Arqiva set for hotspot deal July 2, 2012 COMMUNICATIONS firm Arqiva has made an agreed £23.4m bid for Wi-Fi operator Spectrum Interactive, which would create one of the UK’s largest internet hotspot providers. The deal is set to put Arqiva in control of hotspots in over 2,100 locations. It will compete with the likes of BT and Virgin Media, although unlike its rivals [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS July 2, 2012 Kingfisher Karen Witts will join the home retailer’s board as finance director in October. She is currently finance chief for Africa, Middle East, Asia and Asia Pacific at Vodafone, and is also a non-executive director of Wolseley. Witts worked at BT Group for more than 10 years, most recently as finance head for BT Retail. [...]
TalkTalk tops telco complaints table June 27, 2012 TALKTALK is again the most complained about telecoms provider, according to data published yesterday by Ofcom. The regulator said it is sent over 300 grumbles a day about telecoms services, which it publishes in a bid to promote competition and assist customers in choosing the right provider. In the first quarter of 2012, TalkTalk generated [...]
Banks fuel FTSE gains but Eurozone picture darkens June 27, 2012 Banks fuelled modest gains on the FTSE 100 in early trading but investor confidence remained weak overall as the Eurozone’s leaders failed to offer any evidence of a path to recovery for the bloc. Disagreements between the region’s policymakers over how to deal with the turmoil are weighing on investors’ confidence ahead of a European [...]
BT Vision gamble might be costly June 26, 2012 Group’s football move must win customers from BSkyB BT VISION’S surprising capture of the rights to 38 live Premier League matches from the beginning of the season after next is described as “the largest thing we have done in television to date” by the group’s chief executive Marc Watson. The problem for BT Vision is [...]
Ofcom takes new steps to crack down on piracy June 26, 2012 ILLEGAL downloaders could be reported to copyright owners under a new system unveiled yesterday by communications regulator Ofcom. The draft code – still subject to a consultation period, European approval and the governmental green light – requires the major internet service providers (ISPs) to notify their customers of allegations that their internet connection has been [...]
BEST of the BROKERS June 25, 2012 BSKYB Espirito Santo’s Giasone Salati has issued a “buy” rating on satellite TV giant BSkyB and a fair value of 820p, up from 790p. Referencing a propriety survey, the analyst believes that BSkyB’s NOW TV product could attract a potential 650,000 new users paying £10 per month. Espirito Santo also points towards the potential for [...]
Banks and miners peg FTSE back June 25, 2012 Miners and banks led the FTSE 100 lower in early trading as fears over stalling global growth took their toll. With the grim scene in the Eurozone still casting a shadow investors were shying away from riskier assets. Spain today formally requested a bailout loan for its banking sector from its eurozone partners. The loan [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING June 24, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES MPC member wants £50bn easing The Bank of England needs to pump at least another £50bn into Britain’s “stalled” economy, says David Miles of its interest rate-setting committee, warning that only a “substantial” third round of emergency bond-buying will kick-start recovery. Bank chiefs enjoy double-digit pay rises Top US and European bankers, including [...]
Market report: FTSE drops after Moody’s downgrade banks June 22, 2012 The FTSE was down this morning following poor global growth forecasts and the decision by credit ratings agency Moody’s to downgrade some of the world’s biggest banks. Last night Moody’s lowered the credit ratings of 15 of the world’s biggest lenders to reflect the risk of losses they face from volatile capital markets. But the [...]