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Wansdyke Telecom Unveil Packages and Fibre Optic Broadband Speed Promise

9th April, 2014 (2 Comments)

Wansdyke Telecom, which is building a 1000Mbps capable rural fibre optic broadband (FTTP/H) network that aims to connect “every community in [North East] Somerset that wants it” (provided they can find the £2m needed), has today revealed how much their first package will cost and effectively pledged to guarantee the speeds they offer.

Full Copy of DCMS Guidance on BDUK Broadband Maps and Altnet Funding

9th April, 2014 (11 Comments)

A recent Freedom of Information (FoI) request, which was served upon the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), has managed to extract a full copy of some recent Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) guidance; this was issued to councils in order to encourage the release of better broadband coverage maps / data and clarify the approach for alternative ISP projects.

Fibre Optic Based Connections Push Global Broadband Users to 678.6M

9th April, 2014 (0 Comments)

The world became home to a total of 678.6 million broadband lines at the end of 2013 (up by around 1.5% in the final quarter vs 1.8% in Q3), which is being driven by continued growth in the uptake of Next Generation Access (NGA) style superfast fibre optic (FTTH/P) and hybrid fibre (FTTC) connections.

Netflix Begin Rollout of 4K Internet Video Streams for Fast Broadband Lines

9th April, 2014 (3 Comments)

Broadband ISPs might eventually have to brace themselves for higher data demands after it was confirmed that Netflix had officially started to roll-out Ultra HDTV 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) quality video streams across their Internet-based unlimited movie and TV streaming service. Now all you need is a compatible 4K TV and a 15.6Mbps Internet speed.

UPD3 Broadband Delivery UK Project Passes 370K with BT Superfast Fibre

9th April, 2014 (21 Comments)

The Government’s national £1.2bn Broadband Delivery UK scheme, which aims to make fixed line superfast broadband speeds of “greater than 24Mbps” available to 95% of the population by 2017, has at the end of February 2014 passed around 370,000 homes and businesses. Meanwhile the DCMS Secretary of State, Maria Miller, has left the building and been replaced by Sajid Javid.

UPDATE2 BT Battle Over UK Fibre Broadband Costs Could Result in GBP2 Cut

9th April, 2014 (35 Comments)

BT’s stock market price has been sent tumbling (falling from 381 on Monday to 360 on Tuesday) after industry rumors began to spread that the telecoms giant might soon be forced to cut the wholesale cost of its superfast “fibre broadband” (FTTC) lines by £2 per month, with Ofcom expected to launch a consultation on the subject in May 2014.

UPDATE2 Financial Questions for Future of Welsh Wireless ISP eXwavia

8th April, 2014 (5 Comments)

Powys-based ISP eXwavia, which has until fairly recently been busy deploying fixed wireless broadband networks into various communities around rural Wales, appears to be facing a degree of financial uncertainty after it was confirmed that taxpayers money from the Welsh Government was being used to help support the provider.

Broadband Demand for Game of Thrones Knocks Sky NOW TV Service Out

8th April, 2014 (16 Comments)

Customers who pay £4.99 a month for the Entertainment Pass on Sky’s broadband-based NOW TV service now have more than those annoying “Rights Restrictions” messages (here) to worry about after the live broadcast of popular TV show Game of Thrones (Season 4 : Episode 1) caused a surge in demand that disrupted connectivity.

European Court of Justice Rules ISP Internet Data Retention Law Invalid

8th April, 2014 (3 Comments)

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has delivered a significant victory to privacy advocates after it ruled that the EU’s Data Retention Directive, which requires member states and their phone / Internet providers to keep a basic access log of all website, email and phone call activity for up to 2 years, was now considered “invalid“.

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Broadband Forum CEO Claims 800Mbps G.Fast Is Not Just Another DSL Tech

8th April, 2014 (27 Comments)

The CEO of the Broadband Forum, Robin Mersh, has said that critics who claim the future G.fast (aka – FTTC2 / ITU G.9700) broadband technology is “just another DSL” solution are “way off the mark“. According to Mersh, G.fast is a “giant step away from DSL” that will deliver download speeds from “300 to 800 Mbps” via a fast and cost-effective deployment.

Worcestershire Expand UK Rural Broadband Project by 1400 Extra Premises

7th April, 2014 (1 Comment)

The Superfast Worcestershire project in England has announced that another 1,400 homes and businesses in the county will be able to get “high-speed fibre broadband” access thanks to an additional grant of £1,147,032 from the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK scheme. However the money might not be coming directly from BDUK.

BT Wholesale Moot New Voice Assured Broadband Service for VoIP Calls

7th April, 2014 (5 Comments)

BT Wholesale has started consulting ISPs on the possible introduction of a new product called Voice Assured Broadband (VABB), which appears designed to optimise standard ADSL2+ and superfast FTTC (VDSL) lines for calls made via the Voice over IP (VoIP) protocol.

“Not again” – Broken Cable Joint Knocks Out BT Phone Lines in Binfield Heath

7th April, 2014 (8 Comments)

BTOpenreach has once again had to apologise to residents of Binfield Heath in south Oxfordshire (England) after local homes were left for almost one week without access to a working copper telephone service, following yet another broken cable joint. The problem came shortly after an epic 6 week outage (here) over the Christmas and New Year period.

Even Rich Urban Appartments in London Struggle to Get Superfast Broadband

7th April, 2014 (65 Comments)

The challenge of bringing faster broadband connectivity to the masses is not solely a rural issue and nor is it always a matter of wealth, much as the millionaire residents of the One Hyde Park development in Knightsbridge (London) have begun to find out. Sometimes not even buying a modern £20m+ apartment will get you better than an ADSL line.

BT Sport Grabs Former Sky Broadband UK Boss Delia Bushell to be its MD

7th April, 2014 (5 Comments)

The battle for broadband and TV dominance between BSkyB and BT took another twist today after it was revealed that the latter had nabbed the former Director of Sky Broadband and voice services, Delia Bushell, to take the new role of Managing Director at its TV and BTSport division.

Superfast Broadband Reaches the Lake District 9 Months Ahead of Schedule

4th April, 2014 (12 Comments)

The £51 million Connecting Cumbria scheme, which is rolling out BT’s superfast broadband (FTTC/P) network to over 93% of the county by the end of 2015 (last 7% to get 2Mbps+), has managed to upgrade the first part of the Lake District some 9 months ahead of schedule.

GTC and Sky Sign 300Mbps FTTH Broadband and TV Deal for New UK Builds

4th April, 2014 (10 Comments)

Utility infrastructure provider GTC has signed a new deal with Sky (Sky Broadband) that will make available a bundle of premium TV services, fixed-line home phone and fibre optic broadband speeds of up to 300Mbps (Megabits per second) to future new build homes across the United Kingdom.