The next UK spectrum auction has moved a significant step closer, with comms regulator Ofcom publishing the final regulations, application form and guidance for those looking to take part in the auction. To help improve mobile services and give more people access to 5G networks, Ofcom will release 200 MHz of spectrum in two frequency […]
UK media regulator Ofcom has imposed a £20,000 fine on Islam Channel Ltd in relation to its service, the Islam Channel, for failing to comply with broadcasting rules. Ofcom had previously censured the channel on October 7th last year having found that the programme contained antisemitic hate speech. Ofcom reported in its findings that the […]
UK comms regulator Ofcom has published a guide to the new regulatory requirements for UK-based video-sharing platforms (VSPs) – online video service where users can upload and share videos. They allow users to engage with a wide range of content and social features. Under the new regulations, VSPs must have appropriate measures in place to […]
In a coordinated move with PM Boris Johnson’s statement on the state of Brexit negotiations on his ‘deal deadline’, DCMS has issued a clarification of where British broadcasters and VoD services will stand on January 1st 2021. As is traditional with Brexit, the deadline has now been moved. DCMS says the Audiovisual Media Services Directive […]
UK broadcasting regulator Ofcom is inviting evidence on the market position and impact of BBC Sounds, the Corporation’s streaming media and audio download service that includes live radio, audio-on-demand, and podcasts. Ofcom notes that the audio and radio sector is undergoing a period of rapid change, driven in part by streaming services including global players […]
UK comms regulator Ofcom’s second Mobile Matters report analyses how around 200,000 people used their Android mobile phones between January and April this year, shedding light on how people make calls and get online on the move. The report reveals marked differences in how people used their phones before and during the initial Covid-19 lockdown […]
The UK House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee is urging the Government to ensure that the process to appoint the next Chair of the BBC and Chair of Ofcom is “fair and seen to be fair”. It follows media speculation that potential names for the roles had been promoted by senior members […]
UK Prime Minister’s Boris Johnson Conservative administration is reported to have offered two of the top jobs in media to outspoken critics of the BBC, and known supporters of the government’s Brexit stance. The Sunday Times says that Paul Dacre, the former editor of the Daily Mail, is Johnson’s choice to become chairman of broadcasting […]
Nearly nine out of ten (88.7 per cent) of the UK’s challenger broadband network providers support the creation of a common platform through which they could provide wholesale services to third-party content providers, according to a survey by Independent Networks Cooperative Association (INCA). The creation of a common wholesale platform is an important step forward […]
New figures published by UK comms regulator Ofcom suggest that full-fibre broadband is now available to over 4.2 million UK homes. The figures are included in Ofcom’s Connected Nations summer update, which provides a summary of broadband and mobile availability across the UK and its nations, as of May 2020. Key findings from the report […]