VacancySoft Insights September 2025

Recruitment across the telecoms industry steadied over the
summer after an increase mid-year, fuelled by the Vodafone–
Three merger. Vacancies in July and August were broadly in line with last year’s figures, although activity remains lower than seen in prior years. With telecoms now a pillar of the government’s industrial strategy and fresh investment pouring into 5G, the outlook for autumn appears brighter, and September has surpassed last year’s hiring levels as momentum returns to the market.

This is against the backdrop of a report commissioned by BT
underlining the financial benefits of digital transformation. It estimates that replacing Britain’s ageing analogue telephone network with digital systems could deliver more than £3 billion in economic gains by 2040. With outages on the old Public Switched Telephone Network up 45 per cent, the cost of delaying the transition could reach £437 million for critical infrastructure operators.

Nonetheless, Ofcom has confirmed it will amend mobile
operators’ licence conditions to allow direct-to-device (D2D)
satellite connectivity using sub-3GHz spectrum, paving the way
for smartphones to connect by satellite. The new services are
expected to launch in early 2026 and could trigger a fresh wave
of investment in network management, spectrum coordination
and low-latency infrastructure. Analysts expect the shift to drive
consolidation into fewer, larger ground hubs.

Similarly, Openreach has called on Ofcom to loosen regulation
of fibre broadband as part of the forthcoming Telecoms Access
Review (TAR). The BT-owned network operator wants restrictions
eased in areas served by at least three network providers,
warning that leaving current rules in place for another five
years could jeopardise the government’s ambition to connect
30 million homes and businesses to full fibre by 2030. The plea
comes as Openreach’s market share continues to decline in
the face of competition from alternative network providers, or
“altnets”, many of which are now struggling to deliver returns to
investors.

Openreach argues that a more flexible regulatory framework
would help stabilise the sector and accelerate fibre rollout
nationwide.
IT recruitment has gathered pace through 2025, with the
sharpest growth seen in projects and change management
roles. Vacancies across the sector are forecast to rise by 17%
year on year in this specific area.
Meanwhile, Field engineers still make up the largest share
of hiring, however, demand has tapered off since last year.
In contrast, roles in health and safety and maintenance are
seeing the fastest growth, a reflection of the industry’s focus
on managing risk across thousands of new towers, cables and
roadside cabinets. Maintaining older copper infrastructure and
masts remains equally important, as telecoms has become part
of Britain’s critical national infrastructure.

Finally, US technology giants have pledged £150 billion of new
investment in Britain’s AI infrastructure, more than 100 times the
country’s total inward investment last year. The UK’s inclusion
in the US-led Stargate programme places telecoms firms at
the heart of the next industrial wave, underpinning the surge in
demand for high-speed networks, edge computing and private
5G systems.
What we expect from this, is another sharp rise in demand for
skilled workers as Britain positions itself as a transatlantic hub
for AI innovation.

Please contact the Telecoms Team
Anya Brown – abrown@fuelrecruitment.co.uk
Richard Giles – rgiles@fuelrecruitment.co.uk
Murray West – mwest@fuelrecruitment.co.uk
Efthymios Antoniadis – efthymios@fuelrecruitment.co.uk

About Fuel Recruitment
Fuel Recruitment is a technical recruitment consultancy with 20+ years
of experience in telecoms. We specialise in placing expert professionals
across engineering, delivery, and digital transformation roles.