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…
Orange considers buying infrastructure assets it sold almost two decades ago Orange is considering a probable purchase of the former telecommunications infrastructure unit TDF. The company sold TDF nearly two decades ago to lessen its debt. Orange is considering combining TDF with the recently established European mast company TOTEM, as infrastructure appraisals have recently increased with interest from investors such as the US private equity firm KKR and Spain’s Cellnex. TDF, previously known as Télédiffusion de France, operates TV and radio towers, mobile sites, as well as fiber infrastructure and related services through around 19,000 sites, of which 7,300 are active. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2etpjpjn AT&T to modernize U.S. DOT’s network AT&T and the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) have signed a 12-year, $175 million deal to assist DOT in upgrading its IP and voice infrastructure. AT&T will supply DOT with virtual private networking and secure cloud technology, together…
Google and Intel team up on 5G and edge network solutions Google Cloud has announced that it is working with Intel to establish reference architectures and integrated solutions for communications providers to help them deploy 5G and edge network solutions. To achieve the cloud native 5G goals, the partnership encompasses a full suite of telecommunications, along with application providers, carriers and communications service providers, hardware vendors and global telecommunications networks, with the goal of the cost and time to market required by the telecommunications industry. Intel is already the most powerful participant in the data center hardware market, but is keen to repeat that success with edge infrastructure. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/34fv5aps Deutsche Telekom tests solar panels to power mobile sites Deutsche Telekom (DT) has announced that in the second half of 2020, the company was testing the use of solar panels to power its mobile infrastructure. In a new…
Tele2 and Nokia to provide SA 5G core network Tele2 has partnered with Nokia to provide its domestic market with a standalone (SA) 5G core network prior to the country’s spectrum auction, which prohibits operators from using ZTE or Huawei infrastructure. Nokia’s triumph over Ericsson’s comes as the company undergoes a comprehensive restructuring in order to focus on key business areas and get back in the global 5G retail market. The operators stated that the contract also covers the installation of the SA 5G core and the facilities for the transmission of voice-over-5G in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. The deployment of the infrastructure is expected to start later in 2021. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y5pxfu4l Telefónica has agreed to sell its tower portfolio The Spanish telecommunication giant Telefónica has come to the decision to sell its tower portfolio in Europe and Latin America to passive infrastructure specialist American Tower for €7.7…
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…
Cellnex Telecom, a Spanish wireless telecommunications infrastructure and services company, and Everynet, a leading LPWA pioneer and network operator, have signed an agreement to deploy IoT networks in Italy, the UK and Ireland based on LoRaWAN technology. The IoT networks will utilize the Cellnex infrastructure in these three countries, and will be dependent on the Everynet network solution. Cellnex not only provides towers, but also has its own IoT management platform. For data collection, Cellnex will provide an integrated IoT platform for real-time management and diagnostics, and the platform also includes the ability to immediately act predictively or preventively, manually or automatically. In addition, Everynet will be responsible for providing and managing the LoRaWAN network infrastructure. Both companies have stated the network will be available for a wide range of IoT devices and use-cases, including industry 4.0 services for asset tracking or monitoring, as well as smart cities…
5G has been a target of conspiracy theorists for as long as it has been around, just as with 4G and 3G before it. It is not the first time, and it will not be the last, that technological progress has caused fear generated by uncertainty about the risks of new technology. The remarkably disruptive COVID-19 pandemic, which has coincided with the worldwide introduction of 5G, the latest standard in wireless networking technology, has exacerbated the situation. People have begun to link 5G to COVID-19 in various ways, saying that the technology weakens the immune system, that it is responsible for the direct transmission of the virus, or that the lockdown is a cover-up for deploying even more 5G towers. Let us take a look at some of the theories out there. 5G is the cause of COVID-19 Back in March of 2020, a video of a US…
Patton VoIP Solutions to use Deutsche Telekom’s SIP services Patton Electronics, a provider of UC, cloud and IoT solutions for carrier, enterprise and industry, has announced that its SmartNode VoIP gateway and eSBC product lines have been tested and are compatible with the new Deutsche Telekom CompanyFlex and DeutschlandLAN SIP-Trunk services. This success is thanks to Patton’s many years of developing innovative hardware, software and cloud based UCC solutions. Patton is committed to continually expanding its extensive cross-certification library. Patton’s SmartNode VoIP Gateways and eSBC will provide key networking features to Deutsche Telekom’s SIP-based business communication solutions. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/yy5khxgl Liechtenstein offers the fastest broadband in the world Cable.co.uk conducted a study that compares and charts global broadband speeds . At the top of the list is Liechtenstein, with the fastest broadband in the world averaging 229.98 Mbps. The data also revealed that North African countries have the slowest…
Australia to invest a record A$1.35bn in cybersecurity The Australian government has announced an AUS USD 1.35 billion program to combat the rise in cybersecurity threats that have intensified in recent months. This initiative, named the Cyber Enhanced Situational Awareness and Response (CESAR) package, will seek to identify more threats, fight foreign cybercriminals and build stronger partnerships within the industry. The nation’s largest ever investment in cybersecurity will supercharge the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) and the Australian Cyber Security Centre. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, “My government’s record investment in our nation’s cyber security will help ensure we have the tools and capabilities we need to fight back and keep Australians safe.” Read more at https://tinyurl.com/ya8q3xsl India has banned TikTok, WeChat, and other China-based apps The Indian government has banned 59 Chinese-made apps, including TikTok and WeChat, over concerns that “they are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty…