Furze Farm near Horton-cum-Studley has been listed for £1.95 million by Savills, with the agents highlighting its “very accessible location” between Oxford, Thame and Bicester.

Grace Gardiner of Savills rural agency team said: “Furze Farm is a great arable farm with plenty of opportunities to generate a diversified income.

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“The farmhouse sits at the centre within mature lawned gardens, beyond which there are various farm buildings, commercial storage units, commercial offices and a 48 kWh solar PV array with Feed-in-Tariff.

“The land extends to around 109 acres, encompassing arable, pasture and woodland.”

Furze Farm in Oxfordshire is set over 109 acres (Image: Savills)

The four-bedroom farmhouse was built by the current owners in 1996, constructed using red brick under a tile roof and approached via a private driveway.

It has a pond as well as a stone Ha-Ha and a summerhouse for entertaining.

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There is 68 acres of arable land, 17 acres of pasture land, 20 acres of woodland area and four acres of miscellaneous areas.

Farm buildings include a grain store and a dryer, with a capacity of approximately 500 tonnes, as well as a workshop, lean-to, tractor shed, machinery shed and building currently used as container storage.

It features commercial offices which are currently let as two office units to tenants occupying on licence agreements.

Vodafone has agreed to take sole ownership of VodafoneThree. The move follows the merger of Vodafone UK and Three UK and comes as the combined operator continues to implement remedies tied to competition approval.

James Gray, Managing Director of Graystone Strategy, said the transaction gives Vodafone control of the business through a £4.3 billion share deal with CK Hutchison. The change was widely expected, he added, given Vodafone’s group structure and its position in the joint venture.

The development comes at a sensitive time for the UK mobile market. Regulators approved the combination of the two operators subject to a series of conditions, including £11 billion of network investment over eight years, the continuation of certain lower-cost tariffs for three years, and the introduction of a regulated wholesale reference offer for mobile virtual network operators.

Wholesale access

That wholesale reference offer has been one of the most closely watched measures for smaller telecoms brands and potential new entrants. It created a structured wholesale deal that interested parties could request from Vodafone, providing a more formal route into the market for businesses that want to sell mobile services using another operator’s infrastructure.

Gray said the ownership change was unlikely to alter the Competition and Markets Authority’s earlier judgment. “My gut feel, based on what I’ve seen this morning, is probably not. Because all that’s happened is the structure has changed of the trading brand,” said Gray.

He added that VodafoneThree must submit an independent report after its first year showing what had changed and how the wholesale reference offer was working.

Competition impact

Debate around the merger has centred on whether reducing the number of network owners in the UK would weaken competition. Gray said the effect so far appeared limited, although he noted the merger was still at an early stage.

“I don’t think competition has been materially impacted by the merger, although to be fair the merger is still relatively young as mergers go,” said Gray.

He pointed to the fact that Vodafone and Three still trade as separate brands, leaving consumers with what appears to be a four-brand market even though two of those brands now sit under the same ownership structure. He also said there had been no significant rise in mobile bills so far.

In the MVNO market, however, both Gray and Mike Mills, Managing Director, Service Provider, at Gamma Communications, described a noticeable increase in activity. Mills said Gamma was seeing sharply higher interest, while Gray said more brands appeared to be exploring launches in the UK.

Among the names mentioned were Monzo and Klarna, which have signalled plans in the sector, and Revolut, which has already launched. Gray also referred to smaller brands entering the market, including Zim, Tech Money and Rocket.

Network rollout

Another key test for VodafoneThree is whether it can deliver the network investment promised as part of the merger approval. Gray said specific rollout targets were attached to the £11 billion spending commitment and that failure to meet them could extend some of the remedies.

Both speakers said they had seen signs of improving coverage. Gray said consumers on Vodafone and Three appeared to be getting better service as the operator used multi-operator core network technology to allow roaming between sites inherited from the two businesses.

“Again, speaking as a consumer on the Vodafone network as it happens, I’ve seen improvements, there’s no doubt about that,” added Gray.

Mills also said he had observed stronger local coverage and argued that VodafoneThree appeared to be carrying out the integration work it had set out to do. He added that the business had kept its MVNO operation focused during a complex merger involving both technology and organisational change.

Gray said the scale of the work should not be underestimated because it extends beyond radio networks into operational and business support systems, as well as brand integration.

Busy market

Much of the discussion focused on how the wholesale market has developed since the merger. Mills said the UK market was as dynamic as he had seen it in a decade, with activity spanning financial services, alternative network providers and brands targeting different age and income groups.

Gray shared that view and pointed to wider market forecasts. Research suggests the global MVNO market could reach USD $155 billion by 2031, with Europe accounting for USD $65 billion, he said.

He said alternative network providers had a clear rationale for launching mobile offers because they could sell more services to existing broadband customers. Retail was another area drawing attention, with Tesco Mobile cited as the UK’s largest MVNO at about five million customers and Lidl highlighted as a retailer that had discussed expansion across multiple territories.

Gray argued that retail mobile offers were becoming more closely tied to loyalty schemes, making them more relevant to a grocer’s core business. That could increase interest among major supermarket groups competing for share in a tough consumer market, he said.

Financial technology groups are also testing the model, helped by wider adoption of eSIM. Gray said that allows brands to add mobile services to a digital customer journey with very little friction, making travel SIM products an obvious starting point.

He said Revolut had been successful in that area before moving into local mobile offers, but added that it was too early to judge the long-term strength of the trend in more developed European markets.

Looking ahead, Gray said he expected more large consumer brands to enter the market because wholesale access had become easier and consumers were less attached to traditional network operators than in the past. “I would be very surprised if we didn’t see at least one of the big grocers come to market,” he said.

 

NSSLGlobal is providing satellite communications support for the Full Circle veterans’ sailing expedition around the UK. The voyage is carrying the Invictus Games Birmingham 2027 flag on a 2,000-nautical-mile route.

NSSLGlobal has equipped the tall ships Pellew and Spirit of Falmouth with broadband satellite connectivity and handheld satellite voice phones for emergencies. It is also providing installation, crew training and round-the-clock technical support throughout the journey.

Organised by Turn to Starboard and Full Circle, the 13-week expedition involves up to 70 ex-forces veterans taking part in different legs of the voyage. It is travelling anticlockwise around the UK, stopping at 22 ports before returning to Falmouth.

Crew members include veterans who are wounded, injured or living with mental health challenges. Organisers say the expedition is designed to support physical and mental health while raising awareness of the Invictus Games in Birmingham.

The sailing challenge also aims to raise GBP £300,000 to help Turn to Starboard buy another tall ship and expand support for former service personnel.

Connectivity at sea

The communications links are being used for welfare, safety and media purposes during the expedition. They help crew members stay in contact with family and allow the voyage to be documented as it moves between ports around the UK.

The project aligns with NSSLGlobal’s existing work in defence and maritime welfare. The company has worked with the Royal Navy and organisations including Ocean Youth Trust.

NSSLGlobal also highlighted its previous support for veterans involved with Turn to Starboard, including former soldier Craig Wood. Wood, who lost both legs and his left hand in Afghanistan, spent 90 days sailing solo across the Pacific Ocean, becoming the first triple amputee to complete the journey.

Sally-Anne Ray, chief executive of NSSLGlobal, described the impact the voyage is having on those involved.

“We are delighted to support Turn to Starboard & Full Circle with communications. This hugely uplifting project is using the experience of sea and sail to give our veterans potentially life-changing opportunities to rebuild confidence, strength and a sense of connection in the face of all kinds of physical and mental challenges. We have been lucky to meet some of the organisers and crew at numerous port stays and key events throughout the UK. Staff from our different offices have been on board and experienced first-hand the great atmosphere and teamwork. Having talked with fellow ex-service personnel, it is clear that this expedition is having a great impact, and being able to stay in touch and record the trip is also key,” Ray said.

Veteran support

Turn to Starboard was founded to support Armed Forces personnel affected by military operations through sailing and seafaring activities. Based in Falmouth, the charity works with veterans and their families as they move beyond military service.

For the Full Circle expedition, reliable communications form part of the practical support structure for the crews. Organisers say that matters both for safety at sea and for maintaining contact with relatives during demanding stages of the voyage.

“Reliable communications play an important role in keeping our crews connected, supported and safe throughout the Full Circle Expedition. NSSLGlobal’s connectivity support enables those on board to stay in touch with loved ones and share their recovery journeys as they carry the Invictus Games Flag around the UK,” said Sally Terry, chief executive of Turn to Starboard.

The route links all four nations of the UK and uses two traditionally rigged, wooden-hulled tall ships. By carrying the Invictus flag between ports, organisers are using the voyage as a public-facing symbol of recovery and service while giving veterans direct participation in a structured maritime challenge.

Paul Miller, an Army veteran and skipper of Spirit of Falmouth, said the expedition had personal meaning as well as a wider purpose for those on board.

“Being part of this expedition fills me with real pride. It has reminded me how far I’ve come in my own recovery and how much further we can all go together,” Miller said.