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BT boosts entry-level fibre broadband speeds to 52Mbps
In its mission to supply the UK with faster broadband, BT has announced a new speed upgrade for Infinity fibre customers. New and existing entry-level subscribers can now enjoy up to 52Mbps, a 32 percent increase from their previous 38Mbps connection. BT is keen to advertise that the new Infinity 1 package gives customers faster speeds than similar packages from Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin. Sky and TalkTalk share the same Openreach networks as BT, meaning that it'll only be a matter of time until they launch their own 52Mbps packages. While Virgin Media's basic offering comes in slightly lower than BT at 50Mbps, its business plans reach a whopping 300Mbps, compared to Infinity 2's 78Mbps.
Virgin Media is killing SmartCall, one of its most useful apps
To incentivise customers to sign up for its TV, telephone and broadband packages, Virgin Media offers a number of value-added services. These include access to Sky's mobile apps, but also things like cloud storage, web hosting and a rather useful tool that lets you use your landline minutes to dial premium numbers from your mobile. But from April 28th, some of those services will not longer be available, after the company announced that it's closing Virgin Media Cloud, Webspace and SmartCall.
ISPs warn UK snooping law will cost time and lots of money
The Investigatory Powers Bill, aka the new Snoopers' Charter, aims to clarify and extend the UK government's surveillance capabilities. Of the proposed changes to existing legislation, one of the biggest is the requirement that all British ISPs store the last 12 months of browsing data so that it may be accessible to government agencies. The draft bill still needs the approval of the House of Commons and House of Lords to become law, so the finer details aren't yet set in stone, but the UK's major internet providers are already advising it'll be a big ask. Speaking to the bill's joint committee yesterday, execs from BT, Sky and Virgin Media warned the capture and storage of Internet Connection Records (ICRs) would be both costly, and could take several years to implement.
Virgin Media to increase bundle prices by up to £4 next year
Virgin Media customers who are signed up to one of the company's "Big Bundles" will soon see their monthly bill get an inflation-busting price increase. The cable provider says "the vast majority" of subscribers will see their packages rise by up to 5.4 percent (between £3.49 and £3.99 a month), which will include a £1 line rental increase. The changes won't happen right away -- they'll come into effect next February.
Almost every London Underground station now has WiFi
In case you hadn't noticed, Virgin Media is still expanding its WiFi service on the London Underground. The company says it's recently flicked the switch at 100 new stations, including end-of-the-line stops like Edgware, Cockfosters and Stanmore. That brings its grand total up to 250 stations, which is only 20 shy of a complete roll-out. That's if you're only counting the stations themselves, anyway. It's still basically impossible to connect to the service while you're actually on a train, hurtling down a tunnel. That hasn't stopped people from connecting while they're on the platform or waiting to depart though -- Transport for London (TfL) says daily data consumption has jumped from 3TB to 20TB over the last 12 months, with more than half a million devices logging on each day. It's not perfect, but it'll do until there's finally 3G and 4G coverage below the surface.
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.
Virgin Media's next superfast city is Nottingham
Earlier this year, Virgin Media pledged to rapidly expand its cable broadband across the UK. Dubbed "Project Lightning," its aim is to offer speedy 152Mbps internet to an extra 4 million homes over the next five years. The company kicked off the project in Manchester, and today it's announcing the next city on its hit list: Nottingham. Roughly £25 million of its promised £3 billion investment will go towards fitting out 50,000 homes and businesses in the area. Specifically, this is the NG postcode -- so Nottingham's city centre, suburbs and surrounding towns, including Mansfield and Newark-upon-Trent. If you're desperate to get hooked up, you can register your interest now at Virgin Media's "Cable My Street" site -- there's no guarantee, but it just might move your neighbourhood further up the list.
Labour party joins calls for BT and Openreach breakup
UK telecoms regulator Ofcom is currently reviewing whether BT and Openreach, a subsidiary which manages most of the UK's broadband infrastructure, should be left alone or separated entirely. Sky and TalkTalk have already expressed their views -- unsurprisingly, they want the pair split up -- and now they've got another supporter in the Labour party. Chris Bryant, the shadow culture secretary, says Openreach and the government are delivering broadband "too slow, too late." In the Telegraph, he argues that Ofcom should work on the basis that Openreach needs to be "split from the rest of BT, unless their review produces conclusive evidence to the contrary." It's not an unwavering stance, but it's clear the Labour party favours reform. BT will need to do more interviews like the one below if it's to prove the current arrangement is in the public interest.
Virgin Media's new WiFi network uses customer routers
Virgin Media customers already have access to several free WiFi networks, but come September, they'll have even more options. On top of the company's own WiFi hotspots on the London Underground, and its agreement with The Cloud that mobile subscribers benefit from, Virgin Media's turning its own broadband customers into WiFi providers. In the same way that BT uses its customers' routers to bulk out its public WiFi network, Virgin will open up its Super Hub routers to share connectivity. Using an as-yet unreleased app, Virgin broadband and mobile customers will be seamlessly connected to this new WiFi network whenever a hotspot is in range.
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 TiVo boxes can now access media stored in the cloud
Virgin Media customers might be at least vaguely familiar with "Cloud," the company's thoughtfully named cloud storage service. Anyone on Branson's books gets 5GB free, with up to nine other members of the household getting the same amount of space to upload files and back-up mobile devices to. It's just one of those handy customer perks, with paid tiers for those who want more storage. Today, however, it becomes that much more useful with the launch of the Cloud app for Virgin Media TiVo boxes. Using the set-top box app, you can access all the pictures, videos and music you have stored in the ether on your living room TV, with just a few clicks of the remote. Might be time to take them up on that 5GB of free space, eh?
UK carriers graciously agree to £100 bill cap for lost and stolen phones
A lost or stolen mobile is bad enough, but things can get considerably worse if whoever picks it up sticks you with a mammoth bill for good measure. Smartphone kill switches or a simple screen lock can save you from such injustice, but hindsight isn't much comfort when your phone's already MIA. That's why all of the UK's major carriers have agreed to a new £100 "liability cap" that could protect you from the worst-case scenario of no phone, huge bill. The "voluntary agreement" -- drafted with government guidance and signed by EE, O2, Three, Vodafone and MVNO Virgin Media -- does come with fine print attached, however. You'll only be eligible for the liability cap, which limits your maximum outlay to £100, if you report your phone lost or stolen to your carrier and the police within 24 hours of it going missing. Contacting your mobile network so they can freeze your account should be top of your to-do list anyway, but is this added level of consumer protection really as awesome as everyone involved would have us believe?
Virgin's small-cell networks to improve 4G coverage in the UK's biggest cities
The UK government has been pretty vocal about carriers needing to improve network coverage in rural areas, but that's not to say everything's hunky-dory in some of the UK's biggest cities. That's why Virgin Media Business -- the part of Branson's empire that deals with broadband infrastructure and the like -- is combining its fibre network with wireless expert Arqiva's knowhow to improve 4G coverage in cities including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford and Southampton. To do this, the pair will install small-cell technology (which, incidentally, EE is using to bring coverage to underserved rural regions) in "street assets" such as lampposts and CCTV cameras. These mini-masts will increase network capacity and improve 4G coverage in areas where buildings can get in the way of the signal. When the small-cell systems are up and running, the idea is carriers will pay Virgin and Arqiva to access them. That should be an easy sell, however, since they can immediately improve 4G services for their customers, no new infrastructure investment required.
High Court forces UK ISPs to block websites selling fake luxury goods
Her Majesty's High Court of Justice has served as the stage for several high-profile cases in recent years that've resulted in UK ISPs being forced to block certain nefarious websites. Typically, these have involved entertainment giants that want to make it harder for illegal file-sharing sites like the infamous Pirate Bay to connect with their audiences. But now, ISPs have been given a new target: websites selling counterfeit goods. Said to be the first ruling of its kind in Europe, the High Court has today ordered that Sky, BT, Virgin, EE and TalkTalk -- which collectively provide 95 percent of all UK broadband -- must block a handful of websites that sell fake versions of products made by the likes of luxury brands Cartier and Mont Blanc.
Virgin Media's TiVo UI is getting a welcome makeover
If you were one of Virgin Media's early TiVo adopters, you won't have noticed the user interface change much over the last four years. Well, Virgin's decided it's high time for a significant redesign (with TiVo doing much of the legwork), and it'll begin hitting several thousand set-top boxes next week, with a wider rollout starting late October. We were treated to a preview of the update today, and the visual differences are immediately obvious. The red background has been ousted by a new "plum" colour (that's purple, to you and me), and is joined by a new font and minimalist logo that's part of Virgin Media's ongoing rebrand. The whole menu system is displayed in a higher-resolution than before, too, but it's not just a reskin, and should be quicker and slicker to navigate.
Virgin Media customers can now log into Sky's Movies and Sports iOS apps
Virgin Media said last month its TV subscribers would soon be able to use Sky's iOS apps for getting their film and sports fixes on the move, and as of today, that's now possible. If your Virgin TV package includes Sky's Movies and Sports channels, then their respective iOS apps should let you log in with your Virgin account details. Furthermore, the same sign-in option is now available through Sky's websites, which should placate Android users while they wait for the same functionality to be added to Sky's apps on their platform.
Three customers will soon get free WiFi on the Tube
After installing WiFi throughout the London underground and allowing free access during the 2012 Olympics and well beyond, Virgin Media eventually began charging for the service to recoup some of the investment. EE and Vodafone struck a deal to keep it free for their mobile customers before that solemn day even arrived, and O2 followed suit before too long. Apparently, Three didn't fancy jumping on the bandwagon then, but has just announced its patrons will be able to enjoy the same level of complementary connectivity by the end of the July. In early August, Three also plans to launch a new app called InTouch that'll allow you to call and text over WiFi (O2's Tu Go app lets you do the same), making even Tube platforms a stage for your loud and witty banter.
Virgin Media's 'quad-play' phone, TV and net bundles now available to all
Virgin Media launched the UK's first 'quad-play' packages earlier this month, which wrap all of its mobile, landline, broadband and TV services up into neat, pay-monthly bundles. These were only available for existing customers to upgrade to initially, but right on schedule, new customers can now get in on the action, too. Furthermore, there are two additional "Big Bundles," as they're called, that complement the £35 per month Big Bang and £50 per month Big Kahuna packages (excluding line rental) Virgin announced previously. The new entry-level Big Easy bundle starts at £25 per month, and for those that need the absolute fastest, biggest and best of everything, the Big Daddy package can be had for £100 per month (again, both prices exclude line rental). You can also create your own custom bundle by bolting "Big Extras" onto the standard ones, if getting everything from the same provider and on one bill is just that little bit too simple for your taste.
Virgin Media pushes its fiber broadband top speed to 152Mbps
If, like Aaron Paul, you've got a Need for Speed, then Virgin Media's latest news is probably up your alley. The company has announced that it's pushing its top fiber broadband speed up from a 120Mbps all the way up to 152Mbps over the next 12 months. At the same time, Virgin has also announced that it'll be reducing the amount of traffic management during peak times. That way, you'll be able to enjoy the benefits of that supercharged connection, even when everyone else is on their PS4 or bingeing on Netflix.
UK carriers agree to cap bills on lost and stolen cellphones
It's bad to rack up steep cellphone bills through your own actions, but it's even worse if a thief does that on your behalf. Thankfully, the UK government has struck a deal with EE, Three, Virgin Media and Vodafone to cap bills on any cellphone reported lost or stolen after this spring. Brits on those networks won't be liable for more than £50, even if a mugger goes on a Netflix marathon. The agreement should also prevent other kinds of bill shock; carriers will be clearer about the chances of mid-contract rate hikes (with the option of ending that contract), and they'll help wipe out roaming charges by 2016. The UK's moves won't completely eliminate surprise costs -- not when O2 and other providers are missing from the deal, at least -- but it might help ease the blow.