Internet infrastructure

Will 2020 be the year that politicians bring the Internet to heel?

The UK has the opportunity … [to become] ... a neutral arbitrator for services that are trusted by all ... [but] ... we must first demonstrate leadership in facing down those who believe they have ... Continue Reading

Personal transport as a service drives across Nordics

New mobility-as-a-service projects are gaining traction in major cities across Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden Continue Reading

Survey about Swedish people’s attitude to the internet reveals growing distrust of social media

Swedish citizens are becoming more concerned about the activities of social media companies and are reducing their online interaction with them as a result Continue Reading

We can’t allow fake news and disinformation to upend our democracy

Fake news, misinformation and cyber attacks are part of our political process – now is the time to act Continue Reading

The art of surveillance: the Stasi archives and the Investigatory Powers Act

A photographic exhibition captures the chilling impact of surveillance in the UK and the former German Democratic Republic Continue Reading

Jailed hacker ordered to pay back £270k

An Essex man jailed in April over malware offences dating back years has been ordered to pay back the profits of his crime spree, and sell valuable assets Continue Reading

Cyber security takes its place alongside UK’s armed services

Head of armed services says cyber security will take its place alongside the army, navy and air force as a key pillar of the UK’s defence strategy Continue Reading

Great Cannon DDoS operation fires on Hong Kong protesters

AT&T’s security unit has evidence that China is pressing its Great Cannon DDoS tool into service once again, specifically to target pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong Continue Reading

AWS Outposts debuts in Australia

Amazon Web Services rolls out Outposts in Australia, enabling enterprises to run a consistent version of the AWS platform at locations that require low latency Continue Reading

Goldman Sachs reins in cloud-based retail challenger in UK

Bank does not want rapidly expanding Marcus to breach deposits threshold at which UK banks have to ring-fence their retail operations Continue Reading

City of London switches on to connected lighting

City of London teams with Itron, Wi-SUN Alliance for smart lighting project to brighten up urban experience of historic parts of the UK capital Continue Reading

How APAC firms can unleash the power of creative disruption

Regional business leaders at the recent Leap Summit in Malaysia talked up the blueprint for creative disruption, which includes scaling up an idea and overcoming the distribution challenge, among other areas Continue Reading

AI may open dangerous new frontiers in geopolitics

Truly artificial intelligence has the potential to provoke an international geopolitical crisis, warns F-Secure’s Mikko Hypponen Continue Reading

Tim Berners-Lee launches nine principles for the web

Inventor of the worldwide web sets out Contract for the Web to protect its freedom, data privacy and access for all Continue Reading

Some 29,000 UK web domains suspended for criminal activity

Domain suspensions for criminal activity over the past year has dropped for the first time since 2014 Continue Reading

CityFibre appoints chief delivery officer

Alternative UK wholesale fibre provider appoints new network delivery chief to ensure roll-out of programme to bring gigabit broadband to the UK Continue Reading

Labour pledges review of NCSC in UK security overhaul

The UK's National Cyber Security Centre may get expanded powers under a Labour government Continue Reading

Has Amazon dropped its plan for a bank account?

Has Amazon decided against launching a bank account? Continue Reading

Holy grail of digital banking is, at first glance, a new channel, not a new concept

Details of Google’s plans in the financial services sector have emerged with nothing groundbreaking so far, but the sector is guessing what comes next Continue Reading

Businesses still struggling to reap benefits of cloud, study shows

Research by global IT firm Unisys shines a light on reasons why some firms are still struggling to reap the benefits of using cloud Continue Reading

Huawei shrugs off latest US reprieve

Chinese tech giant dismisses the latest extension of the US Temporary General Licence and maintains that the US government is harming its own interests in banning it Continue Reading

Foreign e-commerce giants threaten Nordic high streets

Surveys show up to 40% of high-street stores in Sweden and Finland could face closure by 2030 as retailers seek to combat e-commerce threat Continue Reading

Has ISOC sold .Org for 30 pieces of silver? - Update 15th November

The Internet Society has sold the Public Interest Registry (.Org) to a purpose built Venture Capital firm whose domain name was itself registered by an advisor to the Chinese organised World ... Continue Reading

11 new 5G hacks enable user device tracking and monitoring

Researchers at Purdue University and the University of Iowa publish details of several new 5G mobile network vulnerabilities Continue Reading

Google to launch bank accounts in 2020

Google is launching bank accounts in the US in 2020 as tech giants continue to deepen their activities in the financial services sector Continue Reading

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 36

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, the team pick talk about General Election tech, HMRC's “war” on IT contractors, diversity in STEM and how organisations can fight back against fake online reviews Continue Reading

GoCardless and TransferWise create global network for direct debits

Fintechs’ network will make it easier for small companies to expand their customer bases internationally Continue Reading

Executive interview: Towards the internet and beyond

Fifty years ago, a computer at UCLA communicated with another at SRI International, laying the first stepping stone towards the global internet Continue Reading

Saudis recruited Twitter employees to spy on critics

Court documents reveal how the Saudi Arabian government targeted Twitter employees as part of a coordinated effort to gather information on known dissidents Continue Reading

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – episode 35

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, the team pick over the finale of Channel 4 reality show The Circle, talk General Election tech and find out why enterprises are not prepared to pay a premium for business applications infused with AI Continue Reading

Goldman Sachs lends billions of dollars through Apple partnership

Apple Card issuing bank Goldman Sachs has already given billions of dollars in credit to iPhone users since Apple's credit card was launched Continue Reading

Brits moving to digital banking channel faster than people in the US

Digital banking services rapidly gain popularity, but digital banks face major challenges to make deeper inroads into traditional banks’ customer bases Continue Reading

Who has legal jurisdiction over the internet?

The internet is testing the scope of national laws – and even the European Court of Justice is finding it hard to find a consistent line on its decisions Continue Reading

Take responsibility for cyber security basics, urges NCSC CEO

At the launch of its third annual review, NCSC head Ciaran Martin appealed for individuals and businesses to address the fundamentals of cyber security hygiene to help lighten the load Continue Reading

The lure of Google Cloud for Singapore’s Ninja Van

Regional logistics startup Ninja Van is consolidating all its compute resources on Google Cloud for cost savings and performance Continue Reading

Zopa continues in its mission to apply a Netflix user experience to banking

Zopa has made a credit scoring tool available as it continues to expand the portfolio of products it offers beyond loans. Continue Reading

CityFibre announces consultation to speed up full fibre switchover

CityFibre undertakes industry-wide consultation process regarding the role of builders such as itself in developing the switchover from legacy copper networks Continue Reading

Braintree boasts broadband benchmark

Braintree in Essex claims to have access to some of the fastest broadband speeds in the world Continue Reading

Digital and innovation apprentices to start NatWest programme

NatWest is kicking off a tech apprentice programme, with its digital innovation hub set to play a key role Continue Reading

Openreach tests new digging tech for rural broadband builds

Openreach is testing new tools and techniques to roll out full-fibre broadband faster in rural areas Continue Reading

Southeast Asia’s internet economy hits $100bn milestone

The digital economy in Southeast Asia grew 39% this year but the growth momentum can only be sustained if talent gaps are filled Continue Reading

Cyber war as big a threat as nuclear war, says ex-RSA head Coviello

Former RSA chairman Art Coviello has been speaking about the devastating potential of cyber weapons, and warned that humanity must learn from history in order to control them Continue Reading

Interview: James Smith, director of digital, Nationwide Building Society

James Smith says heading up the digital unit at Nationwide Building Society is the best job in the business Continue Reading

BT spearheads plans to accelerate switchover from copper to fibre

Full-fibre broadband could replace copper networks region by region over the next six years, under proposals discussed with the government Continue Reading

Rural connectivity struggling to keep up with demand

The digital divide between urban and rural areas of the UK is continuing, with broadband and mobile network roll-outs struggling to keep pace with demand Continue Reading

Full-fibre within reach of 2.5 million homes and businesses

Access to full-fibre broadband is approaching 10% of properties in the UK Continue Reading

Smart meter roll-out delayed to 2024

The government has been forced to put the planned completion date for its Smart Meter Programme back from the end of next year to 2024 Continue Reading

Fintech lender increases loan limit as customer demand accelerates

Small business lender Esme Loans has increased its loan limit to quarter of a million pounds as businesses are drawn to its simple and fast digital platform Continue Reading

National Rail Enquiries hit by rush hour real-time information outage on mobile app and website

National Rail Enquiries confirms it is waiting on a third-party supplier for an update on when access to real-time train departure and arrival information will be restored on its website and mobile app Continue Reading

PDG, Equinix tap booming APAC datacentre market

Major datacentre providers are expanding their footprint in a region that is set to become the biggest datacentre market by 2020 Continue Reading

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again

The other day, the government announced yet another consultation on the future of the UK's digital networking infrastructure, this time exploring the possibility of liberalising the planning laws ... Continue Reading

IBM and Vodafone offer National Express a smooth ride to hybrid cloud

Coach operator National Express signs eight-year IT modernisation deal with IBM and Vodafone to provide it with a cloud platform to underpin future digital transformation plans Continue Reading

Building a 5G city: Bristol’s valuable lessons for the UK’s digital future

West of England Combined Authority is taking part in DCMS’s 5G Testbeds and Trials programme, exploring applications for tourism and entertainment. We find out how it is applying its learnings to life in Bristol and Bath Continue Reading

Government to ease planning laws for mobile networks

Westminster is seeking input on four key proposals to make it easier to build and operate 5G mobile networks Continue Reading

5G testbed brings Li-Fi broadband to Orkney

A number of homes on the remote island of Graemsay in the Orkneys are testing so-called Li-Fi technology as a broadband delivery mechanism Continue Reading

Sky launches first ultrafast broadband products

Ultrafast full-fibre broadband products are 12 times faster than Sky’s previous fastest offering and will be immediately within reach of two million homes Continue Reading

Huawei to US: Ban violates free market principles

Huawei has hit back at the US government’s latest moves to restrict its activities Continue Reading

US extends temporary stay on Huawei ban

American network operators given extra wiggle room to wean themselves off Huawei’s hardware Continue Reading

Three launches UK’s third 5G network

Mobile operator Three has switched on its 5G service, but for now it will only be available as a home broadband service Continue Reading

Private 5G networks: Are they the right choice for you?

The concept of dedicated private mobile networks for large enterprises is not a new one, but with the advent of ultrafast 5G networks, they are starting to attract more interest Continue Reading

CW APAC: Trend Watch – Internet of Things

In this handbook, Computer Weekly looks at how APAC firms are putting the internet of things to good use in an increasingly connected world, yet technology integration and security concerns are holding back widespread adoption. Continue Reading

Vodafone switches on 5G in Ireland

The first 5G sites in Ireland have gone live in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford Continue Reading

RootMetrics ranks EE top on 4G service performance, quality

EE once again emerges as the top 4G network performer in RootMetrics’ latest semi-annual, UK-wide survey Continue Reading

UK businesses deserve a 5G networked nation

The tech sector needs to coalesce around a unified, positive vision of 5G to establish a proper business case for ultrafast, low latency mobile Continue Reading

Openreach starts roll-out of dark fibre product

Openreach is soft-launching a wholesale dark fibre product in eastern England ahead of a wider national roll-out Continue Reading

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – episode 27

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload, Brian McKenna and Caroline Donnelly are joined by Alex Scroxton to weigh up the tech credentials of Boris Johnson’s new cabinet, Huawei’s half-year results, LinkedIn’s cloud migration plans and smart cities Continue Reading

Boris Johnson has 12 months to reform broadband policy, says industry

Broadband sector advocates warn prime minister that the clock is ticking if he wants to be serious about achieving 100% full-fibre broadband coverage in six years Continue Reading

BT chief urges PM to act decisively on broadband

BT’s new chief executive Philip Jansen says he is ready to help meet Boris Johnson’s broadband roll-out goals, but warns the cost will be high Continue Reading

Cisco pays $8.6m after whistleblower discloses security flaws in video surveillance system

James Glenn, a video surveillance expert working for a Cisco reseller in Denmark, alerted Cisco to security faults and stands to gain a share of a multimillion-dollar settlement with the US government Continue Reading

Scottish tax holiday tempts Openreach

Openreach has announced 36 new locations in line for its expanding full-fibre broadband network build, with Scotland a particular focus after the announcement of additional rates relief Continue Reading

5G mobile networks transformative for health and social care, says TechUK

A new report produced by TechUK and the Liverpool 5G testbed shows how 5G can be used effectively in the NHS, and offers recommendations to government Continue Reading

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 26

In this special edition of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload, Brian McKenna and Caroline Donnelly are joined by Bill Goodwin and Sebastian Klovig Skelton to dig into the pair's recent run of in-depth investigative articles on Facebook and its privacy practices Continue Reading

Huawei ‘galvanised’ by Trump ban

Huawei has found itself caught in the crossfire of the US president’s trade war with China, but chairman Liang Hua says the firm is rising to the challenge Continue Reading

AWS growth rate slows in Q2, as Amazon retail's run of quarterly record profit growth ends

Amazon's latest set of results suggest the law of big numbers might be kicking in for its cloud division, while its retail arm grapples with spiralling costs pertaining to the roll-out of its one-day delivery service Continue Reading

Virgin Media pledges gigabit broadband without full-fibre

Cable TV operator is betting that improvements to the Docsis standard will enable it to offer gigabit broadband without full-fibre Continue Reading

Ofcom must do more to help operators invest in 5G

Telefónica UK boss Mark Evans warns that Ofcom is prioritising action on behalf of consumers to the exclusion of enabling the telecoms and mobile industry to grow Continue Reading

Surge in UK businesses switching bank account providers

The UK system that makes it easy to change bank account has seen a surge in businesses taking up the service Continue Reading

HPE and SAP among tech industry backers of UN climate change mitigation campaign

Enterprise tech giants HPE and SAP are among a number of technology firms which have responded to the UN’s calls for corporations to do more to reduce the risk of global warming and cut their emissions Continue Reading

Santander brings global digital services under one roof

Spanish banking giant Santander Group is creating a global digital unit as part of its transformation plans Continue Reading

US Department of Justice launches antitrust probe into dominance of online platform providers

The US Department of Justice has called for an antitrust investigation into how “market-leading” online platform operators in the search, social media and retail space operate Continue Reading

Government delays final decision on Huawei

Culture secretary says he cannot yet make specific decisions about Huawei’s involvement in the UK’s telecoms and mobile networks due to a lack of clarity from the US, effectively green-lighting its use Continue Reading

Openreach to slash wholesale fibre prices from September

Wholesale price cuts of almost 40% will help Openreach’s CSP customers grow their full-fibre customer bases, and generate a better return on their investment Continue Reading

UK launches 5G security inquiry

The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy is to probe the UK government’s approach to telecoms technology as a national security issue Continue Reading

No technical grounds to ban Huawei, DCMS told

Science and Technology Committee tells Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport that there are no technical grounds for it to exclude Huawei Continue Reading

Britain’s 5G roll-out – What is plan B?

The government has ambitious aspirations in respect of Britain’s full-fibre and 5G networks. But among all the Brexit fog, has it managed to shoot itself in the foot with the roll-out of 5G mobile? Continue Reading

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 23

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Ryan Priest rejoins the show to help this week’s co-hosts, Caroline Donnelly and Clare McDonald, take a light-hearted look at the past week in tech Continue Reading

Buckinghamshire village pools broadband vouchers to fund full-fibre dig

The village Lillingstone Lovell in Buckinghamshire is helping to fund an Openreach broadband network dig using vouchers pooled through the government’s Rural Gigabit Connectivity scheme Continue Reading

Challenger bank shuts up shop in UK amid uncertainty

Digital bank Fidor is ending its time in the UK, blaming uncertainties in the market Continue Reading

Over half a million homes now using full-fibre as access improves

Ofcom’s latest Communications Market Report examines key trends in the UK’s broadband and mobile market, and finds that access to faster broadband is expanding rapidly across all delivery mechanisms Continue Reading

Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp outage resolved, but questions remain over what caused it

Facebook confirms that technical difficulties blighted its applications and services for several hours on 3 July 2019 Continue Reading

Vodafone switches on 5G mobile network

The UK’s longest-standing mobile operator, Vodafone, has officially turned on its 5G mobile network at an event in London, and reintroduced unlimited data packages for users as it looks to shake up the market Continue Reading

BT and Openreach told to be more transparent over split

Ofcom’s latest monitoring report on the changing relationship between BT and Openreach finds room for improvement, but is mostly positive Continue Reading

Cloudflare outage: Firm blames global website outage on routine software update gone rogue

Content delivery provider traces outage back to failings that occurred during a routine update to its web application firewall service Continue Reading

Why I will be voting for Jeremy Hunt

Three years ago I blogged on why I made the mistake of voting Remain. I would still prefer the UK to be a member of a reformed, multi-track, democratically accountable European Union. But that is ... Continue Reading

Who is serious about On-line Harms?

1) DCMS kicks the can down the road - again The deadline for submissions to the DCMS consultation on On Line Harms  is July 1st. The NAO report politely savaging the UK failure to join up its ... Continue Reading

Ofcom gets go-ahead for new Openreach access model

Following referral to the European Commission, Ofcom is pressing ahead with a new regulatory model governing more open access to Openreach’s ducts, poles and dark fibre Continue Reading

Isles of Scilly among first UK locations to get 5G

The Isles of Scilly are to be included in Vodafone’s 5G network roll-out from day one, with the aim of supporting local community organisations Continue Reading

HCL delivers digital services to Cricket Australia

Cricket governing body chooses Indian IT supplier to expand the boundaries of its customer engagement platforms Continue Reading

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 20

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Brian McKenna and Caroline Donnelly are joined by Computer Weekly’s networking editor, Alex Scroxton, to talk about some of the past week’s biggest news stories Continue Reading

How digital transformation underpins Three’s 5G ambitions

At Three, the smallest of the UK’s four mobile network operators, a transformative attitude to underlying IT is helping the firm mount a serious challenge to its rivals when it comes to 5G roll-out Continue Reading