VoIP News: April 2008

Mobile broadband providers are delivering connection speeds far lower than the maximum advertised, according to a new survey. Research from Broadband Expert suggests that the average mobile broadband speed received by UK consumers is only 1. 46Mbps, less than half provided by average home connections.

Sky Broadband has announced strong growth during the first quarter of this year, with 229,000 new customers signing up for the firm's service. The company, which is the most rapidly expanding UK provider, now has 1,428,000 consumers on various broadband packages less than two years after entering the market. This figure is almost half of Sky's stated three million target by 2010.

Scarborough has launched free wireless broadband access for people living in or visiting the coastal town. Yorkshire Forward and South Bay Traders Association joined forces to fund the project, which has seen the resort install hardware that will supply public internet connections across its Victorian South Bay. John Senior, chairman of Scarborough's South Bay Traders Association, said: "This is a superb example of how tradition meets technology, with Britain's first ever coastal resort now providing the country's first seafront with free broadband Wi-Fi access.

Investment in UK broadband infrastructure will play a large role in determining how fast new multimedia applications can expand their user base, according to an expert. Philip Rosedale, founder of the online community Second Life, argued that fibre optic broadband networks will be needed to sustain the growth of websites such as YouTube, which require high levels of bandwidth. Rosedale recently announced that he intends to step down as chief executive of Linden Lab and become chairman of the board.

New customers have turned away from Orange's broadband package after the provider introduced a £30 connection fee. Staff are reported to have seen a 50 per cent decline in sales after the charge was announced, which Orange claims "brings the price in line with our competitors". Ovum senior analyst Steven Hartley criticised the move and claimed that the firm should be focusing its resources on mobile broadband, rather than fixed-line alternatives.