Fight over spectrum intensifies June 12, 2011 Mobile phone operators have been warned not to derail the upcoming auction of radio waves allowing superfast next generation mobile internet. Rules published by communications watchdog Ofcom have angered some of the network providers, who believe they give an unfair bias to their rivals. O2 is the latest firm to complain, saying the rules could [...]
Ofcom to probe TV advertising sector June 10, 2011 Britain’s £4bn television advertising sector will be scrutinised by Ofcom over worries that limited competition is harming consumers. ITV, whose prime source of revenue is advertising, saw its shares fall by 1.6 per cent after Ofcom’s announcement. The three main concerns about the TV advertising sector are how clear pricing is, the way airtime is [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING June 9, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES THIRD INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR TO QUIT ENRC BOARD A third independent director is set to leave the board of FTSE 100 miner Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation, thrusting the London-listed Kazakh company further into turmoil. Two prominent City figures, Sir Richard Sykes and Ken Olisa, were ousted from ENRC on Wednesday. Now, according to two [...]
Ofcom 4G plan worries phone firm June 7, 2011 Everything Everywhere has raised fresh concerns over 4G spectrum auction plans proposed by Ofcom. The communications watchdog has set strict limits on the amount of 4G spectrum – used to power next generation mobile internet – each player can buy, partly in a bid to protect the UK’s smallest operator 3. Everything Everywhere is worried [...]
EBay to urge Ofcom to consider M-commerce in 4G report May 30, 2011 MOBILE shopping could be worth £4.5bn to the UK economy by 2016 and more than £17.5bn by 2021, according to new research by eBay. This represents a four-fold increase over the next five years, with consumers increasingly likely to make purchases using smartphones and tablets. However, the online auction site says the market is “being [...]
Ofcom finds O2 is best for mobile broadband speeds May 26, 2011 O2 is the UK’s best network provider for mobile broadband, according to new Ofcom data. Vodafone comes second, followed by 3, with Everything Everywhere trailing in last place. The survey found that 17 per cent of households regularly use mobile broadband, with seven per cent relying on it for all of their online activity. The [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING May 23, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES UK BUILDERS SEE VALUE OF ORDERS COLLAPSE The value of work awarded to UK construction companies crashed during the past year, raising concerns that the impact of government spending cuts will be far worse than previously feared. The total value of new work awarded to the UK’s 50 leading construction companies fell by [...]
BT profits up as pension deficit dives May 12, 2011 BT saw its full-year profits surge as bumper broadband additions helped push pre-tax profits up an eye-watering 71 per cent yesterday. Revenues fell four per cent to £20.1bn as chief executive Ian Livingston continues to spin the wheel of the telecoms super-tanker, with sales growth expected in 2013. Adjusted pre tax profits for the year [...]
Decision on Murdoch Sky bid is delayed May 9, 2011 RUPERT Murdoch will have to wait a little longer to get his hands on the rest of BSkyB. The decision to clear News Corp’s impending £7.5bn bid for the 61 per cent of Sky it does not already own has been delayed for at least two weeks while details of the concession to spin-off Sky [...]
Ofcom may set price BT charges for infrastructure May 3, 2011 OFCOM chief executive Ed Richards says he may be forced to set the price BT can charge rivals to access parts of its infrastructure. The move could have far-reaching implications for the rollout of broadband to rural areas. Richards said he would prefer a “commercial” solution between BT and rivals such as Virgin Media for [...]