Telecoms regulator Ofcom is set to launch an investigation into the speed of UK broadband services amid concerns that connections are not as fast as advertised.

The communications watchdog is concerned that customers are getting ripped off by internet service providers (ISPs) because they lure customers in with speeds that will never be attainable.

Many ISPs claim to offer broadband of 8 megabits-per-second (mbps), with others saying you can get up to 20 mbps – which is the UK’s top available speed.

In practice, your internet speed is wholly dependant on the distance you are from the telephone exchange and the number of users on the network at the same time.

Ofcom have estimated that only about half of those customers paying for an 8 mbps connection are actually close enough to get that kind of speed.

The six month probe will examine how broadband seeds are affected by various factors including region, ISP choice and the time of day. The findings will likely put further pressure on companies to increase their investments in next-generation broadband access.

Ofcom has made it clear on many occasions that if the UK des not invest in new technology (upgrading the current copper wire network) we could be left behind on the information superhighway. They cite as an example: if a large number of people wanted to watch high definition television over the internet, the network would struggle.

Already though there are company’s who are looking into developing the network; Virgin Media is looking at ways of offering 50 mbps broadband over its cable network, and BT has said that at new developments, such as Ebbsfleet in Kent, it can offer speeds of up to 100 mbps by installing fibre-optic cables. However, BT say that to upgrade all UK households to fibre optic would cost more than £15bn and the company is reluctant to commit to such a project.

Ofcom has also published a code of practice to internet service providers to ensure they tell customers the truth about what speeds they are likely to receive. Some 32 internet companies, covering 90 percent of the UK’s broadband customers, have already agreed to follow the code.

Ofcom has made it clear that if the voluntary code was not effective, it would consider more formal regulation.

Broadcom has announced four new 802.11n products

The new BCM4323 802. 11n, according to Broadcom, is the world’s first single-chip dual-band 802.11n solution for USB adapters. A part Broadcom’s Intensi-fi XLR WLAN family, the BCM4323 enables very small and cost effective USB adapters that consumers can use to connect to PCs, TVs, set-top boxes, personal video recorders, and other devices to a Wi-Fi network. The company’s new Accelerange technology also features in the new dual-band chip and enables transfer of HD content between devices.

Annual shipments of Wi-Fi USB adapters – otherwise known as dongles – will reach 15 million by 2001, according to ABI Research. The majority of these will be dual-band 802.11n adapters as more and more consumers use the 5 GHz portion on their Wi-Fi networks for video streaming and VoIP calls.

The Broadcom BCM4323 USB solution was designed using 65 nanometer CMOS technology. This enables 20mm x 52mm USB modules that are half the size of those built with multi-chip solutions.

Another feature of the BCM4323 is an integrated ARM processor and on-chip RAM that can offload wireless functions from the host processor in consumer devices, which should help manufacturers to easily embed dual-band 802.11n capabilities directly into multimedia products, such as digital TVs, set-top boxes and DVD players.

Also released to day are a new line of 802.11n router chips, the BCM4716, BCM4717 and BCM4718. These chips use two-layer printed circuit boards (PCBs) which brings down the cost of manufacturing high-end routers.

Like all of Broadcoms other Wi-Fi products, the new router solutions use OneDriver software. This provides support for Linux, VxWorks and NetBSD operating systems and is Microsoft Vista Basic/Premium certified.

The BCM4716 integrates a 300MHz CPU architecture to provide the optimal balance of performance and cost for basic WLAN routers that connect to Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet networks.

The BCM4717 provides dual-band (2.4 GHz/5 GHz) capabilities in a small form factor for WLAN routers, access points, set-top boxes, and digital televisions. It also integrates a 300 MHz CPU and offers options for Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet PHYs.

The BCM4718 integrates a 533MHz CPU with high-performance memory architecture to push the limits of simultaneous dual-band performance for high-end Gigabit Ethernet routers, and features USB host ports to support media storage routers.

Apple fans are getting excited right about now because the new iPhone is on its way this month. The follow up to last years revolutionary handset, the new iPhone is packed with a load of cool new features and is already starting to create a buzz.

Steve Jobs, Apples chief executive, will take to the stage on Monday at the Apple Developers Conference but Apple are remaining tight lipped on what he will be talking about, but analysts are betting that he will show off a long-rumoured phone running on a so-called 3G, or third-generation, network.

What we do know is that the new iPhone will be accompanied by support for corporate e-mail and a slate of new programs that could help boost sales of the devices, which sport a touch-sensitive screen, wireless Internet access and iPod-style media functions.

Shiv Bakhshi, director of Mobility Research, for market research firm IDC said, “The thing for Apple is to be able to leverage the iPhone for further innovation, or they run the risk of being the next (Motorola) RAZR, which was iconic in its own way, but for which innovation did not come fast enough.”

One of the chief complaints about the current iPhone: the speed at which it calls up Web pages on AT&T Inc’s pokey EDGE network is likely to be addressed at the conference.

That is a particularly important concern in Europe, which is ahead of the United States in building new networks and where sales of the iPhone have lagged.

Analyst Avi Greengart said of a faster iPhone, “I see 3G as important for the U.S. but essential for overseas, it will be appreciated by technology enthusiasts and anybody who wants to get fast Web browsing outside the hot spots.”

There is also speculation Apple could bow to mobile industry practice and offer a subsidised iPhone, an arrangement where AT&T could kick in a couple hundred dollars to make the devices more affordable. At present time, AT&T already gives Apple a portion of the monthly service fees it gets from iPhone subscribers.

Ben Reitzes, an analyst for Lehman Brothers commented, “We think that actually Apple could talk about a very disruptive business model, or a change in their business model, embracing subsidies where necessary, multiple carriers to help get the iPhone into more hands.”

The new services Apple are expected to launch include the ability to download songs from iTunes using the phone network. IPhone users now have to be connected to a Wi-Fi network to get music from Apples online store.

Apple will also roll out its highly anticipated support for corporate e-mail, a capability it showed off earlier this year and that is expected to give iPhone a push into business, which now overwhelmingly uses Research In Motion Ltd’s Blackberry devices.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are said to be considering a spectrum auction that could help close the digital divide.

The new spectrum sale comes with the condition that the winning bidder must offer free high-speed wireless internet access nationwide (US).

On June 12th, the proposal will be put forward by the FCC at its upcoming meeting, according to spokesperson Chelsea Fallon.

In an interview, fallon said, “The commission is interested in proposals that will give consumers greater choices to access the Internet.”

This plan is one of several ways the FCC hopes to “support initiatives that have a positive impact on the next phase of wireless growth and innovation.”

The plan involves selling off 25 megahertz of spectrum in the 2155MHz band. The details of the proposal are still being worked out but what is known is that the buyer would have to guarantee that it will roll out free access over time, reaching at least half the US population within four years of the license purchase and 90 percent of more within ten years.

The wireless access is likely to be filtered, with some content – such as pornography – being restricted.

The FCC believes that the wireless spectrum holds the key to narrowing the digital divide – the gap between people who have access to high speed internet access and those who do not because of financial of geographic reasons. Wireless is a less costly solution because it removes the need for building fiber optic networks.

Recently the FCC held an auction for 700 megahertz of spectrum, a major portion of which was purchased by Verizon and other major telecommunication companies. Under pressure from Google and others, the FCC conditioned part of that sale to require the winning bidder to open the network to all devices and services.

Whether or not the free Internet access plan works is likely to be determined by how much value potential buyers see in the advertising-supported business model. Advertising would have to be lucrative enough to support building the network out and operating it over time.

Forrester Research Analyst Charles Golvin said in an interview, “A company will have to have either deep pockets or investors who buy into the notion of an ad-supported system,

We’ve seen in other countries that wireless can play a role in connecting people to the Internet who otherwise would remain shut out,” he added.

According to reports, solar powered Apple products are coming soon. The company have just applied for a patent for utilising solar cells in portable devices.

Since much of the surface of a handheld device is occupied by buttons and similar components, the patent specifies putting the solar panels under the display. Devices described in the application include both handheld and portable computers.

Phones like the iPhone have a large screen and the larger the surface area, the better for catching solar rays. According to the patent, the solar panels would be stacked behind the LCD display, absorbing light rays that pass through the display. This makes the iPhone and iPod candidates.

An analyst for Jupiter Research, noted that some small devices, such as wristwatches or calculators, are solar-powered, but otherwise the potential has only recently emerged for larger portable devices to be energized by the sun.

The analyst, Michael Gartenberg suggested that solar power, at least in the short term, may be employed for short-term recharging or in other supplementary ways, rather than as the exclusive power source.

Other mobile phone companies are also starting to think of the sun as more than just a warm, fiery star. Last month, for example, Vodafone said its plans to dramatically cut its greenhouse-gas emissions included solar-powered phone chargers.

Motorola has already received a patent, originally filed in 2001, for a screen that lets more light through than other designs.

As an LCD is a reflective screen (only six percent of rays get through), Motorola claim to have developed a screen that allows 75 percent ray absorption.

In recent years solar power has begun to be used in a variety of settings as a source of electricity, but there are still substantial technical issues for mobile devices. The Motorola patent, for instance, notes the limited area for solar-panel surfaces, the durability of the panels, and other issues.

If Apple’s patent is approved, it could be quite a few years before we see solar powered gadgets. Apple has already applied for a patent for a new messaging interface for touchscreens, which has media features that the iPhone can’t currently perform. It has also recently filed patents for head-mounted displays and a three-dimensional display system.

The makers of Blackberry Smartphones, Research in Motion (RIM) are due to meet with Indian officials today in an effort to come to an agreement over the nation’s security concerns.

Security agencies in India have been pressing RIM to allow them to intercept e-mail that travels across its secure network. Under Indian law, the government has the right to intercept electronic communications for security purposes.

The government and its security forces believe that terrorists will use the internet and e-mails to communicate with each other and hope to be able to put a stop to them.

India’s telecoms director, Andimuthu Raja said last week that RIM had assured the government that it is working on a solution. But late last week, the company said it could not “accommodate” any such request and has told customers that it would be impossible to spy on user’s e-mail messages as the company does not keep a copy of the customer’s encryption key. The company also reportedly said there is no “back door” to customer’s communications.

The blackberry service is being offered by four providers in India: Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications, Vodafone-controlled Vodafone Essar, and BPL Mobile. At this moment there are 114,000 Blackberry subscribers in the country.

In a statement, RIM said, “Governments have a wide range of resources and methodologies to satisfy national security and law enforcement needs without compromising commercial security requirements.”

India is an important market for RIM and other handset makers. As the North American and European markets mature and reach saturation, developing markets such as India will provide substantial growth in the coming years.

In a break from its traditional reliance on the home-grown IT that supported its rapid expansion in the US, Wal-Mart has begun rolling out global information technology systems.

The largest retailer in the world selected Germany’s SAP software over competition from Oracle last October. The company has also stepped up its hiring in its IT department, with an accompanying increase in corporate costs, as it begins to implement the changes.

“Efficiency of the home grown system has not kept pace with the corporation’s growth,” said Tom Schoewe, chief financial officer.

“It is going to be expensive to implement, but it will be far more efficient once we’re up and running and . . . it is scalable. As you continue to see us grow, enter new countries, it’s something that can accommodate that better than our home-grown solution,” he added.

Wal-Mart’s corporate expenses in the first quarter of the year rose by 20 percent - in part - due to the company’s rising IT costs. The company did not name the actual amount but added that without the expenditure on “transformation” projects, corporate expenses would have increased by 3 percent.

The additional expenses “will continue to be a headwind for the rest of this fiscal year and for several years to come,” added Mr Schoewe.

The initial phase of the global roll-out is expected to be completed in the next two years, with a second and third phase completed in three to five years.

Wal-Mart’s shift to using an external software package is a significant shift for the company. In the past the company’s IT department spearheaded the development of technologies that have in the past transformed it business.

Wal-Mat will continue to develop its own IT solutions, including RFID wireless tagging solutions, and hopes to create a global e-commerce platform that would both unify the systems used by existing online operations in the US and Europe and be replicable in new markets.

Tesco, Wal-Mart’s UK rival, relies on Oracle’s software for a global software system that was most recently deployed to support its US Fresh & Easy chain

Ofcom is claiming victory in closing the digital divide today, as its annual review of communications markets reveals that for the first time broadband users in rural areas have overtaken city dwellers.

The UK watchdogs claim that 59 percent of rural households are now connected compared to 57 percent in the cities.

In a press release Ofcom stated: “The rapid rollout of broadband services across the country has meant that most parts of the UK now have access to this service and today’s report marks the end of the so-called divide.”

To say the divide is dead is perhaps a little over-confident, as the statistics vary dependent on which area of the country you live in. In Scotland, for example, Ofcom concedes that it doesn’t know how many households are in a BT “not spot” without the possibility of broadband access and with the slow roll-out of BT’s ADSL to rural exchanges, the UK’s lack of a modern fibre to the premises telecoms infrastructure, could pose more problems down the line.

The ex-public monopoly is already known to favour a piecemeal approach to fibre, preferring to invest in high density areas where it can sell more lines and services. It is also lobbying hard for regulators to loosen its Universal Service Obligation.

The possibility of a patchwork service for low-density areas has been suggested by Ofcom and the government as a solution to the small return on rural fibre, but nothing as of yet has been implemented.

So, even though Ofcom is blowing its trumpet somewhat, the UK is still far behind other nations, and at a time of economic uncertainty, competition for outside investment will only intensify.

Friendster, the social networking site, re-launched its mobile version of the site and is now available globally.

The service is accessible from any web-enable mobile device and allows users to get updates of friends, post shout-outs, browse photos/profiles, search users, post bulletins and all the other things that come with the standard web site.

The company claims that they have over 70 million users worldwide and that it is the top social network in Asia. Friendster has commented on the release and says that this is the first of many new offerings.

Vice president of global marketing, David Jones said in a statement, “Our users have asked for a mobile site that makes staying in touch with friends while on the go even easier. We’ve taken our most popular core social networking features and made them easy to use via mobile devices at m.friendster.com.”

As ever, even though Friendster Mobile is free, you are liable for any data charges you may incur on your phone.

With social networking in a bit of a slump right now, critics will be keen to point out that this is the dying thrashes of a once internet colossus. Myspace, Facebook and Twitter have all been down the mobile route before and it would be a surprise if this generated more users.

Critics are already coming out of the woodwork to get their ‘2 cents’ in. They claim that there is a mismatch between the users of social networking sites who range between 18 and 34 years old and the mort affluent mobile subscribers with high end smartphones and unlimited data plans. This means that there is only a small percentage of Friendster, Myspace and the like users that actually get any benefit from the service.

The saying, ‘better late than never’ surely applies to Friendster today.

Identity fraud is big business and now hackers are tapping in to voice-over IP telephony accounts, say a VoIP equipment maker.

Newport Networks have found that Usernames and Passwords from voice-over IP (VoIP) phone accounts are selling online for more than stolen credit cards.

The information allows someone to use the telephone service for free but net telephony fraud is still at an early stage, with eavesdropping on calls being the most common form.

Dave Gladwin, vice president of products at Newport Networks thinks the move into stealing usernames and passwords which are routinely sent across the network when a call is made, is a worrying new trend

“It is still at an embryonic stage but as voice adoption increases it becomes more of a problem and needs addressing,” said Mr Gladwin.

The details are not sent as plain text but are encoded in such a way as to be “easily captured and un-obscured”, said Mr Gladwin.

You can, quite worryingly, buy credit card details easily online for around £6 ($12) but VoIP details come at a higher price – around £9 ($17), according to Mr Gladwin.

The problem not as large an issue for businesses which routinely offer voice-over IP services for their employees because users are tied into a secure corporate network, but for consumers, relying on public or unsecured home wi-fi networks, there is more of an issue.

“90% of carriers don’t offer a secure VoIP service,” said Mr Gladwin.

He estimated it would cost around £2/£3 per subscriber for service providers to instigate the additional level of security needed.

“Most of the software out there has the capability of running in secure mode if the service providers would accept it,” he said.

Jonathan Christensen, general manager of audio and video at Skype said, “It doesn’t matter whether I’m on an open wireless connection, there is no way someone could get hold of my username or password,” because Skype’s service, unlike some of its rivals, offers end to end encryption.

He accepts there are security issues facing the industry, especially for providers that use “less robust security mechanisms” but he questions how big a draw a free VoIP account would be for net criminals.

This is a view shared by Jupiter analyst Ian Fogg.

“I have not seen security issues with VoIP as a big issue. This is partly because such services aren’t that mainstream and therefore have not been targeted by criminals in the way that e-mail and online banking services have,” he said.