WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? March 22, 2011 Q.What is spectrum and why do we need it? A.Spectrum is the radio waves that mobile signals are broadcast over. It comes in different frequencies which are useful for different tasks – some work well for voice calls and other parts for data usage such as mobile video. It is increasingly important for operators to [...]
Ofcom to lay out spectrum auction plans March 21, 2011 OFCOM will this morning announce plans for the largest ever single auction of mobile spectrum in the UK. Spectrum – the waves that mobile phones transmit on – is in huge demand by operators after the explosion in data traffic, which has heaped pressure on their networks. The last spectrum auction, at the height of [...]
LAUNCH OF STUDY INTO CITY FIRM DIVERSITY March 21, 2011 A LUCKY few got a sneak preview of Nomura’s brand new Angel Lane offices yesterday, as the bank played host to the launch of executive search firm Odgers Berndtson’s diversity study of 100 senior women in financial services. The women that Odgers recruited to take part represent 54 organisations with a combined turnover of over [...]
Ofcom set to overhaul TV ad rules as reviews airtime deals March 17, 2011 Media watchdog Ofcom will review the TV advertising market in a move that could drastically alter the way broadcasters such as ITV operate. Ofcom will examine the way TV advertising is bought and sold and whether the current method prevents, distorts or restricts competition. It will examine current rules which allow commercial broadcasters more advertising [...]
Ofcom ruling to hit mobile call revenues March 15, 2011 TELECOMS regulator Ofcom will reduce the amount mobile operators can bill for connecting to their networks, cutting charges by 80 per cent over four years among the main players. Ofcom said that from 1 April the four national network operators 3UK, O2, Everything Everywhere and Vodafone faced a reduction in so-called termination rates – the [...]
Customers could suffer in long run March 15, 2011 OFCOM likes to present itself as a customer champion. Yesterday, it said its decision to slash mobile termination rates (MTRs) would “benefit consumers”. But despite the quango’s well-meant intentions, many consumers will soon be worse off as a result of these changes. That’s because MTRs – the wholesale charges made by mobile operators on those [...]
YouView hires Lord Sugar March 7, 2011 LORD SUGAR yesterday joined the board of online TV venture YouView as chairman, after his predecessor Kip Meek left the group suddenly after just eight months. YouView, a joint venture between broadcasters and internet providers, said Amstrad founder Sugar had been hired to inject some media experience into the boardroom. Meek said: “It has been [...]
News Corp wins right to make Sky bid March 3, 2011 NEWS Corp yesterday won full approval to bid for the 61 per cent of Sky it does not already own. Culture minister Jeremy Hunt accepted an eleventh hour News Corp concession that it would spin-off Sky News into a separate, publicly-traded entity, in order to counter media plurality concerns. Hunt said he accepted the terms [...]
Ofcom sides with Virgin in the battle of the broadband March 1, 2011 OFCOM yesterday sided with Virgin in the broadband war, ruling that firms must advertise “typical” rather than “maximum” internet speeds. BT – the major loser from the ruling given its high proliferation in low-speed rural areas – said it has “real concerns” with the decision, which it said could encourage “digital exclusion”. Ofcom found that [...]
TalkTalk refunds £2.5m February 28, 2011 Ofcom says its investigation into TalkTalk and Tiscali has resulted in almost £2.5m in refunds and good will payments after thousands of consumers were incorrectly billed for cancelled services. Ofcom opened an investigation into TalkTalk and Tiscali UK in July last year following complaints from over 1,000 consumers. Ofcom is now pushing for changes that [...]