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Articles for Category Tag - USO

Ofcom Model a 20Mbps Broadband USO Option for the UK Government

1st August, 2017 (18 Comments)

Most won’t have noticed but Ofcom has published an update to last year’s cost analysis for the proposed broadband Universal Service Obligation, which reveals that the Government asked them to model a 20Mbps (2Mbps upload) USO option and it might be better value for money.

UPDATE BT and Gov Propose £600m 10Mbps Broadband USO Universal Service

30th July, 2017 (50 Comments)

After a lot of negotiation the Government and BT have today proposed a deal that could see the operator fund a new Universal Service Obligation (USO), which will aim to ensure that everybody can request a broadband download speed of at least 10Mbps by 2020. Now for the caveats.

New £30 Million Grant Offer to Help Build Rural Broadband Networks

29th July, 2017 (5 Comments)

The Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) has today announced that an additional £30 million of public investment is being allocated to help rural areas build new 30Mbps+ capable superfast broadband networks in areas where such services are not currently available or planned.

Openreach’s Bargaining Chip in Pledge to Fund UK 10Mbps Broadband USO

17th July, 2017 (8 Comments)

The CEO of Openreach (BT), Clive Selley, appears to be closing in on a deal that could see the telecoms giant commit hundreds of millions of pounds to deploy the Government’s promised 10Mbps Universal Service Obligation (USO) for broadband, but only if Ofcom softens their planned FTTC charge controls.

The Top 390 Fastest and Slowest UK Local Authority Areas by Broadband Speed

27th June, 2017 (3 Comments)

Consumer magazine Which? has today published the results of a new survey that reveals the fastest and slowest local authorities across the United Kingdom by broadband download speed (median). The Orkney Islands (6.3Mbps) are by far the slowest and Tamworth is the fastest (30.4Mbps).

TalkTalk and BT Battle Over £300m Ethernet Compensation for Late Installs

24th May, 2017 (10 Comments)

UK ISP TalkTalk has reportedly complained that BT is not offering them enough compensation, which comes after Ofcom ruled in March 2017 that Openreach had broken their rules by failing to pay ISPs proper compensation for late installations of high-speed business lines (Ethernet).

BT Openreach Say LR-VDSL Could Push “Fibre Broadband” to 99% of the UK

17th May, 2017 (19 Comments)

Openreach (BT) has issued an update on their existing plan to run a “commercial pilot” of Long Reach VDSL (FTTC) broadband technology, which involves around 120 premises across 6 rural locations. The operator claims that if deployed LR-VDSL could bring “fibre” to 99% of the UK by 2020.

BT Reach 9.3 Mill UK Broadband Subs as Openreach Moot “large scale” FTTP

11th May, 2017 (39 Comments)

The BT Group has released their latest quarterly report (Q1 2017 calendar), which saw their retail broadband base reach a total of 9,276,000 subscribers (up by 29K vs 83K in Q4 2016) and Openreach has begun a consultation on the “potential benefits and costs of a large-scale FTTP deployment.“

UPDATE2 Openreach (BT) Stops Taking New Customers for 18Mbps FTTC Trial

9th May, 2017 (3 Comments)

Openreach (BT) has informed participating ISPs that they’re “not planning further trials” of their 18Mbps (2Mbps upload) FTTC / VDSL2 “fibre broadband” product with new customers, although it will remain open to existing subscribers.. for now.

UK Broadband Stakeholders Group Reveals the Cost of a 10Mbps USO

4th May, 2017 (3 Comments)

The Broadband Stakeholders Group, which acts as a think-tank for government policy, has predicted that the cost of implementing the UK’s legally-binding 10Mbps Universal Service Obligation (USO) for broadband speed could be anything from £180m and up to £930m; depending upon the cost threshold.

SNP and Labour Criticise UK Gov Failure to Support a 30Mbps Broadband USO

3rd May, 2017 (6 Comments)

Last week’s entirely unsurprising decision by the Government to drop a proposed 30Mbps Universal Service Obligation (USO) for broadband, in favour of the originally proposed 10Mbps, has not gone down well with either the opposition Labour Party or SNP. Both have branded it a “missed opportunity.”

Countryside Alliance Calls for UK Broadband Improvement to Soften Brexit

25th April, 2017 (1 Comment)

The 100,000 member strong Countryside Alliance, which campaigns to protect rural areas (food, farming, businesses and services), has published a new policy document on the impact of leaving the EU that calls on the UK Government to invest more money into improving broadband and mobile.

Ofcom 2017 Study – Average UK Home Broadband Speeds Rise to 36.2Mbps

12th April, 2017 (26 Comments)

Ofcom’s annual study of fixed line home broadband ISP speeds across the United Kingdom has revealed that the average Internet download rate is now 36.2Mbps (up from 28.9Mbps last year), with uploads hitting 4.3Mbps (up from 3.7Mbps). But there’s a widening gap between rural and urban areas.

UPD Ofcom Start Battle Over the Price of BT 40Mbps UK Fibre Broadband Lines

31st March, 2017 (25 Comments)

The price that ISPs and consumers pay for access to a 40Mbps FTTC superfast broadband line on Openreach’s (BT) network in the United Kingdom is set to fall after the telecoms regulator, Ofcom, launched a new review of the wholesale local access market. Quality of service standards will also be improved.

BCC Survey – Poor Quality Rural Broadband is Holding Back UK Businesses

27th March, 2017 (2 Comments)

A new survey of 1,465 business people from all regions of the UK, which was conducted by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), has claimed that 18% suffer from unreliable Internet connections and firms in rural areas are “at least twice as likely to have unreliable connections” (30%).

UK ISP Entanet Criticises Lords Amendment for a 30Mbps Broadband USO

22nd March, 2017 (20 Comments)

Communications provider Entanet has criticised the House of Lords for its failure to consult with the industry before deciding to vote through a tough new Universal Service Obligation (USO), which aims to deliver a minimum download speed of 30Mbps (6Mbps upload) to all by 2020.

New UK Digital Strategy Sees Government Reiterate Broadband and 5G Pledges

1st March, 2017 (1 Comment)

The Government has today set out their future Digital Strategy for the United Kingdom, which aims to “create a world-leading digital economy” and “deliver world-class connectivity” but most of their broadband infrastructure commitments are re-announcements of existing policy.