EE rolls out UK’s first 4G mobile network amid contract criticism October 30, 2012 THE UK finally saw its first high-speed 4G service switched on yesterday after years of delays and legal threats between the country’s mobile networks. EE, the parent of Orange and T-Mobile formerly known as Everything Everywhere, launched its 4G service in 11 UK cities and moved the first customers onto its new, third, network, also [...]
Shareholder pressure on BSkyB’s Murdoch eases ahead of meeting October 28, 2012 JAMES Murdoch is set to survive campaigns calling for him to be thrown out of BSkyB at Thursday’s annual meeting, with investors ready to approve his re-election as a non-executive director. Advocacy groups FairPensions and Pirc have hit out at Murdoch, claiming his father Rupert’s 40 per cent stake in BSkyB means he does not [...]
EE chief encouraged Apple to change iPhone 5 for 4G October 22, 2012 OLAF Swantee, the chief executive of Orange and T-Mobile owner EE, personally intervened to convince Apple and other smartphone manufacturers to make their devices run on EE’s new high speed “4G” network, Swantee claimed yesterday. The new EE service, the details of which were announced today, will be the first 4G network in the UK, [...]
Ofcom launches probe into bill hikes from mobile phone firms October 18, 2012 THE BROADCASTING regulator is investigating mobile phone companies over price hikes, after concerns surfaced about networks raising bills mid-contract without notifying customers. Ofcom said yesterday that a review into the fairness of contract terms “identified a number of issues with the effectiveness of the current rules with which communications providers have to comply”. Under current rules, [...]
Maria Miller clears Global Radio’s GMG takeover in blow to Bauer October 11, 2012 GLOBAL RADIO’S takeover of GMG Radio, the owner of the Smooth and Real stations, was cleared by culture secretary Maria Miller yesterday, in a significant victory for Britain’s biggest commercial radio operator after former culture head Jeremy Hunt had ordered an investigation into the deal. The acquisition, which has an estimated value of £70m and will [...]
What the other papers say this morning October 8, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES TNK-BP partner look to sell stake BP’s billionaire partners in TNK-BP say they want to sell or list their 50 per cent stake in the business, creating more uncertainty over the future of Russia’s third-largest oil producer. Total arm warns over inaccuracies Total Oil Trading, one of the largest groups of its kind, [...]
Telecoms peace deal brings 4G to Britain October 2, 2012 BRITAIN’S four major mobile companies will all be able to offer high-speed mobile internet networks from as soon as next summer, after government-brokered talks between broadcasting regulator Ofcom and the operators last night moved forward the date that fourth-generation (4G) airwaves will be cleared for use. Culture secretary Maria Miller brought together the heads of [...]
Culture secretary to broker 4G accord with mobile operators September 30, 2012 BRITAIN’S mobile networks will meet tomorrow to negotiate a government-brokered ceasefire over Ofcom’s auction of 4G spectrum, as culture secretary Maria Miller draws a line under litigation that has delayed a rollout of high speed mobile internet. The auction of 4G-approved bands of mobile airwaves is due to take place at the end of the [...]
TalkTalk tops tables for Ofcom tiffs but overall complaints fall September 26, 2012 TALKTALK has kept its title as the most complained-about communications firm for the sixth consecutive quarter, watchdog Ofcom revealed yesterday, though the number of customer grievances with the industry overall is falling. TalkTalk, whose customer base fell three per cent to 4.05m in the last quarter, yesterday conceded “there is still work to do” after [...]
James Murdoch eyes promotion despite critics September 20, 2012 JAMES Murdoch will be given more responsibility over News Corp’s US television operations more than a year after he became a central figure in the company’s telephone hacking scandal in the UK, two sources familiar with the matter said. News of the promotion comes on the heels of a ruling earlier yesterday that BSkyB is [...]