Tag: OFCOM
Broadband speeds increase 20% as nine in 10 homes take superfast packages
Image: Ofcom As the availability of future-proof, full-fibre technology improves, and more people upgrade their connections, average home broadband speeds are increasing. Ofcom’s Home Broadband Performance Report, published today, reveals that the median average speed of a home broadband connection has reached 59.4 Mbit/s. That’s an 18% increase from 50.4 Mbit/s the…
Tech Digest daily roundup: TikTok to raise livestreaming age to 18
TikTok is raising its minimum age for livestreaming from 16 to 18 from next month. A BBC News investigation found hundreds of accounts going live from Syrian refugee camps, with children begging for donations. Some were receiving up to $1,000 (£900) an hour - but when they withdrew the cash, TikTok had taken up to…
Shell Energy generated highest level of broadband complaints, says Ofcom
Shell Energy continues to generate the most broadband and landline complaints, according to the latest data published by Ofcom. While overall complaint volumes during this quarter were broadly in line with the previous three months, the number of complaints received about Shell Energy are three times higher than the industry average. Meanwhile, Sky continues to…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Nearly 1 million Brits have cancelled streaming services this year
Almost 1m British households have given up on the streaming revolution so far this year, as the cost of living crisis forces increasingly budget-conscious consumers to stop taking services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+. The premiere of two of the most-hyped and expensive shows of all time – the $650m (£580m) productions of Rings of…
Ofcom: 1 in 3 children lie to access adult social media accounts
One in three children lie about their age to access adult content on social media, according to research commissioned by the regulator, Ofcom. Yonder Consulting found that the majority of children aged between 8 and 17 (77%) who use social media now have their own profile on at least one of the large platforms. And…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Gaming could kill kids with undiagnosed heart problems
Playing video games could cause life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias in children with undiagnosed heart conditions, a scientific report has found. Investigators said they had uncovered an uncommon but distinct pattern among children who lose consciousness while playing electronic games. They warned that Call Of Duty-style multiplayer war games were the most frequent trigger for such episodes.…
Full-fibre broadband reaches 11 million homes, reports Ofcom
Full-fibre broadband reaches 11 million UK households – up from 7 million a year ago As more small and medium-sized businesses shift towards hybrid working, better broadband becomes a priority The roll-out of full-fibre broadband continues apace, as the number of UK homes with access to it jumps by more than 50% in a year,…
Young adults watch 7 times less broadcast TV than over 65s
Younger adults now watch almost seven times less scheduled TV than those aged 65 and over, Ofcom has found, as the generation gap in media habits reaches a record high. People aged 16-24 spend less than an hour (53 minutes) in front of broadcast TV in an average day – a fall of two-thirds in the…
Ofcom report shows Man United players receive most Twitter abuse
Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire have received the most Twitter abuse of any Premier League players, a new report has found. Ofcom analysis of 2.3 million tweets in the first half of last season found nearly 60,000 abusive posts, affecting seven in 10 top-flight players. Half of that abuse was directed at just…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Data centres ‘sucking Britain’s power grid dry’
A shortage of houses in London and the southeast has long been one of the most prolific problems facing the Government. Yet desperately needed fresh supply is unlikely to materialise soon in west London, after developers were last week told they may be prevented from starting new projects in the area until 2035, because the…