The South Korean wireless telecommunications operator, SK Telecom, and Germany’s telecommunications leader, Deutsche Telekom, recently signed an agreement to set up a joint venture to innovate 5G technology. This venture will incorporate advanced 5G building expertise and leverage the growth in the global demand for 5G repeaters. Both companies said their partnership will help complete the development of an advanced 5G/LTE dual-mode repeater that will give them an advantage in capturing a global market estimated, according to studies cited by the companies, to exceed $10 billion over the next three years. The JV is headquartered in Germany, and as a result, the work will begin in the European market. As stated in the announcement, each operator will manage 50% of the JV and will appoint an appropriate representative to manage the organization. Tim Höttges, CEO of Deutsche Telekom commented: “Together with SKT we are able to develop new…
Vodafone UK going big on OpenRAN Vodafone UK has announced that they are deploying OpenRAN technology in rural base stations, as a key part of Huawei’s switching strategy. Approximately 2,600 sites in rural Wales and the south-west of England will be converted to OpenRAN by a deadline established by the government. This process will start in 2022 and, as yet, Vodafone has not identified any vendors to assist it in this initiative. The operator wants to be seen as an example of OpenRAN, which increasingly appears to be the most likely source of diversity for telecom providers since Huawei was blacklisted. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/yybbqu45 Deutsche Telekom partners with Zoom Deutsche Telekom has become the latest service provider to partner with Zoom Video Communications. Deutsche Telekom is now the official reseller of Zoom in Germany. The company offers personalized solutions and contracts to customers of different sizes, and is able…
CallTower delivers Native Microsoft Teams Cloud Contact Center CallTower, a global provider of cloud-based, business-class unified communications and collaboration solutions, announced that it is offering a Native Microsoft Teams Cloud contact center through its strategic partner Five9. The integration of Five9 and Microsoft Teams enhances the customer experience by leveraging the collaboration capabilities of the Teams platform and integrating it into the Five9 Intelligent Cloud Contact Center solution. In addition, Five9 recently announced their CallTower “US Reseller of the Year 2020” initiative as part of the Five9 2020 Global Partner Awards. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/yy8klgy5 Cellnex wants to acquire Hutchison towers The Spanish operator Cellnex is eyeing the acquisition of CK Hutchison’s entire European tower portfolio for over $10 billion. It was first reported that CK Hutchison was looking to sell a smaller stake in its European tower unit back in July, but Cellnex plans to buy the whole package…
SK Telecom, the South Korean wireless telecommunications giant, with the approval of the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, has announced the launch of a new blockchain-based wallet for digital document storage. This major step could prompt South Korea to rapidly digitize state-issued documents. As claimed by SK Telecom, the wallet will be driven by blockchain technology and will work together with the Government24 Digital Initiative program, which endorses the issuing and distribution of certificates digitally. This initiative is especially relevant as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread worldwide. The company’s blockchain-powered wallet will work in conjunction with the Government24 app, sharing documents seamlessly between these endpoints, as well as with local and government institutions, banks and insurance providers. Citizens will be able share documents such as immigration certificates, copies of resident registration cards, health insurance documents using the mobile app managed by the blockchain. As reported by…
8×8 partners up with Pax8 8×8, the provider of a leading integrated cloud communications platform, announced that Pax8, a cloud solutions platform, has become a strategic partner and has joined the 8×8 Open Channel Program. In accordance with the agreement, Pax8 is now offering their US partners an 8×8 Open Communications Platform that combines voice, team chat, meetings and a contact center in one solution, allowing organizations to move to the cloud. According to Pax8, the two companies will work together to support their partners as they help customers accelerate their digital transformation efforts, ensure business resilience, and improve employee experience and engagement. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y3xg4fu4 Telefónica aims at partnership with Allianz According to Spanish media reports, the telecommunications giant Telefonica is seeking to partner with a private equity subsidiary of the German insurance company Allianz, to launch a fiber-optic joint venture worth about $5.8 billion. The joint venture,…
Maintaining an edge over competition, staying on track with ever-shifting customer needs and seeing steady revenue growth, can be hard in the fiercely competitive environment of telecoms. That is why the telecom industry needs to consider introducing new technologies into their business practices. One such promising technology that can give telecommunications business owners leverage in the industry is blockchain. Blockchain was created as a technology that brings trust where it does not exist. Currently, the telecommunications blockchain market is in its early stages, with only a few vendors having launched telecommunications blockchain solutions. Given the complex nature of blockchain and distributed ledger technology, it is clear that in order for it to succeed in the telecommunications industry, vendors will need to pool their knowledge of blockchain technology and the telecommunications industry. Bringing blockchain into play can create significant benefits and opportunities for a variety of telecommunications sectors. Some of these…
Apple reveals 5G iPhones Apple waited a little longer than other manufacturers to introduce 5G phones, probably because they wanted to be certain their first 5G iPhones are top class. The company unveiled its new iPhone 12 phones on Tuesday. All new iPhones are built around the fast Apple A14 Bionic chip, they support 5G wireless connectivity, and are protected by a ceramic shield to make the phones more damage resistant. Bringing 5G to the iPhone is a huge step forward for the company, as it will provide a new level of performance for downloads and uploads, video streaming, games, real-time interactivity and more. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y6mum7wh Masergy launches Work From Anywhere solutions Masergy, a software-defined network and cloud platform for the digital enterprise, announced two new SD-WAN Work From Anywhere solutions. Masergy’s SD-WAN Secure Home is a lightweight Fortinet Secure SD-WAN device for fast connection via the residential…
Deutsche Telekom reaches a wholesale deal with Telefónica Deutsche Telekom and Telefonica have reached a wholesale FTTH deal. These telecom rivals extended their partnership that was launched in 2013, which allowed Telefónica to purchase VDSL lines from Deutsche Telekom. The renewed agreement has been extended for 10 more years, and now covers FTTH lines as well. This is a big opportunity for Telefónica Germany, as it is one of the smaller players in the fixed broadband market in the country. By using Deutsche Telekom’s fiber network, Telefónica has set up a clear path for itself to be an important participant in the growing ultra-fast broadband market. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y6985zh9 Telia sells Telia Carrier On Tuesday, the Swedish company Telia announced that it was selling its international carrier business to Swedish pension funds for $1.1 billion. Polhem Infra’s acquisition of Telia Carrier is expected to be completed in 2021, when…
SIPTrunk Inc announces SIPTRUNK Platform SIPTrunk Inc. has announced the launch of managed IP telephony services through its SIP trunking reseller platform, SIPTRUNK. The SIPTRUNK platform allows service providers to manage multiple customers and service delivery via a practical interface based on cloud support and Tier-1 networks. SIPTRUNK meets the market’s need for a SIP trunk management and provisioning platform in order to support businesses, governmental agencies, telecommunications providers and telephone companies. According to the company, it is expected that by 2025, expenditure in the SIP trunking market will reach $28.8 billion. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y835ctxf UK’s fiber startup Lumenisity enters the market The UK start-up company Lumenisity has entered the market and released its first commercial products. Lumenisity was created to promote breakthroughs in the creation of hollowcore optical fiber. According to the company, data moves 50% faster in a hollowcore fiber, as the light travels through the air…
Germany to retire its 3G network Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica Deutschland and Vodafone Germany have announced the dates of their 3G network service withdrawal. Deutsche Telekom announced that it will aim to shut down 3G networks by the summer of 2021, while the Vodafone Germany target date was announced to be a few months earlier. Similarly, Telefonica Deutschland has stated that it would like to switch off its 3G technology by the end of 2021. This means that Germany will be essentially dependent on LTE and 5G in just over a year. Deutsche Telekom says the coverage gaps left after the 3G shutdown will be filled by 4G. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y48ot9p5 Rogers Communications expanding 5G services On September 22, the Canadian communications and media company Rogers Communications announced the launch of 5G technology in five new cities. The Ericsson-powered operator has the largest 5G network in Canada. According to the…