Author: Mark Jackson | 9 Comments

Mobile operator EE (BT) has formally lodged a legal appeal against the matter of Ofcom’s forthcoming 4G / 5G radio spectrum auction in the 2.3GHz and 3.4GHz bands. The aim is to stop Three UK’s own challenge from imposing a cap on their ability to bid for a slice of 3.4GHz band. Read More..

Author: Mark Jackson | 6 Comments

A new study from business support firm Informi claims to have identified some of top 20 best cities and large towns in the United Kingdom to start a small business, with Ipswich (Suffolk) taking the top spot. Interestingly one of the key criteria is a strong level of access to “ultrafast broadband“. Read More..

Author: Mark Jackson | 15 Comments

Openreach has today launched a new website, which includes a fair bit of updated information about the national telecoms and broadband network, as well as reflecting some of the independent branding requirements that were introduced as part of BT’s recent Strategic Review agreement with Ofcom. Read More..

Author: Mark Jackson | 0 Comments

The UK telecoms regulator has today announced that they will introduce a series of changes to improve their consumer protection rules from 1st October 2018, which aim to tackle billing accuracy, debt collection, nuisance calls, complaints handling and support for those with disabilities. Read More..

Author: Mark Jackson | 42 Comments

Israel-based Sckipio, which created some of the kit that Openreach (BT) piloted as part of their 330Mbps G.fast broadband roll-out, has promised “true 1Gbps speeds” by becoming one of the first to launch a chipset based off the ITU-T’s Amendment 3 (212MHz) profile. Plus there’s a 96-port DPU. Read More..

Author: Mark Jackson | 0 Comments

Scottish train operator ScotRail has partnered up with Cisco, CGI, Network Rail Telecoms and Wittos to conduct a Proof of Concept trial to enable “super-fast” WiFi on trains (Project SWIFT), which could offer data speeds of up to 300Mbps (allegedly the “fastest in-train Wi-Fi service in the world“). Read More..

Author: Mark Jackson | 11 Comments

Internet provider Andrews & Arnold (AAISP) has attempted to spoof modern advertising practices and Sky Broadband’s recent offer of a 55Mbps “Minimum Speed Guarantee” by proposing to go one further with a 56Mbps guarantee. Naturally they’re quick to explain the caveats. Read More..

Author: Mark Jackson | 11 Comments

The roll-out of “ultrafast” fibre optic broadband services using Gigabit capable FTTH/P/B technologies is continuing to ramp up in 2017, with our latest annual estimate of total premises passed across the United Kingdom reaching 1,084,500 (up from 780k in 2016) and this is set to surge. Read More..

Author: Mark Jackson | 15 Comments

Internet provider Plusnet has “wholeheartedly” apologised to one of their broadband subscribers, who had contacted the ISP in the hope of getting his Direct Debit date changed but instead found his surname being substituted with the C-word (hint, it’s not cat) by a call centre worker. Read More..

Author: Mark Jackson | 8 Comments

Telecoms operator BT has updated their technical document (SIN520) for the new 330Mbps G.fast hybrid fibre broadband technology to include the specific technical requirements for end-user modems, which is what Openreach and ISPs will supply to homes and businesses. Read More..

Author: Mark Jackson | 4 Comments

Over the past two years we’ve heard plenty of debate about the Government and BT’s proposed plan for a legally-binding 10Mbps Universal Service Obligation for broadband, although there’s been very little talk about KCOM’s position in Hull and East Yorkshire, where they dominate the local market. Read More..

Author: Mark Jackson | 53 Comments

Everybody seems to want “full fibre” broadband, but there are caveats. People moving into new build developments, specifically those that are only being served by Openreach’s (BT) FTTP “ultrafast broadband” technology, are running into problems because they’re unable to keep their phone number. Read More..

Author: Mark Jackson | 0 Comments

The United Nations (UN) has today publish its annual ‘State of Broadband‘ global progress report, which reveals that while 48% of the global population is now online, some 3.9bn people still do not have access to the Internet and the digital gap is growing between developed and developing countries. Read More..

Author: Mark Jackson | 0 Comments

Earlier this year Ofcom proposed to impose a raft of new Quality of Service standards and charge controls upon Openreach’s (BT) national broadband and phone network (here). Today the regulator has published a revision, which changes some of the proposed targets. Read More..

Author: Mark Jackson | 3 Comments

A team working out of Brunel University London has secured £720,000 of funding from Europe’s Horizon 2020 programme in order to help them develop a 10Gbps capable home wireless network using hybrid Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) and mmWave tech inside LED (Light-Emitting Diode) room lights. Read More..

Author: Mark Jackson | 9 Comments

Remember those pensioners in Barrhead (East Renfrewshire, Scotland) who complained that Virgin Media’s new 5ft tall street cabinet “completely blocks out any light from coming into the house” (here)? After a nine month battle, plus lots of bad media publicity, the operator has agreed to move it. Read More..

Author: Mark Jackson | 15 Comments

Openreach (BT) has confirmed that the launch of their new 160Mbps (30Mbps up) and 330Mbps (50Mbps up) product tiers for Fibre-to-the-Premise (FTTP) broadband lines, which will mirror the new G.fast tiers, is being delayed by one month because “further deployment testing is required.” Read More..