News

Internet infrastructure

January 25, 2013 25 Jan'13
Civil service lacks the skills to become digital, says NAO

The civil service currently lacks the skills it needs to deliver a modern, digital government, the National Audit Office has said
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 21, 2013 21 Jan'13
GDS must not become an outlier, warns Martha Lane Fox

The Government Digital Service (GDS) must not remain an outlier to the way the public sector delivers online services, says Martha Lane Fox

January 18, 2013 18 Jan'13
Google buys King's Cross site for UK headquarters

Internet giant Google spends £1bn on a 2.4 acre site in the King's Cross area of London where it plans to open its UK headquarters in 2016
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 16, 2013 16 Jan'13
Campaigners oppose Nominet plans for secure .uk domain

Digital rights campaigners have criticised Nominet's plans to create a secure .uk domain, saying it will create a monopoly of trust in UK domains
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
Why e-petitions wouldn't have happened with a system integrator

The speed at which e-petitions was developed wouldn’t have been possible with a system integrator, says Peter Herlihy from the GDS
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
CES 2013: Driverless cars could be next for the enterprise

Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, thinks businesses will be big benefactors of the driverless car revolution
January 08, 2013 08 Jan'13
Online growth buoys retailers over Christmas

Strong e-commerce growth kept retailers' heads above water during flat Christmas trading, with sales up 17.8% compared with December 2011
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
January 02, 2013 02 Jan'13
Vint Cerf recalls switch-over to the modern internet

The modern internet is 30 years old. In a blog post, Vint Cerf described January 1 1983 as the day the modern internet was born.
December 28, 2012 28 Dec'12
China tightens rules on internet usage

China has enforced tighter controls of the internet which includes forcing individuals to fully identify themselves to service providers.
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 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 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
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 17, 2012 17 Dec'12
Virgin Media targets Wi-Fi at 30 UK super-connected cities

Virgin Media plans to wholesale small-cell technology to mobile operators to bring in funding for local fibre-based Wi-Fi networks in 30 UK cities
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 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
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 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 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 27, 2012 27 Nov'12
Tesco rolls out virtual technology to boost multichannel offering

Tesco is rolling out a range of virtual technologies for customers to use in-store, as part of its multichannel drive
November 27, 2012 27 Nov'12
Wolverhampton Girls’ High School goes wireless

Wolverhampton Girls’ High School has installed wireless technology across its campus, enabling staff and students to use mobile devices
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
BBC researches digital future with UCL

The BBC is partnering with University College London in a four-year R&D programme to investigate the future of digital content
November 20, 2012 20 Nov'12
How Midata will affect business and consumers

The government is pushing private companies to release customer data under its Midata initiative. But what does this mean for the digital economy and who stands to benefit?
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
WiFox claims 700% boost in Wi-Fi performance

New software created by researchers at North Carolina State University claims to boost performance of Wi-Fi by up to 700%
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 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 06, 2012 06 Nov'12
Universal Credit programme director Malcolm Whitehouse steps down

Malcolm Whitehouse, programme director for the government's £2.2bn Universal Credit project, has stepped down
November 06, 2012 06 Nov'12
ARM and C&WW backs Cambridge Weightless wireless standard

The Weightless standard wins the backing of industry heavyweights hoping to help it on its journey to creating the ‘internet of things’
November 06, 2012 06 Nov'12
Government confirms digitisation plans in Digital Strategy

The government has confirmed its plans to save billions of pounds per year by digitising transactions in the publication of its Digital Strategy
November 05, 2012 05 Nov'12
UK spectrum valued at £52bn

Government research shows the UK’s spectrum contributes £52bn to the economy each year, thanks mostly to mobile services
November 02, 2012 02 Nov'12
Facebook swaps Wi-Fi for check-ins from SME customers

Social networking site Facebook is offering firms free Wi-Fi in exchange for directing customers to a Facebook page
November 02, 2012 02 Nov'12
EDF has complaints system problems as watchdog investigates

Energy supplier EDF is having problems with a new system designed to manage complaints as customer grievances increase
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 26, 2012 26 Oct'12
ACPO use online crime reporting company

The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and charity Crimestoppers is using online self-reporting platform Facewatch, designed to reduce low-level crime.
October 26, 2012 26 Oct'12
More Than insurance considers web monitoring after fault

Insurance company More Than is looking into technology to alert it to problems on its site after web customers were affected by a glitch
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 24, 2012 24 Oct'12
Mobile users were over half of London 2012 web traffic

More than half of the peak-time traffic to the London 2012 Olympics web servers came from mobile devices, says CIO
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 22, 2012 22 Oct'12
Cyber attacks launched at London 2012 Olympic Games every day

The IT supporting the London 2012 Olympics was hit by cyber attacks every day during the Games, says London 2012 CIO Gerry Pennell
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 22, 2012 22 Oct'12
Tech City names Facebook executive Joanna Shields as CEO

Joanna Shields has resigned as European boss of Facebook to become CEO of the Tech City Investment Organisation (TCIO)
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 16, 2012 16 Oct'12
Yahoo claims second Google executive as COO

Yahoo has appointed Henrique de Castro as COO, just three months after appointing another Google executive, Marissa Mayer, as CEO
October 15, 2012 15 Oct'12
Cookie law needs more than ‘do not track’, says Neelie Kroes

Website owners still need consent to use cookies even if web users' browsers offer 'do not track' (DNT), says EC vice-president Neelie Kroes
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
Case study: Benetton rolls out shopper and staff Wi-Fi

The United Colours of Benetton stores offer secure access for staff and free browsing for customers with managed Wi-Fi networks from On Direct
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 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
Lamborghini slashes web costs with Amazon Web Services

Supercar maker Lamborghini has revamped and accelerated the performance of its website by running it on Amazon Web Services
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
Tesco records historic decline amid online shake-up

Tesco has posted a historic decline following a £1bn investment programme earlier this year designed to bolster its online channel.
October 01, 2012 01 Oct'12
Labour pushes for spectrum cash to be spent on housing

With up to £4bn expected to be made from the 4G spectrum auction, The Labour Party calls on government to spend the money on building affordable housing
October 01, 2012 01 Oct'12
O2 to expand BYOD scheme

Mobile phone group O2 is to introduce its bring-your-own-device scheme to operations in Europe and South America, following successful UK roll-out
September 26, 2012 26 Sep'12
Small cells could be the answer to mobile performance

Virgin Media Business is hoping to wholesale its fibre broadband to mobile operators so they can incorporate small cells into their networks and boost mobile signal
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
Gartner: Businesses need to prepare now for HTML5

Businesses have been urged to prepare for the arrival of HTML5, the technology that underpins the next generation of the web
September 25, 2012 25 Sep'12
Iran blocks access to Google search and Gmail

Iran has blocked access to Google search and Gmail in a move officials say is aimed at improving cyber security
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 19, 2012 19 Sep'12
Government saves £41m axing 61 sites

The government has saved £41m in website costs since July 2011, with the total number of sites down by 61 to 383
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
IPv4 address pool almost dry

The five Internet Registries now have just 16.8 millions IPv4 addresses left
September 14, 2012 14 Sep'12
Microsoft discovers pre-installed viruses on PCs in China

Microsoft has found several PCs, manufactured in China, to have had malware installed by cyber criminals
September 13, 2012 13 Sep'12
WiGig wireless products due in 2013

WiGig, the wireless standard for linking devices over the 60GHz spectrum, should be product-compatible before the end of 2013
September 13, 2012 13 Sep'12
Google blocks "Innocence of Muslims" YouTube video in Libya and Egypt

Google has blocked YouTube users in Libya and Egypt from viewing the amateur film "Innocence of Muslims" following a spate of violent protests
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