Orkney Islands become UK’s first location for drone mail deliveries

The Orkney Islands have become the first location in the UK to have mail delivered by drones.

The pioneering initiative, known as the Orkney I-Port operation, is a collaboration between Royal Mail and drone firm Skyports. The project aims to streamline mail distribution between the islands and improve service levels and delivery times for residents.

Working in partnership with the council's harbour authority and Loganair, Royal Mail will transport letters and parcels...

1 August 2023 | Drones

UK launches £40M fund to drive local IoT and 5G innovation

The UK is launching a £40 million fund aimed at enhancing digital connectivity and fostering the development of advanced wireless technologies.

Local areas nationwide will be empowered to create smarter and more connected communities, with potential applications ranging from futuristic farming to cutting-edge healthcare solutions, all made possible by the IoT and 5G connectivity.

Starting today, local and regional authorities can submit applications to secure a portion...

31 July 2023 | IoT

NAO: Smart meter rollout is going slow and over budget

The UK government's ambitious plan to rollout smart meters to all households and small businesses by the end of 2025 has faced significant delays and cost overruns, according to a report by the National Audit Office (NAO).

The report highlights that energy companies have only completed 57 percent of the £13.5 billion project, almost four years past the original deadline.

The NAO report also reveals that the estimated savings from smart meters amount to approximately...

15 June 2023 | Applications

GSMA Intelligence: UK is falling behind in drone innovation

A report by GSMA Intelligence highlights the UK's lagging position in the global race for drone innovation.

Commissioned by BT Group, the report emphasises the need for the UK to learn from international peers and implement recommended measures to ensure its leadership in the burgeoning drone economy.

The research, supported by BT Group, reveals that countries such as Japan, Switzerland, France, Germany, and Italy have made significant progress in developing their drone...

8 June 2023 | Drones

BT powers a UK-first medical drone trial

BT is using its network to power a transformational medical delivery trial.

The UK’s largest telco by subscribers has partnered with drone specialists Skyfarer and Medical Logistics UK to conduct the country’s first over-land Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) trial.

BVLOS enables drones to travel longer distances, cut delivery times, and reduce the costs involved in ground transportation over often-congested roads.

The drone trial – completed in the...

3 April 2023 | Applications

BT taps AWS Wavelength to kickstart ‘new generation’ of IoT benefits

BT is partnering with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to kickstart a “new generation” of IoT benefits.

The UK’s largest telco by subscribers will use AWS Wavelength – which embeds compute and storage services within 5G networks – to enable ultra-low latency applications.

Alex Tempest, MD for BT Wholesale, said:

“As we continue to build best-in-class 5G infrastructure for the UK, launching the AWS Wavelength service for our business and wholesale...

20 March 2023 | 5G

UK, Canada, and Singapore join forces to secure IoT devices

The UK, Canada, and Singapore are joining forces to improve the security of IoT devices.

In a joint statement, the governments of the respective countries noted the economic and social benefits of IoT devices. However, they also warned of the risks of insecure IoT devices not just to consumers’ own security, privacy, and safety, but also to the broader economy through large-scale cyberattacks.

Many record-breaking cyberattacks have taken advantage of the often poor...

10 November 2022 | Consumer IoT & Wearables

Bristol Temple Meads named UK’s first Station Innovation Zone

Bristol Temple Meads railway station has been named the UK’s first Station Innovation Zone.

Isambard Brunel’s station has been an icon of railway architecture since it was built for the Great Western Railway in 1840. Around 10 million passengers continue to use the station every year, a testament to Brunel’s lasting impact on the city of Bristol.

To continue serving passengers for centuries to come, Temple Meads will have to adopt new technologies that improve the...

17 October 2022 | Applications

Uber begins testing bus and train bookings in the UK

Uber has begun testing a feature that allows UK citizens to book rail and bus transport.

By allowing users to book alternative transport types at the same time as their traditional car rides, Uber hopes to become a one-stop shop for journeys.

"We’re excited to launch our new travel offering this summer, allowing a seamless door-to-door travel experience across the UK," said Andrew Brem, GM of Uber UK, in a statement.

For the feature, Uber has teamed up with...

3 August 2022 | Applications

IoT drives rapid growth in UK digital healthcare

The NHS is suffering with a huge backlog of elective procedures due to the pandemic. This means that the share of individuals who are satisfied with the quality of NHS care has fallen to around 71%, and only 53% are satisfied with how the healthcare service runs today.

The good news is that the government is focused on investing more in our healthcare services and healthcare technology, in particular, is being prioritised....

12 July 2022 | Healthcare