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The global organization representing the interests of mobile network operators, GSMA, has called for European governments to “safeguard network security and competition” in the telecommunications infrastructure industry. The association has issued a warning to Europe to refrain from activities that would obstruct the use of certain equipment necessary for 5G mobile network development. According to the GSMA, “Actions that disrupt the equipment supply for the various segments of the network (access, transport and core) will increase costs to European operators, businesses and citizens; delay 5G deployment by years across Europe and potentially also jeopardise the functioning of existing 4G networks upon which 5G is intended to be built.” Although no specific company names are mentioned in the statement, the GSMA initiative highlights the industry’s significant endeavor to prevent the application of additional sanctions, similar to those announced by the United States and Australian governments on Chinese vendors Huawei…

The National Data Protection Commission (CNIL), France’s data protection office, has imposed a fine of €50 million against Google LLC for breaching the European Union online data privacy rules. This is the first major case where a fine is being imposed under the EU’s stringent General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that came into force last year. The French watchdog found the US search engine giant guilty of “lack of transparency, inadequate information, and lack of valid consent regarding ad personalisation.” This case stems from concerns that were raised over Google’s applied methods of collecting data, and the lack of clear options provided for the users to consent to personalised ads. “The general structure of the information chosen by the company does not enable [it] to comply with the Regulation,” read a CNIL statement. “Essential information, such as the data processing purposes, the data storage periods or the categories…

To improve emergency services and to better locate callers, The European Commission has approved a regulation that will require new smartphones to include satellite and Wi-Fi location. The integrated chipset with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) must deliver access to the EU’s satellite system Galileo, which provides accurate positioning and timing information. Currently, most emergency services are faced with the challenge of only being able to locate troubled mobile callers within an area of several kilometers. However, the proposed use of satellite and Wi-Fi systems will enable 112 emergency number callers to be located within a range of less than 100 meters. Galileo-enabled devices receive signals for positioning, navigation and timing. This satellite system has been servicing around 400 million users, and this summer the system was supplemented by four more satellites, which were successfully launched from the European spaceport. Every additional satellite steadily improves Galileo’s performance, and,…

In compliance with Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which came into force earlier this year, Google is updating its Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The company has started to notify European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss users about the changes coming into effect on January 22, 2019. Google Ireland Limited, based in Dublin, will become the center responsible for consumer services, such as Search, Gmail, and Maps. The alterations to Google’s general Terms of Service are due to the replacement of the current service provider, Google LLC, based in the US. Similar changes are also being made in separate terms for Drive, Play, YouTube, and YouTube Paid Service. Furthermore, the Irish subsidiary will take over the responsibility for data control, and assume the legal liability for the information of EEA and Swiss users. “Google Ireland Limited becomes responsible for responding to requests for its user data, including from EU law…

The global telecom giants are increasingly acknowledging the benefits of blockchain technology.  Telefonica, a Spanish multinational telecommunications company, has signed a partnership with IBM, a leader in open-source blockchain solutions, to employ IBM blockchain technology for superior administration of international call traffic. Telefonica expects that the usage of the cloud-based IBM Blockchain Platform will help to improve the traceability of international call data, such as the origin of the call, its destination and duration. They will be able to detect fraud and address other challenges caused by the use of different networks and operators when routing international calls. Operators will have permissioned access to a decentralized platform, and perform real-time tracing of calls to achieve accurate billing processes. “This project is one of our first initiatives to secure real benefits from the adoption of blockchain in our core business. We believe that the new paradigm of process decentralization…

On Monday 24th September, Apple announced that it has finally completed the acquisition of Shazam, an application that helps users identify songs, TV shows, commercials and movies. The takeover of one of the highest rating music apps by the technology giant is said to be valued at 400 million US dollars. “Apple and Shazam have a long history together. Shazam was one of the first apps available when we launched the App Store and has become a favorite app for music fans everywhere. With a shared love of music and innovation, we are thrilled to bring our teams together to provide users even more great ways to discover, experience and enjoy music,” commented the vice president of Apple Music, Oliver Schusser. The application has already been downloaded more than 1 billion times, and remains one of the most popular places to interact with peers by discovering and sharing favorite songs,…

Nokia has signed an agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) for a loan of 500 million Euros (572 million US dollars) to accelerate the development of cutting edge 5G technology. This loan, supported by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), will present opportunities for the Finnish telecom equipment manufacturer to invest in the research, development and innovation of the soon-to-be telecommunication standard technology, thereby expanding the market and displaying the potential of 5G in Europe. “We have to understand that China and the US have moved fast with the 5G. It is very important to have European companies going in for this competition,” commented the EIB vice president Alexander Stubb in the online Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. While the specific uses for the funds have not yet been identified, it is clear that Nokia’s end-to-end network will greatly benefit from this loan by ensuring the connectivity and reliability…

The global telecommunications solutions provider ZTE and the mobile operator Hutchinson Drei Austria announced another strategic step to expand their partnership in preparation for the 5G rollout in Austria. The cooperation between mobile operators and telecommunications equipment providers is fundamental for the implementation of this cutting-edge technology, and a Joint Innovation Lab initiative was launched to develop, test and optimize the latest 5G technology solutions. The ten-year partnership between ZTE Austria and Hutchinson Drei Austria has already shown great results in upgrading the network for higher quality standards and service improvements, as demonstrated in the most recent Pre-5G trials in Austria. “The first result of the joint innovation initiative was the successful evaluation of the Pre-5G technology, which enabled us to create a commercial Pre-5G in Vienna already at the beginning of this year. This move was a breakthrough in the European telecoms market, which made Austria a true 5G…

After the successful release of its flagship P20 series, the Chinese equipment manufacturer Huawei is set to overtake Apple as the second largest global smartphone vendor in 2018. As of July, Huawei had already shipped 100 million devices, and is on track to ship a total of 200 million devices by the end of the year, notably exceeding the number of 153 million of their smartphones shipped in 2017. Huawei, one of the world’s leading network equipment manufacturers, entered the smartphone race quite recently, and is aggressively competing with Samsung and Apple. However, the company has already managed to grow their smartphone business by 51 times since 2010, which is a sound proof of Huawei’s exponential expansion and its dominant position in the market. In addition to being the number three smartphone manufacturer globally, Huawei also holds the top position in China and is now focused on expanding their sales…

The Irish government announced the signing with Apple of an agreement allowing the payment, in a blocked account, of 13 billion euros tax benefits deemed undue by the European Union.  In August 2017, the EU commission said a sweetheart deal devised by the Irish government had allowed Apple to pay tax of just 0.005% in 2014 and an average rate of 1% over many years. Brussels estimates that the US company has paid too little tax in Ireland because of a tax agreement with the country’s authorities, which would have allowed the Government to tax only a tiny part of the billions earned by Apple in Europe. Ireland is home to the European headquarters of Apple, which records all the profits made in this geographical area as well as in Africa, the Middle East and India. The 13 billion euros should be transferred to the blocked account by the end of the…