The wireless telecoms industry experienced growth due to 5G technology. Telstra and Optus will stop pre-installing Google Search as the default on their Android phones. A MedUX report ranked UK fixed broadband providers. The WBBA urges IP network upgrades for 5.5G and 6G services.
Verizon launches AI-driven apps to improve customer service by streamlining interactions. The European Commission designates Booking.com as a ‘gatekeeper’ and plans antitrust charges against Microsoft for bundling Teams with Office. Telstra establishes a regional network hub in Guam at GNC iX data center. GlobalData underscores US telcos’ struggle to stand out in the B2B channel.
In a significant move, Australia has auctioned off 3.4 GHz and 3.7 GHz spectrum bands, amassing a considerable A$722 million. Telstra emerged victorious, with plans to enhance its 5G offerings, notably in rural Australia. However, Telstra’s rivals also secured frequencies, with speculation around their strategic plans. ACMA chair affirmed the benefits of this allocation for digital connectivity and competition, reflecting the shared optimism of telecom regulators and companies.
One New Zealand’s strategic acquisition of local operations from UK-small cell provider Dense Air aims to strengthen mid-band spectrum. Promising enhancements to fixed-wireless access services, this merge incorporates a significant 70 MHz of spectrum into One NZ’s 4G and 5G networks. This move aligns with the company’s efforts towards modernizing its network, hinting towards a customer-centric future with expanded 5G network and possible SpaceX collaboration.
EXA Infrastructure, the largest dedicated digital infrastructure platform connecting Europe and North America, has appointed David Gonzalez as Vice President of Sales to lead customer growth for Southern Europe. Based in Paris, David brings more than 20 years of telecom experience to EXA having worked at Orange, Colt Technology Services, Tata Communications and Telstra. His expertise across enterprise markets will support EXA’s focus as it extends across new customer segments. On David’s appointment, EXA’s Chief Commercial Officer Nicholas Collins said: “David’s deep understanding of the telecommunications industry, his strategic acumen and customer-driven leadership will make a valuable addition to our leadership team. We are excited to welcome him to the team and are confident that his leadership will accelerate our growth trajectory in Southern Europe”. In this newly created leadership role, David will spearhead EXA’s sales strategy and be accountable for leading a team serving customers across France, Italy, Spain,…
Huawei plans a comeback in the smartphone market with new 5G devices using domestic chip supplies. Concerns persist about the quality of these chips and Huawei’s absence from the Android Play Store. CityFibre challenges Openreach with a faster wholesale FTTH service, while Optus collaborates with SpaceX’s Starlink to expand mobile coverage in Australia’s remote areas. Ofcom investigates O2 Virgin Media over customer complaints, and the European Court of Justice rejects a ruling on the Three-O2 merger, adding to the uncertainty in the telecommunications regulatory landscape.
GSMA welcomes China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom to the Open Gateway initiative, aiming to enhance services and boost 5G connectivity through API-driven single access points. Collaboration between operators, developers, and cloud providers promises new opportunities and transformative benefits.
The European Commission has approved a joint venture founded by several of Europe’s leading telecommunications providers, including Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone. The goal of this partnership is to create a revolutionary type of digital advertising platform that will offer a technology solution for digital advertising, while putting privacy first. The holding company, which will be headquartered in Belgium and managed independently, will include a 25% ownership position from each of the major telecom companies. The platform was created with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union in mind, and it has already undergone successful testing in Germany. The platform will be made accessible to any operator in Europe. To activate messages from marketers via publishers, consumers must explicitly opt-in to the new platform. The only item communicated is a “pseudo-anonymous digital token” that cannot be reverse-engineered. With improved transparency, protection and supervision over…
Telstra to decommission over 160 5G sites More than 160 5G mobile infrastructure facilities will be shut down by Telstra. The local competition authority expressed worries that the installations were set up to obstruct and stop Optus, a competitor carrier, from deploying 5G services. Months after The Australian Financial Review revealed that Optus had complained to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) about the sites, Telstra has accepted an enforceable promise to deregister them. Using the mostly untapped 900 MHz range, Telstra is said to have registered 315 new sites in January, mainly in major cities and rural regions. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2pnvk38t KDDI to compensate consumers for network outages A month ago, KDDI had its worst network outage ever, rendering voice and internet services unavailable to millions of Japanese consumers for nearly the entire weekend. KDDI statistics show that the outage prevented more than 7.65 million users from…
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has given AST SpaceMobile, a five-year-old company located in Midland, Texas, permission to test a satellite that has the potential to deliver cellular broadband access for smartphone users in the US and throughout the world. According to the business, it is developing the first and only space-based cellular broadband network that will be immediately accessible by regular mobile phones. SpaceMobile, the company’s proposed network, intends to provide 4G/5G access to everyone on the world, on land, at sea, and in the air. No matter where they are, mobile customers will be able to seamlessly roam from terrestrial networks to the space-based network. AST SpaceMobile is launching BlueWalker 3, a test satellite meant to interact directly with mobile phones using 3GPP standard frequencies. The FCC has granted the business an experimental license for BlueWalker 3 space-to-ground testing in the United States. At least…
