Networking and communication

CW EMEA: Aalto University – where ideas take off

In this issue of CW EMEA, we look at the startup scene in Finland. Helsinki’s status as a prominent tech breeding ground is well established, with an alumnus contingent that includes Rovio, Supercell, ICEYE and the world-renowned Slush event. Every startup needs a starting place, however, and for many Finnish innovators, their stories began at Aalto University. We also look at how the Gulf region is seeing some of the heaviest investments in the latest technology as countries diversify their economies to reduce reliance on oil. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Workplace monitoring needs worker consent, says select committee

Employers looking to monitor their employees through connected devices should only to so with the consent of those affected due to negative impacts such surveillance can have on work intensification and mental health Continue Reading

German, Dutch authorities vouch for security of ZTE optical networking products

Leading Chinese technology provider reveals it has successfully passed one of the most authoritative security certifications in the world for its optical transport network products Continue Reading

Eutelsat and Thaicom team for software-defined satellite across Asia

Leading satellite operator expands in-orbit assets to address surging demand for connectivity in Asian region, closing collaborative partnership model to deliver ubiquitous telecommunication services Continue Reading

Solid Q2 results as Three builds 100th Shared Rural Network site

In midst of dealing with strategic merger with erstwhile rival, telco announces construction completion of 100 sites as part of network build-out designed to provide 4G connectivity to 37,000+ rural premises across the UK Continue Reading

Global smartphone shipments decline year on year for eighth consecutive quarter

Omdia study reveals headwinds now buffeting the once unstoppable smartphone industry and predicts times will be tough for the industry until the end of 2023 Continue Reading

Soracom expands partners for iSIM Commercial IoT growth

Advanced internet of things connectivity provider collaborates with Israeli semiconductor division of CE giant, Kigen, Murat and Quectel to accelerate iSIM deployments Continue Reading

Zoom eyes up European opportunities

Zoom boasts a range of communications and collaboration products, and this portfolio is evolving into a broader-based business platform of interest to the enterprise market, with Europe set to be centre stage in this evolution Continue Reading

Vodafone teams with DCC to upgrade Britain’s smart meter system

UK operator provides 4G and IoT expertise to help company responsible for overseeing and managing the UK’s smart meter infrastructure deliver on strategy to develop, manage and optimise energy assets Continue Reading

Network modernization benefits and challenges

The benefits of network modernization include better visibility and automated configuration. The challenges include integration with existing tools and cost concerns. Continue Reading

UK government explores plan to open £160m satellite broadband fund

Second UK government connectivity funding announcement in two days sees plan to expand space-based broadband and 5G coverage for remote areas Continue Reading

UK altnets make further advances in gigabit

CityFibre passes 1,000km reach in growing south coast of England region, while independent mobile phone retailer to offer Welsh provider Ogi’s ultrafast full-fibre broadband and voice packages in its high street stores Continue Reading

Virgin Media O2 claims UK 5G SA private network first

Low-cost plug-and-play private network launched to unlock connectivity for industries whenever and wherever they need it Continue Reading

Scotland’s most remote emergency services connected by 4G coverage

Operator reveals role in partnership to deliver hitherto unavailable 4G coverage across the Highlands and Islands to help close signal blackspots and connect emergency services across the most remote areas of Scotland Continue Reading

Improved rural connectivity could add £65bn to UK economy

Study from leading operator and economic consultancy points to potential massive economic boost to UK rural communities through increased digital connectivity and if long-standing obstacles are removed Continue Reading

Vodafone, Nokia team to introduce business-focused converged charging

Cloud-based system designed to support operator’s business arm’s move towards digital services Continue Reading

Two million more Australian households ready to upgrade to nbn 

Australia’s national broadband network on track to enable up to 10 million premises, or up to 90% of homes and businesses, to access wholesale download speeds of 500Mbps to near 1Gbps by the end of 2025 Continue Reading

UK government announces 5G Innovation Regions fund

Applications now open for £40m financing designed to unlock 5G benefits across the UK with aim of sparking local ‘digital revolutions’ and pioneer digital connectivity for residents and businesses Continue Reading

Investment flows towards Nile to redefine enterprise networks

Latest funding round designed to allow next-generation enterprise network provider to accelerate market expansion amid growing global customer demand Continue Reading

Mobile satellite connectivity soars for Eutelsat across fiscal year

Financial year sees leading satellite operator bring into service three new craft, and also sees it justify business pivot to supporting fast-growing space connectivity sector Continue Reading

Telia president and CEO Allison Kirkby to take over as BT chief executive

CEO of leading Baltics and Nordics telco to take the reins at BT Group in early 2024, offering support for current business strategy and next phase of development Continue Reading

Sateliot, Telefónica claim 5G first for roaming connection from space

Low-earth orbit 5G IoT satellite constellation provider teams with Spain-based global telco to extend cellular network roaming to space in test supervised by European Space Agency Continue Reading

Baicells, Alef, Sky Packets team to take LTE networks across unserved communities

Community connectivity programme takes advantage of funding options and Private CBRS networks to deliver affordable broadband and digital equity for the unconnected Continue Reading

How to calculate video conferencing bandwidth requirements

Image motion, frame rates and screen resolution often dictate video conferencing bandwidth requirements. Learn four steps to address remote and office video call bandwidth needs. Continue Reading

Fibre growth drives revenue uptick but BT sees broadband losses in first quarter

BT posts first-quarter 2024 results vindicating strategy of focus on core networks and benefit of inflation-linked price rises, but broadband division sees overall fall in customers Continue Reading

Church of England gives blessing to Vodafone Open RAN to boost rural mobile

Leading UK operator joins hands with church to improve 4G mobile coverage in rural UK locations Continue Reading

European Commission starts investigation into Microsoft Teams bundling

The commission will investigate if the bundling of Microsoft’s collaboration software with its office productivity suite breaks competition rules Continue Reading

Smallsat market defies challenges to fly higher

Research finds that despite supply challenges and market leader moving to larger form factors, small-form satellite market keeps growing in all metrics due to increasing government investments and new commercial entrants Continue Reading

Xcel Energy deploys Nokia private LTE for US grid modernisation

Comms tech provider’s private LTE network technologies to see use in supporting new levels of automation Continue Reading

Community Fibre gigabit broadband network passes a million London homes

UK capital’s largest 100% full-fibre broadband provider passes seven figures in its bid to offer over two million residential properties the ability to access its gigabit services Continue Reading

ETSI launches OpenSlice group to deliver mobile network slicing as a service

Association for ICT development, ratification and testing of standards introduces software development group for dedicated portions of mobile networks Continue Reading

EE and Three make strides, but no clear leader in UK 5G stakes

Latest figures from mobile network testing experts find UK consumers are the clear winners to emerge from continued 5G competition, though two players stand out in terms of download speeds Continue Reading

eero reveals Communities spirit for indoor connectivity

As multi-dwelling population rises, so do connectivity needs, and technology firm unveils purpose-built network management tool for managed properties designed to make it easier to deploy and manage mesh Wi-Fi Continue Reading

Digital transformation to drive tenfold rise in 5G mobile connections in Asia-Pacific

Survey finds APAC’s uptake of 5G will continue gathering pace until the end of the decade, but barriers in certain countries mean the region still has one of the largest usage gaps in the world Continue Reading

Subscriptions dip, jobs to be cut, but Virgin Media O2 sees positives in Q2

Second-quarter 2023 results see UK operator increase revenue generation and expand network with particular emphasis on full-fibre, but 2,000 employees set to be axed by the end of the year Continue Reading

Tetra radio users’ comms may have been exposed for years

A number of flaws in the encryption algorithms used in the secure Tetra radio communications standard have potentially left users exposed to snooping Continue Reading

Small satellite testing gets funding boost

A new facility has been established as part of the government’s £200m funding for Earth Observation Continue Reading

Soracom teams with Skylo to deliver cloud-native IoT non-terrestrial network connectivity

Advanced IoT connectivity company inks deal with non-terrestrial network service provider to deliver cloud-native, space-based connectivity solutions Continue Reading

Airbus extends Astrocast partnership to enhance satellite IoT technology 

Satellite internet of things tech provider extends business relationship with Defence and Space division of global aerospace leader Continue Reading

Business segment boon for Vodafone in first quarter

As it works out how to merge business with erstwhile rival, UK operator posts first-quarter results showing green shoots of recovery, after fiscal 2023 leading to turnaround strategy based on customers, simplicity and growth Continue Reading

Automation, orchestration software fuel network modernization

In some ways, network modernization means cutting manual configuration errors and relying on automation and orchestration to achieve unified network management. Continue Reading

BT, OneWeb demonstrate high-speed satellite connectivity delivery to island community

UK’s leading telco and satellite communications provider join UK government to deliver high-speed, low-latency internet connectivity to island in country traditionally under served by high-speed broadband Continue Reading

Citrix NetScaler users told to patch new zero-day urgently

A vulnerability disclosed and patched last week by Citrix appears to be being exploited by China-backed threat actors as a zero-day, prompting warnings from government cyber bodies Continue Reading

Future Cyber Threats: The four ‘horsemen of the apocalypse’

How to deal with emerging security threats from deep fake humans to the end of secure encryption  Continue Reading

The problem with ‘secure’ messaging

Secure instant messaging is becoming a norm for business communications but it raises three important security and compliance questions   Continue Reading

What the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act means for UK industry

For years, many network-connected devices have lacked adequate security, putting their users and others at risk of cyber attacks. The UK’s Product Security and Telecommunication Act aims to prevent this by mandating minimum security requirements, but what impact will this have on industry? Continue Reading

Commsignia wheels out vehicle-to-everything for bicycles

Vehicle-to-everything technology provider turns attention from four wheels to two, looking to apply technology expertise to solve traffic information issues from cycling and micro-mobility sectors Continue Reading

Government boosts protection for encryption in Online Safety Bill but civil society groups concerned

House of Lords adopts amendment to require Ofcom to commission a report before requiring technology companies to scan encrypted messages, but drops proposals for judicial oversight Continue Reading

Broadband Forum, Fiber Broadband Association team to drive broadband service delivery

Agreement between trade bodies in fibre and broadband industries to combine advocacy, industry research, workforce development and educational experience with technical standards and interoperability expertise Continue Reading

Qualcomm and Meta collaborate to enable on-device AI applications using Llama 2

Mobile tech giant working with social media platform to make available Llama 2-based implementations on smartphones and PCs to enable new generative AI applications using Snapdragon platforms Continue Reading

BT Group taps Juniper to enable services at increased scale and quality

AI-driven networks provider selected by UK’s largest telecommunications group for technology to meet experience and sustainability requirements of network applications across broadband, mobile and fixed networks Continue Reading

Attention-seeking KillNet hacktivists becoming more dangerous

The KillNet DDoS gang seems to be becoming more dangerous, but its primary goal remains to create a lot of noise and draw media attention, according to latest analysis Continue Reading

Project Gigabit ‘failing to deliver’

Research finds half of UK homes with unusable broadband have yet to receive funding from flagship government scheme to develop gigabit connectivity across UK, especially hard-to-reach areas Continue Reading

Vodafone deploys Ericsson single antenna technology to accelerate 5G roll-out

UK operator makes ‘game-changer’ in deployment of tech to increase 5G capacity without growing visual antenna footprint and do more with less, especially with regard to power consumption Continue Reading

Utilities bank on satellite IoT to secure future of national power grids

Global research reveals three-quarters of electrical utilities leaders believe satellite connectivity and technology partnerships will help mitigate emerging industry threats over next five years Continue Reading

Cloud service providers, OEMs, chip firms form Ultra Ethernet Consortium

Consortium formed to deliver on Ethernet-based open, interoperable, high-performance, full-communications stack architecture to meet the growing network demands of AI and high-performance computing at scale Continue Reading

Openreach claims ‘game-changer’ for wholesale optical Ethernet

BT broadband provision division ups the ante in enterprise broadband with optical networking product designed to address demand for 100G point-to-point managed services in the access network Continue Reading

Nokia, Starlink, Speedcast collaborate to drive private networks in Brazil

Comms tech firm and satellite broadband connectivity leader to expand coverage with LTE private wireless networks in Brazil Continue Reading

Top 11 IoT online courses to boost your career (free and paid)

Are you ready to get started or move to the next level learning about IoT system design and technology? One of these certification or degree programs might be just right. Continue Reading

Fibre glides past two-thirds of global broadband subscriptions in Q1 2023

Updated analysis of trends in global and regional broadband subscriptions and technology adoption in first three months of year reveals robust growth in high-speed broadband offerings such as FTTH/B Continue Reading

Holidays and Awards – The Perfect Summer Marriage...

Well, it might be 2023, a world of geo-dispersed user bases, flexible working hours and networks that can be accessed and managed from anywhere, anytime but… still half the world of IT disappears ... Continue Reading

Nexfibre gains £250m to accelerate UK gigabit expansion

UK government-owned policy bank provides debt investment to joint venture gigabit network that aims to offer real competition in growing broadband sector Continue Reading

Can Africa deliver on its ambitious digital transformation goal?

The African Union is targeting a continent-wide digital single market by 2030 and there's much progress being made, but some fundamental challenges have yet to be overcome Continue Reading

Sateliot joins project to bring rural broadband connectivity out of the Ether

Provider of satellite constellation offering standard 5G IoT connectivity from space becomes member of European consortium looking to create a telecom network, bringing connectivity to 25 million people in rural areas Continue Reading

Broadband power users stream more than 2.2TB of data per month

Latest quarterly insight from the network improvement services provider report identifies nearly six times difference from average user streaming consumption among those who use most data Continue Reading

CIO interview: Stuart Hughes, chief digital information officer, Rolls-Royce

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Home Office failures on £2bn ESN project see “significant” costs to emergency services

Public Accounts Committee slams government for appearance of complacency in its confidence over much delayed, over-budget emergency services network and calls for revised delivery plan Continue Reading

Fibre to the fore in data usage but mobile usage continues at slower pace

Study from global policy forum finds fibre outshining mobile sector in terms of consumption growth, with fibre firmly established as the leading connection technology Continue Reading

Police Scotland use cloud for biometric data despite clear risks

Police Scotland confirms it has stored significant volumes of biometric data on a cloud-based digital evidence sharing system despite major ongoing data protection concerns, bringing into question the effectiveness of the current regulatory approach and the overall legality of using hyperscale public cloud technologies in a policing context Continue Reading

Shift towards ‘smarter’ digital life as broadband security, sustainability become key needs

Cisco survey finds consumer expectations will reshape the needs and economics of the internet Continue Reading

Zoom doubles down on customer experience in UCaaS play

Zoom is going beyond its roots in employee experience as it looks to strengthen its position in the unified communications-as-a-service market Continue Reading

Fast-moving BT driving UK fibre deployment

Analysis by leading financial ratings firm shows how UK fibre landscape has changed, emphasising how BT is driving pace of deployment while altnets are still deploying despite higher interest rates and inflation Continue Reading

UK aviation regulators cleared on Virgin Orbit satellite failure

UK government committee clears regulation as contributing factor to UK satellite launch failure, but slams UK government for lack of action on vital component of space programme Continue Reading

Ofcom opens investigation into Virgin Media contract cancellation

As Ofcom publishes cost-of-living action plan update on range of work to support hard-pressed households, UK watchdog to probe operator’s contract termination and complaints handling Continue Reading

Top 13 IoT blogs to follow in 2023

Whether you're a newcomer or a seasoned expert, there's an IoT blog for you. Find out where to go for the latest use cases and trends. Continue Reading

RETN unveils new low latency London to Paris connectivity

International network services provider uses CrossChannel subsea cable to launch new low latency network route between London and Paris with a length of 550km Continue Reading

CityFibre claims UK's fastest wholesale consumer broadband services

UK’s largest independent gigabit network provider reveals availability of 2.5Gbps symmetrical product to serve homes across expanding XGS-PON enabled footprint with potential to enable services of up to 10Gbps Continue Reading

BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Three and Virgin Media commit to curbing telco supply chain GHG emissions

Twelve telcos and network infrastructure providers have vowed to join forces to help cut the amount of greenhouse gases emitted from their supply chains Continue Reading

Top 30 IoT interview questions and answers for 2023

Do you or a job candidate have what it takes to meet the demands of IoT? Find out with our 30 questions and answers on planning, deploying and maintaining the internet of things. Continue Reading

What are the elements of modern network security architecture?

Modern network security is a mix of several elements, including secure access service edge, virtualization technologies, segmentation and zero-trust models. Continue Reading

Considerations for meaningful metaverses: cornerstones of success

Immersive technologies of all varieties are enabling new computing environments that will affect the fabric of emerging commercial and societal landscapes. Crucial considerations will play a role Continue Reading

Alaian, Qualcomm seek out extended reality startups

Collaboration between telco alliance and leading mobile platform provider looks to offer emerging talents in extended reality the ability to accelerate their growth and promote the development of disruptive offerings Continue Reading

TTTech Auto, ZettaScale extend collaboration to launch in-vehicle, V2X service

Collaboration looks to bring about what software-defined vehicle technology provider and open-source communication middleware firms say is a much-needed unification across the cloud-to-microcontroller communication continuum Continue Reading

Satellite connectivity industry to gain even higher orbit

Reports from leading analysis firms predict strong growth in satellite connectivity sector as integration of satellite capabilities in mass-market smartphones marks significant leap in expanding connectivity to remote areas Continue Reading

UK altnets hit fibre accelerator

Fast-growing broadband infrastructure provider passes more than 500,000 homes and businesses as part of XGS-PON full-fibre network roll-out Continue Reading

Vodafone tests quantum-safe business network solutions

Telco announces initiative looking at transition to a quantum safe world, exploring and trialling new algorithms with upgraded smartphones to provide protection against possible quantum-empowered attackers in the future Continue Reading

Ericsson to build European next-generation smart manufacturing and technology hub

Smart manufacturing and technology hub to serve as a collaborative space for co-developing cellular ecosystems and production techniques while reducing environmental impact Continue Reading

UK government to probe private network uses, security, resilience

Even though 5G private networks have been widely used over the past three years, UK government opens call for information on their use, risks and external threats Continue Reading

Berlin ranked top smart city in Europe in 2023

Study finds German capital is the smart city centre of Europe and that in addition to connected lifestyles, such places are driving strong emissions savings in across the continent CO2e Savings set to reach 247 MMT by 2028 Continue Reading

Construction begins on Medusa submarine cable system

Routing on construction of submarine cable system to establish crucial connections between Morocco, Portugal, Spain, France, Algeria, Tunisia, Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Egypt Continue Reading

Germany: European Court of Justice hears arguments on lawfulness of EncroChat cryptophone evidence

The European Court of Justice will decide whether the collection and sharing of data intercepted by law enforcement from EncroChat crypto phone network is compatible with European law Continue Reading

Dassault Systèmes, Cranfield collaborate on 3DExperience centre of excellence

Partnership between tech firm and university aims to provide centre for experiential, lifelong learning with connected 3D engineering platform to accelerate digital and sustainable transformation of aerospace and defence industry Continue Reading

Telstra inks Starlink first as OneWeb gains Momentum for LATAM connectivity

Further expansion in satellite connectivity as leading Australia-based telco inks deal with Elon Musk-led satellite firm while enterprise connectivity services provider looks to LEO satellite operator to connect remote areas Continue Reading

CityFibre grabs further slice of Project Gigabit network expansion

UK’s largest independent network provider wins £318m in new contracts as part of £5bn UK national gigabit broadband scheme Continue Reading

HPE, BT team for global managed LAN service

Business division of leading UK telco and networking technology and service provider enter collaboration to introduce LANs supporting high-performance experiences for hybrid workers and IoT transformations Continue Reading

How Maxeon is forging the path to SASE

Maxeon Solar Technologies is building out its security service edge capabilities with an eye on a SASE implementation that combines best of breed offerings from different suppliers Continue Reading

Why a service mesh may not be for everyone

Choose carefully when considering best practices and approaches to software-defined network optimisation, to avoid adding complexity Continue Reading

How data is beating heart disease

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how a new data strategy is helping the British Heart Foundation to raise money and support medical research. We examine the benefits of using AI in advanced malware detection. And we reveal why the Information Commissioner is under fire for weak responses to serious data breaches. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

OneWeb expands commercial service across Europe, US

Satellite connectivity services provider announces coverage of for the majority of the US and expands reach with 37 new countries in Europe added to footprint Continue Reading

Next-generation mobile lands on Channel Islands with Jersey Telecom

Next-generation mobile comes to customers of largest telco on Channel Islands with 5G infrastructure using RAN, transport and cloud core to offer enhanced mobile connectivity Continue Reading