In an evocative change for the telecom industry, French magnate Xavier Niel is looking to buy Datagroup-Volia, Ukraine’s top fixed telecom and pay TV provider. This big move, in the works through Niel’s NJJ company, comes complete with regulatory approval. The Ukrainian firm is a significant player, controlled primarily by a fund run by Horizon Capital.
Google’s ambitious $1 billion investment, partnered with NEC, aims to redefine digital connectivity between the United States and Japan through two subsea cables. As part of the Japan Digitization Initiative, these advancements promise not only improved data routes, but also crucial geopolitical advantages.
Telefonica Deutschland recently conducted a successful trial of 5G RedCap devices, promising to revolutionize IoT connectivity. Offering increased data rates, minimal latency, and longer battery life, this development is one step closer towards creating a smoother and more efficient IoT field.
At the recent Embedded World event, Qualcomm, the US mobile chip giant, has introduced a new wifi System-on-Chip (SoC) named the QCC730 Wi-Fi solution. This innovative chip boasts an impressive 88% reduction in power consumption compared to previous equivalents, making it a game-changer for battery-powered IoT (Internet of Things) devices.
Broadband aficionado, LilaConnect, gears up to provide a defining stride to residents and businesses in Leek and Stoke-on-Trent. It aims to elevate digital living by expanding its highly promising gigabit full-fibre network to over 6,900 properties in the course of 12 weeks. The impact is massive! Visible improvements include swift data transmission, a stable network, and low latency favouring seamless online activities.
Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) has unveiled a groundbreaking service named ‘smart support’ aimed at automatically monitoring and resolving home network issues for broadband customers. Leveraging Cisco ThousandEyes technology, the innovative system will debut with 300,000 Virgin Media broadband users, with plans for a comprehensive rollout in the future.
Telcos worldwide are shifting their focus towards small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) as they navigate intensifying competition and changing economic conditions. This move comes as telcos recognize the potential of SMBs as drivers of economic growth and vital components of local business landscapes. GlobalData, a leading data and analysis company, highlights this strategic shift in a recent report.
Telecom26 and MiWire are pushing the envelope with a pioneering maritime connectivity trial. The eSIM-based service aims to shift the commercial shipping industry’s reliance on costly and inflexible satellite technology, unlocking cost-effective data accessibility. Ships that stick to set routes can benefit from seamless, uninterrupted service leveraging terrestrial cellular networks for up to 50km sea distance, before transitioning to satellite connectivity.
In a significant move, AT&T has pledged an additional $3 billion investment by the end of the decade to address the digital divide in the United States, bringing its total commitment to this cause to $5 billion. This announcement comes as part of the telco’s ongoing efforts to ensure more Americans have access to affordable high-speed internet.
With the looming switch-off of ISDN and PSTN circuits, businesses in the UK will have no choice but to update their phone systems to the cloud before December 2025. This is when the old networks will be turned off. These older networks are being replaced with newer technology, such as VoIP as well as the discontinuation of ISDN and PSTN; broadband lines with a dial tone such as ADSL and FTTC are also being discontinued and replaced with new products such as SOGEA and FTTP (Fiber to the Premise).
