News

Telecoms networks and broadband communications

July 08, 2016 08 Jul'16
McLaren-Honda rebuilds network platform on NTT foundations

McLaren-Honda Formula 1 team embarks on three-year technology partnership with NTT Communications
July 08, 2016 08 Jul'16
Vodafone launches mobile scheme for community hubs

Vodafone’s Community Indoor Sure Signal scheme builds on its Rural Open Sure Signal programme to provide indoor mobile coverage in community hubs
July 08, 2016 08 Jul'16
Anglian Water picks Arqiva to run smartmeter network

Network supplier Arqiva is to build a fixed network in Newmarket to showcase a trial smartmeter project
July 06, 2016 06 Jul'16
Openreach starts duct and pole sharing trials for broadband delivery

Openreach enlists five broadband services providers to take part in a trial of processes for sharing access to its duct and pole infrastructure

July 05, 2016 05 Jul'16
Digital Economy Bill enshrines right to broadband into UK law

Legislation introduced to parliament will place the right to broadband into law alongside measures to improve data sharing and online protection
July 04, 2016 04 Jul'16
CityFibre and Gigaclear partner to close rural broadband gap

Backhaul supplier and ultrafast ISP form strategic partnership to boost broadband speeds in rural areas
July 01, 2016 01 Jul'16
First fatality for self-drive cars as Tesla driver killed in crash

US authorities have launched an investigation after the driver of a Tesla Model S was killed in what is believed to be the first fatality involving an self-drive vehicle
June 30, 2016 30 Jun'16
UK top for mobile broadband speed, says Akamai

Akamai’s latest State of the Internet report says the average mobile broadband user in the UK can expect to get a service speed close to 30Mbps
June 29, 2016 29 Jun'16
Australia’s National Broadband Network project up in the air

As Australian voters go to the polls this weekend, the future of the country's National Broadband Network is up in the air
June 29, 2016 29 Jun'16
Middle East and Africa to see fastest IP traffic growth by 2020

IP traffic in Middle East and Africa to grow 41% a year by 2020, according to Cisco Visual Networking Index

June 29, 2016 29 Jun'16
Vodafone may pull jobs out of UK after Brexit

Vodafone says it may pull its headquarters out of the UK after the country voted for Brexit
June 28, 2016 28 Jun'16
Prison services worked with Ofcom in test of mobile phone blockers

Documents reveal trials of mobile traffic interception technology in UK jails, which may have affected users beyond the prison walls
June 24, 2016 24 Jun'16
Local Government Ombudsman moves to cloud network service

Ombudsman service is on the way to realising 30% cost savings with 50% faster connectivity after procuring a cloud telephony service through G-Cloud
June 22, 2016 22 Jun'16
Act now to save the open internet, says Internet Governance Commission

The future of the internet is at risk from multiple scenarios, and quick action is needed to protect it, says the Internet Governance Commission
June 22, 2016 22 Jun'16
OPNFV Project scales up network functions virtualisation ecosystem

At the OPNFV summit in Berlin, the OPNFV Project announces new R&D capabilities and a student internship programme
June 21, 2016 21 Jun'16
Angus Council signs up to Scottish Wide Area Network

Angus Council has become the latest local authority in Scotland to sign up to the Scottish Wide Area Network, or Swan, for enhanced public services delivery
June 20, 2016 20 Jun'16
UK consumers support fines for firms that lose personal data

Most UK consumers would like the government to take more action to ensure companies protect personal information
June 20, 2016 20 Jun'16
Millions of city-dwellers still lack broadband connections

A study by the Wireless Broadband Alliance has found that over half of the global urban population are unconnected, including many in some of the world’s wealthiest cities
June 17, 2016 17 Jun'16
Euro Championship network traffic spike highlights OTT boom

The BBC and EE both reported massive spikes in network traffic during the England versus Wales clash at Euro 2016
June 17, 2016 17 Jun'16
French Resistance uses satellite broadband for anniversary event

A satellite broadband service was used to connect veteran secret agents for an historic commemoration of the work of MI6 in Nazi-occupied France
June 16, 2016 16 Jun'16
Builders kill Virgin broadband service to thousands of Londoners

Builders working in Brixton, south London, have severed a crucial link in Virgin Media’s trunk network, cutting broadband and cable TV services to thousands
June 16, 2016 16 Jun'16
BDUK finds more cash for rural broadband

BDUK has uncovered and hopes to recover £150m of underspend from Phase 1 of the rural broadband roll-out project
June 15, 2016 15 Jun'16
Openreach announces SME FTTP service roll-out

A number of cities are to receive a fibre-to-the-premises broadband service specifically designed for small to medium-sized enterprises
June 14, 2016 14 Jun'16
Brexit and broadband: Boom or bust for UK infrastructure?

As the campaigns to remain in and leave the European Union ramp up their rhetoric in the last days of the drawn-out campaign, what is the possible impact of a Brexit on the national broadband roll-out?
June 14, 2016 14 Jun'16
Virgin Media cuts agreement with HBF for new-build networks

Virgin Media has forged a partnership with the Home Builders Federation to improve delivery of fibre-based broadband services to new-build properties
June 14, 2016 14 Jun'16
Openreach CEO Selley emphasises broadband delivery technology

Joe Garner’s replacement at Openreach, technologist and engineer Clive Selley, discusses VDSL, G.fast and pure fibre as elements of the future for UK broadband
June 13, 2016 13 Jun'16
BT wins pan-London ICT framework contract worth up to £200m

BT will be the sole supplier for a pan-London procurement framework for ICT services, set up by three London councils
June 10, 2016 10 Jun'16
UK plc loses £12.3bn to internet downtime over a year

Research from business ISP Beaming suggests internet connection failures hit two-thirds of British businesses last year, costing the economy £12.3bn
June 08, 2016 08 Jun'16
EDF Energy upgrades network with Vodafone

EDF Energy signs a 10-year, multi-million pound contract with Vodafone to update its communications and IT infrastructure to support training and compliance
June 07, 2016 07 Jun'16
Internet traffic to triple by 2020, says Cisco

The latest edition of Cisco’s Visual Networking Index predicts a near tripling of internet traffic during the coming years as more than a billion people come online
June 07, 2016 07 Jun'16
Insurer launches UK’s first driverless car policy

Specialist motor insurance provider Adrian Flux introduces new contract terms for a driverless car insurance policy
June 06, 2016 06 Jun'16
Government reaches accord over ESN in National Parks England

The Home Office reaches an agreement with National Parks England over the provision of mobile coverage for the emergency services
June 03, 2016 03 Jun'16
Download speed not biggest broadband concern, say manufacturers

Manufacturing association EEF warns the government that focusing too much on broadband speed is distracting policy-makers from other issues
June 03, 2016 03 Jun'16
Cisco and IBM collaborate on IoT analytics at the network edge

Cisco and IBM combine edge analytics with Watson to enable a deeper understanding of data generated on the internet of things
June 01, 2016 01 Jun'16
Gotthard Base Tunnel opens with 4G coverage throughout

Rail passengers travelling through the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland will be able to access 4G LTE connectivity throughout their journey
May 31, 2016 31 May'16
Hyperoptic adds locations to network footprint

FTTP supplier Hyperoptic expands its ultrafast broadband offering into seven more towns and cities
May 31, 2016 31 May'16
Vodafone rolling out mini base stations in London

Mobile operator and Ericsson install the first of a number of briefcase-sized devices in the capital
May 27, 2016 27 May'16
European Commission endorses UK broadband plans through 2020

The European Commission gives the thumbs up to the UK’s National Broadband Scheme, designed to extend next-generation broadband access as far as possible by 2020
May 26, 2016 26 May'16
Australian police raid opposition offices over leaked broadband documents

Australia’s federal police have raided the offices of a Labor opposition politician in an investigation into leaked National Broadband Network documents
May 26, 2016 26 May'16
GDS begins publication of PSN performance data

The government makes public data gleaned from its monitoring of the performance of the Public Services Network to help customers understand their networks
May 18, 2016 18 May'16
Queen’s Speech sets out plans for Digital Economy Bill

The Queen’s Speech announced plans to make the UK a world leader in the digital economy and reiterated a commitment to making fast broadband a legal right
May 18, 2016 18 May'16
Government claims Electronic Communications Code reforms will boost UK network coverage

Government plans to cut costs associated with letting mobile operators build infrastructure on private land could lead to lower mobile costs for consumers, it is claimed
May 17, 2016 17 May'16
Vodafone CEO hints at return to growth for mobile operator as full-year results drop

Mobile operator Vodafone shares details of its full-year financial results, while talking up the role cloud has to play in its ability to deliver low-cost services
May 16, 2016 16 May'16
Two-thirds of IT and telco firms not ready for Brexit

Only 35% of the European IT firms and telcos have developed a clear plan for dealing with the impact of a Brexit vote, a study shows
May 16, 2016 16 May'16
Broadband providers send Ofcom suggestions on changing Openreach

The Federation of Communication Services has sent an open letter to Ofcom CEO Sharon White with 10 points on revamping Openreach’s governance
May 16, 2016 16 May'16
Playing it smart: How the UAE and Huawei are creating a city of the future

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) aims to become one of the most connected and smart countries in the world within five years
May 13, 2016 13 May'16
UK government’s call for evidence on business broadband closes June 2016

The UK government’s call for evidence on broadband for small to medium-sized enterprises is due to close, with the review aiming to drive down the cost of high-quality broadband for smaller businesses
May 12, 2016 12 May'16
TalkTalk sees profits halved as security breach takes its toll

Loss of 100,000 customers, and thousands of personal details, weighs heavy on the broadband and comms provider
May 12, 2016 12 May'16
Software-defined storage the power behind Monash University microscopes

Australian academic institute uses the technology to help it deal with huge – and still growing – storage demands
May 12, 2016 12 May'16
This show’s not over: What next for Three and O2?

The European Commission may have shut down Three’s attempt to buy out O2 in the UK, but nobody thinks the story’s going to end there
May 11, 2016 11 May'16
Ebay sellers demand better broadband and mobile

A study of SME sellers conducted by eBay in the UK finds that many feel held back by poor broadband and mobile coverage
May 11, 2016 11 May'16
CityFibre lights up Milton Keynes and Northampton

CityFibre opens up its metro fibre networks to b2b services in Milton Keynes and Northampton
May 11, 2016 11 May'16
European Commission blocks Three’s takeover of O2

The European Commission has blocked the proposed takeover of UK mobile network O2 by competitor Three
May 10, 2016 10 May'16
Safer cycling project wins BT smart city contest

Northern Irish startup See.Sense scoops £15,000 prize in BT smart city contest after developing a connected bike light
May 10, 2016 10 May'16
Nokia plunges to €513m loss after Alcatel-Lucent acquisition

Costs mount up at network equipment supplier Nokia following its acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent
May 10, 2016 10 May'16
Virgin Media connections spike as Project Lightning takes hold

Virgin Media adds a record number of subscribers to its platform in the first quarter of 2016
May 10, 2016 10 May'16
Tel Aviv: A smart city where community engagement is the measure of success

Israel’s capital is using the latest technologies as a way of placing the needs of local citizens at the heart of regional government
May 10, 2016 10 May'16
Nominet offers bacon sarnies to get UK tradespeople online

UK domain name registrar Nominet launches a campaign, and opens its own greasy spoon café, to try to get more of the UK’s tradespeople online
May 10, 2016 10 May'16
Eurovision Song Contest launches contactless payments in Stockholm

Eurovision Song Contest sponsor Visa Europe equips visitors with contactless payment wristbands backed by Gemalto’s Allynis events platform
May 09, 2016 09 May'16
EE expands 4G roll-out with satellite backhaul

EE signs communications provider Avanti to use satellite capacity for mobile backhaul on its 4G network at a number of sites in the UK
May 05, 2016 05 May'16
BT pledges to pass two million homes with FTTP by 2020

Telecoms giant ramps up rhetoric around ultrafast broadband following Ofcom’s criticism in its recent market review
May 03, 2016 03 May'16
ViaSat connects satellite development programme for European Space Agency

ESA initiative aims to kick-start the development process for high-capacity satellite products, apps and services
April 28, 2016 28 Apr'16
Report names Hull as slowest city for broadband

A report by broadband comparison site uSwitch.com claims that Hull has some of the slowest average broadband speeds in the UK
April 28, 2016 28 Apr'16
Vodafone Qatar launches Wi-Fi as a service for businesses

Vodafone is offering its business customers in Qatar Wi-Fi as a service, which is another sign of the coming together of the IT and telecoms sectors
April 28, 2016 28 Apr'16
UFO broadband network sees promising results from pilot testing

Trials of York’s Ultra Fibre Optic (UFO) broadband service is moving ahead, with early adopters proving enthusiastic about the speeds available
April 27, 2016 27 Apr'16
Virgin to add one million FTTP connections by 2020

Virgin Media embarks on a massive roll-out of FTTP broadband across the UK
April 27, 2016 27 Apr'16
Volvo tests self-driving cars in London

Swedish auto manufacturer Volvo is to begin trials of autonomous driving on the streets of London in 2017, using 100 family vehicles in real-life situations
April 26, 2016 26 Apr'16
Action for Children mobilises staff on Claranet’s managed network

Action for Children, the charity behind Byte Night, moves onto Claranet’s MPLS core network to support the wholesale revitalisation of its ICT
April 26, 2016 26 Apr'16
EE open sources rural network coverage problem

Mobile operator EE enlists Lime Micro and Ubuntu founder Canonical to help develop open source network capabilities and services for rural areas
April 26, 2016 26 Apr'16
Vodafone and Huawei open narrowband IoT lab

Mobile operator Vodafone supplies connectivity to an internet of things (IoT) joint venture development centre with Huawei in Newbury
April 26, 2016 26 Apr'16
CityFibre rolls out gigabit services in Leeds and Bradford

Fibre backhaul supplier CityFibre enlists local ISPs Diva Telecom and Exa Networks to launch gigabit broadband services in Leeds and Bradford
April 25, 2016 25 Apr'16
EE to onshore all customer service calls

Mobile operator EE attempts to improve customer services by bringing call handling onshore
April 22, 2016 22 Apr'16
Enterprises bar employees from free Wi-Fi networks

A report compiled for wireless network aggregator iPass reveals that most organisations see free Wi-Fi hotspots as a significant threat to their security
April 20, 2016 20 Apr'16
European Commission ready to splash €50bn on transformational digitisation plan

A cloud initiative for scientists and technologists among the developments as digital single market moves intensify
April 20, 2016 20 Apr'16
Free Wi-Fi to be implemented across the NHS by 2019

By March 2018, all secondary care providers will offer free Wi-Fi to patients, with primary care following on in March 2019
April 19, 2016 19 Apr'16
Three-quarters of Brits unaware of IP Bill, one-third don’t care

Millions of UK citizens remain in the dark about the reach and scope of the Investigatory Powers Bill, or the so-called Snoopers’ Charter, says Broadband Genie
April 19, 2016 19 Apr'16
La Poste delivers internet of services

The French postal system is taking existing services and adding a digital dimension to support a new business model
April 19, 2016 19 Apr'16
Brighton and Hove gets free city centre Wi-Fi service

Brighton and Hove City Council enables a free city centre Wi-Fi network, comprising 40 Wi-Fi hotspots – thirty of which are already live – with support from BT
April 19, 2016 19 Apr'16
Airlines and public transport fertile grounds for mobile ticketing

Juniper Research forecasts that 23 billion transport and events tickets will be purchased using mobile handsets by the end of the decade, with airlines and public transport particularly lucrative
April 18, 2016 18 Apr'16
Manx Telecom to trial integrated cellular-satellite mobile service

Manx Telecom trials an extended mobile network with support from satellite services supplier Globalstar, with the aim of supporting emergency services connectivity
April 15, 2016 15 Apr'16
Mitel and Polycom merge to form $2.5bn cloud unified communications firm

Communications and collaboration suppliers Mitel and Polycom pool their resources to form a $2.5bn unified communications (UC) powerhouse
April 15, 2016 15 Apr'16
BBC turns micro:bit computers into IoT devices

The BBC and Nominet demonstrate a new use case for the micro:bit computer and hope to turn Britain’s schoolchildren into internet of things pioneers
April 14, 2016 14 Apr'16
Data protection law sails through European Parliament

The European Union’s new General Data Protection Regulation has successfully passed through the European Parliament
April 13, 2016 13 Apr'16
BT seeks security recruits

BT is to recruit 900 people to its security business in the next 12 months as part of a push against cyber crime
April 12, 2016 12 Apr'16
European Court of Justice ruling on Snoopers' Charter delayed until July 2016

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) will not rule on the legality of the so-called Snoopers’ Charter legislation until after the UK’s June 2016 EU referendum
April 12, 2016 12 Apr'16
GDS appoints Public Services Network head

Government Digital Service (GDS) elevates Mark Smith to head of the Public Services Network (PSN)
April 12, 2016 12 Apr'16
Ofcom to present Openreach network access plan by summer of 2016

Ofcom’s Sharon White tells MPs she hopes to present detailed proposals on how BT’s rivals can access the Openreach network by the summer of 2016
April 12, 2016 12 Apr'16
Superfast network build brings broadband to Somerset village

Specialist ISP Satellite Internet has connected the third and final village in its BDUK market test pilot project in Somerset in just seven weeks
April 11, 2016 11 Apr'16
Hyperoptic launches FTTP services in Brighton

Hyperoptic rolls out its fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband service to housing developments in Brighton
April 11, 2016 11 Apr'16
Openreach passes 25 million premises with fibre backhaul

BT Openreach marks another milestone in its national fibre broadband network roll-out
April 08, 2016 08 Apr'16
UK has hit 90% ‘superfast’ target, say broadband analysts

Statistics from broadband comparison site Thinkbroadband seem to suggest the government has hit its target of making superfast broadband available to 90% of UK premises
April 07, 2016 07 Apr'16
Nokia slashes jobs after Alcatel-Lucent acquisition

Nokia embarks on a round of job cuts as part of its post-merger restructuring
April 06, 2016 06 Apr'16
SSE Enterprise Telecoms connects customers over CityFibre network

SSE Enterprise Telecoms becomes the first customer on CityFibre’s recently acquired long-haul national fibre network
April 06, 2016 06 Apr'16
Finnish contest looks for real-world 5G applications

Finnish city Oulu is running a competition to unearth apps that can utilise 5G networks
April 05, 2016 05 Apr'16
Panasonic launches at-seat mobile payments for airlines

In-flight entertainment and connectivity specialist Panasonic Avionics unveils near-field communications system to let airline passengers use mobile payments in the air
April 05, 2016 05 Apr'16
Highways England to test driverless cars on UK motorways

Agency sets out strategy for connected vehicles and promises to test fully-autonomous cars on motorway network in 2017
April 05, 2016 05 Apr'16
'Citizens will be stripped naked' by Turkey’s data law

Turkey's data protection law, introduced in March 2016, will make Turkey a near total surveillance state, yet the EU, apparently more concerned about securing Turkey's help in controlling immigration, is turning a blind eye
April 04, 2016 04 Apr'16
UK campaign launched against location data security risks

UK consumers are unwittingly signing up to be location tracked and this data is being used and sold on for commercial benefit, warns privacy campaign
March 31, 2016 31 Mar'16
New London mayor urged to take ‘drastic action’ on capital broadband

A YouGov poll for the Foundation for Information Society Policy finds widespread disillusionment among Londoners when it comes to broadband provision in the capital
March 31, 2016 31 Mar'16
Build out networks and mobile to rebalance UK economy, says O2

In a major report, mobile operator O2 suggests that access to better digital infrastructure could boost the UK economy by £1.5bn outside of London and the South East