Author - samiragazzane

30 Sep 2016

Increasing transparency of businesses broadband speeds – Ofcom’s voluntary Code of Practice for ISPs comes into force

Under the new voluntary Ofcom Code, Internet Service Providers commit to give businesses “clearer, more accurate and transparent information on broadband speeds before they sign up to a contract???. If the promised upload and download speeds fall below the guaranteed levels, businesses will be able to leave their contract with no penalties. The Code was launched earlier this year but comes into force today.

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28 Sep 2016

Comparison website finds that 77% of UK businesses are satisfied with broadband but downtime remains a problem

The Broadband Genie annual business broadband report published today found that 1.5 million businesses in the UK (23% of all businesses) encounter broadband issues at least once a week, costing them on average £904 for every hour broadband is down. The broadband comparison website surveyed 500 firms from across the UK and also found that nearly half of businesses have no dedicated staff responsible for resolving issues with a broadband connection despite expenses costing between £1000 and £5000 per hour for 16% of businesses.

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27 Sep 2016

Bundles – Consumers are struggling to find the one that fits their needs

According to a recent survey by consultancy firm Ernst & Young, the fast evolution of the bundle market combined with significant changes in the broadband infrastructure has translated into a vast array of service offerings. This is a sign that innovation and competition in the market are alive and well, however the complexity of the bundles leave in some cases consumers confused. The report suggests that to turn dissatisfied (and willing to switch) customers into loyal customers, service providers should be doing more to tailor their bundle packages to meet the needs of the diverse range of consumers (from “digital devotees??? and “loyal bundlers??? to “serious about sports??? and “functional users???).

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15 Sep 2016

European Commission unveils plans to create a European Gigabit Society

The European Commission published yesterday its proposals to achieve its vision for a European Gigabit society with ambitious targets from 5G coverage to access for all European households (rural and urban) to internet speeds of 100Mbit/s by 2025. Legislative and policy proposals include a review of the EU regulatory framework for telecoms, an Action Plan on 5G connectivity and new financial instruments as well as additional public funding for a WiFi voucher scheme that will benefit 6000 to 8000 local communities in the EU by 2020.

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09 Sep 2016

BSG Annual Conference – The UK Telecoms landscape after Brexit – Monday 31 October 2016

The Broadband Stakeholder Group is delighted to invite you to our free Annual Conference on Monday 31 October 2016.

The outcome of the 23rd of June referendum naturally sparked immediate debate and considerable speculation on the future of the UK post Brexit. The BSG Annual Conference of 2016 will focus on what the telecoms sector is looking for from the UK’s new relationship with the EU – and give a taste of how we will be able to exercise influence of EU decision-making. The all-day event will see experts exploring issues specific to the UK telecoms sector, considering the challenges but also the opportunities for the sector pre and post-Brexit.

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02 Sep 2016

BEREC advises national regulators on new EU Open Internet rules

BEREC, the European body of National Regulators for Electronic Communications, issued its Guidelines of interpretation of the Open Internet rules (EU Regulation 2015/2120). In implementing the Regulation in the UK, Ofcom will need to take “utmost account??? of BEREC’s recommendations. Whilst the Guidelines do not impinge on the UK’s approach to the Open Internet, they build on the new BSG Open Internet Code of Practice, recently reviewed to reflect the requirements of the new EU rules.

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25 Aug 2016

Ofcom’s consultation on the broadband USO – responses highlight divergence of visions

Ofcom published last week a summary of responses to its April 2016 consultation on the design of the broadband universal service obligation (USO). The Government proposed last year to introduce a USO of 10Mbit/s available to all premises and tasked Ofcom to produce technical advice and recommendations to support its design. 115 responses to Ofcom’s call for inputs (CFI) were received, highlighting various perspectives and approaches to achieve universal decent broadband coverage in the UK.

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28 Jul 2016

New standardised wayleave should speed up the deployment of superfast broadband in London

The City of London Corporation published this week a standardised wayleave agreement which should accelerate negotiations between landlords and broadband providers when agreeing to install fixed line broadband connections. Waiting time for business tenants to access high-speed internet connections should be significantly shortened.

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26 Jul 2016

Ofcom proposes to legally separate BT and Openreach

In February 2016, Ofcom published its initial conclusions on the Digital Communications review. Much of the review focused on the need for Openreach to improve the quality of service it delivers to its customers and strengthen Openreach’s independence from BT Group. Ofcom have today set out their detailed approach for how to do this, namely, constituting Openreach as a legal entity within BT Group, stressing however that the option of structural separation remains open in case changes aren’t deemed satisfactory.

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19 Jul 2016

“Establishing world-class connectivity???, Culture Media and Sports Committee publishes report today

In July 2015, the Culture Media and Sports (CMS) Committee launched a public inquiry into the coverage, delivery and performance of superfast broadband in the UK and progress made in improving digital connectivity. The report published today concluded that the “UK has done well??? compared with other EU countries on the delivery of superfast broadband thanks to a competitive market. However, it also raised concerns about the willingness of the BT Group to invest in maintaining, upgrading and supporting Openreach’s fibre infrastructure.

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14 Jun 2016

BSG new Open Internet Code clarifies the rules on internet traffic management for all players

The Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG) published last week its new Open Internet Code of Practice which includes a series of practical commitments from UK Internet Service Providers on how lawful content should be delivered to consumers. The Code was published with widespread support from all major Internet Service Providers (ISPs), content providers, Government and Ofcom.

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08 Jun 2016

BSG Publishes New Open Internet Code of Practice

  • New Code of Practice signed by all major UK communications providers, preserving consumer access to the Open Internet
  • Brings UK approach into line with the new EU Connected Continent Regulation

8 June 2016: The Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG) today published a new Open Internet Code 2016, signed by major communication providers and with the wider support of the Open Internet Forum.

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28 Apr 2016

Reviewing the Universal Service Directive – challenges in including broadband in its scope

The European Parliament published this week a briefing referencing the difficulties in revising the EU Universal Service Directive, which sets the criteria for a universal service obligation in the telecoms sector. As part of its review of the EU Telecoms Regulatory Framework, the European Commission is considering extending the scope of the Directive to include broadband. However, the briefing makes clear that setting EU-wide conditions for the introduction of a Universal Service Obligation (USO) for broadband is not without challenges.

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