Home » UK ISP News Archive » Article Tag: Ofcom Regulation (1792 Posts)

Articles for Category Tag - Ofcom Regulation

BT and Virgin Media Start Joint UK Campaign to Oppose Openreach Split

19th September, 2016 (10 Comments)

Telecoms giant BT, with support from Virgin Media, will today kick off a new advertising campaign that aims to fight back against the persistent calls by rival ISPs and politicians for Ofcom to split them from control of their national network access division, Openreach.

New Powers Allow Ofcom to Fine Mobile Operators for Poor Coverage

17th September, 2016 (3 Comments)

Tucked deep within the new Digital Economy Bill 2016-17 is a measure that will give Ofcom enough power to impose a financial penalty (worth up to 10% of a company’s gross revenue) on Mobile Network Operators’ (MNO) or Fixed Wireless ISPs that fail to deliver on a coverage obligation.

Ed Vaizey MP Criticises TalkTalk, Sky and Vodafone for Trying to Breakup BT

14th September, 2016 (23 Comments)

The former Digital Economy Minister, Ed Vaizey MP, appears to have taken a different approach to the Government’s position after saying that he was “utterly confused” by those wanting to break-up BT, while singling out TalkTalk, Vodafone and Sky Broadband for specific criticism.

Spectrum Starved Three UK Asks Ofcom to Tackle BT / EE’s Mobile Power

6th September, 2016 (13 Comments)

The CEO of mobile operator Three UK, David Dyson, has once again called on Ofcom to level the market by limiting BT’s (EE) ability to bid on new radio spectrum in the forthcoming auction of airwaves for the higher frequency 2.3GHz (2350 – 2390MHz) and 3.4GHz (3410 – 3600MHz) bands.

BT Openreach Publishes First UK Dark Fibre Reference Offer for ISPs

31st August, 2016 (4 Comments)

Openreach (BT) has today published the first Draft Reference Offer for their new Dark Fibre Access (DFA) product, which is designed to give rival ISPs “physical access” to the operator’s fibre optic cables (i.e. allowing them to “take direct control of the connection“).

EE UK Lose Court Battle Over 900MHz and 1800MHz Licence Fee Hike

31st August, 2016 (4 Comments)

Mobile operator EE (BT) has suffered a blow after the High Court rejected their challenge against Ofcom’s proposed hike to annual licence fees for the 900MHz and 1800MHz radio spectrum bands. The outcome could result in price rises and threaten the Government’s £5bn deal to extend geographic mobile coverage to 90%.

EU Telecoms Regulators Publish Final Net Neutrality Guidelines

31st August, 2016 (0 Comments)

A key group representing telecoms regulators from across the EU (e.g. Ofcom in the United Kingdom) has published their final Net Neutrality Guidelines, which are designed to govern how broadband ISPs and mobile operators will be expected to maintain open Internet access.

EE Mobile Seek Licence Variation for UK 4G Use at 2100MHz

19th August, 2016 (4 Comments)

Mobile operator EE has called on Ofcom to grant a variation of its spectrum access licence in the 2100MHz band, which would allow them to use it for rolling out 4G (LTE) services via the unpaired frequencies of 1899.9 – 1909.9MHz. At present the band is only used for older 3G technology.

ISPs Fear Anti-Competitive Industry Levy to Fuel 10Mbps Broadband USO

16th August, 2016 (2 Comments)

Ofcom has published a summary of responses to their recent consultation on the introduction of a new Universal Service Obligation, which would ensure that everyone can get a broadband speed of 10Mbps by 2020. But ISPs have warned that funding this via an industry levy would be “anti-competitive“.

Ofcom Provisionally Rules BT “Overcharged” TalkTalk for Fault Finding

12th August, 2016 (18 Comments)

The UK telecoms regulator has today provisionally concluded that BT “overcharged” TalkTalk for their Special Fault Investigation (SFI) engineer service and Time Related Charges (TRC), both of which are often used to help resolve customer phone and broadband problems. A repayment could be due.

ISPs Raise Concern Over Automatic Compensation for Broadband Faults

11th August, 2016 (7 Comments)

Ofcom’s proposal to give residential and small business consumers in the United Kingdom an automatic right to compensation from their broadband, phone or mobile provider when things go wrong (here), such as due to a “loss or reduction of service“, has drawn widespread concern from ISPs.

Ofcom Drops Sky and BT Linked Probe into Premier League TV Rights

8th August, 2016 (10 Comments)

Ofcom’s long running probe into the rising cost of Premier League TV rights (football, rugby etc.), which was started by Virgin Media in 2014 and followed frustration over the impact of a bidding war between BT and Sky (Sky Broadband), has today been closed. But a few positive tweaks are coming.

UPDATE Ofcom Challenges Telco Reseller UK Ltd Over Complaints

5th August, 2016 (0 Comments)

The UK telecoms regulator has warned Reseller UK Ltd, which also trades under the ISP names of Atlas Business Services and Together Telecom (possibly a few others too), that it has “reasonable grounds” for believing that the provider failed to handle customer complaints properly.

Ofcom – UK Superfast Broadband Uptake Hits 37% as 4G Cover Nears 98%

4th August, 2016 (1 Comment)

The national telecoms regulator has released their 2016 Communications Market Report (CMR), which reveals the latest information about the take-up and usage of Broadband, Mobile, Phone, TV and Radio services across the United Kingdom (split by England, Scotland, Wales and N.Ireland).

Ofcom UK to Improve Broadband, TV, Mobile and Phone Bundle Switching

29th July, 2016 (8 Comments)

One of the problems with the current process of switching between communications providers is that it doesn’t always work properly for bundles (i.e. Broadband, Phone and TV and Mobile) or between different networks (e.g. Openreach to Virgin Media), but now Ofcom intend to change that.

Local UK Councils Demand Action on 10Mbps Broadband USO Pledge

27th July, 2016 (3 Comments)

The Local Government Association, which represents 370 councils in England and Wales, has called on the Government to set out a “timetable for action” on its plans to introduce a 10Mbps Universal Service Obligation for broadband in order to avoid masses of homes being left in a “digital twilight zone.”

UPDATE5 Ofcom in Huge Shake-up of Openreach and UK Broadband, if BT Agree

26th July, 2016 (78 Comments)

A framework for the next decade of UK telecoms and broadband regulation has today been set out by Ofcom, which will see Openreach improve service quality, become more independent and give rival ISPs more access to their cable ducts. But the regulator has yet to reach a solid agreement with BT and a split is still on the table.