After investigation by the Information Commissioner it appears that Cabinet Office minister Oliver Letwin broke the law when he dumped official documents in a park bin.

Information Commissioner Christopher Graham issued the MP with a stern warning and that he faces formal enforcement action if he continues to carelessly throw away letters, papers and documents in the same manner in future.

Mr Letwin has now signed a pledge promising to properly dispose of his files in a secure manner.
Ruling that Mr Letwin had breached the Data Protection Act, Mr Graham went on to say:
“Constituents entrust their Member of Parliament with all sorts of personal information and should never expect the details to end up in a park bin for anyone to see.
“It is fortunate that most of the information he discarded was not of a particularly sensitive nature.
“But if we receive any further reports or complaints about Mr Letwin’s conduct in this area then we will consider taking more formal action.”

BT announced price hikes in early December 2011 –  just three weeks before Christmas. BT increased their prices for broadband and home phone line rental and also axed its discount for paperless bills. Home phone line costs are now close to £15.00 per month and has also scrapped its £1.25 per month discount on paperless billing.  

 Virgin Media charges £13.90, Talk Talk £13.80 and BT will increase its rate to £14.60 from early 2012.
Providers can charge these prices as most people need a home phone line for their broadband connection, and so most people are slow about switching their Telecoms provider.

However BT did say that the increases will be followed by a price freeze until 2013 on some selected services.
Sky increased their monthly line rental by £1.00 in July 2011, whilst TalkTalk increased its’ line rental charge in October 2011 from £12.60 to £13.80. Virgin Media’s line rental rose from £12.99 to £13.90 in August 2011.
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 However some good news is that approximately  42,000 Devon homes and businesses are poised to benefit from super-fast broadband as part of a major expansion of BT’s roll-out plans in the South West. Newton Abbot, Exmouth and Teignmouth are among the latest places included in the company’s £2.5billion roll-out of fibre broadband.

The latest additions, due to be upgraded during 2012, will join Exeter, Plympton and Dartmouth, which have already either gone live or are due to be enabled.

I recently read a Telecoms report that fixed-line voice households are decreasing in Central and Eastern Europe with Western Europe remaining resilient to this change. With the proportion of mobile-only households in Central and Eastern Europe, at approximately 40% by the end of 2010.

However, from my knowledge (I’ve worked as an Interconnection Manager within this region) of the Telecoms sector, historically it has always been low to average in Central and Eastern European countries anyhow. Based on infrastructure needs, and the lack of investment needed in this area.

Decades of underinvestment in fixed infrastructure meant that when mobile voice became widely available during the 1990s, it was a more compelling offer for the masses than traditional PSTN with long installation waiting lists, near unheard of customer service and limited rural availability. It was of course in some cases also cheaper and appealing to own a mobile phone. Therefore, mobile voice took off, whilst fixed voice stood still. So more people wanted to use mobile voice to make calls (from and to nearly anywhere in the world) and also receive calls by friends and families.

However in comparison, fixed voice was and still is well established and popular in Western Europe for whatever the reasons. In Western Europe, fixed voice is usually cheaper than mobile and sometimes even free at certain times of the day/week as part of the users call package. And Western European fixed-line operators can offer cheap call rates to keep their customers. Additionally, the user needs their fixed line in order to get Internet access. Some fixed-line operators in Western Europe have used VoBB (that stands for Voice over Broadband) as a way to keep low call rates. Just like, we offer our internet fax service via the internet and your Broadband connection.

Which is why, fixed voice has increasingly been marketed and sold as an add-on to broadband services in Western Europe. Because the perceived value to the user of a fixed-line service has as I said moved from voice to Internet access. That is I believe the only reason why certain people keep their fixed line so that they have Internet access.

So to my working out and correct me if I am wrong (please do) that fixed voice penetration will only ever fall to as low as that of fixed broadband in Western Europe – such as here in the UK. This should guarantee that fixed-line cancellation remains pretty much in line with Internet usage.

So, I guess if you have a fixed line to make phone calls and another “always on demand” fixed line to send and receive your faxes? Why not, just have just one fixed line to make your phone calls and use the internet/email at the same time to send and receive all your faxes.  As you ONLY need one fixed line for both – that’s a saving of easily £200.00 per year.

Here is why you should say NO to your paper Phone Book / Directory.

I recently read it apparently takes 52,000 tonnes of paper each year to print phonebooks - and costs local authorities as much as £7 million to get rid of all your old paper directories. However, if it is usual for you to search the internet, then why not just use an online directory instead of the paper directory – as online directories tend to provide you with up to date information and even money-off vouchers in some cases. And so in order for you to help the environment, why don’t you opt-out of receiving the paper directories? Here is how you can do it:

For BT Directory call: 0800 833400 and follow their instructions

For Yellow Pages call: 0800 671 444

For Thomson Local call: 01252 555 555

Filefax can now offer virtual landline telephone numbers throughout the UK, so that businesses can acquire new enquiries from outside of their normal geographical area.

 It is well known and experienced by many businesses that when they are using a standard local area code number it can be difficult expanding to territories outside their normal reach and so generating new enquiries is much harder. As companies will tend to choose a local phone number that is local to them and sometimes just down the road for convenience.

 With 01 & 02 virtual landline telephone numbers being available, businesses no longer have the need or require business premises in that area.

 The numbers look exactly like local area code STD geographical numbers and can be selected with the prefix of your specific choice (such as 0207/0208, 0121, 0161, 0151 and 0117 etc.) but all inbound calls are then instantly re-routed to call your existing normal business landline or even mobile phone if you are out on the road a lot or visiting customers.

 To get all the above benefits, simply buy the virtual landline numbers you are either already doing business in or want to do business in and print these local area code  telephone numbers on your advertising and business stationery. And thereafter, potential customers will see your numbers and call you, as you are seen as providing a service within their area.

Filefax offers 01 and 02 Virtual landline numbers for a large number of towns and cities throughout the UK and each number costs just £5 +VAT per month with no set-up fee or cancellation fee. Click here to buy a virtual landline number.

It has never been as important as it is today given the current economic environment for a company to search, find and use it’s competitive edge over their competitors in order to ensure ongoing profitable and affordable business growth.

Yet businesses still have the ongoing dilemma and need for vigorous efficient business processes that are well supported by their in-house IT systems. In order to achieve this ongoing investment is needed to be spent on their IT systems hardware. The question is how can this be avoided but also maintained without this spend. Put simply, the answer is via THE CLOUD!

With the birth of Cloud Computing, company executives can still adopt and use all the solutions they have always used but without the need to install and maintain their IT hardware solutions such as mail servers etc. The Cloud solutions are still just as powerful and easy to use, providing the same established and quick results but are available without the initial IT hardware spend and so offer and deliver an impressive return on any spend or investment.

So businesses are now able to continue to experience the full benefits of an integrated business management solution but without the large upfront costs and ongoing costs associated with maintaining the much needed IT infrastructure your business relies on to operate.

Numerous professions, and especially those within the Public Sector, have to cope with ever-increasing amounts of paperwork — and the Medical profession is no exception.

However even though we read ongoing news reports that the country is set upon a course of cost cutting so that money can be saved by reducing the spend on nearly every possible item that costs money. We still find ourselves doing things the same way we were doing it 20-30 years ago regardless of all the advancements we have made with Technology.

And so today, we are still undergoing a process in various forms such as restructuring, performance reviews, re-evaluation, just so that we can carry on doing the same work we were doing before the process of re-evaluation started. I make mention of this because I recently spoke with a new customer who works within the Medical profession, who made me aware of his situation and all the Regulatory Bodies thay he must comply with which includes: The General Medical Council, The Council for the Regulation of Health Care Professionals, The National Patient Safety Agency and The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to name just a few.

All these Regulatory Bodies require a vast bundle of paperwork to be completed and filed on a regular basis — and I am told with a great deal of duplication as well — and also require this documentation in some cases to be faxed as signatures are sometimes required. Hence his need for a fax number that doesn’t require a fax machine, boxes of A4 paper reams, filing cabinets and now a newly found need for additional secure storage space. His complaint and moan was moreso the fact that in the days of mass adoption of the Internet (The Medical Profession have concerns regards Internet security) they are still creating large amounts of paperwork and administration. Which in turn absorbs his time and costs them more money, that could in reality be spent elsewhere - on patient care for example.

Therefore, if you are like this very kindly spoken gentleman, and overcome with mountains of paperwork and would much rather receive and send their paper faxes via email so you can file all your docs electronically, then please let me know and I will arrange this all for you with pleasure.

1. How much paper is dumped at UK landfill waste sites? And not actually recycled.
2. How much paper is printed in error at any workplace on a daily/weekly basis?  This can be reduced by using various other online methods.
3. How much electricity is used to provide power to any office or workplace? Reduce your energy spend by dumping fax machines.
4. How many fax machines, or indeed any other form of  IT Hardware no longer used is sometimes dumped illegally?
5. If`paper faxes were sent via email, just how much paper and how many trees would be saved?
6. How much electricity does it take to power just one fax machine for 1 year? And if so, why use it when you can use your computer instead.

I have just recently reviewed my Broadband contract, and needless to say it took me a while, as it was rather confusing given all the introductory offers, discounts, special offers and add-ons that companies throw in as part of their package. However, what was surprising to me was that some Broadband providers now have Set-up fees as part of their broadband package.

If you, just as I have recently found, tried to find and set up a broadband package, then you will agree that it can be confusing to know exactly which is the right package for you. I mean just how much TV can you watch, just because they offer you an extra 12 channels. And if they promise you high-speed Internet for £6.99 per month, will that really be the price you pay once all the other add-ons have been included. In some cases, add-ons you actually need. These add-ons, such as installation and set-up will actually cost you.

So based on my research and notepad scribbles, here follows what I looked for.

I found that installation fees varied and once you do your sums you can end up paying as much as £100-£150.00 as a one-off set-up fee so that an engineer visits and just plug in a box as the price is standard. The installation/set-up fees can be considerably more if you choose a bundled service that includes Internet, Telephone and TV.

However as competition in the broadband marketplace increases, the likelihood is that to get the best deal we will have to improve our negotiation skills as love it or hate it we have come to depend on the Internet and associated broadband speeds to deliver it.

If you compare broadband providers, you will see just as I did, price differences in their charges. And it is this that you will have to work out and it isn’t always easy.

When I investigated Sky charges for an installation, but how much this is depends on the package you choose and discounts were available for existing customers but I wasn’t a customer so no good. And I was suggested to visit their website as this has access to special offers.

And BT had a standard installation fee of £89.99 Monday to Friday and this would cost more at the weekend and would cost £20 extra.

Given all this, the underlying problem is that Ofcom has no final say in what Broadband providers can charge for installation – hence the various charges around.
So as there are no rules to ensure the Broadband market is fair to all, here is what I tried. Perhaps, an odd suggestion to make as I am also offering a service, but to be honest for £5.00 per month rarely do I have complaints about how much we charge.

Always do your research!!

If you have a mobile phone contract or Internet fax subscription and you are happy but suddenly you find it cheaper with another provider then you would be financially savvy to ask your current provider to match or better it to get a better deal. This should also apply to your Broadband contract, so to improve your chances create a list of competitor’s prices so that you can improve your bargaining and negotiation power.

As I said “Negotiate”.

Always ask for a discount and if you don’t get it, always know when it’s best to walk away from the deal. As if they want you as a new customer, then chances are that eventually you will be offered a special one-off deal to get you on-board. And if they don’t, then always say ‘NO’ and try with another provider. Or if you really are keen to stay with that provider as you’ve been with them for years but the discounts are no longer on offer then ask for some extras or add-ons such as a faster Broadband speed or a nice new router.

Finally, haggle or refuse to pay!!

Get straight to the point, and tell the advisor that you can’t afford the installation or set-up fees as this will perhaps immediately open up negotiation and find a price you are happy to pay.

How do you get faster Broadband? This is a common question.

We all experience it at one point or another, but why do we let slow broadband connections make us mad with our head in our hands. As mentioned in Part1, you could get a faster internet connection simply by moving a few things around in the house, so you can speed your connection up yourself without having to call your broadband provider. Further to our earlier tips, here follows some more that if applied may actually resolve your broadband speed problem.

Test your Broadband speed

Using a website, alike those below will enable you to measure the speed at which your broadband connection is running and more importantly allow you to see what difference the following tips make to your broadband speed.
www.broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk
www.mybroadbandspeed.co.uk

Secure your Network

If alike many others, if you have wireless broadband, securing your network is an absolute must. If you don’t, then unauthorised users can hook up and share your connection, which will affect your broadband connection speed, your download allowance and above all impose a serious and unknown security risk.

Reposition your Router

As stated before, the position of your wireless router can have a significant effect on the quality of your wireless connection. Based on this, ensure you locate it in an area where the wireless signal will be affected by as few obstructions and interference as possible. But if you position your router nearest to the ceiling as possible or on top of a bookshelf, wardrobe or cupboard will certainly help. Also ensure you keep it away from any appliances that give out wireless signals such as cordless phones and baby monitors. Avoid as many walls and doors between the wireless router and computer.

Clean your cache

Every time whilst on your PC/Laptop you visit a webpage, your browser will store or “cache” the webpage. This is very helpful when web browsing as your computer can instantly call up and retrieve some or all of a previously visited web page from your PC’s/Laptop’s local memory. This means it will take less time to display the webpage. However, the negative is that all these stored items will take up more and more space and over time it will get full. Therefore, given this if you regularly clear your web browser’s cache it will enable it to function more effectively and so free up more space on your PC/Laptop.

Upgrade your browser

Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera and Google Chrome are all web browsers. Using the latest and most upto date web browser will significantly reduce the length of time it takes to download a web page. Therefore it is always sensible to ensure you have the most upto date version of your web browser.

Monitor all your applications

Media applications such as RealPlayer or Windows Updates may sometimes start running when you login to your computer and so slow your broadband connection down. To avoid this, reset these applications so that they don’t automatically run, and so improve your Broadband connection speed.

Avoid busy traffic times

Just like our roads and streets, the more people that there are online at the same time, the more internet “traffic” that is generated and which results in a slower broadband connection. Net traffic is usually the busiest in the evenings (7pm onwards) so if you want your connection to be faster, it is best to surf the net when internet traffic is quieter which is during the daytime. Or perhaps even later at night.

Make that call

If after all the checks you’ve made and you are still not getting the speeds you want need or expect, then call your ISP (Internet Service Provider). And ask if they can do anything and give your broadband connection speed a boost. Ask them:

- What the maximum connection speed you should be receiving.
- Is there any external factors affecting your broadband connection speed such as traffic management measures or restrictions that may apply

If you’ve been a customer on the same broadband package for more than 12months and not been upgraded it is possible that your package is out of date. So if the case, your ISP may be able to upgrade you to a faster broadband package or may even to retain your custom offer you an improved deal. Especially if you are near to the end of your contract period or are already out of your contract period.

If no luck from your efforts then SWITCH

If you are thinking about switching to a new Broadband provider, don’t base this purely on cost, it makes sense to also consider the customer service. As dealing with a badly ran Call Centre can drive you up the wall as the questions you have are not answered correctly or efficiently. We have all at one time or another been held in a queuing system listening to classical or opera music!