As part of its search for new technological and research collaborations, Viasat Inc., a global leader in satellite communications, has joined the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus’s Space Cluster. Viasat is proving its willingness to play an active part in the UK’s space ecosystem by building a new office at the Harwell Campus, while also providing its expertise in space-based broadband communications to the Harwell community. Harwell is home to the UK’s largest concentration of space knowledge, with over 1,400 people working across over 100 private and public sector enterprises, including the UK Space Agency and the European Space Agency. The space sector, according to Harwell, provides £5.7 billion annually to the UK economy. The Harwell Space Cluster, according to Viasat, is generally recognized as a critical aspect of the UK’s space sector, bringing together innovative enterprises from throughout the UK and the European Union. Viasat hopes to…
Sky, the European broadcaster and telecommunications company, has established a two-year cooperation with Sir Lewis Hamilton’s philanthropic organization, Mission 44, to address the disproportionately high number of school exclusions among Black pupils in the UK. The agreement is part of Sky’s £30 million commitment to combating systematic racism, and Mission 44 will receive over £1 million over a two-year period. Sky has previously established a fund to help Black company owners in the UK as part of its £30 million pledge to make a difference in areas affected by racism and to utilize the power of its voice and platform to address racial injustice. Sky has also committed to a three-year relationship with Kick It Out, which aims to promote inclusiveness in football and make it easier for fans to report prejudice. Sky’s collaboration with Mission 44’s social projects such as grant funding for Multi-Academy Trusts to invest…
With more and more companies looking to gain flexibility, scalability and achieve growth, cloud-based PBX providers are becoming increasingly popular as the top choice in communication systems. The PBX virtual phone system is secure, convenient and reliable, making it a great choice for businesses. Because no physical hardware is required, it is economical, easy to scale, has plentiful features, a wide range of integration possibilities, and takes very little time to set up. If you have decided that a cloud PBX is what your business needs, this summary lists the top 10 hosted PBX providers to help you find the right choice for you. phone.systems™ is a scalable, feature-packed and fully integratable cloud telephony solution for businesses of all sizes. This platform is designed to seamlessly interconnect with any service provider without the need for hardware or software to be purchased or maintained. The phone.systems™ unique and easy…
Google and Intel team up on 5G and edge network solutions Google Cloud has announced that it is working with Intel to establish reference architectures and integrated solutions for communications providers to help them deploy 5G and edge network solutions. To achieve the cloud native 5G goals, the partnership encompasses a full suite of telecommunications, along with application providers, carriers and communications service providers, hardware vendors and global telecommunications networks, with the goal of the cost and time to market required by the telecommunications industry. Intel is already the most powerful participant in the data center hardware market, but is keen to repeat that success with edge infrastructure. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/34fv5aps Deutsche Telekom tests solar panels to power mobile sites Deutsche Telekom (DT) has announced that in the second half of 2020, the company was testing the use of solar panels to power its mobile infrastructure. In a new…
TIM, Telefonica and Claro take over Brazil’s Oi mobile assets in $3.2 billion bid On Monday, TIM Participacoes, Telefonica Brasil SA and America Movil SAB de CV’s Claro won an auction to acquire the mobile operations of Brazil’s Oi SA with a joint bid of $3.23 billion. According to the announcement, TIM will be taking over 40% of Oi’s customers (around 14.5 million people), more than half of the company’s spectrum allocation (49 MHz), and 49% of its mobile sites (around 7,200 locations). As a result, it paid the largest portion of the bid, around $1.44 billion. For $1.08 billion, Telefonica is gaining 10.5 million customers, 43 MHz of spectrum, and 2,700 mobile sites. Claro’s $710 million gained the company around 11.6 million customers and 4,700 mobile sites, but no spectrum. TIM, Telefonica and Claro have also offered Oi a long-term contract to rent its telecom infrastructure. Read more at…
The American multinational technology conglomerate, Cisco, has announced its intention to acquire IMImobile, a provider of cloud communications software and services that manages business-critical interoperability on a large scale. The deal is valued at nearly $730 million, assuming full dilution of the shares, net of cash and debt. The acquisition will be Cisco’s largest in the UK in about three years. The company will pay IMImobile shareholders £5.95 per share and the acquisition of the software vendor is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021, following regulatory approval. The American company said the procurement will provide its consumers with an end-to-end customer interaction management solution and the ability to promote quicker and much improved communications and interactions through a selected customer channel. Cisco’s Webex Contact Center solution, along with IMImobile software and services, will offer a solution that leverages artificial intelligence throughout the customer’s…
European Commission staying out of O2 UK and Virgin Media UK merger Typically, the European Commission, or one of the myriad other state-owned organizations that are a part of the EU, would be involved in the proposed merger between O2 UK and Virgin Media UK. However, in this case, these organizations are steering clear of this deal. The theory is this: because the UK will no longer be part of the EU from the beginning of next year, the EU will no longer be interested in what UK companies do. Even if the EU had not made this decision now, it is likely that they would have just waited until 2021, when its jurisdiction over UK matters comes to an end. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y2n84cgn Telia Carrier expands its connectivity in US Telia Carrier is expanding its coverage in the US, while increasing the diversity and range of its routes.…
Vodafone UK going big on OpenRAN Vodafone UK has announced that they are deploying OpenRAN technology in rural base stations, as a key part of Huawei’s switching strategy. Approximately 2,600 sites in rural Wales and the south-west of England will be converted to OpenRAN by a deadline established by the government. This process will start in 2022 and, as yet, Vodafone has not identified any vendors to assist it in this initiative. The operator wants to be seen as an example of OpenRAN, which increasingly appears to be the most likely source of diversity for telecom providers since Huawei was blacklisted. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/yybbqu45 Deutsche Telekom partners with Zoom Deutsche Telekom has become the latest service provider to partner with Zoom Video Communications. Deutsche Telekom is now the official reseller of Zoom in Germany. The company offers personalized solutions and contracts to customers of different sizes, and is able…
Cellnex Telecom, a Spanish wireless telecommunications infrastructure and services company, and Everynet, a leading LPWA pioneer and network operator, have signed an agreement to deploy IoT networks in Italy, the UK and Ireland based on LoRaWAN technology. The IoT networks will utilize the Cellnex infrastructure in these three countries, and will be dependent on the Everynet network solution. Cellnex not only provides towers, but also has its own IoT management platform. For data collection, Cellnex will provide an integrated IoT platform for real-time management and diagnostics, and the platform also includes the ability to immediately act predictively or preventively, manually or automatically. In addition, Everynet will be responsible for providing and managing the LoRaWAN network infrastructure. Both companies have stated the network will be available for a wide range of IoT devices and use-cases, including industry 4.0 services for asset tracking or monitoring, as well as smart cities…
SIPTrunk Inc announces SIPTRUNK Platform SIPTrunk Inc. has announced the launch of managed IP telephony services through its SIP trunking reseller platform, SIPTRUNK. The SIPTRUNK platform allows service providers to manage multiple customers and service delivery via a practical interface based on cloud support and Tier-1 networks. SIPTRUNK meets the market’s need for a SIP trunk management and provisioning platform in order to support businesses, governmental agencies, telecommunications providers and telephone companies. According to the company, it is expected that by 2025, expenditure in the SIP trunking market will reach $28.8 billion. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y835ctxf UK’s fiber startup Lumenisity enters the market The UK start-up company Lumenisity has entered the market and released its first commercial products. Lumenisity was created to promote breakthroughs in the creation of hollowcore optical fiber. According to the company, data moves 50% faster in a hollowcore fiber, as the light travels through the air…

