Ofcom

Nokia demos upper 6 GHz band for mobile, but UK wants it shared with Wi-Fi

Splitting hotly contested spectrum could get messy

Networks05 Jun 2024 | 39

A quarter of 5-7 year olds now use smartphones, says regulator

Social media use and gaming show steep increases within the age group, after UK comms watchdog given new powers

Personal Tech19 Apr 2024 | 57

Virgin Media comes top of the flops for customer complaints

Clean sweep across broadband, landline, and pay TV

Networks26 Jan 2024 | 38

BT to spell out contract price hikes in pounds and pence

Updated None of this inflation-linked percentage nonsense, says Ofcom

Networks17 Jan 2024 | 28

Ofcom proposes ban on UK telcos making 'inflation-linked' price hikes mid-contract

And it's not just inflation... it's inflation plus an additional percentage, it turns out

Networks12 Dec 2023 | 118

How hard is your network really, comms watchdog asks telcos

Ofcom opens consultation on resilience requirements... power backup for mobile networks, anyone?

Networks11 Dec 2023 | 14

It's ba-ack... UK watchdog publishes age verification proposals

Won't somebody think of the children?

Security05 Dec 2023 | 120

Mid-contract telco price hikes must end, Ofcom told

Which? and Uswitch call on UK regulator to tackle specter of bigger bills for Brits come April

Networks03 Nov 2023 | 85

Ofcom attempts to thread the needle in net neutrality update

User freedoms caught between network operators and big tech

Networks30 Oct 2023 | 28

King Charles III signs off on UK Online Safety Act, with unenforceable spying clause

It's now up to Ofcom to sort out this messy legislation

Security27 Oct 2023 | 153

UK Online Safety Bill to become law – and encryption busting clause is still there

Admits it's 'not technically feasible' ... but with no promise not to invoke it

Networks20 Sep 2023 | 91

UK telco watchdog Ofcom, Minnesota Dept of Ed named as latest MOVEit victims

As another CVE is assigned

Cyber-crime13 Jun 2023 | 12

Brits start 'em young with 20% of tots 'owning' a smartphone

And what are they doing with them? YouTube, lots of YouTube

Personal Tech17 Apr 2023 | 41

Ofcom tempted to bring in competition watchdog to sniff the UK cloud market

As much as 80% in the hands of three companies – you can guess which

PaaS + IaaS05 Apr 2023 | 8

UK comms regulator rings death knell for fax machines

Much-loved but outdated hardware could be consigned to tech history

Offbeat02 Nov 2022 | 96

UK launches competition probe into cloud giants in digital services

All right, what's all this, then? Three of you, are there?

PaaS + IaaS22 Sep 2022 | 9

CityFibre loses appeal against Openreach discounts for ISPs

Tribunal says broadband company failed to show it had been treated unfairly by regulator's decision

Legal22 Jul 2022 | 29

UK watchdogs ask how they can better regulate algorithms

We have bad news: you probably can't... but good luck anyway

Software29 Apr 2022 | 63

Brits complained a bit less about connectivity when they were allowed to go outside and see people in the flesh

Top of Ofcom's table for broadband whinges? It rhymes with BorkBork

Networks17 Nov 2021 | 12

Ofcom slams slammers: Telcos fined for switching punters' phone lines without their knowledge or consent

Guaranteed Telecom, Met Technologies nurse £35k penalty, and to them that's meaningful

Legal15 Nov 2021 | 15

Ofcom announces plan to protect endangered species – the Great British phone box

BT is getting axe-happy but regulator's scheme could save 5,000 kiosks

Bootnotes10 Nov 2021 | 32

TskTsk: UK ISP TalkTalk told off by regulator over 'misleading' adverts promising fixed price service

Don't claim 'no mid-contract price rises if that was not the case' says ASA

Networks29 Sep 2021 | 19

Ofcom swears at the general public for five days during obscenity survey

NSFW 'Warning: this report contains highly offensive language and discussion of content which may cause offence'

Bootnotes22 Sep 2021 | 80

UK regulator Ofcom seeks more powers to deal with mega constellations

Operator shall talk unto operator or the big stick will be wielded

Networks27 Jul 2021 | 17

Ofcom gets new CTO as UK regulator welcomes Amazon Alexa Smart Home exec

Let's hope Sachin Jogia sticks around longer than his predecessor

Networks10 Jun 2021 | 7

Ofcom 5G auction ends with UK carriers spending £23m for choice spectrum positionings

What's £23m compared to £1.35bn?

Networks28 Apr 2021 | 6

UK Telecoms Diversification Taskforce says Ofcom should take lead to ensure telcos don't rely on too few suppliers

Finding Huawei out of this mess

Networks21 Apr 2021 | 6

UK carriers open their wallets as regulator Ofcom doles out more slabs of 5G spectrum

Netting £1.35bn for the Treasury

Networks17 Mar 2021 | 6

SpaceX wins UK regulator Ofcom's approval for its Starlink mobile broadband base stations

New, expensive option for nation's notspots

Networks11 Jan 2021 | 43

UK proposes new powers for comms regulator to legally unleash avenging hordes on security-breached telcos

Suffered 'loss or damage' as a customer? Get Ofcom's permission and sue away

Security16 Dec 2020 | 5

UK comms regulator: Could we interest sir in a bespoke broadband speed estimate?

New Ofcom rules require ISPs to give more personalised measures

Networks15 Dec 2020 | 16

Up yours, Europe! Our 100% prime British broadband is cheaper than yours... but also slower and a bit of a rip-off

Stop us if you've heard this one before

Networks15 Dec 2020 | 153

Telcos face £100k-a-day fines unless they obey new UK.gov rules on how to deploy Huawei 5G gear in their networks

2027 ban prelude will be new Ofcom micromanagement powers

Networks24 Nov 2020 | 28

UK Court of Appeal rebukes Home Office for exceeding its powers with bunkum 'national security' GSM gateway ban

Updated Legal saga that began with dodgy prosecution ends in vindication

Networks20 Nov 2020 | 31

UK regulator Ofcom to ban carriers from selling locked handsets to make dumping clingy networks even easier

First you could break up by text – next year you can take the phone with you

Networks27 Oct 2020 | 31

GSM gateways: Parliament obviously cocked up, so let minister issue 'ignore the law' decree, UK.gov barrister urges court

Something something national security, right?

Legal20 Oct 2020 | 37

TalkTalk, Three, and Virgin Media, come on down! You've all won a prize for... not being that great at something!

Brits speak their brains for comms regulator Ofcom's customer audit

Networks21 Aug 2020 | 27

TikTok boom: Brits spent a quarter of their waking hours in lockdown online – Ofcom

A quarter? That's pretty weak

Networks24 Jun 2020 | 11

Openreach tells El Reg it'll kill off copper sales in 118 UK locations next year

Comms regulator Ofcom yet to rubberstamp proposals

Networks13 May 2020 | 54

UK big five carriers bin wired broadband download quotas for as long as we're all stuck indoors

Keep Calm And Stream Video, on generous new discount plans and payment terms

Networks30 Mar 2020 | 28

Ofcom measured UK's 5G radiation and found that, no, it won't give you cancer

Dangerous levels of EMF: Evidence-based Measurement Findings

Networks21 Feb 2020 | 135

Brit telcos can keep £218m licence fee repayment from Ofcom after penny-pinching regulator loses Court of Appeal case

But will you see your phone bills decreasing?

Networks19 Feb 2020 | 14

Ofcom: Rule change to force UK comms providers to tell you when your contract expires

That's phone, broadband and pay TV

Legal14 Feb 2020 | 28

Aw, look. The UK is still trying really hard to be the 'safest place to be online in the world'

Ofcom awarded powers to police harmful content on social media – because the pr0n block went so well

Legal12 Feb 2020 | 87

We won't CU later: New Ofcom broadband proposals mull killing off old copper network

Yearly review promises FTTP for rural bods, price check on network wholesaler Openreach

Networks08 Jan 2020 | 92

Poor, poor mobile networks. UK's comms watchdog plans to stop 'em selling locked-down handsets

First OTT apps nick their SMS revenue, now this...

Networks17 Dec 2019 | 54

Onestream slammed for 'slamming' vulnerable and elderly folk: That's £35k to Ofcom, please

Updated Comms provider switched 118 people to its services without their consent

Legal05 Dec 2019 | 25

Ofcom director Jonathan Oxley to keep CEO seat warm as regulator waits on senior civil servant

Melanie Dawes will fill Sharon White's £500k shoes – report

Legal06 Nov 2019 | 4

Yahoo! Groups' closure and a tale of Oftel: Die-hard users 'informally' included telcos

Ofcom: Ahem. Just check our website

Networks18 Oct 2019 | 31

Is right! Ofcom says Scousers enjoy a natter on the phone compared to southern blerts

Especially to Boris Johnson

Personal Tech10 Oct 2019 | 25

Brit ISPs pinky-promise not to overcharge loyal broadband customers

Guys, just pick up the phone and change!

Networks25 Sep 2019 | 17

Ofcom probes EE over 4G outage that may have stopped folk contacting emergency services

UK's top mobile network 'fully cooperating' with investigation

Networks25 Sep 2019 | 9

Vodafone hurls sueball at Ofcom over plans to relax BT leases

Updated Claims loosening BT's price cap will cost businesses £230m

Networks29 Aug 2019 | 12

Brit regulator Ofcom put at helm as hosting platforms threatened with hefty fines for violent videos

Interim measure until Brexit, or never... whichever happens first

Legal12 Aug 2019 | 30

1Gbps, 4K streaming, buffering a thing of the past – but do Brits really even want full fibre?

Analysis Over to you, Betteridge's law of headlines*

Networks08 Aug 2019 | 132

Brit couch potatoes increasingly switching off telly boxes in favour of YouTube and Netflix

But still care about catching bent cops

Personal Tech07 Aug 2019 | 99