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October 2005

Wanadoo launches super-fast 8 Meg Broadband (17/10/05)
Today, Wanadoo becomes the first major ISP in the UK to offer an up to 8 Meg broadband connection as standard. Families across the country can begin enjoying the benefits of the super-fast wireless broadband service for just £14.99.

BT Broadband - High speeds nationwide (14/10/05)
BT today announced the next trial phase for its ADSL broadband Max service, which will deliver downstream line speeds of up to 8 Mbit/s. Commencing at the end of November, the trial will lay the foundation for the intended commercial launch of higher speed broadband services across the UK by Spring 2006.

BT and Yahoo! make broadband as simple as 1, 2, 3, 4 and promise 8Mb from next year (13/10/05)
BT today announced a deepening of its relationship with Yahoo! as it simplified its broadband packages into four easy options. Each of these packages will offer new and existing customers a premium Yahoo! broadband experience, enhanced security features and the option of cheap internet telephony. The packages will come into effect from October 24 offering consumers even greater value from BT and Yahoo!.

September 2005

UK Online drives Broadband speeds up and prices down (23/09/05)
UK Online is continuing to drive market innovations and value, with more speed for less - unlimited 1Mb broadband now from just £9.99 a month*. Unlimited 2Mb broadband is now also £5 cheaper, from £14.99 a month.

AOL boosts value with Internet and voice packages (22/09/05)
AOL has introduced a monthly discount of £2.00 for all customers who take both voice and Internet from the UK's leading online interactive services provider. This comes alongside the introduction of new price plans for users of AOL Talk following its successful launch earlier this year. [read more]

Be sets 18.5Mb UK broadband speed record (02/09/05)
Be, the UK’s newest broadband provider, broke the speed record yesterday when their first customer, Stefan, connected to the Internet in Clerkenwell with a download speed of 18.5 meg. [read more]

Telewest Broadband launches green initiative (01/09/05)
Telewest Broadband is working with Future Forests, in association with IM Forestry, to dedicate a tree in the Balblair forest in Scotland for every new customer that signs up to its electronic billing service. [read more]

August 2005

Mailbox Internet leads with new Broadband diagnostics (30/08/05)
Taking the lead in ADSL innovation with the introduction of two new DSL diagnostic tools, Mailbox Internet is the first ISP in the country to allow customers and resellers to diagnose problems with DSL circuits through a friendly, easy-to-use web interface. [read more]

Instant over-the-phone broadband availability check (30/08/05)
A next-generation ADSL tool has been announced by Mailbox Internet. The completely new ‘dial-in ADSL availability checker’ allows anybody to pick up a telephone and receive information about ADSL availability. [read more]

PIPEX & Airspan launch UK WiMAX trial (23/08/05) PIPEX Communications (AIM:PXC.L) and Airspan Networks (NASDAQ: AIRN) today announced the commencement of a six month WiMAX trial in the UK. This will be used to evaluate the delivery of broadband services using PIPEX’ WiMAX spectrum and Airspan’s WiMAX products. This is the first 802.16-2004 compliant WiMAX trial in the UK. [read more]

Cable & Wireless introduces first Next Generation Network for London (19/08/05)
Cable & Wireless today becomes the first telecoms operator to bring Next Generation Network (NGN) technology to the heart of London. The first users of the new network will be thousands of customers of Bulldog Broadband, who already have services of up to 8 megabit. The new network can support higher volumes of traffic and new services, as well as increased broadband speeds, allowing downloads of music tracks to be measured in seconds rather than minutes and for viewing feature films. [read more]

NTL Incorporated appoints new Chief Operating Officer (16/08/05)
Formerly Managing Director, Distribution, of Lloyds TSB Group Plc, Neil will be responsible for running ntl’s day-to-day operations, helping the Company to become the UK's premier provider of communications and entertainment services. Neil will report to Simon Duffy, Chief Executive Officer of ntl, and will be based in the Company's operational headquarters in Hook, Hampshire. Neil will join ntl’s Group Operating Board. [read more]

Telewest Broadband to launch 10Mb broadband service (11/08/05)
Telewest Broadband has today announced plans to shake-up its blueyonder internet services - with the most significant speed boosts seen yet - and outlined its capability to go much faster in the future. [read more]

Wireless Broadband for approx 2.5 million Cork Airport commuters (09/08/05)
BT today announced that it has won a contract to provide wireless broadband (Wi-Fi) to commuters at Cork International Airport. Available in all public areas throughout the airport, BT Wi-Fi offers competitively priced wireless broadband to the millions of business and leisure travellers that pass through the airport each year. [read more]

Eclipse Internet to trial national platform for digital TV (04/08/05)
Eclipse Internet announces that it is starting trials today of a new national ‘triple-play’ service that incorporates digital television, telephony and its award-winning broadband service. Working with Netgem, manufacturers of the highly rated next generation iPlayer+ settop box, Eclipse Internet is creating an all-inclusive service that will allow customers to use the range of benefits possible through the iPlayer+ box as well as 2Mbps broadband connection and Eclipse’s exclusive low-cost calls package. [read more]

Scottish football kicks off on Telewest Broadband (02/08/05)
Telewest Broadband will be launching three new channels this week as it gears up for the start of the Bank of Scotland Premier League football season. Setanta Sports 2, Celtic TV and Rangers TV will join Setanta Sports 1 on the cable company's digital TV service, enabling football fans to watch all the live action from the comfort of their armchair. [read more]

July 2005

AOL Broadband launches online 'Summer of Fun' for Kids and Teens (30/07/05)
AOL has launched two new online areas for its younger users, which will focus on providing fun and alleviating boredom during the summer holidays. 'Zoo' and 'X', for kids and teenagers respectively, are primarily aimed at AOL Broadband members, as they provide exclusive online video content not previously available in the UK, such as the highly popular Princess Natasha cartoons, which will only be available on Zoo. [read more]

Easynet partners with Onetel to bring superfast broadband to Onetel customers (29/07/05)
Easynet Group Plc, the pan-European broadband networking company, has today signed a 3-year contract to provide wholesale broadband services to Onetel, Centrica’s telecommunications arm. Onetel will utilise Easynet’s local loop infrastructure to provide cost-effective next generation broadband services to its customer base. [read more]

BT First quarter results show 5.6 Million broadband end users (28/07/05)
BT have today published First quarter results to June 30, reporting a profit before taxation of £511 million (up 20%) and a doubling of wholsesale broadband connections (over the previous 12 months) to 5.6 million. Broadband revenue was reported to have grown by 55 per cent to £161 million and the growth of broadband continues with 1,940,000 BT Retail connections at June 30, 2005, an increase of 11 per cent in the quarter. [read more]

ntl partners with Mitel to deliver advanced IP solutions (27/07/05)
ntl business, a leading provider of business communications services, is building on its IP heritage through a partnership with leading IP solutions provider, Mitel. ntl will use Mitel’s advanced IP PBX portfolio to deliver IP telephony solutions to corporate and public sector customers. [read more]

THUS (Demon Broadband) - Annual General Meeting Trading Update (27/07/05)
Since the start of the current financial year, THUS has continued to grow across all three of its key divisions of Managed solutions, Data and telecoms and Internet services. The Company’s ability to sustain growth has been underpinned by its strength in the delivery of converged services and by continued expansion in broadband. [read more]

Tiscali introduces the most complete internet to its customers (26/07/05)
Today Tiscali has signed an agreement with UNIDT (Unified Identity Technology), an international top level domain administrator, giving all Tiscali subscribers access to a new generation of internet "Top Level Domains (TLD's)". Top Level Domain names are the letters or words following the dot in a website address. UNIDT allows companies to register domains such as .Tiscali or .KPMG without needing to enter the traditional internet domains (such as .com/.org/.net), or country codes (such as .nl/.be/.de) and without needing to type “www.” [read more]

BT keeps a keener eye on ISP customer experience (26/07/05)
BT Retail has committed to gleaning new intelligence about its Internet customers’ experience and the performance of BT’s key Internet Service Provider (ISP) competitors. BT’s ADSL broadband and dial-up narrowband services will be monitored from five geographic locations around the UK using ISP-I™ (pronounced “eye spy”), the customer experience monitoring and competitor benchmarking solution from Purple Sun. [read more]

Cable and Wireless AGM, Chairman’s remarks confirm talks with Energis (25/07/05)
In their recent AGM announcement, Cable & Wireless have confirmed via Chairmans comments that they are approaching the stakeholders of Energis concerning a possible acquisition, that a transaction is not yet certain and that a further announcement can be expected. [read more]

ntl to launch On Demand digital TV services to 100,000 customers (25/07/05)
ntl, the UK’s leading digital cable TV company, today unveiled plans to launch Video on Demand – its next generation digital TV service – to 100,000 customers over the next seven days. As a result, the number of customers with its innovative ntl On Demand service will reach 375,000, just six months after its UK launch. [read more]

BT chooses AMV for converged consumer mega-campaign (22/07/05)
BT today announced that it has selected Abbott Mead Vickers to launch a unified single mega-campaign across the whole of its consumer business. The contract was awarded to AMV on the basis of their creative vision for fulfilling BT’s brief for a single, integrated campaign. This will mark a major change for BT. [read more]

ntl delivers IP telephony to improve patient services for the Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust (20/07/05)
ntl Business, a leading provider of communications services to the public sector, has announced the completion of a robust converged voice and data network, delivering a low-cost patient booking system to the Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust. Building on its IP heritage, ntl has provided the Trust with a contact centre solution to enable its Patient Appointment Centre to offer greater, more reliable services to patients. [read more]

BT Selects Nortel Equipment for Hosted Business Voice over IP (18/07/05)
BT has placed orders for Nortel's Communication Server (CS) 2000 carrier-class voice over IP call server solution, which will enable delivery of an IP-based business voice solution hosted in BT's network and aimed at supporting the communications needs of large public and private sector organizations. [read more]

Wanadoo's IWF Funding Council Representative Elected to IWF FC Chair (18/07/05)
Simon Persoff, Director of Regulatory Affairs at Wanadoo UK plc. has been elected Chair of the IWF Funding Council which is made up of representatives from funding member companies. At Wanadoo, Simon is responsible for legal and regulatory policy and compliance, competition law, communications law, information law, economic regulation, public policy and political affairs. [read more]

Teleport service extended with instant access to whole TV series (14/07/05)
Teleport, Telewest Broadband's TV-on-demand service, is today enhanced with the launch of Teleport TV, a new section offering complete TV series at the touch of a button. The cable company's Teleport service was launched to digital TV customers in Cheltenham and Gloucester earlier this month, offering a huge selection of current programmes and films via the existing set-top box and remote control. The service enables viewers to watch what they want, when they want and is being launched on a region-by-region basis. [read more]

THUS Provides Voice And Data Convergence To The Funding Corporation (13/07/05)
THUS plc today announced that it has migrated The Funding Corporation onto an MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) IPVPN across its Wide Area Network (WAN). As one of the largest independent finance companies in the UK, the upgrade will provide The Funding Corporation with geographic convergence of all its voice and data services across a single infrastructure, drastically reducing networking costs and allowing for greater control, quality and bandwidth in supplying services to its branches across the UK. [read more]

Claranet purchases Amen Group and VIA operations in the Netherlands, Portugal and the USA (12/07/05)
Claranet and VIA NET.WORKS (Nasdaq: VNWI), today announced the sale of the Amen Group and VIA operations in the Netherlands, Portugal and the USA to Claranet for $9.3 million, in cash. [read more]

Demon to host content for Sky’s new interactive television portal (11/07/05)
Demon today announced it has been chosen by Sky Interactive as the first hosting provider for its new interactive TV portal. The new service will enable Sky customers to access a range of Internet services that have been adapted specifically for television. [read more]

IZR announces VoIP services (08/07/05)
IZR Solutions Ltd. a business specific ISP and provider of secure national and international VPN services today announced the launch of it's Voice over IP (VoIP) service. [read more]

BT South East region is first in the UK to clock up one million BT wholesale broadband connections (06/07/05)
BT today revealed that more than one million homes and businesses in the South East have connected to its broadband services. The region is the first in the UK, including London, to reach this trail-blazing target. Just three months ago BT announced that it had hit five million broadband users in the UK and 880,000 were in the South East. [read more]

All 83 Leicestershire and Rutland BT exchanges now upgraded to broadband (06/07/05)
BT today announced that all of its 83 local telephone exchanges serving more than 420,000 homes and businesses, in Leicestershire and Rutland have been upgraded to broadband. The company completed its enablement programme across both counties when broadband was switched on at Somerby exchange today as part of its £1.5 billion national broadband investment programme. [read more]

Easynet signs significant education broadband contract with E2BN (04/07/05)
Pupils in the East of England will be given an enhanced learning experience as pan-European broadband provider Easynet deploys broadband infrastructure to the E2BN network which includes 11 Local Authorities and covers nearly 3000 schools in a £4 million, 5-year contract. [read more]

Cardiff chosen as first city to benefit from BT's 21st Century Network (04/07/05)
The people of Cardiff and the surrounding area will be the first in the UK to enjoy phone calls, broadband and Ethernet services over BT’s 21st Century Network (21CN) when it is rolled out to a regional concentration of customers for the first time. The migration of customer lines to the new infrastructure is expected to begin during the second half of 2006. BT will migrate around 350,000 customer lines in the area, including many served by other telephone and internet service providers and mobile operators. The experience and customer feedback from the first mass customer migration project will help BT finalise plans to roll out 21CN to customers across the UK by the end of the decade. [read more]

June 2005

‘Be’ to launch 24 meg broadband in the UK – BeThere.co.uk (30/06/05)
Brand new internet service provider Be is on the verge of launching 24 meg download speeds – the fastest in the UK and triple the speed of the current leading competitor. Using ADSL2+ technology that doubles the download bandwidth, together with LLU (Local Loop Unbundling), Be’s new service is a revolutionary overhaul of the UK broadband market. The rollout will start in London, quickly expanding to the rest of the UK. [read more]

Telewest Broadband launches Teleport (30/06/05)
The days of traditional TV are numbered, with the unveiling of a new service that allows viewers to create their own TV schedule and watch what they want, when they want. Telewest Broadband is making Teleport, its new TV-on-demand service, available to over 26,000 customers in Cheltenham and Gloucester today – the first stage of national roll-out plans which will revolutionise digital TV for more than a million customers by early next year. [read more]

Star Internet further strengthens its managed technology services business with key executive appointment (28/06/05)
Star, today announced the appointment of Marcel Horst as Vice President of Service Delivery, further strengthening its executive leadership team and commitment to customer service. Horst will be responsible for leading a service delivery organisation that provides customers with one common service interface with Star. He will join Star's executive team and play an integral part in continually improving the company's service delivery. [read more]

New management at Bulldog strengthen leadership position (27/06/05)
Bulldog Communications, the UK market innovator in broadband and telephony services and pioneer of LLU (Local Loop Unbundling), announced today four senior appointments to its management team. Led by chief executive, Emanuele Angelidis, the new executives consolidate the existing management team at Bulldog at a time of rapid growth and ensure the company continues to build on its position as a market leader and innovator. [read more]

Onetel offers cheaper line rental for small businesses (27/06/05)
Onetel, one of the UK's leading communications companies, has today launched a new telephone line rental service for businesses. The service will be offered for £11.99 a month, 12 % cheaper than BT's business line rental. Customers will benefit from a dedicated account team, access to their account online 24/7 and online billing via Onetel's virtual customer service centre. A full range of line features, including call barring, call divert and voicemail, backs up the service. [read more]

BT to launch broadband blitz in Cornwall and Devon (24/06/05)
Fifty-six Cornwall and Devon exchanges to be upgraded with broadband in just 31 days BT will launch a broadband blitz on Cornwall and Devon later this month. Fifty-six BT exchanges - representing a fifth of all exchanges in the two counties - will 'go live' with broadband during a 31 day period beginning on Wednesday June 29. No other counties in England or Wales have seen so many exchanges upgraded in such a short timescale. The 56 exchanges, including some of the smallest in Cornwall and Devon, serve more than 50,000 homes and businesses. Their enablement will mean that broadband is almost universally available throughout the two counties. [read more]

Onetel responds to Ofcom's publication of a new regulatory approach for fixed line telecommunications (23/06/05)
Ian El-Mokadem, Managing Director, Onetel comments: "We are pleased with the significant progress evident from Ofcom's announcement this morning. We think the proposed new regulatory approach involving legally binding undertakings provides greater certainty than the alternative of an Enterprise Act referral. We particularly welcome the undertakings related to the Access Services Division and its separation from the rest of BT, not least in terms of branding. We also welcome the fact WLR is included within the scope of the ASD, something that BT had previously resisted. [read more]

BT commits to support new era of regulation (23/06/05)
BT has today announced measures to help support a proposed new regulatory settlement. This settlement, to be based on guaranteed equality of access to BT’s local network, will deliver regulatory clarity and certainty. This certainty is essential if companies are to invest and innovate with confidence. BT has agreed in principle to offer undertakings to Ofcom. The detail of the proposed undertakings will be published on 30 June 2005. These include a timetable for key elements of the settlement’s implementation. The undertakings, which are due to be finalised over the next few days - prior to formal consultation by Ofcom - will ensure every player has confidence in the settlement and so help usher in a new era of clearly defined regulation. This will see regulation focused on key areas and rolled back elsewhere. [read more]

Nortel, BB Mobile Show Seamless Wireless Mobility Between 3G, Wireless Local Area Networks (22/06/05)
TOKYO – Nortel* [NYSE/TSX: NT] and BB Mobile, a SOFTBANK Group company, have achieved a second wireless industry milestone with what is believed to be the world's first seamless handoff of voice and data services between a third generation (3G) cellular network operating on the 1.7 GHz radio frequency band and a wireless local area network (LAN). The test calls, completed on a live Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) 3G cellular network and an 802.11 wireless LAN, signal a new level of freedom, access and mobility for mobile phone users. [read more]

Telewest Broadband trials web TV service (21/06/05)
Telewest Broadband is developing a web-based TV service on its blueyonder.co.uk website, using technology from Narrowstep. The cable company's trial service provides broadband internet users with free, high-quality TV content, via four channels which play out like traditional TV channels. [read more]

Warwickshire is first West Midlands county to have 100% broadband coverage (20/06/05)
BT upgrades all 52 telephone exchanges to deliver high speed internet BT reaches another significant milestone in its broadband rollout programme next week when the final two telephone exchanges in Warwickshire are upgraded with the new technology. The county will become the first in the West Midlands to have broadband available at all of its exchanges when BT completes the upgrade of Long Compton, in south Warwickshire and Pailton, near Rugby, on Wednesday, June 29. [read more]

Affiniti launches business quality VoIP service for channel partners (15/06/05)
Affiniti, the communications integrator created from the coming together of Kingston Communications Business Services, Omnetica and Technica, announced today that it is launching a Voice over IP service for its channel partners to resell. The business class service is one of the most comprehensive and advanced available in the UK. Voice over IP, also commonly known as Voice over Broadband or Internet Telephony, enables people to make calls via a broadband connection instead of using a separate phone line. [read more]

ntl On Demand continues to expand (15/06/05)
ntl, the UK’s leading cable TV company, continues to change the way its customers watch television by expanding access to its new on demand TV service. ntl On Demand adds control, choice and convenience to TV viewing in a way other digital TV services simply can’t manage. Today the company’s pioneering Video on Demand service is launched in Belfast, following its recent successful launch across Nottingham, Mansfield, Newark, Melton, Chesterfield and Lincoln. ntl On Demand is available now to over 250,000 customers, making it the largest on demand service available outside of the US. At the same time, the range of content available continues to grow with more children’s programming, more films and more music videos added. [read more]

Online security software from BT Wholesale to allow ISPs to ease fears around Internet safety and content (14/06/05)
BT Wholesale today announced the launch of its Netintelligence internet security software, which allows internet service providers (ISPs) to meet the online security needs of children and small businesses. BT Wholesale also announced its first commercial contract for Netintelligence with the UK 'family' ISP, V21. V21 is one of the first ISPs in the UK to complement its broadband service with Netintelligence, to deliver a highly secure broadband package to parents who are concerned about the safety of their children while surfing the internet. [read more]

Vispa Internet Launches the world's first Parental Control & Security software (08/06/05)
The Internet is a world-wide network that provides electronic connection between computers enabling them to communicate with each other. There is a vast amount of data available on virtually every subject imaginable. A substantial amount of content available provides the family with an interesting, positive and educational experience. However, the freedom offered by the internet, combined with this lack of governance means that there is always the potential for misuse. [read more]

BB Mobile, Nortel First to Demonstrate HSDPA Wireless Broadband in Japan (06/06/05)
Supercharged Wireless Broadband Tests Provide Path to Real-Time DVD-Quality Film, Gaming Applications. TOKYO – BB Mobile, a SOFTBANK Group company, and Nortel * [NYSE/TSX: NT] have completed what is believed to be Japan's first 'supercharged' wireless data transmission of 14.4 million bits per second (Mbps) – 30 times faster than today's commercially deployed wireless networks – using Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) technology. Live field tests were conducted with mobile handsets on BB Mobile's wireless network built by Nortel. [read more]

Mistral joins BT’s high speed ADSL trial (03/06/05)
Mistral Internet, the premier ISP for businesses in the UK, has been invited to participate in a BT Wholesale market trial of new higher-speed broadband access products. The scheme will test the delivery of faster ADSL IPStream and BT DataStream products of up to 8Mb/sec. [read more]

UK Online debuts first television campaign (02/06/05)
Consumer ISP UK Online is cementing its position as a leading British broadband provider with its first-ever television advertising campaign. The ads, which air from 6th June on Channel 4 (London and South East regions), and Film Four (nationally), are intended to boost consumer awareness of the ISP’s pioneering broadband services. [read more]

Telecom plus PLC is the fastest growing company in Europe (01/06/05)
European Business magazine has recently announced that Telecom plus PLC is the fastest growing company in Europe. This is a prestigious accolade and one that represents the successes of the company over the last few years, and is indicative of where the company is headed. [read more]

The future’s bright the future’s MPLS (01/06/05)
THUS plc continues to experience strong demand for its MPLS IP VPN services, bringing new solutions to market over the coming year THUS plc today announced future plans for its Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) based IP VPN services that provide UK organisations with a flexible, secure and cost-effective platform for wide area voice and data communications. As one of the first UK telecoms operators to use state-of-the-art MPLS to converge its customers’ voice and data traffic over a single network, THUS is taking a number steps to cement its reputation for innovation in the industry and will be rolling out a number of new solutions over the next year. (read more)

May 2005

GlowPoint Expands IP-based Video with Easynet to over 250 European locations (26/05/05)
Easynet is enabling the European expansion of GlowPoint’s IP-based video to more than 250 locations across Europe with its pan-European IP network. Glowpoint, Inc. is the world’s leading broadcast-quality IP-based video communications service provider. The relationship will significantly reduce cost for GlowPoint. [read more]

Tunbridge Wells gets ready for next-generation TV (23/05/05)
Telewest Broadband has upgraded the last remaining analogue part of its network in the South East this week, enabling a further 36,000 households in Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Edenbridge to receive digital TV and broadband internet services. The upgrade comes just months before the launch of new, next-generation TV services from the cable company including TV-on-demand and a personal video recorder (PVR). [read more]

NetServices Plc acquire Telefónica UK Limited (23/05/05)
Leading networking company, NetServices Plc, has today announced the acquisition of Telefónica UK Ltd. This acquisition adds significantly to the client base of NetServices in areas of broadband and IP VPN network services for the SME, corporate and ISP markets. The deal will add an estimated £20 million to NetServices Plc annual turnover in the next fifteen months. [read more]

Telewest Broadband sets out its telly vision (12/05/05)
Telewest Global, Inc. today announced plans to transform its TV service, giving consumers greater access to, and control over additional digital programmes. The cable company outlined the expansion of its television-on-demand (TVOD) service, following its initial launch in January, confirming that it intends to complete the national rollout of TVOD to over one million digital TV customers by early 2006. [read more]

THUS deploys MPLS VoIP enabled network for ScottishPower’s converged call centre connectivity connectivity (05/05/05)
THUS plc today announced that it is connecting ScottishPower to its advanced IP-based MPLS core network. The network will provide the backbone for ScottishPower’s voice and data services carrying VoIP traffic between five ScottishPower locations at Cathcart, Falkirk, Warrington, Wrexham and Caernafon, and IP data connectivity between all sites and Kirkintilloch in Scotland. As a leading international energy business, ScottishPower required an integrated, resilient and transparent network infrastructure that would support continued evolution of the business, and allow ScottishPower to reduce risk and ensure maximum return on investment. ScottishPower’s IT Business Services (ITBS) had a requirement to provide voice links between its new call centre switches and chose to facilitate this requirement by making a strategic decision to move onto THUS’s MPLS network providing them with VoIP capability. The solution is currently being deployed and will carry voice and data traffic on an any-to-any basis across a secure and dedicated IP VPN. Each connected call centre site will be directly connected to the MPLS network using resilient Ethernet links. [read more]

April 2005

PIPEX acquires hosting business to enhance hosting offering and boost reseller footprint (28/04/05)
PIPEX Communications has acquired award-winning Donhost, the dedicated and shared hosting and domain name business, to further enhance its hosting capabilities and provide a reseller-based hosting solution. Donhost is a web hosting business providing shared and dedicated servers, reseller solutions, domain name registration and Internet access to business and residential customers in the UK. Donhost has 92,000 end customers for hosting services and 120,000 domain names, which takes the total number of domain name registrations for the PIPEX group to over 1 million. [read more]

Kim and Aggie help UK Internet users scrub up their online safety and security (25/04/05)
Kim and Aggie, the nation's queens of clean, today launched AOL's 'Clean Out Your Computer Week' to encourage Internet users to remove stubborn spyware, spring clean the spam and vanish virulent viruses. A recent survey by AOL* revealed that 83 per cent of respondents fear their personal details falling into the wrong hands online and over three quarters of home Internet users are worried about the number of junk emails they receive. [read more]

THUS to trial 8MBPS ADSL broadband (21/04/05)
THUS tests next wave of super-fast broadband with aims for national roll-out in autumn 2005 THUS plc today confirmed that it will be working alongside BT Wholesale to trial an 8Mbps ADSL broadband service in the UK. As one of the leading national telcos, THUS is playing a major part in shaping the future of ADSL by undertaking pilot tests with selected Demon business and consumer subscribers in Greater London and Strathclyde. THUS will commence testing in April 2005 with an aim to deliver a full range of 8Mbps broadband products to residential, home workers and business users by the end of the year. [read more]

BT broadband news: Swansea gets SDSL broadband (20/04/05)
Swansea makes the next move along the broadband highway when the city’s exchange is switched on to symmetrical broadband services (SDSL) on April 24. Swansea follows Bridgend, Cardiff Central, Newport, Roath and most recently Wrexham, as the next Welsh exchanges to get the technology which, unlike asymmetric broadband (ADSL), allows users to send as well as receive data at high speeds. [read more]

BT broadband news: Wrexham gets SDSL broadband (12/04/05)
Wrexham becomes only the fifth place in Wales to be switched on to symmetrical broadband services (SDSL) when the town’s exchange is upgraded on April 17. Wrexham follows Bridgend, Cardiff Central, Newport and Roath as the first in another 15 Welsh exchanges to get the technology which, unlike asymmetric broadband (ADSL), allows users to send as well as receive data at high speeds. [read more]

THUS Launches SDSL As Backbone To New Demon Premier Broadband Range (11/04/05)
Symmetric broadband provides cost effective, high performance addition to expanding Demon Broadband product portfolio THUS plc today announced an extension to its Demon broadband product portfolio by offering its customers Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line (SDSL) services. SDSL broadband packages will be introduced as part of THUS’s new Demon Premier Broadband range, a business-class product suite which also includes ADSL services and introduces, for the first time, an optional managed service level agreement for business critical applications reliant on broadband availability. [read more]

BT YAHOO! BROADBAND REVAMPED TO MAKE MOST OF THE WEB (09/04/05)
BT today announces significant enhancements to its BT Yahoo! Broadband portal - providing a richer and more relevant gateway to the internet for broadband and narrowband customers. Core to the revamped portal is a new and updated browser, which now includes tabbed browsing – allowing customers to surf numerous sites with the same browser. The new anonymous browsing feature means you can surf the web without having to sign in, and a redesigned sidebar provides simple access to your most frequently used services. The new browser is also faster than the previous version and incorporates a number of other usability and accessibility improvements. [read more]

Cable & Wireless appoints Emanuele Angelidis Chief Executive of Bulldog Communications (06/04/05)
Cable and Wireless plc (“Cable & Wireless”), announced today the appointment of Emanuele Angelidis (40) to succeed Richard Greco as Chief Executive of Bulldog Communications, the LLU (Local Loop Unbundling) broadband and phone company . Bulldog was founded by Richard Greco in May 2000 and was purchased by Cable & Wireless in May 2004. Under the terms of the purchase Mr. Greco agreed to lead the business for its first year with Cable & Wireless. [read more]

BT eclipses 5 million broadband target and sets out vision for the future (04/04/05)
This week BT will connect its five millionth wholesale broadband customer, beating a target set by the company a year ahead of schedule. Broadband is now one of the fastest growing consumer products of all time with a higher take up rate than televisions, CD players, video recorders or mobile phones Ben Verwaayen, BT’s CEO said: "Three years ago when we set a target of five million by 2006 it seemed a daunting task. To have reached this milestone so early into 2005 is a massive achievement for the whole industry. The momentum of broadband is continuing to build. The latest million connections have come in just four months, and BT is connecting a customer every ten seconds. But now the focus needs to move from broadband availability towards the ways in which broadband can improve people’s lives. At work through greater productivity, and at home by delivering a whole range of new services. [read more]

Wales clocks up 208,000 of UK’s 5 million BT wholesale broadband connections (04/04/05)
BT today revealed that 208,000 homes and businesses in Wales had connected up to its broadband services. News came on the day that BT announced it would achieve five million wholesale broadband connections during this week, eclipsing a target set three years ago by chief executive Ben Verwaayen by more than a year. Broadband is now one of the fastest growing consumer products of all time with a higher take-up rate than TV, CD players, video- recorders and mobile phones. (Please see graph attached.) The latest million connections came in just four months and BT is connecting a customer every 10 seconds, around the clock. [read more]

North East region clocks up 524,000 of UK’s five million BT wholesale broadband connections (04/04/05)
BT today revealed that 524,000 homes and businesses in the North West region had connected up to its broadband services. News came as BT announced it would achieve five million wholesale broadband connections during this week - eclipsing a target set three years ago by chief executive Ben Verwaayen by more than a year. [read more]

Geeky jargon leaves UK Internet users more vulnerable to online scams and viruses (04/04/05)
Internet users in the UK are being left confused and more vulnerable to online risks because of the incomprehensible jargon in use, according to a new Populus survey for AOL UK. AOL's 'Do you speak geek?' study revealed that jargon such as 'phishing', 'rogue dialler', 'Trojan' and 'spyware' are a mystery to most Internet users, despite being commonly used in connection to serious online security threats. For example, while a recent wave of financial scams via email has tricked some UK consumers into handing over their bank account details and even cash, the AOL survey revealed that 84 per cent of home Internet users do not understand the term 'phishing', commonly used to describe such scam emails. [read more]

New Research Identifies 50% Cost Savings For Businesses Migrating To Broadband Networks (01/04/05)
New research published today by Analysys Research offers the first comprehensive evaluation of the business case for switching from leased line to broadband access for IP VPNs. The report, commissioned by Easynet, is an important step forward in establishing the case for broadband as the access technology of choice for corporate data networks. Analysys's research puts forward strong evidence of the substantial gains to be achieved by migrating to broadband technology. The report demonstrates how over a typical three-year contract, a broadband solution can deliver savings of more than 50%. On a medium-sized network of 70 sites this represents a cost saving of over GBP677,000. What is more, the payback time – even taking into account installation and project management costs in migrating to the new contract – for the switch to a broadband network is less than a year. [read more]

March 2005

PDSA reaps rewards of high-speed broadband through affordable managed technology from Star (29/03/05)
Britain's leading veterinary charity PDSA benefits from secure, high-speed Internet connectivity, following the successful implementation of Star's managed broadband. Since the completion of the 40 installations in sites across the UK in late 2004, the PDSA has been able to provide more responsive online services to its staff, has dramatically improved internal communications and IT support and, most importantly, enhanced customer service. [read more]

Mistral partners with Maxim to offer voice and video package (21/03/05)
Mistral Internet, the premier ISP for businesses in the UK, has teamed up with voice and data systems specialist Maxim Solutions. Maxim will be using Mistral’s high-speed national data network to offer a complete voice and data networking solution tailored for individual businesses. [read more]

PlusNet plc CNET Technology CEO of the year winner (16/03/05)
PlusNet's Chief Executive Officer, Lee Strafford, has been named "Technology CEO of the Year (small cap public firm)" in this years UK Technology Innovation & Growth Awards from the European Technology Forum and Intellect. After scrutinizing the financial performance, management, strategy and long term prospects of over 200 other firms, the panel of industry respected judges chose PlusNet's CEO Lee Strafford as the winner. Strafford demonstrated exceptional leadership and success in transforming Internet Service Provider, PlusNet plc. [read more]

UKFast celebrates massive Broadband take up (09/03/05)
UKFast is firing on all cylinders as having recently received the accolade of Best Hosting Provider at the ISPA Awards, they now seem set to prove that they are just as committed to their Broadband solutions. The companies ADSL broadband connections for the period Jan 1st to Feb 28th have increased by over 350% compared to the same period in 2004. Head of Sales, George Frewer is pleased, but not surprised by the broadband boom. [read more]

BT retail to launch 8Mbps trial (07/03/05)
BT Retail has announced that it will start trialling a mega-fast 8Mbps broadband service from April, with the aim of rolling it out to both consumer and business customers by the end of the year. The announcement follows BT’s super-fast 2Mbps service launch last month. The trial will last approximately 10 - 12 weeks. A larger trial is expected in the summer following a successful technical pilot. [read more]

LG Electronics, Nortel Demonstrate ‘Supercharged’ Experience for Streaming Video, Music Downloads to Consumers (03/03/05)
CHATEAUFORT, France – Nortel* [NYSE/TSX: NT] and LG Electronics [06657.KS] have completed the industry's first live test calls using a commercial handset solution for the emerging broadband wireless technology, High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA). [read more]

£10 million broadband project for the North East (01/03/05)
AN innovative £10 million project to bring broadband to thousands more businesses and homes across the North East has been successfully delivered to the rural community of Eastgate in County Durham. [read more]

February 2005

Wanadoo crowned UK’s Best National Consumer ISP (25/02/05)
Wanadoo crowned UK’s Best National Consumer ISP for second year running – and also named the UK’s Best Portal and Best ISP for Heavy Consumer Broadband! Wanadoo is celebrating today after scooping not one, not two, but an incredible THREE industry Oscars. Europe’s No.1 broadand provider beat off stiff competition from the likes of BT Yahoo, MSN, Yahoo and Telewest to win the coveted titles of ‘Best National Consumer ISP’, ‘Best Portal’ and 'Best Heavy Consumer Broadband ISP’ [read more]

Northern Ireland hits broadband milestone (24/02/05)
Northern Ireland today became the first UK region, outside of London, to have every one of its exchanges enabled for broadband. The announcement was made by BT Northern Ireland in association with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) and the Building Sustainable Prosperity programme. [read more]

Nortel to Showcase Broadband Wireless, Optimized Data Networking at 3GSM World Congress 2005 (14/02/05)
CANNES, France – Nortel* [NYSE/TSX: NT] will be showcasing broadband wireless data services over live GPRS, EDGE, UMTS and HSDPA networks at 3GSM World Congress 2005, February 14-17 in Cannes. Nortel activities will focus on solutions for optimizing networks, supporting future demand for wireless broadband, and enabling services and applications to help increase operator revenue potential and drive customer loyalty. [read more]

BT Wholesale unveils further broadband price and product developments (03/02/05)
BT Wholesale today announced plans to deliver higher speed broadband services throughout the UK together with a range of wholesale broadband pricing initiatives. The changes include more competitive wholesale broadband pricing in response to service provider requests to support the continued explosion of end user take up of broadband connections. These customer focussed plans help develop the competitive environment for the industry envisaged in today’s BT response to the Ofcom Telecommunications Strategic Review (see News Release DC05 - 057). [read more]

Costcutter and Virgin.net sign ISP distribution deal (02/02/05)
Virgin.net, the UK's fifth largest ISP, has signed an exclusive distribution deal with independent retail operation Costcutter, that will see Virgin.net's ISP registration CDs available in 500 Costcutter convenience stores. The CDs will be 'free-to-take' and will provide Costcutter's customers with access to the Internet via one of Virgin.net's four Internet access options - Broadband Plan One, Broadband Plan Two, 24seven or Pay as You Go. [read more]

Easynet transforms businesses across Europe with new contracts (02/02/05)
Easynet demonstrates continuing strength in its European markets with significant new business wins across Europe. The pan-European networking company has signed contracts with customers in its countries in the UK, Belgium, France, Spain, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, which will use Easynet’s advanced IP infrastructure to transform their businesses. [read more]

Mistral Internet acquires Netkonect plc (01/02/05)
Mistral Internet today completed its third acquisition during the month of January with the purchase of Basingstoke based business ISP, Netkonect Communications plc. Mistral continues to grow both organically and by acquisition in line with its goals to be the largest independent business focused Internet Service Provider in the UK. Like Mistral, Netkonect was started in 1994 and is therefore one of oldest and most established ISP’s. The acquisition is Mistral’s 9th takeover in the last two years and the largest to date. [read more]

January 2005

BT delivers on commitment to broaden availability of symmetrical broadband services (31/01/05)
BT today announced the next 500 exchanges that are to be upgraded to symmetrical broadband services (SDSL) as part of its 12 month SDSL expansion programme revealed at the end of last year. This programme forms part of a firm commitment from BT to answer the needs of the growing number of UK towns and cities that require higher speed, business-class broadband services. SDSL offers a different type of broadband experience than asymmetrical broadband services (ADSL). Whereas ADSL delivers higher speeds to users that want to download large files, SDSL allows users to both send and receive data at high speeds. This makes SDSL a more suitable form of broadband connectivity for small to medium sized businesses, remote office workers and teleworkers. [read more]

HomeChoice service reaches 15,000 subscribers (26/01/05)
VNL has today announced plans to double the size of its Phase 1 footprint from 1.2 million to 2.4 million homes. The first new homes will come online in March 2005, with the remainder being passed by June 2005. VNL initially made inroads into launching its phase 2 footprint in December 2004 when it enabled five new exchanges – including Stevenage its first exchange outside of the M25. [read more]

Easynet broadband services set to transform the learning experience at Reading schools (14/01/05)
Pan-European broadband networking company Easynet today announces that it has been selected by Reading Borough Council to provide its broadband services to 55 schools as part of the South East Grid for Learning. The three-year contract is worth £1.4m and provides schools in the region with high-speed broadband connectivity, content filtering and security. Easynet’s technology will play a fundamental role in helping pupils and teachers to realise the full potential of broadband in the teaching and learning process and ensure that South East Grid for Learning meets the Government’s strategic targets for broadband implementation ahead of 2006. [read more]

2004

Virgin.net is Number One for speed (10/12/04)
Virgin.net, the UK's fifth largest consumer ISP, is now also the UK's fastest broadband provider, according to the latest independent speed tests. According to ADSLguide.org.uk - one of the UK's most recognised and authoritative broadband information and comparison sites - Virgin.net Broadband outperformed all other providers in its class in the Top 10 for November 2004, both in terms of download and upload speeds. [read more]