The lapse of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) authority to auction spectrum has reached a one-year milestone, casting a shadow over the United States’ telecommunications landscape and its position on the global stage. This standstill not only reflects the pervasive partisanship and dysfunction within the US government but also threatens the country’s innovative edge and economic competitiveness.
Dish Network’s financial struggles have intensified, leading to the likelihood of not completing a significant spectrum purchase from T-Mobile US. The satellite TV provider, aspiring to expand into mobile networks, disclosed its precarious financial situation, hinting at potential challenges in continuing operations.
Mobile Experts released a report on the growth of Private LTE and 5G in sectors like offices and schools. EnGenius launches the EOC655 series for outdoor connectivity, designed for smart cities and public safety. UK Altnets have urged the government for harsh penalties against fibre infrastructure vandalism. Klika Tech won the 2024 IoT Global Awards in the “Smart Cities, Government & Utilities” category.
Scotland’s pureLiFi pioneers revealed latest advancements in delivering data via light at Mobile World Congress. Their new LiFi hotspot not only provides impressive broadband connectivity, but avoids congesting WiFi networks. The LINXC Bridge™ emerged as a trailblazing solution for indoor 5G connectivity, boasting 1Gbps speeds over 5G network.
In a significant move at the Mobile World Congress this year, Orange has taken a step further in its environmental initiatives by enhancing its partnership with Cisco. This collaboration is not new, as Orange Business has been distributing Cisco solutions for over two decades. However, the addition of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) brings a fresh focus on environmental transparency and the shared goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).
At MWC 2024, a pioneering agreement was drawn between Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison and Huawei, aiming to bolster AI’s transformative role in industry applications and skill enhancement. With AI driving industrial growth, both parties jointly commit to democratizing digitalization and nurturing shared cloud resources, fostering innovation and significant growth.
In an ambitious move to enhance mobile connectivity across Japan, Rakuten Mobile has announced its plan to offer satellite-to-mobile services by 2026, partnering with AST SpaceMobile. This initiative aims to leverage AST SpaceMobile’s space-based cellular broadband network, enabling direct access to smartphones for text messaging, voice, and data services.
VMO2 faced a substantial loss of £3.3 billion in 2023, worsened by a £3.1 billion goodwill impairment rooted in increased capital costs. While their debt soured under challenging economic conditions, they still managed to attract 64,000 new broadband and 47,000 mobile customers. Nevertheless, revenues witnessed a slight tumble as consumer fixed income dipped and the B2B sector lagged.
In a significant move to bolster innovation and development in mobile network technology, the US government, through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), has allocated $42.3 million to support research in Open RAN. This investment is part of a larger $1.5 billion Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund aimed at enhancing the Open RAN ecosystem. Leading the charge are telecom giants AT&T and Verizon, in collaboration with a consortium that includes notable academic institutions, industry manufacturers, and international telecom operators NTT DoCoMo from Japan and Reliance Jio from India.
Andrew Hollister, LogRhythm’s Chief Information Security Officer, highlights the ongoing struggle in cybersecurity: despite years of talk, the problem remains unsolved. Looking ahead to 2024, he points out challenges like the rise of generative AI and the need for better cloud security. He emphasizes that focusing on basics like strong passwords and regular updates is crucial for staying safe online.
