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Articles for Category Tag - Politics

EU Regulators Find Internet Restrictions Cause Consumers to Switch ISP

10th June, 2015 (1 Comment)

The Body of European Regulators of Electronic Communications, which represents telecoms regulators from across the EU (e.g. Ofcom in the UK), has conducted a new survey to uncover consumer attitudes towards Net Neutrality. The study unsurprisingly reveals that consumers would switch ISP if a provider imposed certain limits on their access.

UK Competition Regulator to “Fast Track” GBP12.5bn BT and EE Merger

9th June, 2015 (6 Comments)

The Competition and Markets Authority has predictably approved last month’s request by BT for their £12.5bn merger with mobile telecoms giant EE to be “fast-tracked” to a full in-depth phase 2 investigation of the acquisition, which should save a little time.

Judicial Review of UK Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act Starts

5th June, 2015 (0 Comments)

The High Court in London will today hear the opening arguments of a Judicial Review that has been launched against the controversial Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act (DRIP), which among other things governs how much information the security services can collect from UK Internet and phone providers.

UN Warns UK – Internet Encryption and Privacy Must be Protected

29th May, 2015 (7 Comments)

The United Nations special rapporteur for protecting and promoting freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye, has published a new report that warns the United Kingdom and other countries against adopting measures into law that would add a backdoor for Internet encryption, which it said risked “weakening everyone’s online security“.

Satellite Might Not be the Best Fix for UK and EU Superfast Broadband

29th May, 2015 (23 Comments)

As Europe’s 2020 Digital Agenda deadline looms, when every home across the EU is supposed to be put within reach of a 30Mbps+ capable “superfast” broadband connection (plus 50% subscribed to a 100Mbps+ service), there’s a growing recognition that the target will not be met. Some hope that Satellite might be the solution, but it’s not so simple.

UPD Wales Making “reasonable progress” on BT Fibre Broadband Rollout

28th May, 2015 (23 Comments)

The Wales Audit Office (WAO) has today posted its report on the progress of the Superfast Cymru project, which is working with BT to make “fibre broadband” (FTTC/P) connectivity available to 96% of Wales by the end of 2016. On the whole progress is described as “reasonable“, but several problems have been identified (e.g. the 100Mbps speed target for 40%).

2015 Queen’s Speech Touts Revival of Tough UK Internet Snooping Laws

27th May, 2015 (8 Comments)

The annual Queens Speech (State Opening of Parliament), in which a man with a big black rod bangs on a door and a poor old lady with a heavy head ornament gets to speak unexcitedly about forthcoming Government policy, has unsurprisingly confirmed that stricter UK Internet snooping laws are on the way.. again.

Independent Test of UK Fibre Broadband Rollout Rules BDUK is “Effective”

20th May, 2015 (9 Comments)

The Government’s £1.7bn state aid supported Broadband Delivery UK project, which aims to make superfast broadband (24Mbps+) speeds available to 95% of the country by 2017/18 and is largely dominated by BT, has been deemed “effective” by a new independent evaluation. But the report also raises a few concerns.

BT Take Ofcom’s FTTC Margin Squeeze Test to Competition Authority

20th May, 2015 (2 Comments)

Telecoms giant BT has formally tabled an appeal with the Competition Appeals Tribunal (CAT) against Ofcom’s new “margin squeeze” test, which is designed to keep the operators FTTC “fibre broadband” prices under control by forcing them to “maintain a sufficient margin between [their] wholesale and retail superfast broadband charges“.

UPD2 Wiltshire, Bedfordshire and Lincolnshire Sign Phase2 Fibre Broadband Deal

19th May, 2015 (0 Comments)

A total of three Government supported Phase 2 Broadband Delivery UK contracts have today been signed between BT and the English counties of Wiltshire, Lincolnshire and Central Bedfordshire (inc. Bedford Borough, Luton and Milton Keynes), which will expand the reach of superfast “fibre broadband” (FTTC/P) connectivity to many more premises.

Business Leaders Tell UK Government to Spend More on Broadband

18th May, 2015 (0 Comments)

The Government’s Chancellor is currently preparing a second “emergency” Budget 2015 for 8th July 2015 and as such the Institute of Directors (IoD), which represents 34,500 business leaders and directors, has used that as an opportunity to call for more spending on infrastructure, with broadband connectivity top of the list.

Lincolnshire UK Council Shuns Alternative Wireless Broadband Project

15th May, 2015 (2 Comments)

The Lincolnshire County Council has rejected an alternative superfast broadband network proposal from a little known ISP called ionNET, which would have used its point-to-point and ‘up to’ 30Mbps capable wireless broadband network to reach rural parts that the local BT and Broadband Delivery UK programme might overlook.

Cheshire UK Council Demand All New Build Houses Get Fast Broadband

12th May, 2015 (15 Comments)

The Cheshire East Council looks set to become the latest local authority in England to require that all new build residential and business premises be constructed with support for “state of the art high-speed Internet connectivity“, which will apparently constitute “superfast broadband” (24Mbps+).

Who is the New Government Man in Charge of Broadband Delivery UK

12th May, 2015 (2 Comments)

The newly elected Conservative Government has conducted somewhat of an exercise in musical chairs, which has resulted in the previous Secretary of State for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Sajid Javid MP, being replaced by John Whittingdale, the MP for Maldon.

Funding Hiccup Strikes Lincolnshire’s Broadband Rollout Project

11th May, 2015 (17 Comments)

The Onlincolnshire project in the East Midlands of England, which is currently working with BT to roll-out FTTC/P based “superfast broadband” (24Mbps+) services to “at least” 89% of all premises in the county by April 2016, appears to have briefly hit a snag with a small EU funding shortfall.

What a Majority Conservative UK Government Means for the Internet

9th May, 2015 (21 Comments)

The political landscape today is radically different from how it began the week, with the Conservatives having successfully won a slim overall majority. But what does that mean for broadband connectivity and Internet access in the United Kingdom? We take a quick, politically neutral, look.

DEFRA Demands Claw-back from UK State Aid Broadband Project be Repaid

7th May, 2015 (5 Comments)

In a controversial twist the Government’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has called on a superfast broadband project in Rothbury (Northumberland), which received a slice of state aid, to repay any benefits derived from claw-back (as opposed to reinvesting into better coverage).