UK regulator Ofcom has fined the BBC a total of £400,000 for breaches of Ofcom's Broadcasting Code ("the Code") relating to unfair conduct of viewer and listener competitions. This fine is the highest financial penalty to be imposed by Ofcom against the BBC.

Manx Telecom achieve 20,000 broadband customers

Manx Telecom announced in late July that the 20,000 target for broadband customers had been reached in the Isle of Man.

Graham Shimmin the Personal Communications Product Manager of Manx Telecom said, ‘This is a fantastic achievement for Manx Telecom. In terms of coverage in a rural geography this positions as well as anywhere else in the world.'

DVB-H now available in all Austrian regional capitals

Mobile TV launches its second phase in Austria. Mobile TV will expand the coverage area of the new transmission standard DVB-H to include the greater areas of Bregenz, Eisenstadt, Graz, Linz and St. Pölten. MEDIA BROADCAST has supplied the regions Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Klagenfurt with DVB-H since early June 2008.

Company reports published in July

European telecommunications companies published interim and/or quarterly reports at the end of July 2008. The key points of the reports from Telenet, SWelcom, France Telecom and BT are featured.

Belgium Telenet Group Holding NV - Telenet announce its consolidated results for the six months ending 30 June 2008. Highlights; operating profit of €115.7 million, up 12%,  revenue of €492.5 million, up 8% versus the previous year and continued strong growth in broadband and fixed telephony and digital TV subscriber base, adding a net aggregate 181,000 subscribers during the first half of 2008.

A competition for providers of communication services via satellite across Europe has been launched today by the European Commission. Satellite operators will for the first time be able to offer services such as high speed data, mobile TV, disaster relief and remote medical services under a single European selection procedure instead of under 27 different national systems. This is made possible by a new EU decision on mobile satellite services that entered into force this July. Mobile satellite systems use radio spectrum to provide services between a mobile earth station and one or more stations either in space or on the ground at fixed locations. They have the capability to cover a large territory and reach areas where such services were economically unviable before. The new European selection procedure could allow companies to offer innovative wireless services throughout Europe over a specifically reserved spectrum as of 2009.

Ireland - announces end of Digital Terrestrial Television trial

Communications Minister Eamon Ryan announced that Ireland's first Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) trial has ended. The Minister announced the results of the trial, the MPEG4 technology chosen for Irish market and the timeline for national rollout to begin in autumn 2009.

On line digital music service as Sky partner with Universal Music

Sky is to launch a new ground breaking service enabling UK and Irish consumers to access music on line. Universal Music Group is the first to confirm participation in the service.

The new service will offer monthly subscription allowing music fans of all ages to enjoy unlimited listening to a huge choice of songs. A range of subscription options will be available. From the wide range of music subscribers will be able to choose to stream songs on demand or download tracks to play back at any time.