Orange and MasMovil in talks about joint venture Orange and MasMovil have stated that they are in talks to launch a 50:50 joint venture (JV) in Spain. Orange’s Spanish subsidiary is valued at €8.1 billion, while MasMovil is valued at €11.5 billion, for a total enterprise value of €19.6 billion. The merged operator would include around 7.1 million fixed line customers and 20.2 million mobile users, with a combined FTTH network of approximately 16 million residences. The operators claim that the combination would result in a slew of meaningful synergies of more than €450 million within three years of the merger closing. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y5d9h3y7 Google acquires Mandiant to boost its cloud offering In a move aimed at bolstering the capabilities of its Google Cloud platform, Google has agreed to pay $5.4 billion for the cybersecurity firm Mandiant. To address harmful information and software vulnerabilities, Google Cloud currently offers…
MetTel, a global digital transformation and communications provider for medium and large businesses, as well as for federal, state and local government agencies, has announced that the United States Marine Corps Recruiting Command (MCRC) has chosen MetTel for its Nationwide Internet Protocol Network Service, a contract worth more than $58 million. MetTel’s aim will be to offer the MCRC with a dependable and resilient network infrastructure that can support desktop computers, mobile computing, telephone services, video collaboration services and any other networking and voice services. MCRC’s current Internet service capacity will be upgraded, and the provider plans to deliver Internet Protocol Voice Services and Wi-Fi to almost 1,500 MCRC sites. The MetTel EIS Portal will allow MCRC to monitor and obtain reporting information on services offered over the MetTel network in near real-time. MetTel has secured contracts with more than a dozen federal departments since 2020, with the…
Telefonica partners with Meta A new agreement between Meta and Telefonica has been inked to create a Metaverse Innovation Hub in Madrid. Local startups and developers will have access to a 5G laboratory inside the Hub, where they will be able to use a metaverse end-to-end testbed using Meta and Telefonica’s networks and equipment. The hub’s goal is to test innovative network topologies, use cases and devices in order to speed metaverse network and device readiness. Participants will have access to Telefonica’s open innovation ecosystem, as well as the Innovation and Talent Hub Resources and Meta’s engineering capabilities. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/mf2jbjxu Turkcell partners with Ribbon and Odine Ribbon Communications has teamed up with Odine, a virtualized and containerized infrastructure and solution integrator, to provide Turkcell, a Turkish integrated telecommunications and technology services provider, with next-generation voice interconnect services. Ribbon’s SBC SWe, which delivers the features and capabilities of appliance-based…
WOW! partners with Reach Mobile Wide Open West (WOW!) has teamed up with the MVNO aggregator Reach Mobile to launch a wireless service. WOW! mobile, powered by Reach, will be accessible in a few markets this spring, and the business is currently working on determining the initial launch sites. It is intended that the mobile product should be expanded to all of WOW! markets shortly after the launch. WOW! will be able to bring a mobile product to market rapidly by relying on their operational efficiency, a full-featured platform, and a fantastic customer experience in a lower-cost operating model by employing Reach Next. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2smnm38n Audi taps Verizon for 5G vehicles Audi of America and Verizon have launched a new cooperative venture, with the goal of utilizing Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband connection within Audi automobiles. Their offering will encompass augmented mobile services and new driving-assistance technologies, paving the…
Cloud-based phone systems offer the benefits of advanced and flexible communication tools that make it easy to expand and scale business operations. DIDWW, a global telecom operator providing first-rate VoIP communications and SIP trunking services, has announced a collaborative partnership with VoIPstudio, a leading provider of a professional-grade cloud telephony system. This initiative will equip VoIPstudio customers with a highly flexible and scalable VoIP communications solution for smooth business expansion. By leveraging DIDWW’s powerful outbound SIP trunking solution and an extensive phone number inventory, VoIPstudio will enable companies of all sizes to expand across new countries and regions. DIDWW’s fully-compliant services are delivered over a private, global IP network, ensuring a high-level of audio quality, security and reliability in a cost-effective manner. VoIPstudio has been optimized to be multisite and multi-country, and is supported by distributed hosting in the cloud, providing the responsiveness and reliability that enterprise customers…
SK Telecom, South Korea’s leading mobile carrier, has partnered with Joby Aviation, a California-based aerospace company developing an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL). The two parties will collaborate on urban air mobility, which is an ecosystem that includes personal air vehicles and infrastructure such as a new navigation system, take-off and landing fields, and charging technologies. Joby’s experience showcasing eVTOL will be included into SKT’s information and communication technology infrastructure under a strategic partnership agreement. The two businesses will collaborate in all areas, including aircraft and mobility as a service, to provide emissions-free aerial ridesharing to cities and communities around South Korea. SKT and Joby plan to enable multi-modal travel using SKT’s T Map mobility platform and UT’s ride-hailing service. SKT aspires to become a connected intelligence leader that logically links physical elements such as UAM airplanes, vertiports and ground transportation by utilizing its capabilities in…
T‑Mobile now runs fully on renewable energy T-Mobile was the first and only US carrier to declare an ambitious plan in 2018 to source 100% of its entire power usage from renewable energy by the end of 2021, and the company has now revealed that it has met this objective. T-Mobile created a renewable energy plan that includes eight virtual power agreements, 19 retail partnerships, one Green Direct program, and unbundled Renewable Energy Certificates that assist projects around the country to help attain the 100% target. In order to meet this goal, the corporation has invested in sufficient wind and solar power to account for every unit of electricity utilized on an annual basis. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2p9dkvcy Cosmote receives a fine for mishandling cyberattack Cosmote, Greece’s largest mobile provider, was the target of a cyberattack by an unknown entity in September 2020. Over the course of five visits, the…
TIA releases supply chain security standard The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) has compiled the SCS 9001 specification, which it claims is the world’s first supply chain security standard designed particularly for the ICT industry. The SCS 9001 standard applies to all ICT sector goods, including software, hardware and services that are linked to the association’s global networks. SCS 9001’s goal is to validate end-to-end cyber and physical security throughout ICT network infrastructure. The new standard is based on a Quality Management System (QMS) that operationalizes industry best practices and recommendations such as ISO 27001, the Prague Proposals, applicable NIST standards, and the CSIS Criteria for Security and Trust. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2p8hzdru Metro by T-Mobile US now part of the Affordable Connectivity Program Metro by T-Mobile has joined the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). All eligible Metro by T-Mobile customers, new and old, will be able to obtain free…
A softphone is a device-agnostic software application that provides a digital phone interface, allowing users to make and receive phone calls over the Internet. Softphones improve staff availability while also allowing for regional flexibility. By using a softphone, as long as Internet connectivity is available, there is no longer a need to remain tethered to a desktop phone while waiting for an essential call. We are certain that you will discover the ideal solution for your needs with our handpicked Top 10 list of softphone apps, whether you are a sole entrepreneur, a small firm, or a major enterprise. * The list is not arranged in any particular order RingCentral is a VoIP service vendor that provides a softphone app for iOS and Android phones, as well as for macOS and Windows. RingCentral has a plethora of capabilities, making it an ideal choice for businesses looking for a…
Vantage Towers partners with Mowea Vantage Towers, a subsidiary of Vodafone, has formed a strategic alliance with the Berlin-based start-up Mowea to power towers with renewable energy. Vantage Towers plans to build 752 micro wind turbines on 52 towers in Germany, with a capacity of up to 650 MWh per year. Under typical wind conditions, the turbines can cut grid power usage and electricity operating expenses at each site by up to two-thirds or more. Installation of the Mowea’s micro wind turbines is planned for the second part of the year, assuming that all relevant licenses are obtained by then. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/35zsph6v Nokia to defend IP Telecom against quantum cyber attacks Nokia has established a partnership with IP Telecom to expand the latter’s data center cloud connection infrastructure to Portuguese urban regions. Under the terms of the agreement, Nokia will create an encrypted optical data center interconnect (DCI)…