Going on holiday is a chance for a much-needed screen-break, so feast your ears on these podcasts instead July 23, 2019 Just admit it, we are totally dependent on our digital devices. People in the UK now check their smartphones, on average, every 12 minutes of the waking day, according to a worrying 2018 report from media watchdog Ofcom. This is likely to be even worse for business people, with a deluge of emails tiring our [...]
Mobile operator Three defies Ofcom’s call for ‘fairer’ phone bills July 22, 2019 Mobile operator Three has clashed with regulator Ofcom over proposals to create fairer bills for customers after their initial contract period has ended. Ofcom today unveiled a string of new rules and said five major providers have pledged to cut bills for millions of customers. Read more: New rules could give fraudsters a back door [...]
Talktalk holds guidance as full-fibre demand boosts revenue July 17, 2019 Broadband provider Talktalk today said its first quarter trading was in line with expectations, as growing demand for high-speed internet boosted sales. The telecoms firm posted a 1.3 per cent rise in revenue to £387m in the three months to the end of June, and said its full-year guidance remains unchanged. Read more: Talktalk narrows [...]
New rules could give fraudsters a back door to clone mobile phone numbers July 7, 2019 New rules meant to make it easier to swap mobile contracts could give criminals access to important personal information, experts have warned. The new text-to-switch service, launched last week, allows billpayers to easily get a code to move provider. It aims to encourage switching and save customers on their bills. However, the system is so [...]
Ofcom calls for new laws to protect public service broadcasters July 4, 2019 Ofcom has urged the government to introduce new laws to support public service broadcasters amid rising competition from streaming giants. The media regulator has called for new legislation to ensure channels operated by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 are displayed prominently on online platforms. Read more: Revamp media regulation to help broadcasters [...]
Internet regulation plans ‘fall short’ for digital businesses July 4, 2019 Government plans to regulate tech firms will not do enough to secure the UK’s status as a hub for digital companies, businesses have warned. The Confederation for British Industry (CBI) said proposals laid out in a recent white paper risk falling short of the government’s ambition to create world-leading regulation. Read more: MPs set ultimatum [...]
Mobile users can now switch providers with a single text July 1, 2019 Mobile customers can now switch network providers with one free text message under new rules that came into force today. Previously, mobile users had to call their current provider to request a porting authorisation code (PAC) before they could switch to a new network. Read more: Three becomes latest UK mobile operator to set 5G [...]
Ofcom gets the green light for new Openreach broadband regulation June 28, 2019 Ofcom has been given the green light to develop new regulation that will give telecoms firms more access to Openreach’s network in a bid to speed up the rollout of full-fibre broadband. The regulator today said it has received approval from the European Commission to press ahead with its scheme, which is designed to boost [...]
ITV bosses slammed over ‘irresponsible’ lie detector tests on Jeremy Kyle Show June 25, 2019 MPs have blasted “irresponsible” ITV bosses for using lie detector tests on The Jeremy Kyle Show without knowing how accurate they were. Senior ITV executives faced a grilling today as part of an inquiry into broadcasters’ duty of care following the apparent suicide of Steve Dymond, a former participant on the reality TV show. Read [...]
Government plans new powers to stop firms exploiting loyal consumers June 18, 2019 The competition watchdog is set to be given new powers to fine companies exploiting consumer loyalty in a crackdown on “subscription traps” and unfair cancellation charges. The government has proposed giving the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) legal powers to penalise firms without going through the courts. Read more: UK watchdog calls for new powers [...]