The UK Government’s voluntary Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) Charter was first published in March 2026. Its 21 July update adds TalkTalk Communications Ltd, trading as PlatformX Communications (PXC) and formerly TalkTalk Business Wholesale, as a network operator and wholesaler signatory. The update is modest, but it is a timely prompt to revisit the commitments and the resilience of essential services.

At Connected North 2025, I moderated a panel on how councils are using AI—not in theory, but in practice. Councils are no longer waiting on the sidelines; AI is delivering real results today. From chatbots to automated triage in social care, local authorities are building affordable, effective tools in-house. But AI is only as good as the data—and data needs infrastructure. That’s why digital connectivity is now essential for public sector innovation.