Blog Archive - December 2010

Tuesday, December 29th 2009

If the economic downturn has taught us anything, it is that many of us can get by with what we have. However, is the world of broadband one area where we should be showing a bit more ambition?

New research from ISPreview.co.uk has revealed that broadband customers focus on reliability rather than speed when selecting a new provider. While over a third of us demand more powerful connections, over 40 per cent are happy to ensure they can get online above anything else.

Thursday, December 24th 2009

Tiscali customers may have braced themselves for the upheaval of TalkTalk's takeover, but they could be affected more than they realise.

TalkTalk has now said all Tiscali broadband-only subscribers must transfer across to its phone line rental service if they wish to avoid extra charges in the new year.

As ISPreview has reported, customers who do not make the upgrade will face paying an extra £60 per year for web access.

This is because TalkTalk – the telecommunications arm of broadband provider Carphone Warehouse – is raising the monthly cost of its newly-acquired broadband-only deal from £14.99 to £19.99.

Tuesday, December 22nd 2009

With Christmas fast approaching, a quick walk down the high street is likely to bring a sackful of savings and special offers to your attention. The same can be said of broadband at the moment, but be warned – a few top deals are set to expire over the festive period.

Yesterday (December 21st) saw the end of Sky's offer of a £50 Marks & Spencer voucher with its digital TV packages, while consumers have until the end of today to buy a pre-pay mobile broadband dongle from O2 at half price for just £14.67.

In addition, customers can get 12 months on Be Value's package at £6.75 a month if they enter the code 'halfprice' when signing up to the company online.

Monday, December 21st 2009

What will the year 2012 mean to you? Well, for most people in the UK it is expected to be a time of celebration, due to the London Olympics. However, a recent film suggested we should not get too excited, as the world could end. So, should we be excited or terrified of the year?

BT has suggested that it will be a time for optimism and wants to offer an extra boost. According to the Financial Times, the company is intending to ensure its fibre optic broadband network is up and running by June 2012, a month before the Olympics kicks off.

Friday, December 18th 2009

Broadband services in the UK are great value! That is the verdict of new research published by communications regulator Ofcom.

Despite many consumers having some frustrations with the quality of connections and speeds, it appears that Brits have little to complain about when it comes to the price they pay for home broadband.

New pricing analysis from the body found that families in the UK have the chance to pay less for internet, mobile phones and digital TV services than households in Italy, Germany, France, Spain and the US by taking up the cheapest deals available.

Ed Richards, chief executive of Ofcom, put the good value down to the competition provided to UK consumers via switching services.

Wednesday, December 16th 2009

Are you struggling to think of gifts for your family over the festive period? Well, Brits who live with telly addicts may want to consider going high definition (HD) over Christmas.

The concept of digital TV featuring a high level of picture quality has been around for a while now, but it is becoming increasingly common in homes across the UK. In addition, providers such as Sky have a range of offers in place to encourage more and more people to sign up.

As well as currently offering a free Sky+HD box to those who take up its basic TV pack, Sky Movies 1 or 2 and HD pack for 12 months, the company has recently expanded the range of content available through such services.

Monday, December 14th 2009

What's the most important aspect of broadband? Ask any subscriber at the moment and they are likely to mention speed. Recent figures from TalkTalk highlighted this, as they revealed 70 per cent of people get frustrated when they have to wait over a minute for a webpage to load.

Coincidentally, TalkTalk is one broadband provider that is making moves to ensure their customers are getting the fastest service available. From January 1st, all of the company's subscribers will be offered broadband speeds of up to 24Mbps as standard.

Friday, December 11th 2009

A few eyebrows were raised in June this year when Virgin Media revealed plans to not only launch a music subscription platform, but also allow top-level subscribers to stream and download as many of their favourite tunes as they want.

Based originally on an agreement with Universal Music, the company has spent the best part of six months attempting to push the service forward by agreeing access to music catalogues with other record labels.

However, reports have emerged this week questioning whether the dream is set to actually become a reality.

According to New Media Age, some major labels are not too keen on the idea of unlimited access, so progress on that front could prove to be a stumbling block.

Thursday, December 10th 2009

Brits are bundling! That is the suggestion from brand new figures from Ofcom, which have also highlighted the improved savings available to those who are combining their broadband, home phone and digital TV deals.

According to the communications regulator's latest Customer Experience report, over a third of UK consumers chose to take up bundled deals involving some or all of their web, TV and phone needs during 2008.

Such statistics will be news to the ears of certain broadband providers, namely the likes of Virgin Media, Sky and BT which all offer a range of packages featuring bundled internet, phone and TV services.

Tuesday, December 8th 2009

While it has not been uncommon to see broadband providers at each other's throats this year – usually over advertising – every so often they nobly decide to come together for the greater good.

It is unclear whether the upcoming festive period has inspired BT, Virgin Media and Orange, but it is a fact that their latest project could provide a boost to us all in the near future.

BT Wholesale is working with Orange and Virgin Media on a new network called Content Connect. The concept is based on the idea that media companies should pay for video content to be stored on a broadband provider's network as opposed to the internet, the Guardian reports.

Monday, December 7th 2009

While busy shops and the repeated playing of festive songs at the start of December are enough to drive anyone potty when it comes to Christmas, it turns out that our broadband connections are less than positive about the festive period too.

Broadband provider Plusnet has claimed that RF interference caused by some Christmas tree lights – particularly flashing ones - can affect ADSL broadband connections and lead to some intermittent faults.

The company – which is currently offering new phone line installations at a reduced rate – has suggested that one way for people to detect such problems is to tune an analogue radio to Medium Wave 612 to 693 and place it close to lights.

Friday, December 4th 2009

The government's Digital Britain plans have come under fire from a range of quarters since they were announced in June, so it was rather unsurprising to see another expert wade into the debate this week.

However, many may be surprised that Dame Wendy Hall, computer science professor at the University of Southampton, has waited this long to comment considering her seemingly strong opinion on the issue.

She has claimed that the plans to introduce universal broadband offering speeds of 2Mbps buy 2012 show that MPs have "no vision" of the future, as the shifting landscape of technology means the proposals could potentially be outdated by that time.

Wednesday, December 2nd 2009

Virgin Media is obviously not content with ruling the roost when it comes to the fastest fibre optic broadband speeds, as it now has its sights set on revolutionising the mobile internet market.

The company's new high-speed USB dongle is said to offer download speeds of 7.2Mbps and hopes are high that the move will follow on from the success of the 3.6Mbps dongle it previously offered.

It has been claimed that the service will mean people will be able to enjoy video streaming alongside usual mobile internet pursuits such as browsing and checking emails.

Tuesday, December 1st 2009

While fibre optic broadband remains a service open almost exclusively to Virgin Media customers at present, it is undeniable that its presence in the world of broadband is set to grow.

Broadband providers such as BT are already trialling new services based on the technology, while the government's Digital Britain report has also highlighted plans for major investment in it over the coming years.

However, what will the service offer us? According to Stuart McIntosh, competition partner at Ofcom, it could potentially be "a world changing issue".