Reports indicate covert Huawei involvement in the establishment of chip plants to bypass US export controls. These allegations stem from Huawei’s shift to predominantly Chinese suppliers due to trade restrictions, despite their struggle to match the performance of manufacturers like TSMC and Samsung. Amidst ongoing US-China tensions, this move could potentially provoke a stronger stance from the US against sanction violators, reshaping the telecommunications landscape.
The Biden Administration’s ambitious $2 trillion infrastructure plan injects considerable capital into US chip production, with the aim of bolstering national security and reducing reliance on foreign manufacturers. Last year, the US produced only 12% of the world’s chips, highlighting a dependency on international manufacturers, primarily in Asia. Intel emerges as a key beneficiary of this investment, declaring over $43.5 billion towards manufacturing units across the US. Yet, for some companies, the journey remains fraught with caution as they await the federal funding.
In an audacious move against China’s tech supremacy, the U.S. has issued an executive order curbing American investment in several Chinese industries. Citing national security fears linked to the development of military, surveillance, and cyber technology in China, the U.S. declared a national emergency facilitating swift action. This could significantly impact sectors such as semiconductors and quantum computing, and might also influence global investment trend.
The UK’s newly established business council brings together heads of fourteen industry behemoths like AstraZeneca, NatWest Group, and Vodafone, offering insights to the Prime Minister on critical economic matters. It’s interesting that Google DeepMind is the only exception to the FTSE 100 list; also significant is the vocal Vodafone inclusion, led by CEO Margherita Della Valle, along with the impending departure of BT’s CEO Philip Jansen amidst a period of shrinkage. The absence of SME representation on the council has fueled criticism, underscoring the complexity and potential bias in shaping Britain’s economic future.
The premier Japan-EU Digital Partnership Council has unveiled a refreshingly ambitious approach towards bolstering global connectivity. Highlighting fundamental areas of mutual support, an intriguing plan of Arctic submarine network expansion piques interest. Meanwhile, an equally significant strategy promotes semiconductor industry growth, echoing an urgent call for autonomy in the global supply chain. These pacesetting initiatives promise not only to redefine EU-Japan ties, but also to spark essential digital security dialogues for the evolving tech landscape.
Huawei plans a comeback in the smartphone market with new 5G devices using domestic chip supplies. Concerns persist about the quality of these chips and Huawei’s absence from the Android Play Store. CityFibre challenges Openreach with a faster wholesale FTTH service, while Optus collaborates with SpaceX’s Starlink to expand mobile coverage in Australia’s remote areas. Ofcom investigates O2 Virgin Media over customer complaints, and the European Court of Justice rejects a ruling on the Three-O2 merger, adding to the uncertainty in the telecommunications regulatory landscape.
Taking a bold stride in data transfer innovation, the IEEE has sanctioned the 802.11bb standard, also known as LiFi. This game-changing technology uses light waves instead of radio frequencies, virtually turning an LED lightbulb into a data transmission hub. While promising high bandwidth and added security, LiFi does require line-of-sight connections, which may limit its practical applications. Industry leaders see this as more of an adjunct technology to WiFi rather than a direct competitor.
Intel’s massive €30 billion European project advances with state-of-the-art factories in Magdeburg, Germany, boosting job creation and supply chain resilience amid global semiconductor demand. Will the ambitious initiative fulfill high-tech production aspirations?
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has named Kaspersky Lab, a Moscow-based cybersecurity business and developer of popular antivirus software, as one of the organizations posing an unacceptable danger to US national security. Kaspersky is the first Russian company to be added to the list, which is currently dominated by Chinese telecoms companies. The FCC has now released its most recent list of untrustworthy vendors, which includes, for the first time, a non-Chinese company: Kaspersky. Kaspersky joins Huawei Technologies, ZTE Corporation, Hytera, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, Dahua Technology Company, China Telecom (Americas) and China Mobile International USA on the list. Once a company has been included on the list, it is illegal for that organization to use federal subsidies, which are distributed through the FCC’s $8 billion yearly Universal Service Fund, or to buy any of its products or services. Domestic consumers, with the exception of government employees,…
SK Telecom (SKT), South Korea’s largest wireless telecommunications operator, has announced its participation in CES 2022, the world’s largest IT and home appliance exhibition. The expo will be held in Las Vegas from January 5 to 8, 2022, and is to showcase green Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Because AI and telecommunications networks are at the heart of ICT innovation, they are also one of the major sources of pollution due to their high-power consumption. As a result, SKT is hastening an ICT revolution by developing and deploying low-power, high-efficiency semiconductors and energy-saving telecommunications network technologies. SK Telecom will share an exhibition stand with SK Inc., SK Innovation, SK Hynix, SK E&S and SK Ecoplant at the upcoming expo to demonstrate various green ICT technologies and provide visitors the opportunity to experience their revolutionary, sustainable technology. The theme of their booth is the 2030 SK Net-Zero Declaration. SKT…
