Broadband

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Virgin Media Freedom netbook detailed
Specs and pics 15 July 2009 16:36 GMT
As we reported earlier, Virgin Media has announced that it is to offer a netbook, the "Freedom" netbook and now more specs, as well as pics, have been revealed.

Like many other netbooks on the market it offers a 10.2-inch display, runs Microsoft Windows XP...
Virgin Media completes its ultrafast network
Launches netbook, too 15 July 2009 11:16 GMT
Virgin Media is celebrating, having completed its 18-month campaign to upgrade its broadband network to offer 50Mbps speeds to 12 million homes across the UK.

In an attempt to convince some of those 12 million homes to actually sign up to the service, the company...
BT names next super-fast broadband locations
"Fibre is the future" 9 July 2009 13:54 GMT
BT has revealed the next set of locations where it will make super-fast fibre broadband available.

The new locations cover more than a million homes and businesses across the UK, which means 1.5 million homes will have access by early summer 2010.
Virgin Media's fastest broadband boast okayed by ASA
BT complaint dismissed 8 July 2009 10:52 GMT
Virgin Media's advertising campaign for its 50Mb broadband has been okayed by the ASA after rival broadband operator BT logged an official complaint.

Boasting "the fastest broadband in the UK", the campaign has comprised of press ads, posters and Samuel L....
Orange refreshes laptop line-up
Connected range gets a revamp 23 June 2009 11:34 GMT
Orange has refreshed the laptops it offers with its mobile broadband packages for consumers and business customers.

The range available is now larger, including models with embedded SIMs as well as bundled with a USB modem, with different payment methods and...
Mobile Fun launches mobile broadband signal boosters
Clip antennas to help where there's weak 3G 19 June 2009 9:52 GMT
Mobile Fun has launched a range of signal boosters that it claims will help to solve the problem of weak 3G mobile broadband reception.

The company has a range of "clip antennas" for mobile broadband dongles that are said to give them an extra boost to get an...
UK's "Digital Inclusion Champion" revealed
Martha Lane Fox is to help digitally excluded 18 June 2009 10:52 GMT
As part of the Digital Britain report, it's been revealed who will be the country's first "Digital Inclusion Champion", or DIC, presumably.

From 22 June Martha Lane Fox will take up the role for 2 years along with a "Task Force", in order to try and promote...
BT calls for BBC to contribute to ISP iPlayer costs
Says BBC "can't expect to continue to get a free ride" 10 June 2009 14:54 GMT
Phone company and ISP BT has called on the BBC to contribute to the costs that ISPs incur due to its iPlayer, saying that the Beeb "can't expect to continue to get a free ride".

Many ISPs have complained in the past about the bandwidth that iPlayer uses. Streaming...
BT announces 20Mbps broadband "boost" for Britain
10 million to see free speed increase 3 June 2009 15:45 GMT
BT has announced it will more than double the headline speeds for its residential and business customers, as well as increase upload speeds.

BT says over 60,000 consumers are already getting the faster speeds through a BT trial but the upgrade to ADSL 2+ technology...
BT Broadband throttling iPlayer streaming?
Accused of limiting bandwidth at peak times 2 June 2009 15:22 GMT
BT, Britain's biggest broadband supplier, has been accused of limiting streaming video speeds at peak times, which is having a negative effect on iPlayer viewing for its customers.

A customer on BT's Option 1 deal with an 8Mbps line could have their speed cut...
Tiscali launches new widescreen hi-def EPG
Broadband supplier pumps up guide 2 June 2009 14:54 GMT
Tiscali has announced that it will be rolling out a new electronic programme guide, or EPG, on 10 June. The company promises benefits in speed and usability.

The new software is designed specially for widescreen, high definition televisions, meaning that users...
UK "NotSpots" revealed
3 million homes on less than 2Mbps 27 May 2009 11:51 GMT
BBC research has revealed that 3 million homes in the UK have access to broadband speeds of less than 2Mbps and that many of those, rather than being in rural areas, are in suburban locations and even streets in major towns.

As part of its "Digital Britain"...
TalkTalk announces Home Mover deal
Company offers to take some of the hassle out of moving home 26 May 2009 15:02 GMT
Apparently TalkTalk customers used to have to deal with a massive hassle when they moved house.

If they moved into a non-cable area, then they would have had to sign up to BT for a 12-month contract in their new property, and then immediately cancel it to switch...
Freerunner to bring Wi-Fi to "digitally remote"
Free The Cloud rival launching in underserved areas 20 May 2009 0:01 GMT
A new free public Wi-Fi network has launched in the UK that aims to enable consumers to get free broadband access in "underserved and digitally remote" areas of the UK's suburbs, by installing free to use access points in public and commercial venues of any size.
TalkTalk buys Tiscali
“The most important message for Tiscali customers is that their service will continue" 8 May 2009 9:48 GMT
After months of rumours, Carphone Warehouse's TalkTalk has announced it is to buy troubled Tiscali UK in a £236 million cash deal.

The company says this will create Britain's largest consumer broadband provider with over 4.25 million customers covering over...
O2 reveals "digital families" report
UK households would rather cut down on food than connectivity 6 May 2009 11:09 GMT
To help push its "Joggler" device, O2 has released results of its first "O2 Digital Families report", that apparently reveals just how important technology is for UK households.

So important, in fact, that most of the 500 families involved in the study told...
Virgin Media trials 200Mb broadband
Real-world deployment for 100 lucky guinea-pigs 6 May 2009 9:42 GMT
Virgin Media has revealed that it has started a customer pilot to test real-world deployment of 200Mb broadband.

Said to be the fastest implementation of DOCSIS3 technology in the world and running faster than the 160Mb service offered in Japan, it will be...
Expect internet "brownouts" from early 2010
Reports says online demand exceeding supply will see PCs jitter and freeze 27 April 2009 14:57 GMT
Regular "brownouts" for the Internet are forecast as early as next year as cyberspace gets more crowded, says a report from Nemertes Research, a "respected American think-tank".

Computers and laptops trying to get online will soon just "freeze", thanks to consumer...
Virgin Media to offer "broadband schools"
Brits clueless on jargon and tech 27 April 2009 0:01 GMT
Virgin Media has announced plans to trial free "broadband schools" to help tackle the fact that apparently "Britain is baffled when it comes to broadband".

A study of 3000 internet users has apparently revealed people are both puzzled by broadband jargon and...
BT offers "Total Broadband" home and mobile packages
Dongle deals 27 April 2009 0:01 GMT
BT has announced new mobile broadband packages for its home broadband customers that it claims are the UK's cheapest.

Total Broadband customers can now get up to 8MB wireless broadband at home as well as "free" 1GB monthly usage on BT's mobile broadband, that...
TalkTalk offers Tiscali customers £50 to switch
Aggressive move to tempt concerned consumers 20 April 2009 14:27 GMT
TalkTalk is offering Tiscali customers a £50 incentive to switch, following the news that auditors have raised concerns about Tiscali's future.

TalkTalk, the home phone and broadband company from The Carphone Warehouse, is offering a credit of £50 to Tiscali...
BT claims to offer £30 a month business broadband bundles
Small print-tastic new tariffs 16 April 2009 15:53 GMT
BT has announced what it says is a "high value" business bundle offering broadband and calls to UK landlines, international destinations and mobile numbers for just £30 a month.

The small print for the offer is extensive, so we would recommend putting a call...
Virgin Media offers "V Stuff"
Auto-backup, online storage and photo printing 8 April 2009 12:14 GMT
Virgin Media has launched a new service for its home broadband customers, giving them the ability to store and share photos online, get "free" (see T&Cs) photo prints for up to a year, and auto backup and remotely access files.

Virgin Media customers will get...
Virgin Media planning 200Mb broadband
Could be here by 2010 25 March 2009 18:44 GMT
Virgin Media has said it has the capabilities to offer broadband speeds of up to 200Mbps as early as next year, overshadowing BT's rival fibre network set to complete in 2012.

"We have an opportunity with our network to provide significantly higher speeds",...
BT reveals more "super-fast" broadband areas
Are you on the list for 60Mbps? 23 March 2009 9:55 GMT
BT has revealed the next set of locations where, from early 2010, customers will be able to get the company's fibre-based super-fast broadband.

BT Openreach will use "fibre to the cabinet", or FTTC, tech at 29 exchanges across the UK. This FTTC technology promises...