Formulating the future of UK’s internet, Building Digital UK (BDUK) triggers the procurement process under the £5 billion Project Gigabit framework. Their ambitious objective: accelerate gigabit-speed broadband coverage to capture a minimum of 85% of premises by 2025. However, there’s a twist in the tale, as reaching remote regions still poses a formidable challenge.
With BT Group’s current CEO Philip Jansen’s departure on the horizon, the telecommunications industry is abuzz as Telia’s top-notch leader Allison Kirkby is slated to step into his shoes in 2024. Equipped with a celebrated career within the telecom sector and experience as a non-executive director at BT since 2019, Kirkby’s ascension is anxiously anticipated.
Cellnex, the Spanish infrastructure giant, is rumored to be considering a sale of a minority stake in its Nordic operations, specifically Sweden and Denmark. With nearly €1 billion at stake, this move aligns with earlier sentiments expressed by CEO Marco Patuano. Combining this potential sale with recent acquisitions, loan procurements and collaborations, Cellnex aims to streamline its operations, tackle its massive debts and redefine its strategy for the European tower infrastructure market. Let’s delve deeper into the winding paths and potential outcomes at the upcoming Total Telecom Congress.
Verizon and YouTube team up to offer NFL Sunday Ticket, Cisco and Qwilt enhance content delivery in Italy, Verizon and AT&T notify customers of new fees, Google rolls out safety feature for detecting Bluetooth trackers on Android devices, and worldwide smartphone market sees a 10% decline in Q2 2023.
Dish Wireless, through its Boost Mobile branch, is courting Amazon Prime users with discounted SIM kits for its postpaid Infinite Unlimited plan. The flat rate monthly service promises unlimited connectivity, but with potential speed limits for heavy data users. However, the lack of compatible devices and reliance on AT&T and T-Mobile’s networks pose noteworthy challenges, dampen the impact of the partnership, and call into question its ability to significantly boost Dish’s customer base.
Spectrum Enterprise, a division of Charter Communications, Inc., has recently inked a multi-year contract with the State of Wisconsin Department of Administration. The agreement will grant state agencies, municipalities, and educational institutions access to Spectrum Enterprise’s diverse portfolio of network, internet connectivity, and cybersecurity solutions. This move aims to streamline technology services procurement, fostering connectivity among employees and citizens and ensuring seamless digital operations.
BT’s innovative Etc unit is poised to launch trials repurposing outdated street cabinets into electric vehicle (EV) charging points. Aiming at a smooth transition during the UK’s fiber rollout, this pioneering step initially caters to BT Group and Openreach employees in Northern Ireland, with plans for public engagement. However, the venture’s ultimate impact rests heavily on successful pilot performance.
As telecom giants Ooredoo, Zain and infrastructure expert TASC Towers embark on exclusive negotiations to form a massive mobile towers firm, the telecommunications landscape beckons a potential shift. Combining assets from Qatar, Kuwait, Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq, and Jordan, they plan on creating an autonomous company with a whopping portfolio of approximately 30,000 towers, directly rivaling industry leaders. Their strategic vision embraces a dual approach: stimulate shareholder value and reduce the MENA region’s carbon footprint.
Taking dynamic major strides in the quantum computing sector, T-Systems, Deutsche Telekom’s IT wing, is partnering with IQM Quantum Computers, offering its customers unique access to the complexities and potential of IQM’s quantum infrastructure. Leveraging the power of quantum mechanics and harnessing the elusive ‘qubits’, this promising collaboration forms a critical intersection of cloud technology and quantum computation, manoeuvring towards transformative problem-solving capabilities.
Unprecedented in telecommunications, the Amitié subsea cable system, an alliance effort of Aqua Comms, Meta, Microsoft, and Vodafone, provides a major boost to international connectivity. This groundbreaking line, stretching an impressive 6,783 km, links Boston directly with Europe, heralding a new era for cross-continental communication. Equipped with unmatched versatility and a notable capacity of 400 Tbps, this project paves the way for a more connected digital future globally.
