The nightmare before Christmas: Ofcom says fairy lights could interfere with your wifi December 1, 2015 Next time your internet connection isn't working, blame your fairy lights, which Ofcom has warned can interfere with the wifi signal. Ofcom released its telecoms and wireless network report today, which suggests wireless broadband may be slower than it should be in nearly six million UK homes, thanks to poor set-up and inference from household objects including lamps, microwaves, baby [...]
Broadband battles: BT and Virgin Media trade blows over the government’s broadband delivery scheme December 1, 2015 Join us for the latest act in the telco giant drama: Virgin Media has lashed out against the government’s broadband scheme, complaining it gives BT an unfair advantage to the tune of hundreds of millions of pounds out of taxpayers’ pockets. BT and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) have hit back at claims, [...]
FTSE 100 index opens up on Royal Mail, Johnson Matthey and miners November 19, 2015 The FTSE 100 opened 0.7 per cent higher this morning, at 6,322 points, led by gains in Royal Mail, Shell, BG and Johnson Matthey. Royal Mail's share price increased 4.1 per cent to 18.6p as markets opened , after reporting progress in its cost-cutting programme, which left revenue largely flat against difficult market conditions. The company reported [...]
Royal Mail share price rises as it reports progress in cost-cutting programme – but the second half will depend on the Christmas period November 19, 2015 Shares in Royal Mail jumped four per cent to 472.4p after its first-half results showed it's making headway as it accelerated its cost cutting programme and says the outlook for letters and parcels markets remains unchanged. The figures Royal Mail reported revenue of £4.4bn for the half year ended 27 September, two per cent down from the £4.5bn for [...]
Why it’s time for Ofcom to red card the rising cost of watching live football on TV November 17, 2015 The ever-increasing cost of watching Premier League matches on live TV is hitting fans where it hurts. UK fans pay at least twice as much to watch half the games as fans in Europe. In Germany, France, Spain and Italy, all their live games are available to watch at a much lower cost than in [...]
Ofcom: BT charging £1.7m EE bill to Openreach “inappropriate” November 17, 2015 BT has been slammed by Ofcom for trying to let its Openreach division foot part of the bill for its acquisition of rival EE, as the deadline draws near for the telco watchdog’s probe into the UK broadband market. Openreach, which controls the country’s broadband network, has been charged £1.7m for BT’s takeover of EE, [...]
BT Openreach boss Joe Garner steps down to move to Nationwide November 16, 2015 The chief executive of BT Openreach has handed in his notice, after he was offered a job leading high street lender Nationwide. It's not exactly classic timing: BT's local access network division is currently at the centre of a competition row. In a statement today, BT said Joe Garner will step down in the spring of 2016, [...]
Telco giants Vodafone, Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin and BT reignite broadband battle November 11, 2015 The war of words between the UK’s biggest telecoms giants reached new heights yesterday, as the clock ticks down on Ofcom’s probe into the broadband market and decision on whether to carve out Openreach from BT. With Ofcom due to reveal its verdict in January, Vodafone’s boss accused BT of trying to “re-monopolise” the sector, prompting [...]
BT’s broadband network dominance is bad for customers, innovation and the country November 10, 2015 The frustrations with Openreach expressed by Vodafone chief executive Vittorio Colao yesterday are shared by millions of customers and businesses as well as Sky. The current structure where one provider, BT, has complete ownership of the national broadband network has led to unacceptable levels of service, reduced competition, and a poverty of ambition in terms [...]
Northern Ireland has the UK’s worst mobile phone network coverage – but smartphone users in the South East are also suffering November 2, 2015 The South East may be one of the UK's most built-up areas – but it's also one of the worst when it comes to mobile network coverage, a new study has found. The research, by Cable.co.uk. found 29.3 per cent of people in the region experience a "notspot" – an area with no network coverage [...]