October 30, 2002 - November 3, 2002
News - November 3,2002
Children & The Internet
By:mark.j @ 9:30:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] A new report from Outermedia has found that Internet access is playing an ever increasing role in the lives of children.
The survey, which was conducted with 2,100 children of ages 6 to 13 (parents & teachers were also included), found that 50% of children aged between 6 and 7 were online:
Half of the children aged between six and seven state that they already use the internet. This percentage grows as the children get older: at the age of 12-13, 94% use the internet.
In general, children seem to use the internet mainly to have fun. Playing online games takes the leading role of internet activities among children, with more than 50% playing 'often'. The favourite genre are adventure games.
Younger children seem to almost exclusively use the web for play, whereas older children use a wider range of internet offers such as e-mail, information on their hobbies, activities or chat. Research for homework does not seem to be a major reason to use the web: only 14% of the younger and 25% of the older kids mentioned this activity.
The report also found that 45.7% use chat-rooms and 73.4% use e-mail to communicate, more @ Europemedia. We're not sure whether allowing children as young as six to use the Internet is wise or not. |
News - November 2,2002
EU Police Lose CyberCrime Battle?
By:mark.j @ 10:42:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The head of Europol's serious crime department, Rolf Hegel, has told the Compsec 2002 computer security conference that they've lost the battle against CyberCrime before it even begun:
The broad threat of cybercrime has puzzled police forces around the world for years. And now there is mounting evidence that organised criminal groups are using new technologies to commit everyday crimes and some new ones.
The Internet and mobile phones have become a reliable tool for criminals, experts say, used in child pornography rings and in a hush-hush crime that is hitting the corporate world with more regularity: threats of unleashing denial of service attacks on targeted computer networks to extort money from businesses.
Police can't keep up. "We are far behind," Hegel said.
Obviously this is wonderful news for all those budding online shoppers to hear before the Christmas rush, not that it'll make much difference. More @ ZDNet. |
Activeware Rescues EcosseTel Users
By:mark.j @ 10:34:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The little known UK unmetered dialup offering ISP Activeware has issued a new press release announcing themselves to ex-EcosseTel customers as a viable alternative:
Following the recent cancellation of EcosseTel ISP unmetered access Activeware are willing to match or better current terms enjoyed by EcosseTel customers…Our current products include two-tier anytime internet access currently as follows :-
ActiveAccess50 £5 for 50 hours
ActiveAccess100 £10 for 100 hours
There is no contract tie-in for either of these products and users are able to keep track of their current usage and payments to date on-line. Activeware would be willing to match dial-up EcosseTel users current terms or alternatively offer any of our current products as an alternative.
Please visit our website at http://www.activeware.co.uk for details of our current services. |
DMC:Dial ISP To Cover NTL Users
By:mark.j @ 10:25:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The DMC Group has issued a new press release announcing the expansion of their dialup service to include those using NTL telephone lines:
The DMC Group has announced details of the expansion of their new service to include all NTL line users. Called dmc:dial, this service will now be compatable with NTL line subscribers and offers business and residential customers Internet access throughout the UK - via PC and Mac. All currently existing dmc:dial packages will be available to both BT and NTL users.
The dmc:dial service for NTL customers will go live at 6am on 5th November 2002.
DMC Director - Mike Dawson said "The ISP market is about keeping promises to your customers. Our promise to provide a continuous service that is reliable and resilient, to every home in the UK, is well on its way to fruition with the launch of our service to ntl customers. We were asked to provide this service by people genuinely seeking a real alternative provider in the marketplace, and I am very proud that we have been one of the first independent ISP's able to deliver on that promise"
http://www.dmcdial.com
Portal: http://www.dmcdial.net
DMC:Dial is only the latest in a steady stream of ISPs announcing similar support for NTL. |
Four More Exchanges ADSL Enabled
By:mark.j @ 10:21:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] It's being reporting that local exchanges for Leek (Staffordshire), Bishops Waltham (Hampshire), Kesgrave (Suffolk) and Harrowden will all be officially enabled for broadband ADSL by the end of the year:
A further three exchanges - Bradford-on-Avon, Buckley and Shaw - are also within a whisker of seeing their exchanges converted to ADSL.
The Register goes on to note BTs pleasure at the schemes limited, yet noticeable, success. |
FairADSL ISP & P2P Bandwidth Limits
By:mark.j @ 10:16:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Accordingly to an announcement on ADSLGuide, one of the UKs cheapest broadband ADSL offering ISPs, FairADSL, has not unsurprisingly introduced a new bandwidth policy for Peer-2-Peer file sharing apps:
fairADSL P2P Policy Announcement
We recently asked P2P users to behave in a responsible manner, but P2P useage has continued to escalate. It seems that a small amount of P2P users are leaving their software permanently connected in the 'background', and continue to upload and download huge amounts of data.
This is affecting the service for everyone and cannot continue. We have decided to implement the following policy as soon as posible.
We will continue to allow P2P and Binary News Group traffic through our network, but will limit the download speed of all such traffic. We will be announcing the speed limit 24 hours prior to 'going live' with this change. We always had the choice of stopping all P2P and Binary News Group traffic, but think that limiting the access speed is a better solution.
The limit we apply will be calculated to give users the highest posible transfer speeds while giving all users access to the type of service they expect from Broadband.
It's hard to be surprised by such a policy change, anybody expecting more from such a cheap ISP is sorely misguided. You pay for what you get and if you pay less then you get less. |
News - November 1,2002
PlusNet ISP Update - Service Upgrade
By:mark.j @ 2:48:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The Network Operations and Services Manager for UK ISP PlusNet, Bob Goldsmith, has kindly sent along an important service update regarding some network and capacity upgrades to their services:
Notice to PlusNet Customers from Bob Goldsmith, Manager of Network Operations and Services.
Due to the continued faith that you, the customers, have shown in PlusNet in the last year, we have grown at an exceptional speed. Recently, our growth reached a level that dictated the need to make a major upgrade to our core network including, but not limited to, the installation of a much higher specification system to terminate our ADSL sessions. This accompanied upgrades to our core routers and Internet Connectivity.
In the course of this upgrade you will be aware that we have experienced a number of serious problems inclusive of the hardware failure within our core routing environment this morning. In order to bring our service back we have had to take some extraordinary measures which needed to be executed in a careful and deliberate manner. This has, unfortunately, added a significant extension to our earlier estimates of time to return to normal service.
All of our engineers are working to capacity to complete this work in the shortest time. I would like to personally apologise for the lengthy interruption of service and thank you for your continued patience. We completely understand the seriousness of this problem, and I can assure you that we will be working non stop until we are happy that the current problems with connectivity are fully resolved.
At the conclusion of this work, our ADSL service will be at a highest possible level of stability and performance. I would like to thank you again for your continued patience during this extended service outage, and would assure you that following the resolution of this problem I will contact you all again and provide full details of the events that have occurred. |
Tiscali Sees Lowered Profit Estimates
By:mark.j @ 2:40:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Pan-European ISP Tiscali has lost 2.1% off the value of its shares after Goldman, Sachs & Co. lowered its earnings estimate for the ISP.
This followed concerns that it may not be able to add new subscribers fast enough to meet profit targets:
The stock dropped 10 cents, or 2.1 percent, to 4.72 euros at 1:11 p.m. in Milan. It earlier lost as much as 2.3 percent to 4.71 euros, reducing its gains for the week to 2.1 percent.
"We have chosen a pessimistic stance," Goldman said in a note to investors. It will be sometime before subscriber growth returns, the note said.
Tiscali had 7 million clients at the end of June, fewer than the 7.1 million it had at the end of March.
Clearly you need more than a successful broadband stance to retain a strong economic position in such a competitive market, no surprises there then. More @ Bloomberg. |
Wi-Fi Alliance Launch Protected Access
By:mark.j @ 1:26:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The Wi-Fi Alliance has announced the successor to its flawed WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) protocol, WPA, which should make broadband wireless networks more secure:
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) uses a higher level of encryption and brings in dynamic key exchange functions absent with WEP. WPA is designed to work with existing products and is expected to first appear in Wi-Fi certified products during the first quarter of next year.
Most vendors are expected to offer firmware and software updates for Wi-Fi certified products currently in use in order to bring in WPA. Use of the protocol will be mandatory in products certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance from August next year.
WPA is based on a subset of features found in the 802.11i Robust Security Network amendment to the existing wireless LAN standard.
Unfortunately recent studies have shown that there may be a more fundamental problem, some networks don't even enable WEP, never mind its future replacement. More @ The Register. |
AOL UKs New Chief Financial Officer
By:mark.j @ 1:16:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] | AOL UK has hired David Wolffe to fill the position of Chief Financial Officer. Previously Mr Wolffe has been involved with BBC Worldwide. |
Oftel Gains Ombudsman Members
By:mark.j @ 1:09:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] UK telecoms regulator Oftel has today welcomed the first companies to become members of the groups Telecoms Ombudsman Service:
Broadsystem Ventures Ltd, BT, Centrica Telecommunications, NTL Group Ltd, Powergen UK plc, Virgin Mobile Telecoms' Ltd, and Vodafone Limited were admitted as members of the Ombudsman by the Council of the Telecommunications Ombudsman Service.
David Edmonds, Director General of Telecommunications said today: "The Ombudsman will provide a valuable service to consumers and I welcome the support of these first seven companies to sign up to the scheme.
Both consumers and the industry will benefit from an effective Ombudsman offering an independent, fair and speedy service to consumers in dispute with their telecoms company." |
NTLs Unmetered Telephone Tariffs
By:mark.j @ 9:43:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] NTL is claiming that a new set of changes to its telephone tariffs allow it to offer the "biggest and best range of free talk tariffs in the UK.":
From November 1, customers who use the telephone for voice and Internet calls can sign up to NTL Phone and Surf - 24/7 internet access plus free off peak UK calls, for a fixed price of £28.50 per month.
Other new tariffs include NTL Talk Unlimited Local with free local off peak calls and NTL Talk, a new entry-level service offering up to four hours of free calling per month for £11.50, including line rental.
Oh, and later this year the cableco plans to introduce a tariff called NTL Talk Unlimited 24, which will let punters make free local and national calls for a fixed monthly fee.
No doubt some of NTLs new services will seem similar to that already provided by BT, of course NTLs offer is cheaper and BTs unmetered Internet aspect is based on an aging and underused system. More @ The Register. |
Telewests Restructuring Progress / Plan
By:mark.j @ 9:37:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] DigitalSpy reports that UK cable operator Telewest has released some more details regarding the progress of their plans to restructure:
The cable operator has continued to make progress with the plans, and is apparently "close to reaching an agreement with a steering committee", made up of its senior lenders and the Bondholder Committee with regards to securing "amended and restated" bank facilities that Telewest believes "will be sufficient" to meet its funding needs after the restructuring process.
In order for such facilities to be available, the restructuring will need to be completed on terms agreed by the cable operator's senior lenders.
Unfortunately one of Telewests creditors has just filed for a petition to wind up the operator, which follows the groups’ decision to defer interest payments on certain debts.
Typically the creditor is owed £10.5Million because of the change, although Telewest doesn't seem to be paying too much attention to the problem. |
Easynet & Thus Telecom Could Merge
By:mark.j @ 9:31:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] It looks as if Easynet and Thus could be the latest two operators investigating the idea of a future merger, although apparently now is not quite the right time.
David Rowe, chief executive of high-speed telecoms provider Easynet, anticipates more debt refinancing over the next year for any companies that fail to hit their targets. Investors have simply lost patience.
"You either execute or you don't. If you don't, you've had it, because it's an uncertain market out there," he told Reuters in an interview. "People are trying to figure out who are the winners post-restructuring."
He said a potential merger between two of the competitors to former monopoly BT, so-called alternative telecoms firms such as Easynet and Thus, makes sense.
But there is no logic in any two companies getting together while there is so much uncertainty about survival. A buyout would be much more affordable after a restructuring, he said.
"I would expect to see a phase of (consolidation) in the industry, probably after the dust is settled and we can see clearly the wood for the trees," Rowe said.
Top UK cable operators NTL and Telewest have also expressed similar interests and reservations about timing. |
Easynets Broadband For Schools
By:mark.j @ 9:26:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Easynet appears to be borrowing an idea from the supermarkets, but instead of offering 'Computers For Schools' they're promoting 'Broadband For Schools'.
The ISP and networking group will introduce a voucher scheme to give free or subsidised high-speed Net access to schools:
Launched today, new business subscribers signing up for easynet's broadband service can earn "SPLAT" vouchers. If schools gather together enough of these vouchers they can, in turn, trade them in for free or subsidised broadband access.
So, let's look at the sums. For a school to get a bog standard ADSL connection they need to get 100 "SPLATS".
Businesses signing up to easynet's entry level ADSL service will receive just two "SPLATS". So, 50 business users on the entry level service will get enough for one connection for one school. Tough going? Maybe.
The Register notes that spending more on a faster ADSL connection would of course earn you more SPLATS (15 = 1Mbps). |
Paces New Broadband TV Games Box
By:mark.j @ 9:20:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Pace Micro Technology has announced the introduction of a new set-top box for TVs, which among other things, integrates 3D game console style technology with broadband Internet access functionality:
Telecommunications and IP broadband service providers can now deliver PC-style video games with full 3D graphics and stereo-sound using IPTV set-top boxes from Pace Micro Technology.
The announcement follows a partnership between Pace, a supplier of IP-based gateways, G-cluster, the games system provider and Pace’s long-standing IPTV partner Thirdspace, a broadband TV enablement company.
Through the partnership G-cluster’s multi-player broadband video games provided via Thirdspace can be delivered as real-time MPEG streams over IP networks direct to Pace’s DSL4000, IP500 and IP400 set-top box family. Operators using Pace’s set-top boxes will be able to provide on-demand game services to household TVs, from simple card and board games to sophisticated 3D action-packed multi-player titles.
It's worth pointing out that integration of games and Internet access with TV based set-top boxes has been tried before and failed.
For Pace to succeed it would have to allow the creation of software better than that found on modern game consoles, which is unlikely. More @ Europemedia. |
October 2002 - Monthly Virus Report
By:mark.j @ 9:11:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Once again MessageLabs has release its monthly virus chart, yet the BugBear e-mail worm has finally overtaken Klez.H for the top spot:
1. W32/BugBear-mm
2. W32/Klez.H-mm
3. W32/Yaha.E-mm
4. W32/SirCam.A-mm
5. W32/Klez.E-mm
6. W32/Magistr.B-mm
7. W32/Yaha.C-mm
8. W32/Hybris.B-mm
9. W32/Magistr.A-mm
10. EML/Greeting-Card.A
During October MessageLabs tracked some 534,790 BugBear infected messages compared with 483,627 from Klez.H. Not surprisingly this increase has also given the overall monthly infection charts a significant boost:
 |
News - October 31,2002
Employee Internet Abuse Costs £1.5Bn
By:mark.j @ 2:38:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] New Research from the Cranfield School of Management has revealed that UK businesses loose roughly £1.5Billion in revenue each year due to their employees abusing Internet and e-mail access:
In fact SMEs (small-to-medium-sized enterprises) are paying staff for around 343 million wasted hours spent online or sending personal emails - representing a 15 per cent dent in their potential profits.
Of those companies surveyed, only 20 per cent said they were worried about email misuse within their offices - putting it below issues such as marketing, overheads, recruitment, insurance and cash flow in their list of priorities.
Only 73 per cent of firms say they have an email policy, while only 75 per cent use any kind of email monitoring facility - despite the very real legal and business risks posed by their staff's email and web use.
The Silicon item also mentions how BT has unveiled a new service targeting SMEs who are riddled with inefficiencies resulting from email and web abuse:
BT has invested £3m in setting up the company, called Open Orchard, and has committed a further £3m for the next stage of its development.
Small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) looking to control and monitor their employees' use of email and the web are being offered a software application called BT Ensure which has been developed by UK software firm Orchestria.
It remains to be seen whether or not businesses will take any notice of the service and adopt it. |
Cisco Touts DSL Alternative - Ethernet
By:mark.j @ 2:10:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Cisco has just become the latest networking company to change its focus and begin to promote Fibre based Ethernet as the xDSL replacement of the future for both homes and businesses:
Service providers from Sweden, Italy, Austria and the UK backed its claim at the Broadband DSL Forum in Berlin on Wednesday.
But a parallel announcement that Alcatel -- the market leader in DSL -- had reached 20 million DSL lines, including more than a million in China, showed that Cisco's metro Ethernet has a very long way to go, and is never likely to be an option for universal broadband.
"Metro Ethernet supports voice video and data on one network," said Michael Bayer, director of service provider marketing at Cisco Systems. This "triple-play" would let service providers make a profit, he said.
Never say never; More @ ZDNet. |
Eutelsat Touts OpenSky Satellite ISP
By:mark.j @ 1:58:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] In yet another boost for the recently launched broadband satellite ISP, Everywhere! Broadband, Eutelsat has now also issued a press release to help publicise its involvement with the service:
EUTELSAT TO LAUNCH OPENSKY™ IN THE UK
Eutelsat today announced that consumers can now sign up for its innovative broadband satellite service, OPENSKY™ following an agreement signed this month with Internet Service Provider Everywhere! Broadband who is preparing to roll out the service throughout the UK.
Everywhere! Broadband is the first company in the UK to market and sell Eutelsat’s OPENSKY™ service to consumers. It is working with a number of partners who will support the delivery of the service to end users. The partners involved in the agreement are MGt for subscriber management services, DTS (Digital Television Services) for nationwide installation services and Hauppauge for the supply of USB DVB-IP set-top boxes.
The roll-out of OPENSKY™ in the UK follows substantial demand for broadband from consumers and small businesses. Recent figures from Oftel say that more than 44 per cent of the UK population is unable to access broadband through terrestrial means. However, with the forthcoming availability of OPENSKY™ consumers throughout the UK will soon be able to access an affordable satellite broadband service regardless of local infrastructure.
OPENSKY™ is an open standard service platform for both PC and Apple Macintosh users and offers access to a wide range of streamed video and audio content, high-speed Internet and fast file delivery. Customers will use dial-up access to receive broadband services via a satellite dish and through their modem. The new service offers Internet speeds of up to 1 Megabit per second - exceeding the capabilities of ADSL and cable services. It also delivers a full range of entertainment services including television channels, videos, music and games.
Pricing for the Everywhere! Broadband OPENSKY™ service is expected to start at £19.95 per month*. The company is now taking pre-registrations for the service at http://www.everywherebroadband.com
Antonio Arcidiacono, Director of OPENSKY™ Services at Eutelsat said: “We believe that the market for high speed Internet, videostreaming and fast file transfer shows great potential and are delighted to be working with our partners in the UK to launch the first affordable mass market satellite broadband service. We believe that the new service will demonstrate that the dream of broadband for everyone in the UK is now a reality.”
Commenting on the new service Graham Roberts, Managing Director of Everywhere! Broadband said; “This is the solution to the problems of providing the next generation of Internet services throughout the UK. It tackles the discriminating nature of ADSL - if the cables don’t reach your area you are stuck. Now anyone, anywhere, can take full advantage of this next generation of communications with the convenience and extended choice it offers.”
Jonathan Guthrie, chief executive of MGt said: “The decision by Eutelsat and Everywhere! Broadband to work with MGt further underpins our leading position as first choice supplier of services to the broadcast industry. We are delighted to have taken this project from initial consultation and defining the services required through to full implementation. MGt has established a proven track record in the provision of integrated outsource services and look forward to enjoying a close working relationship with Eutelsat and Everywhere! Broadband to ensure the smooth roll-out of this innovative and ground-breaking broadband service throughout the UK.”
Steve Mann, Business Development Manager at DTS said: “We are delighted to have won this prestigious contract to install the new OPENSKY™ satellite dish package throughout the UK. We look forward to working with Everywhere! Broadband and Eutelsat to install this unique broadband downlink package” |
Freeserves ADSL Research Attacks BT
By:mark.j @ 1:53:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Not content with making an official complaint against BT, UK ISP Freeserve has now issued the results of some independent research it had commissioned.
The research found that BT will dominate the UKs broadband ADSL market if it is allowed to proceed with its no-frills service. The operator could end up with three quarters (roughly 74%) of all xDSL subscribers by the end of 2003:
Part of the criticism currently being thrown at BT is that its BT Broadband product is charged via people's phone bill.
And since the phone bill is often accompanied by marketing material flogging other BT services, ISPs claim this gives BT Retail unfair advantage in marketing its broadband product to more than 20 million customers in the UK.
The report by an independent research outfit concludes: "Our analysis implies that BT expects to dominate the DSL segment, with a share of 74 per cent of subscriptions in June 2003. Marketing via the blue bill...will significantly strengthen BT's position in the DSL segment."
It's certainly hard to see how BT couldn't stand to benefit, although to date I personally haven't had any adverts for their no-frills service with my bill, has anybody else? More @ The Register. |
BTs Wi-Fi & The Costa Coffee Chain
By:mark.j @ 1:47:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] BTs public broadband wireless (Wi-Fi), BTOpenzone, services are set to expand a little further after a new coverage deal with the cafe chain, Costa coffee, was completed:
BT LAUNCHES "SIP AND SURF" AT COSTA COFFEE
BT today announced a deal with the Costa coffee chain to bring mobile broadband to five of its City of London shops.
Public wireless LAN sites, called BT Openzones, have been installed in the Costa coffee shops as part of a nationwide roll-out of wi-fi.
Workers away from the office can now download large files or presentations at top speed, while relaxing in one of the selected Costa coffee shops and sipping a latte.
Initially, the BT Openzones have appeared at Costas in the heart of the capital at Cannon Street, Houndsditch, New Bridge Street, Silk Street and Cowcross Street.
Pierre Danon, chief executive officer of BT Retail, said: "This is a key element of our vision to connect our customers, wherever they are.
In order to achieve our targets for rolling out BT Openzone, it is important to develop strong relationships with key high street partners like Costa coffee.
We will be working with Costa and other major names to ensure that BT Openzones are available at excellent outlets across the country."
Chris Sedgwick, marketing director for Costa coffee, said: "We are delighted to team up with BT, who are leading the way in wi-fi.
Now we can offer our customers a great place to work as well as a great cup of real Italian coffee."
BT now has 36 live sites across the UK including hotels, motorway services and shopping centres.
The company is on schedule to hit its target to provide 70 BT Openzones by the end of December, 400 by June next year and 4,000 by June 2005. The emphasis is on rolling out the service to carefully targeted prime sites, rather than random ones. |
Sony Preps PS2 Online Gaming Service
By:mark.j @ 1:39:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Sony has today announced further details of their forthcoming online multiplayer gaming service, which is designed to work with the popular PlayStation2 games console.
The networks European launch is expected to occur sometime next spring, although monthly rental prices have yet to be confirmed.
The firm claims that in time avid gamers will pay monthly subscriptions to compete against others, further expanding an entertainment segment that already rivals cinema box office and recorded music in sales.
While online gaming revenues remain scant, market research firm Screen Digest forecasts that they'll surpass £640 million pounds world-wide by 2006.
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) said that it would begin selling "a broadband gaming pack" at the suggested retail price of £44.95 in the United Kingdom. The pack will include an Ethernet adapter to make the PlayStation 2 console Internet-ready, a game and start-up disc. |
South West Gains Fibre Broadband
By:mark.j @ 1:31:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Businesses operating in parts of the UKs South West, namely South Wales, Devon and Cornwall, look set to benefit from a new fibre based broadband Ethernet service.
The telecoms division of utility firm Western Power Distribution (WPD), Surf Telecoms, will be able to offer connections that go up to 10Gbps!:
Surf's network will be based on Cisco's metropolitan Ethernet products, which are already in use on Neos' networks, and other metro Ethernet installations in Europe.
Steve Blew, sales and marketing director at Surf Telecoms, said: "Ethernet provides our customers with the high bandwidth they need, yet gives them more flexibility than traditional leased-lined connections. It lets them pay only for the bandwidth they use, yet increase their available capacity quickly to cope with unexpected demand."
Ethernet will be offered alongside Surf's existing SDH fibre optic services. Surf Telecoms' 1,400km fibre network is run along power cables as a separate cable or wrapped around the earth wire, a much cheaper option than laying fresh underground cables.
Now if only residential users could get their hands on a 1Gbps connection, it’d certainly make for a good Battlefield 1942 server. More @ Silicon. |
BTO, Argos & Littlewoods Join Hands
By:mark.j @ 9:39:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] UK ISP BTOpenworld has joined up with two major high-street retail chains, Argos and Littlewoods, in an effort to better promote the benefits of online shopping before Christmas:
Boots’ online brand, Wellbeing.com, and online gift site Memorise This (www.memorisethis.com) have also signed up to appear in a festive-themed shopping section within BTopenworld’s consumer portal (www.btopenworld.com/shop/xmas).
"BTopenworld is actively looking for new brands to work with on the Christmas site," said a spokeswoman for BTopenworld. "There will be more as we move closer towards Christmas, and the site will be updated with more and more of a festive feel."
Users will be able to search for gifts from e-commerce partners including mobileshop.com, as well as being able to arrange personal festive phone calls or letters via Santa through www.santa-claus.com.
The BT site is also offering narrowband ISP users the chance to win a trip for four people to Lapland with Jetline Travel.
Revolution reports that Boots Online, Wellbeing.com and the online gift site, Memorise This, have also joined forces with BTOpenworld. |
SPTen Launch ADSL ISP Service
By:mark.j @ 9:27:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The broadband wireless ISP SPTen (10) has made the unexpected move of reverting back to the fixed line Internet access market and introducing a brand new ADSL service to complement their wireless one:
Our ADSL uses rADSL technology - making ADSL available up to 5.5km from the local exchange, and from only £22.00 per month for 512k - wires only service, with no 12 month contact - it's never been a better time to get our ADSL service if you can't get our wireless service.
Contention rates of up to 20:1 are expected on the service (you share the available bandwidth with up to 20 users), although it is generally agreed that rarely would all be transferring data at full speed simultaneously.
ADSL stands for "Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line". It works by splitting your existing telephone line signal into two.. One for voice and the other for data.
With our rADSL service there are no 12 month agreements, no engineer is required to visit your home or business. It's easy self install, and you can be online and ready to go within 5 working days.
Our service includes all you need to get on the super highway!, all you need to then do is choose an ADSL modem, which we can supply for £68.00 Speed Touch 330.
• 512k High speed Internet Access
• Micro filters
• Installation Guide
• Unlimited Usage, with no data transfer limits
• Always On Connection
SPTen has at least managed to price a little more realistically than some, although it still seems a little too low for our liking. For the record almost all UK ISPs should now be using RADSL, everybody just refers to it as ADSL to save confusion. |
Broadband Success: Yates Group
By:mark.j @ 9:20:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The popular pub chain, Yates Group, has today written of its success after changing from an aging dialup platform to the more modern delights of a broadband ADSL connection.
Not only has the ADSL service improved speeds, but the change has also given the group a saving of £150,000 per year!:
Yates installed asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) technology at its 150 branches between July and September this year.
Previously, each location had as many as 10 separate phone lines for systems including electronic point of sale (Epos), music, heating, email and plasma display screens.
BT engineers replaced 400 phone lines with a combined annual rental of around £50,000, some of which generated call charges as high as £2,000 per year. 'We've made savings of about £150,000 a year on a project that cost £60,000 to implement,' said Yates Group infrastructure manager David Flacks.
It's always wonderful to hear of such success stories, although it only makes those of us without broadband all the more bitter for not being able to receive it. More @ VNUNet. |
Everywhere! Broadband & Hauppauge
By:mark.j @ 9:15:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The recently launched broadband satellite ISP Everywhere! Broadband has struck a new deal with Hauppauge Computer Works. The deal will see Hauppauge supply the DVB decoder boards needed to access the service:
Hauppage will distribute its WinTV-Nova satellite decoder to consumers in "the broadband desert" - those towns and rural areas where the land-based DSL operators have not yet reached, largely on cost grounds.
Everywhere! Broadband expects the first customers to be connected by the end of the year.
For those that have forgotten, Everywhere! Broadbands is a one-way service and costs £99 to setup and £19.99 or £32.85 inc. VAT Per Month to run. More @ netimperative.info. |
News - October 30,2002
UKStamp ISP Increases Pricing
By:Anne @ 4:20:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Members have brought it to our attention that ISP UKStamp has increased its 24/7 unmetered package from £8.99 to £9.99 per month. This will take affect from the next billing cycle for Credit Card and Direct Debit customers.
The updated website can be a little confusing because it still states £8.99 when you follow the sign up link. Shaun, one of our moderators, has noticed and posted in the UKStamp forum that e-mails have been sent to customers, yet according to reports only a few received them. |
Expert Warns Of Cyber Terrorism
By:mark.j @ 2:32:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Last week's co-ordinated denial-of-service (DoS) attack on a number of central Internet root servers, though unsuccessful, has once again given rise to fears of a more serious attack in the future.
"We do not have concrete evidence that terrorists are about to carry out sabotage by coming through cyber space," said Brian Michael Jenkins, a security adviser for the Santa Monica, Calif.-based Rand Corporation.
"But if there's one thing we know: the downside risks of ignoring it exceed the cost of preparation," he said in addressing IT executives at the Compsec 2002 computer security conference in London on Wednesday.
Jenkins, who in the past has addressed a U.S. Congressional committee on aviation safety, laid out evidence suggesting that intrusions into computer networks will become an increasingly popular tool for extremist groups looking to inflict economic or physical damage.
"Traditionally, terrorists have tended towards physical violence -- bombs and bloodshed," he said, but such groups do use the Internet and email to communicate with each other.
The potential for a group to co-ordinate an attack on a computer network at the same time as a physical act of violence, such as a bombing, is a scenario that must be planned for, he warned. "Such sabotage may become more attractive if the Internet makes it easier to facilitate," he said. |
Wireless Networks - 70% Not Secure
By:mark.j @ 1:57:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] A group of computer experts and interested amateurs have joined forces to map out wireless networks around the globe and find out how secure they are:
The results of the first mapping expedition reveals that, despite the publicity about the security problems of wireless networks, many companies and consumers are leaving networks open to attack.
The first survey revealed that 70% of the wireless networks found do not turn on the encryption system built-in to the products.
It also revealed that 27% have not even changed the default name of their wireless components making it very easy for people to surreptitiously sign in and use the network.
The BBC item reports that a smaller study of 9374 wireless access points in 32 areas of 9 countries found that more than 30% didn't have basic level encryption turned on. |
ADSL2 - Extending Broadbands Reach
By:mark.j @ 1:37:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Infineon has developed an updated ADSL 2 transceiver chipset, which could extend the reach of broadband services and cover more homes!:
The Geminax chipset conforms to the ADSL 2 standard defined by the International Telecomms Union (ITU) and will, said the firm, increase loop reach and so reach a bigger customer base than existing ADSL.
The chipset will also give line diagnosis and power saving modes, provide faster start up times and "channnelised" voice.
What does that mean? Infineon claims that telecomms firms will be able to provide both data only and combined voice and data, and bring down ADSL costs.
The Inquirer reports that the chipset will also support POTS (plain old telephone system) and baseband voice processing.
It would certainly be interesting to see what BT has to say about this latest technological development, we'll be sure to ask. |
Bad Weather Pushes People Online
By:mark.j @ 1:31:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The UK online competitive intelligence service, Hitwise, has today stated that the recent storms had the unsurprising effect of pushing people online:
Recent Hitwise statistics show that UK traffic to travel and transport websites increased by 21% over the last few days. Even though ferries, boats and aeroplanes were affected by the tremendous winds, it appears that the regional train companies have seen the largest increase in visits to their websites at the beginning of the week.
These sites provide the latest news in relation to train delays and construction on tracks, timetables and ticket purchasing facilities.
More @ Europemedia. |
AOL's Connie Promotes Broadband
By:mark.j @ 1:21:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] ISP AOL UK is to use its famed marketing mascot, the semi-transparent (not nearly enough) content scrolling Connie, to spearhead a new advertising campaign for its broadband ADSL services:
The push will initially see AOL's Connie promoting what the ISP claims is 'the mother of all broadband services' in posters and the press at the beginning of November, followed by a TV campaign in December.
The move comes after the company's recent reduction of its ADSL subscription package by £7 per month to £27.99. However, it remains more expensive than the offerings of some of its rivals which have also slashed their prices in an attempt to snap up broadband market share.
Created by Mortimer Whittaker O'Sullivan, each ad will focus on a different aspect of the service such as entertainment, parent controls, free customer support and ease-of-use.
The netimperative.info item also reports that AOL will give away £2,000 per day to one of its members between 1st November and the end of January, followed by a final prize draw for £200,000. |
Futureservers ISP Suspends Unmetered!
By:mark.j @ 1:10:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] No we're not kidding; the NeonHippo backed FutureServers ISP has just become the third provider to suspend its services within 24 hours.
Thankfully only the unmetered (FRIACO based) dialup portion appears to have ceased and existing users should still have access (we assume), a statement posted on our forum reads:
For general information, the directors of Web of Knowledge Ltd, t/as FutureServers, have now suspended all new sign-ups to the (Neon Hippo supplied) £12-98 a month unmetered (Friaco) service we were offering.
We have taken this action due to ongoing problems getting answers to service and billing queries from Neon Hippo (as reported by several of our customers, and as experienced by ourselves).
All our other services (web hosting, virus scanned email services, domain registrations, 0845 dial-up, web design, scripting services, Actinic e-commerce websites etc) are unaffected by this announcement, and will continue to receive our usual high levels of pro-active support.
Anyone requiring further information is requested to contact us direct by email admin@futureservers.net or by telephone on 0870 321 3750 (0900 - 2100hrs tomorrow) to ensure prompt attention. Replies to this thread will also be responded to, however may take a little longer.
Best regards
FutureServers
Typically those wanting to respond will find the ISP listed in the usual place on our forums. |
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