Broadband ISP Zen Internet UK to Launch Wi-Fi 7 Router and 2Gbps FTTP
Rochdale-base broadband ISP Zen Internet today claims to have beaten BT (EE) to become the “first major provider” to launch a WiFi 7 (802.11be) capable router for customers on their full fibre (FTTP) packages, which reflects the outcome of their partnership with Amazon. The provider also confirmed that their first “up to” 2Gbps plans will launch this autumn. Sadly, there’s a bit of a catch in the aforementioned claim. Zen’s new “gigabit-plus” (i.e. speeds of “up to” 2Gbps) broadband package(s)...
Singtel partners with Bridge Alliance to boost GPUaaS offering
News The new partnership will see Singtel’s GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) service launched in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia Earlier this year, Singtel announced a new partnership with NVIDIA focussed on developing AI infrastructure services, all of which will be hosted by Singtel’s regional data centre business, Nxera. At the time, the CEO of Nxera and Singtel’s Digital InfraCo Bill Chang described the deal as “democratising access for enterprises, startups, government agencies and research...
15,000 customers now connected to LilaConnect’s lightning-fast gigabit full fibre network
Retail ISP and specialist broadband provider, LilaConnect has announced it has surpassed 15,000 connected customers. The milestone is another step forward in its vision, and commitment, to providing UK homes and businesses with best-in-class full fibre internet connectivity. This is in line with the UK government’s target to have full-fibre technology available nationwide by 2030. Unlike other regular broadband connections, or ADSL, that use copper wires to transmit data, all LilaConnect...
Lichfield tops UK broadband speed rankings
News In a new study by UK broadband comparison site Broadband Genie, the city of Lichfield in Staffordshire has been crowned the UK’s fastest for broadband in 2024. Canterbury, Kent, remains the slowest for the second year running For the study, Broadband Genie conducted 149,187 home speed tests in cities across the country over a 12-month period. In order for a city to be counted, it needed a minimum of 150 speed tests in the area from residential connections. Broadband winners and losers ...
Ericsson sells iconectiv to Koch Equity for $1bn
News The company has been in Ericsson’s portfolio for over a decade Ericsson has announced it will sell its US subsidiary, iconectiv, to Koch Equity Development, for SEK 10.6 billion ($1 billion). The sale is expected to be finalised in the first half of 2025, subject to regulatory approval. Ericsson expects to see a one-time gain of around SEK 8.8 billion ($800,000) in its earnings once the transaction has completed. Based in New Jersey, USA, iconectiv specialises in network number...
UK tech minister calls on telcos to limit use of telegraph poles
News The new Labour government has told telcos they must be more mindful of community concerns when deploying infrastructure or else laws may be changed to protect the public interest The UK technology minister Chris Bryant has penned an open letter to the UK’s network operators reiterating the government’s commitment to nationwide gigabit-capable broadband but encouraging operators to avoid deploying poles wherever possible. The letter says that industry players must work more collaboratively...
Confusion as BT and EE TV Remove Original BBC Recording Feature
Customers of UK broadband ISP BT and EE, specifically those who also take their internet-connected pay TV service and use the Pro Box in ‘Internet Mode‘ (i.e. streaming live channels rather than using an aerial), will find that they face new limitations on their ability to record and re-watch BBC content from 21st August 2024. Until now those with ‘Internet Mode’ enabled on the related set-top-box could still record TV content directly to local storage on their Pro Box from the streamed BBC...
Mobile UK Claim Half of People Would Welcome Mobile Mast on their Street
A new survey of over 1,000 adults conducted by industry trade body Mobile UK, which represents mobile operators Three UK, EE (BT), O2 (Virgin Media) and Vodafone, has claimed that 51% of respondents are not bothered or would welcome a new mobile mast on their street to help improve service performance and reliability. The How Connected Are You? (PDF) survey, which attempts to gauge both the public perceptions of mobile connectivity and attitudes towards mobile infrastructure in the UK, found...
O2 UK Launch Cheaper Mobile Social Tariff for People on State Benefits
Mobile network operator O2 (Virgin Media) has today launched a new 4G and 5G mobile plan to support UK people on low incomes, which is a low-cost data (mobile broadband), calls and texts (SMS) plan that is only available to those on eligible state benefits and costs just £10 per month. The new ‘Essential Plan’ is available for both new and existing customers who receive a range of benefit payments, and comes with 10GB of mobile data, plus unlimited calls and texts. The plan can be taken as a...
BT Warn UK Lift Operators Not to Leave Users Trapped by Analogue Phone Switch Off
The CEO of telecoms and broadband provider BT Business, Bas Burger, has written a new letter to critical national infrastructure customers this week, including the likes of lift operators and medical equipment, which warns them of the need to switchover to a digital phone solution before the old analogue (PSTN) service is switched-off. Just to recap. The big switch-off was recently delayed to 31st January 2027 in order to give broadband ISPs / phone providers, telecare providers and consumers...