Telefónica, the notable Spanish telecom giant, is hinting at sizable workforce reductions. Yet, figures conflict between reports, leaving uncertainty about the affected employee count. Amidst global economic instability, these layoffs align with Telefónica’s strategic shift to prioritize cash generation and operational excellence. Such a move echoes other industry leaders’ recent job cuts, suggesting a broader trend.
Vodafone’s collaboration with Salience Labs and iPronics aims to advance open radio access networks (open RAN) by harnessing the potential of silicon photonic chips. This light-based technology could promise enhanced network programmability and ultra-low latency powered by their increased speed and reduced energy consumption — elevating critical 5G capabilities. With silicon photonics making waves in data centers, the industry, poised for rapid growth, radiates intrigue on the horizon. Yet, it also questions current cost dynamics, especially around open RAN technology.
The UK government’s ambitious Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit (CLEO) initiative aims to propel satellite communications development, backed by a sum of £160 million. With a main focus on Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, this programme holds potential to bridge the digital divide and boost economical growth. This initiative, however, still awaits the green light through regular approval processes.
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…
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,…
Telefónica Tech and Fortinet announce new SD-WAN service As the hybrid and cloud-centric work model has become the new normal, Telefónica Tech and the cybersecurity firm Fortinet have unveiled a new worldwide managed, software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) solution aimed at the work-from-home market. Fortinet’s latest solution, flexWAN, will debut in Spain before being rolled out internationally across Telefónica’s European and American markets. For corporate personnel connecting from their workplaces or other locations to their jobs, this solution combines networking and security into a single product. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/yrtssb94 Vodafone launches Eco-SIMs Vodafone has announced that it will begin providing customers half-sized Eco-SIM cards manufactured from recycled plastic. The Eco-SIM should reduce the requirement for 320 tonnes of new plastic to be manufactured each year, resulting in a reduction of about 1,280 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. Eco-SIMs are expected to be gradually introduced in all twelve of…
Nokia launches iSIM Secure Connect Nokia has released new software to help operators cope with the provisioning of cellular IoT devices and subscription management. The software, called iSIM Secure Connect, relies on embedded SIM (eSIM) and integrated SIM (iSIM) technologies combined with reliable digital identification, allowing telecom service providers to quickly and securely authenticate and manage cellular IoT devices. The software is vendor agnostic and can be installed in a variety of network and cloud environments, providing a myriad of IoT use cases and business models. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/42kf2tu8 Lumen strikes a deal with Microsoft Lumen Technologies has announced that it has entered a long-term partnership with Microsoft to take advantage of the Azure cloud platform. The duo plans to integrate Microsoft’s Azure stack with Lumen’s bare metal edge computing service, allowing customers to run Azure-based applications wherever the edge network can reach. Lumen will also use the cloud…
New security features for Google Workspace and Google Drive Google has unveiled new security tools that include client-side encryption for Workspace and several enhanced data protection features in the platform’s Drive service. The tech giant said there will be new trust rules and labels for Drive to classify files and apply controls based on their sensitivity levels. These added security features are the result of several factors, including Google’s “security first” philosophy, the rapid increase in remote work environments due to the pandemic, and the company’s experience with its BeyondCorp zero trust security model. In addition, Google is also increasing phishing and malware protection in Workspace. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/ygc7yhw7 Facebook partners with Internet service providers D-VoiS and Netplus Facebook has announced new partnerships in India with Internet service providers (ISPs) D-VoiS and Netplus. These ISPs will use Facebook Connectivity’s Express Wi-Fi platform to provide public Wi-Fi hotspots in various…
The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted industries and businesses all across the globe and has brought the world economy to a halt, with millions of people placed under lockdown. With most of society working and studying from home, the need for technology has increased considerably, and the significant rise in the use of digital tools during social distancing has put the telecommunications sector at the forefront in facilitating the situation. What kind of impact has Covid-19 had on the telecom sector? Now that the global supply chain has been thrown into chaos and the work-from-home concept has become the “new normal“, the need of remote communication has risen significantly so as to ensure business continuity. The telecommunication sector is witnessing significantly higher demands, as they play a key role in facilitating the connectivity required by customers implementing these essential digital tools . Rise of demand for Telco services…
Ireland’s GoMo goes for more as it hits 200,000 customers Virtual network operator GoMo, the budget mobile brand of Irish telco Eir, has reached 200,000 customers, since launching only eight months ago. The company exists entirely as a digital brand, requiring customers to sign up online to be mailed a SIM card. This “digital-first” approach even extends to customer service, which is available only through online chat, without accessible call centers. GoMo uses Eir’s network and offers 99 percent population coverage and over 97 percent 4G coverage. Since its launch, GoMo has gradually increased its customer base, with figures from the Irish regulator suggesting that the majority are migrating from rivals Three and Vodafone. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/y7uwytwt JSonar raises $50 million for AI-powered database security products Database security startup jSonar has secured USD 50 million, which it plans to put toward R&D and go-to-market efforts. The company said that its AI-powered solutions help users…
