Internet infrastructure

Activist Lauri Love’s computer ‘contained hacked data’, says judge

Lauri Love, who has been accused of hacking into US government computer systems, has lost a legal action against the NCA for the return of his computers and storage device Continue Reading

WWW at 30: the worldwide swamp

Next month will be the 30th anniversary of the world wide web. In 1989, who would have thought the web would touch every aspect of people’s lives - not only in a good way but also in ways that seem ... Continue Reading

DCMS Select Committee claims Facebook ‘deliberately frustrated’ fake news inquiry

Facebook’s UK public policy manager defends its participation in MPs' inquiry into the spread of fake news and disinformation online, which concludes by declaring an end to self-regulation by social media firms Continue Reading

NCSC signals UK may take softer line on Huawei

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre suggests Huawei will be allowed to form core elements of the country’s 5G mobile network infrastructure after all Continue Reading

Central Saint Martins hosts Three’s 5G trial for London Fashion Week

Three’s trial 5G network will enable the world’s first augmented reality fashion show at Central Saint Martins, while consumers can test out a prototype network at its flagship store Continue Reading

Satellite broadband secures Cornish observatory a brighter future

The Tolcarn Observatory near St Austell in Cornwall is putting its money where its mouth is and using satellite broadband to enhance its research work and educational outreach Continue Reading

Lauri Love takes legal action against NCA for return of seized computers

Lauri Love, a former engineering student who won a battle with the US Department of Justice against extradition to the US to face hacking charges, is suing the UK's intelligence agency, the NCA, for the return of his seized computers Continue Reading

Lloyds Bank rolls out open banking functionality to mobile app customers

Lloyds Bank customers can now see current accounts from multiple banks through their mobile banking app Continue Reading

Brexit is killing full-fibre broadband and 5G roll-outs, says CBI

A CBI report has warned that Brexit is “sucking the oxygen” out of digital priorities such as full-fibre broadband roll-out and 5G mobile network deployment Continue Reading

Huawei: We are not spying on the UK

Huawei’s Ryan Ding tells the British government that the company has never, and will never, use its technology to assist the Chinese intelligence services Continue Reading

Virgin Media tests 8Gbps home broadband service

Fifty residents of Papworth, Cambridgeshire, are trialling an 8Gbps FTTP broadband service using existing fibre infrastructure Continue Reading

Innocent people arrested following surveillance blunders, IPCO reveals

Interception of communications commissioner Adrian Fulford warns of “grave” repercussions for people wrongly identified as suspects due to errors made when government bodies access email, phone and telephone data Continue Reading

Vodafone suspends use of Huawei hardware

Vodafone’s UK CEO has said the operator will ‘pause’ its use of Huawei hardware for the foreseeable future Continue Reading

Chinese government grants BT new powers

Enhanced operating licences improve telco’s ability to work with customers in China Continue Reading

MPs challenge Huawei over spying allegations

The chair of the cross-bench Science and Technology Committee has written to Huawei seeking answers over its activities in the UK Continue Reading

Vodafone and O2 will ‘share’ 5G networks

Vodafone and O2 have agreed non-binding heads of terms that will extend their 4G network-sharing agreement to 5G when it becomes available Continue Reading

Scottish Police Authority awards £21m mobile services deal to EE

EE will oversee a three-year deal to transform police mobile capabilities in Scotland, alongside Motorola Solutions, Samsung and BlackBerry Continue Reading

Broadband divide persists across the UK, says Which?

Latest statistics from Which? show the UK’s broadband divide persists, with many areas still missing out on high-speed services despite industry tub-thumping Continue Reading

Bahrain plans to create a world-leading tech ecosystem

Bahrain is building a technology ecosystem that will help the country further reduce its economic reliance on the oil and gas industry Continue Reading

Home Office vetoes privacy campaigner from senior post in surveillance watchdog

The Home Office refuses academic and privacy campaigner, Eric King, security clearance for a senior role at the intelligence services watchdog, despite high-level backing from officials Continue Reading

Thailand pushes for Industry 4.0 in ASEAN

Nearly half of the kingdom’s deliverables as chair of ASEAN will be focused on spurring Industry 4.0 developments across the region Continue Reading

Facebook’s high-stakes privacy gamble goes to Dublin court

A high-wire gamble with billions in compensation at stake for European internet users – part of a complex case between Facebook and the Irish information commissioner – hides challenge to the unlawfulness of US state internet surveillance Continue Reading

O2 powers customer-centric network with Nokia AI

Mobile operator O2 claims Nokia’s AI-driven Service Operation Center platform will help it anticipate its customers’ problems before they know they have problems Continue Reading

Mobile and broadband markets fail digitally excluded groups

Financially vulnerable people, disabled and mentally ill people and elderly people all face significant challenges in accessing appropriate communications services, according to a new Ofcom report Continue Reading

Roadside 4G mobile signal availability improves across UK

4G mobile network coverage along the UK’s motorways has seen substantial improvement, with Greater Manchester’s urban M60 having 100% availability and the Birmingham to Carlisle M6 seeing the greatest growth in coverage Continue Reading

Fife Council upgrades WAN to offer ultrafast broadband services

Public sector sites across Fife in Scotland are to receive a transformational upgrade to their broadband speeds Continue Reading

AWS secures cloud hosting role in UK government Crown Marketplace programme

Amazon Web Services’ cloud platform to play key role in how public sector organisations procure common goods and services Continue Reading

Equinix to open fourth Singapore datacentre in 2019

The latest investment by Equinix in Singapore comes as datacentre operators look to fill vacant real estate arising from intense market competition between 2017 and 2018 Continue Reading

Norwegian cryptocurrency miners lament proposed loss of energy use-related tax relief

A wide-ranging push by the Norwegian government’s tax collection agency to clamp down on cryptocurrency miners has incurred the wrath of a company planning to build the world’s biggest datacentre Continue Reading

Trust is key to Microsoft’s APAC cloud play

A senior Microsoft Asia executive talks up the company’s cloud momentum in the region, how it stands out from the pack, and its priorities in the new year Continue Reading

SMEs urged to get on board with Network Services 2 framework

Suppliers have until the end of January 2019 to sign up to the new government network services purchasing framework Continue Reading

Top 10 mobile stories of 2018

As 5G moves from theory to practical reality, we look back at Computer Weekly’s biggest mobile stories from the past 12 months Continue Reading

CMA acts on super-complaint over broadband, mobile charges

The Competition and Markets Authority is to crack down on communications services providers who ‘penalise’ loyal customers over new ones Continue Reading

Top 10 broadband stories of 2018

The networking industry swung firmly behind full-fibre broadband in 2018, with encouraging signs that the gold-standard of broadband service delivery technology is at long last taking off in the UK Continue Reading

Ancient Britain comes to life at Bath’s 5G testbed

The West of England Combined Authority is running a 5G Smart Tourism project at Bath’s world-famous Roman spa Continue Reading

Mobile security needs a rethink for the 5G era

A report released through the government’s 5G Testbeds and Trials programme has recommended the UK rethink its mobile security strategy Continue Reading

Broadband coverage improved through 2018, says Ofcom

Ofcom’s annual Connected Nations report reveals that the number of people who cannot receive a 10Mbps broadband connection has halved Continue Reading

Ofcom fires starting gun for new mobile spectrum auction

Mobile spectrum in the 700MHz and 3.6-3.8GHz bands will be put up for auction either late in 2019 or early in 2020 Continue Reading

Ofcom tells ISPs to be upfront about better broadband deals

Telecoms regulator is rolling out a range of measures to make the broadband market serve the interests of consumers better Continue Reading

Tibco’s Orchestra acquisition will mean ‘faster IT integration’

Tibco’s strategic acquisition of Paris-based Orchestra networks will ‘benefit customers of both companies’ Continue Reading

Slow action on broadband and 5G risks UK’s economic future, CBI warns

A report from the CBI has called for the government to fast-track legislation to guarantee access to ultrafast network services Continue Reading

Vodafone’s 4G network goes underground

Operator will roll out small 4G and 5G-ready antenna to boost network coverage over short distances in areas of dense usage, using manhole covers, among other things Continue Reading

O2 expected to pursue Ericsson for compensation over 24-hour stoppage

Mobile network operator could seek up to £100m in damages from its supplier, which failed to update expired software certificates, causing a day-long outage Continue Reading

Douglas Engelbart, the forgotten hero of modern computing

Half a century ago, Douglas Engelbart demonstrated an experimental computer that laid the foundations for modern computing. His vision to use computing power to solve complex problems in all areas of human activity has become reality, but not in the way that he imagined Continue Reading

BT and KCOM named broadband USO suppliers

Ofcom has named BT, and in East Yorkshire, KCOM, as the designated providers for the incoming broadband universal service obligation Continue Reading

China demands release of arrested Huawei CFO

The Chinese government has called for the release of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, who was detained in Canada at the weekend Continue Reading

Software failure paralyses O2’s 4G network

O2 is racing to fix a major outage on its 4G network that has left millions of mobile subscribers without access to data services Continue Reading

As commercial 5G nears, small cells generate interest

Interest in small cells as an element of commercial 5G mobile networks is growing, particularly in countries with supportive regulatory environments. Meanwhile, a UK trial of wholesale small cell infrastructure has kicked off in London Continue Reading

Bright future for OTT video – if the network can support it

The emergence of over the top video services is having a massive impact on underlying network technology, according to the ITP Continue Reading

Billions missing out on digital society as internet use soars

As global internet usage continues to soar, billions of people around the world are missing out on the potential benefits of getting online, according to Cisco Continue Reading

Openreach extends Gfast roll-out to a million more homes

Copper-based ultrafast broadband roll-out continues at pace Continue Reading

Top IT predictions in APAC in 2019

Edge computing, data management and microservices will play a bigger role in the Asia-Pacific region in 2019 as enterprises reshape their technology architectures to become ‘digitally determined’ organisations Continue Reading

EE and Virgin Media fined for breaking consumer protection rules

Ofcom has imposed fines totalling £13.3m on EE and Virgin Media, saying both providers levied excessive charges on customers who ended their contracts early Continue Reading

Broadband voucher scheme to end early thanks to high demand

The government has urged small business owners to consider signing up for its ultrafast broadband connection voucher scheme before the available funding runs out Continue Reading

5G will unleash digital transformation for UK enterprises

Mobile operator EE is working hand-in-hand with its largest enterprise customers to realise the potential of its future 5G mobile network Continue Reading

Plymouth’s Derriford Hospital has capacity to spare after HSCN upgrade

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust is unleashing the potential of digital for health after fixing up its internet connectivity with an upgrade to the new Health and Social Care Network Continue Reading

Openreach increasing use of drones to help build fibre networks

Openreach plans to make greater use of drones to help it bring broadband to remote rural properties it could not previously touch Continue Reading

5G mobile masts bring installation challenges, EE finds

EE has switched on a fixed wireless access network in central London to test elements of its future 5G mobile service, but faced some challenges setting it up Continue Reading

Investment fund buys into broadband supplier Hyperoptic

Mubadala Investment Company, the VC arm of the government of Abu Dhabi, is to acquire a minority stake in full-fibre broadband supplier Hyperoptic as the firm brings forward its roll-out Continue Reading

Lloyds Banking Group shaking up its workforce to reflect digital times

Lloyds Banking Group is revamping the roles of thousands of staff as it becomes digital Continue Reading

Smart Dubai platform is the backbone of the city's transformation

Aisha bin Bishr, director general at Smart Dubai Office, talks about the Smart Data platform and soon-to-be-unveiled UAE Pass, a digital ID and signature which is being touted as one of the foundations a city needs to transform Continue Reading

UK winners and losers in digital tech

The UK's retail and telecoms companies are among the best in the world at digital technology, but a survey of digital leaders shows there is still room for improvement for many UK firms Continue Reading

GSMA urges fresh action on 5G mobile spectrum

Mobile industry body says time is running out to ready enough radio frequency spectrum in the appropriate bands to account for the demands of 5G mobile networks Continue Reading

Openreach launches Fibre First programme in Belfast and Nottingham

Openreach has named Belfast and Nottingham as the latest cities to benefit from a full-fibre broadband roll-out Continue Reading

TalkTalk makes ‘fair broadband’ promises

TalkTalk has launched its own Fairer Broadband Charter as research reveals widespread dissatisfaction with some common industry practices Continue Reading

Ofcom has another go at liberalising duct and pole access

Telecoms regulator is making a new attempt to establish better access to BT’s duct and pole infrastructure for communication services providers Continue Reading

BT makes progress with Global Services restructuring

Telco sets out plan to get its troubled Global Services business unit fighting fit Continue Reading

Three introduces 4G+ at 2,700 sites

Mobile operator Three hopes to boost average mobile data speeds by up to 33% through carrier aggregation Continue Reading

Hyperoptic full-fibre network hits public housing milestone

More than 150,000 publicly owned homes have now been connected to Hyperoptic’s ultrafast fibre broadband network Continue Reading

Ofcom releases BT from 2005 Openreach undertakings

Following the legal split of the two organisations, telecoms regulator Ofcom has formally ‘released’ BT from the 2005 undertakings set up to manage the Openreach infrastructure business Continue Reading

Budget 2018: No great leap forward for broadband, but no need to panic

The chancellor set aside £1.6bn for digital technology in the Budget, but broadband services did not draw much attention. Is this a surprise, or a reflection of growing commercial investment in full-fibre, and what should the role of government be? Continue Reading

Hammond’s digital services tax is a big risk, say experts

The tech industry is not impressed with the chancellor’s plan to tax web giants, saying it can stifle innovation, while tax lawyers warn that it is a very risky move that could lead to US retaliation Continue Reading

Government consults on full-fibre for tenants, new-build homes

Proposed legislation would compel landlords and property developers to offer full-fibre broadband to tenants and customers Continue Reading

O2 extends rural 4G network to 339 communities

O2 has extended its rural network roll-out, targeting over 300 small communities all over the UK Continue Reading

NGA secures £22m for Bristol-Newport fibre link

Ultrafast wholesale network builder Nextgenaccess has been awarded funding from the National Digital Infrastructure Fund to improve connectivity in South Wales Continue Reading

Openreach slashes cost of full-fibre to new-build homes

Property developers will receive a 75% discount on the cost of full-fibre installation Continue Reading

Vodafone claims UK 5G first

Mobile network operator Vodafone claims the activation of a trial site in Manchester marks the first time mobile data traffic has been streamed to and from the internet exclusively over 5G technology Continue Reading

Nordic banks target SME customers with fintech services

Traditional Nordic banks are slimming down workforces as they turn increasingly to technology-based service delivery, and some are linking up with small fintech companies to deliver online products. Continue Reading

CityFibre backers pump £2.5bn into full-fibre broadband

Network expansion will add 27 towns and cities to CityFibre’s current roll-out to 10 locations in support of a consumer full-fibre service delivered by Vodafone Continue Reading

SMEs use fintech in fight against online giants, but fears remain

Online SMEs are turning to financial technology to help them make payment processes easy for customers as they try to compete with online giants Continue Reading

Russians using less cash after accelerated use of electronic payments

Russians are increasingly using electronic payments rather than cash, a recent study by Sberbank has found Continue Reading

Competition, not consumer demand, is driving full-fibre roll-out

Market competition among telecoms operators, not consumer demand, appears to be driving the trend towards ultrafast full-fibre broadband roll-out in Europe Continue Reading

Google Cloud CTO Brian Stevens on using open source for competitive advantage in the public cloud

Google Cloud CTO Brian Stevens on how the enterprise cloud conversation is changing, and why not all supplier declarations about supporting open source technologies are quite what they seem Continue Reading

Commuter trains may need over 3Gbps of mobile data capacity by 2025

Ofcom has set out its vision of what will need to be done to meet the government’s goals around data connectivity on the UK’s rail network Continue Reading

UK faces 10 cyber attacks a week as hostile states step up hacking, says NCSC

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has thwarted more than 1,600 attacks over the past two years – many by hostile nation states Continue Reading

Access to full-fibre broadband continues to expand under Vodafone-CityFibre partnership

Customers in three more towns and cities will soon be able to access ultrafast fibre-to-the-premises broadband service Continue Reading

EE switches on 5G test network at Canary Wharf

MNO explores high-capacity zone testing for its 5G network roll-out, with the first phase expected to target hotspots such as London’s Canary Wharf Continue Reading

Everyone, everywhere is responsible for IIoT cyber security

Cyber security in the industrial internet of things is not limited to a single company, industry or region – it is an international threat to public safety, and can only be addressed through collaboration that extends beyond borders and competitive interests Continue Reading

Openreach extends full-fibre broadband roll-out to Coventry

Openreach is forging ahead with its Fibre First full-fibre broadband programme and has started to roll out ultrafast services in Coventry Continue Reading

Full-fibre broadband penetration reaches 5%

The number of UK properties able to access a full-fibre broadband connection has hit a small but significant milestone, according to Ofcom Continue Reading

Openreach completes largest Tupe transfer in history

More than 30,000 BT employees have transferred across to the quasi-independent Openreach, completing what is thought to be the largest one-off Tupe transfer in history Continue Reading

Brighton’s 5G experiment enters new test phase with focus on virtual reality

The latest phase of the Digital Catapult’s 5G mobile network testbed in Brighton has begun, with digital businesses from across Sussex taking part in trials of augmented, mixed and virtual reality technology Continue Reading

Finland’s e-retail sector driven by international growth

Finland has a fast-growing e-retail industry as a positive consequence of the huge job cuts at Nokia Continue Reading

Rural business bodies seal new broadband agreement

The Country Land and Business Association and the National Farmers’ Union have reached an agreement with Openreach to put new wayleave arrangements in place for broadband network builds Continue Reading

MI5 admits to ‘unlawful’ spying on Privacy International

The UK's intelligence agencies acted unlawfully by intercepting communications data on NGO, Privacy International, the UK's most secret court ruled. Continue Reading

Indigo subsea cable lands in Perth

Cable system will utilise new spectrum sharing technology, so each consortium member can take advantage of technology advancements to support growing demand for bandwidth Continue Reading

Rural areas will be among the first to get Vodafone 5G

Parts of Cornwall and Cumbria will be among the first locations to get access to Vodafone’s 5G mobile network when it launches in 2019 Continue Reading

Asda outsources app development to support digital future

Supermarket chain Asda is outsourcing its application development to HCL to access and build skills and experience in agile development methods Continue Reading

EU-backed bid to cap idle energy use by datacentre servers moves closer

Move to improve the energy efficiency of datacentres by capping idle energy use by servers by 2020 comes one step closer, despite opposition from IBM, HPE and Dell-EMC Continue Reading

Santander plans UK tech hub in Milton Keynes

Santander is opening a UK tech hub in Milton Keynes that will have 5,000 staff Continue Reading