Ofcom says BT merger with EE could harm other mobile firms July 19, 2015 Telecoms giant BT could be facing double trouble from the industry regulator, after Ofcom revealed concerns surrounding its proposed merger with mobile network EE. The planned £12.5bn takeover is being probed by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which issued an update regarding the scope of its investigation at the end of last week. Ofcom [...]
UK patent applications dropping as Sweden files 3.5 times more patents than the UK July 17, 2015 Bad news: the UK’s attitude to intellectual property remains dismissive, as new figures show that the number of patents filed were not just below the EU average, but actually falling. In absolute numbers, by far most patent applications come from Germany. With 22,800 filed, the country had over 40 per cent of all European applications. [...]
FTSE edges up but can not beat rise in Eurozone – London Report July 16, 2015 BRITAIN’S top share index edged higher yesterday, though without matching the gains seen across the Eurozone after Greece’s parliament approved austerity measures, with US-exposed stocks getting a lift. The FTSE 100 index closed up 0.6 per cent, at 6,796.45 points, lagging a 1.5 per cent rise for the Euro STOXX 50, with peripheral Eurozone markets [...]
Ofcom communciations review: What next for BT, Openreach, Sky and the telecoms market? July 16, 2015 While Ofcom’s latest move is no doubt being celebrated as a win by BT’s more than vocal rivals, it’s by no means a foregone conclusion that BT is heading for a breakup. Last time Ofcom reviewed competition, BT was forced to create Openreach in order to give access to its broadband network to rivals, something Ofcom [...]
BT share price dips as Ofcom considers spinning-off Openreach July 16, 2015 It's been months in the offing and the cause of various, vociferous complaints – but now communications watchdog Ofcom has finally come out with it: it's considering breaking up BT. In an outline of a review this morning the regulator said separating BT from its Openreach network "could deliver competition or wider benefits for end [...]
Barclays’ second boss in a week exits bank: Sir Mike Rake follows Antony Jenkins as chairman John “Mack the Knife” McFarlane wields axe July 15, 2015 Barclays deputy chairman Sir Mike Rake has become the second casualty of newly-installed chairman John McFarlane in a week, after he confirmed plans to leave the bank “by the end of 2015” yesterday – which leaves the rest of the Barclays board looking decidedly exposed, analysts have suggested. BT chairman and Confederation of British [...]
Premier League pre-season fixtures list: Kick-off times and TV coverage as Arsenal head to Singapore and Manchester United go to the USA July 15, 2015 Arsenal Arsenal are "competing" for "trophies" on multiple fronts this summer. The Gunners are currently sweating it out in Singapore for the Asia Cup and will head back home later this month for the annual Emirates Cup. [infographic id="223"] Luckily for Arsenal fans, all of their pre-season fixtures are being televised on Sky Sports and [...]
Beware, Barclays bankers: John “Mack the Knife” McFarlane is on a roll July 15, 2015 It was exactly a week to the day since John McFarlane, Barclays’ new chairman, claimed his first scalp, chief executive Antony Jenkins. Today his influence was felt again, after the imminent departure of deputy chairman Sir Mike Rake was revealed in rather chaotic fashion this morning. BT chairman and Confederation of British Industry president [...]
Sir Mike Rake to quit as Barclays deputy chairman by the end of the year as he signs up to chair Worldpay July 15, 2015 Barclays deputy chairman Sir Mike Rake will leave Barclays by the end of the year as he takes up a new role chairing payments processing company Worldpay. Rake told City A.M. this morning that, subject to regulatory approval, he will take up a position on its board on 1 September. Shares in the bank dipped [...]
BT calls for Ofcom inquiry into Sky July 9, 2015 BT has called on industry watchdog Ofcom to expand its Digital Communications Review to tackle Sky's dominance of the pay-television sector. “Sky has benefited from a situation where there’s been very little or weak regulation,” John Petter, chief executive of BT’s consumer division, said in a speech to the Broadcasting Press Guild in London. "Sky [...]