Earlier this month, we went along to Connected Britain 2026, which brought together organisations from across the UK connectivity sector to discuss the future of digital infrastructure, from network deployment to the technology and operating models supporting it.
So, it was the perfect place for us to exhibit for the very first time in the Startup Zone. Because although it was the first time that many visitors had come across us, we also got to reconnect with existing connections and customers, built up over several years of developing XMP before its official launch.
The event also gave us insight into what the priorities are for the industry and those that work within it. A few months ago we had a look at the state of the telecoms sector in 2026 and Connected Britain gave us a chance to reflect on what's happened, and what's coming.
As is the case across every industry, AI remains at the forefront of many minds. Attitudes vary widely, as reflected in several of the talk titles and descriptions at Connected Britain, such as...
There were plenty more talks and discussions, landing on various sides of the debate around the potential dangers of AI, as well as the big opportunities it can offer.
Within the telecoms space, AI is already being used to support network automation (configuring and integrating networks more efficiently), predictive maintenance, resource allocation, and so on. It's at its most powerful when used thoughtfully and for a clear use case, saving time for telecoms workers and freeing them up to complete tasks that need a human.
At XMP, we are using AI to validate data capture more quickly for teams in the field. As part of confirming works have been completed correctly, engineers need to capture photos of what they've done. With AI-assisted verification, XMP's Smart Forms verify the photos and prompt the engineer to take another if needed. This avoids issues with unusable photographic evidence, saves time manually checking photos, and reduces the need for site revisits to recapture evidence.
For us, AI isn't about replacing the human, whether in the field or in the office. It's about making their jobs easier and reducing admin overhead, so they can crack on with using their skills where they're needed. And with net zero and reducing emissions a key concern, avoiding site revisits is a big plus.
In June, we looked at how operational complexity was and is a challenge for telecoms, as programmes scale and information ends up spread across multiple platforms and silos.
And this was a hot topic at Connected Britain too, alongside talk around modernising legacy systems and moving away from doing things 'how they've always been done'.
Recent years have seen big shake ups in the telecoms ecosystem, including the Vodafone Three UK merger and the acquisition of Netomnia's fibre network by nexfibre. These mergers and consolidations mean organisations need to integrate existing functions all while continuing their business-as-usual work without interruption to customers.
As an article in Broadband Journal puts it, telecoms is "the delivery mechanism for almost everything the government wants to achieve from introducing AI across public services, to strengthening the resilience of our health, energy and water systems".
And this is reflected in the fact that telecoms is now considered a critical national infrastructure under the Communications sector. A Critical National Infrastructure Charter for telecoms modernisation, signed by providers and operators like BT, Virgin Media O2, and Openreach, lays out the commitment to modernise telecoms, without risking connectivity losses.
All of this is to say that there is ever-increasing pressure within the telecoms industry. Not just to scale operations, but to do that alongside maintaining existing services and assets, and keep everyone across the country connected. Having the right tools and systems in place to support these ambitious plans is vital.
Want to talk about how our platform can support scaling your operations? Contact us today.