VMware announces RAN intelligent controller This week, VMware released several of their initiatives aimed at bolstering and solidifying the company’s telco cloud plans. The debut of the RAN intelligent controller is one of the recent announcements (RIC). The VMware RIC will be accessible in two deployment models: centralized and distributed, and will be capable of abstracting the underlying RAN architecture and providing RAN programmability via xApps and rApps. Wireless operators, according to VMware, are ready to transition from relatively inflexible conventional RAN infrastructures to more heterogeneous, multi-vendor virtualized RANs. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2nxkde8x Verizon teams up with Project Kuiper Verizon and Amazon’s Project Kuiper, a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network, have established a collaborative partnership to provide broadband solutions for unserved and underserved populations. Project Kuiper and Verizon have begun to establish technical specifications and define early business strategies for a variety of connection offerings for US consumers and…
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…
Google introduces Distributed Cloud In order to address the needs of its enterprise customers, Google has announced their Distributed Cloud, which will allow users to balance their workload on the public cloud and private infrastructure. It is “a portfolio of solutions consisting of hardware and software that extend our infrastructure to the edge and into your data centers,” commented Sachin Gupta the GM and VP of Product for IaaS at Google. Built on Anthos, the Google Distributed Cloud is the perfect platform for local data processing, edge computing and on-premises modernization. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/mc2ye95c Facebook rolls out Live Audio Rooms for creators worldwide Live Audio Rooms, Facebook’s new feature designed to help public figures and groups to connect with their communities, has been released to a global audience. First launched only in the US back in June and limited to only iOS users, the solution…
VMware unveils innovations at VMworld 2021 At its annual VMworld conference, VMware announced its latest advancements which focus on features that simplify multi-cloud installations and improve security. VMware has disclosed new enhancements to VMware Cloud, the industry’s first and only multi-cloud computing architecture that allows clients to migrate their corporate apps to the cloud in almost half the time and for a fraction of the cost. A new VMware Edge product line was also announced, which comprises an Edge stack, secure access service edge (SASE) features and a Telco Cloud Platform. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2evz4fsd NTT to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions NTT, a Japanese telecommunications company, has announced that it will issue $2.7 billion in “green bonds,” with the proceeds going towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing their investment in renewable energy. These green bonds will be divided into three tranches, each with a three-, five-, and ten-year…
Telefonica partners with Oracle Telefonica Spain has signed a multi-year agreement with Oracle to accelerate the transfer of its business processes to the cloud in order to improve agility and expand its capacity to create new digital services. Oracle will deploy and operate an on-premises version of its Exadata Cloud Service in Telefonica’s data centers as part of the arrangement. The operator will be able to combine its mission-critical systems while still fulfilling data residency and latency requirements. Telefonica intends to migrate its Oracle database systems, as well as its OSS and BSS applications, business intelligence systems, CRM, billing, and revenue management systems, to the new platform. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/3darh7jd NTT Docomo targets net zero emissions by 2030 NTT Docomo said that by 2030, it intends to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to zero. As part of that effort, Docomo has announced the launch of a new ecosystem called…
Vodia now interoperable with Skyetel Vodia has announced the completion of interoperability with Skyetel, an independent telecom carrier. Skyetel clients now have access to Vodia’s certified VoIP telephone system thanks to the proven compatibility of Vodia’s PBX software with Skyetel’s SIP trunks. Skyetel’s multi-tenant SIP trunking platform is set up so that resellers may simply connect to Vodia to provision and manage their DID inventories. Relationship pricing is also available to resellers without the need for contracts, obligations or upfront payments. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2nhhhfn5 Nokia updates its in-house routing silicon With the introduction of its new FP5 processor, Nokia has updated its in-house routing silicon, considerably boosting capacity, reducing power consumption and incorporating encryption to improve security. The FP5 has a 4.8 Tbps network processor, which doubles the 2.4 Tbps available on the FP4, and is Nokia’s first chip to handle 800-gig Ethernet routing interfaces. Other benefits include enhanced…
Virgin Media O2 tests 5G emergency services drone Virgin Media O2 has released information on a trial it conducted with the Swiss public safety drone expert Fotokite to provide a video feed from a drone to help first responders on the ground. The two businesses discussed several incarnations of the drone, including its capacity to function in difficult conditions at any time of day or night, the simplicity of setting up, launching, and flying, and how valuable the data feed is to first responders dealing with emergency situations. Utilizing 5G networks to control and manage drones for emergency services demonstrates the possibilities that 5G technology provides in terms of higher speeds and lower latency. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/36ax8jrc BT trials quantum key distribution (QKD) over hollow core fiber BT has tested quantum key distribution (QKD) over hollow core fiber (HFC), promoting the technology as a method to improve data security…
Singapore based Epsilon Telecommunications, a global connectivity provider simplifying the connectivity for companies, applications and information worldwide as well as in the cloud, has been acquired for $145 million by KT Corporation, South Korea’s largest telecommunication operator. Epsilon has 260 points of presence in 41 locations across 20 countries, including the Chinese mainland. Furthermore, the firm has data centers in London, New York and Singapore. The firm offers cloud, ethernet, SD-WAN, colocation and voice services, as well as its own network-as-a-service platform called Infiny. “The acquisition of Epsilon by KT is a great milestone on our company’s journey and recognition of the hard work of our teams across the globe,” said Michel Robert, Chief Executive Officer at Epsilon Telecommunications. “The acquisition is a logical next step for both businesses and a fantastic opportunity for customers, partners and internal teams.” KT purchased the company in collaboration with the…
Deutsche Telekom and Softbank in a share-swap deal In a significant shake-up that reinforces the German group’s transatlantic emphasis, Deutsche Telekom has reached a $7 billion share-swap agreement with SoftBank Group to raise its stake in T-Mobile US. In addition, Deutsche Telekom has sold its Dutch subsidiary. As a consequence of the two transactions, Deutsche Telekom’s share in T-Mobile US will increase to 48.4 percent, moving it closer to its aim of gaining direct control of the $170 billion US telecoms operator. In exchange, SoftBank will receive cash and a 4.5 percent interest in Deutsche Telekom, creating a direct shareholding link. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/32tvyn46 NEC expands its partnership with AWS NEC has stated that it will broaden its relationship with AWS to include 5G and digital governance. NEC aims to create an “end-to-end 5G offering” by integrating their cloud-native open 5G core with AWS’ cloud and edge services. According…
Verizon launches Verizon 5G Edge with Microsoft Verizon has partnered with Microsoft to introduce the aptly named Verizon 5G Edge with Microsoft Azure Stack Edge cloud computing platform, fulfilling their stated commitment when they announced their cooperation last October. The platform can provide corporate clients with an on-premises, private edge compute solution that supports the ultra-low latency necessary for real-time enterprise applications. The collaboration with Microsoft provides 5G Edge to companies, lowering latency at the edge and allowing important, performance-sensitive applications to respond more rapidly and effectively. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/8bz3rwdf FCC warns about fake broadband subsidy website The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) alerted the public about the discovery of a website that fraudulently promised to enroll customers in the agency’s Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program and encouraged individuals who visited the site to take precautions against fraud. A website named WiFi Freedom USA mimicked the government’s sign-up page, offering…