New research released by the U.K.’s telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has flagged up significant growth in social networking among older Internet users — which is helping to offset lower rates of growth in younger age groups. The report indicates that more than a third (35%) of 55 to 64 year-old Internet users created a social networking profile last year — up by half in just one year (24% in 2011). → Read More
The U.K. has the highest proportion of online individuals out of the five leading economies in the EU, according to telecoms regulator Ofcom which has compared the U.K.’s fixed and mobile broadband performance to France, Germany, Italy and Spain. It’s just one of the metrics Ofcom is tracking, having been tasked by the U.K. government to produce regular European broadband scorecard reports. → Read More
Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, has just announced the winners of the UK spectrum auctions for 4G spectrum on the low-frequency 800MHz band, used for LTE and other mobile broadband services. The list is an attempt at playing fair: it includes fixed line incumbent BT; major mobile carriers Vodafone, Telefonica/O2, and EE; as well as smaller mobile upstart Three. → Read More
The fallout from Ofcom’s March 2012 decision to allow the company now known as EE to refarm existing 2G spectrum to build a 4G network continues. Now EE’s rivals, Vodafone and Three, have asked the U.K. telecoms regulator to liberalise their existing spectrum holdings to allow them to run 4G services too. → Read More
It’s taken a long time for the U.K. telecoms regulator to be in a position to fire the starting gun on the auction for 4G-suitable spectrum but bidding to acquire the up to 250 MHz of additional mobile spectrum in the 800Mhz and 2.6GHz frequencies has now got underway. The total reserve price for the spectrum has been set at £1.36 billion. → Read More
U.K. telecoms regulator Ofcom is proposing to change the rules on fixed contracts for mobile, landline and broadband services to prevent providers forcing price hikes on existing customers. Ofcom’s current rules are open to interpretation — since comms providers only have to allow consumers to exit a contract without penalty when a contractual term change is likely to be of ‘material detriment’. → Read More
The U.K.’s 4G auction process has kicked off, with bidders having until 16:00 GMT today to submit their bids, along with a £100,000 deposit. The window for bidders to submit opened at 10:00 GMT this morning. The spectrum going under the hammer sits in the 800MHZ and 2.6GHz bands — and has been deemed suitable for 4G/LTE services. → Read More
With Europe preparing for a big vote next week on ACTA, the sweeping online copyright and counterfeit trade treaty, today the UK regulator Ofcom set out a proposal for how large ISPs in this country (ie more than 400,000) should tell their users when they’ve been found to be infringing on copyright — illegal activity that the government estimates costs the industry up to £400 million per year in… → Read More
Austin, TX
Seattle, WA
San Diego, CA
Menlo Park, CA
Boston, MA
Disrupt Europe: Berlin Hackathon
Berlin, Germany
