Sky UK Launches New Essentials TV Package for £15 Monthly
Sky (Sky Broadband, Sky Mobile etc.) has today announced the launch of their new entry-level Essential TV package, which includes some premium channels and also brings those together with Netflix and discovery+ content from just £15 per month. This is available via their internet-based Sky Stream and Sky Glass platforms. Just to be clear, the new Essential TV package includes Sky Atlantic, Netflix Standard with Ads and discovery+, as well as 100 free to air channels like BBC, ITV, Channel 4,...
Neos Networks Expands UK Partnership with CityFibre’s Network
Network operator Neos Networks, which runs one of the biggest 34,000km long business fibre networks in the UK – spanning 550 exchanges, 90+ data centres and 676 Points of Presence (PoPs), has announced that they’ve expanded their strategic partnership with wholesale fibre optic FTTP broadband builder CityFibre to boost Ethernet availability. In case anybody has forgotten, CityFibre and Neos Networks have long had a partnership that enables both sides to take more advantage of each other’s...
EE UK Helicopters in New 4G Mast to Boost Mobile Cover on Skye
Mobile network operator EE (BT) has boosted 4G based mobile (mobile broadband) coverage across the Central and Northern parts of the remote rural Isle of Skye in Scotland. The operator used a helicopter to bring in a new mast, which has been strategically located among trees to minimise its visual impact on the natural surroundings. The mast is said to provide more than 330,000 square metres of enhanced 4G mobile coverage across both central and northern parts of the island, with a primary...
TfL Complete 4G Mobile Rollout for the Elizabeth Line in London
The latest update from Transport for London (TfL) and Boldyn Networks has today revealed that they’ve completed the work to bring 4G and 5G mobile (mobile broadband) coverage to the entire Elizabeth Line, including tunnelled sections in between stations, which can be harnessed by mobile operators including EE, Vodafone, Three UK and O2. Just to recap. Boldyn Networks (formerly BAI), using kit from Nokia and others, currently holds a 20-year concession deal with TfL, which was signed in June...
Flotek to Supply Full Fibre Services via Elevate’s New Cardiff Hypercity Network
Network operator Elevate Wholesale (formerly Telcom) has today announced its first strategic ISP and comms provider partner, Flotek, for the new Hypercity fibre optic broadband and Ethernet network that they’ve been contracted to build across Cardiff in South Wales. Just to recap. The Cardiff Council (Gyngor Caerdydd) has long been aware that patches of the city still lack any commercial upgrade plans for gigabit broadband and suffer from sub-30Mbps broadband speeds, which is what they’ve been...
Mobile Operator Three UK Introduce RCS Support for iOS with v18.2
Mobile network operator Three UK has this week begun issuing text messages to customers on Apple’s iPhone devices, which confirms that they will officially introduce support for Rich Communications Services (RCS) with the release of the next iOS 18.2 update – due on 9th December 2024. The feature, which is also known as Enhanced Chat, is an open protocol or standard (like SMS or MMS) that uses your data (mobile broadband) connection and enables a set of enhanced features on messaging apps that...
US-China trade war flares as both sides introduce new chip tech restrictions
News New US export controls on semiconductor technology this week have been met immediately by retaliatory measures from China This week has seen the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ramp up controls on its tech exports to China, particularly those related to the manufacture of semiconductors. The additional restrictions cover 24 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment and three types of software tools for developing or producing semiconductors. It also...
Poverty Alliance Claims Millions in UK Choosing Between Broadband and Food
The Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA) has highlighted new data from Point Topic’s UK broadband affordability tracker as helping to show that the “cost-of-living crisis isn’t getting any easier“, with a digital divide still existing that is allegedly “forcing millions to choose between broadband and food.” First things first, most of our readers will no doubt already be familiar with the fact that you can often access cheaper and faster broadband services in areas of greater physical network...
Netomnia to Build FTTP Broadband into Peabody’s UK Homes
Broadband network operator Netomnia (inc. Brsk and YouFibre) has today announced that they’ve signed a deal to expand their 10Gbps full fibre network into properties managed and owned by Peabody (inc. subsidiaries). This is a not-for-profit housing association that serves thousands of residents across their housing stock in Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire and Kent (England). The new deal reflects a “non-exclusive framework wayleave agreement” (i.e. a legal land/property access agreement), which...
One cable to rule them all: Meta’s $10bn plan to build global subsea cable
News The company currently has shared ownership of 16 subsea cables worldwide Meta is planning a $10 billion subsea cable project spanning 40,000 kilometres around the world, according to a new report from TechCrunch, citing two confirmed sources close to the company. Known for now as “W” in reference to its shape, this new system will be Meta’s first fully owned global subsea cable, connecting the east coast of the US to South Africa, India, Australia, and ultimately the west coast of...