Ofcom’s easy broadband switching process set for delay

A deadline for broadband providers to implement Ofcom’s new easy switching process is likely to be missed.

The ‘One Touch Switch’ process intends to make it easier for customers to switch their broadband provider.

Research from Uswitch found that over a third (36%) of broadband customers have never switched their provider. Many households could be missing out on savings which could help ease cost-of-living pressures.

“As broadband customers across the...

24 March 2023 | Broadband

Amazon unveils terminals for its Starlink rival

Amazon has unveiled its first Project Kuiper terminals as it prepares to go head-to-head with SpaceX’s Starlink.

Project Kuiper is Amazon’s plan to build a constellation of 3,236 satellites in low Earth orbit to provide high-speed internet anywhere in the world.

“Our goal with Project Kuiper is not just to connect unserved and underserved communities, but also to delight them with the quality, reliability, and value of their service,” said Rajeev Badyal,...

15 March 2023 | Broadband

Full fibre rollout set to give Newcastle £440 productivity boost

A report commissioned by CityFibre, the UK’s largest independent full fibre platform, has identified that Newcastle stands to be a huge beneficiary from the rollout of future-proof full fibre infrastructure which is now well underway across the city.

The study by the consultancy Hatch, (Economic Impact of Full Fibre Infrastructure from CityFibre’s Network), estimates that, over a fifteen-year period, the positive impacts of CityFibre’s £62m investment in Newcastle will...

8 March 2023 | Broadband

EU greenlights Vodafone-Altice FTTH plans

The EU Commission has given the green light to a joint venture between Vodafone and Altice to deploy fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) across Germany.

The joint venture is called FibreCo and will see the partners deploy FTTH to up to seven million homes over a six-year period.

Nick Read, CEO of Vodafone Group, commented:

“This partnership builds on Vodafone’s significant next-generation network with Altice’s industrial expertise and proven Fibre-to-the-Home...

21 February 2023 | Broadband

Ofcom launches review into mid-contract price rises

Ofcom has launched a review into whether mid-contract price rises by telcos give customers sufficient certainty about their finances.

The cost-of-living crisis has made budgeting more important than ever as households feel the squeeze and many get pushed into financial difficulties.

In the UK, telcos are free to include a clause in their agreements that allow for inflation-linked price rises mid-contract. Some providers guarantee not to increase their prices mid-contract...

9 February 2023 | 5G

UK announces £50M satellite industry boost

The UK Space Agency has announced a £50 million fund to boost the satellite communications industry.

Funding from the initiative will be used for projects including satellite constellations, ground systems, and entirely new end-to-end systems.

Science Minister George Freeman said:

“Developing UK space capabilities and maximising commercial opportunities are key to the National Space Strategy, as part of our plans to become a leading power in space and build...

23 January 2023 | Broadband

Wildanet awarded £36M to connect thousands of rural premises

Cornwall-based provider Wildanet has been awarded £36 million by the UK government to connect thousands of rural premises.

The contracts will enable Wildanet to deliver fast broadband connectivity to left behind communities in Cornwall. Up to 19,250 homes and businesses are set to be connected.

Helen Wylde, CEO of Wildanet, said:

“This is great news for remote communities in Cornwall as we continue to connect Cornwall’s homes and businesses to full fibre...

19 January 2023 | Broadband

SpaceX pledges to reduce astronomy disruption

SpaceX has reached a deal with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to reduce Starlink's disruption to astronomy.

The company’s broadband satellites have become a plight for astronomers. Around the world, professional and enthusiast astronomers have complained of Starlink’s constellation ruining the night sky and interfering with their observations.

When capturing images of the night sky using a long exposure, satellite trails are often...

17 January 2023 | Broadband

Glasgow has UK’s biggest broadband gap

A busy Glasgow street.

Glasgow is the UK’s most unequal city for broadband connections – with its fastest area 866 times the speed of its slowest, according to analysis of 16,500 consumer speed tests by Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service.

The highest average download speed measured in Glasgow was 840.4Mbps, logged in the Milton district. Yet just four miles away in the suburb of Bearsden, speeds as low as 0.97Mbps were recorded. This is less than a tenth of the 10Mbps download speed...

7 December 2022 | Broadband

Comms regulator unveils broadband maps for USA

A wide shot of The Statue Of Liberty.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which regulates interstate and international communications through cable, radio, television, satellite and wire in the US, has unveiled the pre-production draft of its new broadband maps.

These maps provide the best picture available to date of where broadband is and is not available across the country, and the FCC believes the maps will only get better from here.

Broadband consumers are empowered like never before. Maps that...

22 November 2022 | Broadband