O2 UK to use OpenRAN to improve indoor connectivity O2 has tested Vilicom’s OpenRAN technology to make it cheaper for businesses to get 4G and 5G indoor coverage. Vilicom, together with cloud network provider Mavenir, offers the virtualized OpenRAN-based connectivity-as-a-Service (CaaS) platform. O2 said it was the first operator to test the platform and said it was doing so well, that they will connect the trial version to their live network next year. O2 is of the opinion that the virtualized platform would lower indoor cellular network costs and space needs, which it said would become very important to UK PLC after the coronavirus. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y4aepnko A peek into Microsoft’s edge compute ambitions Judson Althoff, Microsoft’s EVP of Worldwide Commercial Business, unveiled some of the company’s ambitions at a UBS Global TMT virtual conference. According to Althoff, Microsoft is increasingly introducing edge computing capabilities. Some of the uses…
Zoom and Lumen advance their partnership The telecommunications company Lumen is already a partner of Zoom, but Lumen has recently announced that it has advanced the partnership further to introduce Zoom delivered by Lumen. Zoom delivered by Lumen combines the embedded network security capabilities of Lumen with Zoom’s integrated security features to actively protect businesses using their combined services. Shaun Andrews, CMO at Lumen, said: “We’re happy to take this partnership a step further by combining our platforms and our strengths to create Zoom delivered by Lumen. Together, we will help keep families, businesses, schools and hospitals securely connected to the world, and thriving in the fourth industrial revolution.” Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y4luab48 BT to deploy their global network cloud next year BT has been working on their BT Network Cloud for some time now, since deciding to focus on this cloud-native platform. BT has Network Cloud nodes in the…
CallTower delivers Native Microsoft Teams Cloud Contact Center CallTower, a global provider of cloud-based, business-class unified communications and collaboration solutions, announced that it is offering a Native Microsoft Teams Cloud contact center through its strategic partner Five9. The integration of Five9 and Microsoft Teams enhances the customer experience by leveraging the collaboration capabilities of the Teams platform and integrating it into the Five9 Intelligent Cloud Contact Center solution. In addition, Five9 recently announced their CallTower “US Reseller of the Year 2020” initiative as part of the Five9 2020 Global Partner Awards. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/yy8klgy5 Cellnex wants to acquire Hutchison towers The Spanish operator Cellnex is eyeing the acquisition of CK Hutchison’s entire European tower portfolio for over $10 billion. It was first reported that CK Hutchison was looking to sell a smaller stake in its European tower unit back in July, but Cellnex plans to buy the whole package…
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…
Verizon buys Zoom rival BlueJeans for less than $500 million Verizon Business has announced a deal to purchase enterprise-grade video conferencing platform BlueJeans, thereby expanding Verizon’s unified communications portfolio and improving its service for business customers. This acquisition shows that the company is also trying to capitalize on the current trend of remote employees making extensive use of online services such as Zoom, Slack and Microsoft during the pandemic. BlueJeans has more than 15,000 customers, including Facebook, IBM-owned Red Hat, ADP, Zillow and LinkedIn. The deal is worth USD 500 million and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2020. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/yd9qtfhg Apple’s new iPhone SE is surprisingly powerful for $399 Apple is launching iPhone SE 2020, the second generation of its cheapest smartphone in the iPhone lineup, priced at just USD 399. The iPhone SE runs on Apple’s latest A13 Bionic chip that enables great battery…
Ribbon launches Next Generation Intelligent Edge portfolio to accelerate enterprise migration to cloud services The US technology company Ribbon Communications has introduced its Next Generation Intelligent Edge portfolio that includes the new EdgeMarc 6000, the latest iteration of Ribbon’s modular platform for voice and data functions. The cloud solutions provider said that its products portfolio securely connects and enhances enterprise voice and data applications, including Microsoft Teams, while delivering service assurance, advanced analytics, security, policy and routing capabilities for cloud communications applications. Ribbon’s Next Generation Intelligent Edge portfolio delivers a comprehensive enterprise edge offering to service providers and enterprises. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/uz95gdj Early 5G smartphone market all about Samsung and Huawei According to the latest Strategy Analytics (SA) report, the demand for 5G smartphones turned out to be much higher than expected and reached 19 million units sold in 2019. Almost three-quarters of such deliveries were made by Huawei and…
The World Economic Forum Centre for Cybersecurity, in cooperation with leading Internet service providers (ISPs) and multilateral organizations around the world, have developed new Internet security principles to help protect up to one billion consumers in 180 countries. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2019, the impact of indiscriminate malicious activity on the Internet can be significant and will carry an estimated global price tag of USD 6 trillion in 2021. The new cybersecurity principles have been endorsed by BT, Deutsche Telekom, Du Telecom, Global Cyber Alliance, Korea Telecom, Proximus, Saudi Telecom, Europol, Singtel, Telstra, Internet Society, and the ITU. It is stated that ISPs are a critical community that have the ability to protect consumers against cybersecurity threats and therefore have a significantly positive impact on their safety. Amy Jordan, Delivery Lead, Platform for Shaping the Future of Cybersecurity and Digital Trust, World Economic Forum, said, “Cybersecurity…
BT CEO: We want to be so much more than just another communications provider BT’s Chief Executive Officer Philip Jansen said the company is going to transform itself into a comprehensive provider of digital services, as it doubles down on convergence in the coming years. The UK telecom giant will continue to evolve its product offering to provide seamless connectivity across its fixed line, mobile and Wi-Fi networks. Furthermore, BT has launched the next generation of its converged products, Halo, that will offer unlimited data and calls on mobile and at home as well as inclusive support from BT’s new team of Home Tech Experts. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y575g9j8 MacOS Catalina: 5 best things about Apple’s new OS for your Mac Apple has launched MacOS Catalina, its new desktop operating system for Macintosh computers, with a host of new features and changes. With this Mac upgrade, Apple divides iTunes into…
Juniper Network, a provider of high-performance networking and cybersecurity solutions, has been selected by the UK’s telecoms giant British Telecommunications (BT) to deliver its Network Cloud infrastructure initiative. This arrangement will help support the rollout of BT’s upcoming unified cloud networking platform, which will integrate the company’s networks, including 5G, Wi-Fi and fixed-line, into one virtualized service and enable more efficient infrastructure management and implementation. This new and more flexible network infrastructure will also generate a range of innovative applications that support services such as Internet access, TV and business network functions, improved voice and video delivery, and scalability. The Network Cloud platform will be built according to a common framework, and shared across BT’s offices throughout the UK and globally. “This move to a single cloud-driven network infrastructure will enable BT to offer a wider range of services, faster and more efficiently to customers in the UK…
EE is the first mobile operator to launch a 5G network trial site in the UK. The BT owned telco has based its testing predominantly using Huawei network equipment, coupled with the 3.4GHz spectrum it bought at the UK communications regulator (Ofcom) auction. The aim of this trial is to evaluate the behavior and performance of 5G technology in real-life settings outside of the testing lab. The initial trial is located in the Montgomery Square area of Canary Wharf, London, where more than 150,000 people pass through on a daily basis. It might seem strange that a practical trial has been started with no commercially available 5G devices, but the end goal is to evaluate the 5G spectrum and to test devices for performance, speed and coverage in areas with traditionally high 4G mobile network usage. “This live trial is a big step forward in making the benefits…