Three leads new campaign to curb BT’s mobile network dominance November 28, 2016 Some of the UK’s telecom challenger brands are teaming up to lobby the communications watchdog over BT’s dominance over the airwaves. Three UK is leading a group – that includes TalkTalk, CityFibre, and Relish – which is calling on Ofcom to prevent one mobile network owning more than 30 per cent of the UK’s mobile spectrum. [...]
BBC to cut 300 jobs in its production arm October 13, 2016 The BBC will cut 300 jobs in its production arm as part of a wide-ranging restructuring, it said today. The broadcaster said the number of staff at BBC Studios will be slashed as it continues to cut costs – with most of the job cuts taking place in England. As part of the BBC's cost-cutting drive, it has [...]
Broadcast regulator ramps up diversity pressure on BBC October 11, 2016 The broadcast regulator’s chief executive has ramped up pressure on the BBC over diversity. Ofcom’s Sharon White also said that although the corporation holds a “special status” in public life, it will not receive “special treatment” when the body begins overseeing the broadcaster next year. Read more: BBC’s £60m hotel bill: 2016 on track to [...]
Ofcom announces reform plans for Openreach – or it risks being split from BT July 26, 2016 TalkTalk boss Dido Harding has called for Ofcom to fully separate BT's broadband networks division from the rest of the group, warning that BT may "game the system" if it is allowed to continue controlling the business. The media and telecoms watchdog today recommended a set of reforms for Openreach which will make it more independent [...]
Switching mobile networks is about to become much easier under new proposals from Ofcom March 23, 2016 Changing your mobile phone provider is about to become much easier. Regulators have put forward new proposals to make switching networks easier for customers. Ofcom has suggested two options, its preferred one being the new provider handling the switch. "It is unacceptable for people to be missing out on better mobile deals because they fear the hassle of [...]
Three owner Hutchison pledges five-year price freeze to ease competition concerns over merger with O2 February 4, 2016 Tens of millions of UK mobile phone customers could see their costs frozen for the next five years, as CK Hutchison tries to sway competition watchdogs over Three’s merger with O2. As Three’s parent company, Hutchison has pledged a #5bn investment to ease concerns over its proposed takeover of O2. Together, the two would create [...]
Advertising Standards slams telcos over broadband prices January 21, 2016 Apparently Britons are struggling to work out the cost of broadband contracts – but don’t worry, it’s not entirely due to a lack of mathematical ability. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has teamed up with the communications watchdog Ofcom to censure broadband providers over the way they advertise their services. According to research commissioned by [...]
Homeward bound HSBC, City Hall race and oil glut make a busy 2016 January 7, 2016 Forecasting events in the City is frequently a fool’s errand but one thing’s clear from the first week of 2016: it is going to be a tough year for much of corporate Britain. Here’s where I think most of the action will be. 1. Among the first big decisions of the year will be delivered when [...]
Syria airstrike vote 2015: Here’s how your MP voted December 3, 2015 Last night MPs voted in favour of the UK beginning airstrikes against Islamic State (Isis) with an overwhelming majority of 397 votes to 223, following a gruelling 10-hour debate in the House of Commons. The move was controversial, with huge numbers of people protesting against military intervention. Some Labour MPs claimed they were being intimidated to [...]
Ofcom warns BT that internet status quo is likely to change as Vodafone, TalkTalk and Sky pile on the pressure December 1, 2015 OFCOM yesterday said Britain is doing well in rolling out superfast broadband compared with other major European economies, yet it added that the status quo in the industry is likely to be altered. Service providers, such as TalkTalk and Sky, have demanded that Openreach, which provides the infrastructure connecting people to the internet, be spun [...]