Telstra gets giggy with it, offers 200GB of free OneDrive storage

As of today, eligible Telstra customers have the option of redeeming 200GB worth of Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage for the low price of absolutely free.

The offer is open to all Telstra Mobile and Broadband customers, though you will need a Microsoft Account to link it to.

To redeem your gigs, simply visit Telstra’s OneDrive page while logged into your Telstra account and hit the redeem button to initiate the process.

It’s worth noting that the storage will only remain free for Telstra customers for two years, after which you will likely need to upgrade to a paid Microsoft Office 365 subscription.

• How to use Microsoft OneDrive

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Government must do better – UK should have 10Gbps fibre by 2030

Big cheeses from the business world have berated the government for its lack of ambition when it comes to developing broadband in the UK, saying that the Tories should be aiming "a thousand times higher" when it comes to superfast – or rather, ultrafast – speeds.

A new report from the Institute of Directors (IoD), entitled 'Ultrafast Britain', says never mind the current target of 10Mbps across the UK by 2020, the government should be aiming for no less than 10Gbps connections for businesses and homes alike by 2030.

The IoD notes that while the UK has the leading internet economy in the G20, download speeds are "mediocre" and fibre coverage is "woeful".

Dan Lewis, author of the report and Senior Advisor on Infrastructure Policy at the IoD, commented: "Now is the time to set a bold new target for genuinely world-beating broadband … The demand for data is growing exceptionally fast, and with Virtual Reality and the Internet of Things just around the corner, about to grow even faster. But our network is behind the curve. Unfortunately, the Government's current target displays a distinct poverty of ambition."

Lewis argues that politicians shouldn't be spending money over and over on incremental upgrades to the copper (phone line) network, but rather should be reassessing the entire broadband infrastructure, looking to future-proof it and vastly increase the number of FTTP connections in the UK (fibre piped directly to the premises, in other words, a full fibre connection all the way which offers massively increased speeds).

Steps and ladders...

10Gbps in just under 15 years is a hell of a lofty aim, though. The IoD admits it would be a "step-change" in the current philosophy and goals (more like a ladder-change, in all honesty), and the cost of such connections would be an issue (arms and legs probably wouldn't cover it – some internal organs might have to be thrown in for good measure, too).

However, the organisation also observed that just after the turn of the millennium, consumers were prepared to pay the same amount they do now for an internet connection which was over 50 times slower (0.5Mbps compared to today's UK average of 28Mbps).

The IoD also included a survey with the report, which found that unsurprisingly a vast majority (78%) of the directors questioned felt that "significantly faster broadband" would increase their firm's productivity levels.

60% believed this would make their business more competitive, and 51% said fast internet would mean they could offer more flexible working to employees (i.e. being able to work from home or on the go).

Last week, Ofcom twisted BT's arm in terms of making it easier for competitors to lay their own cables using Openreach's infrastructure, and the IoD also commented on this.

The move was called a positive step forward, but at the same time Lewis warned: "But BT Group will still be able extract value from competitors paying to use Openreach's network, so Ofcom must keep a watchful eye on the situation, and consider asking the Competition and Markets Authority to do a full market review if they don't see significant improvements."

Ofcom stopped short of recommending that Openreach should be split off entirely from BT, which would have been an even better prospect for rival service providers.

• Is your broadband 'deal' really that great? New research suggests otherwise

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In Depth: Oscar nominations 2016: 9 movies you can watch on Netflix, Amazon and Now TV

Oscar nominations 2016: movies to watch

The 88th Academy Awards are happening this weekend, which means we once more see the acting elite put on their best frocks and fakest smiles for the biggest back-slapping ceremony the movie world has to offer.

One problem with the Oscars, especially in the UK, is that a lot of the films that are nominated are only just hitting cinemas, so trying to catch them all is going to be bad news for your bank balance.

Thankfully this year there are a number of Oscar-nominated that are available to watch right now in the comfort of your own home on a contract-free streaming service.

So, for about the same money as a cinema ticket, you can catch up on the following nine Oscar-nominated movies before Sunday evening and still have a month of movies and TV watching ahead of you. Bonus!

The following movies are all available now from either Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video or Now TV - and they all have been nominated in one way or another.

• Here are the best TV shows you can watch on the big three streaming services.

The Look of Silence

Nominated for: Best Documentary (Feature)

Stream it now on: Netflix

A follow-up to the superb The Act Of Killing, this documentary sees optometrist Adi traveling around Indonesia performing eye tests on those who helped with mass slaughter in the 1960s.

Although it it is more straightforward than Killing - which is one of the most surreal cinematic experiences anyone can have - it is no less devastating to watch.

What Happened, Miss Simone?

Nominated for: Best Documentary (Feature)

Stream it now on: Netflix

This powerful documentary is funded by Netflix and tells the sometimes harrowing tale of Nina Simone - a recording artist whose life and music was steeped in melancholy. The film intersperses archival footage with up-to-date interviews with Simone's close family and friends. Even if you are unaware of Simone's fantastic music and voice, this is a must-watch and shows an amazing talent at a time when the US was going through significant and wide-reaching change.

Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight For Freedom

Nominated for: Best Documentary (Feature)

Stream it now on: Netflix

Netflix has been nominated once again in the Best Documentary category for this thought-provoking look at, as the title states, Ukraine's recent fight for freedom. Already a darling on the festival circuit the doc is shot from the point of view of protestors whose numbers grow when tension between pro-European Ukrainians, the police and government builds. Given it's a documentary about events that are still raw, this is real-life filmmaking at its most daring.

Shaun The Sheep The Movie

Nominated for: Best Animated Feature

Stream it now on: Amazon Prime Instant Video

While it looks like the might of Pixar and Disney may win the Best Animation Feature thanks to the superb Inside Out, this doesn't mean that the Shaun the Sheep movie is any less fun. Created by Bristol-based animators Aardman, The Shaun The Sheep Movie is a delightful big-screen spin on a character that started off as bit part in a Wallace and Gromit short.

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window...

Nominated for: Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Stream it now on: Amazon Prime Instant Video

Based on the fun and immensely popular book of the same name, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared works surprisingly well as a movie, given the book has more famous cameos in it than Forest Gump. One of the reasons for the film's success is its makeup and styling - the reason it's nominated for an Oscar. The lead character celebrating a century on Earth is played by Robert Gustafsson - an actor half his age.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Visual Effects, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design

Stream it now on: Now TV

Mad Max: Fury Road has been nominated for - count 'em - 10 awards and we reckon it deserves every single one. Director George Miller has made a glorious, grizzled throwback of a film that is visually amazing and offers up plenty of gut punches in the action department, too. You won't find a better mix of violence, cars and adrenaline since, well, that incident that got Jeremy Clarkson sacked from Top Gear. Superb stuff.

Ex Machina

Nominated for: Best Visual Effects

Stream it now on: Now TV

Alex Garland cut his teeth first as a successful novelist with the Beach, then as scriptwriter for a number of Danny Boyle films. His debut, Ex Machina, is a brilliant slice of thoughtful sci-fi that asks many pertinent questions about the future of AI and the repercussions it may well bring. We reckon it should have been nominated for many more awards, but it's nice to see it get a Best Visual Effects shout.

Cinderella

Nominated for: Best Costume Design

Stream it now on: Now TV

It shouldn't have worked but Cinderella is a joy of a movie, thanks to the astute direction of Kenneth Branagh and performance from soon-to-be-megastar Lily James. The Disney animated movie way well be better but the costume design of this film is fantastic and well worth an Oscar nod. We're expecting The Jungle Book to get an Oscar nod for visual effects next year.

Fifty Shades of Grey

Nominated for: Best Music (Original Song)

Stream it now on: Now TV

No one at techradar will actually admit to watching or reading 50 Shades Of Grey, so we can't give you much of a synopsis - other than it is about a man, a woman, some interesting objects and something to do with a red room. What we can tell you, though, is that The Weeknd song that's been nominated for an Oscar is actually pretty good. We are glad the movie actually has a music soundtrack, otherwise all you would hear are the groans and moans from the lead actors and, by all accounts, the bored audience that actually sat down to watch the movie.

• Best Amazon Prime Instant Video shows
• Best Netflix TV shows
• Best NOW TV shows

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Exclusive: Netflix execs 'surprised' that streaming service is not on Sky Q

Netflix executives have told techradar they are "surprised" that the streaming service is not included in the new premium Sky Q offering from one of Britain's leading broadcasters.

The lack of access to Amazon Prime Video and Netflix on the otherwise cutting-edge Sky Q has been a constant refrain from journalists, with Sky insistent that it would never say never.

But Netflix are happy to talk about the issue publicly, with VP and Head of Communications Joris Evers and Chris Jaffe - global VP for product development were open with their thoughts.

"We're surprised we're not on Q," said Jaffe, a sentiment echoed by Evers: "We think that, as a premium content channel, we offer exclusive content and films that you simply cannot see elsewhere so we honestly believe that we are complementary.

"We would be happy to be on Sky Q."

Of course, Netflix's stance is not quite as straightforward as the sentiment suggests. Sky has already outlined that it is happy to embrace 'web' content [Telegraph - paywall] but says it wants that content to exist within its own user interface.

This is not a new problem, and platforms have had longstanding issues with the likes of the BBC insisting it should control the way iPlayer looks and feels.

Netflix is rightly proud of its user interface, but Sky's stance is understandable and it cannot be blamed for trying to maintain the integrity of its new look and feel for Sky Q.

The obvious issue here, of course, is that it is the users that suffer. Those Sky Q customers who have Amazon Prime Video or Netflix will still have to use another method of getting the service onto their TVs - adding a convenience barrier to their viewing despite owning a cutting-edge set top box.

This isn't a discussion that's likely to see an immediate resolution, but there is still hope that a middle ground can be found.

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BT told to open up its broadband network - so you can have better internet

Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, has published a report calling for BT to let rivals use its infrastructure to build their own networks.

The watchdog said BT should do this in order for the UK to "keep up with everyone's expectations" of their phones and broadband by ensuring they get the best reliability and speed.

Ofcom Chief Executive Sharon White said she was "concerned" about a digital divide between people around the country who are able to get decent broadband service and those who are not.

BT's broadband infrastructure is owned by its Openreach division which, Ofcom says, should from now on be run at a distance from BT. However Ofcom did not recommend splitting off Openreach entirely, which would have been better news for rivals such as Sky.

'Automatic compensation'

Nonetheless, Ofcom's decision would make it easier for rivals to lay their own cables using Openreach's infrastructure.

It also says it intends to introduce tougher rules on faults, repairs and installations, as well as more transparent information on quality. Additionally there will be stricter rules on automatic compensation for customers when faults arise.

BT Chief Exec Gavin Patterson responded to Ofcom's recommendation, stating that BT "welcomes" rivals to use the infrastructure, so long as they invest.

"We are happy to let other companies use our ducts and poles if they are genuinely keen to invest very large sums as we have done," he said. "Our ducts and poles have been open to competitors since 2009 but there has been little very interest to date. We will see if that now changes."

Ofcom said it is working with the government to deliver a "universal right" to fast and affordable broadband in every UK home and business.

Ofcom added that it reserved the right to demand a full Openreach spin-off in the future should it feel it necessary to do so.

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