Amazon, the multinational technology company, has received the approval from America‘s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deploy 3,236 internet satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO) and to provide the US with satellite-based broadband services. The project, named Kuiper, was first announced last spring with the intent to build a LEO satellite constellation that would have the potential to provide cost-effective broadband services to unserved and underserved communities around the world. A project of this magnitude requires a great amount of resources, therefore Amazon will invest more than $10 billion in the project. This investment will not only provide broadband services, but will also create workplaces and infrastructure around the United States. Dave Limp, senior VP at Amazon, commented: “There are still too many places where broadband access is unreliable or where it doesn’t exist at all. Kuiper will change that. Our $10 billion investment will create jobs and…
The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted industries and businesses all across the globe and has brought the world economy to a halt, with millions of people placed under lockdown. With most of society working and studying from home, the need for technology has increased considerably, and the significant rise in the use of digital tools during social distancing has put the telecommunications sector at the forefront in facilitating the situation. What kind of impact has Covid-19 had on the telecom sector? Now that the global supply chain has been thrown into chaos and the work-from-home concept has become the “new normal“, the need of remote communication has risen significantly so as to ensure business continuity. The telecommunication sector is witnessing significantly higher demands, as they play a key role in facilitating the connectivity required by customers implementing these essential digital tools . Rise of demand for Telco services…
Deutsche Telekom hits 50% 5G population coverage Deutsche Telekom, the largest German telecommunications company, has expanded its 5G connectivity to 3,000 towns across all German states. A total of 18,000 antennas, out of the 30,000 already installed, have been upgraded to support 5G services in the last 5 weeks, and as a result, 50% of Germany‘s population now has 5G coverage. Walter Goldenits, Head of Technology, commented: “The 50 percent is no reason for us to rest on our laurels. The 5G rollout continues with the same intensity. Two thirds of the population are our next target. And we want to achieve this too this year.” Read more at https://tinyurl.com/y4z6fd2m Google Cloud and Orange announce their collaboration Google Cloud and Orange announced that they are partnering up for data, AI and edge computing development. The two companies plan on transforming Orange’s IT infrastructure, developing future cloud services, improving operational efficiency…
Contributed by Maor Efrati, CTO at monogoto My generation grew up in the early days of the internet and global connectivity. The only truly global network was the phone network. Any content or other service was provided by a local operator. We saw the internet as a global network but mostly as a way to share and access information. A huge revolution parallel to the WWW was the OTT ‘over the top’. It’s not an information revolution but a brand new business model for a whole new set of companies to become a service provider without a physical connection to the consumer. OTT has revolutionized the way many businesses operate. In the early 2000s, operators and service providers generated most of their income from all kinds of content: TV, Voice, SMS, Ringtones, Stickers, etc. The internet brought a new wave of companies, technically new service providers, companies that…
IPFone, a provider of cloud-based business unified communications and telephony services, together with Ribbon Communications Inc., a global provider of real time communications software and network solutions to service providers, enterprises and critical infrastructure sectors, announced that they are making use of Ribbon‘s Intelligent Edge portfolio to ensure that their customers are able to seamlessly work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ribbon‘s EdgeMarc 2900, deployed at several IPFone sites in various states, helps support IPFone’s business customers as the company experiences an increase in its network usage. EdgeMarc devices are located at the edges of the customer network to ensure the successful deployment of IP-based communications services that improve voice quality, security and visibility on the customer network. Also, the EdgeMarc 2900 allows IPFone to easily adapt to the smallest or largest customer installations, while providing secure service delivery capabilities. This architecture enables the company to proactively keep…
Qualcomm invests $97 million in India’s Reliance Jio Platforms Qualcomm has become the latest high ranking sponsor of the four-year-old Indian company, Reliance Jio Platforms. On Sunday evening, Qualcomm Ventures revealed their plans to invest $97 million in Reliance Jio Platforms and to assist that company launch advanced 5G infrastructure and services for their local customers. Furthermore, Reliance Jio Platforms has introduced cut-rate voice and data plans into the Indian telecommunications market, attracting almost 400 million subscribers. This rapid growth has resulted in the company becoming the most successful operator in the world’s second largest market in less than four years since its establishment. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/y9hponyd Deutsche Telekom explores quantum tech with OPENQKD The German operator Deutsche Telekom, in partnership with the OPENQKD (Open European Quantum Key Distribution) consortium, are preparing to research quantum key distribution (QKD) technologies in order to develop quantum-safe data transmission. In spite of the…
The Indian telecom giant Bharti Airtel has selected Nokia’s CloudBand-based software products to power its Voice over LTE (VoLTE) network. Nokia stated that this network supports more than 110 million customers, making it the largest cloud-based VoLTE network in India and the world’s largest VoLTE service managed by Nokia. According to the Finnish telecom gear maker, the deployment of cloud-based VoLTE will enable Airtel to provide its mobile customers with faster, more reliable and cost-effective call connectivity. Nokia’s solution, which has been deployed to cover all 22 telecom service areas in India, uses commercial, off-the-shelf IT hardware with cloud-based Virtual Network Functions (VNFs). Nokia noted that cloud-native VNFs consume far less power and space compared to traditional 2G or 3G circuit-switched legacy cores. With Nokia’s VoLTE platform, Airtel will be able to reduce its 3G network traffic and use the freed-up spectrum to deploy 4G / LTE services for higher speeds…
Ujet raises $55 million to expand cloud-based customer support platform Ujet, a leading provider of cloud contact center software, has secured USD 55 million in Series C funding to expand its sales and marketing teams at home and internationally, as well as launch new products and features. The San Francisco-based company already claims to have several high-profile clients, including Google, Instacart, and PayPal’s iZettle. Ujet enables customers to contact support teams through voice, email and messaging, and integrates smartphone cameras so they can easily submit photos and videos documenting problems. With this funding, the company is now well-positioned to capitalize on the increased demand for cloud-based contact center technology. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/y8ayek29 UK security officials tell telcos to stock up on Huawei gear – report The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has suggested that UK telecoms operators stockpile critical equipment to ensure the sustainability of telecoms infrastructure, as political…
The Dublin, Ireland-based company AirSpeed Telecom has partnered with Intellicom, an international business telephony and contact center provider, to integrate new Voice over IP (VoIP) solutions into the telecommunications products and bandwidth services provider’s existing product portfolio. AirSpeed Telecom said that this integration will assist end-users in their quest to achieve superior operational excellence and offer an enhanced customer experience. According to the statement, the new VoIP solutions encompass a full-featured business telephony and contact center system that carries voice and other multimedia traffic across broadband networks. AirSpeed Telecom noted that by leveraging the power of IP networks, businesses can improve customer service, increase workplace mobility and enhance remote working solutions, and also reduce telecommunications costs. “Our customers’ needs are changing and at AirSpeed, we like to think that we’re able to innovate to meet those developing requirements. While best known for high-class connectivity, AirSpeed is increasingly offering business-class…
Telefonica Deutschland Holding AG, the leading mobile operator in the German market, has announced an agreement to sell about 10,100 telecom sites to the group’s majority-owned tower infrastructure arm Telxius Telecom for EUR 1.5 billion. The acquisition deal includes 10,000 rooftop sites and up to 80 tower sites, as well as an obligation to build 2,400 new sites (BTS). This move will ensure the company’s exceptional future growth in Germany, Europe’s largest telecom market, where a robust deployment by operators is expected to improve mobile broadband coverage and secure the future deployment of 5G. Markus Haas, CEO of Telefonica Deutschland, said, “This is one of the largest and most important transactions in the history of Telefonica Deutschland. It represents an important milestone in focusing our business activities. We are pursuing a clear course based on our growth strategy. Within this strategy, we are focusing on further improving the quality of the O2 network for our…