Tag: OFCOM
Full-fibre broadband reaches more than 8 million UK homes
Fast, reliable internet connections are now available to more people than ever before, with over 8 million UK homes (28%) able to get full-fibre broadband. The finding comes from Ofcom’s annual Connected Nations report, which analyses the availability of broadband and mobile services across the UK. The report shows that 750,000 homes upgraded to faster, more reliable…
Tech Digest daily roundup: App outage locks Tesla owners out of cars
Tesla drivers say they have been locked out of their cars after an outage struck the carmaker's app. Dozens of owners posted on social media about seeing an error message on the mobile app that was preventing them from connecting to their vehicles. Tesla chief executive Elon Musk personally responded to one complaint from a…
Ofcom to protect thousands of phone boxes from closure
Thousands of iconic phone boxes around the UK will be protected from closure, under Ofcom plans announced today. With 96% of UK adults now owning a mobile phone, and mobile signal improving significantly in recent years, the way people make calls is changing. As part of the move to digital phone lines, BT is currently…
8 in 10 received scam text or call in last 3 months, claims Ofcom research
Almost 45 million people have been on the receiving end of potential scam texts or calls in the last three months, new Ofcom research reveals. More than eight in 10 (82%) said they had received a suspicious message, in the form of either a text, recorded message or live phone call to a landline or mobile. This…
Ofcom issues new guidance to protect users from harmful video content
People who use online video-sharing sites and apps should be better protected from harmful content, as Ofcom issues new guidance for tech companies today. Video sharing platforms (VSPs) are a type of online video service where users can upload and share videos. VSPs established in the UK – such as TikTok, Snapchat, Vimeo and Twitch – are…
Ofcom introduces ‘One Touch Switching’ for broadband customers
Broadband and landline customers should find it easier than ever to change provider and secure a better deal, under a new ‘One Touch Switch’ process announced today by Ofcom. The change means all home broadband users – including cable and full fibre customers – will only have to contact their new company to switch, with no…
1 in 4 UK homes now get fast full-fibre internet, claims Ofcom
Around one in four UK homes can now get faster full-fibre internet, as broadband companies have extended their networks at a rapid pace during the pandemic – new Ofcom figures reveal. New figures published in Ofcom’s Connected Nations summer update show that just under seven million (24%) of all UK homes can take-up full-fibre internet packages -…
UK adults spent more time online during lockdown than those of other nations
UK adults spent more time online on computers, smartphones or tablets in 2020 than those in other European countries, according to Ofcom’s annual study into the nation’s online habits. Its Online Nation 2021 report looked at an unprecedented year, when communication, entertainment, culture, retail, work and education moved more online. UK adults spent more than…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Half of UK adults visited adult website during lockdown
UK adults spent more time online than other large European countries such as France and Germany during the pandemic, according to Ofcom. They spent more than three-and-a-half hours (217 minutes) online each day in 2020 – more than an hour longer than in Germany and France and 30 minutes more than Spain, the regulator’s annual…
Tech Digest daily round up: Microsoft President warns of AI threat on Panorama
Life as depicted in George Orwell’s 1984 “could come to pass in 2024” if lawmakers don’t protect the public against artificial intelligence, Microsoft’s president has warned. Speaking to BBC's Panorama, Brad Smith said it will be "difficult to catch up” with the rapidly advancing technology. The programme explores China’s increasing use of AI to monitor…
