News

Telecoms networks and broadband communications

• June 22, 2015 22 Jun'15

  5G networks could hit 20Gbps by 2020

  At a meeting in California, the International Telecommunication Union sets out its vision for the future of 5G networking

• June 19, 2015 19 Jun'15

  Cumbria Constabulary issues Samsung Galaxy Note smartphones to officers

  Smartphones to replace police notebooks as EE and Cumbria Constabulary partner up to deliver mobility to officers

• June 18, 2015 18 Jun'15

  MoD kick-starts procurement for new armed forces tactical communications system

  The Ministry wants to replace aging Bowman Communications system with cutting edge networking kit by 2026

• June 18, 2015 18 Jun'15

  BT and EE slam 'self-interested' competitors for trying to derail merger

  BT and EE make the case for merger in wake of competition watchdog inquiry

• June 16, 2015 16 Jun'15

  TalkTalk Digital Heroes awards opens

  TalkTalk has opened its Digital Heroes awards, which aims to showcase small-scale projects that have a positive impact on people and the world

• June 15, 2015 15 Jun'15

  Freedom of speech dominates Magna Carta for digital age

  A world wide web that will not let companies pay to control it, and not let governments restrict the right to information is the most popular clause for a digital era Magna Carta

• June 15, 2015 15 Jun'15

  EU Data Protection Regulation to be finalised by end of 2015

  The last phase of negotiation is set to begin to hammer out a final text of the new European General Data Protection Regulation

• June 12, 2015 12 Jun'15

  Level 3 outage slows down the internet

  Internet services around the world have suffered a major slowdown following an outage on Level 3’s tier one fibre network

• June 12, 2015 12 Jun'15

  Leased line prices to fall from April 2016

  Businesses around the UK could benefit from inflation-linked price caps on leased line wholesale charges from April 2016

• June 11, 2015 11 Jun'15

  Ofcom CEO Sharon White gets tough on broadband speed

  In a speech delivered to a Which? conference, Ofcom CEO Sharon White set out new rights for consumers to leave their broadband provider if speeds aren’t good enough

• June 10, 2015 10 Jun'15

  Vodafone launches home broadband service

  Vodafone unveils its Vodafone Connect broadband and home phone package, offering headline speeds of 76Mbps

• June 10, 2015 10 Jun'15

  Oxford and Cambridge University colleges turn to Aerohive to manage WLAN traffic

  Colleges and institutions at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge are attempting to mitigate the effects of the substantial demand on their wireless networks

• June 09, 2015 09 Jun'15

  Three sets out plan to cover 98% of Wales with 4G

  Mobile network operator Three rolls out low frequency 800Mhz spectrum to boost 4G coverage in Wales

• June 09, 2015 09 Jun'15

  BT EE takeover a serious risk to competition, says CMA

  The Competition and Markets Authority is to fast-track an in-depth investigation of BT’s acquisition of EE, citing real concerns over competition

• June 09, 2015 09 Jun'15

  Local government blind to internet of things savings

  A report from Vodafone says local councils could save billions by implementing smart city systems, but are ignorant to the possibilities

• June 09, 2015 09 Jun'15

  O2 pulls out of ESN mobile network bid process

  O2 pulls out of the bidding process to supply the new Emergency Services Network 4G broadband voice and data network, leaving EE the presumptive provider

• June 08, 2015 08 Jun'15

  New rules to make switching broadband provider easier

  New rules designed to make it easier for consumers and businesses to switch broadband provider are to come into force on 20 June

• June 08, 2015 08 Jun'15

  Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance to get backpack comms hubs

  The Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance Trust is to assist in the design and development of a backpack-mounted communications system

• June 05, 2015 05 Jun'15

  Vodafone and Liberty Global discuss asset swap

  Vodafone confirms it is in the early stages of talks with Liberty Global, but stresses a merger is not on the table

• June 04, 2015 04 Jun'15

  Ed Vaizey to chair Digital Infrastructure Taskforce for broadband and mobile

  Digital economy minister Ed Vaizey will take charge of a Digital Infrastructure Taskforce focused on broadband, mobile and the digital economy

• June 03, 2015 03 Jun'15

  City of Groningen to create smart city infrastructure

  Groningen in the Netherlands signs a memorandum of understanding with Huawei to develop a smart city infrastructure

• June 02, 2015 02 Jun'15

  Vodafone adds Caribbean 4G roaming for summer holidays

  Vodafone extends its 4G services to a number of destinations – including Caribbean holiday hotspots – for UK customers travelling abroad

• June 01, 2015 01 Jun'15

  BBC tests 4G broadcasting at FA Cup final

  The BBC turns to EE to test out 4G-powered mobile broadcasting during the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium

• May 28, 2015 28 May'15

  Internet of things and smart cities need UK-wide consensus

  At a TechUK event, delegates call for cross-body collaboration on IoT to ensure local authority CIOs get the best from the emerging technology

• May 27, 2015 27 May'15

  TfL kicks off network tower procurement

  TfL is to begin £400m network tower procurement exercise in June

• May 27, 2015 27 May'15

  More responsive PSN security compliance regime goes live

  Following a successful public beta of the updated Public Services Network compliance regime, the process has now gone live

• May 27, 2015 27 May'15

  North-east England becomes superconnected region

  Enhanced business broadband Connection Voucher scheme rolled out across north-east England

• May 26, 2015 26 May'15

  Ofcom to auction MoD spectrum later in 2015

  Ofcom forges ahead with plans to release spectrum for high-speed mobile broadband services

• May 22, 2015 22 May'15

  EE and O2 go head-to-head to provide ESN mobile network

  Home Office names EE and O2 among the preferred bidders to build the new Emergency Services Network

• May 21, 2015 21 May'15

  Telstra Pacnet hack shows telcos are a prime target, say security experts

  Cyber breach of Telstra’s Asian subsidiary, Pacnet, underlines the importance of cyber defences in the telecoms industry, say security commentators

• May 21, 2015 21 May'15

  G.fast ultrafast broadband test lab opens in Swansea

  BT kicks off trials of G.fast broadband technology in Swansea and opens a new test lab for startups

• May 20, 2015 20 May'15

  BT Openreach turns to Crimestoppers to catch cable thieves

  Openreach extends its partnership with crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers to tackle cable theft

• May 20, 2015 20 May'15

  BT and BDUK failed to make costs transparent, says report

  A major report on BDUK commissioned by DCMS identifies a number of failures around the transparency of the scheme’s costs

• May 20, 2015 20 May'15

  Russian enterprises unconcerned by NSA network hack allegations

  Despite allegations the NSA hid spyware in the equipment of a number of suppliers, the market in Russia for western network hardware remains buoyant

• May 19, 2015 19 May'15

  O2, Three and Vodafone eating into EE’s 4G market, says RootMetrics

  A comprehensive survey of the UK 4G market reveals that O2, Three and Vodafone are steadily catching up with sector leader EE

• May 19, 2015 19 May'15

  Vodafone returns to quarterly revenue growth

  A minute rise in quarterly sales gives mobile network operator Vodafone hope that its financial situation is now stabilising

• May 19, 2015 19 May'15

  York businesses invited to register interest in UFO network

  Sky and TalkTalk prepare to open up their ultrafast fibre-optic (UFO) network for business in York

• May 19, 2015 19 May'15

  Colt deploys 100GbE European Supercore network

  Colt enhances connectivity into key European commercial trading centres, including London and Frankfurt, with its Supercore network

• May 18, 2015 18 May'15

  BT appeals to competition watchdog over EE acquisition

  BT claims its proposed acquisition of mobile network operator EE will be good for competition, investment and innovation

• May 15, 2015 15 May'15

  Ofcom proposals will force BT to open dark fibre network

  Ofcom publishes a proposal to shake up the £2bn leased line market by granting other operators full access to BT’s dark fibre network

• May 15, 2015 15 May'15

  Fire services to keep Airwave Tetra radios until 2020

  The Department for Communities and Local Government approves a major extension of the fire services' Firelink Tetra network to the end of 2019

• May 14, 2015 14 May'15

  BDUK broadband hitting 6,800 homes per million pounds spent

  Statistics released by the government give fresh insight into the value for money being generated by BDUK's superfast broadband roll-out

• May 14, 2015 14 May'15

  Vodafone bemoans 4G business laggards

  A survey of 4G take-up in business by Vodafone has revealed many businesses are struggling to understand how it can help them

• May 14, 2015 14 May'15

  TalkTalk not buying Tesco Mobile

  TalkTalk CEO Dido Harding tells the BBC she is not going to acquire mobile virtual network operator Tesco Mobile

• May 14, 2015 14 May'15

  Cisco’s John Chambers: I’m pumped about new leadership

  Outgoing Cisco boss John Chambers shares his thoughts on the future of the business as he prepares to step down from the bridge

• May 13, 2015 13 May'15

  Virgin adds Unify OpenScape UC software to public sector packages

  Virgin Media Business signs an agreement to offer Unify’s OpenScape unified communciations software to public sector customers

• May 13, 2015 13 May'15

  Ed Vaizey to continue as culture and digital economy minister

  Ed Vaizey is re-appointed as minister of state for culture and the digital economy in David Cameron's post-election cabinet reshuffle

• May 13, 2015 13 May'15

  Verizon boosts IoT ambitions with AOL acquisition

  Verizon Communications signs $4.4bn deal to acquire AOL in bid to drive growth through digital, video and the internet of things

• May 11, 2015 11 May'15

  Rural fibre firm Gigaclear gets £30m to build gigabit broadband

  Rural FTTP infrastructure supplier Gigaclear receives its largest ever funding boost from investors as its network expands into new areas

• May 11, 2015 11 May'15

  DCMS gets new boss in cabinet shuffle

  John Whittingdale replaces Sajid Javid as culture secretary at DCMS as David Cameron puts together the first majority Tory cabinet in almost 20 years

• May 11, 2015 11 May'15

  PSNGB rebrands to drive information sharing across PSN

  PSNGB, the trade association set up to promote the Public Services Network, rebrands itself as Innopsis and says its work is far from over

• May 07, 2015 07 May'15

  Huawei opens European Research Institute

  Huawei opens doors of European Research Institute in Leuven, Belgium

• May 07, 2015 07 May'15

  BT sales down at end of landmark year

  In fourth quarter and full-year results, BT revealed its revenues fell 2%

• May 06, 2015 06 May'15

  European Union rules Skype and Sky are too similar

  EU rules consumers may become confused between Skype’s video chat software and Sky’s TV and broadband services because the brands are too similar

• May 05, 2015 05 May'15

  HP targets carriers with NFV system and services

  HP launches integrated hardware, software and services platform to support carriers and comms services providers as they virtualise their networks

• May 05, 2015 05 May'15

  Alcatel-Lucent to target enterprise UC market

  Alcatel-Lucent signs collaboration agreement with OTT unified comms firm Counterpath to target enterprise and operator customers

• May 05, 2015 05 May'15

  Cisco CEO John Chambers to step down in July

  Cisco CEO John Chambers announces plans to step down from the post after 20 years

• April 30, 2015 30 Apr'15

  Nokia profits give cause for concern over Alcatel-Lucent deal

  Nokia’s quarterly operating profit has slipped, giving investors cause for concern over the viability of its acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent

• April 30, 2015 30 Apr'15

  Huawei shows off carrier-grade 4K at TV Connect

  At London’s TV Connect exhibition, Huawei presented a carrier-grade 4K video standard to improve resolution and support a wide colour spectrum

• April 29, 2015 29 Apr'15

  Vodafone sends network in a backpack to Nepal earthquake zone

  Vodafone’s charitable arm, the Vodafone Foundation, deploys instant mini networks to help restore communications in quake-hit Nepal

• April 28, 2015 28 Apr'15

  Brewer Marston’s ISP upgrades core network with SSE

  Marston’s house networking unit Marston’s Telecoms rolls out a resilient nationwide network to accommodate demand for its managed services offering

• April 28, 2015 28 Apr'15

  UC Expo 2015: Cloud and mobile bring collaboration to the fore

  Unified communications is changing as organisations embrace cloud and shift away from on-premise and bringing collaboration to the fore

• April 27, 2015 27 Apr'15

  TalkTalk MVNO claims cheapest unlimited SIM-only plan

  TalkTalk Mobile MVNO launches cheapest unlimited SIM-only plan in the UK

• April 27, 2015 27 Apr'15

  EE UK 4G coverage hits 87%, but revenues decline

  EE expands the reach and customer base of its 4G mobile network, but reports a 1.1% contraction in revenue in its first-quarter financial results

• April 23, 2015 23 Apr'15

  Mobile malware overhyped, says security company Damballa

  Mobile internet users are 1.3 times more likely to get struck by lightning than infected by mobile malware, research by security firm Damballa finds

• April 22, 2015 22 Apr'15

  Nationwide extends video link service to 100 more branches

  Nationwide Building Society has expanded the use of video conferencing equipment for customer consultations

• April 21, 2015 21 Apr'15

  Telecoms firm Liberty Global buys Belgian mobile operator Base for £950m

  Telecoms giant Liberty Global – the owner of Virgin Media – has unveiled plans to buy Belgian mobile network operator Base for £950m

• April 21, 2015 21 Apr'15

  Huawei calls for global consensus on the future network

  At its Global Analyst Summit, Huawei calls on the networking industry to collaborate to optimise the network for future demands

• April 20, 2015 20 Apr'15

  SNP calls for broadband service obligation in 2015 general election manifesto

  The Scottish National Party (SNP) has called for a universal service obligation to cover provision of broadband across the UK

• April 17, 2015 17 Apr'15

  Infrastructure challenges hinder London’s digital growth, finds Tech London Advocates report

  Broadband speeds, office space and transport links are hindering London’s digital startups, finds Tech London Advocates survey

• April 17, 2015 17 Apr'15

  Nokia and Alcatel-Lucent: a grand European networking alliance

  Nokia's €16bn acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent will bring big changes to the European networking landscape

• April 17, 2015 17 Apr'15

  Ofcom: Openreach future is on the table

  Ofcom chief executive Sharon White says she will consider the future of Openreach as a BT business in a major review of the telco industry

• April 16, 2015 16 Apr'15

  Which election manifesto deserves to win the digital vote?

  The three main national political parties competing for the 2015 general election have released their manifestos - but which is the most digital?

• April 16, 2015 16 Apr'15

  London businesses turn to Wimax after Holborn fire

  Some businesses affected by a fire under Kingsway in central London have implemented a temporary Wimax solution

• April 15, 2015 15 Apr'15

  Nokia buys Alcatel-Lucent

  Networking suppliers hook up in £11.2bn deal with grand aims when it comes to network innovation

• April 15, 2015 15 Apr'15

  Liberal Democrats promise to double innovation spend and 99.9% broadband roll-out

  The Liberal Democrats’ general election manifesto promises to double innovation spending and roll out high-speed broadband to 99.9% of homes

• April 14, 2015 14 Apr'15

  Conservatives' election manifesto aims to build on digital progress

  The Conservative Party's manifesto for the 2015 general election promises to continue key technology policies, including 'digital by default' services

• April 14, 2015 14 Apr'15

  SSE hooks up Manchester datacentres with 10Gbps connectivity

  SSE Enterprise Telecoms launches Manchester Lightnow, a high-capacity optical network service connecting a number of datacentre facilities

• April 14, 2015 14 Apr'15

  Nokia and Alcatel-Lucent holding acquisition talks

  Nokia confirms it is in advanced takeover talks with Alcatel-Lucent

• April 13, 2015 13 Apr'15

  Labour election manifesto highlights technology and digital skills

  The Labour Party's 2015 election manifesto puts technology at the heart of policies for growth, education and public sector reform

• April 13, 2015 13 Apr'15

  Broadband equipment market spikes as fibre subscribers boom

  Worldwide revenues from broadband customer premises equipment spiked in 2014 as subscriber numbers boomed and ISPs rolled out more fibre

• April 09, 2015 09 Apr'15

  Mixed reaction to AT&T’s $25m data breach penalty

  A $25m fine by the US Federal Communications Commission on AT&T for data breaches at call centres has received a mixed reaction

• April 08, 2015 08 Apr'15

  ISPs must tackle consumers' broadband ignorance, says report

  A report produced by broadband comparison service Cable.co.uk says commonly used broadband terminology baffles most consumers

• April 07, 2015 07 Apr'15

  BBC puts £230m network contract out to tender

  BBC puts out tender for £230m, seven-year connectivity services contract

• April 07, 2015 07 Apr'15

  EE offers Wi-Fi voice on Lumia 640 and Samsung Galaxy S6 devices

  EE launches a voice over Wi-Fi service to customers using selected handsets

• April 07, 2015 07 Apr'15

  Over-the-top services worth $14bn to carriers by 2020

  A study conducted by Juniper Research suggests that content paid for by carrier billing will be a lucrative money-spinner for communications providers

• April 07, 2015 07 Apr'15

  Hyperoptic brings gigabit fibre to Liverpool

  Fibre-to-the-premises provider Hyperoptic launches its gigabit broadband offering in a number of buildings in Liverpool

• April 02, 2015 02 Apr'15

  Ruckus debuts second generation 802.11ac Wi-Fi access points

  Wireless networking supplier Ruckus claims an industry first with its launch of enhanced 802.11ac Wave 2 standard access points

• April 02, 2015 02 Apr'15

  EE and Three the top-performing 4G networks, says Ofcom

  Ofcom's research into 4G and 3G mobile network performance finds download speeds fastest with EE and fastest web page loads with Three

• April 02, 2015 02 Apr'15

  Kingsway fire brings down broadband services in London

  Electrical fire underneath London thoroughfare Kingsway takes down broadband services to businesses around Covent Garden and Holborn

• March 31, 2015 31 Mar'15

  Brecon Beacons National Park soups up staff comms with Unify

  Brecon Beacons National Park Authority deploys Unify’s OpenScape voice technology to keep remote staff and home workers in touch

• March 31, 2015 31 Mar'15

  BT and Virgin warn of business broadband price rises

  BT, Virgin Media and Kcom have warned Ofcom that major regulatory changes to the business broadband market risk forcing price hikes

• March 31, 2015 31 Mar'15

  Huawei not spying on UK, concludes Oversight Board report

  A UK security probe into Huawei’s technology has concluded that the company has not presented any risk to national security

• March 30, 2015 30 Mar'15

  Government smart meter project should be "halted, altered or scrapped"

  The Institute of Directors has weighed in on the controversial smart meter rollout and called for the scheme to be halted, altered or scrapped in its current form

• March 27, 2015 27 Mar'15

  EU single digital market will boost networks and economic growth

  The European Commission has highlighted the three main areas of focus in its digital single market strategy

• March 25, 2015 25 Mar'15

  Three parent company to buy O2 UK for £9.5bn

  Hutchison Whampoa, parent company of mobile network Three, has agreed to buy O2 UK from telecoms giant Telefonica in a deal worth £9.5bn

• March 25, 2015 25 Mar'15

  BT jumps on 4G bandwagon

  Broadband giant BT has announced it will return to the mobile space and provide customers with SIM-only 4G contracts

• March 24, 2015 24 Mar'15

  Trade body and ISP file first legal challenges against US net neutrality rules

  A US broadband trade body and ISP Alamo have filed the first legal challenges to the FCC's recently approved net neutrality rules

• March 23, 2015 23 Mar'15

  Half of English councils won’t reach BDUK coverage target

  Almost half of local authorities in England don’t think they’ll reach the government’s 95% broadband coverage target in the allotted timeframe

• March 20, 2015 20 Mar'15

  Hyperoptic moves into business broadband

  Urban fibre supplier launches first leased line and business broadband products to the market after lengthy trials