The new presidency’s agenda includes a proposal to make broadband provision compulsory in Europe.

Google’s Internet browser has finally overtaken Apple’s offering in popularity – just as the Mountain View firm prepares to officially unveil what could be the first iPhone-killer.

The BT Group is waging a war on two fronts: versus the Government on one side, battling TalkTalk and Sky on the other.

The BBC Trust has given a conditional green light to the IPTV venture.

Not only has BT Retail declared itself the first UK Internet Service Provider to reach the five million customer milestone, it’s also revealed it’s ahead of schedule when it comes to installing its next-generation broadband network

British broadband, fixed line and mobile prices are among the most competitive in the West, according to research published by Ofcom today.
It has compared the cost of bundling together a fixed line phone with broadband, as well as allowing for moderate mobile phone use and some pay television. The results show that at a price [...]

While all the industry, parliamentary and media attention currently appears to be on Clause 17 of the Digital Economy Bill, another clause could mean the “Government will be able to take increased control over the Internet and what passes over it.” That’s according to Francis Davey, a practising barrister and legal advisor to the technology sector, who says Clause 11 of the Bill could allow the Secretary of State to block groups of websites and implement “technical measures which could be imposed by stealth.”

The pre-Budget report is out and the “broadband tax” is in – meaning the Chancellor has given the green light to a measure that’ll cost British households with fixed lines a minimum of 50 pence each month. This comes as another Commonwealth country is talking about putting a levy on its telecommunications firms instead of its consumers. And it wasn’t the only announcement that concerns Digital Britain in what’s being seen as Alistair Darling’s first real Budget.

After BT admitted the only person it’s connected to broadband in a village on the Oxfordshire-Buckinghamshire border is the firm’s own chairman, it’s emerged neighbouring homes could be online as early as next year. However, that won’t be down to the telecoms giant but instead thanks to a local initiative.

We’re all used to UK ISPs rounding on upcoming legislation designed to lay the foundations of a Digital Britain – but now some even bigger web businesses are getting in on the act. Google, Facebook, Yahoo and eBay are all calling for the Government to abandon Clause 17 of its Digital Economy Bill, which it’s argued could give dark Lord Peter Mandelson – or any future Secretary of State – unwarrantable powers to change British copyright law.

Will wireless broadband help to bridge the digital divide in America?

Mobile operator 3 says that, due to poor 3G coverage in some areas, some of its customers are unable to even carry out basic web surfing – and it’s revealed how its going to do something about it. Meanwhile, rival firm Virgin Media has unveiled its new “super fast” modem for mobile broadband, featuring a potential top speed that’s double that of its existing offering.

The owner of a pub that doubles as a Wi-Fi hotspot has paid out £8,000 after someone illegally downloaded material subject to copyright laws on their premises. Meanwhile, a new survey shows that as many as one in five wireless users could be vulnerable to Wi-Fi hijacking across Britain.

More than 50 free Wi-Fi hotspots are due to be switched on in not-spot areas by a company based around the premise there is more to the technology than fleecing businessmen in airport lounges.
The locations, which include remote Scottish Islands, will be named next week. They won a competition run earlier this year by Freerunner, [...]

Leaked Government documents appear to reveal that the 50p levy on fixed lines intended to fund Britain’s access to super-fast broadband could cost consumers more than previously thought. Accordingly, not only will Value Added Tax (VAT) come in the equation, but we also now appear to have confirmation that households with more than one phone line will be charged separately for each one.

It is not only campaigners who are concerned by the anti-piracy measures included in the Digital Economy Bill, legal experts are also at a loss to explain how the government can sanction giving future ministers seemingly limitless powers.
Patrick Gardiner, Media Partner at international law firm, Eversheds, believes that Lord Mandelson is probably trying to ‘future-proof’ [...]

After Swindon unveiled its “Digital City” initiative last week, even Wiltshire residents may be now wistfully looking over to South Yorkshire as the heart of its new Digital Region project goes live. While it may not boast free Internet access, it is promising a “guaranteed” 25Mbit/s service and that its users will “get what they pay for.”

The people of a remote village that they describe as “England’s last wilderness” have started digging the trenches that’ll grant them Next Generation Access (NGA) to broadband, meaning it’ll be far from being the country’s last NGA not-spot. Meanwhile, it’s emerged broadband is increasingly becoming a deal-breaker when it comes to selling homes in rural areas.

How to achieve universal broadband in a country of over 300 million people occupying around 10 million square km?

The Queen’s been giving Her annual address to Parliament, formally unveiling what will be the current Government’s final legislative programme. In doing so, she announced that a new Digital Economy bill would be published on Friday and what the key elements will be – and there’s no mention of the infamous 50p levy on landlines being implemented.