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Vodafone and Three plan to merge into the UK's largest mobile network
Three’s second attempt to join forces with a competitor still needs to clear major regulatory hurdles.
Virgin Media and O2 announce £31 billion UK merger
The £31 billion puts BT, Sky and Vodafone on notice -- if it's approved.
Virgin and O2 might merge to create a UK telecom giant
Virgin Media and O2 might unite in the UK, creating a mobile, cable and internet behemoth.
UK internet providers will lift data caps during COVID-19 pandemic
The UK is echoing others in lifting internet restrictions to keep people online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Major telecoms like BT/EE, Openreach and Virgin Media have struck an agreement that will remove "all" data caps on current landline broadband services. Mobile and fixed providers also have to offer "generous" new packages to help people stay connected (particularly the vulnerable), such as data boosts at lower prices and free calls.
Virgin Media bumps its top broadband speed up to 200Mbps
With a £3 billion investment in its network, Virgin Media is looking to connect homes up and down Britain to its network for the first time. But that doesn't mean it's not thinking about the people it already calls customers. Today, the company launched Vivid, a new name for ultrafast broadband packages that have been given a welcome speed boost. Customers have been able to choose from 50Mbps, 100Mbps and 152Mbps speeds in the past, but with Vivid, they'll be upgraded to 70Mbps, Vivid 150Mbps and Vivid 200Mbps.
Vodafone and Virgin Media's parent company call off swap talks
When Vodafone confirmed it was talking to Liberty Global, owner of Virgin Media, about a "possible exchange of selected assets," it suggested that the operator was looking to bulk up ahead of BT's upcoming EE merger. It's been several months, but the mobile provider announced today that discussions have been "terminated." Neither company has given a reason, but Liberty Global chairman John Malone recently indicated that Vodafone would find it difficult to find the money to buy the company outright, even though a broadband consolidation via Virgin Media was most likely on the cards. Vodafone recently returned to the broadband market, but has seen rivals BT, TalkTalk and Sky all expand their mobile and TV services in the past year. Virgin Media would have provided the perfect base from which to build a true quad-play offering, but it appears Vodafone will now have to go its own way.
Virgin Media's superfast broadband network heads to Leeds
After breaking ground in its first UK city last month, Virgin Media has chosen its the next location for its £3 billion broadband expansion: Leeds. The company confirmed today that it's investing £40 million to deliver superfast broadband, TV and landline services to 80,000 homes and businesses in and around the city. Virgin Media says that people living in Middleton (around 11,000 homes) will be the first to receive 152Mbps broadband, but will then prioritise its rollout based on demand for its services.
Virgin Media ups XL TV price by £3 for Champions League footy
When BT finally announced how much it would charge customers to access its new European football channel, Virgin Media remained quiet on whether those overheads would be passed onto customers. The cable broadcaster has offered BT Sport's original two channels for no additional cost as part of its TV XL packages, but from September 1st, subscribers will be asked to pay £3 a month extra even if they don't want to watch Champions League matches.
TalkTalk's new (almost) gigabit broadband is actually affordable
While BT's broadband networks dominate the UK, other ISPs want to avoid giving their rival any more money by creating their own. Just yesterday, Virgin Media announced it had begun installing 152Mbps connections across Manchester as part of a £3 billion UK expansion, but now TalkTalk is going one better with the launch of Ultra Fibre Optic (UFO) broadband in York. Although it's effectively a gigabit service, TalkTalk has steered away from using the term, choosing instead to brand it under the UFO name. Homes and businesses in the city will enjoy up to 940Mbps, which is over six times faster than Virgin Media's current theoretical limit and 12 times quicker than BT's current fibre allocation.
Virgin Media's superfast UK broadband expansion kicks off in Manchester
Despite recent growth, Virgin Media has work to do if it's to make inroads into BT's broadband dominance. The company knows this, so in February it launched "Project Lightning," a £3 billion investment to bring cable broadband to 4 million additional UK homes over the next five years. Today, Virgin Media announced that the expansion has begun, with 150,000 homes and businesses in Manchester set to become the lucky recipients of Virgin Media's 152Mbps internet and other associated services.
Virgin Media's free WiFi app finally comes to iOS
One of the perks of being a Virgin Media customer is gaining access to the company's suite of mobile apps. They let you make landline calls and watch TV on your smartphone, but if you also use its mobile service, you can connect to thousands of free WiFi hotspots all over the UK. Unfortunately for iOS users, WiFi Buddy, the provider's dedicated wireless app, has been Android-only since launch. That's now changing after Virgin Media finally deemed iPhone owners worthy of free WiFi and has made the app available on the App Store too. Once installed, you'll get access to over 22,000 The Cloud hotspots (thanks to Virgin Media's deal with Sky) in places like Marks & Spencer, Wetherspoon, WH Smith, Pret A Manger, Greggs and other popular locations -- useful, if you're trying to save your Virgin Mobile allowance or you find yourself in an area with poor signal.
Slow broadband? Ofcom says you can ditch your contract
While the UK's broadband coverage is expanding, its infrastructure is only maintained by a few providers. With little overlap, some areas suffer from a lack of investment, which often means that speeds are lower than advertised. Those affected have previously had little choice but to put up with it, but a new ruling from communications regulator Ofcom could change that. The watchdog has announced that it will let consumers escape broadband contracts if speeds "fall below expected levels."
Vodafone and Virgin Media may team up to take down BT and Sky
With BT currently in the process of acquiring EE and Sky expanding into mobile, the UK is set for media consolidation. Consumers are set to benefit as providers fight for their money, but it's also put a lot of pressure on other providers to expand their offerings. One provider feeling the heat is Vodafone, which has suggested it will expand beyond telecoms. The operator confirmed today that it's in the "early stages" of talks with Liberty Global, owner of Virgin Media, over the "possible exchange of selected assets between the two companies."
Cox is bringing VOD to select TiVo boxes in July
Cox and TiVo have been making noise about joining forces and making the cable provider's extensive Video-On-Demand catalog available on retail TiVo set-tops for nearly five years now. Following a recent post by ZatzNotFunny, however, Cox confirmed earlier today that the integration will finally be taking place in "early July." But don't get excited just yet -- the initial rollout will only be available to specific IP-connected customers in Orange County, California.
Virgin Media blames TV rights auction for rising Sky Sports prices
Virgin Media is still trying to persuade Ofcom to change the way Premier League TV rights are auctioned in the UK. The company filed a complaint with the regulator last September, complaining that the current system -- a limited number of match "bundles" which broadcasters bid for every few years -- is leading to higher prices for the consumer. Ofcom said it would look into the matter, but failed to draw any conclusions before the most recent TV rights auction finished earlier this year. The rivalry between Sky and BT meant that bidding increased to a record £5.1 billion -- £4.2 billion of which was spent by Sky. Now, Virgin Media is telling its TV customers that they'll soon need to pay more for Sky Sports and Sky Movies. From June 1st, these extras will go up by £2 per month and 50p per month respectively, due to increases in the amounts Sky is charging Virgin Media.
Virgin Media claims its new wireless hub is the fastest in the land
Even if your home is in the best area for fibre broadband, and you're paying for the fastest speeds, a cheap router can let you down. Slow and patchy wireless connectivity is commonplace in the UK, in part because internet service providers (ISPs) give their subscribers ropey hardware to plug into the wall. Virgin Media claims its new Super Hub 2ac will make a difference though. The combined modem and router offers both 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless channels, with the latter supporting speeds of up to 1300Mbps. It leverages the 802.11ac wireless standard, though should you prefer some good old-fashioned cables there are also four Gigabit Ethernet ports waiting in reserve.
Virgin Media customers finally get access to Sky Sports' Android app
As part of its tie-up with Sky, Virgin Media has been letting subscribers use their logins to access Sky Sports and Sky Movies. Apple users gained access to both services in August last year, while Android device owners have had to make do with Sky's movie streaming app. Today, the cable giant announced that it's finally completing its Android rollout by granting customers access to the Sky Sports app. Like the other services, users need to have already signed up for the TV package, but if that prerequisite has been fulfilled then Sky Sports 1 to 5, Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports News HQ can be streamed right away.
Virgin Media's investing £3 billion to bring broadband to 4 million more homes
While Virgin Media has consistently beat BT's broadband speeds, the cable supplier's growth has been hampered by availability. BT's copper and fibre networks blanket most of the UK, whereas Virgin Media's coverage remains limited to specific towns and cities. In August, it said it would connect 100,000 more London homes as part of its biggest ever expansion, but it appears that was just the start. Today, with help from its parent company Liberty Global, Virgin Media announced that it will invest £3 billion to bring its services to 4 million more British homes and businesses.
Virgin Media fails to stop the Premier League's next TV rights auction
Virgin Media really doesn't like the way Premier League TV rights are auctioned in the UK. It's already filed a complaint with Ofcom, which argued that the skyrocketing bids from Sky and BT, coupled with the low number of televised fixtures, is having a knock-on effect for the consumer. In addition, it says it's restricting real competition in the TV market, which only exasperates the problem. Ofcom agreed to look into the matter, but was that good enough for Virgin Media? Not quite. You see, the Premier League is thought to be pushing ahead with its next TV rights auction, which means Ofcom probably won't make a decision until after it's all been tied up. The new bidding is for the 2016-19 seasons, so the concern was that any Ofcom ruling wouldn't take effect for four years. Virgin Media has therefore pushed the regulator to take "interim measures" that would put the auction on hold.
Sky and Virgin Media have a lot to say about how much sport should be on TV
There's never been more sport for Brits to watch on TV. That should be cause for celebration, but there's a problem: broadcasters are fighting for the rights to show different leagues and tournaments, which is locking sports away behind different satellite and internet TV services. Want to watch every Premier League fixture? You'll have to fork out for both BT Sport and Sky Sports, or make do with the highlights on Match of the Day. There's even talk of the rugby Six Nations competition going pay TV only.
