News

Telecoms networks and broadband communications

August 01, 2018 01 Aug'18
Consumers spend less cash on connectivity, but more time online

The total amount of money consumers are spending on fixed and mobile connectivity services has fallen for the first time in five years
July 31, 2018 31 Jul'18
Comms providers may be forced to notify out-of-contract users

Providers of landline, broadband, TV and mobile services will have to notify their customers when they approach the end of their minimum contract period under proposed new rules
July 31, 2018 31 Jul'18
3 Hong Kong gears up for 5G with “epic” transformation

The Hong Kong telco is putting in an advanced technical architecture that will streamline and automate internal processes and IT as it prepares for the 5G era
July 27, 2018 27 Jul'18
Openreach doubles down on full-fibre broadband roll-out

In its first annual review since splitting from BT, Openreach has recommitted to its targets for full-fibre broadband

July 27, 2018 27 Jul'18
BT bounces back in strong first quarter

After a run of bad news, there were some bright spots in BT’s first quarter financial results
July 26, 2018 26 Jul'18
O2 canvasses support from UK Plc to build case for 5G

O2 CEO Mark Evans is writing to every FTSE 100 boss in the UK seeking to build consensus around 5G use cases, and drum up support for investment
July 25, 2018 25 Jul'18
Vodafone sales tick down on new reporting rules

Quarterly sales at mobile operator Vodafone dipped thanks to the impact of new reporting standards and foreign exchange headwinds
July 24, 2018 24 Jul'18
Ofcom proposes regulatory changes to support broadband investment

Following the recommendations of the government’s Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, regulator Ofcom has proposed a package of measures to better support investment in full-fibre broadband
July 24, 2018 24 Jul'18
Openreach to cut wholesale broadband costs for CSP customers

Openreach plans to introduce wide-ranging cuts to FTTC and FTTP wholesale prices to get other providers to upgrade their users to faster broadband
July 23, 2018 23 Jul'18
BDUK has £200m to kick-start rural full-fibre network build

Government plans to use money from the BDUK superfast broadband programme to drive the roll-out of full-fibre broadband to underserved rural areas

July 23, 2018 23 Jul'18
Full-fibre broadband for all to cost £30bn

The government has released its Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, setting the stage for the national roll-out of a full-fibre broadband network
July 20, 2018 20 Jul'18
Confusion reigns over value of 5G, says report

An Analysys Mason report commissioned by the Broadband Stakeholder Group has highlighted some of the challenges facing the deployment of 5G mobile networks in the UK
July 20, 2018 20 Jul'18
Cisco and UCL to open AI research unit in $100m digital economy boost

Cisco has extended its ongoing Country Digital Acceleration programme in the UK with a further $100m investment, part of which will go towards a new AI research centre
July 19, 2018 19 Jul'18
Digital consortium aims to develop digital inclusion project

A consortium of firms has come together to develop a project involving technology and local government partnerships to promote digital inclusion for those who are not digitally capable
July 19, 2018 19 Jul'18
Orange starts 5G tests in Paris

After successful trials in Romania, Orange begins testing 5G use cases in its home country
July 17, 2018 17 Jul'18
Spectrum costs hit the world’s poorest hardest

The inflated cost of radio spectrum to support mobile network roll-out is harming the economic and social welfare of billions of the world’s poorest people, says the GSMA
July 17, 2018 17 Jul'18
Kcom secures second aggregate HSCN contract

Network services provider Kcom will supply broadband connectivity over the Health and Social Care Network to 10 health organisations in the north-east of England
July 15, 2018 15 Jul'18
A quarter of Brits think they already have full-fibre broadband

CityFibre research commissioned to support its campaign for more clarity in broadband advertising appears to show widespread misunderstanding of what fibre is or what it means
July 10, 2018 10 Jul'18
NIC calls for nationwide broadband plan

The National Infrastructure Commission has called for a national broadband plan to support full-fibre roll-out
July 09, 2018 09 Jul'18
UK slips down broadband speed league table

Although average broadband speeds in the UK have improved in the past year, other countries are moving faster, according to new data from comparison site Cable.co.uk
July 09, 2018 09 Jul'18
Superbike team adds managed UC to support racers

Crescent Racing, Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team has enhanced its existing relationship with MSP GCI to include new unified comms and Skype for Business elements
July 09, 2018 09 Jul'18
Three chooses SSE for 5G fibre backhaul

SSE Enterprise Telecoms will connect Three’s mobile network into BT’s local telephone exchanges as the mobile operator ramps up its preparation for 5G
July 09, 2018 09 Jul'18
London NHS organisations pick Kcom for HSCN

Network services supplier Kcom has been named as the preferred bidder for the Once for London Health and Social Care Network contract
July 05, 2018 05 Jul'18
Ofcom lays out plan for UK fixed wireless networks

Telecoms regulator has set out a wide-ranging plan covering the roll-out of fixed wireless access networks in the UK to support national connectivity and other uses
July 05, 2018 05 Jul'18
Australian startups team up to keep wind turbines humming

Using acoustic sensors and nanosatellite connectivity, two Australian startups hope to identify potential turbine problems before they occur to secure the country’s wind energy
July 04, 2018 04 Jul'18
Slow broadband fuels a post-Brexit storm for rural communities

Lack of access to reliable broadband and mobile networks threatens rural livelihoods after Brexit, according to a Local Government Association report
July 04, 2018 04 Jul'18
Industry bets on fixed wireless access for first 5G deployments

Separate tests in Romania and the UK have been demonstrating the potential of fixed wireless access as a component of 5G
July 04, 2018 04 Jul'18
Software firm Clevermed enhances NHS user experience on Health and Social Care Network

Clevermed, a supplier of maternity and neonatal care record software to the NHS, reveals how users are benefiting after it switched to the new Health and Social Care Network
June 29, 2018 29 Jun'18
Home Office criticised over ESN review progress

In an appearance before the Public Accounts Committee, Home Office permanent secretary Philip Rutnam defended the progress of the ESN project review
June 29, 2018 29 Jun'18
Openreach starts full-fibre roll-out in Exeter

Network builder Openreach adds Exeter to its Fibre First FTTP broadband roll-out
June 27, 2018 27 Jun'18
Brent Council tenants to receive full-fibre broadband service

Borough-wide FTTP broadband roll-out could address up to 100,000 homes and businesses in North London
June 26, 2018 26 Jun'18
SSE Enterprise Telecoms bids to solve UK’s backhaul problem

By layering Infinera technology over its existing network, SSE Enterprise Telecoms plans to deliver what it refers to as a ‘dark fibre-like’ access product for communications services providers
June 25, 2018 25 Jun'18
Openreach extends Gfast broadband roll-out

Openreach commits to rolling out Gfast broadband services to 59 new locations in the next phase of its ultrafast deployment plan
June 25, 2018 25 Jun'18
Mobile spectrum sharing is vital for UK 5G roll-out, says report

A report commissioned by independent network builders’ body Inca has warned that current approaches to how spectrum is apportioned are leaving vast amounts unused, and this needs to change
June 22, 2018 22 Jun'18
How Australia is gearing up for 5G

From trialling 5G networks at the recent Commonwealth Games to flying drones in surf sport lifesaving, Australia is becoming a test bed for 5G services with its dense cities and wide-open spaces
June 22, 2018 22 Jun'18
SME provider takes on Cambridgeshire public sector network contract

Managed network services provider MLL Telecom has been awarded the EastNet contract to run WAN services across Cambridgeshire, replacing a legacy Virgin Media Network
June 21, 2018 21 Jun'18
M1, Huawei to transmit VR content in 5G live trial

Mobile operator M1 and Huawei will be streaming virtual reality content in Singapore’s first 5G live trial in June
June 20, 2018 20 Jun'18
Vodafone to start 5G trials this autumn

MNO announces 5G trials in seven UK cities, with new mobile network infrastructure to be rolled out from October
June 20, 2018 20 Jun'18
Mobile operators appeal for dark fibre access to back 5G

O2, Three and Vodafone unite in calling for more to be done to open up dark fibre networks to supply desperately needed capacity for their future 5G networks
June 19, 2018 19 Jun'18
Government’s broadband service obligation derided by industry

As Ofcom starts the process of finding a provider willing to step up to manage the government’s 10Mbps broadband universal service obligation, the project has been derided by network builders and stakeholders alike
June 19, 2018 19 Jun'18
CIO interview: Michael Cole, European Tour and Ryder Cup

Michael Cole, chief technology officer at the European Tour and Ryder Cup, discusses how he is helping the sport of golf broaden its appeal through his “connected course” digital transformation vision
June 14, 2018 14 Jun'18
Ofcom satisfied with progress on BT Openreach split

Ofcom has published its first annual report on the legal separation of BT and Openreach, and said it is broadly satisfied with progress to date, despite hiccups relating to the BT pension scheme
June 12, 2018 12 Jun'18
Mayor Khan bids to make London the world’s smartest city

At London Tech Week, mayor Sadiq Khan launched a city-wide initiative to harness the capital’s technology talent to address London’s most pressing problems
June 12, 2018 12 Jun'18
CityFibre wins key decision in fake fibre case

CityFibre has been granted permission to proceed with a judicial review of the ASA’s November 2017 decision about the use of the term fibre in broadband ads
June 10, 2018 10 Jun'18
Singapore government to regulate eSIM technology

The government is gathering feedback on key proposals such as forbidding telcos to lock embedded SIM-enabled devices to their networks
June 08, 2018 08 Jun'18
BT’s Gavin Patterson quits under shareholder pressure

Patterson’s resignation comes just weeks after he announced 13,000 redundancies across BT
June 07, 2018 07 Jun'18
Newcastle Council to show off smartest street in Britain

The Great Exhibition of the North will see Mosley Street in Newcastle upon Tyne transformed into Britain’s smartest street as part of a demonstration of IoT technology
June 07, 2018 07 Jun'18
5G transformative for UK plc, but potential impacts still vague

5G mobile technology looks set to transform the UK economy for the better, but the immaturity of the technology and lack of standards makes its true impact harder to judge, according to a report by Deloitte
June 06, 2018 06 Jun'18
EE confirms October 2018 UK launch date for first 5G live trials

Mobile operator outlines plans to test its 5G network within London’s Tech City startup hub, as its push to become the UK’s first to market with the technology gathers pace
June 01, 2018 01 Jun'18
Ethical hacker, 86, rises to Santander’s challenge

Elderly hacker with little computing experience was able to hack WiFi and create phishing attack
May 25, 2018 25 May'18
Former Macedonian PM convicted in corruption case exposed by illegal government surveillance

Information exposed by leaked recordings that were part an illegal mass surveillance campaign orchestrated under the government of former prime minster Nikola Gruevski have led to his conviction for corruption. He was found guilty of rigging a ...
May 23, 2018 23 May'18
Government pledges full-fibre broadband for all by 2033

In a speech to the CBI, chancellor Philip Hammond pledges to build a nationwide FTTP network by 2033
May 22, 2018 22 May'18
Qualcomm and Facebook working on FWA broadband

Qualcomm is to integrate a number of its chipsets with Facebook’s Terragraph technology to build fixed wireless access broadband solutions for urban areas
May 21, 2018 21 May'18
Openreach launches Scottish fibre training school

Openreach has launched its Scottish engineering school in Livingston as it prepares to train 400 new broadband specialists to run its full-fibre roll-out
May 18, 2018 18 May'18
Three ditches 3G mobile phones

Three has become the first of the big four UK mobile operators to stop selling 3G mobile devices
May 18, 2018 18 May'18
GDS seeks advice on migration from Public Services Network

The Government Digital Service has started the process of moving public sector organisations away from the Public Services Network
May 16, 2018 16 May'18
BT and EE to converge fibre broadband, 4G networks

BT’s consumer unit has launched a network convergence strategy designed to make the most of its national fibre and 4G network assets
May 15, 2018 15 May'18
Vodafone CEO Colao steps down

Long-serving Vodafone CEO Vittorio Colao will step down in October after just over a decade in charge
May 15, 2018 15 May'18
Openreach starts countdown to the end of analogue phone services

Openreach has started a consultation on the future of telephony services as its parent signals plans to switch off analogue PSTN phone services in seven years' time
May 14, 2018 14 May'18
MPs demand 4G mobile network coverage obligation for rural areas

The Rural Business All-Party Parliamentary Group has written to Matt Hancock calling for the government to put legally binding targets in place for 4G mobile network coverage
May 11, 2018 11 May'18
KCOM picks Amdocs to enhance network transition

East Yorkshire and Humberside’s incumbent telco to implement new service delivery platform as it upgrades its network
May 10, 2018 10 May'18
Connectivity problem hits thousands of Post Office branches

Post Office branches unable to connect to Horizon computer system for several hours after morning opening time
May 10, 2018 10 May'18
BT to shut London HQ and cut 13,000 jobs

Another round of cuts comes as BT struggles to reposition itself for sustainable long-term growth
May 09, 2018 09 May'18
Vodafone becomes largest next-gen broadband player in Europe

Vodafone has acquired the operations of Virgin Media parent Liberty Global in four European markets, giving it access to 110 million homes and businesses
May 08, 2018 08 May'18
Virtual tripwire to keep elephant poachers out of Zambian national park

Cisco and Dimension Data are working to protect Zambia’s at-risk elephant population after a successful pilot project in South Africa
May 03, 2018 03 May'18
Fibre network breakthrough has implications for data security

Researchers have devised a new protocol that they claim vastly extends the range of quantum key distribution over fibre networks
May 03, 2018 03 May'18
TalkTalk worst for broadband customer satisfaction

Ofcom has released statistics on communications service provider customer service metrics, and TalkTalk does not come out of it well
May 01, 2018 01 May'18
Gulf Cooperation Council smart city initiatives garner momentum

The Middle East is a hotbed for smart city developments, with activities in the region maturing and adapting to what citizens want
May 01, 2018 01 May'18
Three starts to prepare core network for 5G

Mobile operator Three has enlisted SSE Enterprise Telecoms to bring 20 core datacentres on-net as it prepares to start rolling out 5G
May 01, 2018 01 May'18
Bristol’s historic bridge pressed into service for rural broadband

Gigaclear is running cables underneath Bristol’s historic Clifton Suspension Bridge to bring ultrafast full-fibre services to forgotten communities
April 30, 2018 30 Apr'18
Over a million homes can now access FTTP, says Ofcom

Access to viable broadband services continues to improve across the UK, according to Ofcom
April 30, 2018 30 Apr'18
Yorkshire and Humber region awards HSCN contract to Redcentric

Network services provider Redcentric wins the first major regional Health and Social Care Network contract as procurements around England gather pace
April 30, 2018 30 Apr'18
Even the smallest of Dutch towns are becoming smart

An increasing number of Dutch towns and cities use street sensors and big data to tackle societal problems. From smart lighting to artificial intelligence that spots violent behaviour in surveillance footage, smart technology is booming in the ...
April 27, 2018 27 Apr'18
BT risks ‘fading away’ in full-fibre future, says Ofcom CEO

BT risks being consigned to the dustbin of failed tech companies if it messes up the transition to full-fibre broadband networks, says Ofcom CEO Sharon White
April 26, 2018 26 Apr'18
O2 reveals plans for new 4G mobile spectrum

O2 has already turned on 100 new mobile sites since winning big in the Ofcom spectrum auction, and hopes to activate 900 more this year
April 26, 2018 26 Apr'18
NCSC shows support for common standards for secure communication

The UK cyber security authority is supporting an industry drive towards common standards for secure communication by joining an industry organisation that aims to achieve this goal
April 24, 2018 24 Apr'18
Full-fibre broadband specialist CityFibre acquired for £538m

Full-fibre broadband specialist CityFibre is to be bought by a Goldman Sachs-backed consortium as it seeks more cash to fulfil its expansion plans
April 24, 2018 24 Apr'18
Unified communications supplier Mitel bought by VCs

Unified communications and networking technology supplier Mitel is to be acquired by affiliates of Searchlight Capital Partners for $2bn
April 24, 2018 24 Apr'18
Vodafone CityFibre broadband venture gathers pace

Residents of four more cities – Coventry, Edinburgh, Huddersfield and Stirling – will be hooked up to the ultrafast full-fibre broadband service in the coming months
April 23, 2018 23 Apr'18
Community Fibre gets £25m to fund broadband in London

Broadband supplier receives backing from the National Digital Infrastructure Fund to bring full-fibre services to 100,000 more properties across London
April 18, 2018 18 Apr'18
BT to supply European air navigation network

BT has been selected to provide the upgraded air traffic management network across Europe
April 18, 2018 18 Apr'18
Twilio offers IoT developers programmable mobile connectivity

Developers of internet of things applications and devices will be able to use the Twilio Programmable Wireless mobile communications platform to build mobile connectivity into their services
April 17, 2018 17 Apr'18
Huawei invests in 5G mobile networks, but eases back on the hype

Telecoms supplier Huawei has been updating the industry on its 5G vision at its annual Analyst Summit in Shenzhen, China, but shied away from making bold predictions
April 17, 2018 17 Apr'18
Huawei wants to unlock ASEAN’s digital potential

The Chinese technology supplier is working with communications service providers such as Converge in the Philippines to bolster their networks to support new digital services
April 12, 2018 12 Apr'18
O2 and Arqiva begin small cell roll-out in London

Mobile operator will use small cells to boost 4G mobile network data capacity in busy areas, such as around stations
April 05, 2018 05 Apr'18
5G mobile spectrum auction raises £1.3bn

The principal bidding stage in Ofcom’s latest mobile network spectrum auction has concluded, raising more than £1bn for the Treasury
April 04, 2018 04 Apr'18
LGA proposes full-fibre broadband kitemark for homebuyers

The Local Government Association has urged housing developers to adopt proposals for a fibre-to-the-premises broadband kitemark for new-build homes in rural areas
March 28, 2018 28 Mar'18
Government sets deadline for affordable 10Mbps broadband

Ofcom set the task of implementing the rules that ensure everyone in the UK can access affordable high-speed broadband by 2020
March 26, 2018 26 Mar'18
Swedish industry contributes to 5G evolution

Swedish industrial companies have played a role in the development of Ericsson’s 5G services in the country
March 23, 2018 23 Mar'18
Scottish village rolls out FTTP broadband at half normal cost

Residents of the remote village of Balquhidder in Stirlingshire have banded together to roll out a full-fibre broadband network at just half the cost of a normal fibre network build
March 22, 2018 22 Mar'18
Colt pioneers blockchain in telco voice wholesaling

Colt Technology Services and Hong Kong Telecom’s international unit PCCW Global teamed up to trial the use of blockchain in wholesale voice settlements
March 22, 2018 22 Mar'18
Canadian broadband expertise speeds Gigaclear fibre dig

Rural broadband provider Gigaclear has enlisted Canadian firm Lite Access Technology to assist in the roll-out of full-fibre services to 10,000 properties in Oxfordshire
March 22, 2018 22 Mar'18
CityFibre consumer broadband collaboration hits Peterborough

CityFibre is returning to one of its earliest Gigabit City projects with Vodafone in tow to upgrade thousands of homes in Peterborough to gigabit-capable full-fibre broadband
March 22, 2018 22 Mar'18
Uber autonomous vehicle death raises questions for UK law review

Uber suspended testing of autonomous vehicles in North America after one of its cars struck and killed a pedestrian this week, and the tragic accident raises big questions in the light of the UK’s ongoing legal review of self-driving cars
March 21, 2018 21 Mar'18
Train leasing firm demos mobile edge computing for smart trains

Rolling stock leasing company Angel Trains is demonstrating edge computing over a wireless mesh network to make life easier for its customers’ on-board staff
March 20, 2018 20 Mar'18
Case study: Stationery firm gets things moving with FTTP broadband voucher

Nuco, a Midlands-based supplier of paper and stationery products, has improved its business agility and is moving its IT into the cloud thanks to the government’s full-fibre broadband connection voucher scheme
March 20, 2018 20 Mar'18
Ofcom opens 5G spectrum auction

Ofcom has opened the bidding in the auction of spectrum to support 4G and 5G mobile networks
March 19, 2018 19 Mar'18
Gatwick Airport turns to driverless tech to keep staff moving

Gatwick Airport plans to trial driverless technology to move staff around the airfield, in the hope of creating an Uber-like service to cut costs and emissions
March 19, 2018 19 Mar'18
Southwark brings full-fibre broadband to council estates

London’s Southwark Council has enlisted Hyperoptic to deliver FTTP broadband services across its housing portfolio
March 16, 2018 16 Mar'18
Ofcom sets out 5G spectrum auction process

Regulator has given details of the two-stage 5G mobile network spectrum auction process that will begin next week