Internet infrastructure

Joint committee publishes report on improving Online Safety Bill

MPs and peers release report on Online Safety Bill following five-month inquiry into the draft legislation and make a number of recommendations on how it can be improved to deal with harmful content and abuse on the internet Continue Reading

The rules for a safer internet

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as the government publishes the Online Safety Bill, we look at what the laws mean for internet services. A ransomware victim shares the insider story of the trauma of losing their corporate IT systems. And we ask, what happens when quantum computers get too powerful to verify their output? Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Number of .uk domain suspensions at record low

Statistics from Nominet show how effective law enforcement action against cyber crime in the UK is paying off Continue Reading

Virgin Media O2 completes full gigabit access over entire footprint

Gigabit speeds now available across UK cableco’s entire network, offering average download speeds of 1.130GMbps supporting hyperfast services Continue Reading

Network technologies shaping post-Covid global recovery

Latest round-up ranking world’s most ‘network ready’ markets revealing how countries around the world are using information technologies to emerge from the Covid pandemic and become network ready. Continue Reading

European finance firms increase open banking spend

Financial services firms are increasing investment in open banking capabilities, with improvements to payment initiation and onboarding capabilities expected Continue Reading

Streaming surges see BT chief call for new net neutrality regulations

Marc Allera demands action on fairness in internet carriage as Amazon-hosted Premier League football drives new peak in traffic, 12% above previous high Continue Reading

Neos Networks completes latest leg in infrastructure expansion

UK business connectivity provider hits target of 550 unbundled BT exchanges and confirms plans to continue expansion and boost local access networks Continue Reading

Global satellite broadband addressable market to grow to 330 million premises by 2026

Research warns that even with the proliferation of mobile and fixed broadband access globally, there is still a significant portion of the population that suffers from poor coverage, offering a huge opportunity for satellite comms Continue Reading

CityFibre launches first 800Gbps infrastructure backbone ring

UK’s largest independent network provider announces 800Gbps ring, launched in collaboration with Ciena, to serve 23 cities and six ‘super core’ sites as part of a multi-terabit, national backbone project Continue Reading

FTTH Council Europe calls on policymakers for measures to reap full-fibre rewards

Industry organisation with a mission to advance ubiquitous full-fibre connectivity across Europe welcomes publication of the European Commission’s latest ‘Digital economy and society index’ and calls for demand-side measures to boost take-up of fibre networks Continue Reading

Global broadband speed clipping rockets over past 18 months

Research shows broadband speed clipping is rising sharply, with many subscribers hitting upper speed limits Continue Reading

Openreach hits six million homes with full-fibre reach

BT broadband provision division says full-fibre broadband roll-out programme is on track to reach 25 million premises by December 2026 Continue Reading

Amazon to stop accepting Visa credit cards in UK due to high fees

Online retail giant Amazon will stop accepting UK Visa credit card payments from January next year Continue Reading

Vodafone claims solid half-year

Hot on the heels of signing a contract with City Fibre to gain UK fibre leadership, leading European comms operator’s results for the first six months of 2021 shows sustainable growth in both Europe and Africa Continue Reading

How to get the most from 5G mobile networking

Forrester analysts present a guide to help technology organisations optimise the use of 5G in the business Continue Reading

Vodafone anchors CityFibre nationwide network for UK full-fibre leadership

Strategic partnership expanded to anchor nationwide roll-out of full-fibre gigabit broadband to up to eight million homes, with long-term volume commitments Continue Reading

Traditional banks could get revenue boost if they copy digital challengers

Traditional banks could see huge sales increases if they adopted the business models of their digital challengers Continue Reading

Vienna’s tech startup ecosystem gathers momentum

After a sustained period of inactivity, Vienna’s startup environment is finally on the rise again Continue Reading

Technology spending reaches record levels, fuelling jobs boom

Spending on IT has reached its highest levels for a decade but a shortage of skilled IT professionals could dampen growth Continue Reading

Digital secretary calls for permanent online safety committee

Digital secretary commits to establishing ongoing oversight of the Online Safety Bill and its implementation, and suggests the grace period on criminal liability for tech company execs should be shortened from two years to a maximum of six months once it’s enacted Continue Reading

Women grossly underrepresented in global fintech

Women are CEOs at less than 6% of global financial technology firms and even fewer hold top tech jobs Continue Reading

BT secures industry-first global partnership with OneWeb

Just weeks after increased investment from French operator Eutelsat, growing satellite firm inks distribution partner agreement with UK telco for low Earth orbit communications services Continue Reading

HSBC standardises on DevOps platform

HSBC to standardise and automate software development through CloudBees platform Continue Reading

MPs and Lords grill Facebook over online safety efforts

Facebook answers British lawmakers’ questions about the social media giant’s efforts to ensure the safety of its users, as part of legislative security of the government's proposed online safety bill Continue Reading

Facebook rebrands to Meta amid continuing controversies

Facebook has changed its corporate name to Meta to support its work on the next generation of “social technologies”, but concerns around trust and privacy persist Continue Reading

TechUK slams government gift to big banks that will disadvantage fintechs

The government will put challenger banks at a disadvantage through its reduction in the bank profit surcharge, says TechUK Continue Reading

Lloyds Bank closes more branches as customers migrate to digital channels

Banking group has announced more closures as part of the ongoing reduction of its branch network Continue Reading

Zopa becomes unicorn with latest funds to go to bank operation

Zopa will invest in its growing digital bank operation after becoming a unicorn in its latest fund-raising round Continue Reading

Gitex 2021: Arc spans network ecosystem in Oman

Integrated networking services provider invests in Nokia technology to offer added connectivity options for enterprise customers in key Middle East location Continue Reading

VMware refines cross-cloud strategy

VMware’s CTO Kit Colbert talks up the evolution of the company’s cross-cloud strategy and how it stands out from other suppliers eyeing the multicloud pie Continue Reading

How Samlesbury, Lancashire became the home of the National Cyber Force

The National Cyber Force, a new branch of the military, is gearing up to fight battles in cyber space from the fields of Lancashire. Its presence is expected to bring a high-tech renaissance to the region Continue Reading

Telstra taps Infinera for 800G subsea cable connection

Telco chooses global supplier of open optical networking systems as part of its drive to increase capacity on all segments of its global network across its new and legacy cables Continue Reading

CW Middle East: Middle East hospitals accelerate take-up of healthcare technologies

The Middle East is accelerating its take-up of digital healthcare technologies following lessons learned during the Covid-19 pandemic, with regional government turning to technology to track disease trends and monitor treatment. Also read in this issue how the UAE’s National Program for Coders will offer ‘golden visas’ to 100,000 entrepreneurs, enterprise owners and startups. Continue Reading

Apache web server users urged to patch immediately

New zero-day in Apache HTTP Server is already being actively exploited and must be addressed immediately Continue Reading

Auto-enrolment begins for Google multi-factor authentication

Google has started to turn on multi-factor authentication on consumer accounts by default, and aims to auto-enrol 150 million users by the end of 2021 Continue Reading

ICO cookie consent: How will the plan affect businesses?

A data privacy and compliance expert considers what the ICO’s proposals for an overhaul of cookie consent procedures could mean for businesses Continue Reading

Facebook unplugged for six hours due to configuration error

A configuration change effectively disconnected Facebook from the internet, with billions affected by loss of services Continue Reading

Mastercard acquisition of Aiia is a further sign of open banking’s big future

Mastercard’s acquisition of Denmark-based open banking fintech Aiia follows rival’s takeover of Sweden’s Tink Continue Reading

Global internet traffic, bandwidth ‘return to normal’

Global Internet Geography Research Service analyses internet capacity, traffic and IP transit pricing and finds average traffic growth and peak traffic growth drop as world accommodates post-Covid environment Continue Reading

Vodafone claims world-first multi-supplier test of new broadband standard

Benu Networks, Casa Systems, Cisco and Nokia join Vodafone in test to pave the way for faster open broadband networks, validating Broadband Forum global standard for interoperability between different suppliers Continue Reading

UK consumers would collectively pay over £1bn a year for control of their data

UK consumers are willing to pay a small fee per month to have control of the data they share with Google and Facebook Continue Reading

JP Morgan Chase digital investment good for UK IT sector, but what’s in it for the bank?

JP Morgan Chase’s digital bank allows it to start from scratch in the UK, with no legacy infrastructure to overhaul Continue Reading

Digital regulators need discrete but cooperative remits

The UK’s information commissioner has told MPs that digital economy regulators need discrete remits backed up by strong information sharing powers to both provide clear focus as well as allow for greater cooperation between their disparate but interlinked regimes Continue Reading

Satellite connectivity and video market expected to double over next decade

Research finds the satellite industry is gaining a higher orbit with the non-geostationary market a key engine, and with recovery to pre-Covid revenues expected in 2022 Continue Reading

Dutch scientist receives top award for work on digital media’s effect on society

Utrecht University media scientist José van Dijck wins the Spinoza Award and funds for her research into the effects of social media on society Continue Reading

Open banking objectives a decade away for over a third of UK finance firms

The completion of complex open banking initiatives could still be over a decade away for many companies in the finance sector Continue Reading

The cities planning for ethical use of AI

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to tech leaders in Barcelona and London about a collaboration to ensure ethical use of AI in the era of smart cities. The UK government wants to reform data protection law – we assess the implications. And we examine the latest best practice in hybrid cloud. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

How Estonia’s country-as-a-service scheme has attracted tens of thousands of foreign entrepreneurs

Estonia has created a country-as-a-service offering which is attracting entrepreneurs and businesses from across the world Continue Reading

JP Morgan launch of UK digital bank expected next week

JP Morgan will launch its UK digital retain bank next week, and continental Europe will be next if it’s a success Continue Reading

BT gifts small businesses £7.5m in street advertising as Street Hub 2.0 units go live

Local businesses in Kensington and Chelsea are given the chance to advertise for free via digital screens in Street Hub 2.0 units while research reveals over 60% of small firms say local advertising will boost awareness of their business Continue Reading

Volkswagen supports Arm-based software-defined car standard

Car manufacturer's software business supports industry initiative to develop a standard platform and open-source reference implementation Continue Reading

The digital road ahead: National Highways puts technology in the driving seat

We speak to National Highways about its multi-year plan to tech-enable the management and operations of our motorways Continue Reading

Latest Microsoft zero-day being actively exploited

New Microsoft zero-day CVE-2021-40444 affects multiple versions of Windows and is probably being exploited through convincing phishing attacks Continue Reading

ICO in bid to end cookie pop-ups

Outgoing information commissioner Elizabeth Denham will call on her equivalents across the G7 group of countries to collaborate on an overhaul of cookie consent pop-ups Continue Reading

Tech sector spends nearly €100m a year lobbying the EU

Study on technology firms’ lobbying efforts in the European Union shows the sector spends more than any other in trying to influence policies and legislation Continue Reading

Submarine cable network nears 500 companies over 1.3 million km

New interactive map of sub-sea connectivity industry shows how providers are enhancing the user experience with new cables, landing stations, and upgraded search and select functionalities Continue Reading

Facebook vows to replenish more water than it consumes across its global operations by 2030

Social networking giant is following in Microsoft’s footprints by setting itself a goal of becoming a water-positive entity by 2030 Continue Reading

What will be the bank branch balance in the digital age?

Will the traditional banks be permanently disadvantaged by the need to retain bank branches or could they turn it to their advantage? Continue Reading

Banks could be blocked from closing branches through FCA legislation

UK financial services regulator the Financial Conduct Authority considers legislation that could block some bank branch closures to ensure citizens have easy access to cash Continue Reading

Investigatory Powers Tribunal finds UK spy agencies unlawfully collected personal data

Campaign groups Privacy International and Liberty are gearing up to bring further legal action after a court found that UK spy agencies unlawfully collected phone and internet records Continue Reading

Plans to address legal but harmful content ‘threaten free speech’

House of Lords report criticises the government’s forthcoming Online Safety Bill for imposing duty of care on tech platforms to deal with ‘legal but harmful’ content, which it says threatens freedom of expression online Continue Reading

Nordic banks join forces to compete with fintechs

Collaboration will be key for traditional Nordic banks to retain business amid intense competition from tech companies Continue Reading

Privacy Shield: One year on and companies are still grappling for answers

Activist lawyer Max Schrems and Eduardo Ustaran, partner at Hogan Lovells, look for common ground in a problem with no easy answers Continue Reading

APAC datacentres gear up for the future

Datacentre operators in the Asia-Pacific region are dabbling in advanced power and cooling solutions, along with machine learning and edge computing, to keep pace with growing demand for their services Continue Reading

Why identity is the central problem for the future of the internet

As debate rages over who has the right to control user identities online, is the concept of decentralised identity about to have its day? Continue Reading

Bank of England searches for new CIO amid once-in-a-generation project

The Bank of England is recruiting a head of IT during a period of major change in its core IT system Continue Reading

Nordic fintech could lead the world

Will the Nordics become the fintech and open banking innovation capital of the world? Continue Reading

Bank branches will be a thing of the past in five years, say bankers

Traditional bank branches are likely to disappear from the high street in the next five years, but banking ecosystems will ensure customer service levels are high, say bankers Continue Reading

Zopa Bank to make profit in its first year

Bank set up by peer-to-peer lending fintech firm expected to make a profit in its first year Continue Reading

Google hands third-party cookies a stay of execution

Google’s proposed Privacy Sandbox initiative – which will see third-party cookies phased out in the Chrome web browser – has been pushed back to 2023 Continue Reading

Online Safety Bill unfit for purpose, says new campaign group

Campaign group set up to oppose Online Safety Bill says the duty of care is too simplistic, cedes too much power to US corporations and will, in practice, privilege the speech of journalists or politicians Continue Reading

Lloyds Bank to close 44 more branches

Banking group has announced the closure of a further 44 branches as customers increasingly use other channels for banking Continue Reading

G7 commits to action on ransomware, digital privacy

The G7 urges Russia to do more to hold criminal ransomware gangs operating from within its borders to account as it commits to more action on the issue Continue Reading

Vodafone announces key partners for Europe’s first commercial Open RAN network

Operator selects Dell Technologies, NEC, Samsung, Wind River, Capgemini Engineering and Keysight Technologies to build what it says will be one of the largest Open RAN networks in the world Continue Reading

FBI planned a sting against An0m cryptophone users over drinks with Australian investigators

Australian Federal Police and the FBI came up with the idea over drinks: build a cryptophone network with a built-in backdoor and sell it to crime gangs around the world Continue Reading

CMA secures commitments from Google on future of cookies

The Competition and Markets Authority is opening a consultation on commitments offered to it by Google to ensure its Privacy Sandbox proposals do not harm digital advertising markets Continue Reading

BBVA to cut 3,000 jobs in Spain as digital technology transforms industry

Spanish bank is the latest to announce swingeing branch and job cuts amid increased digital competition Continue Reading

Police raids around world after investigators crack An0m cryptophone app in major hacking operation

Police in 16 countries carried out raids on after Australian Police and the FBI cracked an encrypted An0M communications network used by crime groups Continue Reading

EU privacy chief investigates use of US cloud services

Use of Amazon and Microsoft’s cloud services by public sector bodies in the European Union is being scrutinised by the bloc’s privacy watchdog Continue Reading

European-led consortium investigates quantum cryptography

The arms race to a quantum internet is under way – the European Commission is looking at secure critical national infrastructure and member state comms Continue Reading

GCHQ bulk interception programme breached privacy rights, Strasbourg court rules

European Court of Human Rights finds that the UK’s bulk surveillance programme breached citizens’ privacy rights Continue Reading

Stockholm’s startup scene seeks more diversity

Swedish capital has created a world-leading tech startup environment, but it still lacks the diversity of people needed to move it to the next level Continue Reading

Microsoft EU Data Boundary dubbed ‘smoke and mirrors’

Data protection experts claim Microsoft’s decision to create an EU Data Boundary is a tacit admission that it routinely transfers and processes the personal data of European citizens outside the bloc Continue Reading

Irish High Court dismisses legal bid by Facebook over EU-US data transfers

Latest twist in long-running legal battle sees Facebook lose legal bid to prevent the Irish Data Protection Commissioner suspending its transfer of data about European citizens to the US Continue Reading

Fibre roll-outs gather pace in Europe

Number of homes and businesses reached by fibre grows rapidly in 39 leading European territories, with FTTH/B coverage in Europe surpassing more than half the total number of homes Continue Reading

UK government publishes Online Safety Bill draft

Bill builds on previous commitments by the government, which has added new measures to uphold democracy and freedom of speech while making tech giants more accountable Continue Reading

The Security Interviews: Why helpful bots could hurt vaccine roll-outs

Earlier this year, spikes in traffic to websites containing information about Covid-19 vaccines were attributed by Imperva to automated bots scraping data. Why is that a problem? Continue Reading

Swedish court finds ambiguities in hacked EncroChat cryptophone evidence

Defence lawyer claims evidence obtained by hacking the EncroChat encrypted phone network has ‘no legal’ value following Swedish appeal court ruling Continue Reading

GCHQ: Cyber investment a guarantor of UK’s global status

GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming sets out a vision for the UK’s cyber security future Continue Reading

What does a network infrastructure upgrade project involve?

Explore the steps organizations must take to upgrade their network infrastructure, including how to tell if an upgrade is necessary and how to evaluate resources for the project. Continue Reading

Digital Markets Unit starts work on codes of conduct for tech giants

Digital markets regulator officially launched to ensure tech giants such as Facebook and Google cannot exploit their market dominance to crowd out competition and stifle innovation online Continue Reading

Big Tech eclipses telecoms and arms giants as biggest lobbying spenders

Facebook and Amazon are spending more on lobbying and campaign contributions than any other companies in the US, including those in the arms and telecommunications sectors that have traditionally been the highest political spenders Continue Reading

Web founder calls for ubiquitous, safe internet access for young people

Internet access has a direct correlation to GDP. On the 32nd birthday of the world wide web, its founder calls for improvements to safe access Continue Reading

UK digital regulators set out plans to strengthen cooperation

Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum outlines plans for the coming year, marking a shift towards a more collaborative regulatory approach Continue Reading

CityFibre extends full-fibre network to Peterborough

Former leading altnet to put a further £1.5m into its high-speed broadband connectivity project Continue Reading

UK's Starling Bank reaches unicorn status

UK app-based bank Starling reaches unicorn status following its latest round of funding Continue Reading

Nottinghamshire schools suspend online learning following cyber attack

Cyber attack on central trust that manages secondary schools in Nottinghamshire leaves them unable to access IT systems and deliver remote lessons Continue Reading

Bank of Ireland to reduce branch network by almost half

Bank of Ireland is latest bank to pin its future on digital channels as customers change their banking habits Continue Reading

Virgin Media trial demos multi-gigabit upgradeable bandwidth

Virgin Media trials optical networking technology that could pave way to faster internet connectivity that is easier to upgrade Continue Reading