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News Categories: Fixed Line Broadband (256) Satellite (33) Wi-Fi (41) Mobile Broadband (85) Internet TV (30) VoIP (3) Security (15) Statistics (27) Online Privacy (28) Illegal Downloads (27) Special Offers (10)
4 July, 2009 - 8:43 AM
The UK Governments Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has praised the work of broadband ISP NYnet in helping rural communities in North Yorkshire to access essential services via the Internet. Brown was speaking during a visit to the council library in Sherburn (Elmet) this week.
NYnet recently completed the installation of a high-speed broadband link to over 500 North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) sites including 42 libraries in the region, which will help many more people to access essential services.
NYnet, formed by Yorkshire Forward and North Yorkshire County Council with funding from the European Union, provides a super-fast Internet network to ensure North Yorkshire is not ‘left behind’ by the rest of the world.
No doubt the government would like to see a lot more initiatives like this, thus minimising the requirements for public money to do the job of deploying next generation broadband networks. It would certainly help if they cut or reduced the poorly balanced tax on fibre optic broadband lines.
NYnet recently completed the installation of a high-speed broadband link to over 500 North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) sites including 42 libraries in the region, which will help many more people to access essential services.
NYnet's Sales and Marketing Director, Andy Lister, said:
“We are delighted that Gordon Brown has taken such an interest in North Yorkshire and has recognised the important role that NYnet plays ... We have ambitious plans to roll out access to NYnet’s high-speed broadband throughout the public sector in the region to enable more people to benefit from our services.”
“We are delighted that Gordon Brown has taken such an interest in North Yorkshire and has recognised the important role that NYnet plays ... We have ambitious plans to roll out access to NYnet’s high-speed broadband throughout the public sector in the region to enable more people to benefit from our services.”
NYnet, formed by Yorkshire Forward and North Yorkshire County Council with funding from the European Union, provides a super-fast Internet network to ensure North Yorkshire is not ‘left behind’ by the rest of the world.
No doubt the government would like to see a lot more initiatives like this, thus minimising the requirements for public money to do the job of deploying next generation broadband networks. It would certainly help if they cut or reduced the poorly balanced tax on fibre optic broadband lines.
4 July, 2009 - 7:30 AM
Ericsson, one of the world’s leading suppliers of mobile phones and related network solutions, has warned that it could be 2012 before the first true next generation Mobile Broadband networks gain a good foothold in the UK. The deployment of Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology (aka - 4G), which could deliver download speeds of 150 to 1000Mbps, is being hampered by problems with releasing the needed 900Mhz spectrum.
Presently both O2 and Vodafone own some of the older 2G (900MHz) spectrum, which Ofcom is seeking to have redistributed to rival operators ( Orange , T-Mobile and Three (3) ). This could then be converted for use by 3G/4G voice and Mobile Broadband technologies, such as HSPA and LTE .
The recent failure of Lord Carters Digital Britain report (here and here) to reach a quick agreement on the matter means that the process will now not be complete until the end of 2010. Ericsson has informed PC Pro Magazine that it could then take until 2012 before LTE begins to saturate the UK market. Then there's the big issue of advertised versus real-world speeds.
Ericsson continued on to state that its roadmap aims to deploy 150Mbps but will ultimately upgrade to 300Mbps and then 600Mbps within the first phase/generation. Future 'Advanced LTE' enhancements could also hit 1Gbps, although none of these speeds are truly representative of what consumers can expect to receive.
LTE is certainly going to be a lot better at latency and handling multiple users, which has been a weak point of HSPA and older 3G or even 2G technologies; if you get too many people trying to go online in one area then the network can quickly before unworkable. There are also issues of capacity to consider, with mobile data being very expensive. It’s hard to see how operators could afford what LTE is capable of delivering.
The reality of 4G Mobile Broadband is likely to be faster and more stable, albeit not hugely so. Most current HSPA based 3G deployments can deliver speeds of up to 7.2Mbps, yet consumers usually see, at best, just 25% of that. The delay to LTE means that HSPA can be enhanced further to 14Mbps and possibly 42Mbps with HSPA+, although we expect the distance between what is advertised and what is delivered to become even more apparent.
To make matters worse T-Mobile is looking to sell its UK business (here), with both O2 and Vodafone in the frame as possible suitors. This could also place T-Mobile's complex network sharing agreement with Three (3) into uncertain territory and confuse the whole 900Mhz debate even further.
Presently both O2 and Vodafone own some of the older 2G (900MHz) spectrum, which Ofcom is seeking to have redistributed to rival operators ( Orange , T-Mobile and Three (3) ). This could then be converted for use by 3G/4G voice and Mobile Broadband technologies, such as HSPA and LTE .
The recent failure of Lord Carters Digital Britain report (here and here) to reach a quick agreement on the matter means that the process will now not be complete until the end of 2010. Ericsson has informed PC Pro Magazine that it could then take until 2012 before LTE begins to saturate the UK market. Then there's the big issue of advertised versus real-world speeds.
Ericsson's Chief Technology Officer, John Cunliffe, said:
"The technical guys know that advertising those big speeds is damaging, but they're the numbers the marketing guys want to push. It's difficult, if one company is advertising the maximum speed, for another to then turn around and advertise the likely speed. It's going to need everybody to be honest."
"The technical guys know that advertising those big speeds is damaging, but they're the numbers the marketing guys want to push. It's difficult, if one company is advertising the maximum speed, for another to then turn around and advertise the likely speed. It's going to need everybody to be honest."
Ericsson continued on to state that its roadmap aims to deploy 150Mbps but will ultimately upgrade to 300Mbps and then 600Mbps within the first phase/generation. Future 'Advanced LTE' enhancements could also hit 1Gbps, although none of these speeds are truly representative of what consumers can expect to receive.
LTE is certainly going to be a lot better at latency and handling multiple users, which has been a weak point of HSPA and older 3G or even 2G technologies; if you get too many people trying to go online in one area then the network can quickly before unworkable. There are also issues of capacity to consider, with mobile data being very expensive. It’s hard to see how operators could afford what LTE is capable of delivering.
The reality of 4G Mobile Broadband is likely to be faster and more stable, albeit not hugely so. Most current HSPA based 3G deployments can deliver speeds of up to 7.2Mbps, yet consumers usually see, at best, just 25% of that. The delay to LTE means that HSPA can be enhanced further to 14Mbps and possibly 42Mbps with HSPA+, although we expect the distance between what is advertised and what is delivered to become even more apparent.
To make matters worse T-Mobile is looking to sell its UK business (here), with both O2 and Vodafone in the frame as possible suitors. This could also place T-Mobile's complex network sharing agreement with Three (3) into uncertain territory and confuse the whole 900Mhz debate even further.
3 July, 2009 - 8:54 AM
Starting from Sunday 5th July the UK broadband ISP TalkTalk will launch a major new seven figure advertising campaign to promote themselves as the country's "brighter" phone and broadband company. The campaign is not expected to feature Tiscali UK, which the TalkTalk Group purchased for £236m during May.
The MarketingWeek report notes that the campaign will extend to Television by mid-August and result in TalkTalk's website being redesigned to reflect the new positioning. Though some would probably rather they spent the cash on service improvements.
Expect the adverts to contain a lot of neon style "light graffiti" set against night-time backdrops across Britain. It will promote TalkTalk's "bright ideas", such as their free local calls and safer online surfing features.
The MarketingWeek report notes that the campaign will extend to Television by mid-August and result in TalkTalk's website being redesigned to reflect the new positioning. Though some would probably rather they spent the cash on service improvements.
Expect the adverts to contain a lot of neon style "light graffiti" set against night-time backdrops across Britain. It will promote TalkTalk's "bright ideas", such as their free local calls and safer online surfing features.
3 July, 2009 - 7:17 AM
BT has revealed new details about its forthcoming £1.5bn rollout of next generation Fibre to the Cabinet ( FTTC ) broadband technology. The operator has also warned that the government’s 50p tax on all fixed phone lines will only be enough to help cover 80% to 85% of the country with fibre optic broadband, which differs from the 90% figure that they previously alluded to (here).
Past estimates have suggested that it could cost upwards of an additional £3bn to bring next generation broadband lines within reach of the 90% target, yet as reported before the new 50p tax would only raise approximately half what is needed. BT's own £1.5bn FTTC target aims to have 40% of the country within reach of FTTC by 2012, while Digital Britain targets 90% by 2017.
Naturally BT would prefer it if the 50p tax were to work in its favour, although the operator has noted that it will have no say in how the tax revenue is used. We suspect that the government will seek to spread it around, although sadly the plan appears to have a target without any real clear design for achieving the desired outcome.
The issue of fibre taxation isn't touched on either, which effectively taxes the rateable value of the basic fibre optic infrastructure. In addition it also favours larger operations (economics of scale), which can make it very expensive for smaller providers ( e.g. i3 Group ) to deploy next generation fibre optic broadband links.
Still it's not all doom and gloom today, BT did at least reveal a few more details about its FTTC rollout. We already know that the initial FTTC rollout will be capable of speeds reaching up to 40Mbps+, although BT has now confirmed that it will seek to "guarantee" a minimum download performance of 15Mbps.
Likewise BT will also offer a Service Level Agreement (SLA) to back this up, meaning that anything below 15Mbps would be considered a fault and require fixing. Likewise while upload speeds of 5Mbps to 10Mbps have already been touted for the trial, BT expects maximum upstream performance to reach 15Mbps before 2010.
Finally the operator has also confirmed that its previously announced "extended rollout" will bring FTTC within reach of 1m homes and businesses by March 2010 and extend to 1.5m by the summer of that same year. It's hard to tell whether this is really an improvement because of the limited details available beforehand.
We should also give a quick mention to FTTP technology, which often gets overlooked. While FTTC will be rolled out to existing homes, with VDSL2 tackling the "last mile" over old copper lines, FTTP is closer to FTTH in that it will run the fibre optic link directly into the building for speeds of up to 100Mbps (1Gbps in the future). Sadly this is generally for new builds and will thus account for only the smallest portion of BT's plans.
Past estimates have suggested that it could cost upwards of an additional £3bn to bring next generation broadband lines within reach of the 90% target, yet as reported before the new 50p tax would only raise approximately half what is needed. BT's own £1.5bn FTTC target aims to have 40% of the country within reach of FTTC by 2012, while Digital Britain targets 90% by 2017.
BT's Strategy Director, Liv Garfield, said:
"There's £1bn on offer here, but the devil's in the detail about which areas will get funded ... I could see a way to get 80% to 85% with [THE 50p Next Generation Fund/TAX] but we would struggle to get 100%. In fact it's impossible to get up to 100%."
"There's £1bn on offer here, but the devil's in the detail about which areas will get funded ... I could see a way to get 80% to 85% with [THE 50p Next Generation Fund/TAX] but we would struggle to get 100%. In fact it's impossible to get up to 100%."
Naturally BT would prefer it if the 50p tax were to work in its favour, although the operator has noted that it will have no say in how the tax revenue is used. We suspect that the government will seek to spread it around, although sadly the plan appears to have a target without any real clear design for achieving the desired outcome.
The issue of fibre taxation isn't touched on either, which effectively taxes the rateable value of the basic fibre optic infrastructure. In addition it also favours larger operations (economics of scale), which can make it very expensive for smaller providers ( e.g. i3 Group ) to deploy next generation fibre optic broadband links.
Jeff McKeown, Sales director for Fibre Technologies, recently suggested an alternative (here):
"I would suggest a minimum threshold before tax is due – perhaps 175km of fibre? One fibre pair point-to-point, or a fibre ring up to 175km with no tax; or two fibre pairs point-to-point or ring up to 87.5km with no tax; and stepped payment thresholds thereafter. An additional payment holiday of 3 years, for example, would then create the opportunity for smaller players to get started and encourage a realistic deployment of the community networks that currently feature in Lord Carter’s dreams."
"I would suggest a minimum threshold before tax is due – perhaps 175km of fibre? One fibre pair point-to-point, or a fibre ring up to 175km with no tax; or two fibre pairs point-to-point or ring up to 87.5km with no tax; and stepped payment thresholds thereafter. An additional payment holiday of 3 years, for example, would then create the opportunity for smaller players to get started and encourage a realistic deployment of the community networks that currently feature in Lord Carter’s dreams."
Still it's not all doom and gloom today, BT did at least reveal a few more details about its FTTC rollout. We already know that the initial FTTC rollout will be capable of speeds reaching up to 40Mbps+, although BT has now confirmed that it will seek to "guarantee" a minimum download performance of 15Mbps.
Likewise BT will also offer a Service Level Agreement (SLA) to back this up, meaning that anything below 15Mbps would be considered a fault and require fixing. Likewise while upload speeds of 5Mbps to 10Mbps have already been touted for the trial, BT expects maximum upstream performance to reach 15Mbps before 2010.
Finally the operator has also confirmed that its previously announced "extended rollout" will bring FTTC within reach of 1m homes and businesses by March 2010 and extend to 1.5m by the summer of that same year. It's hard to tell whether this is really an improvement because of the limited details available beforehand.
We should also give a quick mention to FTTP technology, which often gets overlooked. While FTTC will be rolled out to existing homes, with VDSL2 tackling the "last mile" over old copper lines, FTTP is closer to FTTH in that it will run the fibre optic link directly into the building for speeds of up to 100Mbps (1Gbps in the future). Sadly this is generally for new builds and will thus account for only the smallest portion of BT's plans.
2 July, 2009 - 1:27 PM
The USA based Hulu, a free online broadband video (IPTV) service that offers web access to hit TV shows and is backed by News Corp, NBC Universal and Disney, has reiterated its intention to launch the service in the UK during September 2009 and promised to work with UK broadband ISPs.
Hulu had previously said that it was in talks with the BBC, ITV and Channel4 to secure access to related content. However negotiations ran into difficulties when the group pushed to retain control over Channel4 and ITV's advertising sales around all of the content on its platform.
It's understood that Hulu is now offering equity stakes in its UK business, plus a share of online advertising. This is believed to be attracting ITV, although the status of other broadcasters is less certain. Hulu also has strong content competition from the likes of MSN, Blinkbox and YouTube to worry about.
Hulu intends to localise its UK service and thus avoid being perceived as a US focused business. It is also seeking to work with UK broadband ISPs so as to better facilitate its goal of delivering higher quality video. This would no doubt make some ISPs very happy, especially with the BBC's competing iPlayer already causing a few headaches and network traffic strains.
Hulu had previously said that it was in talks with the BBC, ITV and Channel4 to secure access to related content. However negotiations ran into difficulties when the group pushed to retain control over Channel4 and ITV's advertising sales around all of the content on its platform.
It's understood that Hulu is now offering equity stakes in its UK business, plus a share of online advertising. This is believed to be attracting ITV, although the status of other broadcasters is less certain. Hulu also has strong content competition from the likes of MSN, Blinkbox and YouTube to worry about.
Hulu's International Senior VP, Johannes Larcher, told London's Future of Broadcasting conference:
"We are talking to everyone. The UK is our number one priority in terms of international expansion. We are very interested in the UK. We hope in the very near future we will have some plans to reveal for the UK."
"We are talking to everyone. The UK is our number one priority in terms of international expansion. We are very interested in the UK. We hope in the very near future we will have some plans to reveal for the UK."
Hulu intends to localise its UK service and thus avoid being perceived as a US focused business. It is also seeking to work with UK broadband ISPs so as to better facilitate its goal of delivering higher quality video. This would no doubt make some ISPs very happy, especially with the BBC's competing iPlayer already causing a few headaches and network traffic strains.
2 July, 2009 - 12:49 PM
Mobile operator and ISP O2 UK has today announced the launch of its new chargeable telephone service - 'O2 Tech Support'. It costs £7.34 a month (or £14.69 on a Pay as You Use (PAYU) basis) and provides a "range of expert services" to help solve technical problems with Mobile Broadband , Home Broadband and Laptop related dilemmas.
The new service, which some might suggest should be providing within the normal support channels, promises to tackle issues such as removing a virus, setting up software, linking up home cinema systems or even connecting to a CCTV system. It’s probably easier and cheaper to Google the solution.
In related news O2 claims to have finally resolved a serious network problem that had left its customers without email access for approximately 3 days.
Jonathan Earle, Head of Pay Monthly at O2, said:
"We have listened to what our customers have asked for and believe that O2 Tech Support will differentiate us in this market. All our broadband customers will continue to get free advice for everything that relates to their O2 service, such as their router, modem or our network."
"Consumers want a one stop shop where they can buy a product, get support, advice and a fix if things go wrong. That is what O2 Tech Support will provide. In addition as a guarantee if we can’t fix it we won’t charge the customer."
"We have listened to what our customers have asked for and believe that O2 Tech Support will differentiate us in this market. All our broadband customers will continue to get free advice for everything that relates to their O2 service, such as their router, modem or our network."
"Consumers want a one stop shop where they can buy a product, get support, advice and a fix if things go wrong. That is what O2 Tech Support will provide. In addition as a guarantee if we can’t fix it we won’t charge the customer."
The new service, which some might suggest should be providing within the normal support channels, promises to tackle issues such as removing a virus, setting up software, linking up home cinema systems or even connecting to a CCTV system. It’s probably easier and cheaper to Google the solution.
In related news O2 claims to have finally resolved a serious network problem that had left its customers without email access for approximately 3 days.
2 July, 2009 - 8:51 AM
Mobile operator Vodafone UK has revealed a completely new range of tariffs for customer seeking to access their Mobile Broadband connections when outside of the UK. Prices for European data / Internet roaming usage will now start at £4.99 per day for up to 25MB (MegaByte's) and the same again if you want another 25MB. Those using less than 1MB, such as when viewing a 100Kb website, will be charged 50p.
The new tariff is significantly cheaper than Vodafone's previous £4.99 per MB and somewhat cancels the recent claim by Three (3) of offering the lowest mobile data / Internet tariffs for EU roaming (here). Three (3) had lowered its prices to £1.25 per MB, though Vodafone's new option works out as just 0.20p, provided you need/use all 25MB's.
The prices are in large part thanks to Vodafone's own network reach accross the continent and Europe's new roaming rules (here), which came into force on 1st July. Sadly for areas outside of the EU, which Vodafone calls Zone 2, that same 25MB will cost you £14.99.
Be aware that Laptop users, in both Zone 1 and 2, will need to take a double sized chunk of MB's (e.g. 50MB) for twice the price. Overall roaming remains generally expensive for the average Joe, although business users will be pleased with the improvements.
The new tariff is significantly cheaper than Vodafone's previous £4.99 per MB and somewhat cancels the recent claim by Three (3) of offering the lowest mobile data / Internet tariffs for EU roaming (here). Three (3) had lowered its prices to £1.25 per MB, though Vodafone's new option works out as just 0.20p, provided you need/use all 25MB's.
The prices are in large part thanks to Vodafone's own network reach accross the continent and Europe's new roaming rules (here), which came into force on 1st July. Sadly for areas outside of the EU, which Vodafone calls Zone 2, that same 25MB will cost you £14.99.
Be aware that Laptop users, in both Zone 1 and 2, will need to take a double sized chunk of MB's (e.g. 50MB) for twice the price. Overall roaming remains generally expensive for the average Joe, although business users will be pleased with the improvements.
2 July, 2009 - 8:37 AM
Broadband ISP PlusNet came very close to seeing BBC iPlayer (Internet TV) traffic on their service pass the 2Gbps mark recently. Customers of the provider switched on to watch the Wimbledon (Tennis) match between Andy Murray and Juan Carlos Ferrero.
The event apparently pushed iPlayer usage on the ISP to a new record high peak of 1.81Gbps, which accounted for over 25% of PlusNet's network capacity. The previous high was recorded on Monday during Andy's fourth round game when usage hit 1.66Gbps.
The event apparently pushed iPlayer usage on the ISP to a new record high peak of 1.81Gbps, which accounted for over 25% of PlusNet's network capacity. The previous high was recorded on Monday during Andy's fourth round game when usage hit 1.66Gbps.
2 July, 2009 - 7:52 AM
New customers that subscribe to any one of the popular O2 ( Be Broadband ) Home Broadband packages, including its BT based 'Access' package - for users unable to get the cheaper unbundled options, will be able to get their first two months of service absolutely free. This equates to a saving of up to £44.04, depending on your choice of package.
O2's Home Broadband Package SummaryAll packages come with a 12 month minimum contract term, McAfee security software, "Unlimited" usage, wireless ( Wi-Fi ) router modem, free 24/7 UK support and no connection charge. There is also a smaller bunch of extras, such as the usual email services etc. O2 are widely regarded as one of the best UK ISPs for the money; the two months free promotion will end on 31st July.
Standard
Monthly Cost: £12.23
Monthly Cost for O2 Mobile Users: £7.34
Download Speed: 8Mbps
Upload Speed: 1.3Mbps
Free TXT's: 100 (Monthly)
Premium
Monthly Cost: £14.68
Monthly Cost for O2 Mobile Users: £9.79
Download Speed: 20Mbps
Upload Speed: 1.3Mbps
Free TXT's: 200 (Monthly)
Pro
Monthly Cost: £22.02
Monthly Cost for O2 Mobile Users: £17.13
Download Speed: 20Mbps
Upload Speed: 2.5Mbps
Free TXT's: 500 (Monthly)
Access
Monthly Cost: £22.02
Monthly Cost for O2 Mobile Users: £17.13
Download Speed: 8Mbps
Upload Speed: 0.44Mbps (448Kbps)
Free TXT's: 100 (Monthly)
1 July, 2009 - 1:27 PM
The London Internet Exchange (LINX), which is a central network hub for much of the UK and Europe's Internet / broadband ISP traffic, has significantly reduced its membership, 1GigE and 10GigE port fees.
LINX's 334 members will benefit from a 20% saving in membership costs plus a further 7.5% reduction for those with 1GigE and 10GigE ports. The new prices follow those introduced in September 2008 when 1GigE and 10GigE ports were reduced by up to 25%.
Full details are publicly available on the new fee structure here:
https://www.linx.net/govern/servicesfees
LINX's 334 members will benefit from a 20% saving in membership costs plus a further 7.5% reduction for those with 1GigE and 10GigE ports. The new prices follow those introduced in September 2008 when 1GigE and 10GigE ports were reduced by up to 25%.
Full details are publicly available on the new fee structure here:
https://www.linx.net/govern/servicesfees
1 July, 2009 - 11:41 AM
Broadband ISP TalkTalk has created a new role of Chief Information Officer (CIO) and appointed David Cooper, whom had previously been the Chief Technology & Operations Officer for mobile operator Three (3) . Cooper will oversee the integration of TalkTalk's IT systems with Tiscali UK, the ISP it acquired in May 2009 for £236m.
Cooper will also be responsible for the IT systems used by TalkTalk to manage its 4.25m home phone and broadband customers, including its billing and customer service systems.
Cooper will also be responsible for the IT systems used by TalkTalk to manage its 4.25m home phone and broadband customers, including its billing and customer service systems.
30 June, 2009 - 5:09 PM
Mozilla has just released the latest version of its highly popular free website browsing software - Firefox 3.5. This release boasts the usual bug / security fixes and is also known to be considerably faster than the previous FF3 when it comes to JavaScript rendering; not to mention HTML5 support, location-aware browsing, downloadable fonts and private browsing.
Download Here:
http://www.mozilla-europe.org/en/firefox/
Download Here:
http://www.mozilla-europe.org/en/firefox/
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