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Latest Key Developments

Wales Seeks to Ensure New Build Homes Get Gigabit Broadband

3rd Feb, 2023 (1 Comment)

The Welsh Government (WG) has today signalled its intention to follow England’s updated Building Regulations by launching a consultation into proposals that would echo those, not least by requiring housing developers to “ensure all new build houses be equipped with gigabit broadband capability“.

Ofcom Propose NOT to Block Openreach’s UK FTTP Price Cuts UPDATE

3rd Feb, 2023 (45 Comments)

Ofcom has today opened an expected consultation into Openreach’s ‘Equinox 2‘ discount scheme, which will further reduce the wholesale prices of their Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based broadband products for ISPs and thus consumers. But their “provisional” view is “not intervene“, which is likely to anger alternative networks (AltNets).

copper vs fibre optic openreach engineer

Openreach Trial Broadband Speed Limits to Nudge Users Off Copper UPDATE2

27th Jan, 2023 (121 Comments)

Openreach has announced that, as part of their plan to retire older analogue UK phone services by December 2025, they will conduct a trial that “responsibly [adjusts] the performance of the remaining analogue services” (i.e. blocking out-bound calls and limiting broadband ISP speeds) to “encourage” customers to upgrade. OUCH.

Ofcom Probes UK ISP BT Over Clarity of Customer Contract Info.

23rd Jan, 2023 (14 Comments)

The UK telecoms and media regulator, Ofcom, has this morning opened an investigation into broadband ISP and telecoms giant BT (including subsidiaries EE and Plusnet), which focuses upon their compliance with its obligation to provide customers with clear and simple contract information before they sign up to a new deal.

New Ofcom UK Broadband ISP Switching System Faces BIG Delay UPDATE

13th Jan, 2023 (10 Comments)

Last year we revealed (here) that Ofcom’s April 2023 deadline for the launch of One Touch Switch (OTS), which will make it easier for consumers to migrate between broadband ISPs on different networks, was at high risk of delay. The latest information suggests that some key aspects won’t even be ready to test until late 2023.

Housing Search and UK Broadband Under Magnifying Glass

New UK Laws Boost Gigabit Broadband into MDUs and New Build Homes

6th Jan, 2023 (1 Comment)

The UK Gov has confirmed that two new laws came into force on 26th Dec 2022, which make it both mandatory for property developers to ensure that new build homes are constructed with support for faster broadband, and to make it easier to expand that into big residential buildings (MDU) when “rogue landlords” fail to respond.

Ofcom – Gigabit Broadband Covers 70% of UK as 5G Hits 67-77%

15th Dec, 2022 (12 Comments)

Ofcom has published their Connection Nations 2022 UK digital infrastructure report, which reveals that “gigabit-capable” broadband ISP networks cover 70% of the UK (21 million premises), which is up from 47% last year, and outdoor 5G mobile cover from at least one operator is available to 67-77% of premises (up from 42-57%).

FTTP External Wall Box Install by Openreach Engineer 2022

Openreach Unveil FTTP Broadband Price Cuts for UK ISPs – Equinox 2 UPDATE3

14th Dec, 2022 (31 Comments)

Openreach (BT) has today responded to pressure from their ISP customers by unveiling a new round of major discounts (aka – “Equinox 2“) to the wholesale price of their gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband products, which aims to keep the operator competitive and reduce prices on consumer packages.

Cityfibre Files UK Full Fibre Competition Complaint Against Openreach UPDATE2

6th Dec, 2022 (25 Comments)

Network builder Cityfibre has today announced that they’ve formally submitted a Competition Act complaint to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and Ofcom against Openreach (BT), which accuses the operator of “undertaking an aggressive strategy to foreclose infrastructure competition in the UK fibre broadband market“.

Ofcom Undecided on Releasing Upper 6GHz Band for Mobile or WiFi

6th Dec, 2022 (7 Comments)

The UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has today issued an update on its position with respect to whether the upper 6GHz radio spectrum band (6425 to 7125MHz) should be released for use by either higher-power licensed 5G mobile networks (mobile broadband) or lower-power Wi-Fi (e.g. home WiFi).

Price Hikes in UK Telecoms and Broadband

Ofcom UK Probes Transparency of Mid-Contract Broadband Price Hikes UPDATE

1st Dec, 2022 (14 Comments)

The UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has today launched a new industry-wide enforcement programme, which will monitor and examine whether in-contract price rises were being set out clearly enough by broadband ISP and phone providers before customers signed up.

Project Gigabit Autumn UK Contract Map 2022

Autumn 2022 Update on UK’s Project Gigabit Broadband Rollout

1st Dec, 2022 (14 Comments)

The Building Digital UK team has published their latest quarterly Winter 2022 update for the Government’s £5bn Project Gigabit broadband rollout scheme, which summarises some good progress, but also reveals that procurements for Lancashire, Surrey and Oxfordshire and West Berkshire have had to be deferred.

Government Triples Value of UK Gigabit Broadband Vouchers

30th Nov, 2022 (10 Comments)

The Government’s Building Digital UK team has today confirmed that they’re tripling the value of the vouchers they issue to homes under their Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS), which helps those in rural areas to get a gigabit-capable internet connection installed. Businesses will also see a smaller boost.

Gov Campaign to Raise Awareness of UK Social Broadband Tariffs

29th Nov, 2022 (9 Comments)

After meeting with ISPs, the Government has today launched a UK-wide public awareness campaign as part of its Help for Households programme, which aims to help people through the cost-of-living crisis and will also work to improve the uptake of cheaper social tariffs from broadband and mobile providers (available to those on benefits).

Softened Online UK Internet Censorship Bill Returns to Parliament

28th Nov, 2022 (18 Comments)

The UK Government has confirmed the mess of confusing legislation that is the Online Safety Bill (OSB), which attempts to clampdown on “harmful” internet content (i.e. via fines, website blocks by broadband ISPs and other sanctions), will return to Parliament “next week” (5th Dec) with some key changes.

British sterling one pound coin currency

Consumer Pricing Bill Might Ban Discounts for New UK Broadband Customers

25th Nov, 2022 (46 Comments)

The Consumer Pricing Bill (CPB), which seeks to “prohibit the practice of offering preferential pricing to new customers compared to existing customers“, will today get its second reading in the House of Commons. The Private Members Bill (PMB) could, if passed, effectively prevent first term discounts on broadband ISP and mobile packages.

Red Road Closed road sign in a UK city street.

New Rules to Aid UK Full Fibre Builds and Network Security Become Law UPDATE

25th Nov, 2022 (2 Comments)

The UK Government’s new Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill (PSTI) is finally set to become law after passing through both houses of parliament this week. The new law will, among other things, make it easier for full fibre broadband and mobile operators to upgrade, share and deploy new infrastructure.