News

Telecoms networks and broadband communications

• October 21, 2019 21 Oct'19

  VR over 5G helps Belfast Harbour vision to become smart port

  Harbour teams up with BT to deploy 5G-enabled applications including virtual reality

• October 18, 2019 18 Oct'19

  O2 promises ‘revolutionary’ offers as it joins UK 5G party

  O2 has become the latest operator in the UK to offer a 5G network and claims to be able to demonstrate real-world 5G business use cases that can potentially boost the British economy

• October 17, 2019 17 Oct'19

  London calling for Ding

  Dublin-based top-up mobile services provider Ding expands operations with new office in the UK

• October 17, 2019 17 Oct'19

  Three hit by network outage

  Telco blames “technical difficulties” for outage that has taken down voice, text and data services

• October 17, 2019 17 Oct'19

  Emerging markets’ mobile financial services transactions set to surpass $1tn in by 2024

  Mobile financial services transaction value will grow by 70% from 2019 to 2014 to total more than $1tn, driven by markets such as Latin America and Cico transactions

• October 17, 2019 17 Oct'19

  Singapore kicks off first steps in 5G roll-out

  Singapore’s telco regulator will award 5G spectrum to mobile operators by the middle of next year, culminating in the deployment of two nationwide 5G networks by the end of 2022

• October 16, 2019 16 Oct'19

  Huawei defies US ban with rising revenues in third quarter

  Chinese telecoms equipment giant attributes 24.4% revenue growth to maintaining its focus on ICT infrastructure and smart devices

• October 16, 2019 16 Oct'19

  5G awareness and interest high but consumers struggle to see benefits

  The ramp-up of 5G networks would seem only a matter of time, but research suggests consumers are not yet seeing the light

• October 15, 2019 15 Oct'19

  Huawei: Fresh mindset needed to speed up 5G development

  It may already enjoy pricing and technological advantages, but Huawei is calling on 5G industry to collaborate more, especially with regard to regulatory policy

• October 15, 2019 15 Oct'19

  Braintree boasts broadband benchmark

  Braintree in Essex claims to have access to some of the fastest broadband speeds in the world

• October 14, 2019 14 Oct'19

  UK government confirms gigabit broadband roll-out, rows back on 2025 delivery commitment

  UK government confirms plans to roll out gigabit-capable broadband across the UK, yet quietly shelves previous pledge to do so by 2025

• October 10, 2019 10 Oct'19

  New law will help roll-out of faster broadband

  Measures will make it easier to install faster internet connections in blocks of flats where landlords repeatedly ignore requests for access from broadband firms

• October 09, 2019 09 Oct'19

  BT goes local with UK jobs boost under ‘beyond limits’ banner

  Telco to boost UK call centre staff numbers, up high-street presence and add in-home tech support

• October 09, 2019 09 Oct'19

  US likely to concede on Huawei export ban

  The US government may make some concessions over the future of Huawei before the end of the year

• October 07, 2019 07 Oct'19

  Openreach tests new digging tech for rural broadband builds

  Openreach is testing new tools and techniques to roll out full-fibre broadband faster in rural areas

• October 04, 2019 04 Oct'19

  Government planning for ‘undeliverable’ ESN

  The government has agreed to all of the Public Accounts Committee’s findings in its investigation into the Emergency Services Network, but there is still a chance the programme could collapse

• September 27, 2019 27 Sep'19

  Mayor launches guidance on building access to increase mobile coverage

  London mayor Sadiq Khan has launched a new standard agreement for commercial landlords and public property owners to make it easier to access rooftops to install 5G

• September 20, 2019 20 Sep'19

  BT spearheads plans to accelerate switchover from copper to fibre

  Full-fibre broadband could replace copper networks region by region over the next six years, under proposals discussed with the government

• September 17, 2019 17 Sep'19

  Rural connectivity struggling to keep up with demand

  The digital divide between urban and rural areas of the UK is continuing, with broadband and mobile network roll-outs struggling to keep pace with demand

• September 17, 2019 17 Sep'19

  Full-fibre within reach of 2.5 million homes and businesses

  Access to full-fibre broadband is approaching 10% of properties in the UK

• September 17, 2019 17 Sep'19

  Smart meter roll-out delayed to 2024

  The government has been forced to put the planned completion date for its Smart Meter Programme back from the end of next year to 2024

• September 16, 2019 16 Sep'19

  Research explores economic benefits of full-fibre and 5G at local level

  The Broadband Stakeholders Group (BSG) has published research by Oxera to help local authorities understand the benefits of full-fibre and 5G

• September 12, 2019 12 Sep'19

  5G takes off at Gatwick Airport

  Vodafone’s 5G network goes live in airport’s South Terminal

• September 10, 2019 10 Sep'19

  Nokia, NTT Docomo and Omron to test 5G at factory floor

  Three firms – Nokia, NTT Docomo and Omron – have banded together to test the feasibility of running a layout-free production line operated by 5G-connected robots and human technicians

• August 27, 2019 27 Aug'19

  Government to ease planning laws for mobile networks

  Westminster is seeking input on four key proposals to make it easier to build and operate 5G mobile networks

• August 22, 2019 22 Aug'19

  5G testbed brings Li-Fi broadband to Orkney

  A number of homes on the remote island of Graemsay in the Orkneys are testing so-called Li-Fi technology as a broadband delivery mechanism

• August 20, 2019 20 Aug'19

  Sky launches first ultrafast broadband products

  Ultrafast full-fibre broadband products are 12 times faster than Sky’s previous fastest offering and will be immediately within reach of two million homes

• August 20, 2019 20 Aug'19

  Huawei to US: Ban violates free market principles

  Huawei has hit back at the US government’s latest moves to restrict its activities

• August 20, 2019 20 Aug'19

  Myriota and Optus sign deal on IoT connectivity

  Myriota and Optus Business will leverage each other’s connectivity and network footprint to help Australia’s industries connect up internet of things sensors in remote areas

• August 19, 2019 19 Aug'19

  US extends temporary stay on Huawei ban

  American network operators given extra wiggle room to wean themselves off Huawei’s hardware

• August 18, 2019 18 Aug'19

  Three launches UK’s third 5G network

  Mobile operator Three has switched on its 5G service, but for now it will only be available as a home broadband service

• August 13, 2019 13 Aug'19

  Vodafone switches on 5G in Ireland

  The first 5G sites in Ireland have gone live in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford

• August 13, 2019 13 Aug'19

  RootMetrics ranks EE top on 4G service performance, quality

  EE once again emerges as the top 4G network performer in RootMetrics’ latest semi-annual, UK-wide survey

• August 09, 2019 09 Aug'19

  Huawei mobile IoT OS ready to plug Android gap

  Huawei is positioning its microkernel-based, distributed HarmonyOS mobile operating system as a true competitor to both Android and iOS

• August 08, 2019 08 Aug'19

  Openreach starts roll-out of dark fibre product

  Openreach is soft-launching a wholesale dark fibre product in eastern England ahead of a wider national roll-out

• August 05, 2019 05 Aug'19

  Boris Johnson has 12 months to reform broadband policy, says industry

  Broadband sector advocates warn prime minister that the clock is ticking if he wants to be serious about achieving 100% full-fibre broadband coverage in six years

• August 02, 2019 02 Aug'19

  BT chief urges PM to act decisively on broadband

  BT’s new chief executive Philip Jansen says he is ready to help meet Boris Johnson’s broadband roll-out goals, but warns the cost will be high

• July 31, 2019 31 Jul'19

  Scottish tax holiday tempts Openreach

  Openreach has announced 36 new locations in line for its expanding full-fibre broadband network build, with Scotland a particular focus after the announcement of additional rates relief

• July 31, 2019 31 Jul'19

  Police Scotland awards National Network contract to BT

  Police Scotland is embarking on a £3.9m network project as part of its wider digital transformation strategy

• July 31, 2019 31 Jul'19

  5G mobile networks transformative for health and social care, says TechUK

  A new report produced by TechUK and the Liverpool 5G testbed shows how 5G can be used effectively in the NHS, and offers recommendations to government

• July 30, 2019 30 Jul'19

  Huawei ‘galvanised’ by Trump ban

  Huawei has found itself caught in the crossfire of the US president’s trade war with China, but chairman Liang Hua says the firm is rising to the challenge

• July 26, 2019 26 Jul'19

  New digital minister appointed as PM Johnson continues reshuffle

  Former telecoms executive Nigel Adams takes over as minister for digital and sport, succeeding Margot James

• July 25, 2019 25 Jul'19

  Virgin Media pledges gigabit broadband without full-fibre

  Cable TV operator is betting that improvements to the Docsis standard will enable it to offer gigabit broadband without full-fibre

• July 25, 2019 25 Jul'19

  Ofcom must do more to help operators invest in 5G

  Telefónica UK boss Mark Evans warns that Ofcom is prioritising action on behalf of consumers to the exclusion of enabling the telecoms and mobile industry to grow

• July 25, 2019 25 Jul'19

  O2 to launch 5G network in October

  Customers in 20 towns and cities around the UK will be able to access O2’s 5G network by Christmas 2019

• July 25, 2019 25 Jul'19

  New ministerial appointments for tech policies in Boris Johnson Cabinet

  The new Prime Minister has brought in ministers in all the key government posts affecting digital and technology policy

• July 24, 2019 24 Jul'19

  BT picks Canonical Ubuntu to build 5G core

  Canonical will help BT and EE deliver new services to end-users more quickly

• July 23, 2019 23 Jul'19

  Home Office hands EE additional £220m for ESN

  Home Office quietly announces a major extension to the ESN project, pumping over £200m of additional taxpayer money into its contract with EE

• July 23, 2019 23 Jul'19

  Plusnet most complained about broadband provider

  Ofcom’s latest stats show a downward trend in consumer complaint volumes, but some are bucking the trend

• July 23, 2019 23 Jul'19

  Government delays final decision on Huawei

  Culture secretary says he cannot yet make specific decisions about Huawei’s involvement in the UK’s telecoms and mobile networks due to a lack of clarity from the US, effectively green-lighting its use

• July 22, 2019 22 Jul'19

  Openreach to slash wholesale fibre prices from September

  Wholesale price cuts of almost 40% will help Openreach’s CSP customers grow their full-fibre customer bases, and generate a better return on their investment

• July 22, 2019 22 Jul'19

  Ofcom brings in new protections for mobile users

  New rules around how mobile contracts are sold should give end-users a fairer deal

• July 19, 2019 19 Jul'19

  CityFibre announces 14 more locations on its full-fibre network

  Full-fibre broadband provider extends its network to more homes and businesses in latest roll-out

• July 19, 2019 19 Jul'19

  London Underground 4G plan will lead to wider fibre broadband backbone

  The Jubilee Line will be first Tube service to offer 4G through tunnels, and the cabling to support the service will become part of a fibre hub for London homes and businesses

• July 18, 2019 18 Jul'19

  Digital minister Margot James quits after Brexit vote

  James voted against the government in an attempt to stop the next Prime Minister from suspending Parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit

• July 17, 2019 17 Jul'19

  MPs slam Home Office over troubled Emergency Services Network programme

  The plan for a new communications network for police, fire and ambulance services is three years late and £3.1bn over budget, and Public Accounts Committee fears further delays

• July 15, 2019 15 Jul'19

  UK launches 5G security inquiry

  The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy is to probe the UK government’s approach to telecoms technology as a national security issue

• July 15, 2019 15 Jul'19

  No technical grounds to ban Huawei, DCMS told

  Science and Technology Committee tells Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport that there are no technical grounds for it to exclude Huawei

• July 14, 2019 14 Jul'19

  Australia’s Myriota to connect up sensors in space missions

  Australian startup Myriota has inked a statement of intent with the Australian Space Agency to provide sensor connectivity for future lunar and planetary exploration missions

• July 12, 2019 12 Jul'19

  SD-WAN in play: How software-defined solves core business challenges

  For foodservice business HMSHost International and chemical products firm Element Solutions, both customers of networking supplier Aryaka, software-defined wide area networking technology is proving its mettle when it comes to solving core business ...

• July 10, 2019 10 Jul'19

  Brexit is paralysing action on broadband, warns CityFibre

  Promises made 12 months ago in the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review are not coming to fruition quickly enough, and the Brexit crisis is to blame

• July 08, 2019 08 Jul'19

  Buckinghamshire village pools broadband vouchers to fund full-fibre dig

  The village Lillingstone Lovell in Buckinghamshire is helping to fund an Openreach broadband network dig using vouchers pooled through the government’s Rural Gigabit Connectivity scheme

• July 07, 2019 07 Jul'19

  There’s no free lunch in SD-WAN, says Tata Communications

  Software-defined wide-area networks may help to lower connectivity costs and prioritise network traffic, but enterprises must still invest in bandwidth to reap the benefits of the technology

• July 04, 2019 04 Jul'19

  Over half a million homes now using full-fibre as access improves

  Ofcom’s latest Communications Market Report examines key trends in the UK’s broadband and mobile market, and finds that access to faster broadband is expanding rapidly across all delivery mechanisms

• July 03, 2019 03 Jul'19

  Vodafone switches on 5G mobile network

  The UK’s longest-standing mobile operator, Vodafone, has officially turned on its 5G mobile network at an event in London, and reintroduced unlimited data packages for users as it looks to shake up the market

• July 03, 2019 03 Jul'19

  BT and Openreach told to be more transparent over split

  Ofcom’s latest monitoring report on the changing relationship between BT and Openreach finds room for improvement, but is mostly positive

• July 01, 2019 01 Jul'19

  Ofcom to make switching mobile operators easier

  The often fraught process of switching mobile network operators will become easier for end-users as new Ofcom regulations come into force

• June 28, 2019 28 Jun'19

  Ofcom gets go-ahead for new Openreach access model

  Following referral to the European Commission, Ofcom is pressing ahead with a new regulatory model governing more open access to Openreach’s ducts, poles and dark fibre

• June 27, 2019 27 Jun'19

  Isles of Scilly among first UK locations to get 5G

  The Isles of Scilly are to be included in Vodafone’s 5G network roll-out from day one, with the aim of supporting local community organisations

• June 27, 2019 27 Jun'19

  Singapore aims to be global node for 5G innovation

  The government will spend S$40m to develop 5G technology use cases in key sectors such as maritime and manufacturing with an eye on exporting Singapore's expertise to global markets

• June 25, 2019 25 Jun'19

  Sky invests £125,000 in female-led business ideas

  Five women have been awarded their share of £125,000 from Sky to pursue technology-led business ideas

• June 24, 2019 24 Jun'19

  New security challenges await 5G planners, say APAC experts

  With 5G technology expected to move more data and processing to the network edge, some experts have called for the need to address the security risks when planning 5G networks

• June 24, 2019 24 Jun'19

  European and UK space agencies start CAV connectivity project

  Academia and telecoms operators partner to investigate 5G and satellite systems for connected and autonomous vehicles, with proofs of concept expected for 2020

• June 20, 2019 20 Jun'19

  How APAC CIOs are driving AI projects

  IT leaders at a Computer Weekly roundtable say they are grappling with compute bottlenecks and explainable artificial intelligence even as chatbots and other AI projects are being rolled out in full swing

• June 19, 2019 19 Jun'19

  Telcos hail progress improvements in meeting UK full-fibre broadband deployment targets

  Senior management from Openreach, TalkTalk and Three use Connected Britain keynote to share insights on how full-fibre broadband deployment is progressing across the country

• June 18, 2019 18 Jun'19

  Openreach trials will speed up broadband upgrade

  Tests to focus on process of migrating households and businesses to fibre to the premise and voice over IP

• June 18, 2019 18 Jun'19

  5G will be a public utility, says IMDA

  Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority is looking beyond access speeds in charting the deployment of 5G networks, which it has likened to a public utility

• June 16, 2019 16 Jun'19

  5G to drive hybrid cloud adoption in ANZ

  5G networks will move computing to the edge, driving adoption of hybrid cloud and hyper-converged infrastructure, says Nutanix’s ANZ chief

• June 14, 2019 14 Jun'19

  How digital transformation underpins Three’s 5G ambitions

  At Three, the smallest of the UK’s four mobile network operators, a transformative attitude to underlying IT is helping the firm mount a serious challenge to its rivals when it comes to 5G roll-out

• June 12, 2019 12 Jun'19

  DCMS adds cash to 5G testbed fund and moves to ease planning laws

  The government is to invest £40m in new projects under its 5G Testbeds and Trials scheme, and will explore new ways to liberalise planning laws to support quicker 5G deployment

• June 11, 2019 11 Jun'19

  MP brands Huawei exec a ‘moral vacuum’ as operators demand 5G clarity

  Huawei chief security officer John Suffolk faces tough questions from parliament’s Science and Technology Select Committee over the firm’s links to the Chinese government

• June 09, 2019 09 Jun'19

  Three to launch 5G in August

  Operator claims its contiguous block of 5G-ready mobile spectrum will put it streets ahead of its rivals

• June 07, 2019 07 Jun'19

  Ofcom confirms broadband USO to be introduced in March 2020

  BT and Kcom will begin to provide broadband services under the government’s USO scheme from 20 March 2020

• June 07, 2019 07 Jun'19

  Industrial sector increasingly tempted by idea of private 5G

  Industrial companies and manufacturers plan to implement 5G mobile networks swiftly once they become widely available, and many are keen on the idea of investing in private licences

• June 06, 2019 06 Jun'19

  APAC to lead global IoT spending

  Asia-Pacific is slated to become the top market for the internet of things as the region scales up the use of connected devices in key sectors such as manufacturing

• June 06, 2019 06 Jun'19

  Ofcom’s Sharon White to step down at Christmas

  Chief executive will leave her role at the telecoms regulator at the end of 2019

• June 03, 2019 03 Jun'19

  Consumer comms providers sign Ofcom’s new fairness pledge

  The UK’s biggest communications service providers have signed up to a series of new commitments pledging to put fairness to customers at the heart of their business

• May 31, 2019 31 May'19

  New-build homes to get broadband quality certification

  Broadband connectivity rating firm WiredScore is offering its full-fibre certifications to residential property developers and landlords for the first time

• May 31, 2019 31 May'19

  Slowing smart meter roll-out puts 2020 deadline at risk

  The smart meter installation rate is slowing, and with 18 months until the December 2020 deadline, achieving the Smart Meter Programme’s aims now looks very unlikely

• May 30, 2019 30 May'19

  EE launches consumer 5G, but experts say no rush to upgrade

  EE launched the UK’s first official 5G network this week, but with limited availability and 4G networks improving all the time, industry watchers say there is no big impetus for users to upgrade yet

• May 30, 2019 30 May'19

  Red flags missed during ESN planning process, Home Office admits

  The PAC’s latest evidence-gathering session for its inquiry into the delayed and over-budget Emergency Services Network has laid bare a number of crucial errors made over the past few years, and found the Home Office missed a number of warning signs

• May 30, 2019 30 May'19

  4G networks reach near ubiquity in APAC

  Although coverage of 4G services in Asia-Pacific, particularly in India, is almost ubiquitous, telcos in the region still have some catching-up to do

• May 28, 2019 28 May'19

  NHS Digital sets out Internet First policy

  NHS Digital is soliciting input to its Internet First policy, a set of standards and guidelines to help health and social care organisations make digital services accessible over the internet

• May 27, 2019 27 May'19

  StarHub taps OpenStack to run telco network

  The Singapore telco has deployed OpenStack and signed up for Red Hat’s training programme to equip its network engineers with technical expertise

• May 24, 2019 24 May'19

  Ofcom makes new proposals to liberalise access Openreach’s ducts and poles

  The telecoms regulator is proposing new regulations on accessing Openreach’s infrastructure that it hopes will incentives others to roll out ultrafast networks quicker

• May 23, 2019 23 May'19

  Arm China seeks solutions to US export controls with Huawei

  Chip design firm in communication with Huawei-owned semiconductor firm HiSilicon following US move to halt exports of US technology to Chinese tech giant

• May 22, 2019 22 May'19

  EE confirms 30 May 2019 go-live date for UK 5G network

  Mobile operator is on course to become the first to go live with 5G in the UK, but Huawei phones will not be among its launch-day devices

• May 21, 2019 21 May'19

  Sheffield’s network-of-networks goes beyond free Wi-Fi

  For the city of Sheffield, rolling out a free-to-use city Wi-Fi network has become about much more than just letting shoppers browse the internet. We find out more

• May 21, 2019 21 May'19

  US grants Huawei stay of execution

  US Commerce Department temporarily restores Huawei’s ability to maintain its existing networks and smartphone user base

• May 21, 2019 21 May'19

  UC Expo 2019: Experts talk up future tech in unified communications

  Automation and AI are increasingly prevalent in unified comms, but do enterprises really need it?