Advanced Television

ISP

Ofcom plans to ease multi-play switching

Customers of landline, broadband and pay-TV services would be able to switch from one network to another with greater ease and confidence, under proposals from UK comms regulator Ofcom. According to the watchdog, people can face particular problems when switching between providers whose services are delivered using different networks. Some are even put off switching […]

August 1, 2016

Spain: Orange triples TV subs

Orange Spain has tripled its TV subscribers over the last 12 months to 381,000 as of June 30th, a rise driven by top-flight football offers and convergence packages. 83 per cent of its broadband customer base are now subscribed to some sort of multi-play offer. The company has also increased the number of its broadband […]

July 28, 2016From David Del Valle in Madrid

Openreach escapes sell-off

Openreach, BT’s infrastructure business, has escaped being split from the telco under detailed plans proposed by regulator Ofcom to make digital communications work for everyone, but faces major reform, with the recommendation that it become a distinct company, with its own Board. Plans announced earlier in 2016 to deliver a step-change in telecoms services for […]

July 26, 2016By Colin Mann

Openreach: BT and industry response

In response to Ofcom’s proposals to make Openreach more accountable, BT confirmed it had volunteered “significant” governance changes to further increase the independence and transparency of the unit. It believes these unprecedented changes, elements of which have been welcomed by Ofcom, can form the basis for a fair, proportionate and sustainable regulatory settlement. They can also […]

July 26, 2016By Colin Mann

Orange Q2 sales stutter

Orange’s sales recovery stuttered in Q2 as competition in the French mobile-phone market weighed on wireless revenue, offsetting increasing demand for broadband services. Sales were little changed at just over €10 billion. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation rose 0.1 per cent on a comparable basis to €3.34 billion. Sales are stuttering after […]

July 26, 2016

ACCC calls for better broadband speed info

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission wants to see consumers provided with better information about broadband speeds, to improve competition and consumer outcomes in the retail broadband market. A discussion paper calls for views on how consumer information about broadband speed and performance can be improved. The ACCC is concerned about the current lack of […]

July 26, 2016

BT concessions to try and keep Openreach

BT Group will form a separate board for its Openreach business in a bid to persuade regulator Ofcom the company should not be split off. Shaken by political criticism and the threat of break up, BT chairman Sir Mike Rake has said there will be a board and separate investment control for Openreach. Competitors and […]

July 25, 2016

BT broadband breaks down, again

For the second time in the two days following BT Openreach’s heavy criticism from MPs, BT and Plusnet users customers have suffered service outages because of power cuts at datacentres. BT said that connectivity returned to normal by 13:45 BST, though some larger businesses may still have had problems. There were reports of other organisations […]

July 21, 2016

MPs criticise BT Openreach

A cross-party group of MPs says BT is “significantly under investing” in Openreach, its infrastructure subsidiary. Based on a report – Establishing world-class connectivity throughout the UK – commissioned from a panel of independent experts, the Culture, Media and Sport Committee concluded the shortfall in investment could potentially be hundreds of millions of pounds a […]

July 19, 2016By Colin Mann

UK ISP calls for ministerial change

UK broadband ISP Entanet has published an open letter to newly-appointed Prime Minister Theresa May urging her to replace current Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy, Ed Vaizey MP, with someone who has the ability to understand the communications industry from a technical perspective. May is currently in the process of allocating […]

July 15, 2016By Colin Mann