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Articles for Category Tag - Europe

European Commission Warns Big Telecoms Operators – “Adapt or Die”

2nd October, 2014 (8 Comments)

The outgoing Vice-President of the European Commission’s (EC) Digital Agenda project, Neelie Kroes, had stern words for members of the European Telecommunications Network Operators Association (ETNO) yesterday when she warned against protectionist positions and stated that “sometimes I think the telecoms sector is its own worst enemy“.

UPDATE EU Rules Could Allow Ofcom to Remove BT’s Broadband Price Caps

17th September, 2014 (1 Comment)

Ofcom’s carefully crafted control of the United Kingdom’s market for broadband and phone services might face a challenge next month. A leaked proposal suggests that the EU’s new rules, which are designed to foster a Single Telecoms Market, could seek to remove some of the charge controls on BT’s services.

UPDATE2 BT Expand Superfast Broadband Rollout in Cornwall UK

29th August, 2014 (26 Comments)

The £132m Superfast Cornwall project has announced that another 10 “hard-to-reach” rural communities will be able to receive access to BT’s “fibre broadband” (FTTC/P) network by early 2015, which will be an addition to the existing target of making the service available to 95% of Cornwall (England) and the Isles of Scilly by the end of 2014.

Europe Offers Support to Local Community Broadband Projects

10th July, 2014 (0 Comments)

The European Commission (EC) has today moved to complement their Digital Agenda project, which aims to make broadband speeds of 30Mbps+ available to all EU homes come 2020, by launching a new “Connected Communities” initiative that offers additional funding and support to local community broadband partnerships and operators.

Today Europe Cuts the Price of Mobile Broadband and Phone Roaming

1st July, 2014 (0 Comments)

Europe might still be attempting to kill off mobile txt, voice and Internet (data) roaming charges for good but in the meantime it’s worth remembering that the previous regulation will today result in another fall in prices across the continent, which will also impact the United Kingdom.

UPD Study Claims You Will Need 165Mbps of Broadband Speed by 2020

26th June, 2014 (39 Comments)

A new study conducted by NL Kabal and Cable Europe, which is a trade association for cable operators like Virgin Media, has boldly predicted that in around 6 years’ time the average consumer demand for broadband ISP download speeds will reach a staggering 165Mbps and uploads of 20Mbps. Miles above today’s current average.

UK Broadband Strong in Latest EU 2014 Digital Agenda Scoreboard

28th May, 2014 (5 Comments)

The European Commission has today published the 2014 EU Broadband Scorecard, which reveals the United Kingdom’s progress toward Europe’s overall Digital Agenda goal of ensuring that 100% of homes have access to superfast broadband speeds of 30Mbps+ by 2020 (50% must also be taking 100Mbps+). The good news is we’re doing well but rural areas are still lagging.

Europe Softens State Aid Rules for Faster Broadband Deployments

27th May, 2014 (2 Comments)

As expected the European Commission (EC) has adopted a revised General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) for the use of state aid (tax payers money) with regards to rolling out faster Next Generation Access (NGA) broadband networks, which among other things means that broadband funding under €70m (£57m) doesn’t have to be notified or approved by the EC.

Europe Adopts New Rules to Cut Broadband Deployment Costs

14th May, 2014 (1 Comment)

The Council of the European Union last week formally adopted new rules that aim to make it both “easier and cheaper” to roll-out ultrafast broadband networks, such as fibre optic infrastructure. In addition the new rules also call for a voluntary “Broadband-Ready” label on buildings with high-speed access and for all new builds after 31st December 2016 to be constructed “high-speed ready“.

EU Court Rules People Sometimes Have a Right to be Forgotten Online

13th May, 2014 (2 Comments)

Sometimes Internet privacy and freedom of information can come into bitter conflict with each other and that appears to be the outcome of a new ruling against Google by the European Union’s Court of Justice (ECJ). The outcome could lay the groundwork for everybody to have a “right to be forgotten” online.

Vodafone UK Launch 4G Mobile Broadband Roaming in 4 EU Countries

2nd May, 2014 (4 Comments)

Mobile operator Vodafone UK has announced that customers of their Red 4G plans (including business travellers) will now also be able to make use of “ultrafast” Mobile Broadband connectivity when roaming across Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal.

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“.

European Parliament Clears Tougher Rules to Protect an Open Internet

3rd April, 2014 (1 Comment)

The European Parliament’s vote today to “end [mobile] roaming charges” by Christmas 2015 and protect open access to the Internet arguably masks the real story, which is that several new amendments have introduced a clear and very specific reference for the “principle of net neutrality” (i.e. treating all Internet traffic as equal).

European Court of Justice Says ISPs Must Block Piracy Websites

27th March, 2014 (8 Comments)

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has today ruled that Internet Service Providers (ISP) across the EU can now be ordered to block their customers from being able to access a copyright-infringing website (e.g. The Pirate Bay). But national courts will still have the final say.

EU and UK Next Gen Broadband Uptake Improves But 100Mbps Still Rare

25th March, 2014 (5 Comments)

A new report into the state of Internet connectivity around Europe (price and speed) has today revealed that nearly one in five EU fixed broadband subscriptions went to a superfast broadband (30Mbps+) service but ultrafast connections (100Mbps+) are still rare, with penetration (subscriptions as a % of population) standing at just 1.2% (0.4% in the UK).

EU ITRE Committee Approve Net Neutrality and Cheaper Roaming Rules

18th March, 2014 (3 Comments)

The European Parliament’s ITRE Industry Committee has this morning voted in favour of the new Telecoms Single Market Regulation, which proposes a raft of changes including measures to protect open Internet access from abuse by ISPs (Net Neutrality), ending EU mobile roaming charges, coordinating spectrum for wireless/mobile operators and various other measures like easier switching between broadband providers.

UPDATE 75% of UK Homes Can Get 30Mbps Capable Superfast Broadband

12th March, 2014 (4 Comments)

The latest research from Point Topic has claimed that superfast broadband (30Mbps+) coverage in the United Kingdom increased by 4.9% during 2013, reaching a total coverage of 75.2% (20.4 million homes) during the beginning of 2014. Ofcom has also published their European Broadband Scorecard, which puts the UK ahead of the other “major” EU states.