The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has given provisional regulatory approval for the proposed merger between Virgin Media and O2. Last November, the European Commission — which retained oversight of the transaction before the UK left the EU — referred the merger to the CMA for review. Andrea Coscelli, Chief Executive of the CMA, … Read more

(c)iStock.com/akindo The mobile and telecommunications industries are undergoing rapid transformation. Alongside a sharp rise in smartphone ownership, how people use their devices has shifted dramatically: voice calls are declining while internet access, apps, music streaming, photography and gaming dominate usage. In the 12 months to August 2015, global mobile internet usage rose by 67%, reflecting … Read more

Vodafone UK has completed its nationwide shutdown of the 3G mobile network, following a similar announcement from EE. The decommissioning frees up radio spectrum to be repurposed for faster and more efficient 4G and 5G services. Although Vodafone now considers the 3G switch-off to be finished, the operator narrowly missed its original target of completing … Read more

(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/Blackzheep) Mobile coverage in the UK often falls short of expectations. EE, the country’s largest mobile operator, has announced an ambitious plan to extend 4G coverage to 95% of the UK landmass by 2020. Marc Allera, EE’s CEO, stated: “For the average smartphone user, not-spots aren’t tolerated and 2G doesn’t deliver what they … Read more

Steve Jobs has died at the age of 56 after a prolonged battle with pancreatic cancer. Tributes have poured in for the Apple co‑founder and visionary. President Barack Obama described Jobs as an embodiment of the American dream. After announcing his resignation on August 24, 2011, Jobs remained on Apple’s board as chairman, but his … Read more

(Image Credit: Robert Scoble) If any company benefits from getting more people online, it’s Google. The company understands this better than most and has already launched its high-speed ISP service in select US markets where demand is strong. According to telecommunications experts reviewing regulatory filings, Google appears to be testing technology that could replace physical … Read more

T-Mobile has asked for modifications to several conditions tied to the approval of its merger with Sprint. The company has submitted a request to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) seeking relief from three specific obligations that were part of the merger approval. A central argument T-Mobile used to justify the merger was that combining … Read more

Uswitch warns that Ofcom’s failure to enforce the One Touch Switch deadline could cost around 11 million UK broadband customers an estimated £1.85 billion a year in unnecessary overpayments. The warning coincided with the date the One Touch Switch standard was due to take effect. The new standard is intended to simplify and speed up … Read more

By 2022, viewers are expected to spend more hours watching linear streaming over-the-top (OTT) video than traditional broadcast television, according to a recent study by Level 3 Communications. Surveying nearly 500 media professionals, the study found that more than two-thirds believe traditional TV will be in serious decline within five years. About half of respondents … Read more

Mobile networks are now the backbone of our digital lives, but as their complexity increases, so do the security challenges they present. In a detailed interview with Telecoms, Alex Leadbeater, Technical Security Director at the GSMA, explained how classifying mobile infrastructure as critical national infrastructure has influenced security strategies, how new technologies affect risk, and … Read more