News

Telecoms networks and broadband communications

September 26, 2012 26 Sep'12
Samsung faces call for Galaxy S3 security update

Samsung is facing calls to issue a security update for the Galaxy S3 smartphone to address a serious vulnerability
September 25, 2012 25 Sep'12
BT announces 163 broadband exchanges

BT will bring fibre broadband to 163 more exchanges across the UK throughout 2013
September 25, 2012 25 Sep'12
BT teams with Dolby for video conferencing

Telecoms business BT is trialling technology from the sound specialist Dolby to improve quality for audio and video conference calls
September 24, 2012 24 Sep'12
Boeing to build Wi-Fi into planes from 2013

Aerospace company Boeing commits to building Wi-Fi capabilities into its 747-8 and 777 planes powerful enough to stream live TV

September 24, 2012 24 Sep'12
CLA cast doubts on government broadband targets

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) calls on government to sign a universal service obligation
September 21, 2012 21 Sep'12
Telefonica integrates AR into media platform

Telefonica Digital has partnered with augmented reality (AR) technology company, Aurasma, to broaden its range of AR media services
September 20, 2012 20 Sep'12
Ten cities receive £114m for 100Mbps broadband infrastructure

Ten cities in the UK are to receive £114m government funding for broadband infrastructure of 80-100Mbps and wireless internet access
September 17, 2012 17 Sep'12
ITU denies ‘internet control’ accusations

The UN agency claims it will be down to member states to decide how the organisation’s proposals are implemented after it meets at the WCIT conference in December
September 14, 2012 14 Sep'12
O2 hopes to speed up 4G auction process

O2 is rushing to launch its own 4G service, following EE’s announcement of an imminent roll-out
September 13, 2012 13 Sep'12
European suppliers shy away from cloud radio networks

European suppliers have given a cool response to Intel technology enabling mobile providers to cut basestation hardware, says Intel’s CTO

September 12, 2012 12 Sep'12
Nokia Siemens Networks in talks to sell business support systems

Nokia Siemens Networks is looking to sell its business support systems (BSS) unit to focus on its mobile broadband network equipment division
September 12, 2012 12 Sep'12
Huawei commits to spending £1.2bn in UK

Chinese telecoms company Huawei has promised to spend £1.2bn in investment and procurement in the UK over the next five years
September 11, 2012 11 Sep'12
Everything Everywhere poised to launch UK 4G mobile network

Everything Everywhere – rebranded 'EE' – is set to launch high-speed 4G mobile networking in the UK with download speeds up to 40Mbps
September 10, 2012 10 Sep'12
Alcatel-Lucent creates chief operating officer role

The COO job will be taken by its current CFO Paul Tufano as Alcatel-Lucent tries to turn around its fortunes
September 10, 2012 10 Sep'12
Solitaire builds first IP payphones

Solitaire introduces IP connectivity to its payphones to increase functionality and lower call charges
September 10, 2012 10 Sep'12
Will fibre deregulation for ISPs hasten or hold back broadband roll-out?

As culture secretary Maria Miller cuts planning rules for ISPs building fibre cabinets, resistance from councils could restrain broadband roll-out
September 07, 2012 07 Sep'12
Government invests into shared Janet education network

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills allocates £30m of funding for the Janet network to serve schools, colleges and universities
September 07, 2012 07 Sep'12
Maria Miller lets ISPs build fibre cabinets without council permission

Culture minister Maria Miller unveils rules for broadband deployment, allowing ISPs to install cabinets without local council consent
September 07, 2012 07 Sep'12
BT network consolidation saves Surrey County Council £5m

Telecoms giant BT signs a deal with Surrey County Council to bring together at least 20 of its public services onto one network and save £5m
September 06, 2012 06 Sep'12
Interview: Dave Scammell, CEO of Sohonet

We speak to the head of Sohonet, a service provider built for the film and media industry in the centre of London
September 06, 2012 06 Sep'12
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales slams Draft Communications Data Bill

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has slammed as “technologically incompetent” the UK Draft Communications Data Bill
September 05, 2012 05 Sep'12
UK operators get mobile commerce sign-off from EU

Vodafone, O2 and Everything Everywhere have got the go-ahead to create a joint venture for mobile payments in the UK
September 03, 2012 03 Sep'12
EU pushes for spectrum sharing to encourage wireless innovation

The European Commission releases a report calling for spectrum to be shared between providers and be multi-purpose to improve coverage for citizens
August 30, 2012 30 Aug'12
Lord’s Cricket Ground gets Wi-Fi from The Cloud

London’s home of cricket will give spectators the chance to get online for free after signing a five year deal with the BSkyB Wi-Fi provider
August 29, 2012 29 Aug'12
Is O2 Unify winning customers over?

We talk to Paul Osborne, managing director of O2 Unify, to see if the company’s partnership with 2e2 has enticed customers to get their communications services from the 18-month-old firm
August 28, 2012 28 Aug'12
Smartphones to kill off landlines within five years

New research from Virgin Media Business claims smartphones will make the office landline redundant within five years
August 24, 2012 24 Aug'12
Samsung to power 3’s 4G network

The company’s European network operations team will provide the LTE Radio Access Network and core infrastructure
August 24, 2012 24 Aug'12
East London College gets cloud-based communications

Havering Sixth Form College is implementing a cloud-based telephony system and unified communications after selecting InTechnology
August 24, 2012 24 Aug'12
Two-thirds of British adults use a computer every day

Three-quarters of British households have internet access and 67% of adults use a computer every day, according to the latest figures
August 22, 2012 22 Aug'12
3 unable to launch 4G until September 2013

The mobile operator may have secured spectrum suitable for 4G services from Everything Everywhere, but it won’t be usable for at least a year
August 21, 2012 21 Aug'12
Everything Everywhere sells 4G spectrum to 3

The merged mobile operator sells a portion of its 1800MHz spectrum to the smaller rival, meaning another 4G offering could be on the cards before the end of the year
August 21, 2012 21 Aug'12
Is Ofcom’s 4G decision good for users?

Everything Everywhere has a green light for its 4G roll-out, but will this encourage industry to ramp up provision or lead to more litigation?
August 21, 2012 21 Aug'12
Everything Everywhere to launch new brand in 2012

The merger between Orange and T-Mobile may launch a new name by the end of the year, but the two individual companies will remain
August 21, 2012 21 Aug'12
Ofcom signs off 4G roll-out for Everything Everywhere

Telecoms regulator Ofcom has approved Orange/T-Mobile joint venture Everything Everywhere to be first to market with 4G mobile data services
August 20, 2012 20 Aug'12
Hunt: Ofcom 'beset by threats of litigations'

Culture secretary calls on mobile operators to call off the lawyers and focus on the future of 4G to help government achieve broadband targets by 2015
August 17, 2012 17 Aug'12
Avaya CFO out as it records falling revenues

As the company prepares for IPO, its results are laid bare and show a story of dropping revenues and net losses
August 15, 2012 15 Aug'12
Superfast speeds boost broadband network for all

The average UK broadband speed hits 9Mbps as a consequence of superfast network upgrades, according to regulator Ofcom
August 07, 2012 07 Aug'12
TCIO gathers broadband feedback in Silicon Roundabout

The organisation tasked with boosting investment into London's Tech City has called on residents to tell the truth about their broadband experiences
August 06, 2012 06 Aug'12
Will the UK turn off its 2G networks in 2017?

US mobile operator AT&T plans to switch off its 2G network within the next five years. Will the UK will follow suit?
August 06, 2012 06 Aug'12
EU multinationals look to unified comms-as-a-service

A survey from Orange Business Services and Cisco claims over 75% of large European firms are looking at or adopting a managed services approach to unified communications
August 03, 2012 03 Aug'12
US to oppose plans for UN control of the internet

The US has confirmed it will resist efforts to put the internet under the control of the UN.
August 01, 2012 01 Aug'12
Enisa calls for collaboration to protect online identity

European Union cybersecurity agency Enisa has called on service providers and end-users to work together to protect online identities.
August 01, 2012 01 Aug'12
Microsoft to revamp and rename Hotmail

Microsoft has announced it is revamping and renaming its free webmail service, which analysts say may be aimed at winning over users of Google's rival Gmail service
July 31, 2012 31 Jul'12
How Everything Everywhere manages its network

We visit the mobile operator’s service management centre to see how the UK’s largest mobile network keeps track of operations
July 31, 2012 31 Jul'12
Lords Select Committee slams government broadband plans

A report from the Communications Committee claims the government is ‘preoccupied with speed’ rather than focusing on the roll-out of broadband to more areas
July 30, 2012 30 Jul'12
Olympic Games 2012: Preparing for a mobile data deluge

How mobile operators and the Olympic Delivery Authority prepared for the huge demand for mobile traffic expected during London 2012
July 30, 2012 30 Jul'12
Vodafone appoints new CEO of Cable & Wireless Worldwide

Following the acquisition of C&WW, Vodafone has transferred its head of global enterprise to run the new venture
July 27, 2012 27 Jul'12
Twitter apologises for outage ahead of Olympics

Twitter has apologised for the two-hour micro-blogging service outage on the day before the official opening of the London 2012 Olympics
July 26, 2012 26 Jul'12
Dark fibre firm Geo Networks provides rural broadband in Lancashire

Dark fibre firm Geo Networks will work with B4RN to provide 1Gbps connections for homes and businesses in Lancashire
July 25, 2012 25 Jul'12
Orange offers connectivity under the English Channel

The Channel Tunnel will have 2G and 3G coverage from today, but UK customers will have to pay roaming charges for the privilege
July 25, 2012 25 Jul'12
Broadcom touts ‘5G Wi-Fi’ mobile chip

Semiconductor manufacturer Broadcom announces the first mobile chip based on the 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard, set to launch in early 2013
July 25, 2012 25 Jul'12
Everything Everywhere adds 150,000 new contract customers

T-Mobile and Orange joint venture Everything Everywhere now boasts that 50% of its customer base are on contract tariffs
July 25, 2012 25 Jul'12
Huawei Technologies' first half profits drop 22%

Chinese telecoms giant Huawei saw profits fall 22% to CNY8.79bn (£0.9bn) in its first half of 2012 compared with the same period in 2011
July 25, 2012 25 Jul'12
BT blames European economy as Q1 2012 revenues drop 6%

Telecoms giant BT shows a drop of 6% in its revenues from the first quarter of 2012 as three of its divisions see their figures tumble
July 25, 2012 25 Jul'12
Three top ISPs refuse to sign UK internet code of practice

Three top internet service providers (ISPs) refuse to sign up to a code of conduct aimed at guaranteeing full and open access to the internet
July 24, 2012 24 Jul'12
Forrester: Huawei must focus on growing enterprise business

Analyst Forrester says Huawei must focus on its enterprise business, even if at a loss, as carrier network revenues are no longer growing
July 24, 2012 24 Jul'12
Virgin Media Q2 revenues grow 4.2% to £1.03bn

Virgin Media posted an increase in second quarter sales on Q2 2011, as revenues grew 4.2% to £1.03bn and business sales rose 9.8% to £166m
July 24, 2012 24 Jul'12
Ofcom confirms 4G spectrum auction for 2012

The telecoms regulator details the auction confirming there will be room for four bidders for the 800MHz and 2.6GHz spectrum
July 23, 2012 23 Jul'12
European Commission opens net neutrality consultation

The public consultation seeks to define the rules of net neutrality and ensure a fair deal for internet customers
July 20, 2012 20 Jul'12
Akamai set to stream Olympics coverage across Europe

Content delivery firm Akamai has signed deals with 15 European providers to stream live content and on-demand footage of the London 2012 Olympics
July 19, 2012 19 Jul'12
BT wins Welsh broadband contract

The telecoms giant is to work with the Welsh Government and BDUK to get 80Mbps connections to 96% of the country by 2015
July 18, 2012 18 Jul'12
Ofcom: Business fixed phone lines fall

While consumer use of landlines continues to grow, corporate calls are moving to mobile or IP telephony networks
July 18, 2012 18 Jul'12
Ofcom charges telecoms firms for number allocation

The regulator wants communications providers to take more care in their allocation of phone numbers, so will charge 10p per line where stocks are running low
July 18, 2012 18 Jul'12
Tech firm iCity wins datacentre bid for Olympics media centre

IT company iCity has been awarded the contract to turn the Olympics media centre into a datacentre, for which it will hire 4,600 staff
July 18, 2012 18 Jul'12
Scottish Power launches Suffolk smart metering trial

An 18-month trial of smart metering technologies will be carried out in Ipswich to test long-range radio communications networks
July 17, 2012 17 Jul'12
Skype works to fix privacy bug as instant messages leak

Internet telephony service Skype has confirmed that a bug in its software has been sending copies of instant messages to unintended recipients
July 17, 2012 17 Jul'12
BT wins North Yorkshire rural broadband contract

Fujitsu has lost out again to a bid from BT, which will see the telecoms giant provide rural broadband across the UK’s largest county
July 16, 2012 16 Jul'12
Vodafone and 3 confirm Irish shared infrastructure partnership

Mobile operators Vodafone and 3 sign a deal to manage shared infrastructure in Ireland in a 50/50 joint venture
July 13, 2012 13 Jul'12
O2 claims mobile network is fully restored

O2 claims it has fixed network problems that left hundreds of thousands of customers without mobile voice and data connections for up to 24 hours
July 12, 2012 12 Jul'12
EC vice-president Neelie Kroes presses for EU broadband policy adoption by 2012

EC vice-president and leader of the digital agenda, Neelie Kroes, outlines her plans for encouraging investment in broadband across Europe
July 12, 2012 12 Jul'12
O2 outage puts Huawei in the frame

O2 is entering its second day of downtime blaming a fault with one of its network systems
July 11, 2012 11 Jul'12
Fujitsu submits ‘incomplete bid’ for Cumbria broadband tender

The company’s tender for the £40m fund to roll-out broadband was submitted with key aspects missing, making the bid null and void
July 11, 2012 11 Jul'12
Mobile operators should use coverage to compete with OTT services

Mobile operators should press their network coverage to compete with over-the-top operators such as Skype, according to OpenCloud
July 05, 2012 05 Jul'12
Are shared private broadband connections the future of Wi-Fi on the go?

We look at whether the growing trend of software opening up home routers for public Wi-Fi consumption is the future
July 05, 2012 05 Jul'12
Connected devices to reach 50bn by 2020, claims GSMA

The number of connected devices is set to double over the next eight years to 50 billion globally, generating £2.9tn, says the GSMA
July 05, 2012 05 Jul'12
Anyfi Networks targets existing Wi-Fi for public use

Software supplier Anyfi Networks claims to offer a secure means to move between residential Wi-Fi connections starting from your front door
July 05, 2012 05 Jul'12
Ofcom proposes price caps for BT wholesale

The regulator announces the caps it will put in place to make sure BT charges fair prices for leasing its market dominating broadband and phone line infrastructure
July 04, 2012 04 Jul'12
Vodafone and 3 to enter 50/50 Ireland network deal

The two mobile networks are in the late stages of discussions to pool their network infrastructure, a source tells Computer Weekly
July 03, 2012 03 Jul'12
Vaizey: Residents should pay to fix 4G TV interference

Communications minister Ed Vaizey says consumers should pay to counteract the effect of 4G interference on their TV signals
July 03, 2012 03 Jul'12
Arqiva buys Spectrum Interactive to boost Wi-Fi range

The £23.4m tie-up between Arqiva and Spectrum Interactive will create one of the UK’s largest business Wi-Fi hotspot providers
July 02, 2012 02 Jul'12
BT Openreach launches fibre to the premises in 15 exchanges

BT Openreach's fibre to the premises (FTTP) allows 40Mbps to 330Mbps downstream and 2Mbps to 30Mbps upstream from 15 exchanges
July 02, 2012 02 Jul'12
Computer Weekly's guide to EU mobile roaming charges

As mobile roaming charge legislation takes effect, Computer Weekly guides you through the new tariffs of each of the big mobile operators
July 02, 2012 02 Jul'12
BAE Systems claims Navsop technology could replace GPS

BAE Systems says "Navigation via Signals of Opportunity" (Navsop) uses existing networks for location data to replace the GPS system
June 27, 2012 27 Jun'12
TalkTalk and 3 top Ofcom complaints league

Regulator Ofcom says ISP TalkTalk and mobile operator 3 received more complaints than any of their rivals in the first quarter of 2012
June 27, 2012 27 Jun'12
BT trials FTTP on demand for 330Mbps broadband

SMEs are being targeted with the new service, which will enable customers within reach of a superfast broadband cabinet to order fibre-to-the-premises connections
June 26, 2012 26 Jun'12
Wireless Broadband Alliance announces operators for Wi-Fi hotspot trials

BT, Sky, Everything Everywhere and TalkTalk will join the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) trial to improve access to Wi-Fi hotspots
June 26, 2012 26 Jun'12
Ofcom publishes draft DEA code

The code is required by 2010’s Digital Economy Act and will see infringers have their details passed onto copyright holders
June 26, 2012 26 Jun'12
BT announces 98 further fibre broadband exchanges

The telecoms giant confirms it will roll out fibre broadband to almost 100 new exchanges, reaching 800,000 more businesses and homes
June 25, 2012 25 Jun'12
Businesses fail to prepare for travel chaos during London 2012 Olympic Games

With just one month before the London 2012 Olympic Games, most employees are unaware of plans to allow them to work from home
June 25, 2012 25 Jun'12
Virgin Media focuses tariff on unlimited data

Virgin's premiere tariff follows the path of other operators going back to unlimited data, but offers a discount to its broadband customers
June 22, 2012 22 Jun'12
Could economies of scale spell a unified future for mobile network operators?

Does the creation of Everything Everywhere and network-sharing between Vodafone and O2 point to a unified future for mobile operators?
June 21, 2012 21 Jun'12
BT suffers broadband outages due to to ‘equipment failures’

London, Sheffield and Glasgow are among the cities to be hit by the BT broadband outage caused by separate hardware crashes in the network
June 21, 2012 21 Jun'12
International Trade Committee votes against Acta

The European parliamentary International Trade Committee rejects the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (Acta) by 19 votes to 12
June 21, 2012 21 Jun'12
Lancashire MP Graham Jones questions priority of rural broadband

As £32m is invested in broadband across Lancashire, MP Graham Jones questions why more pressing social issues aren’t being addressed first
June 19, 2012 19 Jun'12
Kroes calls for spectrum sharing between broadcast and broadband

The lead on the European Commission’s digital agenda claims broadcasters must work with mobile broadband providers to help citizens "hungry for bandwidth"
June 19, 2012 19 Jun'12
The mobile side of net neutrality

It isn’t just ISPs managing website traffic to improve access to some destinations and limit it for others – the mobile operators are at it too
June 18, 2012 18 Jun'12
Ofcom announces leased line consultation

Telecoms regulator Ofcom proposes regulation for 1Gbps connections but takes lighter approach to BT wholesale broadband pricing in London
June 18, 2012 18 Jun'12
Ethiopian government blocks Tor Network online anonymity

The Ethiopian government is blocking access to the Tor Network that enables online anonymity, according to Reporters Without Borders
June 15, 2012 15 Jun'12
Cabinet Office confirms full list of PSN suppliers

CSC, Everything Everywhere and Fujitsu are among the 29 companies that will provide their services across the public services network
June 15, 2012 15 Jun'12
Cisco Stemnet Challenge 10 finalists announced

Cisco and The Pearson Foundation have announced eight finalists out of 200 schools that entered the competition to plan a full-scale event in their local area