Nokia and Vodafone test latency-busting technology

A new internet standard called L4S (Low Latency, Low Loss, and Scalable throughput) has been successfully tested by Vodafone and Nokia Bell Labs.

In tests simulating a heavily congested fibre-to-the-home broadband connection over Wi-Fi, the companies reduced latency from 550 milliseconds to just 12 milliseconds. With an ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi, the latency dropped even further to only 1.05 milliseconds.

Latency over 100ms can cause noticeable lags during...

3 April 2024 | Broadband

FCC denies spectrum request for Starlink’s mobile service

SpaceX's plans to expand Starlink to provide mobile services have encountered a roadblock as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) dismissed the company's application to use several spectrum bands.

Starlink – the satellite internet division of SpaceX – is seeking approval to use up to 7,500 second-generation satellites with spectrum in the 1.6 GHz, 2 GHz, and 2.4 GHz bands to provide mobile services.

However, the FCC's Space Bureau ruled this week that SpaceX's...

28 March 2024 | 5G

UK led European full fibre rollout in 2023 but lags in uptake

The UK added 4.7 million homes to its full fibre broadband footprint in the year leading up to September 2023, outpacing every other European country.

According to the latest market report from the FTTH Council Europe, this rapid expansion brought the UK's total fibre homes passed to 17.1 million—ranking it third in Europe behind France (26.3 million) and Turkey (18 million).

Given the UK's population size and need to catch up on fibre deployment, its leading position...

21 March 2024 | Broadband

UK Government urges more telecoms infrastructure sharing

The UK government is urging telecoms companies to prioritise sharing existing infrastructure like telegraph poles before installing new ones for broadband deployment. 

In a letter to the telecoms industry, Julia Lopez, the Minister of State for Data and Digital Infrastructure, cited increasing public concerns around the "duplication of overhead fibre networks" across the country.

Lopez said MPs have relayed constituents' frustrations about feeling they have no control...

15 March 2024 | Broadband

Toshiba and Orange demo quantum-secure fibre data transmission

Toshiba and Orange have achieved significant milestones in quantum-secure data transmission. Through a meticulous series of evaluations, the two companies have showcased the practicality of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology in safeguarding data transmitted over fibre optic networks.

The evaluations, which were carried out in laboratory settings, encompassed several key achievements. 

Initially, the tests demonstrated the co-existence of QKD alongside a high...

22 February 2024 | Broadband

Virgin Media O2 launches UK’s first 2Gbps residential broadband 

Virgin Media O2 has become the first major UK broadband provider to launch a residential 2Gbps service, dubbed Gig2, and introduce symmetrical download and upload speeds across all speed tiers as an optional add-on for customers.

The new blisteringly fast Gig2 broadband service, which offers speeds more than 28 times faster than the UK average, is enabled by XGS-PON full-fibre technology and builds on Virgin Media's existing 1Gbps Gig1 service.

Gig2 will be available...

7 February 2024 | Broadband

Comcast agrees to stop misleading ’10G’ marketing

Comcast has agreed to discontinue its "Xfinity 10G Network" brand name following a ruling that deemed the term misleading. The decision, handed down by the National Advertising Review Board (NARB), comes after challenges from industry rivals.

Verizon and T-Mobile both challenged Comcast's advertising of "10G," a term cable companies have used since 2019 to refer to potential 10Gbps connections. Those speeds are much faster than what Comcast's standard cable networks can currently...

1 February 2024 | Broadband

BT updates price hike policy ahead of new regulations

BT is overhauling its policy on mid-contract price hikes ahead of strict new regulations being imposed by the UK's communications regulator Ofcom. The company said it will stop linking price rises to inflation and instead specify clearly in monetary terms what increases customers can expect. 

The move comes after Ofcom found last year that the way telecoms companies raise prices lacks transparency and can be confusing for consumers. Under BT's current model, tariffs are adjusted...

17 January 2024 | 5G

Wi-Fi Alliance begins Wi-Fi 7 certification

The Wi-Fi Alliance has begun the certification process for Wi-Fi 7, ushering in a new era of wireless connectivity. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 provides confidence to end-users they’ll benefit from new features designed to enhance performance and connectivity across various environments.

The latest iteration of Wi-Fi promises significant advancements, catering to emerging technologies such as multi-user augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and extended reality (XR). The...

9 January 2024 | Broadband

Connected Nations: UK full-fibre broadband reaches 17M homes

A record-breaking 17 million UK homes now have access to full-fibre broadband, according to Ofcom's latest Connected Nations report released today.

The report highlights the advantages of full-fibre broadband, emphasising its increased reliability and resilience compared to traditional copper-based networks. 4.6 million households have already made the switch.

Analysis indicates that providers experience fewer faults on their fibre networks, contributing to a smoother...

19 December 2023 | Broadband