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Articles for Category Tag - Ofcom Regulation

Ofcom UK Removes FAX Service Obligation from BT and KCOM

13th January, 2023 (12 Comments)

As expected, Ofcom has today confirmed that the requirement for certain UK telecoms operators to provide “outdated” FAX (facsimile) services under their legally-binding Universal Service Obligation (USO), which only applies to BT and KCOM, has officially been removed.

New Ofcom UK Broadband ISP Switching System Faces BIG Delay UPDATE

13th January, 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.

fibre optic green cable flay-gigapixel by 123rf

New AltNet Meliora Networks Plan to Build UK Full Fibre Network

20th December, 2022 (3 Comments)

A new alternative network (altnet) builder called Meliora Networks Limited has emerged on to the scene with a plan to rollout a hybrid Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) and gigabit-capable Full Fibre broadband network, which will focus on “areas of the UK that do not presently have access to next generation connectivity.”

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

15th December, 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 December, 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.

fibre optic cable deployment bt openreach

Openreach Target Equinox 2 FTTP Broadband Discounts for April 2023

7th December, 2022 (7 Comments)

Credible sources have confirmed that Openreach this week issued draft contracts for their forthcoming “Equinox 2” offer to UK broadband ISPs, which will further discount the prices of their gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) product and explains why Cityfibre chose yesterday to launch their competition complaint (here).

Cityfibre Files UK Full Fibre Competition Complaint Against Openreach UPDATE2

6th December, 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 December, 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 December, 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.

AltNets Fear Openreach FTTP Price Cuts Put £20bn UK Investment at Risk UPDATE

1st December, 2022 (57 Comments)

The Independent Networks Co-operative Association (INCA), which represents UK alternative broadband ISP networks, has warned that Ofcom could be putting their collective investment of £20bn to build competitive full fibre networks at risk if they wave through Openreach’s (BT) next round of FTTP broadband prices cuts (Equinox 2).

Gov Campaign to Raise Awareness of UK Social Broadband Tariffs

29th November, 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 November, 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.

CEO of UK ISP BT Warns of Unsustainable Social Broadband Tariffs

28th November, 2022 (29 Comments)

The CEO of BT’s Consumer division, Marc Allera, will this week warn the Government’s Digital Infrastructure Minister, Julia Lopez, that the improved and cheaper social broadband and phone tariffs that they’re now offering to customers on benefits (Home Essentials) will eventually become “unsustainable” without support.

Ofcom Tells UK Phone Providers to Identify and Block Spoofed Calls

15th November, 2022 (13 Comments)

The UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has today introduced new rules that will require phone providers to crackdown on “fake phone numbers” by identifying and blocking “spoofed calls“, where feasible. The move aims to tackle a problem that, during the summer, resulted in 40.8 million people being targeted by suspicious calls and texts.

Hands holding british pound coin and small money pouch by 123rf

Survey Identifies Reasons for Slow Take-up of Broadband Social Tariffs

11th November, 2022 (16 Comments)

A new survey of 2,009 UK people eligible for fixed broadband social tariffs by ISPs (i.e. cheaper packages for those on benefits), which was conducted by consumer magazine Which?, has revealed that 39% of those eligible and aware of such tariffs do not intend to signup due to concerns over slow speeds, existing contracts and other issues.

Ofcom-UK-Satellite-Broadband-Illustration

Ofcom UK Gives Capacity Boost to Satellite Broadband Services

10th November, 2022 (0 Comments)

Ofcom has today published a refreshed strategy for managing radio spectrum used by the space sector, which among other things will make more spectrum frequency in the 14.25 – 14.5GHz “Ku band” available to satellite broadband operators (capacity boost) and approve new earth stations for use by Starlink and Telesat.

Consumers Want End to Mid-Contract Broadband and Mobile Price Hikes

8th November, 2022 (10 Comments)

A new Opinium survey of 2,000 UK adults, which was commissioned by Uswitch during October 2022, has unsurprisingly found that 81% of respondents think mid-contract price increases by broadband ISPs and mobile operators are “unfair” and 80% want more providers to offer fixed price contracts.