CHRISTMAS 2020 will be remembered as the year we camped on the sofa to watch festive films in between video-calling loved ones from our homes. However, for some families in Flintshire, this year’s frustrations are set to continue with new figures revealing crippling broadband speeds in some neighbourhoods. Across the local authority, broadband speeds range from a superfast 71.7 megabits (Mbps) per second to a snail-paced 3.8 Mbps, according to data from Uswitch.com. It means families using Zoom, Skype or Facebook to speak to relatives and friends could be faced with annoying freezes, cut-outs and sound delays. Meanwhile, those downloading Christmas movie classics could be left waiting up to 120 hours, compared to just one minute 20 seconds in neighbourhoods with the fastest speeds.
CHRISTMAS 2020 will be remembered as the year we camped on the sofa to watch festive films in between video-calling loved ones from our homes. However, for some families in Wrexham, this year’s frustrations are set to continue with new figures revealing crippling broadband speeds in some neighbourhoods. Across the local authority, broadband speeds range from a superfast 110.8 megabits (Mbps) per second to a snail-paced 3.7 Mbps, according to data from Uswitch.com. It means families using Zoom, Skype or Facebook to speak to relatives and friends could be faced with annoying freezes, cut-outs and sound delays. Meanwhile, those downloading Christmas movie classics could be left waiting up to 120 hours, compared to just one minute 20 seconds in neighbourhoods with the fastest speeds.
Gap in internet broadband speeds across Tendring revealed Christmas 2020 will be remembered as the year we camped on the sofa to watch festive films in between video-calling loved ones from our homes. However, for some families in Tendring, this year’s frustrations are set to continue with new figures revealing crippling broadband speeds in some neighbourhoods. Across the local authority, broadband speeds range from a superfast 88.5 megabits (Mbps) per second to a snail-paced 1.7 Mbps, according to data from Uswitch.com. It means families using Zoom, Skype or Facebook to speak to relatives and friends could be faced with annoying freezes, cut-outs and sound delays.
Jasper Hart
December 3, 2020
Decision on handset unlocking seen as progressive, but some say users will get too much freedom
Ofcom’s ruling that mobile phone providers must no longer sell locked handsets to consumers from December 2021 has been hailed as a progressive step for the UK market.
The ruling affects EE, Vodafone and Tesco Mobile, with players such as O2, Three and Virgin Mobile already voluntarily implementing the sale of unlocked handsets in recent years.
Industry experts and analysts broadly agree that the move provides further favour for consumers as part of Ofcom’s drive to be a progressive regulator, allowing for choice, and forcing the networks to engage in competitive pricing and proactive efforts to maintain strong customer service.