Home » UK ISP News Archive » Article Tag: Ofcom Regulation (1766 Posts)

Articles for Category Tag - Ofcom Regulation

Ofcom Sets Initial Views on Future of UK Mobile and Spectrum

9th February, 2022 (13 Comments)

The telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has today published two new discussion papers that set out their “initial thinking” on how UK mobile markets might develop and how networks may need to evolve to meet future demand. But they do not currently propose any major new regulatory interventions or new consumer pricing rules.

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Ofcom Shames UK ISP TalkTalk and Shell in Q3 2021 Complaints Study

8th February, 2022 (10 Comments)

Ofcom has today published their latest Q3 2021 (calendar) consumer complaints study, which identified both TalkTalk and Shell Energy as the providers that attracted the most gripes for fixed broadband services, while TalkTalk also took flak for landline phone services and iD Mobile came top for Mobile moans.

London Full Fibre ISP G.Network Launch Cheaper Social Tariff

7th February, 2022 (3 Comments)

Gigabit-broadband builder G.Network, which is busy investing £1bn to deploy a 10Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network across London and beyond (here), has today become the latest in a small group of UK ISPs to launch a cheaper social tariff (‘Essential Fibre‘) that is aimed at “Londoners on lower incomes“.

Gov Extend UK Online Safety Bill via New List of Criminal Content

4th February, 2022 (17 Comments)

The Government’s new Online Safety Bill (OSB), which tasks Ofcom with tackling “harmful” content online through website bans, fines and other sanctions, has today extended the legislation via a new list of “criminal content” (e.g. online drug and weapons dealing, people smuggling, revenge porn, fraud etc.) for tech firms to remove as a priority.

Alternative UK Broadband ISPs Set to Improve Consumer Switching

27th January, 2022 (0 Comments)

The Common Wholesale Platform (CWP), which started life a few years ago under the Independent Networks Co-operative Association (here) and has since evolved into its own organisation, has signed a deal with Mediafon Datapro to adopt the company’s new centralized migration solution for alternative UK broadband ISPs to use.

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UK SPF Calls for Changes to Improve Spectrum Sharing for 5G

27th January, 2022 (4 Comments)

The UK Spectrum Policy Forum, which acts as an industry sounding board for policymakers, has published a new report on how spectrum sharing could be improved to help provide innovative 5G mobile services. At present there’s a risk that the UK could lag behind other countries that “move faster on the introduction of automated sharing.”

Censorship and forbidden speech warning sign uk internet

DCMS Committee Finds Online Safety Bill Gets the Balance Wrong

24th January, 2022 (1 Comment)

A new cross-party UK report from the DCMS Select Committee has warned that the Government’s new Online Safety Bill (OSB), which will task Ofcom with tackling “harmful” content online, fails to get the balance right and “neither protects freedom of expression nor is it clear nor robust enough to tackle illegal and harmful online content.”

LibDems in New Push for Mandatory UK Social Broadband Tariffs

21st January, 2022 (42 Comments)

The MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, Jamie Stone – with backing from 14 Liberal Democrat peers, is to meet with the UK Minister for Digital Infrastructure, Julia Lopez, in an attempt to force all broadband ISPs to offer mandatory “universal social tariffs” to help those who are struggling to pay their bills.

Openreach Chairman Tipped to Take on Same Role at Ofcom UK

14th January, 2022 (17 Comments)

The long-winded, complex, and sometimes highly controversial attempts to find a new Chairman for the UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, appears to have taken another twist. Reports suggest that Openreach’s experienced Chairman, Mike McTighe, has allegedly become a front-runner to take on the role. AltNets may not be happy.

Homes in Cartmel Fell Still Without Broadband After 6 Weeks

7th January, 2022 (24 Comments)

Some homes in the remote rural hamlet of Cartel Fell, which sits in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria (England), have been left without access to a working fixed line broadband ISP or phone service for six long weeks. The problems began after Openreach’s local telecoms infrastructure was significantly damaged by Storm Arwen.

ISPs and Content Providers Respond to Ofcom’s UK Net Neutrality Review

4th January, 2022 (26 Comments)

Ofcom has published some of the first responses from UK broadband ISPs and internet content providers to their new review of Net Neutrality rules, which were designed to ensure no serious blocking or slowing of access to legal websites or other online services by ISPs and mobile operators. Suffice to say, vested interests split the pack.

Ofcom Bans UK Mobile Operators from Locking Phones

17th December, 2021 (29 Comments)

The UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has today begun to enforce a number of new consumer protection measures on mobile operators, which in practice means that they can no longer supply locked phones and are now limited to a maximum contract term of 24-months on bundles (mobile plans and handsets).

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Connected Nations 2021 – UK Gigabit Broadband Cover Hits 47%

16th December, 2021 (15 Comments)

Ofcom has released their Connection Nations 2021 UK digital infrastructure report, which reveals that the coverage of “gigabit-capable” (1Gbps+) broadband ISP networks has jumped from 27% last year to 47% now (13.7 million households). Plus, around half of UK properties are in areas where 5G mobile is available outside.

Ofcom UK Sets Out Predictable Annual Work Plan for 2022-23

15th December, 2021 (2 Comments)

The UK telecoms and media regulator, Ofcom, has today proposed a new annual work plan for the 2022-23 period. The generalised summary covers everything from improving fairness for consumers to the 2G / 3G mobile switch-off and the migration to VoIP phone services from copper lines, among many other things.

Parliamentary Committee Sets Out Plan for UK Internet Regulation

14th December, 2021 (24 Comments)

The Joint Committee on the controversial Draft Online Safety Bill (OSB), which was setup to help establish the regulatory framework to help Ofcom tackle “harmful” content online (e.g. hate speech, bullying, terrorism, conspiracy theories etc.), has today published its report. But the tougher rules and tighter offences may not all be workable.

4 Fibre and Converged Communication Solutions Plan FTTP Broadband Builds UPDATE

13th December, 2021 (0 Comments)

Two new UK Alternative Network (altnet) builders – 4 Fibre (SCCI Group) and Converged Communication Solutions – have today revealed their tentative plans to rollout or expand an existing Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP network across some very different parts of the country.

Mobile Operators Unhappy as Ofcom Set Licence Fees for 2100MHz

13th December, 2021 (9 Comments)

The UK telecoms regulator has today set new annual licence fees (ALF) for spectrum licences in the 2100MHz band, which was originally auctioned off in April 2000 to support the rollout of 3G mobile (mobile broadband) networks for the eye watering sum of £22.5bn. But mobile operators aren’t happy about the change.