 As news breaks that half of mobile broadband minutes were used on Facebook, businesses are told that mobile services could save money over WiFi:
>> Ericsson mobile have said they have successfully reached mobile broadband speeds of 1Gb, during a speech at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona. The comments follow on from a successful trial of a 50Gb wireless connection by O2 at the conference. Hans Vestberg of Ericsson commented that the company's passion for innovation has allowed them to reach these milestones.
>> Experts have claimed this week that BT decision to allow their rivals to use their infrastructure to install their own fibre optics, will not improve competition in the sector. BT's announcement was welcomed by the conservatives who said that it would promote competition and allow a new generation of super fast broadband to reach more homes. But some believe that companies such as Talk Talk and BskyB are worried about protecting the investment they have already made into the existing infrastructure. They have expressed a need for more flexibility. Also similar schemes in other countries have had limited success.
>> Recent statistics have shown that Facebook is the most popular site for people using mobile broadband. The study by GSMA Mobile Media Metrics found that of the 16 million people who accessed mobile broadband during last December, 5 million looked at Facebook and 4.5 million accessed Google. In fact, more than half the minutes people spent online were on Facebook. Also in the top ten most visited sites was the BBC which indicates that more people are watching videos online.
>> A Motorola study has shown that people in the UK are changing the way they view television. While 70% of customers still view live television at least on a weekly basis, 34% are now using on demand services and half of those surveyed use streaming methods on the internet. Steve McCaffery from Motorola said that consumers are entering a new world of television and that smartphones, the internet and social networking have completely changed how consumers engage with television.
>> Virgin media has announced plans to revitalise the business media industry via their new telecommunications and data arm, Virgin Media Business. It is thought that the new business will aim to rival BT as a provider or telephone, data and internet services to businesses. Previously known as ntl:telewest, the new arm has pledged to invest in fibre optics and is marketing itself as a compelling alternative to BT. The business currently has 40 locations across the UK and is partly managed by Richard Branson.
>> Suggestions have been made this week in the Guardian that Virgin Media is planning on selling its Virgin 1 and Living channels to Sky TV. Talks between the companies are said to have resulted in the original cost of the channels to fall significantly from £500 million. It is thought that Sky would rebrand Virgin1 if it is successful. Virgin are also purchasing Eurosport and Discovery to add to its own digital service.
>> A report released this week by Analysys Mason has found that small businesses can benefit from mobile broadband and make a possible saving of more than £2000 a year. They suggest that small businesses buy mobile broadband subscriptions, rather than paying for WiFi access. In addition they are likely to get better download limits and more customer support. Steve Hilton from Analysys Mason points out that WiFi hotspots can sometimes be difficult to find and reliability is not always ideal.
>> YouTube users will now be able to test the speed of their download by using a new tool on the site. The tool was created so that users could gauge if they would be able to use the site effectively. It can be found on the "My Speed" section of the website and can be used to average their speeds over a month. It can also be used to provide evidence to providers that users are not getting the speeds they are paying for.
>> The Communications Consumer Panel has suggested that consumers on a low income need to be given more information on the new broadband tax. Anna Bradley from the Panel has said that people are not aware that those on a social tariff will be exempt from the tax and many who could be on a social tariff are not. They would like to see the Government raise awareness of the social tariff to encourage the 2-3 million people across the country who could benefit to sign up for it.
>> A report from investment bank Morgan Stanley regarding Project Canvas has said that the new network could boost the numbers of broadband users in the UK. In fact they suggested that 6 million people who are currently not signed up to broadband could be encouraged to do so. Despite criticisms from Sky and the DTG who say it is not open to other providers, Project Canvas is to find out if it will go ahead next month. †
    
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