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Articles for Category Tag - Politics

UK Fibre Optic Tax – BT and Virgin Media Fear £1.3bn Business Rates Hike

18th February, 2017 (17 Comments)

The Valuation Office Agency‘s imminent “revaluation” of business rates (due to take effect from the 1st April 2017) could do more harm than good to the roll-out of fibre optic broadband, not least by hitting BT and Virgin Media with a £1.3bn tax hike on existing infrastructure over the next 4-5 years.

Q4 2016 – UK Government Brings Superfast Broadband to 4.3 Million Premises

16th February, 2017 (5 Comments)

The Government’s national Broadband Delivery UK programme has today announced that some 4,309,668 additional homes and businesses in the United Kingdom can now order a “superfast broadband” (24Mbps+) service as a result of their £1.6bn+ public investment.

UK Digital Economy Bill Could Fuel ISP Targeting Internet Copyright Trolls

14th February, 2017 (5 Comments)

The Open Rights Group has warned that new measures in the forthcoming Digital Economy Bill 2017 could provide ammunition to copyright trolls, which have made a business out of harassing broadband ISP subscribers with letters that demand payment for suspected Internet piracy.

200+ Rural Homes in Devon and Somerset Get Faster Broadband via 4G

10th February, 2017 (3 Comments)

Little known communications provider Exmoor Technology claims to have helped 200+ homes in rural Devon and Somerset (England) gain access to faster wireless broadband by connecting them to EE’s 4G data network via a specialised antenna and Mobile router.

New York Takes Tough Line on Misleading Broadband ISP Speeds

6th February, 2017 (10 Comments)

The UK advertising watchdog is currently deciding on new guidelines for improving how broadband speeds are advertised by ISPs (here and here). While we wait for that it’s worth casting your eyes across the Atlantic towards New York, where the issue is about to take centre stage in a heated legal battle.

UK ISP Association Asks Gov to Remove Barriers for “Full Fibre” Broadband

2nd February, 2017 (0 Comments)

The UK Internet Services Providers’ Association (ISPA) has told the Government that if they wish to boost the roll-out of ultrafast “full fibre” FTTP/H broadband networks then the “most important factor” will be to reduce the high costs and admin burden of existing regulatory barriers (wayleaves etc.).

Changes Coming for Struggling Broadband Voucher Schemes in Wales

30th January, 2017 (1 Comment)

The Welsh Government has revealed that the uptake of their two broadband voucher schemes, which are designed to help businesses and rural homes gain access to a faster connection, has been fairly small and as a result some tweaks may be required in order to boost uptake.

UPDATE BT Fibre Broadband Upgrades for 40000 Premises in Wales Delayed

28th January, 2017 (13 Comments)

Problems with gaining access to private land are reportedly delaying the Welsh Government’s joint Superfast Cymru project with Openreach (BT) to roll-out faster “fibre broadband” (FTTC/P) services to around 40,000 extra homes and businesses in Wales.

Landowners Call for UK Government Deal on Broadband Infrastructure

27th January, 2017 (7 Comments)

The Country Land and Business Association has today pledged to work with “fibre broadband” infrastructure providers in order to agree a new wayleave deal for better access across private land, but only if the Government “proves its commitment” to improving rural broadband connectivity.

Delays and Cost Overruns Threaten New 4G Emergency Services Network

25th January, 2017 (0 Comments)

A report from the Public Accounts Committee has warned that EE’s new 4G based UK Emergency Services Network (ESN) “seems unlikely” to meet its target date for delivery and the Government has allegedly failed to budget for such an outcome or put in place a detailed contingency plan.

£134bn – The Cost of Deploying Ultrafast FTTH Broadband Across EU28

25th January, 2017 (3 Comments)

The cost of deploying ultrafast Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH/P) broadband networks throughout the EU, which currently still includes the United Kingdom, has today been revised by Comsof on behalf of the FTTH Council Europe and the new estimate is £134 billion (€156bn).

UPD3 UK Gov’s New Industrial Strategy to Support 5G Mobile and Broadband

23rd January, 2017 (0 Comments)

The UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, has today launched a new Industrial Strategy that will see additional public investment from a new Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) being put towards the development of future 5G Mobile technology and faster broadband, among other things.

Connect8 Celebrate as 24Mbps+ Wireless Broadband Comes to Stonor Village

18th January, 2017 (2 Comments)

The Connect8 campaign has this week hailed the arrival of a 24Mbps+ Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) broadband network in the rural South Oxfordshire village of Stonor, which has been deployed by Village Networks and is also being extended into Pishill (as far as is technically possible).

New Report Warns Poor Broadband is Holding Back Rural England

17th January, 2017 (1 Comment)

A new report from Rural England CIC, which claims to offer independent research, networking and information exchange for the country’s many rural areas, has warned that a lack of good broadband is holding back rural consumers in some areas.

Cityfibre to Deploy 20km Fibre Optic Network in the City of Stirling (Scotland)

17th January, 2017 (2 Comments)

Fibre optic network builder Cityfibre has confirmed that Stirling will shortly become their 4th “Gigabit City” project in Scotland, thanks to a £1.7m deal to support the roll-out of a new FTTP based Public Service Network (PSN) that will later be extended to local businesses.

Asian Digital Infrastructure Report Highlights Weak UK Investment

16th January, 2017 (0 Comments)

A recent ‘Connecting Capabilities’ report from the Economist Intelligence Unit, which pits the UK, USA and Australia against 11 countries in Asia, has revealed that the UK sits mid-table (ranked 7th) for Digital Infrastructure and is being pulled down by weak telecoms investment. But it’s not all bad.

UK Fleshes Out Business Rates Relief for Fibre Broadband in Finance Bill

13th January, 2017 (3 Comments)

The Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid MP, has today published the UK Government’s new Local Government Finance Bill that fleshes out their plans for a 100% business rates relief on new 5G Mobile and “full-fibre” (FTTH/P) broadband infrastructure, which is said to be worth £60m.