Home » UK ISP News Archive » Mark Jackson (17928 Posts)

Latest

O2 UK Superfast 4G Mobile Broadband London Trial Hits 150Mbps

18th April, 2012 (3 Comments)

Mobile operator O2 UK (Telefonica) has today issued an update for its 2.6GHz trial of “4G” superfast Mobile Broadband Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology in London, which started last November 2011 (here). Apparently its 1,000 trialists have experienced internet download speeds of between 20-50Mbps (Megabits / sec) and some tests even reached close to the 150Mbps peak.

UPD2 Parliament Inquiry into UK Child Safety Calls for Tougher Internet Filtering

18th April, 2012 (1 Comment)

The Conservative MP for Wiltshire, Claire Perry, has today published the results of her Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Child Protection and recommended that the UK government begin a formal consultation on the introduction of an Opt-In content filtering system for “all internet accounts” in the country.

Golden Eye Boss Reveals Tackling O2 UK Internet Pirates is about Making Money

18th April, 2012 (3 Comments)

One of the key people behind Golden Eye International, the firm that claims to hold numerous film copyrights and is linked with the UK’s Ben Dover porn brand, has confirmed that the reason they are pursuing O2’s broadband ISP customers, to settle “suspected” cases of “illegal” internet copyright infringement (piracy), is because it’s “the only way I can make money“.

1Gbps Capable Home Fibre Optic Broadband ISP Services Show Global Growth

18th April, 2012 (10 Comments)

A new study from Telecom ThinkTank and RVA Market Research for the FTTH Council has revealed an interesting investigation into why a small but increasing number of broadband ISPs around the world are starting to introduce 1Gbps (Gigabits / sec [i.e. 1000Mbps]) capable fibre optic (FTTH , FTTP) internet connections for home users.

ASA UK Ban BT Infinity Superfast Broadband Ads for Misleading Speed Claims

18th April, 2012 (9 Comments)

The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld four complaints by Virgin Media against a press (a), TV (b) and internet promotion (c) for the BTInfinity superfast broadband ISP service. The ASA deemed BT’s claims that its service was “unbeatable” and offered “three times faster fibre optic broadband” to be misleading.

Vodafone UK Could Boost Mobile Cover in the Shetland Islands with Femtocells

17th April, 2012 (0 Comments)

Mobile operator Vodafone UK has announced that two communities in the remote Shetland Islands (North of Scotland, UK), Hamnavoe and Walls, could soon benefit from faster mobile phone and Mobile Broadband connectivity after they were shortlisted to take part in the operators Open Femto trial.

ACTA Copyright Treaty Investigator Recommends EU Parliament Rejection

17th April, 2012 (1 Comment)

The MEP responsible for investigating (Rapporteur) the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), David Martin, has officially recommended that the European Parliament (EP) reject the treaty when it comes up for a final vote in June 2012. Martin warned that ACTA could not “guarantee adequate protection for citizens’ rights in the future“.

Superfast Broadband Reaches 95000 Homes and Businesses in Cornwall UK

17th April, 2012 (0 Comments)

The Superfast Cornwall project has announced that superfast broadband ISP services are now available to 95,000 Cornish homes and businesses, although just 6,000+ premises have actually subscribed to the service. Thankfully new orders are being created at an average rate of 250 per week, which is up from 200 per week and 4,000 connected in February 2012.

BT Bid for all Broadband Contracts as UK Gov Shun Universal Service Obligation

17th April, 2012 (11 Comments)

The UK government’s Communications Minister, Ed Vaizey, has confirmed that BT are officially bidding on all 8 of the currently active superfast broadband procurement contracts (more will follow). Separately Vaizey said that “the time is not right” to introduce a legal Universal Service Obligation (USO) for broadband.

eXwavia Aim to Make Montgomeryshire the Fastest UK Rural Broadband Region

17th April, 2012 (10 Comments)

Wales focused ISP Exwavia, which uses wireless networking (wifi) to deploy faster broadband into isolated rural areas, has announced that it plans to turn Montgomeryshire into the “fastest rural broadband region in the UK“. At the same time their related service coverage in the Cefn Coch and Adfa areas (near Welshpool, Powys) has also been extended to connect 80 properties.

UK TSB Grants Genesis GBP250k to Develop 400Mb DSL Rings Broadband Tech

16th April, 2012 (9 Comments)

The Technology Strategy Board (TSB), which advises the UK government on how best to remove barriers to innovation and accelerate the exploitation of new technologies, has awarded a new SMART grant worth £250,000 to Canadian firm Genesis Technical Systems (GTS) in order to help with the development of its potentially 400Mbps (Megabits/sec) capable DSLRings broadband technology.

BT Claims UK First by Running Fibre Optic Broadband to Multiple Office Units

16th April, 2012 (2 Comments)

BT Business Broadband has today completed what it describes as being “the UK’s first” deployment of 100Mbps (Megabits/sec) capable superfast fibre optic (FTTP) internet access services into “multiple office units” at Acorn House in central Milton Keynes.

Europe Investigates Joint Venture Between the Big Three UK Mobile Operators

16th April, 2012 (0 Comments)

The European Commission (EC) claims to have opened an “in-depth investigation” into the proposed creation of a new and potentially anti-competitive Mobile Commerce Joint Venture between three of the largest mobile broadband operators in the UK, including Vodafone, O2 (Telefonica) and Everything Everywhere (Orange UK and T-Mobile).

Support for Governments GBP150 Million Urban Broadband Fund Divides UK

16th April, 2012 (4 Comments)

The results from 872 respondents to our latest monthly reader survey has revealed how more than half (51.7%) support the government’s plan to spend £100 Million (Urban Broadband Fund) on improving superfast broadband services in some of the country’s largest cities, yet only 10% felt that £100m would be enough to do the job properly. A further £50m has since been added, but this will only help “smaller cities“.

Digital Region ISP Origin Broadband Launches up to 100Mbps Service

13th April, 2012 (4 Comments)

Origin Broadband, a South Yorkshire (UK) focused ISP that makes use of the financially challenged and often controversial Digital Region (DR) network (here), has today officially announced the 1st May 2012 start of its new Origin Max package that claims to deliver internet download speeds of up to 100Mbps (Megabits per second).

UPD4 Broadband Operator NextGenUs UK and Fibrestream Go into Administration

13th April, 2012 (0 Comments)

NextGenUs UK CIC (NGU), the financially and seemingly also managerially troubled group that once aimed to become a community focused broadband developer for isolated rural areas, look set to go into formal joint administration by the end of today; subject to confirmation by the Leeds High Court.

BT Openreach Boosts Engineers for UK Superfast Broadband Rollout

13th April, 2012 (3 Comments)

BTOpenreach claims to have boosted the total number of permanent full-time engineers involved with deploying its superfast broadband (FTTC / FTTP) ISP services in the UK to over 3,000 after it added an additional 150 recruits.