Cellcom and Voipfuture expanding their cooperation In addition to the currently provided monitored business voice services, Voipfuture, a supplier of a unique carrier-grade, dual-visibility voice service quality monitoring and analytics solution, stated that it has completed the deployment of its Qrystal monitoring system in Cellcom’s IMS core. Since 2018, Cellcom has been using Qrystal to monitor enterprise customer voice services and the organization will now use Qrystal to ensure voice quality for both individual and business users. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/5b2zt6jf Curious Thing to scale its solution with Vonage Curious Thing, an Australian voice-based conversational AI provider, is adopting the Vonage Communication Platform to grow its products and improve customer experiences. This will be achieved through automated and AI-enabled proactive client interaction according to Vonage, a worldwide supplier of cloud communications. Curious Thing users may now connect at scale, across regions and channels, using a mix of Curious Thing and…
Following an internal reorganization, Telecom Italia (TIM) has signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with the state investment bank Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) to begin talks on a possible merger of its fixed network with the state-backed company Open Fiber. This initiative is aimed at reviving a long-standing goal to establish a single fiber network company in Italy. The notion of combining the networks of the two businesses to create a single national broadband network for Italy has been discussed for at least two years. The government-owned CDP, which has a 60% investment in Open Fiber and a 10% stake in TIM, has long advocated for such an alliance . The government has determined that establishing a unified network will allow for a faster rollout of fiber technology, avoiding an overbuild and maximizing the use of European recovery funding. The decision comes as TIM CEO Pietro Labriola pushes…
BT putting its digital voice service rollout on halt Last year, BT began rolling out Digital Voice, which is a VoIP solution that works over the company’s broadband network rather than the old analogue network, as the name implies. This service is an essential improvement, as BT points out, to replace analogue technology, which is rapidly becoming outmoded. The operator is, however, delaying the Digital Voice switchover for consumers who do not wish to switch right away. BT did not specify how long the halt will occur, nonetheless, it is confident that the switchover will take place soon. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/mt23py8u DigitalBridge enters into mobile infrastructure deal with Telenet Telenet has agreed to sell all of its mobile telecommunications towers in Belgium to DigitalBridge, a US-based real estate investment trust and a subsidiary of the DigitalBridge Group. The investment firm has agreed to pay $820 million for Telenet’s 3,322…
DT and Vodafone to tackle areas of Germany with no 4G coverage Deutsche Telekom (DT) and Vodafone Germany have announced further advancements in their efforts to close 4G coverage gaps in distant or rural parts of Germany where consumers are serviced by only one mobile network operator (MNO) or no operator at all. Over the last several years, the two operators have worked to increase coverage in 3,000 to 4,000 so-called 4G gray spots, which are commonly described as places where only one MNO can provide service. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/yndfwnvb Spectralink launches DECT devices with Microsoft Teams SIP Gateway Spectralink, a global workplace mobility solutions supplier, has announced the availability of DECT devices that are compatible with the Microsoft Teams SIP Gateway. Company-critical deskless workers, who must travel to a remote site in order to carry out their duties, are very much relied upon by enterprise companies such as…
Nokia labeled one of the world’s most ethical companies Nokia has been named one of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies®” for the fifth year in a row by the Ethisphere Institute. In 2022, 136 recipients from 22 countries and 45 sectors were honored. Nokia is one of five telecoms industry winners, and the only Finnish business to receive recognition. Nokia’s superior governance, as well as its dedication to best-in-class sustainability, corporate ethics, compliance and governance standards, has earned the company this honor. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/4ab8c253 NTT partners with Schneider Electric to test private 5G network NTT and Schneider Electric’s latest collaboration will build on their current relationship to create a secure and on-premises end-to-end digital platform that will allow various sectors to benefit from private 5G services. The private 5G network is projected to support equipment availability, machine performance and product quality solutions. The project will also provide a…
Orange and MasMovil in talks about joint venture Orange and MasMovil have stated that they are in talks to launch a 50:50 joint venture (JV) in Spain. Orange’s Spanish subsidiary is valued at €8.1 billion, while MasMovil is valued at €11.5 billion, for a total enterprise value of €19.6 billion. The merged operator would include around 7.1 million fixed line customers and 20.2 million mobile users, with a combined FTTH network of approximately 16 million residences. The operators claim that the combination would result in a slew of meaningful synergies of more than €450 million within three years of the merger closing. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y5d9h3y7 Google acquires Mandiant to boost its cloud offering In a move aimed at bolstering the capabilities of its Google Cloud platform, Google has agreed to pay $5.4 billion for the cybersecurity firm Mandiant. To address harmful information and software vulnerabilities, Google Cloud currently offers…
Telefonica partners with Meta A new agreement between Meta and Telefonica has been inked to create a Metaverse Innovation Hub in Madrid. Local startups and developers will have access to a 5G laboratory inside the Hub, where they will be able to use a metaverse end-to-end testbed using Meta and Telefonica’s networks and equipment. The hub’s goal is to test innovative network topologies, use cases and devices in order to speed metaverse network and device readiness. Participants will have access to Telefonica’s open innovation ecosystem, as well as the Innovation and Talent Hub Resources and Meta’s engineering capabilities. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/mf2jbjxu Turkcell partners with Ribbon and Odine Ribbon Communications has teamed up with Odine, a virtualized and containerized infrastructure and solution integrator, to provide Turkcell, a Turkish integrated telecommunications and technology services provider, with next-generation voice interconnect services. Ribbon’s SBC SWe, which delivers the features and capabilities of appliance-based…
Telecom firms in Europe are coming together to assist Ukrainians in staying connected, and they are using a variety of steps that differ from company to company and from country to country, depending on the markets in which they operate. Here are some of the steps that telecommunications firms are taking. Deutsche Telekom has started providing free calls and text messages to Ukraine. This initiative affects both individual and commercial clients making calls from landlines and mobile phones, as well as roaming in Ukraine. T-Mobile Polska and T-Mobile US, the operator’s Polish and US subsidiaries, both launched comparable deals. Verizon has waived costs for consumer and corporate users traveling to and from Ukraine. Customers with foreign coverage bolt-ons will not lose any minutes from their subscription, and voice and text roaming costs have been waived. Virgin Media O2 has lifted costs for calls to and from Ukraine,…
WOW! partners with Reach Mobile Wide Open West (WOW!) has teamed up with the MVNO aggregator Reach Mobile to launch a wireless service. WOW! mobile, powered by Reach, will be accessible in a few markets this spring, and the business is currently working on determining the initial launch sites. It is intended that the mobile product should be expanded to all of WOW! markets shortly after the launch. WOW! will be able to bring a mobile product to market rapidly by relying on their operational efficiency, a full-featured platform, and a fantastic customer experience in a lower-cost operating model by employing Reach Next. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2smnm38n Audi taps Verizon for 5G vehicles Audi of America and Verizon have launched a new cooperative venture, with the goal of utilizing Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband connection within Audi automobiles. Their offering will encompass augmented mobile services and new driving-assistance technologies, paving the…
Verizon drives towards its goal of net zero carbon emissions Verizon has used the proceeds from its most recent $1 billion green bond to sign a number of renewable energy purchase agreements (REPAs) in an effort to make its operations more ecologically friendly. These REPAs encompass around 910 megawatts of new renewable energy producing capacity throughout seven states in the USA, with wind turbines accounting for around 51% and solar panels for the remaining 49%. By 2025, the operator claims it will have sourced or generated renewable energy equal to 50% of its annual electricity use. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/4fzb629n Broadvoice to officially launch GoContact BPO offering At the Call & Contact Center Expo US, Broadvoice, a supplier of hosted voice, unified communications (UC) and SIP Trunking services for businesses, will demonstrate its new contact center solution for the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector. This new offering is the result…