How I learned to stop worrying and love the internet April 11, 2011 THE Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has finally, in its protracted wisdom, decided not to take action against BT and Phorm over an trial they ran, in which the internet browsing activities of around 18,000 customers were monitored. Which, on the face of it, sounds quite bad. Except, when you look at the details, it’s really [...]
Ofcom says BT must cut its wholesale cost March 31, 2011 BRITISH consumers should see a fall in the price they pay for broadband and landline services after the telecoms regulator said BT would have to cut the price it charges other providers to use its network. Ofcom said it had proposed lower prices for BT’s Openreach division, which provides wholesale access for other communications providers. [...]
BT moves pension payment forward March 30, 2011 BT HAS paid the latest installment to its pension deficit programme nine months early in order to qualify for the tax deductible corporation tax rate of 28 per cent, rather than the 26 per cent rate that will apply from April. BT says the decision to pay £505m into the BT Pension Scheme, the actuarial [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS March 29, 2011 BT GROUP JP Morgan Cazenove (JPM) rates the telecoms group “overweight” and has cut its 12-month target price by 6p to 214p to reflect changes to the firm’s pensions deficit. The broker thinks many of BT’s short-term cost efficiencies might be reinvested to achieve growth targets, meaning slowing momentum before the firm returns to sustainable [...]
THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED March 28, 2011 A DRAMATIC collapse of CD sales and online piracy dragged global recorded music sales down by $1.5bn (£940m) last year – more than the total annual revenue of the UK music industry. Income from recorded music slumped 8.4 per cent to $15.9bn. CD sales dragged the total down with a drop of 14 per cent [...]
Wi-fi to be installed at tube stations by Olympics March 25, 2011 Commuters will be able to check emails on the Tube by the start of the London Olympics. Transport for London (TFL) said a successful trial at Charing Cross meant wi-fi coverage would eventually be installed on the whole Underground network. Telecoms companies will now bid to set up the network with 120 stations to be [...]
BT’s High Court action against DEA to close March 24, 2011 BT and TalkTalk’s High Court action against the Digital Economy Act (DEA) will end today, with a judge expected to rule on whether it is unfair in six weeks time. The firms are arguing that the legislation is unfair and was rushed through parliament. A judge has been hearing submissions from relevant parties over the [...]
T-Mobile USA owner sees shares spike March 21, 2011 Deutsche Telekom’s shares soared as much as 16 per cent yesterday after news it will sell its beleaguered T-Mobile US venture to AT&T for $39bn (£24bn). The German telecoms giant will instead focus on its European operations. It says it plans to grow organically and will use the cash to pay down debt and return [...]
Upbeat engineers and banks drive FTSE 100 to 1.2pc gain March 21, 2011 MINERS, banks and engineers drove gains in Britain’s top share index by the close yesterday as hope grew that the nuclear crisis in Japan is easing, while heavyweight Vodafone was boosted by M&A activity. The FTSE 100 closed up 67.96 points, or 1.2 per cent, at 5,786.09, its third straight session of gains. The index [...]
FTSE rebounds as investor confidence returns March 21, 2011 Stocks regained considerable ground today, consolidating their gains this afternoon, as reassuring action in Japan and Libya gave investors confidence. The morning’s announcement of telecoms giant AT&T’s $39bn (£24bn) takeover of Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile USA also lifted both the UK and US markets. The FTSE 100 closed up 1.2 per cent at 5,786.09. “Equity markets [...]