SamKnows - Broadband News, Analysis and Profiles

FCC to tackle Native American digital divide

31 Aug 2010 | 15.17 Europe/London

The FCC has set up an office of Native Affairs and Policy to “develop and advance an agenda aimed at bringing the benefits of a modern communications infrastructure to all Native communities”.

TestMyISP figures prompt FCC call for clearer adverts

19 Aug 2010 | 17.27 Europe/London

Figures from the TestMyISP service, set up through SamKnows.com, have led the FCC to reiterate its call for a common standard to measure the speeds American broadband users receive so adverts can be made clearer.

UK NGA Property Tax Clarification

19 Aug 2010 | 09.51 Europe/London

The UK's Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has updated its valuation manuals to provide greater clarity on the property tax assessment of Next Generation Access (NGA) networks.

Faster broadband in America. A priority or not?

14 Aug 2010 | 10.17 Europe/London

The majority of Americans do not believe broadband expansion should be a priority for the Obama administration.

France Telecom to launch quad play

12 Aug 2010 | 11.06 Europe/London

France Telecom is to begin offering ‘quadruple play’ services from next week.

The new service has been made possible after the French regulator lifted restrictions that prevented the company from selling a bundle of fixed line, internet, television and mobile packages – rivals Bouygues and SFR already offer quad play bundles.

Broadband price hike mirrors scrapped 50p broadband tax

11 Aug 2010 | 08.31 Europe/London

After many UK ISPs spent last year arguing that the previous government’s broadband tax of 50p on every phone line in the country was unfair and would prevent low income families from going online, broadband suppliers are now poised to raise their monthly bills by 50p.

Net neutrality talks fail as Google and Verizon carve a private deal

10 Aug 2010 | 11.09 Europe/London

FCC negotiations with ISPs and broadband campaigners have broken down after it emerged there was no common consensus on net neutrality.

Satellite broadband 50Mb service coming from Inmarsat

09 Aug 2010 | 14.11 Europe/London

Inmarsat is to launch a 50Mbit/s satellite broadband service to ships and planes by 2014.

The British communications company has announced a contract with Boeing to supply three satellites which will form part of its Global Xpress network which is believed to cost £750m to develop.

TalkTalk shaves another £15m off Tiscali price

04 Aug 2010 | 16.39 Europe/London

TalkTalk has announced that, a year on, it has shaved £15m off the price it paid for Tiscali.

In fact, TalkTalk has shaved £21m off the £236m it paid for the ISP last May but this has been revised to £15m due to a ‘working capital adjustment’ of £6m.

North American fibre twice as expensive as Europe

04 Aug 2010 | 09.10 Europe/London

Compared to consumer tariffs, North American businesses are paying four times as much for their DSL and fibre connections and, on average, fibre is twice as expensive as Europe, according to the latest figures from broadband research firm, Point Topic.

Faster upload service launched by BT

03 Aug 2010 | 12.56 Europe/London

Higher upload speed technology was launched yesterday by BT Wholesale.

Its Annex M service has been trialled throughout the year and is now deemed ready to launch to ISPs who offer broadband services thorugh BT Wholesale.

2011

2010

December

November

October

September

August

July

June

May

April

March