This week, Italy’s largest operator TIM has announced that it has signed a non-disclosure agreement with state investment bank Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) to begin official talks for the merger of their fibre network with that of rival Open Fiber.
The government-owned CDP, which owns a 60% stake in Open Fiber and a 10% stake in TIM, has long been in favour of such a merger.
The idea of merging the two companies&rsquo…
Five More Broadband ISPs Sign Scotland’s Full Fibre Charter
The Scottish Government (SG) has announced that five more broadband network providers have committed to supporting Scotland’s Full Fibre Charter, including Borderlink, Cloudnet, Hyperoptic, Lothian Broadband and Virgin Media (VMO2). The charter consists of a series of pledges to help extend full fibre coverage. The original Charter launched in December 2020 and was initially only […]
Government Tells Big UK ISPs to Promote Social Broadband Tariffs
The Government’s Culture Secretary, Nadine Dorries, has increased the pressure on big UK ISPs by calling on them to put more effort into promoting the existence of cheaper “social tariffs” for home broadband, which are usually offered to those who may be unemployed or on certain benefits. A number of broadband ISPs currently offer low […]
ISP Sky Broadband to Launch Gigafast 900Mbps Fibre Package
Credible sources have informed ISPreview that UK ISP Sky Broadband (Comcast, Sky TV) are about to launch a new 900Mbps “Gigafast” package for homes, which will continue to be based off Openreach’s 1000Mbps (115Mbps upload) capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) product tier and should cost £55 per month. As before, you’ll only be able to take this […]
Clarifying Virgin Media Policy on Exit Charges for Off Net Home Moves
Some of Virgin Media’s (VMO2) UK broadband and TV customers have complained that the ISP, which recently scrapped exit fees for those that move into off-net areas (here), is now sending mixed messages by failing to clearly communicate the change and instead stating that Early Disconnection Fees (EDFs) “may” apply. The change, which was introduced […]
The leadership of kindness: Six empathic tactics for telecoms collections teams
In January 2022, research from debt charity StepChange revealed that the number of people finding it hard to keep up with bills and credit commitments has doubled since the start of the pandemic, and that one in three UK households is now struggling. The report reveals that 6.4 million adults are feeling the pressure of debt and that this has negatively impacted health, relationships and the ability to work.
In addition, 15 million people in the UK are worried about paying the rising energy costs. The price of essentials such as food and clothing are rocketing up, as is fuel, leading many to “dive dangerously into debt” just to keep afloat.
Back in March, the UK’s major telecoms companies agreed a set of commitments to support and protect vulnerable people, placing collections right at the centre of their response to ensure customers stay connected and are given some relief from their payment terms. These included removing data allowance caps on all current fixed broadband services and allowing payment holidays.
Despite telecoms adopting support measures…
Special delivery for BT as it partners with DHL
This week, BT has announced that it has scored a major contract with German logistics group DHL, aiming to deploy various technological solutions to support DHL’s operations in 27 European markets.
The 8-year deal will see BT deploy a “flexible, resilient and secure” network for the logistics player, which they are calling a “key enabler” to help DHL digitalise and automate their operations.
The deal builds on a longstanding relationship between the two companies…
Ofcom Increase Automatic Compensation Payments from UK ISPs
One of the few positives to come from the recent inflation surge is that Ofcom has just increased the payment amounts issued to consumers under their automatic compensation system, which requires some UK ISPs to compensate customers (cash or bill credits) for broadband connectivity mishaps and delivery delays. The voluntary system, which first launched on […]
Special delivery for BT as it makes partnership with DHL
This week, BT has announced that it has scored a major contract with German logistics group DHL, aiming to deploy various technological solutions to support DHL’s operations in 27 European markets.
The 8-year deal will see BT deploy a “flexible, resilient and secure” network for the logistics player, which they are calling a “key enabler” to help DHL digitalise and automate their operations.
The deal builds on a longstanding relationship between the two companies…
Vodafone extends Tech Appeal with Refugee Council
Vodafone has donated 3,000 smartphones, connectivity and 1,000 portable chargers to the programme and is extending its popular Tech Appeal, so the UK public and businesses can donate tech to the cause.
This follows Vodafone’s recent announcement that it is offering free connectivity to 200,000 refugees arriving in the UK from Ukraine through its everyone…