Broadband internet speed

Households risk being cut off from the internet as runaway inflation threatens to cause a wave of bankruptcies among broadband networks. Ofcom is drawing up contingency plans with BT which could take on thousands of customers if a number of the smaller suppliers, so-called 'alt-nets', begin to fail. More than 150 BT challengers backed with billions of pounds of private investment have entered the market to try and capitalise on the upgrade to ultrafast speeds . Private equity, pension funds and sovereign wealth have been pouring money into broadband start-ups in the hope of securing steady, long-term returns from the shift to speedier connectivity. However, concerns are mounting that the fierce levels of competition will begin pushing some firms to the brink, as they struggle to compete with the might of BT's Openreach and Virgin Media O2 . An industry source said: "It seems to be a bit of a red flashing light that Ofcom is thinking about it at all. It cannot be entirely … [Read more...] about Households brace for internet blackout from wave of bankruptcies

A new coronavirus outbreak required companies to shift to remote work and now that people have had the experience of working from home, the majority of them wouldn't mind if they didn't have to go back to the office. An IBM survey released on Friday found that 54 percent of the 25,000 adults polled would like to be able to primarily work from home and 75 percent would like the option to do it occasionally. Once businesses can reopen, 40 percent of people responded that they feel strongly their employer should offer opt-in remote work options. More than 1 million people in the U.S. have tested positive for a new coronavirus as of Monday morning, according to a tracker maintained by Johns Hopkins University. At least 65,735 people have died, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation projected up to 114,228 people could die by August 4. By mid-March, the situation in America had moved past the point of … [Read more...] about 54 percent of Americans want to work remote regularly after coronavirus pandemic ends, new poll shows

HSBC suspends banker over 'nut job' climate remarks Britain at risk of becoming less attractive than France for international businesses The FTSE 100 rises 1.1pc Lucy Burton: Crossrail should convince Londoners to get back to the office Sign up here for our daily business briefing newsletter ​ V ladimir Putin’s blockade of Ukrainian ports “is a declaration of war on global food security,” a top UN official has warned, as 43m people are “knocking on starvation’s door” without exports from Europe’s breadbasket. David Beasley, head of the UN’s World Food Programme, said the world was facing “the worst humanitarian crisis since World War Two”, with tragic shortages already engulfing countries including Ethiopia and Afghanistan even before Russia invaded its neighbour with catastrophic consequences for grain exports. Speaking at an event in Davos, he said: “Because of this crisis we are taking food from the hungry to give to the starving. “What do you … [Read more...] about Millions ‘knocking on starvation’s door’ after Ukraine war, warns UN

After helping keep the world connected during the worst of the pandemic, Ahmed Essam believes Vodafone is in line for a little payback. The UK chief executive of the telecoms giant points to the Covid crisis as a reason why ministers and regulators should look kindly on the industry's calls for consolidation. Rather than creak under the pressure of millions of people working from home, Britain's mobile and broadband network kept the economy ticking over by shouldering the colossal data demand from a sharp rise in video conference calls. Credit for that smooth transition lies with the telecoms firms, insists Essam, who also spent the first few months in his role huddled inside his home office. Now, he wants to cash in on that goodwill. For years Ofcom has pursued a pro-competition strategy with four big mobile players that has helped keep customer bills low. But, confronted by the huge costs of rolling 5G mobile to the majority of the UK by 2030, Vodafone and others want to have … [Read more...] about Vodafone UK boss on why regulators should look kindly on consolidation