Regulators must do more to help consumers navigate markets, national audit body says March 20, 2019 Britain’s four main regulatory bodies need to do more to help consumers navigate increasingly expensive markets and get the best deals available, the National Audit Office (NAO) said today. Debt was the most common problem people sought help with across the utilities, communications and financial services sectors due to high bills and credit payments, the NAO said this [...]
Revamp media regulation to help broadcasters take on Netflix, BBC chairman urges March 18, 2019 The UK’s media regulation must be overhauled to protect public service broadcasters from rivals such as Netflix, the BBC chairman said today. Speaking at the Oxford Media Convention this morning, Sir David Clementi said existing regulation is not fit for the digital age and must be updated to ensure British broadcasters can take on global [...]
MPs call for social media regulation to protect children from online ‘wild west’ March 18, 2019 The “lawless landscape” of social media must be regulated to ensure young people are protected from graphic content that could damage their mental health, a group of MPs has said. A report into the impact of social media on young people’s mental health concluded firms such as Facebook and Instagram should face a 0.5 per [...]
Revealed: The broadband provider most likely to cut you a better deal March 18, 2019 Consumers have long discussed the craftiest ways to negotiate the best deal from their broadband providers. But new research from check and challenge site Ismybillfair.com has revealed how likely broadband providers are to cut you a better deal. Read more: Satellite firm Inmarsat boosts revenue due to in-flight broadband demand According to the survey, Virgin [...]
MPs urge Ofcom to hold mobile operators to account on rural 4G March 11, 2019 MPs have written to Ofcom calling on the regulator to ensure mobile operators fulfil their obligations to boost 4G coverage in rural areas. The all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on rural business welcomed Ofcom’s commitments for 90 per cent geographic coverage by all four networks across the UK. Read more: Customers can walk out of slow [...]
BBC ‘risks irrelevance’ unless it adapts to digital age, says director general March 7, 2019 The BBC risks irrelevance unless it adapts to changing viewing habits, the broadcaster’s director general has said. Speaking at the Media & Telecoms Conference this morning, Tony Hall admitted the BBC faces an uphill struggle to keep up with deep-pocketed rivals such as Netflix and Amazon, but insisted public service broadcasters are as important as [...]
Rise in scammers using landline phone calls to impersonate HMRC March 2, 2019 There has been an increase in the number of scammers using landline phone calls after a crackdown on con emails and mobile phone texts. HM Revenue and Customs received 60,000 reports of phone scams between July 2018 and January 2019, which is more than three times the amount received in the first-half of last year. Read more: Why [...]
Customers can walk out of slow broadband contracts, Ofcom’s new rules say February 28, 2019 Broadband firms will have to be more honest about connection speeds before customers sign new contracts under new rules coming into force tomorrow. Read more: Ranked: The phone and broadband providers with the most complaints Regulator Ofcom's new protections will mean broadband providers have to give customers a minimum guaranteed speed at the point of sale. [...]
Royal Mail apologises for breaching stamp price cap after announcing increases February 23, 2019 Royal Mail has apologised after announcing that first and second-class stamp prices are set to increase above the price cap in place to make the postal service affordable. The price of a first-class stamp will increase by 3p to 70p, while a second-class stamp will rise to 61p from 25 March. It means that the [...]
Pound drops against dollar amid Brexit uncertainty February 22, 2019 The pound dipped to $1.29 against the dollar today after another week of ongoing Brexit uncertainty. Sterling dropped below $1.30 this afternoon as Theresa May was unable to renegotiate elements of the withdrawal agreement with the EU this week. Read more: Ofcom publishes no-deal Brexit draft broadcast TV licences May failed to reopen negotiations however, [...]