News

Telecoms networks and broadband communications

• January 28, 2013 28 Jan'13

  River Thames to flow with Wi-Fi

  Hotspots along the river and on Thames Clipper boats will serve Wi-Fi to more than 30 million people each year

• January 24, 2013 24 Jan'13

  Ed Vaizey launches Fast Start scheme to accelerate broadband roll-out

  Communications minister Ed Vaizey has launched the Fast Start initiative to accelerate broadband roll-out, with Norfolk slated for the pilot scheme

• January 23, 2013 23 Jan'13

  Vaizey promises ‘mechanisms’ to meet spectrum needs

  Ed Vaizey says 4G roll-out is not enough and more spectrum must be freed up to support UK businesses

• January 23, 2013 23 Jan'13

  RIM unveils BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10

  A week before the launch of its BlackBerry 10 operating system and handsets, RIM offers BES 10 for download

• January 23, 2013 23 Jan'13

  Why is Phones 4u entering the mobile operator market?

  We look at why mobile retailer Phones 4u wants to offer its own contracts and what that means for the industry and consumers

• January 22, 2013 22 Jan'13

  Phones 4u launches LIFE mobile virtual network on EE infrastructure

  Phones 4u has revealed plans to launch its own mobile network, LIFE Mobile, in March 2013, running over EE’s 3G network

• January 21, 2013 21 Jan'13

  ZTE predicts major losses for 2012

  Delayed projects and shrinking sales saw net profits plummet 240% at Chinese telecoms company ZTE in 2012

• January 16, 2013 16 Jan'13

  United Airlines brings Wi-Fi to long haul flights

  United Airline becomes the first from the US to offer wireless connectivity using Ku-band satellite technology on long haul flights

• January 15, 2013 15 Jan'13

  Plusnet tests sharing IPv4 addresses

  ISP Plusnet looks for a solution to the dwindling number of IPv4 addresses left by asking customers to share

• January 15, 2013 15 Jan'13

  Islip puts up cash for fibre broadband

  The Oxfordshire village of Islip gives BT £11,000 to enable a local cabinet and bring broadband speeds of over 30Mbps to the residents

• January 14, 2013 14 Jan'13

  Welsh government invests £39m in school broadband

  The Learning in Digital Wales Grant will support government efforts to bring online learning tools to pupils across Wales

• January 14, 2013 14 Jan'13

  BT SmartTalk links smartphones with landline accounts

  Telecoms giant BT launches an app to enable users to be billed as if using their landline when making calls on their smartphones

• January 10, 2013 10 Jan'13

  Fashion Retail Academy boosts Wi-Fi with Networks First

  The Fashion Retail Academy (FRA) has worked with Networks First to bring improved Wi-Fi connectivity to its staff and students

• January 09, 2013 09 Jan'13

  Punch Taverns serves up free Wi-Fi with The Cloud

  Pub chain Punch Taverns plans to roll-out free Wi-Fi to all of its venues by the end of March 2013, hoping it will boost business

• January 09, 2013 09 Jan'13

  Google offers free Wi-Fi in New York

  Google is to create a public outdoor wireless network in New York to provide free internet access in the Chelsea area where it has offices

• January 08, 2013 08 Jan'13

  William Hill bets on mobile for gambling on the go

  High street bookmaker William Hill tells Computer Weekly how mobile technology has changed the company and attracted new customers

• January 07, 2013 07 Jan'13

  Government broadband policy must refocus on business

  Policy Exchange claims Whitehall has focused for too long on consumer and retail broadband and needs to give the enterprise equal attention

• January 04, 2013 04 Jan'13

  Huawei revenues to smash $35bn for 2012

  The CEO reveals a 10% rise on both profits and revenues as the controversial Chinese firm pledges to “become more open and transparent” in 2013

• January 04, 2013 04 Jan'13

  Mobile broadband best bet for telecoms revenues

  A new report from Ovum claims mobile broadband will be the best technology to enable telecoms firms to ‘claw back revenue’ over the next three years

• January 03, 2013 03 Jan'13

  Ofcom proposes early exit to combat price rises

  Regulator Ofcom says users should be able to leave mobile, broadband and landline contracts without charge if their provider ups the price

• December 27, 2012 27 Dec'12

  Top 10 broadband stories of 2012

  We give a run down the top 10 broadband stories throughout 2012

• December 24, 2012 24 Dec'12

  Top 10 mobile stories of 2012

  Undoubtedly 2012 has been another big year for mobile. From high-profile launches to security scares, from hot tablets entering the enterprise to huge players trailing with their tails between their legs, mobile is certainly the direction in which ...

• December 21, 2012 21 Dec'12

  Suffolk cuts costs by 30% with PSN-ready network

  Suffolk County Council has rolled out a next generation network, which it expects will cut costs by up to 30%.

• December 21, 2012 21 Dec'12

  BT wins BDUK broadband contract in Norfolk

  Over £40m of funding from both the public and private sector will see 80% of the county have access to superfast broadband by 2015

• December 20, 2012 20 Dec'12

  BT bids in Ofcom 4G spectrum auction

  BT sets up a specialist company – Niche Spectrum Ventures – to bid for 4G spectrum, despite claims it is uninterested in the mobile market

• December 19, 2012 19 Dec'12

  Marston’s chooses Ruckus Wireless for pub Wi-Fi

  Brewer Marston’s introduces Wi-Fi from Ruckus Wireless across its 250+ sites and looks to sell the model to rival firms

• December 18, 2012 18 Dec'12

  Cisco closes 2012 with BroadHop buy

  Acquisition-happy Cisco makes its 11th purchase of the year with the purchase of policy control firm BroadHop

• December 18, 2012 18 Dec'12

  Orange line rental scandal racks up complaints

  Ofcom reveals Orange is the most complained about broadband provider of the past quarter after changing its terms in preparation for its merger with T-Mobile

• December 18, 2012 18 Dec'12

  City of London makes Wi-Fi free

  A Wi-Fi network provided by The Cloud, running across the financial centre of the City of London, has been made free to the public

• December 17, 2012 17 Dec'12

  MoD to sell military spectrum for 4G

  The Ministry of Defence (MoD) will auction off public services spectrum to help the government free up the airwaves for commercial purposes

• December 14, 2012 14 Dec'12

  ITU internet regulation blocked by UK and US

  The International Telecoms Union (ITU) has failed to gain consensus on new rules that would give more power to states to regulate the internet

• December 13, 2012 13 Dec'12

  UK users download most mobile data

  The latest International Communications Report from Ofcom shows unlimited data tariffs and large allowances are encouraging UK users to download more data on their mobiles than many other countries

• December 13, 2012 13 Dec'12

  EE names 17 more 4G towns and cities

  The mobile operator will be bringing high-speed connectivity to users in 17 more locations in March 2013

• December 11, 2012 11 Dec'12

  London 2012 IT team passes the baton to Rio 2016 Olympics

  Computer Weekly talks to Rio 2016 Olympics CIO Elly Resende as he picks up the baton from the successful London 2012 IT team

• December 10, 2012 10 Dec'12

  4G application day arrives

  Mobile operators wanting to apply to take part in Ofcom’s spectrum auction have to submit their bids before the regulator kicks off the process

• December 10, 2012 10 Dec'12

  CabWifi wins Transport for London approval

  A free Wi-Fi service for black cabs will begin to roll out across London in early 2013.

• December 10, 2012 10 Dec'12

  Three chooses Huawei for managed services contract

  UK mobile operator Three will transfer staff to Huawei, and its partner Tech Mahindra, to manage its core network and operations.

• December 10, 2012 10 Dec'12

  Rivals square up over internet governance at WCIT

  The future of internet governance is to be decided this week as rival groups hammer out a new international telecoms treaty.

• December 07, 2012 07 Dec'12

  Hackers hit UN conference debating future internet governance

  A suspected hacking attack has hit the Dubai UN meeting to discuss telecoms regulations that could alter the way the internet is governed

• December 06, 2012 06 Dec'12

  Are ‘super-connected cities’ the best investment?

  George Osborne’s pledge of £50m to bring superfast broadband to more cities is welcomed, but is it the best use of the budget?

• December 05, 2012 05 Dec'12

  Chancellor names further ‘super-connected cities'

  Chancellor George Osborne reveals next 12 cities to get funding for superfast broadband in the ‘super-connected cities’ programme

• December 04, 2012 04 Dec'12

  Geo Networks unveils fibre ring between UK and Ireland

  Fibre company Geo Networks builds two new routes to bring its dedicated networks to Ireland via North Wales

• December 03, 2012 03 Dec'12

  BT upgrade takes down Infinity broadband

  BT broadband customers are facing a day without internet after upgrades to its Infinity network have led to a nationwide outage

• December 03, 2012 03 Dec'12

  Internet controls to be decided this week at WCIT

  The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is hosting the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) in Dubai

• November 30, 2012 30 Nov'12

  Leeds and Bradford to get free Wi-Fi

  Leeds and Bradford have signed a deal with Virgin Media Business to get free public Wi-Fi as part of the government’ super-connected cities scheme.

• November 29, 2012 29 Nov'12

  Syria cut off from internet

  The internet in Syria has been taken down by an as-yet unidentified source, leaving 20 million citizens offline

• November 28, 2012 28 Nov'12

  EE ups data allowance on 4G mobile broadband

  EE, the only operator to run a 4G network in the UK, increases its mobile broadband data allowances without upping the price

• November 28, 2012 28 Nov'12

  Nokia wins patent case against RIM

  Nokia has won its dispute with Research In Motion (RIM) after a year of fighting over its patent licensing agreement

• November 27, 2012 27 Nov'12

  Ericsson takes Samsung to court over patent dispute

  Ericsson is suing Samsung for patent infringement, despite negotiating over the use of the inventions for almost two years

• November 26, 2012 26 Nov'12

  Greater Anglia rolls out train station Wi-Fi

  Train operator Greater Anglia partners with The Cloud to offer free Wi-Fi at 100 of its stations in the east of England

• November 23, 2012 23 Nov'12

  Ofcom publishes proposals for white space devices

  Regulator Ofcom takes steps towards enabling devices to use the gaps between spectrum bands – so-called 'white spaces' – for connectivity

• November 23, 2012 23 Nov'12

  European Parliament opposed to UN control of the internet

  European MPs are latest to voice concerns that the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) could get control of the internet

• November 22, 2012 22 Nov'12

  Virgin Media signs Tube Wi-Fi deal with EE and Vodafone

  EE and Vodafone customers get free Wi-Fi access on the London Underground tube network when Virgin Media starts charging in 2013

• November 22, 2012 22 Nov'12

  Google joins concerns that UN is set to gain control of the internet

  Google has joined US government concerns that the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) could get control of the internet through its coming revision of telecoms rules

• November 21, 2012 21 Nov'12

  Local authorities face £1bn broadband bill

  Figures from the European Commission shows central government will be the smallest contributor to the BDUK project

• November 21, 2012 21 Nov'12

  First tests of EE 4G network show inconsistent coverage

  The first tests of EE's 4G network show coverage for less than half of Manchester city centre and inconsistent 4G connections

• November 20, 2012 20 Nov'12

  Mobile OS Android users choose Wi-Fi to transfer data

  Research from Nielsen claims 78% of data transferred over Android OS devices uses Wi-Fi connections rather than 3G mobile data allocations

• November 16, 2012 16 Nov'12

  Ofcom to free up 700MHz spectrum for mobile networks

  Telecoms regulator Ofcom hopes to avoid a capacity overload on mobile networks by releasing more frequencies by 2018

• November 15, 2012 15 Nov'12

  Cyber security will change ideas of the nation state, says Stonesoft

  The lack of cyber security is a major threat to the civilised world and will change how people see the nation state, says security firm Stonesoft

• November 13, 2012 13 Nov'12

  Mansfield crowdfunds town centre Wi-Fi

  Nottinghamshire town seeks public funding to bring free Wi-Fi to residents and visitors

• November 13, 2012 13 Nov'12

  Vodafone blames southern Europe as revenues plummet 7.4%

  Vodafone reports revenues down 7.4% year-on-year for the first half of the fiscal year, blaming weak markets in southern Europe for the drop

• November 12, 2012 12 Nov'12

  BT wins Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire broadband contract

  Telecoms giant BT has won yet another of the BDUK contracts for rolling out superfast broadband, but it is still waiting for approval from the EU

• November 12, 2012 12 Nov'12

  Ofcom sets date for £1.3bn 4G frequency spectrum auction

  The application deadline for mobile operators to bid for 4G frequencies is set for 11 December 2012 as Ofcom finalises the spectrum auction rules

• November 09, 2012 09 Nov'12

  BT trials 10Gbps line in Cornwall

  BT is trialling a 10Gbps broadband connection using ZTE kit to a business in Cornwall in an attempt to future proof its network

• November 08, 2012 08 Nov'12

  British Airways deploys iTrinegy to test improved check-in

  The British Airways network infrastructure is being emulated at its new testing centre using ITrinegy

• November 07, 2012 07 Nov'12

  iZettle launches mobile payments in UK

  Swedish firm iZettle partners with EE to offer its technology to small businesses, enabling them to turn mobile phones into payment terminals

• November 07, 2012 07 Nov'12

  Microsoft to drop Windows Live Messenger for Skype

  Microsoft has announced it intends to "retire" its instant message chat tool Windows Live Messenger in favour of Skype's messaging tool

• November 05, 2012 05 Nov'12

  Microsoft and Google eye unused UK spectrum

  Microsoft and Google are in discussions with the UK government about unused sections of airwaves known as white space

• November 01, 2012 01 Nov'12

  BT: “We weren't meant to be the choice for Cumbria”

  Liv Garfield, head of BT’s Openreach division, defends BT’s dealings with the £40m bid to roll out superfast broadband across rural Cumbria

• November 01, 2012 01 Nov'12

  BT revenues plummet as broadband roll-out accelerates

  BT’s sales have fallen, despite being ahead of schedule with its broadband roll-out, with Global Services and Retail performing the worst

• November 01, 2012 01 Nov'12

  4G: The business benefits

  We know how 4G can speed up our music downloads or offer smooth video playback, but what benefits can it bring to business?

• October 31, 2012 31 Oct'12

  'Digital skills as crucial to UK as superfast broadband,' says Vaizey

  UK digital skills must improve to make most of the economic benefits of superfast broadband, said communications minister Ed Vaizey

• October 30, 2012 30 Oct'12

  TalkTalk CEO calls for regulatory intervention on superfast broadband

  Dido Harding, the CEO of TalkTalk, has called for regulatory intervention into the superfast broadband market to encourage greater competition

• October 30, 2012 30 Oct'12

  How will the 4G LTE roll-out benefit your business?

  An EE survey of the business benefits of 4G LTE shows improved mobile working and innovation the main advantages of the superfast broadband

• October 30, 2012 30 Oct'12

  4G services launched in 11 UK cities

  EE has launched the UK’s first superfast 4G broadband services for consumers and businesses in 11 cities

• October 26, 2012 26 Oct'12

  Vodafone reveals trade in deal for 4G launch

  Vodafone may not be rolling out its 4G network until the spring, but it is already touting a trade-in deal for users to upgrade to the faster speeds

• October 26, 2012 26 Oct'12

  Samsung posts record profits as smartphone sales soar

  South Korean electronics company Samsung records a 91% rise in profits as smartphone sales and display shipments rocket

• October 25, 2012 25 Oct'12

  Rezidor Hotel Group rolls out 100Mbps network

  Rezidor Hotel Group is using Exponential-e's network to provide superfast internet connections to hotel chains Radisson Blu and Park Inn

• October 25, 2012 25 Oct'12

  Telefónica Digital buys TokBox

  Telefónica Digital buys into the video conferencing market with its acquisition of San-Francisco-based TokBox

• October 24, 2012 24 Oct'12

  EE continues to blame regulation for drop in revenues

  Mobile operator EE's third quarter results produce a mixed bag, with revenues down 3% but contract customer numbers up 250,000

• October 23, 2012 23 Oct'12

  Will BlackBerry 10 put RIM back on top for enterprise?

  Research in Motion is pinning its recovery hopes on the upcoming enterprise-focused BlackBerry 10 mobile operating system

• October 23, 2012 23 Oct'12

  Fife Council to slash £2.4m with PSN

  Fife Council will slash £2.4m from its network infrastructure costs over the next four years by moving to a public services network (PSN)

• October 23, 2012 23 Oct'12

  Virgin Media boosts broadband but drops mobile revenues

  Telecoms giant Virgin Media shows a steady rise in revenues for the third quarter but admits to a slowdown in its mobile business

• October 23, 2012 23 Oct'12

  EE reveals UK's first 4G pricing plans

  EE, the first mobile operator to bring 4G to the UK lays out its pricing plans, offering up to 128GB of data for business customers

• October 22, 2012 22 Oct'12

  Three boosts staff numbers in Scotland

  The mobile network will spend £3m revamping its Glasgow offices and add 380 new jobs

• October 22, 2012 22 Oct'12

  BT and Virgin Media slam Birmingham broadband plans

  BT and Virgin Media have complained to the EC about a state-funded broadband network in Birmingham that will overlap with areas already covered by their fibre

• October 18, 2012 18 Oct'12

  Virgin Media tube Wi-Fi to remain free until 2013

  Virgin Media is in talks with wholesale operators to make its London Underground Wi-Fi service available on more contracts from next year

• October 18, 2012 18 Oct'12

  Mobile operators form company to protect TV signals

  EE, O2, Three and Vodafone sign up to a joint venture - Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited - to ensure 4G roll-out doesn’t affect Freeview signals

• October 18, 2012 18 Oct'12

  Citrix debuts mobile virtual apps as analysts warn of obsolescence

  Citrix debuts cloud and mobility releases, but analysts warn they may soon be left behind in an increasingly competitive and evolving market

• October 17, 2012 17 Oct'12

  Draft Communications Bill will be ineffective, says ICO

  The Draft Data Communications Bill will only catch the most incompetent criminals, says Information Commissioner Christopher Graham

• October 16, 2012 16 Oct'12

  Network health puts sector off mobile working

  Healthcare organisations are embracing mobile working like never before, but the issue around network coverage is causing concern

• October 15, 2012 15 Oct'12

  Scottish universities provide superfast rural broadband

  The University of Edinburgh and the University of the Highlands and Islands help to bring superfast broadband to rural areas of Scotland

• October 12, 2012 12 Oct'12

  UK calls for video-conferencing standard

  Users of video-conferencing technology want the industry to offer one standard so tools from different suppliers can become interoperable

• October 11, 2012 11 Oct'12

  UK beats France and Germany for superfast broadband, says BSG

  The UK has one of the fastest adoption rates of superfast broadband in Europe, according to the Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG)

• October 11, 2012 11 Oct'12

  Parliament to look at UK involvement of Huawei

  A parliamentary select committee is looking into Huawei’s operations in the UK following controversy around the safety of using the firm’s technology

• October 10, 2012 10 Oct'12

  Huawei kicks off £1.3bn investment with new headquarters

  Chinese networking company Huawei to take 140,000ft² in Reading as part of its £1bn investment into its UK business over the next five years

• October 08, 2012 08 Oct'12

  Government confirms £35m funding for ‘5G centre’

  The fund made up of government and private sector money will create a new centre for the University of Surrey to develop mobile broadband solutions

• October 08, 2012 08 Oct'12

  UK needs more ambition for fibre broadband strategy

  With less than 1% of UK households served with fibre-to-the-home broadband, the FTTH Council calls on the government to be more ambitious with its schemes

• October 04, 2012 04 Oct'12

  Skype launches customer Wi-Fi service

  The video calling company teams with Wicoms to offer a service for businesses wanting to provide free Wi-Fi to their customers

• October 03, 2012 03 Oct'12

  EE to launch 4G services on 30 October 2012

  After weeks of speculation, the operator formed from the merger of Orange and T-Mobile will offer 4G services from the end of this month