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Articles for Category Tag - Ofcom Regulation

Problems Remain – CMA Updates on Ofcom Loyalty Penalty Fixes

21st January, 2020 (0 Comments)

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued its annual update on Ofcom’s progress toward tackling the “loyalty penalty” in UK broadband ISP and mobile services, which can result in existing customers paying “significantly more” than new ones. Overall the progress has been good, but not all operators are playing ball.

Liberty Global Seek Code Powers for New UK Full Fibre Sibling

21st January, 2020 (3 Comments)

Libert Global is progressing their plans to launch a new “full fibre” broadband network – Liberty Networks – that will be independent of their existing Virgin Media brand in the United Kingdom. The cable giant has just put in a related application for Code Powers with Ofcom, which usually happens before a roll-out begins.

A Look at BT Group’s UK Single Rural Full Fibre Network Idea

21st January, 2020 (2 Comments)

The CEO of BT Group, Philip Jansen, has proposed a new framework, which could see builders of “full fibre” (FTTP) broadband ISP networks working together in the final 20-30% of hardest to reach premises to maximise coverage, such as by avoiding overbuild in areas that can’t support multiple networks and sharing access.

Ofcom Ponders 100-200GHz Band for UK Fixed Wireless Links

18th January, 2020 (2 Comments)

We nearly overlooked this yesterday but Ofcom has proposed to enable greater access to around 18.2GHz of Extremely High Frequency (EHF) spectrum in the 100-200GHz range, which they feel could potentially be harnessed for very high speed data links, high precision industrial use (micro positioning of robots) or health screening etc.

BT Defends Cost Proposals for Sharing Rural UK Mobile Sites

18th January, 2020 (19 Comments)

Last year’s £1bn Shared Rural Network (SRN) agreement between BT (EE), Vodafone, Three UK and O2, which will see the operators working together in order to extend geographic 4G mobile (mobile broadband) coverage to 95% of the UK by 2025, was just the start of what could be a tricky period of implementation.

Ofcom UK to Make 6GHz Band Available for Faster Home Wi-Fi

17th January, 2020 (6 Comments)

The UK telecoms regulator has today proposed to free up 500MHz of spectrum in the 6GHz frequency band on a licence-exempt basis so that it can be used by the latest WiFi networks (e.g. Wi-Fi 6 / 6E – 802.11ax), which would make such networks faster, more reliable and a bit more secure.

Virgin Media Get New CFO and Deputy CEO Ahead of Big Change

15th January, 2020 (9 Comments)

Cable broadband and TV operator Virgin Media UK (Liberty Global) has announced the appointment of Severina Pascu to become its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO), which will become effective from 1st February 2020 and help to lead the ISP through an “exciting new growth chapter.”

Ofcom Hit Post Office with £175K Fine – Overcharging for Calls

14th January, 2020 (1 Comment)

The UK broadband ISP and phone division of the Post Office has today been fined £175,000 after the national telecoms regulator, Ofcom, found that they had overcharged customers, specifically those people with hearing or speech impairments who made telephone calls using a relay service.

Ofcom Scorecards Help Compare Big Mobile and Broadband ISPs

9th January, 2020 (1 Comment)

The national communications regulator, Ofcom, has today partnered with the UK Regulators Network (UKRN) to publish a series of new scorecards that are intended to help customers compare several key areas from the largest broadband ISPs, mobile and phone providers. But what of smaller providers? Forget about it.

Ofcom Start Major Review to Boost UK Full Fibre Broadband Market

8th January, 2020 (20 Comments)

The national telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has today launched their first combined Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review 2021-26 (FTMR), which proposes major changes to help boost investment in “full fibre” broadband and high capacity Ethernet (leased line) services for both the residential and business connectivity markets.

Openreach UK Prep Special Offers for Salisbury and Mildenhall

7th January, 2020 (1 Comment)

Openreach has unveiled some new special offers to help ISPs facilitate their analogue telephone (WLR) to digital voice (VoIP), and copper to “full fibre” (FTTP), Exchange Upgrade trials (here, here and here) in Mildenhall (Suffolk) and Salisbury (Wiltshire) respectively.

Wi-Fi Alliance Stakes Claim to 6GHz Band for Faster Home WiFi

7th January, 2020 (4 Comments)

The Wi-Fi Alliance has begun its campaign to nudge broadband and telecoms regulators from across the world to support their efforts to approve the 6GHz band for use alongside WiFi networks, which could in theory be introduced into the latest Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) standard alongside the Wi-Fi 6E terminology.

Ofcom UK Propose Predictable Annual Work Plan for 2020-21

7th January, 2020 (0 Comments)

Just like clockwork the UK telecoms and media regulator, Ofcom, has today proposed a new annual work plan for the next year. The generalised summary covers everything from improving fairness for consumers (e.g. end-of-contract notifications), internet regulation and boosting the roll-out of faster broadband ISP and mobile services etc.

Connected Nations 2019 – 3 Million UK Premises Can Get Full Fibre

20th December, 2019 (10 Comments)

Ofcom has today published their Connection Nations 2019 UK digital infrastructure report, which reveals that “full fibre” (FTTP) broadband ISP networks now cover 10% of premises (up from 6% last year) and “ultrafast” (300Mbps+) lines reach 53% (up from 49%). Sadly geographic 4G cover from all operators is unchanged at 66%.

Big Ofcom Changes to Help Broadband ISP and Mobile Switching UPDATE

17th December, 2019 (8 Comments)

The national telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has today proposed to make switching between broadband ISPs on physically separate UK networks easier (e.g. BT to Hyperoptic) and they also intend to ban mobile operators from selling “locked” handsets (i.e. Smartphones that cannot be used on other networks unless they are unlocked).

Survey Claims Broadband Consumers Save £120 by Haggling

14th December, 2019 (0 Comments)

A new Savanata survey of 5,016 broadband customers by Which? has claimed that UK consumers can save an average of £120 a year by haggling with their ISP for a better deal, which could take the form of either a discount on your monthly rental or various other incentives in order to stop you switching.

Ofcom UK Questions O2’s Compliance in Ongoing Billing Probe UPDATE

13th December, 2019 (1 Comment)

The UK telecoms regulator has opened a second investigation into O2, which is examining whether or not the mobile operator provided “complete, accurate and on time” information to them as part of their on-going probe into an “Extraordinary Performance Failure” of the company’s metering and billing system.