PCCW has finalized an agreement to sell a 40% stake in its fibre business to China Merchants Group, a state-owned investor, for $870 million. The Hong Kong telecommunications company had been in talks with various potential buyers for months, but officially signed with the Chinese firm.
In a significant move to bolster its presence in Europe, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced a substantial investment of €7.8 billion into the AWS European Sovereign Cloud project, extending through 2040. This initiative, unveiled last October, aims to establish an autonomous cloud infrastructure within the European Union (EU), operated independently to ensure data sovereignty for European customers.
Epsilon Telecommunications (Epsilon), a global interconnectivity provider, has been chosen by Moratelindo, one of the largest telecommunications infrastructure and network providers in Indonesia, to connect customers to a global ecosystem of Internet Exchanges (IXs) via Remote Peering. This partnership enables Moratelindo’s enterprise customers, carriers and service providers to extend their network reach and improve content and application performance in the U.S., Europe, Hong Kong, Japan and rest of the world.
Meta is ambitiously positioning itself to become the world’s top AI company, co-aligned with an increase in AI spending. The tech giant’s latest earnings reveal a climbing revenue and expenses, inciting mixed responses from investors. The landscape of optimistic forecasts and increased capital expenditures seems less rosy weighed against lower than expected Q2 revenue forecasts and significant investments into AI infrastructure. CEO Mark Zuckerberg points to an aggressive AI research expansion being instrumental in the fierce race against competitors OpenAI and Microsoft.
The demand for data centers is soaring due to edge services and generative AI. Nokia’s first-quarter results showed a 19% drop in sales but a notable 52% profit increase. Telesystem has launched new cybersecurity bundles featuring updated Employee Security Awareness Training. Utility companies are using GIS technology to address infrastructure, workforce, and demand challenges.
In a bold move, Microsoft has announced a hefty $2.1 billion investment in Spanish AI and Cloud infrastructure, sparking an unparalleled alliance with the Spanish government. The aim is to enhance citizen services, spark AI innovation and bolster national cybersecurity. Beyond the technological edge, this venture could also boost Spain’s GDP by €8.4 billion and generate around 69,000 jobs by 2030.
Airtel Africa is redefining its enterprise, anticipating to leverage Africa’s burgeoning digital sector with the advent of its novel fibre wholesaler, Telesonic. The subsidiary will harness the power of Airtel’s vast terrestrial fibre network, bolstered by the firm’s stake in the pan-African submarine cable, 2Africa.
In the narrative of AI revolution, the telecom sector often remains overshadowed. Juniper’s ‘Top 10 Telco Trends 2024’, highlights how AI dominates even in this crossroads digital landscape. However, a critical question evolves – is our telecom infrastructure ready to steer the AI wave? As we plan to create AI-powered golden era, it’s imperative that our static infrastructures are fit for purpose to manage this data deluge.
In the ongoing debate over Big Tech’s ‘fair share’ contribution to telecom infrastructures, new findings from the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications call into question the validity of the argument. BIPT concludes attributing Big Tech solely for data streams might be over simplistic, citing investments made by Content Application Providers in broader infrastructures. The study raises important concerns about the potential negative impact for end-users, small local CAPs, and the principle of net neutrality.
BT unveils Global Fabric – a pioneering network-as-a-service product bridging various cloud environments. Flaunting adaptability and cost-effectiveness, this tool empowers users with the liberty to select and manage data transit routes. Uniquely functioning on AI-backed digital orchestration, Global Fabric predicts an enhanced application experience. BT envisages this as the future of connectivity, harboring better cost efficiencies, heightened application performance, while maintaining a robust defense against cyber threats. Its introduction holds substantial potential to revolutionize the network management market.
