In a recent surge of developments within the data center industry, Microsoft has taken the lead with its commitment to invest a staggering £2.5 billion in expanding artificial intelligence (AI) data center infrastructure in the UK. This landmark investment comes amidst a thriving year for the sector, showcasing a 13% estimated growth compared to the previous year, according to Synergy Research Group.
In a bid to promote digital inclusion and ease the financial burden on its customers, Virgin Media O2, the UK’s second-largest telecoms operator, has taken significant steps to raise awareness of social tariffs. The company, with a customer base of 5 million broadband and TV users, is now including information on its Essential Broadband and Essential Broadband Plus tariffs in the monthly bills of all its customers.
BT Group has taken a bold step into the future of content delivery with an innovative concept known as Multicast-Assisted Unicast Delivery (MAUD). This technology takes a fresh approach, replacing the traditional individual internet stream with a more efficient consolidated flow. Not only is this technology seamless for consumers, it also delivers substantial resource savings. Furthermore, in an era of environmental consciousness, MAUD offers up to a 50% bandwidth reduction during peak times, resulting in lower energy usage.
In a remarkable feat of engineering, Openreach, the UK’s leading digital network provider, is illuminating approximately 60,000 new premises every week, equivalent to the size of Tunbridge Wells in Kent. With a commitment to a £15 billion investment, the company aims to connect 25 million buildings by 2026, with a subsequent target of 30 million by the end of 2030.
In a strategic move to fortify the European Union’s standing in the global cloud computing sector, the European Commission has greenlit a substantial €1.2 billion state funding injection. The funding is earmarked for the Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) Next Generation Cloud Infrastructure and Services (IPCEI CIS), a collaborative initiative involving seven member countries: France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain.
Voxility, a prominent Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) provider globally, is extending its reach in Europe with a strategic point of presence (PoP) situated within the Tier 3-built data center of AtlasEdge in London City. This collaborative effort aims to furnish Voxility’s clientele with scalable and cost-effective colocation services, coupled with high-speed, low-latency connectivity solutions. The Voxility PoP grants direct access to over 750 networks present at the London Internet Exchange (LINX).
In a significant step for Deutsche Glasfaser’s growth strategy, it has elected to utilize Ekinops’ Ekinops360 platform to overhaul and unify its optical transport network across Germany. Deutsche Glasfaser’s choice, after extensive evaluation of several competitive tenders, was driven by a desire for a unified system that provides automation in service provisioning, rapid market-entry industry-leading cost-effectiveness.
In a landmark move, Zain Group, Ooredoo, and TASC Towers Holding have officially inked a definitive agreement to merge their tower assets, forming a colossal entity valued at $2.2 billion. This strategic collaboration, originating from talks initiated in July, consolidates a combined total of 30,000 towers spanning Qatar, Kuwait, Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq, and Jordan, establishing the largest tower company in the Middle East and North Africa.
In a groundbreaking move, AT&T has selected Ericsson as the primary supplier for its Open RAN equipment, set to handle 70% of its wireless traffic by the close of 2026. The five-year agreement, valued at an impressive $14 billion, signals a significant shift in the North American telecommunications landscape. Under the deal, Ericsson will replace some of Nokia’s equipment in specific areas of AT&T’s network.
In a groundbreaking move set to reshape the landscape of business communication in the UK, Sangoma Technologies, a leading global provider of business IT and communication solutions, has announced a strategic partnership with UK-based Sol Distribution. The collaboration is poised to offer a lifeline to thousands of businesses grappling with the impending end of traditional analogue telephony, providing them with a seamless transition to a digital-first future.
