Explore a device that supports more focal lengths than ever before, including the 16mm, 24mm, 48mm and optical variable zoom from 85mm to 170mm.
However you see the world, set your imagination free with Xperia 1 VI.
#SonyXperia #ZoomIntoWonder
Source: Sony Xperia YouTube
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By Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer
A recent report from mobile network benchmarking specialist GWS revealed that the UK’s major mobile operators are hitting the ‘sweet spot’, with consumers satisfied with their everyday mobile network speeds ranging between 1-5Mbps.
Even more importantly, the report found that speed is not a key driver for people to move networks, with poor signal and blackspots ranking much higher than speed as a reason to change. This poses the question – has the industry focused too much on vanity metrics like speed, much to the detriment of customers across the country?
At Virgin Media O2, we are leaving the vanity metrics behind, listening to our customers, and focusing on becoming a true reliability champion. This means that the £2m a day that we are investing in our mobile network will all be focused on improving the customer experience where it matters most.
I wanted to use this opportunity to talk about some of our recent investments in our Mobile Network and what more we have to come.
Eliminating blackspots
We recently announced that we had hit a major milestone in the Shared Rural Network programme after upgrading or building 150 company-managed sites, providing residents, businesses, and visitors in rural communities with more reliable mobile coverage than ever before.
With so much of our modern life taking place online, rural communities deserve the same standard of mobile connectivity as those in urban areas, and we’re proud to be stepping up and playing our part. As outlined in the GWS report, blackspots are a significant driver when it comes to a poor customer experience, so we are doing all we can to eliminate them.
Optimising the inner-city experience
However, it isn’t just in rural areas where we are improving our network. We are still seeing double digit increases year-on-year in data traffic levels, which means network congestion can be a key concern for our customers. Our ongoing performance improvement programme is addressing this by targeting our most populous towns and cities across the UK. The cities on our target list in 2024 account for over a third of the total UK population and over 40% share of our mobile data traffic.
A key part of our strategy in these urban areas is the use of small cell technology. Technologies such as small cells help us increase network bandwidth, which allows us to keep up with customer demand and provide a reliable experience.
Connecting commuters
Last year we kicked off a programme aimed at improving the coverage along key motorways and rail routes. In 2023, we delivered significant upgrades along 800 miles of connecting routes, including major motorways such as the M25 and M1, as well as the Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads railway route.
We are continuing to build this further throughout 2024 and we have recently completed two major in-building upgrades at Fenchurch Street station and Manchester Piccadilly Station. These upgrades provide dedicated 4G and 5G coverage and will drastically improve the mobile experience of station users on the O2 network. We are the only operators to have a dedicated 5G inbuilding solution at any UK rail station and we are hoping to roll this out in more locations throughout the year.
Optimising Mobile Experience Through Automation
In our ongoing commitment to network performance, we are implementing advanced automation technologies across all layers of our mobile network. Through the deployment of self-organising network (SON) solutions, we are revolutionising our network operations and optimising performance through seamless traffic management in real-time. This strategic integration of automation not only enhances the reliability of our network but also elevates the overall customer experience to new heights.
Customer first, always
All of this investment and innovation is focused on one thing: the customer. At Virgin Media O2, we’re not swayed by vanity metrics. Speed? It’s just one piece of the experience puzzle, not our guiding star.
We’re diving deep into industry-leading metrics, getting up close and personal with the customer experience and prioritising changes that truly matter.
The post Leaving the vanity metrics behind and focusing on what matters: customer experience appeared first on Virgin Media O2.
Source: O2 Blog
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Some of the UK’s most exciting and innovative projects which tackle electronic waste and support digital inclusion are being awarded a share of £500,000 from Virgin Media O2 and Hubbub’s Time After Time fund.
Eight winning projects have been selected from more than 120 entries by a panel of judges including TV presenter and environmentalist George Clarke, non-profit, Material Focus, digital inclusion charity, Good Things Foundation, plus Hubbub and Virgin Media O2.
Grants of up to £100,000 will support initiatives across the country that give unwanted tech a second life and help communities in need get online. This includes schemes to rehome donated devices to refugees and people experiencing homelessness; to provide young people with skills to repair and refurbish broken phones and laptops to help them get jobs; and a far-reaching research report into addressing e-waste and supporting digital inclusion.
The Time After Time fund — now in its second year — was established in 2022 in response to the nation’s growing e-waste problem, with the UK producing more electrical waste per person than any other country in the world (except for Norway) 1.
It forms part of Virgin Media O2’s sustainability strategy, the Better Connections Plan, and is helping the company achieve its goals of supporting people to carry out 10 million ‘circular actions’ to tackle e-waste, and to connect 1 million digitally excluded people across the UK through free and affordable connectivity and services by the end of 2025.
Virgin Media O2 is also working to achieve zero waste operations and products by the end of 2025, and has removed 65 tonnes of single-use plastic since 2021 – the equivalent weight of five double-decker buses.
Dana Haidan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Virgin Media O2, said:
“The winners of this year’s Time After Time fund are an amazing set of innovative and inspiring projects led by talented people across the country, which share our vision of stopping unwanted tech going to landfill, where instead it can be rehomed with people who need it so they can get online.
“With Virgin Media O2 and Hubbub’s £500,000 funding, these brilliant initiatives will transform communities – providing devices, digital skills, support and training, that will enrich people’s lives, give tech a second life, and help protect the planet.”
George Clarke said:
“I was blown away by the incredible entries to the Time After Time fund, which made the judging process extremely difficult, yet so worthwhile.
“The winning projects will put old tech to good use so it can be used again and again, and help people in need to access the online world. Huge congratulations to the winners!”
Gavin Ellis, Co-Founder and Director at Hubbub said:
“There is an abundance of smart devices in households and businesses that have potential to help the estimated 1.5 million households are digitally disconnected get online. These projects will tackle digital exclusion through research, training and the redistribution of devices and continue to raise awareness about the issues of e-waste and digital inclusion.”
Introducing the winners of the Time After Time fund
The eight winning projects to receive grants from the Time After Time fund are:
Single Homeless Project – London
Single Homeless Project has been awarded a grant of £52,600 for a project providing tailored digital skills training and rehomed devices to people experiencing homelessness. The devices will help people to access essential online services such as applying for jobs, locating food banks, booking medical appointments, and contacting loved ones.
SOFEA – Oxfordshire
With a grant of £100,000, SOFEA will repair and upgrade second-hand smartphones, laptops, and tablets and provide them to disadvantaged young people across Oxfordshire, along with training to improve their skills to help them get into work.
Coventry City Council
Coventry City Council’s #CovConnects programme will use an £80,000 grant to run a device lending bank to distribute end-of-life council devices to people in need across the city, helping them to get online.
The devices will be powered by free O2 mobile data from the National Databank (set up by Virgin Media O2 and Good Things Foundation, and is like a foodbank but free O2 mobile data, text and calls), and the initiative will provide digital skills training, too. The University of Warwick will also carry out research into how circularity can address the climate crisis and support digital inclusion.
Green Alliance – nationwide
The Green Alliance’s grant of £70,000 will support the charity’s research project into redistributing e-waste to tackle digital exclusion and will create a series of policy recommendations for government.
Screen Share UK – nationwide
Screen Share UK’s £46,700 grant will fund a laptop repair skills training programme and provide refurbished devices to more than 500 refugees and asylum seekers across the UK. This will help them access essential online websites, such as booking medical appointments, accessing benefits, training and job opportunities, and to connect with loved ones.
Giroscope – Hull
Charity Giroscope has been awarded a grant of £59,000 to expand their project which rehomes refurbished donated computers, laptops, and smartphones with people in need across Hull, and provides skills and work experience for neurodivergent young people.
Power 2 Connect – London
Thanks to a £36,400 grant, Power 2 Connect will recycle, refurbish, and redistribute donated smartphones, laptops, and tablets to people who need them across Wandsworth. The charity will also hold digital skills training sessions to help people use their gifted devices.
The Making Rooms – Blackburn
The Making Room will use a £55,300 grant to run the Blackburn Repair Space project which will rehome hundreds of unwanted laptops with young people who are digitally excluded, and provide digital skills and laptop repair training sessions to help them get into work.
The post Virgin Media O2 and Hubbub’s Time After Time fund awards £500,000 to projects that give tech a second life and help people get online appeared first on Virgin Media O2.
Source: O2 Blog
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Art Hu loves solving puzzles, especially when it involves determining the best technology solution for Lenovo and its customers. As Global CIO and Chief Delivery and Technology Officer for Lenovo’s Solution and Services business, Art is an expert in understanding problems and identifying the right technology to solve them.
In his 15 years working at Lenovo, Art has served in leadership roles around the world – from Beijing to Seattle – providing him with a unique perspective and a deep passion for the globalization of technology. That passion propels Art in his work every day to help Lenovo “move the needle” and impact its customers across the globe.
To learn more about how Lenovo is fulfilling its vision of providing Smarter Technology for All, please visit https://lnv.gy/3QUUbUW
Source: Lenovo YouTube
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https://store.playstation.com/fr-fr/concept/10007452
Pre-order Tour de France 2024 now and receive two collector’s jersey kits for the new Criterium mode.
For the first time in Tour de France, you can compete against other players online and simultaneously in the new Criterium mode, playable with up to 6 players. In shorter races, from 30 to 50km, will you be able to pull out all the stops and raise your arms at the finish?
Tour de France 2024 will be available on June 6th, 2024, on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.
#ps5 #ps5games #ps4games #ps4 #tourdefrance
Source: Playstation YouTube
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Get this party started right with the XDefiant Preseason battle pass featuring 50 tiers of rewards, on top of the free track rewards, including a new weapon, unique skins, player animations and so much more! XDefiant Preseason starts on May 21st. Pre-load now at PlayStation Store.
#ps5 #ps5games
Source: Playstation YouTube
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