Broadband News: June 2008

PC World is enticing more people to take advantage of the advances in broadband connectivity "between technologies" with the launch of its ‘et Connected’campaign. Continue reading…

New guidelines could encourage broadband providers to help customers fight spam sent to their email addresses, according to new reports. Continue reading…

Carphone Warehouse’s decision to offer free broadband to customers spending over a specified amount a month of telephone contracts has cost the firm millions. Continue reading…

The BBC is seeking the approval of industry watchdog Ofcom for a scheme which would provide broadband users with on-demand local news online. Continue reading…

BT has adopted a policy of threatening broadband customers who are found to illegally download music from the web with disconnection, according to reports. Continue reading…

Researchers have made progress in the development of wireless broadband underwater with the use of a technique known as acoustic time delivery, according to new reports. Continue reading…

A significant proportion of those watching popular comedy shows are doing so online through broadband video players such as the BBC’s iPlayer, a new report has highlighted. Continue reading…

O2 has been named the fastest broadband provider in the UK, after recent research from one comparison site. Continue reading…

The one per cent of people north of the border who cannot enjoy the benefits of a reliable broadband connection have been given a major boost. Continue reading…

Phones4U are giving customers the chance to get their hands on a shiny new laptop when signing up to Orange mobile broadband on a £30 a month deal. Continue reading…

BT Broadband’s Accelerator - the service the broadband provider offers to maximise customers broadband speeds - has come under criticism from some quarters. Continue reading…

American Airlines (AA) is to introduce Wi-Fi technology on 15 of its aircraft, giving broadband access to passengers. Continue reading…

BT has reassured residents of Northern Ireland that the country has 100 per cent broadband coverage. Continue reading…

An outgoing publishing head who helped build up a £15 million per year online news operation has highlighted the impact broadband has had on the market over recent years. Continue reading…

Ofcom, the independent regulator and competition authority of the UK’s communication industries, has voiced its approval following T-Mobile’s cuts to text and data roaming charges in countries within the European Union (EU). Continue reading…

Mums in the UK are now more likely to turn to the internet than their own family when seeking parenting advice, according to new research. Continue reading…

PlusNet has embarked on a summer price slashing exercise, offering 50 per cent off for three months on its Broadband Your Way (BBYW) subscriptions taken with home phone. Continue reading…

A new European Union (EU) directive will see data roaming charges dropped for mobile broadband users in mainland Europe - welcome news for those travelling to do business on the continent who wish to stay online. Continue reading…

The number of HSPA/LTE mobile broadband connectivity-enabled PC laptops in Europe is set to rise dramatically in coming years, according to a new report. Continue reading…

Ireland is aiming to bring its broadband coverage up to speed - its government plans to make the country one of the fastest in Europe by the year 2012. Continue reading…

An agreement which had been drawn between the GSMA and the NGMN Alliance will allow mobile broadband users extended network coverage, it is hoped. Continue reading…

The availability of dongles is negating the need for use of a landline to access the web, according to one expert. Continue reading…

The warmer months provide office workers with the perfect opportunity to make use of mobile broadband. Continue reading…

The success of the mobile broadband industry is posing problems to operators, according to research. Continue reading…

The aggressive pricing strategies initially adopted by European wireless broadband providers drove the sector forwards, it has been claimed. Continue reading…

Residents in south Derbyshire have made their feelings known on the state of the broadband infrastructure in the area. Continue reading…

Broadband provider BT has accepted responsibility for a network fault which left residents in Shetland without internet access. Continue reading…

Students opting for a NatWest account will be offered a £50 discount on 3 mobile broadband services. Continue reading…

As debate continues on the future of fibre-optic broadband, it has been suggested that the business case for investment is not compelling. Continue reading…

Hull-based broadband provider Kcom has been cleared of blocking other companies from entering the market in an Ofcom report. Continue reading…

French officials have thrown their weight behind a three strikes anti-piracy law to penalise illegal downloaders. Continue reading…

Wales-based fibre-optic broadband provider H20 has announced that Dundee will become Scotland’s first FibreCity. Continue reading…

Sony Ericsson has unveiled two new mobile broadband dongles which offer dual functionality for users. Continue reading…

Internet marketing firm Phorm neglected to mention to the Home Office that it had conducted secret software trials on BT users. Continue reading…

The number of people using mobile broadband globally could reach 2.2 billion in the next five years, according to Ericsson. Continue reading…

New speed tests conducted during May have shown that many connections are still struggling during peak times. Continue reading…

Zen Internet has scooped another accolade for its consumer and business broadband packages, winning the Which? best provider award. Continue reading…

Virgin Media has been found in breach of advertising codes following a mailing campaign featuring a stylised bullet hole in the letter. Continue reading…

Substantial investment in 4G wireless networks will lead to the development of a truly mobile internet, the Financial Times predicts. Continue reading…

Northbay on Barra in the Western Isles is set to receive wireless broadband as part of the Connected Communities (ConCom) scheme. Continue reading…

Consumers looking to save money on broadband have been advised to switch providers. Continue reading…

Following on from Ofcom’s fair advertising guidelines, Ipitero has published a new guide to help consumers get the most from broadband. Continue reading…

Customers using Tiscali broadband services will now be able to use ONSPEED’s internet acceleration software to improve connections. Continue reading…

Despite having the world’s fastest connections, many residents in South Korea rate their broadband service as average. Continue reading…

Vodafone offers the fastest mobile broadband service of all five UK competitors, according to financial advisor Fool.co.uk. Continue reading…

People who put pictures and videos online regularly have been advised to consider upload speeds when purchasing broadband packages. Continue reading…

Consumers using the Apple iPhone will now have free access to wireless internet via an additional 3,000 hotspots, O2 has announced. Continue reading…

Google is in the process of developing software tools to allow consumers to track whether their provider is limiting their connection. Continue reading…

Vodafone offers the fastest and most consistent broadband access in the UK, according to a new study. Continue reading…

The first step to take for BT users struggling with slow speeds is to assess whether it is a company fault or an internal wiring issue. Continue reading…

WiMax offers telecoms companies a lucrative way to capitalise in other areas as profits from voice services fall. Continue reading…

The proliferation of mobile broadband networks will drive growth of the new 3G iPhone from Apple. Continue reading…

Carphone Warehouse has announced that its broadband revenue growth may be less than expected in the coming year. Continue reading…

The provision of next-generation broadband is essential to entire industries as well as consumers, one resource has suggested. Continue reading…

BT’s upcoming fibre-optic trial in Ebbsfleet will not significantly test high-speed broadband infrastructure, it has been suggested. Continue reading…

The uptake of mobile broadband is increasing by 75 per cent annually throughout the EU, according to a new report. Continue reading…

Average speeds experienced in the UK are far behind those in areas of Europe and providers are unwilling to spend the money to catch up. Continue reading…

Telecoms provider Virgin Media has announced its entrance into the mobile broadband market with the release of a new USB dongle. Continue reading…

Technology such as mobile broadband has opened new doors to traditional advertising strategies, according to a marketing industry expert. Continue reading…

A new service to tune-up consumers’ computers with a view to enhancing their broadband speed is being launched by BT, it has been reported. Continue reading…

Mobile broadband is now cheaper than ever and ‘free’ mobile broadband could be offered as early as 2009 according to broadband comparison site Top 10 Broadband. Continue reading…

BT has asked Ofcom for permission to offer customers in Ebbsfleet discount fibre-optic broadband services in order to complete trials. Continue reading…

Technology analyst Ovum has announced its support for the recently introduced code of conduct setting out broadband advertising standards. Continue reading…

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has ruled out punitive action over BT and Phorm’s secret advertising trials in 2006. Continue reading…

Mobile broadband provider 3 has launched new starter kits to get people up and running in minutes. Continue reading…

Ofcom’s new voluntary code of practice may lack the strength necessary to enforce fairer broadband advertising practices, ISPReview said. Continue reading…

The world’s largest mobile operator Vodafone is close to a successful bid for fixed-line broadband firm Tiscali, according to reports. Continue reading…

With the launch of Big Brother on Thursday, Virgin Media unveiled their new sponsorship idents. Continue reading…

Members of Ofcom, parliamentary representatives and industry chiefs will meet today in crisis talks concerning the future of broadband. Continue reading…

Virgin Media is to send letters to its customers urging them to stop downloading music illegally or face punitive action. Continue reading…

AOL Broadband has announced that it is cutting the price of its internet and phone products for the summer months. Continue reading…

Orange UK chief executive Tom Alexander has unveiled new plans for the business which will see it focusing on the "21st century customer". Continue reading…

Continuing his tour of the country, BBC’s Rory Cellan-Jones has noted that WiMax is proving particularly useful in Milton Keynes. Continue reading…

The Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) has noted that some aspects that govern broadband speeds are beyond suppliers’ control. Continue reading…

Users who want high-speed internet access while they’re on the go should look at mobile broadband services, Mobile Choice asserts. Continue reading…

Processor manufacturer Intel has announced that new technologies using WiMax will usher in an era of much greater mobility. Continue reading…

Businesses in the North Yorkshire area may soon have access to low-cost fibre optic broadband under a scheme by NYnet. Continue reading…

More than 100,000 UK broadband users have signed up to BT Fon, which allows subscribers to share wireless connections with other users. Continue reading…

New statistics suggest that broadband customers receive in Edinburgh the fastest speeds in the country on average. Continue reading…

Dundee is set for ultra-fast fibre optic broadband that will be delivered through the sewers, the BBC reports. Continue reading…

Telecoms regulator Ofcom has announced a new code of practice for broadband providers designed to give clearer information on likely speeds. Continue reading…

Francesco Caio, who holds responsibility for a review into the future of broadband, has suggested backhaul could provide higher speeds. Continue reading…

BT has announced the launch of wholesale ethernet services over its 21st Century Network (21CN) to improve business broadband. Continue reading…

Sky was responsible for connecting more than a third of all new broadband customers in the UK in the first quarter of 2008. Continue reading…

Users of Vodafone’s mobile broadband service have expressed their dismay about lack of access and slow download speeds, reports suggest. Continue reading…

A new broadband speed survey by the BBC has shown that those living in the capital can download nearly twice as fast as those in Wales. Continue reading…

UK broadband provider TalkTalk has made an overhaul to its broadband and phone offerings, with three new packages introduced. Continue reading…

Vodafone has cut the price of mobile broadband modems by £50 for those taking out 30-day contracts. Continue reading…

With its broadband arm steadily losing ground against other competitors, the Orange boss has set out the company’s new strategy. Continue reading…

Tiscali has announced that its £4.49 broadband deal will include a 5GB monthly usage limit for downloads as of today (June 3rd). Continue reading…

A new programme entitled Broadband Britain will take viewers on a tour of the country, examining the state of the UK’s broadband network. Continue reading…

Free wireless hotspots are being offered by a rapidly growing number of businesses, according to a report in the Times. Continue reading…

Telecoms regulator Ofcom has announced a review of BT Openreach’s pricing policies in a move that may increase the cost of broadband. Continue reading…

From tomorrow, telecoms provider Carphone Warehouse will extend its free laptop deal to broadband customers. Continue reading…

A new study has suggested that many small and medium sized business (SMBs) are reluctant to switch broadband provider. Continue reading…