News

Mobile networks

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
O2 drops Ericsson after outage

Mobile network O2 blames Ericsson’s central user database for the faults last week and in July, telling customers it will drop the software
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
O2 blames network node for outage

10% of O2’s customers were unable to make calls, receive texts or download data last week after a network node for connecting traffic failed
October 12, 2012 12 Oct'12
Case Study: Groupon gets a remote voice with Natterbox

Inspired by the Olympics, Groupon adopts a UK-wide cloud PBX solution to integrate with its Salesforce deployment through Natterbox
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 09, 2012 09 Oct'12
Telefónica launches business to sell mobile data

O2 parent company Telefónica is to offer user data from customer's mobile phones to organisations who want to analyse customer activity
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 03, 2012 03 Oct'12
4G victory was technical, not political

Speedy execution of the digital television switchover and clearing of spectrum improved the 4G timetable, not negotiations by central government
October 03, 2012 03 Oct'12
4G spectrum cleared early by Arqiva and DigitalUK

The unexpected progress in clearing spectrum for the 4G auction later this year has brought the possible roll-out date forward by five months
October 02, 2012 02 Oct'12
4G meeting to determine spectrum future set for today

Sources say the meeting between mobile operators, Ofcom and minister for media, culture and sport, Maria Miller, will happen this afternoon
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
September 28, 2012 28 Sep'12
Buro Happold adopts Polycom video conferencing

Engineering firm Buro Happold cut costs and travel time with video conferencing facilities using Polycom RMXs and Microsoft Lync
September 27, 2012 27 Sep'12
BT revamps One unified comms service as CEO Luis Alvarez takes the helm

BT Global Services updates the BT One UC portfolio, to include Microsoft Lync and mobile applications, as Luis Alvarez takes up the CEO post
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 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
Remote working cuts employee desk space

As the trend for working remotely grows, a Citrix survey claims it will erode the need for desk space in business premises
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 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 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
Intel makes breakthrough on digital radio chips

After 10 years of research, Intel Labs finally reveals fully digital radio transceivers that fit on 32nm system-on-chips (SoCs)
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
Apple launches iPhone 5 with updated iOS 6

Apple debuts the iPhone 5 and upgraded iOS 6 as rebranded mobile operator Everything Everywhere – now EE – snags the UK 4G exclusive
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 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 11, 2012 11 Sep'12
UK mobile operators back down on 4G legal action

UK mobile operators have agreed to cooperate on getting UK 4G launched, rather than take legal action against Ofcom, the Financial Times has reported
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 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 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 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 15, 2012 15 Aug'12
John Linwood, BBC CTO, on the Olympics output and digitisation

The BBC’s chief technology officer John Linwood talks about managing record-breaking Olympics online viewing and the digital future of the BBC
August 14, 2012 14 Aug'12
Beaverbrooks extends Wi-Fi to support mobile tills

Jewellery chain Beaverbrooks is extending its in-store wireless network to support its mobile till strategy
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 01, 2012 01 Aug'12
BAA outsources network integration to Fujitsu

BAA is rolling out a network to support airport systems at the newly built Terminal 2 at Heathrow which is due to open in 2014
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
Businesses have 'once in a decade opportunity' to launch innovative apps

Businesses have a short window to distance themselves from competitors by introducing innovative phone apps, says analyst group Gartner
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
CW500: The technology behind the BBC's Olympics coverage

BBC CTO John Linwood told Computer Weekly’s CW500 Club about the “terrifying” challenge of providing live coverage of all events at the Olympics
July 26, 2012 26 Jul'12
Juniper and Riverbed enter technology partnership

Juniper and Riverbed combine network and application capabilitites for wide area network (WAN) optimisation, application delivery and mobility
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
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 20, 2012 20 Jul'12
Vodafone revenues plummet across Europe

Mobile operator Vodafone blames a weak economy and increased competition for drops in revenues across its major markets in Europe
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 16, 2012 16 Jul'12
Sophos combines endpoint security and UTM

Security firm Sophos combines endpoint protection and unified threat management (UTM) products into a single physical or virtual appliance
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
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
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
Telefonica Digital announces direct payment partnerships with Facebook and Google

The division of the global mobile operator confirms users can make payments to the websites billed onto their contracts
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
CIO Interview: Brendan O’Rourke, CIO at Telefonica Digital

Telefonica Digital CIO Brendan O’Rourke talks about the challenge of bringing customers back to the fold and away from 'over the top' providers
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 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 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 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 20, 2012 20 Jun'12
Staffordshire County Council saves £1.5m with PSN deployment

Staffordshire County Council’s CIO claims £1.5m has been saved by sharing networking infrastructure with other public sector organisations
June 19, 2012 19 Jun'12
Intel splashes out $375m on network patents

The price tag covers patents related to Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G networks, all bought from Interdigital
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 11, 2012 11 Jun'12
Local authorities vie for £24m grant for cities of tomorrow

Government is asking UK cities and urban areas to demonstrate how they could become the city of tomorrow with a £24m grant at stake
June 08, 2012 08 Jun'12
Apple faces £1.43m fine in Australian 4G iPad case

Apple has agreed to pay a £1.43m fine for misleading Australians about the 4G capacity of its latest iPad in a case brought by the national consumer watchdog
May 31, 2012 31 May'12
East Lothian Council shaves £175,000 off network costs

East Lothian Council has saved £175,000 a year by switching from its previous £500,000 contract with BT
May 31, 2012 31 May'12
Cisco Networking Academies forge networking careers for ex-offenders

Cisco’s Networking Academies are working with ex-offenders to prepare them for career paths in networking after leaving prison
May 30, 2012 30 May'12
EC vice-president Neelie Kroes proposes net neutrality legislation

A Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) report prompts Neelie Kroes to propose EC net neutrality legislation
May 30, 2012 30 May'12
NFC contactless payments going mainstream

Juniper Research director Windsor Holden explains why there will be strong growth for the contactless payment sector in the UK and Europe
May 30, 2012 30 May'12
European Council signs off mobile roaming charge law

Mobile roaming charge rules will take effect from 1 July 2012 as the European Council follows the European Parliament in passing the law
May 29, 2012 29 May'12
NFC contactless payments market to hit $180bn by 2017

Near Field Communications (NFC) is maturing into mobile payment technology across the globe, which is set to bring in $180m each year by 2012
May 29, 2012 29 May'12
BT helps itself to Home Hubs for public Wi-Fi

A feature of BT's routers called Fon gives away a percentage of bandwidth from home-based Wi-Fi to passers-by, often without user consent.
May 28, 2012 28 May'12
Sky mobile network could be on the cards

Reports suggest the TV and Internet provider will buy spectrum from Everything Everywhere to enter the mobile market
May 17, 2012 17 May'12
4G networks could disrupt TV signals for two million homes

Two million households could have their digital TV signals disrupted when 4G networks begin rolling out across the UK
May 17, 2012 17 May'12
‘T-Rays’ offer extra spectrum for Wi-Fi

Japanese researchers discover new connectivity capabilities with the terahertz band
May 16, 2012 16 May'12
Interview: Avaya EMEA president Michael Bayer

We talk upcoming launches, acquisitions and R&D with the head of Europe for Avaya
May 16, 2012 16 May'12
Mobile network operators block political websites

A report from the LSE and the Open Rights Group shows default filtering on mobile devices blocks political websites without users' knowledge
May 14, 2012 14 May'12
BYOD not popular with US CIOs

Most CIOs are not yet allowing employees to access company networks using personal computing devices, a US national survey has revealed.
May 14, 2012 14 May'12
Huawei wins managed services contract for O2 network

Chinese telecoms firm Huawei is hired by O2 parent Telefónica to plan and maintain its mobile network in the UK
May 11, 2012 11 May'12
Virgin Atlantic to offer in-flight mobile access

The airline will become the first from the UK to offer text, calling and web browsing capabilities on its flights