BT reclaims broadband crown

BT claims it is once again the most popular broadband provider in the country, leapfrogging Virgin Media. The company says it now has more than 3.66 million broadband customers - which equates to more than a quarter of the UK market. ...more

Gates - Attempts to censor the Internet will fail

Bill Gates has told an Internet technology forum that government attempts to censor the Internet will fail. Although blogs and websites can be blocked, he said, it is not possible to prevent the dissemination of information via email. 'You may be able to take a very visible website and say that something shouldn't be there, but if there's a desire by the population to know something, it's going to get out,' he said. ...more

Petrol famine causes e-commerce chaos

With many UK supermarket chains having rapidly expanded their online activities over the past six months, the companies have been hit hard by the recent petrol shortages. So much so that Tesco has formed a crisis group to keep its online services up and running. Waitrose has completely suspended its Internet shopping service and is unable to accept new orders for goods at its Gifts Direct or Organic Foods Direct services. ...more

Sun opens Java app server code

Sun Microsystems is making more of its source code publicly available. Following the decision to publish Solaris code a fortnight ago - Sun opens its OpenSolaris operating system - Sun has now decided to open up the code that underpins its use of Web services and other enterprise-scale applications. Specifically, it will open up access to its Java System application server software Platform Edition 9, according to Reuters. ...more

Bulldog to remain at master's side

Cable & Wireless' UK boss John Pluthero has scotched rumours that the company is about to sell the retail side of its Bulldog broadband service. Pluthero, who has just taken over as the head of C&W's UK business, said that the company is happy with the revenues from the LLU-based broadband provider. Bulldog has more than doubled its number of customers since August 2005, from 48,000 to 107,000, giving it around 30 per cent of the UK local loop unbundling (LLU) market. ...more