UK watchdog calls for new powers on tackling £4bn ‘loyalty penalty’ after super-complaint December 19, 2018 The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has said it will seek new powers to fight the so-called loyalty penalty faced by consumers across multiple industries, including insurance, mobile phones, broadband, savings accounts and mortgages. The challenge comes off the back of a super-complaint made by consumer body Citizens Advice in September, a practice designed to end [...]
Ofcom unveils new rules on spectrum auction amid mobile blackspot crackdown December 18, 2018 Ofcom today unveiled new rules to make operators improve mobile coverage as it vows to crack down on blackspots in rural areas. While 66 per cent of the UK has good 4G coverage, too many rural areas are left with “patchy or unreliable” mobile reception, Ofcom’s Connected Nations report found. Ofcom said complete 4G coverage in [...]
Half of homes could boost their broadband Ofcom says December 14, 2018 Half of British homes could switch to a faster broadband service, Ofcom said today as it plans new rules to encourage people to get the best deal. The media regulator’s research showed that 94 per cent of UK homes and offices can now get superfast broadband but less than half have taken it up. It also [...]
Broadband speeds fall below minimum requirement in quarter of UK homes, report finds December 12, 2018 More than a quarter of households in the UK suffer from insufficient broadband speeds, a new report has revealed. Over 26 per cent of homes receive broadband speeds of less than 10Mbps, which regulator Ofcom says is the minimum to meet the needs of most households. In addition, just over 13 per cent of homes [...]
Plenty for Just Eat to chew on as it falls out of FTSE 100 to be replaced by engineering firm Spirax-Sarco December 6, 2018 Just Eat shares were down five per cent this morning as the company took stock from being demoted from the FTSE 100 yesterday. The food delivery company, which has come under siege in recent years from competitors Deliveroo and Uber Eats, dropped out of the top tier index as FTSE Russell announced the winners and [...]
Royal Mail, Kier Group and Thomas Cook set to lose out in tomorrow’s FTSE reshuffle, as insurer Hiscox looks set to join the big league December 4, 2018 Royal Mail will need a miracle to avoid relegation from the FTSE 100 Index tomorrow, as insurer Hiscox looks ready to step into its place as a blue chip firm. The winners and losers of the last FTSE reshuffle of the year are to be announced tomorrow afternoon, with Thomas Cook, Kier Group and the [...]
Ofcom worried Royal Mail productivity slump could threaten company’s long-term finances December 2, 2018 Ofcom has warned that Royal Mail’s long-term sustainability could be under threat in the wake of a profit warning which sent the recently privatised company’s shares plummeting. The watchdog, which monitors the postal service’s ability to deliver letters and parcels across the country six days a week for a fixed fee, said in an annual [...]
Ofcom boss calls on British broadcasters to create Netflix rival November 28, 2018 Public service broadcasters should work together to create a ‘Brit Player’ to rival Netflix, the head of Ofcom said today. Sharon White told the Outside the Box conference in London that broadcasters should pull together their on-demand services to create a platform offering popular British shows such as Broadchurch, Blue Planet and Bake Off in one [...]
Ofcom reveals price cap for 118 directory enquiry service calls after charges hit £20 for a 90-second call November 28, 2018 Ofcom revealed plans today to cap the price of directory enquiry calls to protect consumers from high prices. The regulator said some services charge almost £20 for a 90-second phone call, while the popular 118 118 service charges £11.23 for a call of that duration. The telecoms watchdog will cap prices for 118 services at [...]
Small businesses face ‘wild west’ from big three mobile providers, report warns November 28, 2018 Small and medium-sized businesses in the UK are overpaying for mobile bills by £1bn due to a lack of competition in the market, a report has warned. Research by price comparison website Billmonitor estimates 49 per cent of UK businesses are paying more than twice what they should be for mobile services from EE, Vodafone [...]