Firms forced to tell customers about cheapest mobile and broadband deals under new Ofcom rules May 15, 2019 Broadband, phone and TV firms will be forced to tell customers about their best deals under new rules unveiled today by Ofcom. The new regulations mean telecoms firms will have to notify customers when their contracts are coming to an end and lay out the best tariffs available. Read more: UK average broadband speeds rise by a [...]
‘Poorly designed’ 5G spectrum auctions risk harming consumers, mobile operators warn May 9, 2019 Multi-billion-pound auctions designed to flog 5G spectrum to mobile networks are badly-run and pose a risk to the rollout of the new technology, a new report has warned. Research carried out by the GSMA, the trade body for mobile operators, revealed auctions across the world can artificially inflate prices, meaning operators may have to limit [...]
Five things we learned from BT’s full-year results May 9, 2019 BT today published its eagerly-awaited results for the full-year, as investors kept a keen eye on the telecoms giant’s plan to turn around its ailing fortunes. After growing speculation over the company’s targets for full-fibre broadband and a potential dividend cut for beleaguered shareholders, here are five major takeaways from the results. Read more: BT boosts profits [...]
Social media firms to be judged on safety standards ahead of new laws May 8, 2019 Social media firms will be judged on their ability to protect their users before tough new legislation is introduced, the culture secretary has warned. Jeremy Wright today said firms need to take greater action to crack down on harmful material posted to their platforms now or risk a clampdown from a future regulator. Read more: [...]
UK average broadband speeds rise by a fifth to hit superfast level May 8, 2019 Average broadband speeds in UK households have jumped 20 per cent over the last year, according to new figures from Ofcom. The regulator said average speeds have passed the 50Mbps mark – one of the most commonly-available levels of superfast broadband – for the first time, after an 18 per cent surge to 54.2Mbps. Read [...]
Russian state broadcaster RT is a ‘weapon of disinformation’, says Jeremy Hunt May 2, 2019 Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt has slammed Russian state broadcaster RT, describing it as the country’s “weapon of disinformation”. Addressing an audience in Ethiopia, Hunt launched a searing attack on the channel, formerly known as Russia Today, over its coverage of the Salisbury novichok poisonings last year. Read more: Mirror publisher Reach revenues slip amid pressure on [...]
Which telecoms companies have the worst customer service? April 30, 2019 Talktalk has been named and shamed in a report into customer satisfaction at UK telecoms firms, ranking bottom of the table for the third year running. The latest report by regulator Ofcom revealed which broadband and phone companies have the most and least satisfied customers, based on the complaints it received last year. Read more: [...]
The new Bank of England chief will have plenty to keep them busy April 26, 2019 There was a time when running the Bank of England was a family affair. The inaugural governor Sir John Houblon (1694-1697) was followed a few years later by his younger brother Abraham Houblon, who took charge of the Old Lady from 1703 to 1705. There have been 116 governors since Houblon Jnr, and all of them [...]
Runners and riders: Meet the candidates who could replace Mark Carney as the Bank of England governor April 24, 2019 Speculation has begun over the next governor of the Bank of England after the Chancellor Philip Hammond launched the hunt for Mark Carney’s successor this morning. Carney’s tenure began amid post-crisis reform of financial system regulation but his latter years have been characterised by Brexit, which his successor will also have to navigate through. Read [...]
Which consumer survey reveals UK’s worst mobile network providers April 23, 2019 Vodafone has been ranked the UK’s worst mobile operator as big-name providers continue to lag behind their smaller rivals. Vodafone was rated the worst network, while O2 and EE completed the bottom three, according to the latest survey from consumer group Which. Read more: Vodafone broadband advert banned by watchdog for misleading consumers Virtual network [...]