TelecomTV TelecomTV
  • News
  • Videos
  • Channels
  • Events
  • Network Partners
  • Industry Insights
  • Directory
  • Newsletters
  • Digital Platforms and Services
  • Open RAN
  • Cloud Native Telco
  • Telcos and Public Cloud
  • The Green Network
  • Private Networks
  • Open Telco Infra
  • 5G Evolution
  • Access Evolution
  • Edgenomics
  • Network Automation
  • 6G Research and Innovation
  • Security
  • More Topics
  • Network Partners
  • Industry Insights
  • Directory
  • Newsletters
  • |
  • About
  • Contact
  • |
  • Connect with us
  • Digital Platforms and Services
  • Open RAN
  • Cloud Native Telco
  • Telcos and Public Cloud
  • The Green Network
  • Private Networks
  • Open Telco Infra
  • 5G Evolution
  • Access Evolution
  • Edgenomics
  • Network Automation
  • 6G Research & Innovation
  • Security
  • Connect with TelecomTV
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Sign In Register Subscribe
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In
    • Register
  • Search

Policy & Regulation

Policy & Regulation

Don’t try this at home if you value your WiFi connection

Ian Scales
By Ian Scales

Dec 1, 2015

Don't try this at home:   via Flickr © mikemol (CC BY 2.0)

Don't try this at home: via Flickr © mikemol (CC BY 2.0)

UK regulator Ofcom seems to have absorbed some good PR lessons. One being that the best way to get your message and yourself noticed is to dress it up in something topical or amusing (or both). Ofcom has obliged with a seasonal tag for the launch of its WiFi testing app, just announced. It’s warning that innocuous household things like Christmas fairy lights can play havoc with your WiFi signal, just when you need it most to log on and do some serious online Christmas shopping.

The app itself is a good idea, and should help UK householders and small businesses to get the best out of their much sought-after fast broadband connections. Ofcom says it estimates that six million homes (a nice big number, don’t know where it came from, but essential to give the story a kick) could improve their WiFi connections, either because the hub isn’t set up properly or because household electronics might be interfering with it - things like baby monitors, microwave ovens and, of course, Xmas lights.

But behind the hub is the broadband service and, as Ofcom is well aware, the best and most perfectly set up WiFi modem in the world won’t make up for a slow connection - it’s the slow improvement of UK broadband speeds that is really giving Ofcom cause for concern.

The regulator says that while over a quarter of homes now have access to ‘superfast’ broadband (over 30Mbit/s) the rate of percentage increase is still relatively slow and the killer number is that  8 per cent of households can’t get more than 10 Mbit/s with rural households worst hit, where nearly half can’t get faster broadband because they’re too far from an exchange. Merry Christmas one and all.

Related Topics
  • Access Evolution,
  • Analysis & Opinion,
  • Broadband,
  • News,
  • Policy & Regulation,
  • Telco & CSP,
  • Wi-Fi

More Like This

Access Evolution

What’s up with… Cellnex, Orange and MásMóvil, UK cloud market

Apr 5, 2023

Security

What’s up with… Ericsson, Vodafone, Cellnex and Vapor IO

Jan 12, 2023

5G Evolution Summit

5G for fixed wireless access deployments

Oct 20, 2022

Access Evolution

What’s up with… FCC, Spirent, HPE and VMware

Aug 9, 2022

Access Evolution

Will Rosenworcel finally move and push Gigi Sohn into the FCC seat?

Aug 5, 2022

Email Newsletters

Sign up to receive TelecomTV's top news and videos, plus exclusive subscriber-only content direct to your inbox.

Subscribe

Top Picks

Highlights of our content from across TelecomTV today

1:17:33

From telco to techco: The impact of next-gen operations on skills, talent acquisition and retention

1:14:31

Achieving maximum operational efficiency: How service providers can best operate at speed and scale

1:14:20

Why data and APIs are key to implementing the vision of the digital services provider

TelecomTV
Company
  • About Us
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
Our Brands
  • DSP Leaders World Forum
  • Great Telco Debate
  • TelecomTV Events
Get In Touch
[email protected]
+44 (0) 207 448 1070
Connect With Us

  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Terms of Use
  • Legal Notices
  • Help

TelecomTV is produced by the team at Decisive Media.

© Decisive Media Limited 2023. All rights reserved. All brands and products are the trademarks of their respective holder(s).