The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a lifeline for millions of low-income Americans struggling to afford internet access, has officially shut down. Despite bipartisan support, Congress failed to secure additional funding, leaving the future of the program uncertain.
Tech giant Microsoft is supercharging Sweden’s leap into the future with a hefty $3.2 billion investment. This two-year commitment will focus on expanding the company’s cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities within the country.
A consortium comprising two Japanese banks, mobile operator NTT DOCOMO, and Space Compass Corporation has committed $100 million to HAPS developer AALTO. This substantial investment aims to support AALTO’s industrial and commercial roadmap, targeting a commercial launch of its services by 2026.
Last month, AST SpaceMobile secured a partnership with Verizon to leverage its upcoming satellite network for comprehensive connectivity across the U.S. Since then, the company’s value has surged, with its share price climbing 70%, marking its highest level since November 2022.
TPx, a prominent managed services provider in the United States, has unveiled a new Dark Web Monitoring service, powered by Breach Secure Now, aimed at strengthening businesses’ cybersecurity defenses and enabling swift responses to potential threats.
Nokia and Vodafone have completed a successful end-to-end Open RAN trial on Vodafone Italy’s live 5G standalone network. This trial utilized Nokia’s AirScale Massive MIMO radios and baseband software on Dell PowerEdge XR8000 servers and Red Hat OpenShift, a hybrid cloud platform powered by Kubernetes, connected to Nokia’s standalone 5G core. Additionally, Nokia’s MantaRay Networks Management system was used to enhance network monitoring and management. This trial showcases the maturity of Nokia’s anyRAN approach, providing mobile operators and enterprises with greater network-building flexibility. Nokia’s support for Open Fronthaul features, integrated with its high-performance RAN software, ensures performance consistency with existing RAN. Nokia has collaborated with five open radio unit suppliers, demonstrating the openness and high performance of its AirScale O-RAN DU/CU. This solution offers operators enhanced flexibility, efficiency, and scalability. By integrating with Red Hat OpenShift, service providers can scale their 5G networks and introduce new services quickly. Vodafone aims…
OpenAI has unveiled a deepfake detector specifically designed to identify content generated by its image creator, DALL-E. Initially, this tool will be available to a select group of disinformation researchers for practical testing. In the ever-evolving realm of cybersecurity, technologies like AI-driven deepfake detection, real-time monitoring, and advanced data analytics are reshaping digital security and authenticity. These innovations, often led by startups, are significantly improving the identification of manipulated content, thereby fostering more secure digital environments, according to GlobalData, a prominent data and analytics firm. Vaibhav Gundre, Project Manager for Disruptive Tech at GlobalData, highlighted the growing sophistication of AI-generated deepfakes, which pose substantial risks to individuals, businesses, and society. He noted that advanced detection methods, powered by machine learning, are increasingly effective in identifying and flagging manipulated content. These tools employ techniques such as analyzing biological signals and leveraging powerful algorithms to defend against the misuse of deepfakes for…
Orange has announced the merger of Orange Romania and Orange Romania Communications (OROC), creating a fully integrated telecom operator in the region. This unification combines their mobile and fixed broadband services. In 2021, Orange acquired a 54% stake in OROC, then known as Telekom Romania Communications, and quickly began integrating their operations, including joint commercial offerings and unified customer service channels. The Romanian government approved the full merger last year, allowing Orange to consolidate its control over OROC. Post-merger, Orange Group will own 80% of the combined entity, with the Romanian Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization retaining a 20% share. Mari-Noëlle Jégo-Laveissière, Executive Vice President and CEO of Orange Europe, emphasized the significance of the merger, stating it is a major milestone for Orange, facilitating the delivery of top-tier mobile and fiber services. She expressed gratitude to the teams involved in the transaction and conveyed her best wishes to…
The sale of Vodafone Spain to Zegona Communications has been finalized following approval from Spanish regulators. This landmark deal, valued at €5 billion, includes €4.1 billion in cash and €0.9 billion in redeemable preference shares. Initially announced last October, the transaction received regulatory approval earlier this month. Zegona hailed the deal as the “largest ever reverse takeover.”
A new high-capacity data backbone spanning the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and Norway promises increased capacity and redundancy. XL Axiata and Ericsson team up to integrate 4G and 5G services into a cloud-based network. AppDirect introduces AppDirect AI, a secure marketplace allowing users to create AI apps without coding. Cynomi expands its vCISO services to European MSPs and MSSPs, prioritizing data localization.
