Broadband Genie blog
Interviews, buzz, rants, serious articles and questionable opinions
Is Google growing faster than the hands that feed it?
11 March 2010 A month ago we reported that Google was poised to trial a 1Gb broadband service in America, with the hope of later rolling out an open access network of super-fast fibre broadband. This network will, it hopes, be used by multiple service providers, thus keeping pricing competitive - which Google hopes to achieve by running its network in an "open, non-discriminatory and transparent way". This, of...Comment | Read more > |
March's top five broadband deals and special offers
08 March 2010 Just when it looked as if we wouldn't get a spring at all, we've finally had some sun that isn't interspersed with snow or rain showers. It's still freezing, but hey, at least its bright and freezing. Spring is all about out with the old and in with the new, which applies to broadband as much as it does anything else - why not get yourself some free months, a gratis HD TV box, or a beauty voucher for your...Comment | Read more > |
O2 mobile broadband gets cheaper, with shorter contracts and free months - so what's the catch?
05 March 2010 It's always nice to get some good tariff and deal news from a mobile broadband supplier, but when three come along at once its bound to arouse suspicion. So what exactly has O2 Mobile Broadband got in store for its customers? At first glance, it looks like great news - and for many people, that's exactly what it is. Firstly, it has cut out 24-month contracts for everything except laptop deals. This is...Comment | Read more > |
BT waves goodbye to Wi-Fi in six top UK airports, including Heathrow and Stansted
02 March 2010 As of February 28, BT has lost its Wi-Fi deal for six of the UK's biggest airports. Anyone turning up hoping to get online at Heathrow, Stansted, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen or Southampton will now have to pay out to American company Boingo, which won the contract from BAA in a competitive auction earlier this year. A BT spokesperson said: "Boingo won a competitive BAA auction for exclusive internet...Comment | Read more > |
Karoo leads the way in broadband speed transparency with postcode speed map
01 March 2010 While we're tempted to ask, why hasn't anyone done this sooner, we're taking our hats off to Karoo Broadband owners Kingston Communications today after it released the first broadband postcode speed map in the UK. Before you all going rushing off to check your broadband though, anyone unfamiliar with Karoo should realise that it only operates in the Hull and East Riding area of Yorkshire, where it enjoys...1 Comment | Read more > |
Genie presents PC Advisor Best Broadband ISP Award to O2 Broadband
01 March 2010 While some might get the impression we spend all day criticising broadband companies for bending the truth on speed, or offering less than perfect customer service and tech support, don't let it be said we don't give credit where credit is due. The inaugural PC Advisor Awards were unconventially held in the Bloomsbury Lanes bowling alley in February, allowing Genie's Ciaron and Gillian to demonstrate their...1 Comment | Read more > |
Help tips for sharing a mobile broadband connection
26 February 2010 This week, broadband forum expert Matt Powell looks at the various ways of making your one-machine mobile broadband dongle into a gadget that can power all of your internet ready devices at once. Going by the number of posts on our forum about sharing mobile broadband, lots of you are swapping to mobile for your home internet needs instead of using a fixed-line connection. However, a big drawback...Comment | Read more > |
Broadband router help: Getting to know your fixed-line router
22 February 2010 This week, broadband forum expert Matt Powell takes a look at fixed-line broadband routers. Many of us just switch them on and never look back (unless something goes wrong), but there's plenty you can play around with beneath the bonnet. The little box that provides your internet and wireless network at home just sits there quietly most of the time. That said, it can be useful to know a bit...Comment | Read more > |
Will Android and iPhone replace the Mac and PC?
18 February 2010 There comes a time in every industrial technical revolution when innovation is superseded by consolidation: when the brains of the industry converge around certain preferred standards to drive down prices for consumers and improve efficiency, lowering costs for the suppliers. It seems this time is almost upon us with mobile broadband. Mobile broadband will continue to be used by laptop and netbook users,...Comment | Read more > |
BBC to launch iPlayer news and sports apps for the iPhone
17 February 2010 The BBC today announced that an iPhone app is imminent that will allow users to watch the iPlayer on their mobile device. There will be specific apps for both news and sport. Eric Huggers, BBC head of future media and technology, debuted the services at Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, this morning. After the app mad Apple iPhone community has been appeased, the BBC will move onto versions for the BlackBerry,...Comment | Read more > |
