SamKnows - Broadband News, Analysis and Profiles

ISPs Reveal Line Speed Data

31 Jul 2009 | 11.10 Europe/London

Plusnet have joined Entanet in disclosing the IP Profile distribution of their customers. The IP profile or BRAS Profile in BT's MaxDSL system is the IP traffic rate appropriate to the modem line speed, so a full speed 8128 kbits/s line has an IP profile of 7150, a 2272 kbits/s has a 2000 profile, and so on.

Microsoft enters UK VOD market, Channel Five joins Project Canvas

30 Jul 2009 | 20.57 Europe/London

Microsoft has admitted it's going to be playing catch-up in the British video-on-demand (VOD) marketplace.

OFCOM Speed Survey Reaction

29 Jul 2009 | 19.01 Europe/London

Much has been written in the last day or so about OFCOM's survey of practical broadband speeds. A good deal of it has apparently been written by people who haven't read the 113 page research report and most of it by people who just don't understand the issues.

Ofcom takes ISPs to task over misleading speeds

28 Jul 2009 | 10.57 Europe/London

We knew it was going to happen sooner or later, and it has. Using SamKnows' methodology, Ofcom has spent the past six months testing ISP speeds.

Profile: Howard Schmidt

27 Jul 2009 | 16.54 Europe/London

Cybercriminals are turning in on themselves, the latest observations at the Information Security Forum reveals, and the security industry trade body’s President is not in the least surprised.

Under the Radar -- week ending July 24th

24 Jul 2009 | 17.00 Europe/London

The weekly Samknows.com news round-up continues, making sure nothing slips you by in your travels through cyberspace.

UK ISP disconnecting suspected pirates — UPDATED

24 Jul 2009 | 12.59 Europe/London

In Hull, when it comes to ISPs there's only one game in town - and it's cutting off suspected pirates without warning.

Project Kangaroo tech finally has buyer, new VOD service set to launch

23 Jul 2009 | 16.18 Europe/London

It was back in February that the competition authorities delivered their knock-out blow to Project Kangaroo, the joint video-on-demand (VOD) service bankrolled by the UK's terrestrial TV stations.

Virgin Media partners with SamKnows to measure broadband performance

23 Jul 2009 | 16.18 Europe/London

Be rebrand gets down with the gamers – but gaming service put ‘on hold’

23 Jul 2009 | 12.41 Europe/London

Profile: Google's Bavor on opt-out giving choice on targeting

22 Jul 2009 | 18.39 Europe/London

Privacy campaigners are often concerned about the amount of knowledge Google has on web users and so plans for its beta behavioural targeting platform, Interest Advertising Based, to go live before the end of the year will soon be big news.

Just who is our Digital Champion?

22 Jul 2009 | 10.34 Europe/London

As part of its Digital Britain shenanigans, the Government appointed its first "Digital Inclusion Champion.

Search engines aren't defamers under UK law

21 Jul 2009 | 19.52 Europe/London

The Internet may not be the "final frontier," but it does at times seem like a "frontier" in a classic sense - new and, while the powers that be attempt to wrangle some sort of grip on it, outside the bounds of common law.

Profile: Mobile broadband ‘overlooked’, Julian McGougan, Arqiva insists

21 Jul 2009 | 18.08 Europe/London

Weighing up Digital Britain, one month on

21 Jul 2009 | 16.41 Europe/London

Everyone's got their own opinion of the Digital Britain report, whether or not they've actually

Poor broadband access could "snuff out" life in rural Britain

20 Jul 2009 | 15.45 Europe/London

In what sounds like a plot for a Dr Who episode that never made it to the screen, it's being predicted that slow Internet speeds could one day "snuff out" life in Britain's countryside.

Under the Radar -- week ending July 17th

18 Jul 2009 | 01.11 Europe/London

Under the Radar may have been more off the radar than anything in recent weeks but don't worry: after a brief hiatus it's back.

Profile: FT.com's MD, Rob Grimshaw, on why Euros are better than eyeballs

16 Jul 2009 | 16.35 Europe/London

Profile: IAB’s Nick Stringer on making behavioural targeting transparent

15 Jul 2009 | 19.38 Europe/London

Behavioural targeting may have been given a rough ride by criticisms levelled at the ill-fated Phorm platform but the technology actually already accounts for around 10% to 15% of the country’s £637m online display market.

Virgin 50M Price Cut

15 Jul 2009 | 14.13 Europe/London

Virgin Media has announced a forthcoming price reduction on its 50M cable broadband service from £50 to £38 per month for new and existing customers from 1st September.

OFCOM Maps 3G Coverage

12 Jul 2009 | 14.54 Europe/London

OFCOM has published predicted coverage maps for each of the UK's five 3G mobile operators. These are predictions based on propagation models and show areas where an outdoor 3G signal exceeds a minimum threshold signal strength for "50% of locations and 50% of the time".