Salford, 10 August 2023: Mobile network services are being upgraded in Salford boosting speed, performance and coverage. There is a small chance these improvements may cause interference to TV received through an aerial such as Freeview, BT, TalkTalk and YouView. 

Symptoms could include intermittent sound, blocky images (pixelation) or loss of TV signal.

For residents who are affected by the upgrades, free support is available from Restore TV. Restore TV is an independent programme created by Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited (DMSL), an organisation owned by the UK’s four mobile network operators: EE, Virgin Media O2, Three and Vodafone.

Restore TV’s role is to ensure people can continue to enjoy free to view TV if mobile service upgrades cause TV interference. Restore TV reports to the Coexistence Technical Working Group, chaired by Ofcom, which monitors and advises on the programme to ensure free to view TV viewers’ interest are properly served.

The programme offers additional support for people who are 75 years of age or older, are registered blind or partially sighted or receive any of the following benefits: personal independence payments (PIPs); attendance allowance; constant attendance allowance or War Pensioner’s Mobility Support.

Ben Roome, CEO of Restore TV, said:

Quote

 

“We know just how important TV is to inform, entertain and provide welcome company. Restore TV exists to ensure we all can continue to access free to view TV as mobile services are improved across the country.”

“If you see new TV interference, we’re on hand to help you resolve the issue. We can send a Restore TV filter, free of charge, for you to fit between your aerial lead and TV or set-top box to remove mobile signals and allow you to watch free to view TV as normal. Full instructions are included, and we can provide further advice online and by phone if needed.

“In most instances, fitting the filter will resolve any issues, but if this isn’t the case, we may also be able to arrange a follow-up visit from a Restore TV engineer at no cost, depending on eligibility.”

 

Cable and satellite TV, such as Sky or Virgin, are not affected. However, viewers with these services, who also watch free to view TV through an aerial, can receive a free Restore TV filter.

Residents are more likely to be affected if they live in an area with weak digital television reception, have a TV signal booster and whose TV aerial is close to a mobile mast.

For residents in flats or communal buildings, Restore TV provides landlords or property managers with support to resolve the problem.

Any viewers who experience new interference to free to view TV should contact Restore TV on:

0808 13 13 800 (free from landlines and mobiles)

For more information, please visit https://restoretv.uk

S&A ACADEMIES TO OFFER PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND APPRENTICESHIPS IN TECH, SCIENCE AND BUSINESS ACROSS THE NORTHWEST

https://sandaacademy.com

One of the UK’s leading challenger consulting firms, which specialises in large-scale business, technology and digital transformation, is investing a further £1 million in its very own professional training and apprenticeships academies to create a Northern pipeline of talent to plug the UK’s professional skills gap crisis. 

The S&A Transform Group (The S&A Group) which was founded in London by tech and business transformation entrepreneur Darren Coomer in 2010, formally launched The S&A Academy today and will be headquartered in Manchester’s Spinningfields business and tech district, as part of the Northern Tech and Science Powerhouse movement. 

Coomer is no stranger to Manchester and the North West having spent much of his early tech career in the region. He went on to pioneer transformational CTO/CIO & COO roles in large financial services and insurance organisations such as LV= and the Co-op.

The S&A Academy will have three specialised academies: Technology & Digital, Science & Laboratory, and Business & Leadership. Each providing personalised professional training and apprenticeships as well as bespoke course creation and certification programmes for corporate clients. 

The S&A Academy will play a pivotal role in providing a professional skills training and apprenticeship pipeline across Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Yorkshire and Lancashire as the Northern Powerhouse and the rest of the UK. It will enable people of all ages to gain the professional skills they need to succeed in the workplace. Importantly, it will allow individuals to retrain and reskill, at the same time debunking the previously inaccessible university degree pathways to new careers in technology, science and business. 

The decision to launch three apprenticeship training academies comes at a time when the UK faces its biggest ever shortage of professional skills talent in these sectors. The UK Digital Strategy 2022 estimates that the digital skills gap costs the UK economy £63 billion per year in gross domestic product and that this gap is expected to widen. 

Coomer, said:

Quote

“Manchester and the northwest were the natural choice to headquarter the S&A Academy given our history of launching other businesses in the region. It was the world’s first industrial city and now Manchester is the driving force of the Northern Tech and Science Powerhouse. The UK tech sector finished last year number 1 as the leading tech ecosystem in Europe and also number 3 in the world, with UK tech valued at over $1 trillion.  The S&A Academies are strategically positioned to make a valuable contribution to the UK economy and the Northern Powerhouse by training the next generation of tech, science and business apprentices to maintain the talent pipeline to those fast-growing ecosystems.” 

The S&A Group, along with its parent investment fund Moorfield Holdings, had previously invested over £1 million founding another Manchester-based training provider, Credersi. They will now look to take their experiences of designing and delivering critical science, lab skills and tech training programmes, as well as expertise in business consulting to launch the S&A Academy. 

The new S&A Academies will be curated by digital and technology transformation czar Darren Coomer, a highly experienced and gifted CTO and CIO with more than three decades of cutting-edge tech and business experience.

Coomer has helped many boards navigate major business transformations, drive innovation and shift to customer-focused digital-first strategies, whilst all the time maintaining a clear focus on the need to constantly recruit and train new talent. He is credited with many large-scale transformations in global corporates, as well as launching pioneering products in Fintech and the blockchain/web3 world. Either as a founder/entrepreneur or on behalf of major corporations.

The three S&A Academies will consolidate S&A Group’s existing apprenticeship provision - which is licensed by the Education & Skills Funding Agency and regulated by Ofsted – as well as providing additional support to S&A’s growing consulting business. Collectively they will deliver specialist training and apprenticeships to corporate clients, as well as direct to educational authorities, aiming to recruit, upskill or retrain existing workforces as part of their talent strategies. 

Coomer believes the S&A Academy’s offering will be class leading in delivering modern, industry designed and highly relevant training across its chosen sectors of technology, science, and business. With each domain chosen due to the extensive industry leading expertise the academies will have access to, via its sister company, The S&A Transform Group, and their clients. Clients ranging in size from VC-funded companies to FTSE scale organisations in both private and public sector.

He, said:

Quote

“We built the S&A Academy to provide a future-proofed industry relevant professional training and apprenticeship programme that is commercially in tune with the real world and not a purely academic-led syllabus. It has been developed using extensive knowledge, expertise and experience, as well as detailed client feedback from many years of delivering business and technology consulting.”  

The S&A Academy professional apprenticeships and training programmes will rival any graduate scheme, by preparing new employees with actual  job-relevant skills, making them “oven ready” so they can hit the ground running on day one and seamlessly fit into the workplace environment. An S&A Academy graduate will stay longer and make more commercial sense than consistently using external contractors, agency staff or offshore suppliers. 

Coomer added:

Quote

“The recent closure of start-up growth network Tech Nation, which had incubated over a third of the UK’s tech unicorns, further reinforces the huge importance of developing our digital skills economy and workforces. By investing in professional apprenticeships in science, tech and business, we are by default investing and producing the next generation of professional careers with our own British talent. Both to address our current skills gap and to minimise our reliance on offshore labour, thus, creating a stronger UK economy and a more resilient workforce.”

Register My Appliance Week runs from the 23 – 27 January

Householders who own unregistered appliances could be putting themselves and their loved ones at risk of serious injury and death, warns leading accident prevention charity, the Royal Society of Accident Prevention and the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances.

The alert comes during Register My Appliance Week which runs from the 23 - 27 January. By registering a domestic appliance with the manufacturer, people can be informed of any recalls or safety issues as quickly as possible and reduce the risk of tragic incidents like fires and explosions.

To register your device, visit: https://registermyappliance.org.uk.

Ashleigh Martin, Public Health Advisor at the Royal Society of the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA):

Quote

"With such busy lives, it's only natural not to have domestic safety at the top of our to-do lists. But a simple action like registering your appliance as soon as you've purchased it can help prevent against unnecessary tragedies. By registering your appliances in a timely manner, you can be among the first to hear when there is a potentially life-saving product recall."

AMDEA CEO Paul Hide, said:

Quote

"We urge anyone with unregistered appliances – whether brand-new, a pre-used buy or installed a while ago - to register all their appliances so they can be contacted in case of any safety notifications, repairs or recalls. Most manufacturers accept registrations of machines up to 12 years old, and there's no need for a proof of purchase. It's completely free and easy to do – it's a win-win for keeping your home safe and possibly increasing the life span of your machine."

Vodafone has opened a new Edge Innovation Lab in MediaCity, Salford, in what is a first of its kind in the UK. The lab will support the development of Manchester and the surrounding region into a Northern digital powerhouse.

The Edge Innovation Lab at HOST, the Home of Skills & Technology, will offer the opportunity for companies, academics, software developers and public sector organisations to see and test the possibilities of the next generation in network technology - Multi-access Edge Compute (MEC).

Software developers and innovators in the Greater Manchester region will have access to these technologies in the earliest stages of development. This head start will create a global centre of excellence for real-time mobile applications in the region, supporting the growth of digitally-led businesses and industries in the area, as well as in the rest of the UK.

Nick Gliddon, Business Director, Vodafone UK, said:

Quote

“MEC enables the creation of digital services and platforms that would otherwise be impossible to deliver. The lab offers innovators the opportunity to experiment with next-generation technologies and bring to life ideas that could revolutionise the way we do business and deliver public services. It will place Manchester and surrounding region at the centre of the next stage of digital revolution.”

MEC technology enables real-time data processing at the network edge, allowing for the creation of low latency services that would not be possible on today’s traditional network infrastructure. This offers innovators in the Greater Manchester area an opportunity to be at the forefront of next-generation digital services.

By installing specialist servers either in Vodafone or customer facilities, applications are able to respond to command significantly faster. This time applications take to respond, known as latency, is a barrier for next generation innovations that require almost instantaneous reactions, or are powered by artificial intelligence. When combined with 5G, latency could be reduced to speeds faster than the human brain processes information.

Use cases enabled by MEC include autonomous vehicles, autonomous operations in factories, immersive augmented and virtual reality, remote medicine, cloud gaming and drone transport.

Vodafone has deployed Dedicated MEC servers at the Edge Innovation Lab and has launched a Distributed MEC zone in the Manchester area in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), as part of their AWS Wavelength Zone infrastructure. Vodafone will also showcase Mixed Reality and Visual Inspection services at the lab. Vodafone has partnered with Kyndryl to offer customers professional and managed services for dedicated MEC and wider cloud managed services to Vodafone customers.

Tosca Colangeli, President, Kyndryl UK&I, said: 

Quote

“We are excited, as part of our strategic partnership with Vodafone, to be supporting the Edge Innovation Lab in Salford and to use the facility as inspiration and co-creation for our joint customer engagements. We expect edge technologies to increasingly become an enabler of business outcomes; allowing end users (and machines) and industries including manufacturing, energy and retail, to reap the benefits of traditional cloud computing while gaining advantages such as reduced data latency, better data autonomy and enhanced security.”

This builds on Vodafone’s four-year partnership with HOST in MediaCity, where the lab will be located. HOST combines skills, innovation and start-up growth services all under one roof, with an inclusive community that supports businesses to learn, grow and succeed. It focuses on key sectors including data science, AI, cyber and immersive technologies so individuals and businesses can explore the pioneering opportunities available in these areas. HOST is also home to the UK’s Unity Centre of Excellence and Skills City’s digital Skills Bootcamps.

Mo Isap, CEO of IN4 Group, operator of HOST, said:

Quote

“We are excited to extend our partnership with Vodafone as they bring their Edge Innovation Lab to HOST in MediaCity, Salford. Our mission is to support and develop use cases in innovation with start-ups, scale-ups and established businesses, and this is the missing piece of our jigsaw, which connects with our Unity immersive and AWS cloud infrastructures, our Cyber Security Operations Centre, and now we have Edge computing capabilities. This becomes a unique environment for any company looking to progress and accelerate its innovation in the region.”

Alongside the launch of the lab, Vodafone is also running the Edge Innovation Programme 2.0.

Using both dedicated and distributed MEC technologies, the Edge Innovation Programme 2.0 will inspire the creation of innovative and futuristic services, products and applications. Participants of the trial will be able to “try before you buy” MEC services and will also receive a voucher for further discounts on additional services following trials and proof-of-concepts, as well as work alongside Vodafone network and technology experts to bring ideas to life.

Vodafone has already worked with more than 20 companies to trial new MEC services, including:

Aurrigo: Cambridge-based SME Aurrigo used MEC and Vodafone’s 4G/5G network to improve the safety and performance of its driverless vehicles, as well as enhancing security as data is not exposed to the public internet (more information here).

Sportable: The company’s ball embedded and wearable IOT technology captures every movement on the pitch, delivering real-time insights to fans, coaches, officials and broadcasters (more information here).

InterDigital: MEC can better support applications like ‘zero-defect’ manufacturing, to unlock huge benefits for the Industry 4.0 and smart factories (more information here)

Keyless: Keyless is a privacy-first biometric authentication solution that makes the authentication processes for digital payments faster. MEC makes real-time multi-factor authentication a reality for all end-users, meaning business and consumers can embrace seamless biometric technology (more information here)

It looks like LauncherOne suffered what Virgin Orbit describe as an "anomaly" during its ascent into space to deploy 9 small satellite's. 

What was to be the UK's first orbital rocket, took the skies attached to its 'mother ship', a former passenger 747 which has been modified to be used as a high altitude launch platform.

Launch was successful and it was reported that the second stage first burn was nominal, with Virgin Orbit declaring that the payload had achieved orbit, however the claim via a tweet was taken down once it was realised this not to be the case. The second stage was due to make a secondary burn but it is unknown if that burn was made or if it was the point of failure.

Sadly it seems that the rocket malfunctioned during a coast phase of its trajectory, resulting in the loss of both the rocket and the payloads it was carrying.

Virgin Orbit confirmed the failure via Twitter:

Quote

"We appear to have an anomaly that has prevented us from reaching orbit. We are evaluating the information."

There were muted cheers as Cosmic Girl made its return to the runway at Space Port Cornwall within Newquay Airport.

The cause of the failure has not been released by Virgin Orbit so far.

Weather permitting, history should be made this evening as Virgin Orbit sends a rocket from the underbelly of a repurposed 747 jet, into orbit.

Cornwall Space Port, tucked away in the corner of Newquay Airport, is the starting point for the operation which should take place just before midnight (9th Jan).

If successful, it will be a major milestone for UK space, with the first launch of an orbital class rocket from the UK.

Launcher One (The Rocket) will be slung under the left wing of Cosmic Girl (The Plane), then flown up to an altitude of 35,000ft, before being released before ignition of its rocket engine to loft 9 shoebox sized mini satellites into orbit.

Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit has so far has had success with four in a row launches from Mohave desert being successful.

The UK is already one of the worlds leading satellite manufacturers but has not had it's own launch capability.

Josh Western, CEO of Space Forge, said:

Quote

 

"For the first time, the UK has all the pieces of the jigsaw to be able to design and develop satellites, launch them from the UK and operate them from the UK."

 

Mobile networks are being improved in Salford boosting speed, performance and coverage. There is a small chance these upgrades may cause interference to TV received through an aerial such as Freeview, BT, TalkTalk and YouView. 

Symptoms could include intermittent sound, blocky images (pixelation) or loss of TV signal.

Free support is available from Restore TV.

Restore TV’s role is to ensure people can continue to enjoy free to view TV when mobile is upgraded in their area. It provides help to anyone experiencing interference to TV services caused by mobile signals. Restore TV offers additional support for people who are 75 years of age or older, are registered blind or partially sighted or receive any of the following benefits: personal independence payments (PIPs); attendance allowance; constant attendance allowance or War Pensioner’s Mobility Support.

Ben Roome, CEO of Restore TV, said:

Quote

 

“We know just how important TV is to inform, entertain and provide welcome company. Restore TV exists to ensure we all can continue to access free to view TV as mobile services are improved across the country.”

“If you see new TV interference, we’re on hand to help you resolve the issue. We can send a Restore TV filter, free of charge, for you to fit between your aerial lead and TV or set-top box to remove mobile signals and allow you to watch free to view TV as normal. Full instructions are included, and we can provide further advice online and by phone if needed.

“In most instances, fitting the filter will resolve any issues, but if this isn’t the case, we may also be able to arrange a follow-up visit from a Restore TV engineer at no cost, depending on eligibility.”

 

Cable and satellite TV, such as Sky or Virgin, are not affected. However, viewers with these services, who also watch free to view TV through an aerial, can receive a free Restore TV filter.

Residents are more likely to be affected if they live in an area with weak digital television reception, have a TV signal booster and whose TV aerial is close to a mobile mast.

For residents in flats or communal buildings, Restore TV provides landlords or property managers with support to resolve the problem.

Any viewers who experience new interference to free to view TV should contact Restore TV on:

0808 13 13 800 (free from landlines and mobiles)

https:/restoretv.uk

For more information, please visit restoretv.uk