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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has put forward a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that gives airlines an additional year, until February 1, 2024, to address faulty altimeters in their aircraft.    These altimeters, which measure an airplane’s height above the earth’s surface, are present on 7,993 planes registered in the United States. The FAA believes that 180 of these altimeters will need to be completely replaced, while 820 will need filters added to comply with the proposed modification requirement. This upgrade is expected to cost a total of $26 million.   The ruling is part of a settlement reached between the aviation and cellular sectors after AT&T and Verizon paid $69 billion for C-Band spectrum licenses. Airplane altimeters typically operate in the 4.2 – 4.4 GHz frequency, but certain altimeters cannot filter out 5G signals from the carriers’ spectrum in the 3.7-3.98 GHz range.   The FAA is therefore…

The UK government has announced a £110 million investment in research and development for next-generation wireless technology and telecoms security, with a focus on 5G and 6G. This investment is intended to enhance the UK’s position as a global leader in telecoms research and development.   As part of this investment, three top UK universities – the University of York, the University of Bristol, and the University of Surrey – will each receive £28 million to collaborate with major telecoms companies  such as Nokia, Ericsson, and Samsung to develop and create future networks such as 6G. This follows Ericsson and Samsung’s recent announcement to establish 6G research labs in the UK. The investment will also aid in the deployment of ultrafast 5G by making it easier for new companies to enter the market.   The universities will work with world-class UK academics and industry players to ensure that future network…

Amazon Web Services awarded $724M cloud contract The US Navy has issued a single contract to Amazon Web Services (AWS) potentially worth $723.9 million. Under a five-year enterprise software license (ESL) agreement, AWS will provide the Department of the Navy access to AWS’ commercial cloud environment, including training, certification courses and professional services from the cloud provider. The ESL includes work to be performed from December 2022 through to December 2028. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/5ynmx3at Infovista unveils its 360° Assurance solution for VoLTE and VoNR Infovista, a global leader in network lifecycle automation, has introduced its 360° Assurance for VoLTE/VoNR solution. This advancement will equip mobile voice service providers with a comprehensive, end-to-end solution to ensure a better customer experience when using voice services. Infovista’s 360° Assurance for VoLTE/VoNR solution is designed to address specific problems that service providers face when assuring VoLTE and VoNR services, including detecting and resolving one-way…

BT, the UK’s largest telecommunications company, has announced plans to restructure its business by consolidating its Global and Enterprise divisions into a single unit called BT Business. The aim of this move is to cut costs and improve the performance of underperforming businesses.    As part of this restructuring, BT will eliminate various product portfolios and management and support positions, with the goal of saving £100 million by 2025. The combination of the two divisions is expected to increase simplicity by eliminating unnecessary duplication and allowing the company to offer a single service to both corporate and public sector clients.   This restructuring comes after the company announced in April that it would rebrand all of its consumer operations as EE, with BT becoming the flagship brand for its corporate units. In addition, the enterprise division has experienced a series of poor quarters, with a 23% drop in the first…

Fusion Connect launches Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams Fusion Connect, a global Managed Communication Service Provider (MCSP), now offers Microsoft Teams Operator Connect. This new solution ensures the availability of the platform and services, backed by Fusion Connect’s complete service guarantee. With this offering, customers can use Microsoft Teams to make direct calls to mobile devices and landlines using dedicated local phone numbers that can be accessed from any device. By partnering with Fusion Connect for Microsoft Teams calling services, businesses can more fully integrate their use of Microsoft 365 services and benefit from enhanced collaboration, continuity and workforce management capabilities. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2tcuw5p4 University of Surrey to research greener telecom networks The University of Surrey has secured a £12 million grant to research the development of more sustainable and resilient telecommunications networks. The 5/6G Innovation Centre at the University of Surrey will act as the project manager for…

A multibillion-dollar merger between Shaw Communications and Rogers Communications Inc., two of the biggest telecommunications businesses in Canada, was officially rejected by the federal industry minister.   “Today, I officially denied that request. My decision formally closes that chapter of the original proposed transaction,” said Canadian Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne.   The US$19 billion merger between the two businesses was revealed in March, but it was met with opposition because it may limit consumer choice and drive up mobile costs. Shaw’s wireless spectrum licenses would have been completely transferred to Rogers as a result of the acquisition.   Shaw’s ownership of Freedom Mobile has been largely viewed as the biggest impediment to the deal’s ratification. Videotron, located in Montreal, agreed to purchase it for $2.1 billion earlier this year. Champagne stated that he wanted two specific commitments before approving the Videotron merger. Videotron would have to agree to maintain the…

Following a period of public debate, the UK government has decided on new security requirements for telecom providers. It now intends to introduce the Electronic Communications (Security) Measures Regulations 2022 and an accompanying Telecommunications Security Code of Practice to Parliament before the regulations take effect.   The new rules seek to better secure UK telecoms networks from cyberattacks. Once in effect, telecoms businesses will be expected to follow tight standards around network failure or the theft of sensitive data, with the regulatory agency Ofcom receiving additional powers to verify providers are adopting suitable and proportional security measures.   The government declared that the new telecommunications security legislation, designed in collaboration with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), will be among the toughest in the world and will provide the UK with much stronger measures. They will strengthen the UK’s cyber resilience by incorporating strong security practices into providers’ long-term investment…

The metaverse, a product of today’s Internet, is being welcomed as the next phase of communications, promising superior online experiences in a shared virtual world. Some have dubbed it as the “Internet on steroids,” since instead of merely reading text and viewing videos, individuals would be able to participate in virtual realms thanks to technology like 3D and artificial intelligence. The metaverse, one of the trendiest tech buzzwords at the moment, promises a future in which the virtual and real worlds are intricately linked. So, what role will telecommunications companies play in this possible future? What is the metaverse? The Metaverse – a combination of “meta” (beyond) and “verse” (universe) – sounds like something out of a science fiction novel. And that is actually the case. The term “Metaverse” first appeared in Neal Stephenson’s 1992 cyberpunk novel Snow Crash. However, the science fiction metaverse and the Metaverse envisioned by Facebook (now…

Ericsson to be the sole RAN vendor for T-Mobile Netherlands T-Mobile Netherlands has appointed Ericsson as a sole supplier for the renewal of its 5G network. Soren Abildgaard, CEO of T-Mobile Netherlands, stated, “I am confident that with the support of Ericsson we will continue to offer our customers the best mobile telecom experience. We have been leading in 4G for many years and we are and will continue to be so with 5G. In recent years, we have built a globally acclaimed 4G network.” According to the Dutch mobile operator, the choice was preceded by an intensive selection process that assessed, among other things, quality, equipment performance, innovation, sustainability and costs. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/4szfd6m4 Nokia and LG U+ collaborate for 5G Advanced and 6G The South Korean mobile operator LG U+ has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nokia to cooperate on the next generation of wireless…

Chinese government-backed hackers have attacked major telecoms businesses throughout the world in a cyber-espionage effort that has lasted at least two years and has successfully compromised at least 13 telecommunications groups.   In a recent advisory, the FBI, NSA and CISA stated that hackers linked to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) had targeted and hacked major telecommunications businesses by exploiting simple and well-known network and system vulnerabilities.   According to the report, Chinese espionage is often initiated with hackers surveying target networks and exploring the manufacturers, models, versions, and known vulnerabilities of routers and networking equipment using open-source scanning tools such as RouterSploit and RouterScan. The Chinese government consistently disputes charges of hacking.   The statement from the American security agencies did not name the victims of the hacking, nor did it specify the extent of the damage. However, US authorities did list specific networking equipment, such as routers…