News

Mobile networks

January 03, 2018 03 Jan'18
Smartphone production to plateau in 2018, says report

After a bumper year, driven chiefly by growth in the Chinese market, smartphone production will begin to slow in 2018, according to analysts at TrendForce
January 02, 2018 02 Jan'18
Trackside network to bring 5G to UK rail travellers by 2025

The government has launched a consultation on improving mobile connectivity for rail passengers
December 28, 2017 28 Dec'17
Top 10 mobile stories of 2017

A look back at some of Computer Weekly’s most read mobile networking stories of 2017
December 21, 2017 21 Dec'17
Ofcom defeats legal challenge from mobile network operators over 5G spectrum

Ofcom has seen off a legal challenge from mobile suppliers that oppose its latest spectrum auction

December 19, 2017 19 Dec'17
Government publishes 5G strategy update

Update highlights the need for greater infrastructure sharing, tests the water for further 5G pilots and reveals the winning bid for the 5G Innovation Network
December 18, 2017 18 Dec'17
Highways England awards telecoms service contract to Telent

Network upgrade will enable Highways England to prepare for technologies such as 5G and connected cars
December 15, 2017 15 Dec'17
Over one million homes and businesses still lack ‘decent’ broadband despite narrowing digital divide

More than a million homes and businesses still cannot access a broadband connection capable of delivering a service of 10Mbps or higher, says Ofcom
December 13, 2017 13 Dec'17
Highways England plans for 5G, smart vehicles, drones

Highways England report sets out its aspirations for the next few years, and explores how digital technology will be used to keep people on the move
December 13, 2017 13 Dec'17
London mayor Sadiq Khan to invest in digital skills and infrastructure across the capital

Draft economic development strategy promises to help Londoners access tech jobs, increasing digital skills, funding for small tech companies, and growing digital infrastructure
December 07, 2017 07 Dec'17
EU telecoms ministers set out 5G mobile network roadmap

Telecommunications ministers from across Europe have agreed on a joint roadmap that will govern the deployment of 5G mobile networks across the EU

December 05, 2017 05 Dec'17
Vodafone picks Huawei to underpin NFV and SDN roll-out

Mobile operator Vodafone will use Huawei’s FusionSphere Openstack platform to support its NFV and SDN ambitions
December 05, 2017 05 Dec'17
Singtel ties up with academia in AI and IoT research

Agreements with Singapore’s national research agency and a local university will expand Singtel’s product range and grow the country’s capabilities in emerging technologies
December 01, 2017 01 Dec'17
EE in drive to improve ‘time on 4G’ for mobile users

Mobile operator EE launches another phase of its long-running Clear on Coverage campaign, with a pledge to increase network coverage using data to show how long its customers spend on 4G
November 30, 2017 30 Nov'17
Digital infrastructure critical to future development of London

Mayor Sadiq Khan’s new London Plan will treat access to digital infrastructure as critical to the city’s development over the next 20 to 25 years
November 29, 2017 29 Nov'17
Mobile operators face profitability squeeze in 2018

Mobile operators will struggle to balance the twin challenges of rapidly declining revenues and rapidly growing demand for mobile investment, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit
November 29, 2017 29 Nov'17
DCMS to spearhead review of UK telecoms sector

The government is to embark on a landmark review of the UK’s telecoms markets to investigate how it can better support investment in future connectivity
November 28, 2017 28 Nov'17
TfL forges ahead with 4G for the Tube after successful test

Having built a pilot 4G network for ESN on the Waterloo & City Line during the summer, TfL is pressing ahead with plans to roll out mobile broadband for all London Underground users
November 22, 2017 22 Nov'17
Government 5G investment must address roll-out as well as R&D

Chancellor Philip Hammond announces further round of investment in network connectivity technology, with more cash for 5G and fibre broadband projects, but some say it’s time for the government to invest in roll-out as well as R&D
November 22, 2017 22 Nov'17
Chancellor Philip Hammond pledges more than £500m for tech in 2017 Budget

Autumn Budget promises major investment in tech to drive the UK post-Brexit, including money for artificial intelligence, driverless cars, a new national centre for computing and a geospatial data commission
November 20, 2017 20 Nov'17
Budget 2017 to promise huge UK technology boost

Wednesday’s Budget will include funding for artificial intelligence, driverless cars, 5G, digital skills and more computer science teachers
November 16, 2017 16 Nov'17
The race is on to build a 5G business case, says BT CEO

Speaking at a Huawei mobile broadband event, BT CEO Gavin Patterson said telcos and mobile operators must overcome the challenge of building viable business cases for investment in 5G mobile networks – and quickly
November 15, 2017 15 Nov'17
EE conducts UK’s first 5G mobile network test

Mobile operator has successfully conducted the first test of an end-to-end 5G network architecture in the UK
November 14, 2017 14 Nov'17
Emergency Services Network delay to cost hundreds of millions

The Emergency Services Network roll-out has hit further delays and is likely to become very costly indeed, the Public Accounts Committee has heard
November 14, 2017 14 Nov'17
Waltham Forest Council gives 5G network plans a boost

Waltham Forest Council in London is to allow Arqiva to deploy small cell technology on 16,000 lampposts across the borough
November 09, 2017 09 Nov'17
Half of Brits don’t check value of contactless payments

Almost half of contactless payment users in the UK don't always check the amount they are paying before tapping
November 08, 2017 08 Nov'17
Swisscom picks Ericsson to build its 5G network

Swiss incumbent operator Swisscom commits to nationwide gigabit 4G from 2018, and 5G from 2020
November 02, 2017 02 Nov'17
BT quarterly revenues and profits fall after Global Services slump

Telco’s enterprise sales fall, but its consumer-facing EE division sees good growth
October 24, 2017 24 Oct'17
University of Manchester launches city fitness application

University’s health research centre is using gamification to get people active as part of the Manchester CityVerve smart city demonstrator
October 24, 2017 24 Oct'17
Adtran and CCS collaborate on millimetre wave for 5G

At Broadband World Forum in Berlin, network specialists Adtran and Cambridge Communications announce a technology collaboration to help rapidly and cheaply deploy dense 5G networks
October 24, 2017 24 Oct'17
IT department keeps Volvo Ocean Race sailors connected around the world

As seven yachts compete in the latest Volvo Ocean Race, the IT team supporting the event is engaged in a race of its own
October 20, 2017 20 Oct'17
Transport Research Lab to run £13m autonomous vehicle trials in London

A consortium led by the Transport Research Lab has been awarded government funding to run connected and autonomous vehicle tests in the capital
October 20, 2017 20 Oct'17
Mobile networks accused of overcharging loyal customers

EE, Three and Vodafone are continuing to charge customers for their smartphones after the devices have been paid off, according to a new report
October 20, 2017 20 Oct'17
The 5G wheels are spinning in APAC

Adoption of 5G across the Asia-Pacific region will be led by China, South Korea and Japan, but telcos will need to find the right pricing strategy to compete with IoT connectivity upstarts
October 20, 2017 20 Oct'17
Operators urged to find compelling B2B use cases for 5G

5G has the capability to bring froward a number of use cases for the business-to-business sector, says Innovate UK
October 19, 2017 19 Oct'17
Government cuts cost of network infrastructure roll-out

Parts of the Electronic Communications Code have been updated to help communications providers deploy new infrastructure more quickly
October 18, 2017 18 Oct'17
Government opens dynamic purchasing system procurement for HSCN

The RM3825 Health and Social Care Network Access Services dynamic purchasing system procurement has been opened to supplier bids
October 17, 2017 17 Oct'17
UK intelligence agencies ‘unlawfully’ sharing sensitive personal data, court hears

A secret court will decide whether Intelligence agencies are “unlawfully” sharing huge datasets containing sensitive information about the population with industry, government departments and overseas intelligence services.
October 17, 2017 17 Oct'17
Qualcomm successfully achieves first 5G data connection

Mobile chipset supplier Qualcomm claims it has achieved a 5G data connection on a 5G modem chipset for mobile devices
October 17, 2017 17 Oct'17
City of London Corporation launches ultrafast Wi-Fi network

City of London’s free Wi-Fi network is being backed by O2 and is supposed to deliver browsing speeds of up to 180Mbps
October 16, 2017 16 Oct'17
Government launches £25m trial fund to develop UK 5G industry

DCMS is drawing down £25m from the £740m National Productivity Investment Fund to fund a number of testbeds and trials of 5G mobile network technology in the UK
October 10, 2017 10 Oct'17
Belgian telco Proximus picks Cloudify to support NFV roll-out

Belgium’s largest telecoms operator Proximus will deploy a cloud-native orchestration platform to support its adoption of NFV services in the business
October 09, 2017 09 Oct'17
Dubai’s integrated government on Gitex catwalk

At this year’s Gitex, Dubai's smart city project is showing off its successes in integrating government services
October 04, 2017 04 Oct'17
BT and Three risking UK’s 5G leadership potential, says Ofcom

In an article in the Financial Times, Ofcom CEO Sharon White criticises mobile operators for holding up the auction of radio spectrum that is vital to the planning of 5G
October 03, 2017 03 Oct'17
Investigatory Powers Tribunal faces challenge in appeal court over mass hacking

Appeal court will decide whether UK citizens have the right to challenge controversial decisions made by Britain’s most secret court, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal
October 03, 2017 03 Oct'17
Smart rail ticketing technology to be tested by end of 2017

Transport secretary Chris Grayling sets out plans for trials of smart ticketing technology
October 03, 2017 03 Oct'17
Consistent service, not speed, key to UK’s 5G future, say researchers

Government should avoid setting unrealistic connectivity requirements for 5G mobile broadband, and focus instead on ensuring reliable and consistent coverage, says a University of Cambridge study
September 28, 2017 28 Sep'17
EC threatens legislation if tech companies fail to act on terrorism and hate speech

European Commission adds to growing political pressure on technology companies by threatening legislation if they fail to remove terrorist posts and hate speech from the internet quickly
September 28, 2017 28 Sep'17
Grosvenor signs broadband investment deal for London’s West End

Landowner and property developer has signed a co-investment partnership with Openreach to address poor broadband connectivity standards in parts of the capital
September 28, 2017 28 Sep'17
Large scale IoT deployments double in 12 months

Vodafone’s fifth annual look at the IoT market reveals that the percentage of companies with more than 50,000 connected devices has effectively doubled in the past year
September 26, 2017 26 Sep'17
Building ‘senseable’ cities will be the talk of Gitex

MIT professor will present his vision of smart city developments at Gitex 2017 in Dubai
September 26, 2017 26 Sep'17
European operators still heavily reliant on copper for broadband delivery

A report commissioned for the European Commission has revealed that although access to broadband is improving across the EU, operators are still focusing their energies on sweating old copper assets
September 25, 2017 25 Sep'17
Connected bees create a buzz at Manchester startup hub

Cisco and Manchester Science Partnerships have opened a new startup incubator in the city to foster innovation in the Northern Powerhouse, and the humble honeybee is taking centre stage
September 25, 2017 25 Sep'17
Three adds in-store sign language service for deaf customers

Mobile operator pilots in-store sign language service to support the needs of its deaf customers
September 18, 2017 18 Sep'17
ScotRail to test ‘world’s fastest’ in-train Wi-Fi service

The train operator has teamed up with Cisco, Network Rail Telecoms and others to collaborate on an Innovate UK funded proof of concept for ultrafast Wi-Fi on board
September 14, 2017 14 Sep'17
Mobile networks restored to hurricane-hit Caribbean islands

Emergency networking teams from the Vodafone Foundation and Télécoms Sans Frontières are working to restore mobile connectivity after the Caribbean was ravaged by Hurricane Irma
September 13, 2017 13 Sep'17
Vodafone identifies 50 future digital hubs

A Vodafone research report has identified a number of towns and cities that have the potential to become what it refers to as Digital Super Towns
September 11, 2017 11 Sep'17
EE repurposes 2G spectrum to support expanded 4G mobile service

The operator will re-farm a tranche of spectrum formerly used for 2G services to boost capacity and speed on its 4G network
September 11, 2017 11 Sep'17
EAN airline broadband service moves closer to reality

The European Aviation satellite has successfully completed in-orbit testing and will begin to service in-flight broadband customers later in 2017
September 07, 2017 07 Sep'17
Italian startup uses IoT network to improve bicycle security

Turin-based Sherlock, a bike security startup, is connecting its GPS anti-theft units to Orange Business Services’ worldwide IoT network
September 06, 2017 06 Sep'17
IoT networks a massive sales opportunity for operators, claims GSMA

Commercial initiatives around low power wide area network infrastructure will present mobile operators with a potential $1.8tn revenue opportunity over the next decade
September 01, 2017 01 Sep'17
Content delivery innovation improves user experience for e-tailer

WorldStores Group, the owner of a number of online home and lifestyle retail brands, has transformed its customer experience with enhanced content delivery capabilities from Instart Logic
August 31, 2017 31 Aug'17
Government consults on fibre broadband rate relief

The Department for Communities and Local Government has launched a consultation on the draft regulations covering business rate relief for new fibre broadband infrastructure
August 31, 2017 31 Aug'17
In-house Vodafone MVNO pitches to youth market

Vodafone targets under-25s with a free social data MVNO concept called Voxi
August 29, 2017 29 Aug'17
Satellite broadband beams solar eclipse footage to millions

ViaSat network supports Nasa’s solar eclipse live broadcast, streaming high-resolution images and footage around the world
August 25, 2017 25 Aug'17
Autonomous lorry platoons to take to UK roads in 2018

The government is to fund tests of wireless platooning technology on the UK’s roads as truly autonomous vehicles take another step towards reality
August 22, 2017 22 Aug'17
Cambridgeshire firefighters get rugged tablets for frontline work

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue is deploying ruggedised Panasonic tablets across its service to help personnel access vital information in an emergency
August 22, 2017 22 Aug'17
Flash memory and OLED shortages will hit smartphone sales

Analysts at Gartner have warned that a components shortage will affect sales of high-end smartphones
August 21, 2017 21 Aug'17
Charity crowdsources environmental data with new mobile app

Environmental organisation Project Aware has launched a mobile app to help divers map marine debris
August 17, 2017 17 Aug'17
UK rail passengers don’t trust on-board Wi-Fi

YouGov survey commissioned by Cobham Wireless finds UK commuters are increasingly frustrated with connectivity standards on the rail network
August 15, 2017 15 Aug'17
Openreach withdraws plans for wholesale dark fibre product

After a successful appeal against conditions laid down by Ofcom, Openreach has withdrawn plans to launch a wholesale dark fibre product
August 14, 2017 14 Aug'17
Bristol hosts successful test of 5G mobile edge computing

Participants in the three-week trial of mobile edge computing technology took part in a virtual treasure hunt around the city centre
August 10, 2017 10 Aug'17
Sadiq Khan’s Not-Spot Team to tackle digital connectivity in London

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced a package of measures designed to boost digital connectivity around London
August 08, 2017 08 Aug'17
National wireless network alternative to fixed broadband for Ireland

Huawei and CSP Imagine Communications plan to build a countrywide wireless broadband network across Ireland
August 08, 2017 08 Aug'17
KCOM fined over emergency call service failure

Telco KCOM fined after 999 calls made by Hull residents went unanswered due to flooding at a BT exchange miles away
August 03, 2017 03 Aug'17
Interview: Vodafone CTO juggles legacy network and cutting-edge technology

Vodafone UK chief technology officer Jorge Fernandes talks legacy networks, digitisation and how he is positioning the operator to lead in the mobile-enabled future
August 02, 2017 02 Aug'17
Broadband satisfaction levels fall as Brits stream more content

Massive growth in data use as more people stream media content into their homes may be contributing to increased dissatisfaction with broadband services, says Ofcom
August 01, 2017 01 Aug'17
Young people drive worldwide internet adoption

The UN’s ICT agency shows young people are at the forefront of internet adoption, particularly in developing economies
August 01, 2017 01 Aug'17
Sigfox wants to drive IoT adoption to tipping point

CEO Ludovic Le Moan explains what the company is doing to stay ahead of its rivals and drive mass-market adoption of the internet of things
July 28, 2017 28 Jul'17
BT hands over £225m to ward off legal action over accounts scandal

BT has had to pay out £225m to avoid being dragged through the courts by EE’s old owners
July 27, 2017 27 Jul'17
EE’s dominance in mobile network quality no longer a given

EE has retained its overall lead as the top-performing mobile network in the country, but is facing increasingly stiff competition from O2, Three and Vodafone
July 25, 2017 25 Jul'17
North Korean web users enjoy Amazon, Facebook and YouTube, report claims

Threat intelligence specialist Recorded Future claims that the North Korean elite are as plugged in to the worldwide web as any western citizen
July 24, 2017 24 Jul'17
UAE hotel upgrades wireless network and internet connectivity

Beach resort completes major project to revamp its wireless infrastructure with TP-Link technologies
July 24, 2017 24 Jul'17
Daimler and Bosch show off autonomous valet parking

A test of an app-based autonomous valet service is to take place at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart over the next few months
July 23, 2017 23 Jul'17
Singtel bolsters LTE network as Singapore gears up for 5G

Southeast Asia’s largest telco is delivering peak data transmission speeds of up to 800Mbps in Singapore’s prime shopping belt
July 18, 2017 18 Jul'17
The European Union brings member states together to lead on 5G

EU members commit to a new declaration to establish a common baseline for 5G standards and help make Europe a global leader on future mobile networks
July 18, 2017 18 Jul'17
TfL starts ESN pilot build on the London Underground

At a GLA Oversight Committee hearing, TfL’s CTO revealed the organisation is building a pilot version of the Emergency Services Network on the London Underground
July 12, 2017 12 Jul'17
Cisco to build O2’s public Wi-Fi network for City of London

O2 enlists Cisco to help build out the multi-million pound public Wi-Fi network currently taking shape in London’s Square Mile
July 12, 2017 12 Jul'17
Australia’s Whispir dials into global market

Fast-growing cloud-based communications service provider expects to more than double its workforce within a year, and grow its business in the double-digit range
July 11, 2017 11 Jul'17
Legal & General picks HomeServe’s IoT LeakBot to protect homeowners

Insurance firm partners with HomeServe to deploy its internet of things LeakBot technology and lower customer premiums
July 11, 2017 11 Jul'17
Three and Ofcom clash over spectrum auction proposals

Three boss brands Ofcom’s spectrum auction proposals a ‘kick in the teeth’ but Ofcom says the operator is already in a much better competitive position
July 10, 2017 10 Jul'17
Mobile operators must act soon as 5G business models emerge

Full deployment of a commercial 5G mobile network is still at least two years away, but new business models are already beginning to crystallise around the technology, and operators would be wise to start preparations soon, a new report claims
July 07, 2017 07 Jul'17
Govia Thameslink rail operator picks Worldline for mobile ticketing

Rail operator Govia Thameslink sets out to replace its desktop ticket issuing service with a Worldline mobile solution
July 07, 2017 07 Jul'17
Europe takes measured approach to 5G, driven by ROI concerns

European operators may be more concerned with getting the maximum value for money from their 3G and 4G networks than rushing to roll out 5G
July 07, 2017 07 Jul'17
MyRepublic outlines regional ambition, eyes IPO by 2018

The Singapore ISP is gearing up for a public listing that will support its efforts to deliver mobile and broadband services in seven new markets
July 06, 2017 06 Jul'17
Government awards academics £16m for 5G trial network

Experts from three major technology research institutions have been awarded a government grant to develop a 5G test network
July 06, 2017 06 Jul'17
TomTom and Cisco to address real-time comms for autonomous cars

Navigation firm teams up with network giant to develop low-latency, real-time traffic services for autonomous vehicle management
July 05, 2017 05 Jul'17
CityFibre moves into consumer broadband services

Following the success of a joint FTTP broadband trial in York, CityFibre is to market its metro fibre network to consumer ISPs for the first time
July 04, 2017 04 Jul'17
Arqiva snaps up new spectrum licences for 5G wireless trials

Comms infrastructure supplier buys two 112MHz bands of wireless spectrum to support its 5G wholesale ambitions
July 03, 2017 03 Jul'17
China, India to drive global mobile industry

The two Asian giants will account for nearly half of all new mobile subscribers worldwide by the end of the decade, according to a new study by GSMA
June 27, 2017 27 Jun'17
Unabiz secures IoT network operator licence in Taiwan

Internet of things connectivity provider plans to cover 95% of the island’s population by 2018