Businessweek

nal businesses. In the U.K., the company engages in local loop unbundling (LLU), which involves placing equipment in BT exchanges enabling the company to offer differentiated services to businesses and consumers. Mobile networks Sky Anytime on Mobile and Sky Mobile TV: Sky Anytime on Mobile is a mobile phone application that provides access to Sky Sports, Sky News, Sky1 and Sky Movies mobile content. This offers news and entertainment information on compatible mobile handsets. It also allows customers to access the 7-day TV guide. The application is available across all mobile networks to customers with a handset with mobile Internet access via GPRS or third generation cellular telephone systems (3G). In addition, customers on Vodafone, Orange, 3 or T-mobile mobile networks in the U.K. or the Vodafone network in Ireland and with a mobile handset can subscribe to ‘Sky Mobile TV’. Sky Mobile TV offers approximately 25 channels streamed direct to the customer’s mobile phone. The company also offers ‘24-7 Football’. This allows customers to watch football clips on a mobile handset. It is available on all mobile networks in the U.K. and certain Irish networks. Ireland The company has arrangements in place with UPC Communications Ireland Limited (UPC) for the re-transmission of certain of the Sky Channels, including Sky Basic and Sky Premium Channels, to their subscribers over the legacy networks of ntl Ireland and Chorus. UPC operates both analogue and digital cable services in Ireland. Significant Events Sky News Arabia went live on May 6, 2012 evening. The 24-hour Arabic channel is a joint venture between British Sky Broadcasting Group plc and Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corp. The service, which is also available online, on smartphones and tablets, is supported by 400 editorial staff across 12 bureaus. Competition The company competes with UPC Broadband (a division of Liberty Global Inc.); Kingston Communications in Kingston-upon-Hull; Tiscali; BBC Worldwide; ITV; Channel 4; Top Up TV; BT; Virgin Media; Orange; Carphone Warehouse; and O2. History British Sky Broadcasting Group plc was founded in 1988.