In a significant move to bolster its presence in Europe, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced a substantial investment of €7.8 billion into the AWS European Sovereign Cloud project, extending through 2040. This initiative, unveiled last October, aims to establish an autonomous cloud infrastructure within the European Union (EU), operated independently to ensure data sovereignty for European customers.
In a strategic move to bolster its network reach, alternative fibre builder CityFibre has successfully acquired Lit Fibre, marking the first step in its plan to consolidate within the UK’s burgeoning altnet sector. Lit Fibre, known for its vertically integrated model encompassing both network construction and ISP services, currently serves over 220,000 premises across more than 20 towns in several regions.
Cornerstone, a leading passive infrastructure provider managing Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) and Vodafone’s shared mobile network, is set to introduce a cutting-edge neutral host network utilizing smart street light technology in urban environments.The partnership between Cornerstone and Signify, a Netherlands-based company spun off from Philips in 2016, will leverage Signify’s BrightSites Broadband Luminaire products. These innovative LED streetlamps act as network extenders, supporting a mesh network using 60 GHz millimetre-wave (mmWave) spectrum to facilitate 5G connectivity.
In a significant development, Hong Kong residents now have access to China Telecom’s satellite direct-to-phone service, marking a pivotal step in the operator’s expansion strategy. China Telecom has long provided satellite options to mobile customers through a range of devices, including dongles, dedicated satphones, and smartphones equipped with built-in satellite antennas from manufacturers like Huawei.
Sigma Lithium, a leading producer of sustainable lithium, has enlisted Nokia and Alcon to establish what is touted as the inaugural private LTE wireless campus network in the Americas. This groundbreaking initiative aims to bolster lithium mining operations with enhanced connectivity and digitalization.
BT has announced a significant triumph, securing a $70 million contract to revamp and bolster the IT infrastructure of the Devon & Cornwall and Dorset police forces. This transformative deal encompasses a broad spectrum of IT solutions essential for operational efficacy.
Alianza, Inc., the leading cloud communications platform for service providers, announced CLOUDEDGETM with new capabilities for telecommunications service providers (telcos) to streamline migration of legacy voice infrastructure to the cloud. The new access control solution offers a low-risk path for telcos to reduce operating complexity and gain network management efficiencies while also accelerating the path to service innovation.
In a significant development for commuters, the Berlin underground (U-Bahn) has finalized the installation of a 4G mobile network, ensuring high-speed internet access across its entire subway system. The initiative, a collaboration between Germany’s O2 Telefonica and Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), marks a milestone achievement after years of planning and execution. Data usage among subway users has skyrocketed, increasing sevenfold since 2019, necessitating improved connectivity underground.
The US government has taken a significant step by revoking specific licenses that allow American chip manufacturers to export goods to Huawei, the Chinese tech giant. This action will notably reduce the sales of major chip producers like Intel and Qualcomm to China.
UK-based autonomous vehicle startup Wayve has announced a significant investment of $1.05 billion aimed at advancing its development of self-driving cars powered by artificial intelligence (AI). The funding round was led by SoftBank, a Japanese multinational conglomerate, with substantial contributions from tech giants Nvidia and Microsoft.
