Amazon to form a ISP in Europe / UK?

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2474587/amazon-reportedly-primes-own-internet-service-in-europe

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2016/10/amazon-mooting-broadband-isp-uk-europe.html

Keen to wholesale eh?

Wouldn't seem logical to go with Sky as they are a direct competitor in the OTT market. BT? Maybe as they are mostly sport on the OTT side.

TalkTalk have been in the wholesale game a long while so would be a good bet. Especially as they try to sure up dwindling consumer numbers.

Vodafone are more recently back in the fixed line market game with a OTT offering as well. Maybe a deal to be had there as well.

Basically it's a crowded market to enter in the UK but if anyone could do it, Amazon can! Wouldn't be great news for the likes of smaller ISP's such as John Lewis in that space. Amazon has deals with the likes of Morrisons where it could get some marketing across as well.

Premier League rights: Sky Sports & BT win UK broadcasting rights as price tops £5billion

I guess Sky thought they had to 'Go big or go home' at this auction. The share price had dropped about 50p by the end of the day on announcement (903p) and has recovered pretty  well today (933p).

God only knows what these auctions will be like in a few years, The prices paid are insane. Hopefully we won't get to a point where Ofcom has to step in to protect consumers from rising subscription costs,

I can't help but think the Premier League should be forced to feed more money down into the lower leagues as well or justify the amounts raised in some way. I would be nigh on impossible for a startup to enter the market without huge backing from the likes of say; Vodafone or Liberty Global these days.

Hopefully this won't effect Sky's commitment to original programming that they started making more noise about after the Champions league rights went in BT's favor previously. .

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/premier-league-tv-rights-sky-sports-and-bt-sport-win-uk-broadcasting-rights-as-price-tops-5billion-10036935.html

Sky Seeks Code Powers to Support New UK PIA and SLU Broadband Trials

This'll be interesting.

They'll likely get code powers but the issue of multiple PCP's (those green boxes you see on the street) will have to be addresses or we'll be seeing thousands of extra ones. Hopefully the can implement them below ground level or something.

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2014/09/sky-seeks-code-powers-support-new-uk-broadband-trials.html

GTC and Sky Sign 300Mbps FTTH Broadband and TV Deal for New UK Builds

OpenReach look to be cut out the picture on this one unless GTC are using them in the background. The market will be getting ultra competitive if OpenReach doesn't push FTTH properly. Doesn't look like the other large ISP's are going to sit idle. Virgin will have competitive options with the DOCSIS hybrid fibre network as well.

Would be surprised if TalkTalk started signing whole sale deals with developers putting in fibre deployments as well.

I'm sure Hyperoptic wouldn't mind teaming up with someone.

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2014/04/gtc-sky-sign-300mbps-ftth-broadband-tv-deal-new-uk-builds.html

UK gets simultaneous Game of Thrones when it airs in the US.

If you have Sky Atlantic go to the following link and hit the remote record button:

http://www.sky.com/tv/show/game-of-thrones/article/season-four-simulcast

Or wait for on demand on Monday (3am onwards).

BT calls for Sky and TalkTalk subsidies to end

http://www.btplc.com/News/Articles/ShowArticle.cfm?ArticleID=AF013B68-9A18-4095-9447-EB8D9D760D06

Game of Thrones!

Still a little while off  (9pm Sky Atlantic on the date below) but I can't wait!

In the mean time, enjoy an 8-bit version of the theme tune.. 

http://www.sky.com/tv/show/game-of-thrones/article/season-four

Recent to Sky broadband? Not a parent? Might want to turn this off.

Login to your My Sky iD and set this to off.

If your a parent, turn it on for added child protection.

http://www.sky.com/products/broadband-talk/sky-broadband-shield/features/

I've also seen TalkTalk. Although I'm unfamiliar with how that works it has a separate option for ISP level virus protection that can be enabled separate to the content filter which is interesting.

Sky will be the only UK provider to offer 'Game of Thrones' and other HBO shows until 2020

A good move for Sky. The UK remains one of the most competitive markets with so many alternative options that the exclusives really are deciding factors for viewers a lot of the time. 

http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/30/sky-hbo-epg-sport-deals-uk-record/

ISP Sky Broadband Launch Wireless Booster and Offer Half Price Service

Well it's been a long time coming, other providers offer Homeplug products when their routers can't cut the mustard in larger home or homes with wifi unfriendly walls. Obviously nothing will beat a Ethernet connected up house but that involves a lot more work.

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2013/12/isp-sky-broadband-uk-launches-free-wireless-booster-device.html

2014 FORMULA 1 MONACO, BRAZILIAN & SINGTEL SINGAPORE GRANDS PRIX LIVE ONLY ON SKY SPORTS F1® HD

See press release:

http://corporate.sky.com/investors/press_releases/2013/2014_formula_1_monaco_brazilian_singapore_races_live_only_on_sky_sports_f1

F1 2013 comes to a close.

Vettel has blown everyone away this season but with the change to V6 turbos next season down from V8's it could be a very different challenge for all teams next year. 

MARUSSIA has had a winfall from not coming last financially. McLaren won't be happy with with Lotus coming ahead of them and have an interesting season ahead with them changing to Honda in 2015.

Well i'm going to continue my F1 antics with the brilliant F1 2013 game + the PC XBox receiver and XBox wireless wheel. 

BT Sport wins rights to show 350 UEFA matches live

Big move, interesting move.  Lets see if they can match the quality of Sky...

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/6149-bt-sport-wins-rights-to-show-350-uefa-matches-live.html

ISPreview Sky news.

Two articles:

Sky will be trailing what most ISP's will want: Self install FTTC services. There are various pitfalls and advantages to this. The main advantage being cost and the main disadvantage being the customers home environment. One of the main advantages of having a OR engineer comes to site is that they should in theory fix any in home issues.

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2013/09/sky-broadband-first-uk-isp-begin-trialling-self-install-fttc.html

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2013/09/uk-isp-sky-broadband-breaks-1000gbps-network-data-traffic-milestone.html

AAISP jumping the BE ship in unsteady waters.

It makes sense. Sky don't really do B2B unless you count The Cloud which is owned by them and Easynet which they have ties to since the purchase of their LLU network.  Sky having no wholesale entity it would make things tricky for AAISP, although O2 were supposed to be keeping their wholesale business going on the LLU platform under which I presume AAISP would have been served.

It'll be a loss in terms of subscriber count but then again AAISP, although very technical in nature are rather expensive so I wonder just how many subscribers that will be in terms of losses.

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2013/08/aaisp-uk-migrating-o2-wholesale-lines-to-talktalk-after-bskyb-concerns.html

Suggestions for Sky.

Hey Sky! You should totally jump on the MVO bandwagon and do triple-play... Call it 'Air'. You can keep that none, I got loads!

Next up! Satellite broadband! You have the workforce of satellite engineers. With a bit of altering to the dish and LNB's you could fix sattelite broadband for those poor soles out in the sticks..

You could call that service 'Space'..

Then you'd have Sky, The Cloud, Air and Space... marketing genius...

In all seriousness it is weird that they are not looking at becoming an MVO. EE are pushing in the fixed line FTTx space and BT have some 4G spectrum and are encroaching on the TV sport space.

NowTV by Sky unboxing

For £10 it's a bloody good deal.  I don't  even think you can get a HDMI cable from Maplins for that!

 

A 720p iPlayer box essentially for me. I have Sky and multiroom so won't need to pay for the NowTV content. It only has WiFi connectivity so make sure its located within a decent signal range from the router. The quality is pretty good and had no issues on a 20Mbps DSL connection two rooms away.Its worth noting I could say easily take it to a mates, pay £10 and watch sprots events with a day pass etc. That might come in handy!

Microsoft must rename Skydrive following legal battle with BSkyB- The Inquirer

Remember that Kickstarter Skydog router that I talked about a while back... I bet thats next...

Microsoft must rename Skydrive following legal battle with BSkyB- The Inquirer

Roku NowTV box £9.99

Great if you don't have Sky or just want to use it occasionally. 
https://shop.nowtv.com/

Sky Broadband do well at the ISPA awards

ISPreview:

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2013/07/ispa-announce-the-winners-of-its-2013-uk-internet-industry-awards.html