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• BT stung by Ofcom proposals

  Ofcom has proposed a new range of prices that BT Openreach can charge providers to use its network, which are nowhere near as high as BT had hoped.

  BT’s Openreach was set up almost three years ago, creating competition between telecoms companies by allowing anyone to take control of BT's phone lines. 5m lines have since been unbundled and rented out to rival companies, however BT maintains that the prices it may charge for the lines are too low.

  Ofcom said that the new prices, which include £85 to £91 for a fully unbundled line and £15.60 to £16.20 for a shared unbundled line, would help to improve competition among telecoms providers.

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  10/12/2008 23:18:46 Published by Alice Galletly Category Telecom

• Brits leading the way in internet usage

  A recent report from Ofcom has shown that internet users in the UK spend more time online than any other country in Europe –racking up an average of 14 hours a week.
  
  Ofcom’s International Communications Market Report showed that internet use per user has risen the fastest in the UK over the last four years, with an average increase of 30 per cent each year.
  
  With an average of 26, the UK came third for the number of broadband connections per 100 people. The Netherlands took the lead with 35 per cent, and Sweden followed with 31 per cent.
  
  British consumers were found to stream TV content from the internet more than any other country in Europe, and were the biggest users of social networking sites.
  

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  24/11/2008 09:50:00 Published by Alice Galletly Category Telecom

• BT still on track for fibre roll-out

  BT has said it is still on track with its plans to roll out next-generation super-fast broadband across the UK, despite concern from some shareholders regarding the economic situation.
  
  It was reported last week that some shareholders had expressed concern about BT’s £1.5bn fibre broadband plan, suggesting the organisation would be better off keeping hold of the cash instead.
  
  But a BT spokesman told silicon.com: "The project isn't at risk because of the recession. There's nothing that is affecting that investment decision at this moment."
  
  He added, however, that it would be wrong to say for sure that the project would be "completely unaffected by the recession".
  
  

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  19/11/2008 20:25:00 Published by Alice Galletly Category Telecom

• Broadband speeds will dive without fibre

  The UK risks a future of declining broadband speeds if it does not get its act together regarding next-generation broadband, an analyst has warned.
  
  Speaking at a Westminster eForum keynote seminar on next generation broadband, Ian Fogg, research director at analyst house Forrester Research warned: “"If we get this wrong — which we might do — or if we're slow to do it, tomorrow's broadband speeds may be the same as today's broadband speeds. They may be worse without that investment.
  
  "People use iPlayer, they use World of Warcraft, they use these things more and more and if there isn't the network investment going in, the actual speeds that we enjoy will actually reduce over the next few years. We need to get this right and we need to get this right today."
  
  

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  11/11/2008 22:23:00 Published by Alice Galletly Category Telecom

• Ofcom warns against public spending on broadband

  The public sector should take a minor role investing in high bandwidth broadband, according to communications regulator Ofcom.
  
  Peter Phillips, partner for strategy and market developments at Ofcom, said public investments should be “targeted at areas left behind by the markets”
  
  Speaking at Westminster eForum conference, “Next Generation Broadband”, Phillips stated that Ofcom believed that the infrastructure for super-fast broadband should be funded largely by the private sector.
  
  This reflects both Ofcom’s belief in the dominance of private investment, and the view that the current economic climate makes heavy public investment less appropriate.  
  
  

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  10/11/2008 18:45:00 Published by Alice Galletly Category Telecom