South Korean telecommunications giant SK Telecom announced a $10 million investment in the U.S.-based generative AI search engine startup, Perplexity. The partnership aims to enhance Perplexity’s AI-powered search platform, positioning it as a potential competitor to Google in the search engine market.
Samsung played a pivotal role in the German smartphone market’s recovery during the first quarter of 2024, ending a prolonged period of decline. According to Counterpoint Research’s Q1 2024 Market Monitor Shipment Tracker, smartphone shipments in Germany increased by 13% year-over-year.
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is unlikely to demand that dominant cloud service providers Microsoft and AWS break up their businesses or divest assets. However, it is considering several other market interventions to ensure fair competition.
Verizon has entered into a $100 million agreement with AST SpaceMobile to extend satellite coverage across the United States. This partnership aims to achieve 100% geographical coverage by utilizing the 850 MHz spectrum, particularly in areas lacking traditional terrestrial service.
Global revenue from AI semiconductors is projected to reach $71 billion in 2024, marking a 33% increase from the previous year, according to a recent Gartner report. Gartner also anticipates that AI-equipped PCs will constitute 22% of total PC shipments in 2024. By the end of 2026, all enterprise PC purchases are expected to feature AI capabilities.
GoTo’s new AI-powered scam detection feature aims to protect users from rising remote support scams. Freedom Fibre secures funding for rural fibre rollout, Openreach extends network, but low uptake rates pose challenges.
Anritsu’s MasterClaw Service Assurance is now validated on Red Hat OpenShift, enhancing its cloud-native benefits. Aryaka expands its network with a new PoP in Madrid. DRFortress and Megaport have partnered to launch a new public cloud on-ramp solution.
Sparkle, Italy’s leading international service provider, has successfully landed its BlueMed submarine cable in Chania, Crete. The announcement was made during a press conference at the Italian Ambassador’s Residence in Athens, attended by key figures including Paolo Cuculi, the Italian Ambassador, and Dimitris Papastergiou, Greece’s Minister of Digital Governance.
Leading tech companies Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Salesforce have announced the formation of the “Symbiosis Coalition,” a collaborative effort aimed at reducing their carbon footprints through nature restoration projects. The coalition has pledged to secure up to 20 million tons of nature-based carbon removal credits by 2030.
On May 15, the US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to reauthorize the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for the first time since 1992. The legislation, passed with a vote of 374-36, aims to update the mission and functions of the NTIA in response to significant changes in the telecommunications landscape.
AT&T takes a significant leap forward in its plans to offer satellite direct-to-phone services following the finalization of commercial terms with low Earth orbit (LEO) operator AST SpaceMobile. The agreement sets the stage for AT&T to provide non-terrestrial network (NTN) coverage through SpaceMobile’s constellation until 2030. Although a firm launch date for SpaceMobile’s network is yet to be confirmed, AT&T anticipates the delivery of the first commercial satellites to Cape Canaveral this summer.
