Boxx Communications Ltd

Simplifying telecommunications for businesses large and small!

Connectivity

Mobile phone coverage checker launched by Ofcom

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Mobile phone coverage checker launched by Ofcom

Consumers and businesses can now check how good their mobile phone coverage will be in any given area, thanks to a simple and powerful online tool launched by Ofcom.

The mobile phone coverage checker provides a one-stop answer for consumers and businesses across the UK who want to know how networks perform where they live or work, or even where they intend to move.

Users can either zoom in on the UK map, which is powered by data supplied by Vodafone, EE, O2 and Three, or enter a specific postcode to check. As well as showing the state of 3G and 4G data in the area chosen, it also classifies mobile signal, needed for voice calls and texts, and data coverage into three colour-coded categories: green; amber or red.

Green means that good coverage for calls and texts is likely, amber means that you may experience some problems and red suggests you are unlikely to receive a reliable signal. Each location shows data for coverage of 100 square meters and there is also an option to choose whether you want to know mobile coverage for inside buildings or outside.

The new map will be a great resource for people trying to source the most reliable mobile service for where they need to use it and takes advantage of new Ofcom research into the signal strength needed to provide a good consumer experience. The map also takes account of the increasing shift from handsets with external aerials to smartphones with internal aerials, which can sometimes be less effective at picking a signal.

Additionally, it also shows topographical information allowing users to identify areas where there are natural obstructions to coverage, such as valleys and hills.
Helping to improve mobile coverage and quality of service are key priority services for Ofcom. As well as supporting consumers and businesses in choosing the operator and service that most meets their needs, it will also boost competition between the four main providers, which in turn will be good for consumers.

Ofcom is inviting users to check their coverage experience and leave feedback to help refine the accuracy of the new map even more for a new version due out in the autumn.

In related work, Ofcom is seeking to improve the process for switching between different mobile providers and is actively working on ways to do this.

If you would like to know about our Mobile SIM Only offers, get in touch and we’ll be happy to talk you through it.

Broadband Connection Vouchers: Government grants to boost your broadband

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Broadband Connection Vouchers: Government grants to boost your broadband

In excellent news for those who are looking to save money and improve their broadband performance at the same time, here at Boxx we have become an approved supplier of the Government’s Broadband Connection Vouchers scheme.

Vouchers worth up to £3000 are available to SME’s who meet the criteria, to assist with the £100+ upfront costs of an improved broadband service. The vouchers can be used for a range of things from a simple installation of superfast broadband (if this was missing before), to the installation of a dedicated or uncontended connection, such as one of our Direct Internet Access (DIA) products.

The vouchers are available in 50 cities across the UK and have been made possible through £40m of Government funding. They are available on a first come, first served basis until 31 March 2016 and your business needs to be registered in one of the local authority areas covered by the voucher scheme.

To be eligible for a voucher, the broadband service you select must deliver a ‘step change’ speed or performance improvement on your current connection and must meet certain conditions.

For a Fibre Broadband connection

These must offer a minimum of 30MB p/sec. If the existing service is already 30MB p/sec or greater, then the upgraded service must deliver at least twice that speed.

For a Direct Internet Access (DIA) connection (ie those provided on a dedicated/uncontended basis)

These must offer a minimum of 20 MB p/sec and be capable of being configured/upgraded to support at least 30 MB p/sec. They are also required to provide a service of at least twice the speed of the current one to qualify, unless you are upgrading from a standard Broadband or Fibre Broadband service, where this requirement does not apply.

DIA is the connection of choice for businesses who have discounted standard broadband, and even a fibre broadband connection, as not being sufficient to fully support their business-critical online demands. It’s akin to the Rolls Royce of connections, offering ultimate reliability and a rock-solid connection for those who need continual and reliable online access. Ideal for large teams and those who use a lot of cloud-based applications, it offers totally uncontended and symmetrical bandwidth, and the ability for multiple users to be doing multiple tasks at the same time. We recently blogged about What is Direct Internet Access and more recently Could Direct Internet Access benefit your business.

The Broadband Connection Vouchers scheme is managed by the Broadband Delivery UK unit within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Each company can only apply for one voucher, and while this can be used for upgrades in more than one premises, it cannot be for more than £3,000 in total.

If you are interested to see how these vouchers could be used to upgrade your broadband connection or to answer any questions you may have call us on 01908 350750 or click here.

Parental Controls: 10 tips and tricks to keep your child safe

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Parental Controls: 10 tips and tricks to keep your child safe

In the age of smartphones, internet-enabled televisions and readily available tablets, keeping our children safe online has once again come sharply into focus.

While many of us have passcodes or controls on the main house computer, how many can say the same for every device in the house that can get on the web? Not to mention televisions, which also contain plenty of content that is not suitable for children, particularly younger ones.

Children are increasingly more internet-savvy than their parents, leaving us flailing to keep up.

While there will always be a chance that your child catches sight of something that you would rather they didn’t, either a programme or a website, there are a raft of measures that you can take easily and cheaply that should make this absolutely minimal.

1) Communication will always play a part in keeping your children safe, both through you having knowledge of the sites they like and use, and them being aware that there is content out there they should keep away from. Be aware of changes in internet use, such as longer spent online, and stress that they should talk to a trusted adult if they have any worries whatsoever about anything.

2) Make sure they know how to stay safe – they should never give out personal details including name, address, school or telephone numbers to someone they do not know. Attachments from unknown senders should also be treated with caution in case they contain viruses. Depending on the age of your child, consider insisting on knowing any email account passwords so that you can check on sent and received mail if needed.

3) With the websites they use, check what safety and privacy protection tools are in place on each, what can be restricted and how to report if there is a problem. You might want the homepage to be something like CBeebies rather than a search engine.

4) See what tools your internet browser offers, such as safe browsing or parental controls, and enable those that work best for you. Consider checking the History tab or button regularly, as this gives you a full list of the sites that have been visited. Buy or download additional parental control software if desired.

5) Be aware that public WiFi will often not have parental controls on, so be alert if your child is browsing on your phone or tablet while out and about, as they will find it easier to find unsuitable content, even if that is only aggressive marketing or pop-ups.

6) For smartphones, having a passcode on start-up is the best way to ensure the internet is only accessed in ways you are happy with, in your presence. Set your screen to lock within a minute of not being used to minimise the chances of someone else coming along and starting to play with it. Do this even with young children – they’re often a lot quicker at sussing these things out than you would like!

7) Staying with smartphones, ensure in-app purchases are turned off (in settings), to ensure there are no nasty surprises if one of your children has been playing games. Even free games often have a tempting array of things you can buy, and these are irresistible to little fingers with no money sense.

8) Also consider the nature of any push notifications you get, as these can often be viewed even with the screen locked. Breaking news of disasters, for example, can often contain quite distressing details that may be upsetting for little sensitive minds. Consider turning these off if your children regularly play with your phone.

9) For televisions, you can often restrict access to certain channels or programmes – consult your manual or the manufacturer on how best to do this. Most on-demand services such as BBC iPlayer, 4OD, ITV Player and Sky Go offer variations on pin-protected parental controls, so set these up if needed or wanted. These pop-up on programmes flagged as having strong language, for example, and the pin is needed to allow the programme to play.

10) For games consoles, use family settings to set both content restrictions and time limits.

Finally, of course, there is some general sensible advice to follow, such as setting time limits on all devices, to allow time for homework and family time, as well as putting tablets and computers away when they are not in use, so that they are out of sight and out of mind.

As ever with technology, it can be an amazing and useful resource, as long as it has limits which restrict its use to that which is appropriate to your household.

Broadband: Switching is set to get easier….!

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Broadband: Switching is set to get easier....!

Ofcom (the communications regulator here in the UK) have recently taken the decision to make moving broadband suppliers follow a process more similar to that which the phone line providers have been using for years…..

This is a welcomed move here in the UK as currently customers wishing to change their broadband provider have to contact their existing supplier to ask for a Migration Access Code (MAC) and then pass this code to their new chosen provider.

This can be time consuming and is often a frustrating process, so ultimately it often results in consumers staying put. This is a real missed opportunity in terms of cost-saving and optimising the performance of your broadband connection, but an understandable choice in a world where we all seem to have way to many things on our to-do-lists!

In June 2015 the communications regulator will make life easier for those who want to switch, by removing the need to obtain a MAC. From 20th June, anyone, whether that be an individual or business, looking to switch supplier will ONLY need to contact their chosen new provider.

The new service provider will arrange the transfer on behalf of the consumer, including informing the old provider of the requested change (who will then process any remaining contractual charges).

The removal of the MAC process will make switching far easier and therefore more attractive to residential & business consumers alike, as it will open up many exciting opportunities for those wishing to enhance their broadband connection and/or save money, without causing themselves a headache.

Are you experiencing problems with your current supplier?

Do you want to upgrade to a better service?

Are you wondering if you could get a better deal?

Regardless of your business size or location, at Boxx we guarantee a competitively priced connection. Better yet, we will search your exchange for best connection available for your line, so you can rest assured, you’ll get a competitively priced and truly reliable broadband service with Boxx. Contact us to find out what broadband options are available to you and let us take care of the rest!

What is Direct Internet Access (DIA)…?

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What is Direct Internet Access (DIA)...?

For ultimate reliability and a rock-solid connection to the internet, Direct Internet Access (DIA) is a robust solution for businesses heavily reliant on being connected, where continuous and reliable online access is of the utmost importance.

DIA is the connection of choice for businesses who have looked at, and discounted, standard broadband and even a fibre connection as not being sufficient to fully support their business’s online demands.

Often, but not always, these businesses will have a large or growing team or make heavy use of cloud-based applications, but what they all have in common is wanting and needing a dedicated and fast internet connection. Internet access is, for them, quite simply business critical.

Featuring totally uncontended and symmetrical bandwidth, DIA’s dedicated business-grade internet service is a superb solution to these needs, as a DIA package means no line sharing and an upload speed that is the same as the download one.

Crucially, multiple users can be online doing multiple tasks at the same time, which is particularly important for businesses using lots of cloud-based storage and applications as is increasingly common across all industries.

And even offering all of these benefits, DIA is not a one size fits all solution, with different bandwidths and speeds available to suit differing business needs.

DIA can be delivered in a number of ways, including over Ethernet fibre, EFM copper and now generic ethernet access fibre to the cabinet (GEA FTTC).

Whichever option is selected, the service is highly resilient because it uses multiple Tier One ISPs to guarantee the fastest connection possible at any time, with automatic core re-routing if any route fails.

Remote working is also non issue, with site-to-site VPNs over DIA allowing access to core site resources quickly and easily. Likewise, while only the bandwidth used is paid for, the service is scalable at short notice if more capacity is suddenly required.

If you want to discuss our DIA products or any other solutions, you can contact us or call us on 01908 350 750.

Your Broadband Provision: What to do if you’re unhappy

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Your Broadband Provision: What to do if you're unhappy

New research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has once again highlighted the problems of rural broadband and the ongoing issues people in those areas have with connectivity.

The research, which found that 49% of rural small businesses were dissatisfied with their broadband provision, compared with 28% in urban areas, has led to further talk of a ‘two-speed digital economy.’

This issue is predicted to become even more significant over the next two years, as small firms become more reliant on a high quality broadband connection to do business. More than three quarters (77%) said that email will be critical to their business, while more than half (57%) said broadband will be essential to engaging with their customers in the next two years.

As broadband providers, we know more about this issue than most. Crucially, people thinking of setting up in rural areas need to know that no provider will be able to offer an effective service if the basic infrastructure is not in place.

Limited availability of superfast broadband services is a key reason for slower speeds in rural areas, although broadband speeds over ADSL, a technology that uses the copper wire telephone network, are generally also slower because of the longer distances to the telephone exchange.

While the speed of service is ultimately dictated by what infrastructure is in place, there are steps that providers can take to ensure that you’re receiving as good a service as possible in any given area.

We, for example, have selected our supply chain with superior connectivity in mind and through our use of multiple suppliers we are able to search for and can identify the best connections at your exchange and advise you of the most appropriate product for your business, in your area.

Our range of broadband providers includes all of the major networks (including BT, Talk Talk, Gamma, Daisy Wholesale, Virgin and Nine wholesale), giving us the maximum number of packages to choose from.

Other options for rural businesses to consider, which may provide a better service overall depending on what your local broadband capacity is, include fibre broadband and direct internet access (DIA).

Fibre broadband opens all kinds of new possibilities for speed, although it does require the area to be fibre-enabled.

DIA is a dedicated internet service aimed at businesses that provides a robust, reliable and fast connection, with options available to suit different business needs, bandwidth requirements and speeds.

But it’s not all doom and gloom outside of our towns and cities. Improving speeds in rural areas is a priority for the Government which has committed funding to ensure superfast broadband is more widely available across the UK. It has reportedly on course to reach 90% superfast coverage by early 2016 and last year announced an extra £250 million investment to extend superfast coverage to 95% of premises by 2017.

However, the FSB believes that more could be done, especially as just 16% of rural businesses currently have access to superfast broadband.

As a result of its findings, it is calling for the Government to conduct a comprehensive review of broadband policy. This includes measures to encourage more competition for better packages in the business broadband market, a commitment to accelerate the roll-out of 4G mobile services and prioritisation of fibre-optic provision to business parks and enterprise zones.

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