Talking the talk: Harding on Ofcom, hacks, and fibre July 31, 2016 At TalkTalk's Shepherd's Bush offices, cavernous rooms enclosed by exposed walls and trendy staff make this company feel more like an outsized Shoreditch startup than a FTSE 250 constituent. Fitting surroundings for a firm that is out to ape Google’s growing US broadband service, Google Fibre, as it ramps up its challenge to BT’s faux-fibre offering. [...]
BT just had a really great quarter July 28, 2016 BT surged ahead despite concerns over its Openreach business, sending shares three per cent higher in early trading. The figures Revenues at the telecoms firm jumped 35 per cent in the first quarter to £5.7bn while pre-tax profit increased by 13 per cent on the same period last year to £717m. The recently acquired EE landed [...]
TalkTalk boss calls for firms to be made to report all cyber attacks July 27, 2016 TalkTalk chief executive Dido Harding has called for firms to be made to report all data breaches following last year’s devastating cyber attack on the company. Companies do not currently have to immediately report details of cyber attacks, meaning many customers may be unknowingly at risk. Last October TalkTalk revealed a cyber attack on the firm [...]
Ofcom announces reform plans for Openreach – or it risks being split from BT July 26, 2016 TalkTalk boss Dido Harding has called for Ofcom to fully separate BT's broadband networks division from the rest of the group, warning that BT may "game the system" if it is allowed to continue controlling the business. The media and telecoms watchdog today recommended a set of reforms for Openreach which will make it more independent [...]
Orange SA misses expectations but gets profit boost from EE sale July 26, 2016 Orange SA – France's largest telecoms company – has posted a sharp rise in its first-half profits due to the sale of its UK network EE to BT. Net profit climbed to €3.17bn (£2.65bn) in the first half, pushed higher from the £12.5bn EE sale. Revenue also climbed thanks to strong sales growth in Spain. It rose by 2.7 per cent to €20.8bn. [...]
BT proposes setting up independent board for Openreach to stave off break-up July 25, 2016 BT has offered to appoint an independent board and chairman to run its Openreach infrastructure arm, handing the division fresh powers ahead of the launch of a regulator consultation tomorrow. The move appears to be an attempt to appease rivals and prevent the break-up of the group. BT chairman Mike Rake said forcing separation was not the right way to go [...]
Watchdog set to crack down on BT’s Openreach July 25, 2016 The telecoms watchdog Ofcom will tomorrow unveil new service targets and reforms for BT’s infrastructure arm Openreach. The latest step in Ofcom’s long-running Strategic Review of Digital Communications is expected to result in further autonomy for the division but will stop short of full separation. Ofcom will tomorrow morning open its interim findings to consultation — [...]
BT needs to be open about Openreach aims July 20, 2016 When it comes to Openreach, the arm of BT that runs the UK's cables, fibre and network infrastructure, the telecoms giant is hovering outside the door of the last chance saloon. On the eve of a pivotal decision on the future of Openreach, MPs on the culture and media select committee have upped the ante [...]
Even those EU referendum mail campaigns failed to push up Royal Mail’s letter volumes – but parcels rose July 19, 2016 It's a sign of the times that even one of the most controversial direct mail campaigns of recent years couldn't push up Royal Mail's letter volumes. Good job parcels were looking healthier… The figures In a trading statement today, Royal Mail said group revenue was up one per cent in the three months to the end of [...]
MPs slam BT: “Put house in order or face split” July 19, 2016 BT has been told to put its "house in order" or face a split by a leading group of MPs. The telecoms firm has been accused of "significantly under investing" in its Openreach broadband, potentially to the tune of millions of pounds a year and of favouring "interests and priorities" of shareholders over customers. An investigation [...]