UK Government pledges £800M towards rural broadband upgrade

Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses across rural Britain, long plagued by sluggish internet speeds, are set for a major connectivity upgrade as the UK Government pledges up to £800 million to modernise broadband infrastructure.

For the first time, Wales – currently lagging behind with the lowest percentage of gigabit coverage – will benefit from the scheme. Remote areas such as the South Wales Valleys, Exmoor National Park, and the Forest of Bowland will finally...

13 August 2024 | Broadband

Bharti Enterprises to acquire majority stake in BT

Bharti Enterprises has announced plans to acquire a majority stake in BT, the UK’s largest broadband and mobile provider.

Bharti will purchase approximately 24.5% of BT Group from its current top shareholder, Altice. The acquisition will be executed through Bharti Global, the international investment arm of Bharti Enterprises.

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, commented on the historical significance of this move: "Bharti and BT have an...

12 August 2024 | 5G

France hit by coordinated attacks on telecom infrastructure

France has been targeted by a new wave of sabotage attacks, this time focusing on telecom operators. The incidents occurred on Sunday night and have affected fibre optic networks across six regions of the country.

French authorities have confirmed that installations belonging to major telecom providers SFR and Bouygues Telecom were vandalised. The attacks appear to be well-coordinated, with damage reported in southern France and near the Luxembourg border, as well as in areas...

29 July 2024 | Broadband

T-Mobile and KKR to broaden US fibre network with Metronet acquisition

T-Mobile and KKR announce strategic acquisition of Metronet to broaden U.S. fibre network

T-Mobile has entered into a joint venture (JV) with KKR to acquire Metronet in a move that will significantly expand T-Mobile's fibre footprint. Metronet, it's worth noting, is currently the fastest-growing pure-play fibre company in the US.

"This is a unique opportunity and a smart, capital-efficient deal that enables T-Mobile to profitably build on our success in broadband and provide fast, affordable, and reliable connectivity options to millions more customers nationwide as a...

25 July 2024 | Broadband

Ofcom cracks down on unpredictable telecom price hikes

Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, will require telecoms providers to clearly state any price increases in pounds and pence upfront, giving customers more certainty about their monthly outgoings.

The new regulations are set to take effect from 17 January 2025 and come in response to the growing trend of major UK phone, broadband, and pay TV companies including inflation-linked price rises in their contracts. Ofcom found that this practice left customers without sufficient...

19 July 2024 | 5G

FCC moves to strengthen internet routing security

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has unveiled a proposal aimed at bolstering the security of America's networks against cyberattacks by improving internet routing security.

The new initiative mandates that ISPs produce confidential reports detailing their efforts and plans to address vulnerabilities in the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), a fundamental technical protocol used for routing information across the internet.

Under the proposal, the largest broadband...

7 June 2024 | Broadband

FCC votes to restore net neutrality protections

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to reinstate net neutrality protections, marking a significant shift in policy that aims to ensure the internet remains fast, open, and fair for all users. The decision comes after years of public outcry and regulatory shifts that saw the rollback of previous net neutrality rules.

The rules prohibit Internet service providers from blocking and throttling lawful content and ban paid prioritisation. Cable and telecom companies...

26 April 2024 | Broadband

FCC to decide on net neutrality’s future

The FCC is gearing up for a vote aimed at regaining regulatory power over ISPs and reinstating federal net neutrality rules discarded by the Trump administration in 2017. Net neutrality is designed to ensure that the choices of internet users, not ISPs, dictate online activities.

Early in April, the FCC revealed its draft rules, which have since garnered praise for various reasons. Notably, the rules demand an end to the practice by mobile carriers such as T-Mobile, AT&T, and...

17 April 2024 | Broadband

US ISPs must display broadband ‘nutrition’ labels from today

US internet service providers with over 100,000 subscribers must now display standardised broadband labels that lay out the true costs, speeds, and data caps for their services.

The new rules from the Federal Communications Commission take effect today in response to widespread complaints about hidden fees and misleading marketing tactics used by broadband companies.

"For too long, the ISP industry has gotten away with burying the true cost of their services in fine...

10 April 2024 | Broadband

Virgin Media O2 launches ‘smart support’ to proactively solve issues

Virgin Media O2 has begun rolling out a new "smart support" service aimed at proactively solving broadband issues for customers at no extra cost.

According to the company's research, over a third (34%) of British broadband users wouldn't feel confident trying to fix WiFi issues themselves—despite 98 percent relying on the internet daily.

The smart support service promises to enhance streaming, video calling, and gaming by monitoring customers' WiFi hubs and connection...

8 April 2024 | Broadband