The UK Government’s newly established Critical Imports Council aims to lessen the disturbance of essential goods flow from unpredictable global supply chain disruptions. Business and Trade Minister, Alan Mak, highlights strengthening critical goods supply against real-world crises through collaborative efforts with industry experts. With representation from diverse sectors including telecommunications, the council will focus on assessing risks and creating robust mitigation strategies.
Global smartphone shipments saw a notable 7.8% year-over-year increase in the first quarter of 2024, according to data from IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. The total shipments for the quarter reached 89.4 million units, marking the third consecutive quarter of growth and indicating a solid recovery in the smartphone market.
Vodafone Idea, a struggling telecom operator in India, is set to embark on a significant equity fundraising effort to secure more than $2 billion. This move comes as the company faces mounting bills and aims to finance the rollout of its 5G network.
Vodafone Idea is initiating one of India’s largest follow-on public offerings, seeking to amass roughly $2.16 billion. Placing the firm under pressure is its struggle against a decreasing market share and encumbering debt, the result of fierce competition within India’s telecommunications industry. Despite currently being hindered by its financial situation to invest in network enhancements, expectations linger for the telecom’s debut of 5G services by year’s end.
China’s telecommunication landscape is set for a potential paradigm shift as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) pilots a novel scheme to alleviate foreign ownership constraints in various value-added telecom services. Primarily trialed in Beijing, Shanghai, Hainan, and Shenzhen, this bold change could stimulate innovation by aligning these industries with global trade norms.
Boldly setting a new trend, British mobile network operator EE introduces a direct ‘pounds and pence’ pricing structure allowing easy-to-understand mid-contract price alterations. Putting an end to the perplexing use of complex indices like CPI or RPI, this simplified approach, commencing from 31 March 2025, has announced certain monthly hikes that resonate with essential consumer electronics and services.
Salvador Technologies, a leading provider of cyber-recovery solutions, has gained substantial investment from European telecommunication giant Deutsche Telekom. The investment, by Deutsche’s hubraum Fund, aims to bolster emerging tech businesses, with Salvador planning to use the funding to advance its sales distribution, focusing on mitigating the impact of cyber-attacks.
AvaSure, a leader in virtual care solutions for hospitals, has introduced significant upgrades to its analytics portal, empowering healthcare providers with deeper insights into critical metrics. The enhanced AvaSure Analytics™ portal, now integrated with Microsoft PowerBI tools, enables robust analysis of virtual care program performance.
With a hefty $6.6 billion subsidy by the U.S. government, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) embarks on an unprecedented development in semiconductor industry. This boost is not only expected to foster job creation with an estimate of up to 6,000 high-tech positions but also promises to democratize access to advanced technologies.
Telcos worldwide are shifting their focus towards small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) as they navigate intensifying competition and changing economic conditions. This move comes as telcos recognize the potential of SMBs as drivers of economic growth and vital components of local business landscapes. GlobalData, a leading data and analysis company, highlights this strategic shift in a recent report.
