Gigabit broadband remains top priority for UK councils as digital inclusion gains focus
16 February 2026
Consultancy firm FarrPoint has published its fourth annual survey of digital leaders at councils across England, Scotland and Wales, revealing that expanding the coverage of gigabit broadband remains the top priority for most local authorities, just as it was last year.
The report, UK Local Government Connectivity Survey 2026, found that most respondents chose gigabit broadband (1000Mbps+) as their number one priority, whilst getting 100% of their area covered by at least "superfast" (30Mbps+) connectivity continues to feature as the second-highest priority for councils, followed by the expansion of 4G mobile coverage. On the flip side, ensuring digital connectivity is aligned with net-zero targets has disappeared off this year's list of priorities. Project Gigabit aims to help extend gigabit broadband ISP networks to "nationwide" coverage (c.99% of UK premises) by 2032, focusing mostly on the final 10% to 20% in hard-to-reach areas. Some 89.6% of premises can already access such a network, with Ofcom forecasting between 91% and 97% by January 2028.
Find out more AI workloads set to exceed data centre capacity by 2027
13 February 2026
A majority of senior IT and data centre leaders expect AI workloads to outstrip current capacity by 2027, as demand grows faster than new infrastructure and power connections.
That is a headline finding from Salute's State of the Industry 2026 report, based on a survey of 200 senior IT and data centre professionals in the UK and the US. The study points to mounting pressure on operators as they plan AI and high-performance computing deployments whilst managing electricity constraints and a tightening labour market.
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UK Ministry of Defence signs Red Hat enterprise agreement for hybrid cloud and AI platforms
13 February 2026
Red Hat has signed an enterprise agreement with the UK Ministry of Defence that gives MoD teams and approved third parties central access to Red Hat hybrid cloud, automation and AI platforms.
The agreement covers core Red Hat software used across the department, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Red Hat OpenShift Platform Plus, Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform, Red Hat AI and Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization. It also extends access across the Defence Digital Foundry, a shared digital service capability spanning the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, Space and Cyber & Specialist Operations Command.
Find out more Cyber resilience in 2026: designing security for real-world behaviour
12 February 2026
Simon Seymour-Perry, CEO of Logica Security
One of the most persistent misconceptions in cyber security is the belief that human risk is primarily a people problem. In reality, it is a design problem and increasingly, boards, regulators, and threat actors alike recognise it as such.
Research consistently shows that the vast majority of cyber incidents involve human error. Yet most organisations continue to respond by increasing training, tightening policies, and adding layers of control. Despite decades of investment, why are incident levels still so stubbornly high?
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