People spend more time using technology than sleeping: What are they doing with their time? August 7, 2014 People spend more time using technology than they do sleeping, according to Ofcom's latest report. Adults in the UK spend on average eight hours and 41 minutes a day using media and communication devices, more than the eight hours and 21 minutes people spend each day sleeping. If time spent multitasking on devices is taken into [...]
Which mobile operator is the fastest at unlocking handsets? August 4, 2014 Mobile operator Three offers the fastest and cheapest mobile phone unlocking, taking just seven working days at no cost, and all its mobiles are now sold unlocked, according to a report from regulator Ofcom. Meanwhile Virgin Mobile was found to be the slowest at unlocking its handsets, taking up to a month. Locking [...]
There is market failure at the heart of the City: The lack of superfast broadband July 27, 2014 Information technology has revolutionised the way that business is done in the City over recent decades. Cross border transactions are now completed with a click of a button. New models of finance such as crowdfunding are increasingly popular. Smartphones and cloud computing are making remote working a reality. These developments are reshaping the way that [...]
BSkyB nearing deal for its Sky Europe takeover July 21, 2014 BSkyB is reportedly finalising plans to take over its sister companies in Italy and Germany in a deal that could be sealed in coming weeks. The agreement would bolster parent company 21st Century Fox’s $80bn (£47bn) bid, revealed last week, to take over US media conglomerate Time Warner. Fox chairman and chief executive Rupert Murdoch [...]
BT set to launch mobile offering for businesses July 14, 2014 Telecoms giant BT will this week start paving the way for a re-entry to the consumer mobile phones market when it launches a mobile offering targeting its existing 900,000 small and medium-sized business (SME) customers. BT yesterday sent out invites for Thursday’s event at the BT Tower where it will reveal pricing and packages for [...]
“Not fit for purpose” UK broadband is damaging business July 14, 2014 The UK's broadband is not up to scratch, with thousands of businesses still unable to reap the benefits of high speed internet. A new report published by the Federation of Small Business (FSB) says that broadband targets in the UK are not ambitious enough and will not meet the future demands of UK businesses, as [...]
BT facing fines over Openreach repair targets June 26, 2014 British telecoms giant BT could face fines if it does not meet new targets to repair its extensive UK telephone and broadband network, Ofcom said yesterday. New rules that come into force on Monday require BT’s Openreach infrastructure division to fix 70 per cent of faults – in the network used by BT’s own customers, [...]
Digital news as popular as print for the first time says Ofcom June 25, 2014 Consumers are now accessing news via the web and mobile apps just as much as print for the first time, according to telecoms regulator Ofcom. Some 41 per cent of people say they now access news on websites and apps, a substantial increase from 32 per cent in 2013. Digital news consumption also raced past [...]
BT jumps after Ofcom quashes fibre complaint June 19, 2014 OFCOM yesterday cleared BT over claims it had priced its flagship superfast broadband too high, boosting BT’s shares by almost two per cent. TalkTalk had complained that BT was abusing its dominant position in the way it priced its wholesale offering. BT offers its own broadband service to consumers, as well as charging rival operators [...]
London Report: Rolls rally lifts market closer to record high June 19, 2014 Arally by aircraft engine-maker Rolls-Royce and the US Federal Reserve’s reassurance over monetary policy yesterday pushed the FTSE 100 up to trade just below a record high. The London market ended the day 0.4 per cent higher at 6,808.11 points, not far from a record 6,950.60 set in 1999. Rolls-Royce surged 8.1 per cent to [...]