in the UK. 'We see it as a positive,' she added. The merger between Vodafone UK and Three UK, creating VodafoneThree, was completed in May 2025 with a combined customer base of almost 29 million, making it the leading player in the UK. VodafoneThree, led by CEO Max Taylor, has pledged to invest £11 billion over the next decade to improve the UK's 5G infrastructure and network capabilities. Della Valle said integration was going well after the two businesses 'hit the ground running' in June. She said Three customers had benefitted from 4G speeds up to 40% faster after gaining access to Vodafone's network. The combining of the two networks to create the 'Nation's Network' will lead to the disappearance of 16.5 million sq km of 'not spots' - ten times the size of London - where customers previously could not get service. Announcing first quarter results for the three months to end June Vodafone revealed a 3.9% increase in revenues to €9.4 billion (£8.15 billion) Service revenue was up by 5.3% to €7.9 billion. The completion of the long-awaited merger with Three drove total revenue in the UK up 14.5 per cent year on year, to €1.93 billion. EBITDA earnings rose by 4% to €2.7 billion while operating profit fell by a third to €1 billion, largely because the previous year was boosted by the sale of a stake in Indian mobile tower installation company Indus Towers. Della Valle said: Today, we reiterate our full year guidance of growth in profit and cash flow. After two years of transformation and change, Vodafone is now well positioned for multi-year growth across both Europe and Africa." Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Daily Record
12-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Millions of Brits get free mobile upgrade as two major firms confirm change
Two popular networks are joining forces which could spell good news for millions of customers across the UK Changes to your mobile phone can seem like a daunting prospect. Brits might find it all too easy to get lost in the tech jargon, as word comes from your smartphone company that they are modifying an aspect of your device. However, millions of Vodafone and Three customers are set for one kind of boost that should be very welcome - an improvement in their mobile signal, as the networks, which have recently merged, unveils its £11billion grand plans. The firms are joining forces to create a platform called VodafoneThree, meaning it will now be the UK's biggest. In just two weeks' time, seven million Three users and its budget sub-brand SMARTY will see their services get better. This includes a 20 per cent average speed uplift on 4G for everything from surfing the web to texting pals. And that's not all. Wait just a few more months, and 27 mobile subscribers across both Vodafone and Three will start to benefit from full access to roam on each other's networks. This will be made available at no extra cost. This will get rid of dreaded "not spots" from parts of the country amounting to ten times the size of London. VodafoneThree has confirmed that its various brands will remain separate. This not only includes Vodafone and Three, but also VOXI, SMARTY and Talkmobile. However, Vodafone will be the only brand for business customers. "A new era of connectivity has begun," Max Taylor, CEO, VodafoneThree, said. "We will connect every nation, every community, in every corner of the UK. "We will build the UK's best 5G network with an unprecedented £11bn privately funded infrastructure project, laying the digital foundation for our country's growth ambitions. "Benefits for our 27 million mobile customers will start within months, with access to roam across both networks at no extra cost. "From big cities to small towns, and everywhere in between, our mission is to build the UK's best network." Along with the coverage boost, VodafoneThree reckons it will make its cutsomer service better. Within two years the company will open two new customer care centres in Belfast and Sheffield, bringing 400 sales and customer service roles back to the UK, alongside the existing call centres in Glasgow and Stoke. Other exciting developments we can anticipate are the beta trials on a "first-of-its-kind," space-based satellite mobile network that VodaFoneThree says it will launch next year. This will support the existing network build, eliminating coverage gaps in places that otherwise couldn't be reached. Lastly, even customers of other providers - such as EE and O2 - will be able to try VodafoneThree's network with a seven-day, free, eSIM trial. By simply scanning a QR code, customers will be able to try the network with the same phone and same contact details. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
The Guardian
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Newly formed VodafoneThree vows to create thousands of jobs
VodafoneThree, the newly formed leader in the UK's mobile market, is aiming to more than double its broadband business by 2034, as it pledged to create thousands of jobs and upgrade its network. Vodafone has become the fastest growing provider of home broadband since expanding beyond mobile services in 2015, and now plans to grow its customer base from 2 million to more than 4 million over the next eight years after the merger. VodafoneThree has deals in place with CityFibre and Openreach to target its services to customers, and on Thursday announced a new partnership with London-focused Community Fibre. The merger of Vodafone's UK arm with Three creates a business with 27 million customers backed by a pledge to invest £11bn over the next decade to roll out next-generation 5G services across the UK. However, the deal will also result in the closure of retail stores on the high street and in shopping centres. VodafoneThree plans to close some of its almost 650 retail stores on high streets and in shopping centres but create about 400 customer service jobs previously outsourced overseas. Three UK has about 290 stores, and Vodafone, which controls 51% of the new UK joint venture, has about 350 outlets. The overlap in many locations means that as VodafoneThree combines its businesses, an unspecified number in close proximity will be shut. 'There will be a consolidation [of stores] to neighbouring [Vodafone and Three UK] premises,' said Max Taylor, the chief executive of VodafoneThree, in a presentation. 'However, there will be no redundancies. Staff levels will come down over time naturally.' Taylor said that the company would not look to boost its customer base by considering a takeover of the troubled rival telecoms and broadband company TalkTalk. TalkTalk, which was founded by Sir Charles Dunstone, is the UK's fourth-largest telecoms group, with about 3.2 million customers. However, the business is struggling to stem a customer exodus and is facing financial difficulties, which has made it a potential takeover target, with BT and Virgin Media O2 having looked at the possibility of mounting a bid. James Ratzer, an analyst at New Street Research, said: 'We genuinely believe that almost regardless of the price, Vodafone is so focused on the integration of Three UK for the next few years that a TalkTalk integration would not be possible for them to take on.' Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion The £16.5bn merger of the companies, bringing together the third and fourth largest mobile operators in the UK, has been underpinned by a pledge to invest billions in extending 5G mobile coverage across the UK. The new company, which has about 13,500 employees, has said it will provide more than 99% of the UK with 5G coverage by 2034. The first £1.3bn of its £11bn investment will be made this year. 'I'm delighted that this huge investment is being made in mobile phone network infrastructure, better connecting people with families, loved ones and work by providing stronger, more widespread 5G coverage,' the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, said.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Newly merged VodafoneThree vows to eradicate mobile ‘not spots'
VodafoneThree, the newly-merged telecoms giant, has vowed to banish weak mobile phone signals across swathes of rural Britain by the year-end as it pours £11bn into 5G. The company, formed by a £15bn tie-up between Vodafone and Three earlier this month, vowed to fix 16,500 square kilometre of so-called mobile 'not-spots' over the next six months so people can get better phone signals. The area targeted for improvement is around ten times the size of London while bosses have also set a target of reaching 95pc geographic coverage and total population coverage by 2034 under ambitious plans revealed as part of the merger. Max Taylor, chief executive of VodafoneThree, said the tie-up would 'set a new benchmark for mobile quality' and encouraged rivals, including BT's EE, to follow suit. He said: 'For too long we've been languishing behind on the global connectivity stage and quite frankly the industry needed a change. 'This will set a new standard and it will be great for consumers and the country if the others follow.' Mobile network operators have come under increasing pressure from ministers amid concerns about patchy signal and misleading coverage maps. VodafoneThree has promised to invest £11bn in its 5G network over the next decade – including £1.3bn in its first year – as part of a package of remedies agreed with competition regulators. The company said the merger would initially help to tackle not-spots in rural areas as the merger brings together mobile masts belonging to Vodafone and Three into a single network. Three customers are expected to enjoy an upgraded service 'within weeks', while the remainder of the group's 27m customers will see the benefits in the coming months and years. VodafoneThree is also aiming to boost its coverage in the most remote regions through a new satellite venture. It will launch trials of the service, which will beam broadband connections directly to smartphones, within the next year – after inking a deal with Texas-based AST Space Mobile. VodafoneThree will continue to operate with multiple consumer brands, including Voxi and Smarty. However, analysts expect the company to gradually phase out the Three brand. It has already scrapped the Three brand for business customers, while Vodafone will be the only brand for customers buying both mobile and broadband services. Bosses said the combined company will create a major new challenger in the broadband market. It has struck a partnership with London-based broadband firm Community Fibre, adding to its existing agreements with BT's Openreach and CityFibre. The company has also pledged to improve customer service, opening new call centres in Belfast and Sheffield and launching a new policy dubbed 'Just Ask Once' that will allow subscribers to leave without penalty if they are not satisfied. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
