Multiboost Gain Ofcom UK Approval for Indoor Mobile Signal Boosters
Consumers may like to know that Ofcom’s earlier move to soften their requirements for licence exempt indoor or in-vehicle “mobile phone repeaters” (here) is starting to bear fruit. Multiboost has just announced that their ‘PRO’ kit is now fully compliant with the regulator’s standards, which means more choice for homes and businesses. Just to recap. Since 2018 it’s been possible for people to use repeaters that boost and retransmit UK mobile signals, which can help to improve local mobile...
EE UK to Refresh Mobile Roaming Plans and Scraps Old Products
Mobile operator EE (BT) has begun to inform their UK customers, specifically those with inclusive roaming, that their “current roaming products will be removed” from 25th December 2024. The plan is to replace them with new roaming plans, due for launch on 4th Dec 2024, but this has left some existing customers confused about the impact. The first indications of a roaming refresh appeared to surface yesterday (credits to Jade for the tip), after existing EE customers with inclusive roaming...
Fusion Fibre Group Gives Smaller UK ISPs Access to their Broadband Network
Rural ISP and broadband network builder, Fusion Fibre Group (FFG), which has deployed a number of its own full fibre (FTTP) networks across various communities, has today announced plans to launch a channel partner programme that will allow smaller providers to resell their services. The operator states that this move will give smaller ISPs access to 98% of UK properties, which naturally reflects more than their own relatively small deployments and also includes the wholesale partnerships they...
High Court Rejects LetterOne Appeal Over Forced Sale of UK Broadband Biz
The High Court in London has dismissed an appeal by investment firm LetterOne, which had been asking the court to rule that it was unlawfully ordered, under the new National Security and Investment Act (NSIA), to sell Upp’s full fibre broadband network by the UK Government. The company is now considering whether or not to challenge the outcome. Just to recap. Upp was originally established as a £1bn project that aimed to deploy a new Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based broadband ISP network...
Accounts for UK Broadband ISP Airband Highlight Funding Risks and Job Cuts
Rural broadband ISP Airband, which has deployed a full fibre (FTTP) and wireless (FWA) broadband network that covers parts of Wales and South West England, recently published their latest accounts to the end of 2023 and revealed a sharp fall in employees (from 485 to 235) and the urgent need for new funding by 1st February 2025. The operator recently stated that their broadband network now spans “more than 440,000 premises in over 200 communities across 7 counties“ (here), which we’re told...
Comcast to spin off raft of cable TV channels
News Channels being spun off include MSNBC, CNBC, Oxygen, and E! According to various news reports today, US telco giant Comcast is set to spin off some of its largest TV channels, including MSNBC, CNBC, and E! The channels, which generated a collective revenue of around $7 billion over the last year, will form a new entity that is currently being referred to as ‘SpinCo’. The news comes following an earnings call last month in which Comcast President Mike Cavanagh said the company was...
Tech innovator Dotlines launches in the UK to disrupt telecoms industry
Dotlines UK, the latest venture from global tech company Dotlines, has officially launched with a mission to transform business solutions, digital security and connectivity across the UK. Aiming to address key challenges in the UK telecoms industry, Dotlines UK sets out to deliver innovative, user-friendly solutions that empower telecommunication network providers, small businesses and households. Its approach centres on creating technology that makes life and business simpler. Building on its...
Bharti Global becomes BT’s largest shareholder
News India’s second largest telco has taken nearly a quarter stake in the company This week, Bharti Global, the investment arm of Indian billionaire Sunil Mittal’s Bharti Enterprises, has became the largest shareholder of the UK’s BT after completing its 24.5% stake purchase from Altice. The financial value of the deal was not officially announced, but is reportedly around £4 billion. The deal for Bharti to acquire the 24.5% stake was struck in August, with BT CEO Allison Kirkby calling...
Colt and RMZ form $1.7bn Indian data centre JV
News The deal follows rumours last month, with the Indian Economic Times reporting that the two companies were in late-stage talks Colt Data Centre Services (DCS) has announced a 50:50 joint venture with RMZ, an Indian real estate developer, to invest $1.7 billion in the data centre market. The investment will begin by focusing on Colt’s existing sites in Navi, Mumbai, and Ambattur, Chennai, with a third site will be added in the near future. Upon completion, the data centres will have a...
Dotlines Launches in UK and Preps New Broadband ISP – Carnival Internet
Global tech company Dotlines has today launched into the UK (Dotlines UK) with a plan to offer a variety of business and household solutions, from digital security to connectivity. A quick look at the company’s website shows that one of their brands will be a new broadband ISP called Carnival Internet UK. The chances are reasonably good that most of our readers won’t have heard of Dotlines before, which is because they’ve tended to focus more on South and Southeast Asia. The company, which in...