Eurobites: UK labor union lambasts Vodafone-Three merger

Unite, one of the UK's largest labor unions, has produced what it describes as an "extensive research dossier" setting out why it thinks the proposed merger of Vodafone and Three will be terrible news for consumers, leading to potential price hikes of around £300 (US$380) a year for the two companies' customers. In the dossier, Unite claims that evidence from around the world shows that the merger would probably lead to higher prices, citing the coming-together of Vodafone and CK Hutchison in Australia in 2020 which, says Unite, was followed by "sharp price rises and problems with service quality." The union also says that there is no evidence that such mergers lead to greater network investment, citing EU research which found that mergers often actually led to less investment. For all the promises of greater investment, what the proposed merger is really all about, says Unite, is higher profits and dividends for shareholders.

A UK parliamentary committee has slammed the government's record on tackling digital exclusion, with the committee's chair, Baroness Stowell of Beeston, commenting in a statement: "We have found a distinct lack of leadership in Government to tackle this issue. It is shocking that a digital inclusion strategy has not been produced since 2014 and the Government sees no need for a new one. It is vital we get a grip of this now." She added that although tackling digital exclusion "isn't as sexy as searching for the next tech unicorn … we can't compete as a global player without getting the basics right." According to UK government figures cited by the Communications and Digital Committee, 4 million people are still unable to complete a single basic digital task to get online, while 7 million households have no broadband or mobile Internet access.

The European Parliament and EU member states have reached a provisional agreement on the core elements of a new framework for a European digital identity (eID) scheme, which is intended to offer people and businesses a secure and trustworthy means of authentication by means of a personal "digital wallet" on a smartphone. The agreement clarifies, among other things, that the issuing of such wallets should be free of charge to EU citizens.

UK communications regulator Ofcom has launched an investigation into whether BT failed to comply with its regulatory obligations after country-wide disruption to emergency call services last weekend. BT manages the emergency 999 phone system. Ofcom's rules require BT and other providers to take "all necessary measures to ensure uninterrupted access" to emergency organizations as part of any call services offered.

OneWeb, the satellite broadband company jointly owned by the UK government and Bharti Global, has extended its services throughout Europe and part of the US. In Europe, 37 new countries have been added to the OneWeb footprint, Austria, Italy, France and Portugal among them. In the US, the entire western US coast from Washington to California, the northeast coast from Maine to Virginia, and across the Midwest is now covered.

UK converged operator Virgin Media O2 is switching on XGS-PON technology in its fiber network, offering symmetrical speeds of up to 10 Gbit/s. The technology will initially underpin VMO2's broadband services on its Nexfibre network, Nexfibre being the joint venture owned by Liberty Global, Telefónica and investment firm InfraVia Capital Partners.

Belgium's Proximus is launching its "Multigig" fiber technology throughout the country, offering download speeds of up to 8.5 Gbit/s for those with the deepest pockets.