The ringleader of one of the UK’s biggest carousel tax frauds that involved mobile phones must hand back more than £90 million, following a court ruling.

Virgin Media O2, Three and iD Mobile were the most complained-about mobile providers in the UK during Q1, according to new figures published by Ofcom today. 

A new business communications provider, O2 Daisy, has launched following the merger of Virgin Media O2 Business and Daisy Group.

Virgin Media O2 claims to have cut customer complaints by over 50 percent in the past year. The claim comes as the network has just launched a new AI too called  Lumi AI, to provide real-time insights and suggestions for customer service operators during customer interactions. The tech analyses live conversations and outcomes of from

Mobile operators are investing heavily in digital campaigns but this has led to a rise in ad fraud writes TrafficGuard Chief Marketing Officer Chad Kinlay. 

Ericsson has deployed Private 5G networks to deliver broadcast-quality video streaming from racing craft at the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Portsmouth next week. 

Vodafone has launched a same-day phone repair service called Fix & Go, at five UK stores.

BT Group and Wireless Infrastructure Group (WIG) have deployed a new 4G indoor mobile network system across all three terminals at Manchester Airport.

Samsung has unveiled its latest foldable smartphones: the £1,799 to £2,149 Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7, combining portability with advanced AI capabilities.

Telecoms customers will soon be able to escalate unresolved complaints sooner using Ofcom-approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) schemes. 

Mobile signal coverage on key rail routes and stations across Britain is expectd to improve dramatically under a partnership between Network Rail, Neos Networks, and Freshwave.

Customers of VodafoneThree unable to have a genune complaint resolved will be able to cancel their contract without notice or penalty.

A high-stakes legal battle has erupted between AdCentral cofounders Scott Pierce and Israel Quintal (main pic), with Pierce filing a lawsuit alleging financial misconduct and unjust ousting from the company. AdCentral is a US-based marketing automation platform tailored for franchses, repair shops and similar small businesses. It is popular with mobile device servce and repair

Apple has unveiled latest iPhone operating system at its World Wide Developer Conference in Cupertino. The official release is expected this Autumn, and it will be available as a free update for iPhone 11 and later.

Apple has expanded its Self Service Repair programme to cover out-of-warranty repairs on iPads by independent repairers

Three UK has a new brand campaign titled ‘Glow’ to promote perks and rewards, such as discounted cinema tickets, £1 coffees, and flexible handset upgrades.

Virgin Media O2 and Daisy Group are merging their business units, creating a £3 billion entity aimed at challenging BT Group in the business telecoms market.

Virgin Media O2 was the UK’s most complained-about mobile provider in the final quarter of 2024, says Ofcom.

Samsung and Apple authorised repairer TMT First has won a King’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category.

Likewize has acquired Danish AI customer service specialist Speedperform in a move to improve how customers interact with tech support.

Despite the rapid adoption of eSIM in smartphones, laptops have yet to catch up. Hamish White, CEO of telecom software provider Mobilise, explains why laptop makers, app developers, and mobile providers are missing a golden opportunity and how smart integration could unlock massive new value.

Vodafone Business has signed a five-year agreement with cloud-based A! specialist ServiceNow for a new AI-driven customer service platform for enterprise clients. ServiceNow clients include Fortune 500 companies such as Coca-Cola, Siemens. Vodafone Business will use the platform to introduce intelligent automation, accelerate issue resolution, and drive proactive service management across customer touchpoints. Machine learning and

HONOR has launched £250 mid-range smartphone featuring a 108MP main camera, a dedicated AI camera button, and a 6.7-inch AMOLED display. The 400 Lite 5G introduces an AI Camera Button, offering quick access to photography tools and Google Lens. A short press opens the camera, a tap takes a photo, and a longer hold starts

In what might sound like something from a sci-fi weather app, Vodafone is teaming up with the River Severn Partnership Advanced Wireless Innovation Region (RSPAWIR) and Wireless DNA to use its mobile network to improve short-term rainfall forecasts—also called nowcasting. 

Exertis IT has bought Apple Authorised Service Provider Group 8  to expand its presence in the circular economy. Ironically, Exertis itself is seeking a buyer as parent company DCC plans to concentrate on the energy sector Group 8 has been in business for more than 20 years and provides specialist Apple support and repair services across

IT managed services provider Redsquid has acquired  Computer Security Technology, its fourth takeover in the past 12 months.  The move boosts Redsquid’s position in the cybersecurity sector as it aims to deliver comprehensive protection and robust security measures to its expanding client base (main pic Redsquid directors  l – Sohin Raithatha, r – Vince Mignacca). Founded

Ralph Mupita, Group President and CEO of South Africa network MTN, has been appointed Deputy Chair of the GSMA Board for the remainder of the current term, which runs until the end of 2026. Vivek Badrinath, Director General of the GSMA, said: “His experience will be invaluable as we continue to navigate the dynamic landscape

Vodafone UK and Ericsson claim 5G AI technology abd machine learning has reduced power consumption by up to a third at some London cell sites. The two companies tested Ericsson’s latest artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to reduce energy without sacrificing performance. The trial introduced three key innovations: 5G Deep Sleep – Smart algorithms

Customer service, and other frontline roles must ensure proper standards are in place to protect every customer during every engagement writes Muj Choudhury, CEO and founder of RocketPhone Roughly half of adults in the UK are classified as vulnerable. The Financial Conduct Authority and other regulatory bodies emphasize the fair treatment of vulnerable customers as

HONOR plans to transition from a smartphone manufacturer to a global leader in AI-driven device ecosystems and will invest £8bn over the next five years to accelerate AI innovation and ecosystem development. At MWC today (Sunday) the manufacturer unveiled a three-step roadmap highlights HONOR’s commitment to innovation, openness, and collaboration, inviting industry partners to co-create

Vodafone added 37,000 new consumer contract customers in Q3 of its latest financial year. However, this growth was offset by business contract disconnections and the reclassification of part of the mobile customer base to the IoT segment. As a result, the total contract customer base saw a net increase of just 1,000 in Q3. Fixed

Ericsson will provide 5G private networks to SailGP race venues, enabling real-time, high-quality live camera streaming from racing catamarans. This connectivity will also transmit crucial data on team locations, tactics, and strategy. Each high-performance F50 catamaran will be equipped with Cradlepoint edge routers installed in the wings of the craft, to process over 53 billion

Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S25 Ultra, S25+, and S25 range which will be available from February 7, with prices ranging from £799 to £1,549. Samsung says the advanced AI capabilities, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, enable the Galaxy S25 series to deliver natural, context-aware interactions that redefine the mobile experience. “This series

Comms Council UK (CCUK), the trade association representing telecommunications companies that provide services to business and residential customers in the UK, has elected Magrathea Telecoms Managing Director, Tracey Wright, as its new Chair. She succeeds XConnect CEO  Eli Katz, who steps down after 20 years and has been named Lifetime President by the CCUK Council.

Almost half the UK population believes AI features on smartphones are overhyped, according to a new study commissioned by Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service. The survey, conducted by research firm Opinium, quizzed 2,000 UK adults last month. The results reveal that consumers want AI tools to be practical, intuitive, and relatable. For brands to

A team of cyclists led by Onecom, Onestream, and WeBuyAnyPhone.com founder and entrepreneur Darren Ridge has raised over £30,000 in a sponsored bike ride to buy a Cubbie unit space for Havant Academy in Leigh Park. Cubbie units are sensory management systems designed to provide a controlled environment are often used in schools, therapy centres,

Marc Allera will step down as CEO of BT’s Consumer division on March 31 and will be succeeded by Bell VP Claire Gillies, the company has announced. Allera leaves after nine years with the company. From April 1, Gillies will assume the role of CEO and join BT’s Executive Committee. He said: “Over the past

Sky has expressed strong opposition to the proposed remedies to safeguard competition resulting from a merger between Vodafone UK and Three UK Sky has called the remedies suggested by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)  “weak” and “temporary.” The company argues that the measures fail to adequately safeguard competition in the mobile wholesale market, leaving

Craig Smith, Group Managing Director of ICT Reverse and Mazuma Mobile, is among 50 entrepreneurs listed in the “Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders for 2024”   out of 700 nominations from 39 towns and cities. The competition was created by the investment firm LDC, part of Lloyds Banking Group. The Top 50 celebrates entrepreneurs “who

EE has added extended reality retail demonstration experiences in its Westfield. White City store flagship store, Shoppers can try out the HTC Vive XR Elite, PlayStation VR2 and Meta Quest 3, alongside the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, TCL NXTWEAR S+ and the XREAL Air 2 Pro glasses  It follows steady growth in the XR sector

Vodafone and Google have extended their existing partnership by 10 years to bring new services, devices, and TV experiences to Vodafone customers across Europe and Africa, supported by Google Cloud and Google’s Gemini models. Both companies will jointly promote the use of universal industry standards in areas such as online safety, responsible AI development, network

Millions of UK households are sitting on a stockpile of unused mobile phones, potentially losing billions in trade-in value according to recycling site Compare and Recycle. The study, conducted in collaboration with YouGov, found that 5.68 million UK households have at least three unused, but still functional, mobile phones stored at home. More than half

Sunderland City Council  and Boldyn Networks has won the Community Improvement Award at the Connected Britain Awards 2024 for their Digital Inclusion Programme The programme aims to address digital inequality in Sunderland by providing residents with access to digital skills and resources. Launched in partnership between the council and Boldyn Networks, the initiative has supported

Private 5G networks across West Sussex are to be deployed to boost local food and wine production using testing sensors, drones, and cameras. The initiative has been given a £3.8 million grant from the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology It brings together a consortium including West Sussex County Council, West Sussex Growers, Brighton University,

The iPhone SE and basic iPhone 14 models are staying in the iPhone lineup which should help to maintain used value of these models as the iPhone 16 now moves to the top of the tree. The iPhone 16 range is the usual standard (£799) Plus (£899), Pro (£999) , and the Pro Max (£1,199)

O2 customer experience slower file download speeds over 4G and 5G compared to other networks according to Ofcom’s latest ‘Mobile Matters’ report published today. The research, which is based on crowdsourced data supplied by Opensignal, analysed crowdsourced data collected between October last year and March, and highlights the varying experiences of mobile network users across the country. Ofcom

The average age of used devices at the time of trade-in or upgrade has increased to 3.71 years, up from 3.64 years in Q1 2024. This is according to Assurant’s report on emerging trends in the secondary mobile device market and the trade-in and upgrade patterns among consumers. The increase in upgrade times is primarily

EE MVNO Lycamobile UK says it has been wrongly hit with a winding-up petition from HMRC and that the amounts claimed have already been paid. The company says a winding up order from  HMRC was issued in error and is not connected with the recent ruling of a tribunal that it must pay £51 million

Currys is now selling devices from Dutch manufacturer Fairphone and will be selling the Fairphone 5 on a SIM-free basis for £619. Fairphone was founded in 2013 to produce smartphones that are environmentally friendly. The phones have a modular design, and components like the battery, screen, and camera can be replaced individually. Owners can buy

Ofcom has fined BT £17.5 million for being ill-prepared to respond to a catastrophic failure of its emergency call handling service last summer after network disruption affected 14,000 emergency calls in June 2023 and lasted 10.5 hours  BT connects 999 and 112 calls in the UK and provides relay services for deaf and speech-impaired people.

HMD, which now calls itself Human Mobile Devices, has introduced a smartphone it says can be easily repaired at home. The HMD Skyline’s back is removed by turning one screw and levering it out with a guitar pick. The screen, any bent ports, and a depleted battery can be accessed and fixed. The phone has

Zegona is setting up a long-term financing plan with investments from Spanish and international investors after buying Vodafone Spain for £4.26 billion in May. The refinancing will be used to pay off the initial loans taken to buy Vodafone Spain. This refinancing is expected to be completed by July 17, 2024. The new financing includes:

Apple’s says it has made life easier for non authorised repairers by making its official self service diagnostics software available in the U.K. The software gives gives anyone the same ability as Apple authorised service providers and independent repairers to test parts functionality and performance, and identify which parts may need repair. The software supports

EE has opened its second Experience store in Manchester, a year after the launch of the first Experience store in Manchester’s Trafford Centre. EE reports that this new store has produced a 25 per cent boost in footfall compared to previous stores in the area. Manchester is now the first city to have two of

Vodafone’s prepay team has given its 2024 Vodafone Prepay Campaign of the Year award to distributor GK Telecom  GK is a PAYG SIM distributor for all networks, and also distributes for MVNOs such as Giffgaff, Smarty, Voxi, and Lebara. The company handles all the tariff refreshes and summer and winter promotions for Vodafone and other

HONOR has brought out a new 200 Series line-up with an emphasis on photography and prices ranging from £279.99 to £699.99. The new line was developed with Studio Harcourt, a Parisian portrait photography house that helped develop AI capabilities to manipulate light and shadow based on analyzing thousands of photographs. The HONOR 200 Pro is

This year’s WWDC is one of the most significant Apple events in recent years writes IDC vice president for data and analytics Francisco Jeronimo.  With smartphone, tablet and PC sales slowing down due to high adoption rates and offering just incremental improvements from the previous version of devices, Apple needs to reignite consumers excitement to

As Apple this week announces its AI strategy, OPPO has confirmed it has partnered with Google, Mircosoft and MediaTek to equip all of its devices with AI and .sell them to 50 million users this year. OPPO says AI should not remain exclusive to just flagship phones and selected users but should instead be accessible

Two former Virgin Media executives have masterminded the acquisition of Vodafone Spain for £4.26 billion (€5bn). Zegona, the company set up in 2015 by former Virgin Media executives Eamonn O’Hare (main pic) and Robert Samuelson, has completed its reverse takeover of Vodafone Spain. Zegona was set up with the objective of investing in businesses in

Advancements in A  and Machine Learning are bringing the future of intelligent, self-healing networks closer to reality writes Justin Day, CEO and founder of network connectivity supplier Cloud Gateway. Imagine a network that can identify problems on its own and fix them, without human intervention. The idea of a network that can generate insights and

Self-repair company iFixit has scrapped its two-year-old Samsung Repair Hub because it “consistently faced obstacles that made us doubt Samsung’s commitment to making repair more accessible”. The Samsung Repair Hub aimed to provide local independent repair businesses with tools and parts to repair Galaxy devices Samsung UK says iFixit’s announcement is specific to Samsung US.

There are significant opportunities for channel partners to sell 5G and Unified Communications as a Service says BT Wholesale’s latest research study of employees, IT decision-makers, and resellers across various industries. The survey was of 250 UK respondents made up of employees, IT decision makers and resellers from accommodation, construction, IT/Comms, manufacturing, professional services, retail,

Ericsson and Tele2 have upgraded the Swedish national Friends Arena in Stockholm with 5G in time for the Taylor Swift tour. The arena is named after the children’s rights organization Friends,  Tele2 plans to upgrade all Swedish stadiums with Ericsson 5G technology to meet the demand for connectivity, mobile ticketing, and live TV broadcasts. Around 150,000

Exertis employees have raised £125,000 for Mental Health UK from golf days, bake sales, dress-down days, raffles and tech sales. Exertis employees have now voted to select eight local charities including six hospices, one homeless charity and one teenage cancer charity. The full list is: St Michael’s Hospice in Basingstoke, East Lancashire Hospice in Burnley,

Tech protection and support company, Likewize, has invested £50 million into an innovation lab in Bristol to develop AI, Machine Learning, Augmented Reality and Natural Language Understanding technology The space is being used to develop new ways to help clients to provide better services to their customers with tec such as Virtual Presenters, using AI Avatars and Augmented

Currys’ iD Mobile MVNO will be sponsoring Channel 4‘s free streaming E4’s ‘Bright Entertainment’ channel. IDMobile, which runs on the Three network, will use the sponsorship to promote a new logo and branding identity. The sponsorship ident feature voice-over from actor and comedian Matt Berry. E4 Bright Entertainment’ is primarily aimed at the 16/18–34 age

HMD, which now stands for ‘Human Mobile Devices’ has launched a range of ‘Pulse’ branded phones designed to be repairable by consumers. They are the HMD Pulse Pro, (price to be announced) HMD Pulse+ (£129) and HMD Pulse (£99). The HMD Pulse range is built so owners can replace a damaged display, fix a bent

 Vodafone Business has launched ‘Your Business Can’, a new brand campaign aimed at helping small and medium sized businesses source the digital tools to enhance cybersecurity. Vodafone Business reckons 46 per cent of UK SMEs felt that they could increase profits and efficiency by making better use of digital tools, whilst 40 per cent admitted that

Apple has changed its repair processes in ts Self Service Repair programme to allow consumers and independent repair providers to use parts from donor devices that can be paired to the repaired product. The parts calibration process will begin this fall with safeguards to block parts from lost or stolen devices being used. The new

Three UK is using former hardman footballer Vinnie Jones in a campaign with Chelsea F.C. and Samaritans to address mens’ mental health issues In an online video, Jones talks abouth is own mental health issues with Chelsea players Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Robert Sanchez and Alfie Gilchrist and encourages them to ‘talk more’. Jones said: “I

Gadget insurance giant Assurant has bought repair chain iSmash and its 38 retail locations. iSmash had been looking for a sale for several months after its auditors put up a red flag over its future prospects as losses mounted to nearly £6 million, mainly due to the effects of Covid lockdowns and the new culture

Tracy Westall, chair of Curium Solutions, Department for Transport non-executive director and former TechUK non-executive director is the new chair of digital connectivity and innovation company West Midlands. She takes over from former Giffgaff chairman and co-founder Mark Stansfeld who leaves after four years in the role. West Midlands 5G (WM5G) was the UK’s first

EE’s newest retail concept, the EE Studio,has won the ‘Best New Store” category of the Retail Week awards. The Studio was opened last June in its flagship store at Westfield, White City, West London and covers 4,325 square feet and aims to showcase state-of-art connectivity and technology solutions. The Studio offers visitors a range of “experience

TMT First founder Adam Whitehouse’s campaign to get a national apprenticeship scheme set up has succeeded with the official launch of The Digital Device Repair Technician Apprenticeship. The scheme, which will now be rolled out nationally over the coming months, has been created in partnership with the Institute for Apprenticeships Tech Education (IfATE). It follows

Virgin Media O2 has partnered with with fraud call prevention company Hiya to give the network’s customers free AI-powered spam-fighting tools and advanced caller identification services across its network to protect against fraud. The initiative uses Hiya’s Adaptive AI technology to flag suspected spam calls or and block fraudulent ones, by preempting potential fraud before

Likewize and airport experience company DragonPass have teamed up to offer Likewize’s device insurance and support services to its members. The collaboration is aimed at providing travellers with tech support and travel benefits in one package, accessed via digital devices. Likewize customers will now have access to over 700 airport lounges worldwide and other DragonPass

Samsung has launched the new Galaxy S24 Ultra,Galaxy S24 Plus and S24 with Snapdragon’s 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform chip. This integrates Galaxy AI with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy said to offer improved performance and energy efficiency. Chris Patrick, Senior Vice President and General Manager of mobile handset at Qualcomm Technologies said

Vodafone and Microsoft have joined forces in a 10-year collaboration partnership to develop a new AI and IoT connectivity platform and revamping Vodafone’s global data centre cloud strategy.  Vodafone will invest £1.18 billion over the next decade in  cloud and customer-focused AI services developed with Microsoft.  Microsoft will use Vodafone’s fixed and mobile connectivity services.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has again blamed mobile phone manufacturers for the 35 per cent rise in knife crime in London. When challenged by Mark Austin of Sky News on why knife crime is on the rise in the capital, Khan said: “The biggest personal robbery is of mobile phones. We know 20 or

Apple has expanded its Self Service Repair program to include the iPhone 15 lineup and M2-powered computers. The service is now available in 24 additional European countries, including Croatia, Denmark, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Switzerland. This expansion supports 35 Apple products across 33 countries and is available in 24 languages. Apple Diagnostics for Self

The Google Pixel Fold is the most expensive phone to repair with an eyewatering bill of £1,177 at for a full repair including new screen and battery replacement

Dublin-based circular technology company Alchemy, has opened new offices in Dubai and Miami which it says will give it the capacity to process another one million devices annually. The company says it has now processed more than five million devices globally for a second life. Alchemy offers device warehousing, device triage and grading, reverse solutions

Vodafone has forced Virgin Media to withdraw an ad that claimed “Get the fastest WiFi Guarantee of any major provider”. Vodafone complained to the Advertising Standards Authority that the ad, which ran in July, was misleading and could be not be substantiated. The ASA agreed and ordered Virgin Media to pull the ad and ensure

Apple is facing a civil court class action over allegations of UK market abuse claims that it deliberately slowed down the performance of older iPhone models.

Phones 4U (In Administration) has lost its case against the mobile networks iin which it accused them of colluding to shut the retailer down in 2014. 

Sustainable telecoms equipment and solutions provider TXO has appointed ex-BT executive Kevin Taylor MBE as Chairman. 

Vodafone Business is pushing small and medium enterprises to improve their planet-saving credentials with adding sustainability advice to its V-Hub digital support and training portal.

Secondary market startup Reboxed has secured £1.6 million in seed funding from venture capitalist ACF Investors to develop its retail partner programs and Reboxed for Business service.

GlobalIT consultancy Accenture has invested £130 million in a minority stake of a joint venture with Vodafone to implement AI-driven technology in Vodafone’s Intelligent Services (VOIS).

Three’s proposed merger with Vodafone is now ‘vital’ to enable the required investment scale, said Three CEO Robert Finnegan. The network today revealed its Q3 results which showed total revenue of £1.8bn, an increase of two per cent over the same period last year. Three now has 10.7 million active customers, an increase of four per

Telecoms investment company Zegona is buying Vodafone Spain for €5 billion subject to regulatory approval. 

BT Mobile was the most complained-about mobile operator between April and June, according to Ofcom.

EE is being relaunched as ‘New EE’ with the biggest marketing campaign since the brand’s launch in 2012. As part of a new raft of services and products, EE has partnered with Apple to launch a new TV streaming service called ‘EE TV.’ The new TV service will offer flexible TV packages accessed from an

Secondary market logistics and services company BlankIT has appointed Dan Jackson as Operations Director. Jackson joins from his current role at Adapt Global. Jackson has held positions at Assurant, LikeWize, and AO. His move to BlankIT reunites him with BlankIT’s founder, Paul Schofield, as the two had worked together in other organizations. Schofield commented, “Dan

The Manufacturing Growth Programme has helped Samsung repair centre TMT First expand its operation to repair more than 200,000 mobile phones, tablets, accessories and laptops a year.

Apple iPhones hold their value by 53 per cent after four years according to refurbished device vendor 4gadgets which analysed prices between 2018 and 2022. Samsung models depreciated by almost 70 per cent with the Galaxy S9 dropping by 80 per cent against its launch price with the 2018 iPhone XS, dropping 80.2 per cent

EE this week lost a claim against Virgin Mobile over the exclusivity of the supply of 5G which led Virgin Mobile used to use Vodafone as host network.

Vodafone is covering every phone on a monthly Evo contract for free warranty repairs as long as the customer has it and free replacement of a drained battery for up to three years of ownership.

BT Mobile was the most complained-about mobile provider in the first three months of the year says Ofcom. Customers complained mainly about issues with changing providers and how their complaints had been handled. Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile, and EE attracted the fewest number of complaints during Q1.