Connectivity
Subway Surfing : Tube Talk
Vodafone and Virgin Media O2 have announced that their customers will be joining both Three and EE’s customers in having access to high-speed mobile connectivity on London’s Tube network, including within the tunnels. Joined BAI As confirmed by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, Vodafone and Virgin Media O2 have joined BAI Communications’ 4G and…
Read MoreHeated Seats ‘as a Service’.
BMW UK is now offering ConnectedDrive owners Front Seat Heating for a £15 per month or £150 per year subscription. BMW ConnectedDrive Services BMW ConnectedDrive Services use the smart / Internet connected element of the car to enable owners to use software to activate more services in the car by paying a subscription for each,…
Read MoreWhat Are Wi-Fi 5 And 6 … And What’s The Difference?
In this tech-insight, we look at what Wi-Fi 5 And 6 are including their differences plus the improvements that Wi-Fi 6 offers. Wi-Fi Standards Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 are the names of the most recent Wi-Fi standards. Wi-Fi standards are sets of services and protocols that dictate how a Wi-Fi network (and other data…
Read MoreUK Not Adopting EU’s Universal Charger
Following the recent news that the EU plans to introduce a single, universal charger for all devices, it has been reported that the UK has said that it is not currently considering copying the idea. Just One Universal Charger Cable A week ago, the EU parliament announced that by autumn 2024, USB Type-C will become…
Read MoreTrials Running Broadband Cables Through Water Pipes
The UK government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport has launched a £4 million trial project in South Yorkshire to run fibre optic broadband cables through drinking water pipes to connect-up rural locations. No Digging Up Roads – Reach Rural Locations Fast The two-year trial, the first of its kind, will see full fibre…
Read MoreWhat’s All the Fuss About The Digital Switchover?
In this article, we look at what the digital switchover is, why it’s needed, what the challenges are, and why it’s now been paused. The Switch To ‘Digital Voice’ Back in April 2021, BT Openreach announced that starting from the end of the year and finishing in 2025, it would be “switching off the UK telephone…
Read MoreWhat’s All the Fuss About Starlink?
In this article, we look at what Starlink is and why it has been making the news in the last couple of weeks. What Is Starlink? Starlink, operated by billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX company uses a constellation of low orbit satellites around the earth (launched by SpaceX rockets) to provide broadband internet. Starlink provides satellite…
Read MoreSelf-Powered Mobile Masts Could Beat Remote Off-Grid Challenges
Vodafone’s announcement that it aims to deploy self-powered ‘Eco-Tower’ mobile masts across the UK could mean connections for remote areas as well as environmental benefits. Wind and Solar Powered The new masts will be self-powered, using wind turbine technology, combined with new solar and battery technologies developed through Vodafone working with renewable energy technology specialist Crossflow…
Read MoreNetworks Angered By Ofcom’s Openreach Decision
Independent broadband network providers (altnets) have been angered by Ofcom’s decision to take no action over anti-competition concerns about (BT) Openreach’s “Equinox” offer. What Is Equinox? The Equinox Offer from BT’s Openreach essentially proposes that big ISPs can buy discounted wholesale Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband products. Openreach’s Equinox Offer gives ISPs (e.g., TalkTalk or Sky) cheaper/discounted…
Read MoreThe Big Switch-Off
In this article, we look at some of the key issues surrounding the planned 2025 PSTN switch-off, the move to VoIP, and what options businesses have going forward. What’s Happening? Back in April, BT Openreach announced that starting from the end of this year (and finishing in 2025), it will be “switching off the UK telephone…
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