More than one million hard to reach homes and businesses in the UK will have next generation gigabit broadband built to them in the first phase of a £5 billion (€5.84bn) government infrastructure project. Up to 510,000 homes and businesses in Cambridgeshire, Cornwall, Cumbria, Dorset, Durham, Essex, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Tees Valley will be […]
Julian Knight, Chair of the UK parliament’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, has criticised the Government for its failure to answer questions on how it intends to deliver on its revised-down broadband targets and the roll-out of 5G. In a Report, Broadband and the road to 5G, MPs had warned that Ministers risked failing […]
Official figures published by the BFI’s Research and Statistics Unit reveal strong signs of economic recovery in UK film and high-end TV (HETV) production following months of suspended filming in the wake of the pandemic. The final three months have recorded a £1.19 billion spend in the final quarter of 2020, the second highest spend […]
UK government has shelved its plans to decriminalise non-payment of the TV licence fee but will keep the issue under “active consideration”. DCMS secretary, Oliver Dowden, has been persuaded said switching to a civil enforcement risked being seen as an invitation to evade the fee and could reward those who declined to pay. But he […]
UK Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has confirmed that negotiations over the level of the next BBC licence fee are getting under way and that he has assembled a panel of broadcasting and tech experts to help shape the future of public broadcasting. Writing an opinion piece in UK daily The Telegraph, Dowden says the BBC […]
In a major move to jump start the UK’s cultural and creative sectors following lockdown, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has announced the launch of a Government-backed scheme worth half a billion pounds (€551m) for domestic film and TV productions struggling to get coronavirus-related insurance. The Government has also set out how organisations can apply for […]
UK digital network infrastructure provider Openreach has outlined plans to make ultra-reliable and gigabit-capable FTTP broadband available to more than three million homes and businesses in some of the UK’s hardest to serve communities. This follows a new consultation from industry regulator Ofcom where it proposes that such a build commitment from Openreach is sufficient […]
Sky Studios Elstree, the UK’s new state-of-the-art film and TV studio, has received the green light to proceed with construction works following a unanimous decision by Hertsmere Borough Council. The development represents a significant investment in the UK and European creative economy and will be made with the backing of Sky’s owner Comcast and in […]
Oliver Dowden, the UK Culture Secretary, has brokered agreements that will allow selected international sporting events and production on some of the biggest film and television productions to get underway safely this summer, in a major boost for the nation and its economy. A number of sports stars and their support teams, alongside international film […]
CityFibre, the UK’s third national digital infrastructure platform, is initiating a three-year recruitment and training programme to provide up to 10,000 people with jobs upgrading the UK’s digital infrastructure to full fibre. The Government has made the nationwide deployment of full fibre by 2025 a key target. According to CiyFibre, this critical initiative will underpin […]