US telco AT&T will pay $2.5 billion (E1.76bn) to Aloha Partners LP for a prized chunk of unused television frequencies, in a deal that sets the stage for a major upgrade of its nationwide broadband network. The deal demonstrates the telecom industry’s interest in a large and valuable segment of broadcast frequencies known as the […]

The head of Ofcom’s independent consumer panel has sent letters to the bosses of the UK’s top six broadband providers asking why customers often fail to get the connection speeds they are promised. The enquiry to BT, Tiscali and TalkTalk “follows increasing consumer concern about broadband speeds”. Broadband providers often say they offer speeds “up […]

BitTorrent, whose P2P technology has been said to be responsible for more than 40 per cent of Internet traffic, are opening up their file share technology through a new interface service; BitTorrent DNA (Delivery Network Accelerator). In February, the privately held company opened an online video store to sell videos licensed from Hollywood studios. Now […]

Cisco has revealed that Hanaro Telecom, Korea’s major broadband service provider, has chosen Cisco’s standards-based channel-bonding technology for the world’s largest deployment of 100-megabits-per-second broadband services, now reaching more 200,000 customers. Through Cisco’s multiservice cable broadband technology, Hanaro Telecom was able to deploy the 100Mbps wideband services market ahead of its competitors.

Phone network O2 will launch its O2 Broadband service on October 15. With recent consumer surveys showing consistently that consumers are dissatisfied with their broadband provider. O2 say their broadband will be simple to set up and use with a one step plug-and-play set up through the O2 wireless box with automatic configuration O2 has […]

IBM, in collaboration with UTStarcom, has commenced work for Bharat Sanchar Nigam. (BSNL) to provide end-to-end networking solutions and services for the deployment of 2.8 million lines of DSLAM (Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer) in approximately 900 cities throughout India. BSNL will use the network to deliver real-time applications and high-speed Internet, and to effectively […]

Existing broadband networks would be unable to cope with future bandwidth-hungry applications such as high-definition television, Ofcom has warned, as it unveiled proposals to encourage investment in ultra-fast networks. Ed Richards, CEO, said that it was possible that companies other than BT, the former state fixed-line phone monopoly, and Virgin Media, the cable TV group, […]

The wholesale division of BT Group is to provide landline services for Orange customers as part of Orange’s push to offer mobile, fixed line, broadband and TV services. The agreement will allow Orange to offer a fixed-line telephony service under its own brand but managed and maintained by BT Wholesale. Orange customers will need to […]

BT may be dropping its traditional opposition to constructing a super-fast fibre network. Ian Livingston, head of BT's retail division, told the FT that the company would discuss investing in an ultra-fast network with the government and regulators at a summit in November or December. Such a network would require capex in the order of […]

Some cable subscribers are suing to get their programming a la carte. A multimillion-dollar class-action suit has been filed against the major cable programmers and operators for violating antitrust laws by bundling programming in expanded basic tiers. In a suit filed by veteran antitrust attorney Maxwell Blecher on behalf of 14 cable and satellite subscribers […]