UK broadcast regulator Ofcom has provisionally concluded that the BBC can go ahead with planned changes to BBC iPlayer, subject to certain conditions and guidance. The BBC wants to change BBC iPlayer from a 30-day catch up service, to one where programmes are available for 12 months as standard, with some available for longer. As […]
The C-Band Alliance (CBA) has submitted its FUEL (Flexible Use and Efficient Licensing) auction plan to the Federal Communications Commission on June 11th to cover the proposed reallocation of 180 MHz of satellite spectrum for 5G use. The comprehensive White Paper has been issued following extensive meetings with the FCC on June 6th-7th, and the […]
Fifty breakthrough UK businesses and projects harnessing creativity and technology are featured in a report published at the Createch 2019 conference, part of London Technology Week. The Ones to Watch report was launched at the annual Createch event, hosted by the Creative Industries Council (CIC) to bring together industry leaders, international delegations and attendees from […]
Up to 3.7 million UK pensioners who previously received a free TV licence will now have to pay for it. The BBC will abort blanket free licences for over-75s from June 2020. Any household with someone aged over 75 who receives Pension Credit will be eligible for a free TV licence funded by the BBC […]
Last week a meeting was held, hosted by the Technology Policy Institute in Washington DC, to hear various presentations and submissions on the increasingly vexed proposal by the C-Band Alliance to restructure 180 MHz of satellite spectrum over the US to help speed the roll-out of 5G. The meeting was held to review – and […]
A ban on telecoms equipment from Huawei would add about €55 billion to the cost of 5G networks in Europe and cause delay of about 18 months, according to reports seen by Reuters. The US added Huawei to a trade blacklist in May putting pressure on European countries to follow suit. The cost estimate is […]
YouTube’s plans to take down videos promoting hate speech and extremism – by removing thousands of videos promoting neo-Nazism, white supremacy and bigotry – continues Google’s modus operandi of taking action only when public dissent builds to a boil, according to the Digital Citizens Alliance (DCA), Speaking on the matter, Tom Galvin, executive director of […]
Media regulator Ofcom has confirmed that it will not conduct a formal competition assessment of the deal between BBC Studios and Discovery on UKTV. In April, BBC Studios and Discovery announced an agreement on the future of their UKTV joint venture. Under the terms, Discovery takes full control of UKTV’s lifestyle channels, while BBC Studios […]
A US Trade Commission judge has found that some Comcast receivers infringe TiVo patents, although also determined that another TiVo patent was invalid. Judge MaryJoan McNamara is also studying Comcast for infringing six Rovi/TiVo patents including: X1 Sports App, multi-room DVR features, and set-top box integrations of apps like Netflix. This is the second time […]
The US government is gearing up to investigate whether Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google misuse their market power with what could be an unprecedented, wide-ranging probe. The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice have divided oversight over the four companies, reports Reuters, with Amazon and Facebook under the watch of the FTC, and […]