Messaging apps urge UK government to rethink online safety bill The heads of messaging apps including WhatsApp and Signal have written an open letter urging the UK government to reconsider its proposed internet law. The Online Safety Bill, which is presently being debated in the House of Lords, would provide the government with broad powers of censorship over all digital speech and information. The letter says that the measure might damage end-to-end encryption, allow indiscriminate monitoring, and fundamentally destroy communication security. The top executives of the firms say that there can be no “British internet,” and that the measure should be revised to encourage more privacy and security. Read the full article. AT&T to be the exclusive mobile carrier for US MVNOs The US National Content & Technology Cooperative (NCTC) has signed a deal with AT&T making it the exclusive mobile carrier for almost 700 small and mid-sized independent cable…
A historic milestone for the Canadian telecommunications sector was realized as Rogers Communications Inc. announced it had successfully concluded its merger with Shaw Communications Inc. The merger unites two famous Canadian companies that have been connecting Canadians for over five decades. The merger creates a coast-to-coast nationwide company which has fiber-powered internet that is accessible to nearly 70% of Canadian households. The newly combined company plans to bundle more products and services, including internet, television, phone, smart home monitoring, wireless services, credit card offers and sports and media content. In the next five years, the company intends to spend billions of dollars to offer fast, reliable networks in additional towns across Western Canada. Rogers will invest $1 billion in the four Western provinces to link rural, remote and Indigenous communities, as well as unserved distant routes. The business also intends to invest $2.5 billion to expand and strengthen…
BT partners with Kyndryl for cloud migration of legacy mainframe apps BT has collaborated with Kyndryl to migrate its mainframe applications that underpin its legacy copper business and broadband cloud offerings. BT Digital, the division in charge of the company’s digital transformation, estimates that by 2026, the transfer will have reduced mainframe operational costs and energy usage by 70%. This will result in estimated annual savings of $23 million. The company’s cloud move will allow it to serve a smaller number of clients who still utilize their copper network and will enable BT to extract more value from the data housed in its older applications. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/5t48r8hj Orange and Telenet wholesale deal gives hope of VOO acquisition approval Orange had planned to buy a 75% share in the Belgian operator VOO in 2021, but the company struggled to persuade authorities that the transaction would not hurt competition. A…
Juniper Networks, a supplier of secure, AI-driven networks, announced that Virgin Media O2, one of the UK’s major fixed and mobile service providers, has updated its IP core backbone network in conjunction with Juniper. The upgraded network can accommodate 800G and is part of Virgin Media O2’s long-term strategy to invest in sustainable infrastructure capable of supporting continuous data growth and bandwidth needs. This investment will allow the company to quickly launch revenue-generating services while also lowering power, cooling and space usage expenses. In order to implement this strategic update, Virgin Media O2 selected Juniper as its technology partner for a number of reasons. Prior to their joint venture in 2021, Virgin Media and O2 had used Juniper for more than 10 years as their primary networking provider. Additionally, Juniper was able to provide Virgin Media O2 with a compelling economic proposition by protecting their long-term investment. This…
Amazon Web Services awarded $724M cloud contract The US Navy has issued a single contract to Amazon Web Services (AWS) potentially worth $723.9 million. Under a five-year enterprise software license (ESL) agreement, AWS will provide the Department of the Navy access to AWS’ commercial cloud environment, including training, certification courses and professional services from the cloud provider. The ESL includes work to be performed from December 2022 through to December 2028. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/5ynmx3at Infovista unveils its 360° Assurance solution for VoLTE and VoNR Infovista, a global leader in network lifecycle automation, has introduced its 360° Assurance for VoLTE/VoNR solution. This advancement will equip mobile voice service providers with a comprehensive, end-to-end solution to ensure a better customer experience when using voice services. Infovista’s 360° Assurance for VoLTE/VoNR solution is designed to address specific problems that service providers face when assuring VoLTE and VoNR services, including detecting and resolving one-way…
Apelby chooses Linxa for its international voice business transformation Apelby Communications has chosen the Linxa Connect, a completely integrated, end-to-end telecom management solution, to revolutionize its global voice business. This platform supports and automates voice wholesale operations in a seamless manner, including rate management, routing, quality control, deal administration, billing, dispute resolution, fraud detection and real-time reporting. High levels of automation, agility and efficiency are offered by the solution, enabling Apelby to re-engineer and improve its business processes. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/yc7kjfwk Intrado Corporation releases a wearable 911 safety device Intrado has unveiled a wearable safety gadget with a programmable panic button. The badge-sized gadget is a component of Intrado’s Safety Suite Solution, an all-inclusive incident management platform for K–12 schools, institutes of higher education, and organizations of all sizes. Upon user activation, Intrado Safety Suite immediately notifies administrators and personnel and sends the device location and event specifics to…
Nokia has launched an app store geared towards mobile network operators in need of automation, as well as those who can provide such services. This initiative is intended to provide the industry with flexibility as networks grow, creating an excellent method for third-party developers to get in front of operators at a time when software-defined networking capabilities are scarce. The Altiplano Application Marketplace, which will provide both Nokia and third-party applications, is named after Nokia’s groundbreaking broadband network controller suite. Seven apps were initially made accessible at launch, but it’s anticipated that this number will increase during the next year as more developers join the platform. The systems are set up according to the Network Support, Network Insights and Network Automation categories. Network Support applications will be used by operators to maintain, troubleshoot and secure fixed networks through proactive monitoring, performance analysis and issue management. Network…
Vodafone and CK Hutchison are in negotiations to merge their companies in the United Kingdom in order to establish a market-leading mobile network that may advance the roll-out of 5G services and boost Internet accessibility. Combining Vodafone UK with Hutchison’s Three, Britain’s third and fourth largest networks, would result in a company with around 27 million mobile subscribers. Vodafone stated that CK Hutchison would hold 49% of the business and Vodafone would own 51%, an arrangement that would be accomplished by altering debt ownership rather than by trading cash. Reports of a possible partnership between the two companies surfaced earlier this year. The global corporation CK Hutchison stated that no legally binding agreement for such a merger has been entered into, but the proposed acquisition is expected to require that both businesses would integrate their UK companies. CK Hutchison further said that there is no guarantee that any…
Following a period of public debate, the UK government has decided on new security requirements for telecom providers. It now intends to introduce the Electronic Communications (Security) Measures Regulations 2022 and an accompanying Telecommunications Security Code of Practice to Parliament before the regulations take effect. The new rules seek to better secure UK telecoms networks from cyberattacks. Once in effect, telecoms businesses will be expected to follow tight standards around network failure or the theft of sensitive data, with the regulatory agency Ofcom receiving additional powers to verify providers are adopting suitable and proportional security measures. The government declared that the new telecommunications security legislation, designed in collaboration with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), will be among the toughest in the world and will provide the UK with much stronger measures. They will strengthen the UK’s cyber resilience by incorporating strong security practices into providers’ long-term investment…
T-Mobile is collaborating with SpaceX to expand its network coverage. Last week, the two businesses announced that they will collaborate to provide extensive cellular access, including full coverage in most parts of the United States. The collaboration seeks to beam down connectivity using SpaceX’s fleet of low Earth orbit satellites for the benefit of T-Mobile customers. With this initiative, T-Mobile consumers should be able to connect to the SpaceX satellites through a new network, transmitted from Starlink’s satellites utilizing T-Mobile’s midband spectrum across the country. SpaceX currently provides home internet access globally through its Starlink program. Even though T-Mobile hasn’t yet provided details on the network’s deployment, the company claims that this collaboration should provide nearly complete coverage almost anywhere in the US. The two companies intend to provide this service in order to replace the use of satellite phones in off-the-grid locations such as national parks or…