Ex-Vodafone CEO Nick Read joins global fiber giant EXA Infrastructure as chairman, offering leadership to drive strategic network expansion and commercial growth in the rapidly evolving telecom industry.
Norway’s top telecom operator, Telenor, joins forces with Hafslund, HitecVision, and Analysys Mason to create the nation’s most secure commercial data center operator, focusing on sustainable solutions and critical data storage. The collaboration addresses national security concerns and promotes energy-efficient data centers with heat recycling potential.
BT launches a campaign for their Digital Voice Service, aiming to replace analogue landlines with VoIP technology in a “once-in-a-generation upgrade.” The project targets a simple switch for most customers, with a comprehensive education and reassurance strategy to address concerns.
KPN acquires Primevest Capital Partners’ fibre infrastructure, extending coverage to 127,000 homes in major Dutch cities, as it aims to cover 80% of the Netherlands by 2026 and enhance customer experience.
Virgin Media O2 extends its RAN deal with Nokia, enhancing 4G and 5G coverage in the UK, while exploring potential 5G cloud RAN pilots. This partnership diversifies vendors and supports the nation’s digital transformation.
Hyperoptic announces over 100 layoffs, with plans to reassign 40 network build engineers to customer-focused roles amid growing competition and economic pressures in the UK fibre market. Industry consolidation seems inevitable as rival networks face similar challenges.
The EU’s messaging around “high-risk” vendors hints at a potential ban on Huawei and ZTE, urging members to accelerate their removal from 5G networks. As the EU Commission pushes for swift implementation, the debate on security risks and dependencies intensifies.
Telekom Austria advances in spinning off its towers business, appointing Ivo Ivanovski and Lars Mosdorf as future leaders. Tasked with preparing a Vienna listing in H2, the duo will oversee 12,900 towers potentially worth billions, enhancing Telekom Austria’s asset monetization.
BT’s Digital Unit achieves a milestone as the first telco to complete the EDM Council cloud assessment, paving the way for efficient data management and strategic cloud implementations while ensuring data protection and control.
EU Contemplates 5G Vendor Ban Amid Huawei Funding Debate The European Union is debating whether to ban certain companies from their 5G networks due to security concerns. Huawei, the company most affected by the potential ban, is receiving funding of around €3.89 million from the EU for research in areas like 6G, AI, and cloud computing under the Horizon Europe research program. Horizon Europe is the EU’s main research and innovation initiative, with a proposed budget of €12.8 billion in 2024. The EU is worried about member countries, especially Germany, being slow to restrict the use of “high-risk” vendors. Analysts suggest that stricter measures from Germany would greatly impact Huawei’s presence in Europe. Read the full article European Commission Targets Google’s Adtech Dominance with Statement of Objections The European Commission has raised concerns about Google’s control of the digital advertising ecosystem and issued a Statement of Objections against the tech…
