News

Telecoms networks and broadband communications

• October 26, 2016 26 Oct'16

  Ultrafast York UFO broadband network to go citywide

  Following successful trials in a number of York neighbourhoods, UFO broadband backers CityFibre, Sky and TalkTalk have agreed to roll out the service across the city

• October 26, 2016 26 Oct'16

  Botched IT migration cost Vodafone customers thousands

  Ofcom imposes multimillion-pound fine on mobile operator after an investigation uncovered multiple failings arising from a problematic IT systems migration

• October 25, 2016 25 Oct'16

  BT builds phone boxes for the internet age

  BT has announced plans to roll out a free London-wide wireless internet and phone service

• October 20, 2016 20 Oct'16

  Virgin Media CEO urges Theresa May to bring clarity to Brexit turmoil

  As the prime minister prepares to meet EU leaders to begin difficult Brexit negotiations, Virgin Media's Tom Mockridge calls for an end to uncertainty

• October 19, 2016 19 Oct'16

  Matt Hancock calls for market to lead on full FTTP broadband

  Digital and culture secretary used his keynote speech at Broadband World Forum to call for a national market-led fibre-to-the-premise roll-out, and pledged government support to make it happen

• October 19, 2016 19 Oct'16

  Ireland to follow UK in setting up national cyber security centre

  The Republic of Ireland plans to set up a national cyber security centre and education programme to improve the security of critical infrastructure, businesses and citizens

• October 19, 2016 19 Oct'16

  BT plans more rural FTTP digs as demand for ultrafast grows

  At Broadband World Forum in London, BT showed off improved FTTP and G.fast broadband delivery technology, and set its sights on expanding ultrafast services to rural areas

• October 18, 2016 18 Oct'16

  Vodafone partners with HiWEB to launch IoT services in Iran

  Telecoms giant has signed a partnership agreement with Iranian counterpart HiWEB to provide IT infrastructure and internet of things services in the country

• October 17, 2016 17 Oct'16

  G.fast broadband proving popular among European operators

  Ahead of Broadband World Forum, an Ovum report reveals high levels of interest in G.fast delivery technology, particularly among major European operators with large copper networks

• October 16, 2016 16 Oct'16

  Dubai smart city will be the talk of GITEX

  Global experts in urban planning and smart technology will discuss the important role Dubai will play in supporting the development of smart cities in the Middle East

• October 14, 2016 14 Oct'16

  Focus on SME broadband to build Northern Powerhouse, says report

  SMEs in the north of England need a defined government strategy on broadband and skills if they are to flourish, says a thinktank

• October 14, 2016 14 Oct'16

  UK will maintain European broadband leadership until 2020

  The UK is expected to keep its leadership position when compared with selected EU markets, claims Analysys Mason

• October 13, 2016 13 Oct'16

  Bristol is Open picks new network partners to enhance smart city

  Nokia and Zeetta Networks sign on to support the University of Bristol and Bristol Council’s smart city project, Bristol is Open

• October 11, 2016 11 Oct'16

  BT volunteers to take on universal broadband obligation

  BT’s chief strategy officer Sean Williams tells MPs the telco will happily take on any broadband USO, as parliament gathers evidence in support of the Digital Economy Bill

• October 07, 2016 07 Oct'16

  Gigaclear BDUK broadband roll-out reaches halfway point

  Rural broadband provider Gigaclear hits the halfway mark in its BDUK-backed Fastershire roll-out

• October 06, 2016 06 Oct'16

  Ofcom opens consultation on extra spectrum for 5G mobile

  Ofcom is seeking input from industry and stakeholders on bringing parts of the 3.6GHz to 3.8GHz radio spectrum bands into use to support 5G networks

• October 06, 2016 06 Oct'16

  Adtran brings US community broadband framework to Europe

  Broadband equipment supplier Adtran launches its Enabling Communities, Connecting Lives programme in Europe to support the EC’s gigabit ambitions

• October 05, 2016 05 Oct'16

  Sky and TalkTalk make final case to separate BT and Openreach

  The Ofcom consultation on the future relationship between BT and Openreach has ended, and a number of broadband stakeholders have been putting their views across

• October 05, 2016 05 Oct'16

  TalkTalk hit by record £400,000 fine over data breach

  The Information Commissioner’s Office issues its largest ever data protection fine after more than 150,000 customers had their data exposed by TalkTalk breach

• October 05, 2016 05 Oct'16

  Birmingham Uni beefs up network automation, virtualisation to support research

  The University of Birmingham has deployed a Brocade switching infrastructure and network virtualisation to support the needs of its research teams

• October 04, 2016 04 Oct'16

  Home IoT technology irrelevant to most home owners

  Smart home technology, such as security systems and IoT-enabled thermostats, is overpriced and uninteresting to most home owners, says Beecham Research report

• October 04, 2016 04 Oct'16

  Look to over-the-top services to secure mobile, says specialist

  Mobile network operators should look to 3G and 4G while enterprises should consider OTT services to provide the best security, says telecommunications industry veteran and pioneer Charles Brookson

• October 04, 2016 04 Oct'16

  Mirai IoT botnet code release raises fears of surge in DDoS attacks

  Organisations with an online presence should prepare for terabit-class IoT botnet-based DDoS attacks that could knock almost any business offline or disable chunks of the internet, warn security experts

• October 03, 2016 03 Oct'16

  TalkTalk overhauls broadband packages to challenge rivals

  Internet service provider TalkTalk throws down the gauntlet to its rivals by making a number of changes to its packages that it claims will put customers' interests first

• September 30, 2016 30 Sep'16

  Business rate increases will hurt UK broadband sector, says industry

  Stakeholders have criticised the Valuation Office Agency for huge rises in business rates on fibre cables that may affect the cost of broadband services

• September 30, 2016 30 Sep'16

  Manchester tech firms clamour for faster broadband connections

  Tech businesses in Manchester are crying out for better broadband connections, according to a report commissioned by digital connectivity analysts WiredScore

• September 28, 2016 28 Sep'16

  Business secretary calls for national broadband upgrade

  In a speech to the Institute of Directors’ annual conference, Greg Clark calls for a major broadband upgrade to support the reinvention of the government’s industrial strategy

• September 28, 2016 28 Sep'16

  5G worth more than €113bn per year to European economy

  An EC-supported study conducted by InterDigital suggests investment in 5G could generate an annual benefit of €113bn by 2025

• September 28, 2016 28 Sep'16

  Gigaclear to deliver fibre broadband through old water pipes

  Rural fibre broadband supplier Gigaclear has teamed up with Affinity Water Distribution to study the feasibility of using disused water mains as an FTTP delivery mechanism

• September 23, 2016 23 Sep'16

  Government mishandling smart meter roll-out, says committee

  The Science and Technology Committee accuses the government of being unclear on the benefits of gas and electricity smart meters, and mishandling aspects of the national roll-out

• September 22, 2016 22 Sep'16

  Openreach responds to Fix Britain’s Internet broadband campaigners

  Openreach CEO Clive Selley has criticised rival broadband providers campaigning for the separation of the infrastructure business from its parent, BT, saying they are ignoring important facts

• September 21, 2016 21 Sep'16

  Brussels proposes new rules to stop abuse of roaming charge rules

  The European College of Commissioners has proposed new rules to help prevent abuse of the end of mobile roaming charges across the EU

• September 21, 2016 21 Sep'16

  Mobile connectivity still costing businesses billions

  Despite efforts to bring down the cost of mobile connectivity for business users, a report from iPass shows business travellers are incurring hundreds of pounds of charges every month

• September 20, 2016 20 Sep'16

  Digital Catapult sets up London-wide IoT network

  The Digital Catapult is launching a London-wide internet of things network to support digital startups and SMEs as they develop applications and use-cases

• September 19, 2016 19 Sep'16

  Surrey and Borders NHS Trust launches IoT trial for dementia patients

  A major trial of IoT technology in the homes of vulnerable dementia patients could pave the way for a revolution in how elderly care is delivered in the NHS

• September 16, 2016 16 Sep'16

  EC overhauls telecoms rules to bolster broadband, 5G

  The European Commission is set to make a number of changes to European Union telecoms rules to support ultrafast network connectivity

• September 15, 2016 15 Sep'16

  Emergency Services Network a risky proposition, say auditors

  The Emergency Services Network is untried, untested and carries significant implementation risk, according to the National Audit Office

• September 14, 2016 14 Sep'16

  NHS trusts and suppliers not ready for end of N3 network

  Network integrator Updata has warned that NHS organisations and network suppliers must mobilise now to get ready for the transition to the Health and Social Care Network next year

• September 14, 2016 14 Sep'16

  MPs split on BT Openreach and broadband USO

  At the second reading of the controversial Digital Economy Bill, MPs debated the future of BT and Openreach and the proposed universal service obligation for broadband

• September 13, 2016 13 Sep'16

  Number of internet users in Myanmar rockets

  Internet use rapidly increases in Myanmar, with most people connecting through smartphones

• September 13, 2016 13 Sep'16

  Scotland begins new superfast broadband procurement

  Scottish government issues prior information notice to kick off new procurement to deliver 100% superfast broadband access across the country

• September 12, 2016 12 Sep'16

  Aberdeen City Council begins Swan network roll-out

  Aberdeen City Council has begun work on a regional fibre network to enhance digital services under the auspices of the Capita-run Scottish Wide Area Network framework

• September 12, 2016 12 Sep'16

  MaidSafe secure internet concept enters testing phase

  Scottish internet startup MaidSafe brings its vision for a more private and secure approach to the web a step closer to reality

• September 08, 2016 08 Sep'16

  Broadband association calls for new government commitment to FTTP

  In its newly released Building Gigabit Britain report, the Independent Networks Co-Operative Association calls for the government to make a more ambitious commitment to fibre broadband

• September 08, 2016 08 Sep'16

  Enterprise network access policies must change to account for IoT

  With IoT devices set to outnumber notebooks, smartphones and tablets by more than three times, businesses will need to adjust their network access policies to keep things running smoothly, says Gartner

• September 06, 2016 06 Sep'16

  Three CEO slams ‘unfair’ spectrum holdings

  Three CEO Dave Dyson calls on Ofcom to act to prevent one operator from owning more than 30% of the UK’s total mobile radio spectrum

• September 06, 2016 06 Sep'16

  Openreach still neglecting SME broadband, claims TalkTalk

  TalkTalk’s business division claims Openreach is neglecting business broadband connectivity, and repeats its call for SME customers to take part in Ofcom’s consultation on the future of the BT Openreach relationship

• September 06, 2016 06 Sep'16

  EE adds more 4G spectrum to support latest smartphones

  EE begins to roll out 4G network support for Cat 9 LTE-A smartphones, which can achieve peak speeds of over 400Mbps

• September 05, 2016 05 Sep'16

  Silverstone Circuit pilots smart transport service at 2016 British MotoGP

  Silverstone Circuit tests InterDigital’s oneTransport traffic flow management service at the 2016 British Grand Prix MotoGP

• September 02, 2016 02 Sep'16

  SpaceX rocket explosion is setback for Facebook internet project

  Facebook’s internet project has lost a satellite it was planning to use to provide broadband coverage to sub-Saharan Africa

• September 01, 2016 01 Sep'16

  How HomeServe Labs plans to use the IoT to shake up the insurance business

  Home maintenance services provider HomeServe grows its internet of things startup internally, and is now targeting the insurance industry with a leak detection system

• August 31, 2016 31 Aug'16

  IoT will help ease transition to renewables, says National Grid chief

  The National Grid’s chief executive, Nicola Shaw, wants to use the internet of things to balance energy demand as the UK transitions to renewable energy sources

• August 31, 2016 31 Aug'16

  Latest Broadband Forum spec offers faster route to gigabit speeds

  The Broadband Forum’s new specifications for FTTdp management use software-based techniques to offer an easier and quicker route to gigabit broadband for comms providers

• August 30, 2016 30 Aug'16

  UAE firms look to light fidelity technology to enable IoT applications

  LED-based connectivity slated as key component of internet of things-related deployments

• August 30, 2016 30 Aug'16

  UAE infrastructure ministry upgrades IT to support smart government

  The UAE's Ministry of Infrastructure Development has upgraded its datacentre and networking infrastructure to support the government's smart services drive

• August 26, 2016 26 Aug'16

  EE pushes further into content delivery with Apple Music tie-up

  Mobile network operator will offer six months of Apple Music free to new and upgrading customers as it expands into content provision

• August 19, 2016 19 Aug'16

  Volvo joins forces with Uber for autonomous vehicle pilot

  Self-driving Volvo cars will take to the streets of Pittsburgh as part of a test of autonomous technology spearheaded by ride-sharing firm Uber

• August 18, 2016 18 Aug'16

  BT and Nokia to work together on 5G research

  BT and Nokia plan to work together on customer use cases, proof of concept trials, technology standards and equipment to support 5G

• August 18, 2016 18 Aug'16

  Three years left to prep UK’s mobile network infrastructure for 5G

  The UK’s mobile networking infrastructure needs a radical overhaul to get ready for the first 5G mobile networks, says O2 CTO Brendan O’Reilly

• August 17, 2016 17 Aug'16

  Ford promises to mass-produce an autonomous car by 2021

  The world’s first high-volume, fully autonomous vehicle will operate in a ride-hailing or sharing service by 2021, says Ford

• August 16, 2016 16 Aug'16

  No appetite among ISPs to become broadband USO provider, says Ofcom

  Ofcom’s summary of responses to its consultation over the proposed broadband universal service obligation reveals that many service providers do not want to take on the job

• August 15, 2016 15 Aug'16

  Disaster Tech Lab brings emergency internet to refugee camps

  Voluntary organisation Disaster Test Lab deploys ruggedised Cradlepoint technology to provide mobile connectivity to 18 refugee camps in Greece

• August 15, 2016 15 Aug'16

  Europe lags US in gigabit broadband deployments

  Network test firm Viavi inaugurates its Global Gigabit Monitor, examining the pace of gigabit broadband roll-out around the world

• August 12, 2016 12 Aug'16

  Care charity Avante enhances unified communications capabilities with 3CX

  Kent-based residential care charity Avante Care and Support installed an IP PBX to manage telephony across multiple sites and a mobile workforce

• August 12, 2016 12 Aug'16

  Newcastle and Gateshead take public Wi-Fi network to the streets

  Newcastle and Gateshead councils have extended their public Wi-Fi network for a further 10 years with assistance from BT and the government

• August 11, 2016 11 Aug'16

  Google Fiber to expand tests of gigabit-speed wireless broadband

  Google Fiber plans to expand tests of wireless broadband to accelerate the roll-out of low-cost superfast internet across the US

• August 10, 2016 10 Aug'16

  Prisons to get power to remotely pull plug on illicit mobile phones

  The Home Office is to give prisons in the UK new powers to cut off illicit use of mobile phones by inmates

• August 10, 2016 10 Aug'16

  IPT fines Police Scotland for communications breach of privacy

  The case comes as the UK government prepares to introduce the Investigatory Powers Bill, which will give sweeping powers for suspicion-less surveillance of telephone, web and email communications

• August 10, 2016 10 Aug'16

  MI5 staff repeatedly overrode data surveillance rules

  Security service MI5 is responsible for 210 “clear contraventions” over five years for the way it accessed private internet and telephone data

• August 09, 2016 09 Aug'16

  Operator Alfa launches Lebanon’s first LTE-A network

  LTE-Advanced network launched by operator Alfa, using technology from Nokia

• August 09, 2016 09 Aug'16

  Vodafone to end broadband landline rental charges

  Vodafone becomes the first UK internet service provider to remove line rental charges for new and upgrading fibre-based broadband customers

• August 08, 2016 08 Aug'16

  CityFibre nears end of Edinburgh fibre broadband roll-out

  Urban fibre broadband supplier CityFibre is nearing the end of a 12-month, 150km network dig in Edinburgh, its largest project to date

• August 05, 2016 05 Aug'16

  Svitzer Marine tracks tugboats with 4G ship-to-shore Wi-Fi

  Maersk-owned tugboat operator Svitzer Marine has deployed Cradlepoint rugged networking solutions to support its fleet operations in ports around the world

• August 04, 2016 04 Aug'16

  Slow broadband causes widespread stress, campaigners claim

  A report compiled for the ISP-led Fix Britain’s Internet campaign has said that millions of people are experiencing stress and anxiety because of slow and unreliable broadband

• August 03, 2016 03 Aug'16

  Ofcom comms survey shows changing nature of UK network use

  Brits are spending more time online than ever before, according to Ofcom’s annual Communications Market Report

• August 02, 2016 02 Aug'16

  Broadband connection voucher SMEs generate substantial ROI

  London SMEs that received help in getting online through the government’s broadband connection voucher scheme in 2015 are generating much more money, according to a report

• August 02, 2016 02 Aug'16

  Saudi Telecom Company builds out NFV capabilities

  Operator continues roll-out of network function virtualisation-based services as networking trend sweeps Gulf region

• August 02, 2016 02 Aug'16

  Sky suffers national broadband outage

  Nationwide service outage has affected users of Sky’s fibre-based broadband services

• August 01, 2016 01 Aug'16

  Rio de Janeiro faces 4G challenge at 2016 Olympic Games

  With the 2016 Olympics just days away, are mobile operators prepared for a deluge of network traffic that will dwarf what was seen at London 2012?

• July 29, 2016 29 Jul'16

  CIO interview: Gary Steen, chief technology officer, TalkTalk

  TalkTalk has overhauled security since its controversial data breach in 2015, according to CTO Gary Steen, and is investing in technology to beat its rivals on customer service

• July 28, 2016 28 Jul'16

  BT sales increase 35% in 2016 Q2 with EE and broadband boosts

  BT Group reported a 35% increase in revenue as it benefits from its EE acquisition and a large share of the broadband market

• July 27, 2016 27 Jul'16

  Broadband providers urge UK firms to have their say on Ofcom’s BT-Openreach proposals

  Nationwide campaign seeks to enable UK businesses to make their views known as regulator considers the future of BT-Openreach

• July 26, 2016 26 Jul'16

  Ofcom and BT set out separate plans to increase Openreach independence

  BT Group’s plans to give Openreach greater independence share some common ground with Ofcom’s recommendations, but will this be enough to ease its rivals’ anti-competitive concerns?

• July 25, 2016 25 Jul'16

  BT says it's "absolutely willing" to create independent board to run Openreach

  BT Group chairman Michael Rake says the organisation is willing to let an independent board oversee Openreach’s spending and strategy decisions

• July 21, 2016 21 Jul'16

  BT broadband users hit by second UK-wide outage in two days

  Power supply issues at Docklands datacentre could be behind loss of internet access for more than 5,500 BT broadband users

• July 20, 2016 20 Jul'16

  BT broadband users hit by UK-wide outage

  Telecommunications giant incurs the wrath of BT broadband users after thousands struggle to get online, following power outage at third-party datacentre provider

• July 20, 2016 20 Jul'16

  Mobile data freebies spark controversy in Sweden

  Telia’s offer of data freebies to customers has brought criticism from some that believe it breaches net neutrality rules

• July 19, 2016 19 Jul'16

  Private data should only be kept for ‘serious crime’, says European Court

  European Court of Justice lays down the limits of data retention following legal challenge by two UK MPs, and David Davis withdraws his name from legal action after assuming a post in Theresa May’s cabinet

• July 19, 2016 19 Jul'16

  BT accused of under-investing in Openreach, prompting renewed calls for business split

  The Culture, Media and Sport Committee calls for operation and investment overhaul for Openreach, and claims failure to deliver on this should prompt Ofcom to order breakaway from BT

• July 18, 2016 18 Jul'16

  Prime minister Theresa May shakes up responsibility for digital policy in ministerial reshuffle

  Former Cabinet Office minister Matt Hancock replaces Ed Vaizey as digital economy minister in the highest-profile change among digital roles

• July 15, 2016 15 Jul'16

  O2 boss Ronan Dunne steps down

  Telefónica UK CEO Ronan Dunne is to leave the business in August, and will be replaced with current CFO Mark Evans

• July 14, 2016 14 Jul'16

  Australia’s new government under pressure to hit broadband targets

  Newly elected conservative coalition government will see Australia’s National Broadband Network plan become a higher priority

• July 14, 2016 14 Jul'16

  Internet of things accounts for a quarter of IT budgets, claims Vodafone

  The latest edition of Vodafone’s annual Internet of Things Barometer suggests that the IoT commands as much attention as cloud or data analytics

• July 14, 2016 14 Jul'16

  Tesla won’t shut off autopilot after second accident

  Elon Musk doubles down on autonomous vehicle technology as more questions are raised over the public beta of Tesla’s autopilot feature

• July 14, 2016 14 Jul'16

  CIO Interview: Elly Resende, CIO, Rio 2016 Olympics

  As Rio de Janeiro gets ready to host the Olympics, Computer Weekly speaks to the man in charge of its IT

• July 13, 2016 13 Jul'16

  ISP calls on Theresa May to eject Ed Vaizey from broadband role

  Wholesale internet service provider Entanet calls on Theresa May to replace digital economy minister Ed Vaizey at the helm of the UK’s broadband roll-out

• July 13, 2016 13 Jul'16

  Panera transforms digital infrastructure with Cisco

  At Cisco Live in Las Vegas, Blaine Hurst from café chain Panera explained how he transformed the company’s infrastructure based on Cisco and Apple devices

• July 12, 2016 12 Jul'16

  Cisco wants to be the foundation for digital transformation

  At Cisco Live in Las Vegas, CEO Chuck Robbins sets out his vision for the future and moves to position the supplier at the heart of enterprise digitisation

• July 11, 2016 11 Jul'16

  Government to reform rules of the road for autonomous cars

  The UK government has proposed amendments to insurance legislation and the Highway Code as it seeks to drive the development of autonomous vehicle technology

• July 11, 2016 11 Jul'16

  Broadband certification attracts business tenants to Old Street offices

  Property developer Derwent London pre-lets over 100,000 sq ft of office space after securing highest level of broadband connectivity accreditation from rating body WiredScore