Telco groups Vodafone Group Plc and CK Hutchison Group Telecom Holdings have confirmed that the merger of Vodafone UK and Three UK successfully completed on May 31st. The combined business, named VodafoneThree, is 51 per cent owned by Vodafone and 49 per cent by CKHGT. Vodafone will fully consolidate VodafoneThree in its financial results, and […]
A seller of Illegal Streaming Devices (ISDs) in Sim Lim Square has been sentenced in relation to 34 charges selling ISDs that provided users with illegal access to copyrighted content. That content included Premier League football matches, as well as movies and TV shows belonging to members of anti-piracy coalition the Alliance for Creativity and […]
As the inaugural SXSW London shines a spotlight on the future of creative industries this week, Nordic writer-producer and creator of drama series, Trom, Torfinnur Jákupsson, is adding a new voice to the ongoing UK industry debate by proposing a new Independent Premium Tier within the UK’s High-End Television (HETV) tax relief – designed to […]
The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the trade body representing India’s telcos, is reported to written to DoT Secretary Neeraj Mittal, arguing that Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) recommendation that satellite spectrum be charged at 4 per cent of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) fails to ensure a level-playing field between satellite operators and […]
A report, Video piracy, from research and advisory firm Enders Analysis, notes that industrial scale theft of video services, especially live sport, is in the ascendance, and that combating piracy is a formidable challenge, providing a direct threat to profitability for broadcasters and streamers. According to Enders, Big Tech is both friend and foe in […]
Anti-piracy body the International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP) has released its 2025 Annual Report, touting the key advancements driven by IBCAP over the past year in addressing piracy worldwide. “Since our last member meeting in May 2024, IBCAP has expanded its reach by developing proprietary automation software to detect and remove VoD content from […]
SpaceX’s Starlink broadband-by-satellite system is not authorised or licensed by South Africa. Recent discussions between SpaceX and South Africa’s licensing authorities could see this prohibition lifted. However, there are reportedly thousands of Starlink users in South Africa. The users have imported equipment from neighbouring states where Starlink is authorised and have accessed Starlink via its […]
Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy has confirmed that the European Commission will assess the effects of the recommendation on combating online piracy of sports and other live events by November 2025 and on that basis, consider if additional measures are needed at EU level. A written question from a group […]
The BBC is introducing changes in network television commissioning to support its commitment to make the biggest possible impact right across the UK. In a blog post, Rhodri Talfan Davies, Director of Nations at the BBC, notes that the Corporation is already by far the biggest commissioner of television programming outside London, investing almost £1 […]
UK comms regulator Ofcom is consulting on a proposal to issue fixed-term spectrum licences to enable Starlink to use E band frequencies for Non-geostationary Orbit (NGSO) gateway earth stations at three sites in the UK. This is to expand backhaul capacity to support satellite broadband services. Ofcom notes that take-up of satellite broadband is rising, […]