Tag: BT
UPDATED: BT blocks the Pirate Bay from mobile broadband customers
Anyone considering mobile broadband might want to rethink their decision today, after BT announced that it would henceforth be blocking access to the Pirate Bay for its mobile broadband customers. The company states that it’s in “compliance with a new UK voluntary code”.
BT’s mobile broadband is based on Vodafone’s network and it’s being claimed that the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) – who were responsible for a block on Wikipedia earlier this year – are behind the move. Apparently Orange, O2, T-Mobile, Virgin Mobile, Vodafone and 3 have also all agreed to participate.
The move comes after the Pirate Bay’s administrators were convinced of assisting the making available of copyrighted content and sentenced to a year in prison. The four are appealing the decision, though I argue that I don’t think it’ll make the blindest bit of difference.
What we really don’t want, though, is an unelected, non-governmental organization like the IWF deciding what content we’re allowed to consume online. As OnlineFandom points out, many Swedish labels have found ways to gain considerable commercial benefit out of The Pirate Bay, sharing content on it with full permission. Why should Brits miss out on that?
(via Tech Radar)
UPDATED: Ofcom to gives the thumbs up to BT fibre optic program
Ofcom appears set to give BT the go ahead to start their fibre optic broadband project that will see the UK telecomms giant provide up to 100Mbs speeds to 10 million households around the UK…
BBC teams up with ITV and BT for "Project Canvas"
Following the utter failure of Kangaroo, BBC and ITV bosses have put their heads together and come up with a different strategy. They’re launching a public consultation on a proposal for a IPTV service that they’re calling Project Canvas.
There’s not a whole lot of detail available yet, but it appears that the companies want to put together a set-top box service that’ll deliver television (in HD), a PVR service, internet access (to YouTube and other sites), and some sort of electronic program guide to it all. Sounds messy, but then so did Kangaroo.
The partners hope that it would cost in the region of £100-200 for the consumer, and a 2010 launch is aimed at. The BBC says it’ll contribute £6 million to the project over the next five years, out of a total of £16.6 million that it’ll need.
Don’t know about you, but I’m perfectly happy just plugging in a PC to my TV and using that to watch YouTube or iPlayer as necessary. Why would I need a set-top-box to do the same thing? As with many things, I think the key will be in the implementation. If it’s done as well as iPlayer, it’ll be wonderful. If not, it’ll be an expensive waste of time.
Your phone bill to get marginally less obscene – Competition Commission demands 1.5p per minute cut
There’s been a bit of a tangled web of a technical argument going on between phone regulator Ofcom and the Competition Commission, with the latter investigating the former after BT complained that Ofcom set UK connection prices too high.
The end result is this – your phone calls might be about to get 1.5p per minute cheaper, thanks to the CC agreeing that Ofcom did indeed get it a bit wrong when it capped the networks’ termination fees – the prices phone companies are allowed to charge you for ringing other networks – too high…
Be Broadband steps up to the challenge, trial doubles 24Mbps service to near-match Virgin Media
Not to be outdone by Virgin Media’s 50Mbps broadband announcement yesterday, Be Broadband has completed its trials of speed-doubling technology which would take the current 24Mbps broadband up to 48Mbps – almost the same as Virgin Media’s theoretical top speed.
The trial ran at the London Paddington exchange, with Be customers reporting real download speeds of between 30-45Mbps.
Be is keen to point out that its service will run through standard BT phone lines…
40MBit/s fibre for London and Wales from BT
Do you live in Muswell Hill, London or Whitchurch, Cardiff? If so, you’ll be pleased as punch to hear that you’re soon going to be offered 40MBit/s broadband from BT. Of course, by “soon”, I actually mean “they’re going to send the engineers in soon”, so you won’t get your hands on it till early 2010 at the earliest. In the meantime, there’s always Virgin Media…
Government says Phorm is phine – the spying ad software can be rolled out in the UK
The UK government has said the incredibly controversial Phorm software can be rolled out in the UK – but users must be told first and allowed to opt-out if they wish.
The Phorm system, which anonymously tracks your internet usage so it can offer you targeted advertising, was secretly tested on a small group of BT users without their knowledge, creating uproar among the sort of people who like to create uproars about privacy issues. The EU then got involved, asking for clarification about the hows and whys of Phorm, thinking that it might be a BAD THING.
So, the UK government investigated and has decided it’s OK and that Phorm is fine. Here’s what it told the EU investigators about its Phorm phindings and how users will be put in charge of turning it on and off…
BT Digital Music Awards – nominations announced
It’s that time of the year again – the BT Digital Music Awards. These are awards which are given to bands, artists, labels, shops, and other digital music services which really use the web to its greatest advantage. Although there’s quite a lot of “which band has the prettiest website” rubbish in the awards, there’s also categories like “Best Digital Service”, “Best Music Shop” and “Best Music Hardware”….
The internet has been stolen
Well, it has if you’re lucky enough to live in Mayfair, London, anyway. A gang of thieves broke into a BT exchange and legged it with servers, routers and all sorts of other crucial hardware – leaving the local population without their Facebook fix for the evening…
Advertising watchdog clears BT Gremlins ad following complaints that it gives children nightmares
The Advertising Standards Authority has given the all clear to a recent BT TV advertisement after some people complained that a recent ad featuring Gremlins wreaking havoc on a hapless office worker was frightening children and giving them nightmares. The ad stars Peter Jones who you may know from such thrilling business TV shows as Dragon’s Den.
