UK ISP Origin Broadband Trials Taking on New Customers Again
Internet provider Origin Broadband, which is a trading name for Origin Communications and OB Telecom (TalkTalk), appears to have re-opened their order system to new broadband customers after closing it some months ago. The ISP is currently only available to those covered by Openreach’s national network. An Origin spokesperson told ISPreview: “Origin offers a broad range of connectivity solutions that can support the digital needs of any home. As part of that, we are carrying out a small-scale...
Connexin Calls on UK Gov to Recognise LPWAN as Critical Infrastructure
Fixed wireless operator and broadband ISP Connexin has today called on the UK government to expand its focus beyond full fibre and 5G mobile by recognising Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN / LoRaWAN), which are often used to help connect small IoT style sensors and meters, as “critical infrastructure“. Connexin, which is also involved in its own roll-out FTTP broadband technologies, is separately a member of the LoRa Alliance (LoRo = Long Range), a membership organisation where industry...
Virgin Media O2 Adopt New UK Pricing Policy for Broadband, TV and Mobile
Broadband and mobile operator Virgin Media and O2 (VMO2) have today become the latest ISP to adopt Ofcom’s new guidance on inflation-linked annual broadband price rises. In practice, this means that new and re-contracting (upgrading) customers will be hit by a flat price increase of up to £3.50 (monthly) each April. The new policy reflects the regulator’s earlier move to BAN broadband ISPs and mobile operators from doing mid-contract price hikes that are linked to confusing inflation and...
Dorset Claims to be Deploying UK’s First WiFi-connected Steam Train
People travelling on the tourist focused Swanage Railway in Dorset (England), which is a heritage railway attraction that operates full-size steam and diesel passenger trains along the 5+ miles of line from Norden to Corfe Castle and down to the seaside town of Swanage, will soon gain access to onboard WiFi thanks to a new project. The Dorset Council teamed up with tech company Excelerate Technology UK to bring mobile network and satellite-powered (Low Earth Orbit) public WiFi to Purbeck Park...
Ofcom Move Forward with UK 5G Mobile Auction for 26GHz and 40GHz
The UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has today published the final draft auction regulations for its plan to auction off a large chunk of millimetre wave (mmW) radio spectrum frequency in the 26GHz and 40GHz bands, which will be used by mobile operators to deliver faster 5G (mobile broadband) services – mostly in urban areas. At present EE (BT), O2 (Virgin Media), Vodafone and Three UK already have access to several 5G bands between 700MHz and 3.8GHz. Such frequencies reflect the same sort of...
Google Pixel Owners Suffer UK Mobile Calling Problems on Spusu
Some customers of SIM-Only mobile operator spusu, specifically those that own various particular models of Google’s popular Pixel Smartphones, have been complaining that they often struggle to make or receive calls on the operator’s network when connected via 4G (VoLTE). But efforts are underway to resolve the problem. Before we get started it’s important to point out that Google’s Pixel phones have developed somewhat of a reputation for calling related problems via Voice-over-LTE and also...
EE UK to Withdraw Mobile Shared Number Service from Apple Devices
Mobile operator EE last week began informing users of their Smart Number (Shared Number) service that they will discontinue support for Apple’s iPad and MacBook devices on 9th December 2024. The service gives customers the ability to make and receive calls and texts using the same number across multiple devices. The Smart Number service was originally launched back in June 2018 (here), although users of this feature were recently surprised when they received the following message (credits to...
O2 and Vodafone UK Users Suffer Month of Poor Signal in Cullingworth
Customers of mobile operators O2 and Vodafone in the West Yorkshire (England) village of Cullingworth have struggled to get a usable network service for over a month after one of Cornerstone’s (CTIL) local masts suffered a power cut. But a “safety related defect on the structure” appears to be delaying repairs. The mast in question (eNB 522652), which is pictured on this article, went offline on 2nd October 2024 and has remained down since then – causing some degree of anger among local...
ADN unleashes new momentum for networks with intelligence
Viewpoint [Bangkok, Thailand, November 5, 2024] TM Forum, a leading authority in the ICT industry, successfully hosted the Innovate Asia 2024. There, Dr. Philip (Xiaodi) Song, Chief Marketing Officer for Huawei Carrier Business, delivered a keynote speech titled “ADN Unleashes New Momentum for Networks with Intelligence.” He shared details about Huawei’s innovative AI Copilot and Agent applications, designed to help communications service providers (CSPs) evolve towards Autonomous Networks...
VMO2 launches UK’s first 5G standalone small cells in Birmingham
News The installments will boost connectivity for the city’s residents Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) has introduced the UK’s first 5G standalone (SA) small cells in Birmingham, boosting mobile connectivity in some of the city’s busiest areas, it claimed in a press release this week. These new 5G small cells, installed on street furniture around Broad Street and Fleet Street, are designed to improve mobile capacity where demand is highest. Initial performance data suggests that the new 5G SA cells...