Broadband for the Rural North (B4RN) is making waves in connectivity by enhancing its network backhaul speeds to a staggering 400Gbps. This progress, ten times that of its previous capacity, paves the way for improved bandwidth, latency reduction, and an entirely modernized scope of rural connectivity.
In response to the soaring global demand for fast, secure connectivity, China Mobile International Limited (CMI) is significantly investing in four new submarine cable systems. These systems promise to robustly service the substantial growth in mobile data usage in quickly digitising regions such as Africa. However, as aging cables become outdated, the race is on for fresh investment to keep pace with customer needs and the rapid development of next-gen technologies.
Telxius, a leading global connectivity provider, has been recognized at the 2024 Data Center Market (DCM) Awards for its Derio Data Center. It has won the award for Excellence in Connectivity, providing a state-of-the-art facility near Bilbao, in northern Spain, designed to harness the potential of the subsea cables connected to it.
Etisalat by e& is setting industry standards with the introduction of groundbreaking 5G fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) plans, offering astounding speeds of 5Gbps and 10Gbps. While the pricing situates them firmly at the high-end spectrum, they represent a commitment to enhancing customer connectivity. Leveraging XGS fibre network technology, this pioneering move fortifies the UAE’s ambition to reign as a global telecom leader.
Despite Europe’s stride towards a digitally advanced future, the current uptake of 5G stands at only 2.5%. This stands in stark contrast to how tech giants like North America, China, Japan, and South Korea are faring. While European market figures on Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) appears promising, various challenges, including recent antidumping measures, have stymied progress and exacerbated the digital divide.
ITS has launched the enticing Faster Britain bus initiative, a design tour autour du pays to spread the word about their newly unveiled full-fibre network. The double-decker bus will serve not only as advertisement but a consumer engagement podium, hosting training events at over 70 networks, engaging directly with tech enthusiasts and initiating digital inclusion programs.
In an exciting partnership, DZS and Andorix are commanding a digital transformation by converting landmark buildings across North America into fiber-based smart-buildings. By integrating DZS’s FiberLAN technology and Andorix’s PON service, they’ve not only availed historical sites to meet today’s digital demands but also brought considerable operational and capital savings.
BT’s recent talks with SpaceX to leverage Starlink’s LEO satellite fleet for remote connectivity in the UK has sparked curiosity, especially given BT’s current partnership with OneWeb, Starlink’s competition. It’s speculated that Starlink’s innovative direct-to-device capabilities, which promise unblemished global coverage without a need for a terminal, could be the allure.
Iridium, taking the telecommunications industry by storm, aims to connect satellites directly to devices such as smartphones and automobiles through their Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite infrastructure tightly woven on 5G. The key feature here is connecting ordinary smartphones straight to satellite connectivity.
Lucent W1, a new mixed-use development behind the world-famous Piccadilly Lights, is working with Freshwave so its tenants and visitors will enjoy in-building connectivity from all four mobile network operators (MNOs). Connectivity infrastructure-as-a-service provider Freshwave is deploying the 4G distributed antenna system (DAS) as an ongoing managed service.


