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Ofcom revised 4G coverage to include ‘not-spots’.

Friday, January 13th, 2012

98% of the UK could now benefit from 4G coverage following a revision to proposals by telecoms watchdog Ofcom regarding the mobile spectrum auction.

The regulator has announced that the winning bidder is required to provide high-speed coverage to rural ”not-spot” areas. 

Ofcom previously stipulated that the winning bidder would need to roll out a 4G network to 95% of the UK population.

However, following the revisions, this amount has now been extended to 98%.

It is hoped these guidelines will allow sections of the country that currently receive no service to benefit from fast mobile internet.

Ofcom’s revisions will now undergo a 10-week consultation, before the final decision regarding the spectrum auction is announced.

 It is understood that the auction is still set to take place at the end of this year.

Jamie Stokes is Marketing Assistant at Total Ltd – a business to business service provider, delivering genuine solutions across all core telecommunication services, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Total Ltd is a business that brings together and unifies all the component parts. For up to the minute business telecommunications news, please view the Total Ltd blog

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Virgin Media set to double customer broadband speed.

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

Virgin Media has announced that it is set to double the speed of its broadband offering for over four million of its current customers.

Due to start in 2012, the service upgrade will see speeds increase from 100Mbps to 120Mbps.

Expected to be completed by the end of June 2013, the move is reportedly costing Virgin Media the sum of £110 million. 

David Cameron, the Prime Minister, has hailed this step forward as a ”great boost” to the UK.

Many members of parliament are in agreement, particularly as the investment supports the Government’s policy to deliver super-fast broadband to 90% of the UK by 2015.

However, Virgin Media mostly services urban areas, with critics worried that rural areas may fall by the wayside when it comes to broadband availability.

Only time will tell whether the roll out will be successful.

Jamie Stokes is Marketing Assistant at Total Ltd – a business to business service provider, delivering genuine solutions across all core telecommunication services, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Total Ltd is a business that brings together and unifies all the component parts. For up to the minute business telecommunications news, please view the Total Ltd blog

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Could TV waves increase wireless capacity?

Friday, December 16th, 2011

According to wireless firm Cisco, global data traffic will increase by 39 times from current levels, reaching 3.6 exabytes per month, by 2014.

These figures reveal that current wireless networks are approaching capacity.

Devices such as remote-locking car keys, TV remotes, smartphones and tablet computers all use wireless technology to function. So, where can we get more from?

With 4G and LTE technology expected to offer some space, it’s still not a long-term solution.

Interestingly, TV, radio and telecommunications channels are ringfenced within the ‘radio spectrum’, each housing specific bandwidths.

This means that within each section, some frequencies are not currently being used.

It is understood that with analogue TV soon to be switched off, the remaining available bandwidth, known as white space, could be utilised.

So, as we bid farwell to analogue TV, could this white space spectrum be used to host new innovations across the airwaves? Only time will tell.

Jamie Stokes is Marketing Assistant at Total Ltd – a business to business service provider, delivering genuine solutions across all core telecommunication services, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Total Ltd is a business that brings together and unifies all the component parts. For up to the minute business telecommunications news, please view the Total Ltd blog

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Scotland set to benefit from BT ’superfast’ fibre broadband.

Thursday, December 15th, 2011

BT is set to bring ’superfast’ optic fibre broadband project to Scotland in its biggest-ever roll-out.

The telecommunications giant has announced plans to invest £2.5 billion in upgrading 34 exchange points.

It is thought that 277,000 homes and businesses are set to benefit from the project.

The new connections could allow internet download speeds of up to 300Mbps.

Telecommunications regulator Ofcom this year revealed that the average connection speed in the UK is just 6.8 Mbps.

The exchange points set to benefit include sections of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow alongside some smaller towns.

Jamie Stokes is Marketing Assistant at Total Ltd – a business to business service provider, delivering genuine solutions across all core telecommunication services, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Total Ltd is a business that brings together and unifies all the component parts. For up to the minute business telecommunications news, please view the Total Ltd blog

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Rural broadband plans halted.

Friday, December 9th, 2011

Plans to bring broadband to rural areas in the UK have been stalled according to the Countryside Alliance.

Last year, the Government revealed four areas in which the scheme would be piloted – Cumbria, Herefordshire, North Yorkshire and the Highlands and Islands.

However, local councils in each area have admitted that work has not yet started on their projects.

Freedom of information notices were sent to each council with the responses revealing that no progress had been made by any area, following them not having received any money from the Treasury.

The Government itself has said that all four pilot projects are moving forward, with Britain set to have Europe’s best broadband network by 2015.

However, it has now been over a year since the plans were made and the people living within the selected rural areas are yet to benefit from the scheme.

It remains to be seen whether the Government’s aim for 2015 will come to fruition.

Jamie Stokes is Marketing Assistant at Total Ltd – a business to business service provider, delivering genuine solutions across all core telecommunication services, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Total Ltd is a business that brings together and unifies all the component parts. For up to the minute business telecommunications news, please view the Total Ltd blog

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Autumn statement reveals broadband funding.

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

UK broadband networks in 10 cities across the UK are set to benefit from Government funding.

In the Autumn statement Chancellor George Osborne announed that £5bn is due to be spent on infrastructure projects in order to improve roads, railways and broadband networks.

It is understood that £100m of this figure is set to be spent on improving broadband coverage in London, Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff.

A further six UK cities are set to be identified at a later date.

The Government plans to create a network of super-fast cities with broadband speeds of between 80 to 100 Mbps (megabits per second) and city-wide high-speed mobile connectivity.

A spokesman for BT said the company welcomed the news, calling the scheme a “positive initiative”.

However, whilst some providers are happy with this move, critics have suggested that it would have been better to channel the money into broadband networks in rural locations.

The Government has maintained its aim for the UK to be the best place for broadband in Europe by 2015.

Jamie Stokes is Marketing Assistant at Total Ltd – a business to business service provider, delivering genuine solutions across all core telecommunication services, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Total Ltd is a business that brings together and unifies all the component parts. For up to the minute business telecommunications news, please view the Total Ltd blog

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Ofcom reveals mobile phone providers offer better service.

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011

Recent research has indicated that consumers are more satisfied with the service they receive from their mobile phone provider than they are with that of their landline or broadband supplier.

Communications watchdog Ofcom interviewed 3,000 people in September this year to ask whether they had contacted their provider in the previous three months and if they were satisfied with the service they received.

Results revealed that seven in 10 customers were satisfied with the service from their mobile provider, after calling to discuss their tariff or service levels.

In contrast, six in 10 consumers said they were happy with their broadband or landline provider after similar interactions.

In the category of fixed broadband and landline, Sky came top in ratings of satisfaction.

It is hoped that the results of Ofcom’s research will spur providers on to improve all levels of customer service.

Jamie Stokes is Marketing Assistant at Total Ltd – a business to business service provider, delivering genuine solutions across all core telecommunication services, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Total Ltd is a business that brings together and unifies all the component parts. For up to the minute business telecommunications news, please view the Total Ltd blog

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Uswitch reveals highs and lows of UK broadband speeds.

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011

According to a recent report UK broadband speeds suffer an average drop of 35% compared to off-peak speeds when online usage rises in the evening.

Two million broadband speed tests were undertaken by online comparison site Uswitch.

The research suggests the slowest time to use the internet is between 7pm and 9pm; a peak surfing time for internet users.

However, the report also stated that the best time to go online was in the early hours of the morning between 2am and 3am.

Regional differences were also highlighted by the report which showed that users in Evesham, Worcestershire suffered a 69% difference between off-peak morning and evening internet use.

It is understood that services such as on-demand TV have seen a significant rise in popularity leading to broadband speeds now becoming more bandwidth-hungry.

Internet service providers have faced criticism whilst they continue to advertise their maximum broadband speeds, even though the majority of users do not get them.

From April 2012, internet service providers will no longer be able to advertise maximum speeds for net packages unless 10% of customers actually receive them.

Jamie Stokes is Marketing Assistant at Total Ltd – a business to business service provider, delivering genuine solutions across all core telecommunication services, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Total Ltd is a business that brings together and unifies all the component parts. For up to the minute business telecommunications news, please view the Total Ltd blog

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O2 ‘4G’ LTE mobile data trial begins in London.

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

From today, mobile network O2 will begin to test a next-generation mobile data service in London.

The trial is expected to last nine months and during this time hundreds of consumers and businesses will use a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network which stretches across parts of the city.

It is understood that LTE downloads will be much faster when compared to those over 3G. 

However, whilst O2 describes the service as 4G, the International Telecommunications Union has defined LTE as being 3.9G as it falls short one one gigabit per second transfers.

Those participating in the trial will be given a dongle broadband for use with their computers allowing them to access the 2.6Ghz spectrum.

They have also been promised download speeds of up to 50 megabits per second.

Ofcom plans to hold an auction for the LTE radio spectrum at the end of 2012.

Jamie Stokes is Marketing Assistant at Total Ltd – a business to business service provider, delivering genuine solutions across all core telecommunication services, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Total Ltd is a business that brings together and unifies all the component parts. For up to the minute business telecommunications news, please view the Total Ltd blog

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Digital divide for UK superfast broadband.

Friday, November 11th, 2011

A digital divide is imminent in the UK.

At the recent Westminster eForum it emerged that 10% of the UK will not have access to superfast broadband in the next decade.

Whilst the UK Government continues to set aside funds earmarked for ‘notspots’, speakers at the event suggested they were insufficient.

Similarly, communications giant BT described EU targets for all residents to have speeds of at least 30Mbps (megabits per second) by 2020 as impossible.

In April of this year Japanese electronics firm Fujitsu pledged to provide a fibre-to-the-home network to the areas in the country that look set to be bypassed by the wider rollouts.

However, so far Fujitsu has only placed bids to build fibre networks in Wales, North Yorkshire and Cumbria.

Fujitsu has stated that even with Government funding, there are places within the UK where the business case will not work, including the Highlands and Islands.

BT has estimated that current funding would reach 90% of the UK.

It is understood that those in the 90% could expect speeds of more than 100 megabits before 2020.

Jamie Stokes is Marketing Assistant at Total Ltd – a business to business service provider, delivering genuine solutions across all core telecommunication services, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Total Ltd is a business that brings together and unifies all the component parts. For up to the minute business telecommunications news, please view the Total Ltd blog

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