The Idaho Broadband Advisory Board (IBAB) has approved the allocation of $120 million from the Idaho Capital Projects Fund to support 18 broadband initiatives, providing a significant boost to over 30,000 homes and businesses across the state. In collaboration with the state government, the advisory board strategically targeted projects to enhance crucial areas including distance learning, telehealth, telework, economic development, and public safety.
Imagine a search and rescue mission in remote rural areas, being empowered by the wings of a drone, beaming down 5G connectivity. This very scene is unfolding in Warwickshire, UK, thanks to Virgin Media O2’s innovative approach. The drone, armed with a petite mobile base station, creates a nimble communication network, offering vital real-time data to rescuers.
As the interest in AI accelerates globally, a resurgence is noticed in a related sector: data center investment. AI-integrated solutions demand higher processing capability, marking data centers as attractive long-term investments. Recently, a $7 billion data center joint venture was announced by Blackstone and Digital Realty, promising additional data centers and enhanced IT capacity.
In a recent surge of developments within the data center industry, Microsoft has taken the lead with its commitment to invest a staggering £2.5 billion in expanding artificial intelligence (AI) data center infrastructure in the UK. This landmark investment comes amidst a thriving year for the sector, showcasing a 13% estimated growth compared to the previous year, according to Synergy Research Group.
In a bid to promote digital inclusion and ease the financial burden on its customers, Virgin Media O2, the UK’s second-largest telecoms operator, has taken significant steps to raise awareness of social tariffs. The company, with a customer base of 5 million broadband and TV users, is now including information on its Essential Broadband and Essential Broadband Plus tariffs in the monthly bills of all its customers.
In a remarkable feat of engineering, Openreach, the UK’s leading digital network provider, is illuminating approximately 60,000 new premises every week, equivalent to the size of Tunbridge Wells in Kent. With a commitment to a £15 billion investment, the company aims to connect 25 million buildings by 2026, with a subsequent target of 30 million by the end of 2030.
In a strategic move to fortify the European Union’s standing in the global cloud computing sector, the European Commission has greenlit a substantial €1.2 billion state funding injection. The funding is earmarked for the Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) Next Generation Cloud Infrastructure and Services (IPCEI CIS), a collaborative initiative involving seven member countries: France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain.
Voxility, a prominent Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) provider globally, is extending its reach in Europe with a strategic point of presence (PoP) situated within the Tier 3-built data center of AtlasEdge in London City. This collaborative effort aims to furnish Voxility’s clientele with scalable and cost-effective colocation services, coupled with high-speed, low-latency connectivity solutions. The Voxility PoP grants direct access to over 750 networks present at the London Internet Exchange (LINX).
Verizon Public Sector has clinched a $15 million task order to upgrade voice and data services for the U.S. Navy’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) division. The contract, granted under the federal government’s Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) procurement initiative, will witness Verizon integrating innovative technologies and services for voice across MWR’s global locations.
In a landmark move, Zain Group, Ooredoo, and TASC Towers Holding have officially inked a definitive agreement to merge their tower assets, forming a colossal entity valued at $2.2 billion. This strategic collaboration, originating from talks initiated in July, consolidates a combined total of 30,000 towers spanning Qatar, Kuwait, Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq, and Jordan, establishing the largest tower company in the Middle East and North Africa.
