Samsung to undertake a structural reorganization Samsung has announced yet another dramatic reorganization, this time separating the corporation into just two units: Device Solutions, which handles semiconductors, and the SET Division, which includes the mobile, consumer and television businesses. The reorganization looks to be strategic, indicating a change in focusing on the highly successful semiconductor market. Consolidating the consumer electronics and mobile companies should assist to streamline the company’s overall operations and improve synergies across the many sectors. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/4e78wsfd AT&T to upgrade US Coast Guard network The Defense Information Systems Agency has selected AT&T to combine and enhance the US Coast Guard’s diverse data networks, awarding the company a $161 million, 11-year contract. AT&T will provide an IP-based Wide Area Network as well as ethernet, virtual private networking, private lines, fixed wireless, optical wavelength and commercial satellite connectivity to the Coast Guard. The contract was granted as…
Verizon gets approval for TracFone purchase Verizon stated in September 2020 that it will attempt to acquire TracFone Wireless, a pre-paid mobile phone operator, for $6.25 billion. The FCC approved the transaction last week, attaching restrictions that would safeguard TracFone customers in a variety of ways, including ensuring inexpensive 5G handsets and avoiding price rises, all of which will be evaluated on a regular basis by an independent agency. Verizon is also required to participate in the Lifeline program, which provides subsidies to low-income subscribers. TracFone is now one of the major carriers supporting the Lifeline program, with 1.7 million low-income subscribers participating across the country. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/jxrh6p5v Tata Communications launches GlobalRapide Tata Communications, a worldwide digital ecosystem facilitator, has announced Tata Communications GlobalRapide, an end-to-end managed UCaaS that enables organizations to provide workers with technologically enhanced, sophisticated and intelligent collaboration experiences. With this new solution, Tata Communications…
Consolidated Communications launches new gigabit service Consolidated Communications has introduced Fidium Fiber, a new Gigabit consumer fiber internet brand with an entirely new customer experience. Fidium Fiber internet will first be available in certain locations in Northern New England, providing symmetrical, Gigabit internet to residential consumers with no data limitations. Fidium provides simple, uncomplicated plans and pricing, with a range of high-speed fiber services beginning at $35 per month. Fidium is currently available in communities throughout Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, with new locations being added on a weekly basis throughout Northern New England. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2m53cs8n Nokia introduces SaaS services Nokia announced the launch of several Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications for communication service providers (CSPs), with the objective of providing operators with a more cost-effective, flexible, and customer-centric approach for running existing networks and delivering new services. Nokia’s approach to SaaS for CSPs is to provide new software that…
With 5G networks still being deployed around the globe and 4G and even 3G networks still in use in many parts of the world, the term 6G is already a huge topic in the industry. 6G is the name for what will be the sixth generation in cellular technology, with a particular focus on increasing the capabilities and reducing the latency of wireless and edge networks. These are early days in the life of 6G and thus far this technology is only a theoretical discussion. The networks of the future will be a key component in virtually all areas of our lives, society and industry, meeting the communications needs of people and intelligent machines. So, let us dive into the world of 6G and explore what possibilities it holds. What will 6G be? 6G will be the sixth generation of mobile communications. It is still obscure what the final form…
OneWeb launches 34 more broadband satellites OneWeb has reported the successful launch of 34 additional low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, increasing the total deployment to 288. The company plans to grow its fleet to 648 satellites by the end of next year in order to provide worldwide coverage. The rollout comes after the conclusion of OneWeb’s Five to 50 mission, and it bodes well for the promise of a commercial service later this year, followed by a worldwide service in 2022. The forthcoming 648-strong LEO fleet claims data speed of up to 195mbps, with latency as low as 50ms. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/cnpshnse Comcast acquires Masergy Comcast Business has agreed to purchase Masergy, a cloud and software-defined networking business that provides a portfolio of managed services such as SD-WAN, unified communications-as-a-service, call center-as-a-service and security. The purchase price was not revealed. Comcast’s goal with this acquisition is to enhance its…
Nokia launches iSIM Secure Connect Nokia has released new software to help operators cope with the provisioning of cellular IoT devices and subscription management. The software, called iSIM Secure Connect, relies on embedded SIM (eSIM) and integrated SIM (iSIM) technologies combined with reliable digital identification, allowing telecom service providers to quickly and securely authenticate and manage cellular IoT devices. The software is vendor agnostic and can be installed in a variety of network and cloud environments, providing a myriad of IoT use cases and business models. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/42kf2tu8 Lumen strikes a deal with Microsoft Lumen Technologies has announced that it has entered a long-term partnership with Microsoft to take advantage of the Azure cloud platform. The duo plans to integrate Microsoft’s Azure stack with Lumen’s bare metal edge computing service, allowing customers to run Azure-based applications wherever the edge network can reach. Lumen will also use the cloud…
Deutsche Telekom (DT), in collaboration with its partners Ericsson, Nokia, Qualcomm, Samsung and Xiaomi, has announced the accomplishment of the world’s first ever Voice over 5G New Radio (VoNR) call in an end-to-end multi-vendor environment. During an innovation test in Warsaw, Poland, the partners tested the capabilities of a 5G Standalone (SA) network with voice and 5G data sessions in parallel. The network setup integrated the Ericsson 5G Core and Nokia’s IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). Calls were terminated on commercial terminals from the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G, Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G and 5G smartphone form factor tester supplied by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 780G and 888 5G mobile platforms with Snapdragon 5G Modem-RF Systems. By taking advantage of cloud-native 5G SA networks, operators will be able to provide high-quality voice services without relying on LTE as an anchor. Because of the high transmission quality of 5G technology, VoNR incorporation…
New security features for Google Workspace and Google Drive Google has unveiled new security tools that include client-side encryption for Workspace and several enhanced data protection features in the platform’s Drive service. The tech giant said there will be new trust rules and labels for Drive to classify files and apply controls based on their sensitivity levels. These added security features are the result of several factors, including Google’s “security first” philosophy, the rapid increase in remote work environments due to the pandemic, and the company’s experience with its BeyondCorp zero trust security model. In addition, Google is also increasing phishing and malware protection in Workspace. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/ygc7yhw7 Facebook partners with Internet service providers D-VoiS and Netplus Facebook has announced new partnerships in India with Internet service providers (ISPs) D-VoiS and Netplus. These ISPs will use Facebook Connectivity’s Express Wi-Fi platform to provide public Wi-Fi hotspots in various…
Five of Europe’s leading mobile operators – Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica, Telia and Vodafone – have teamed up to update and launch a new industry-wide Eco Rating system and motivate vendors to minimize the impact that their devices have on the environment. The Eco Rating labelling scheme is designed to supply detailed and accurate information to retailers on the effects that manufacturing, usage, transportation and disposal of smartphones have on the environment. This Eco Rating will encourage operators and customers to rate phones more extensively and underline the need for more sustainable electronic devices. From June 2021, mobile operators will start introducing Eco Rating at points of sale in 24 European countries, including the UK. The labeling system will label phones with scores to show how ecological and environment friendly the appliances are in their lifecycle. The score will be from 0 to 100, the higher the score,…
Spain approves entry for MWC participants The organizers of the Mobile World Congress 2021, which will take place in Barcelona this summer, have received much-needed good news from the Spanish government. Spain currently bans “non-essential” travel to and from non-EU/Schengen countries. But the GCMA, which manages the MWC, has announced that people who have registered for the event will be classified as “highly skilled workers” and therefore will be excused from this restriction. The GSMA intends to provide the Spanish authorities with details of all registrants and registrants will also be provided with a confirmation of participation. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/35z7nub5 Lumen signs a deal with T-Mobile US Lumen Technologies has taken a major step in expanding its latest edge computing service with a new deal with T-Mobile US. This agreement will allow Lumen to receive access to the operator’s 5G network to reach more of the company’s customers. The…