Google pushes further into hardware world with Fitbit purchase

Google has announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire wearables brand Fitbit as it further explores its options in the hardware segments.

China switches on 5G

The world’s largest mobile market has gone live with its 5G networks, and is poised to become the largest 5G market in the world.

Chinese state-linked hackers compromise Western telco networks

A new malware family used by state-linked Chinese hacking group APT41 has been used to compromise telco servers, potentially exposing text messages from military and government officials.

Vodafone announces strategic virtue-signalling partnership

Operator group Vodafone will be flogging the Fairphone 3 to its European customers from next year.

Facebook revenues surge as EU antitrust team revs its engine

Facebook has been on somewhat of a rollercoaster ride over the last 24 hours, revealing another quarter of impressive year-on-year growth, while rumours circulate it could be facing a competition probe.

Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B to Increase Wearables Presence

The acquisition is expected to close in May 2020, according to MKM Partners.

When It Comes to Licensing Huawei, US Vendors Uniformly Say 'Not It'

US equipment vendors ranging from Samsung to Airspan to Ericsson offered a firm 'no' or 'no comment' when it comes to whether they would license Huawei's 5G equipment.

US Operator Viaero Apparently Using More Huawei Equipment

Amid a global firestorm around Chinese vendor Huawei, a small US wireless network operator called Viaero is asking the FCC for permission to test more equipment from the Chinese supplier.

NeoPhotonics Performs to Rave Reviews as Huawei Maintains Rhythm

The US maker of optical components has had a remarkable turnaround in the last few months.

Arista Falls & Suggests Facebook Dropped the Banana Peel

Arista's stock was down 25% Friday as it warned of a spending hiatus by a 'cloud titan' – apparently Facebook.

For Casa Systems, the Hits Keep Coming

Stock plunges 34% after lackluster Q3 lowlighted by Casa's struggling cable business as MSOs slash or delay spending. Plus, an analyst covering Casa is agitated by management's 'reduced communication.'

FCC Could Move Soon on Ligado's Spectrum for 5G

A new report indicates that the FCC is preparing to take action on Ligado's spectrum, a move that could ultimately free up more spectrum for the likes of Verizon or Charter.

Particle Scores $40M to Scale IoT Production Plans

The startup will build up its enterprise IoT suite and add to its enterprise and product teams with the money.

Fortinet Fortifies Firewall, SD-WAN Capabilities

Fortinet has become one of the leading SD-WAN vendors with recent reports placing the company in the No. 3 and No. 4 spots. But despite its success in the WAN space, the company hasn’t forgotten its security roots. Today the company amped up its fortifications announcing its latest-generation firewall the FortiGate 60F.

Chinese Operators Activate World’s Largest 5G Network

Development happens fast in China and that includes 5G. Less than five months after Chinese regulators issued 5G licenses, the country’s three largest operators have activated the world’s largest 5G network.

AWS to Open Cloud Data Centers in Spain

Amazon Web Services (AWS) said it will open cloud data centers in Spain in late 2022 or early 2023.

HBO Max Might Rankle Pay-TV Distributors

AT&T's plan to convert legacy HBO subs to its new SVoD service could accelerate cord-cutting and create friction with pay-TV providers that remain key distributors for HBO and other WarnerMedia-owned channels.

Vodafone Denies Plan to Exit India

One of India's biggest operators has played down speculation it wants to quit the Indian market after service providers were hit with huge penalty payments by government authorities.

WiCipedia: Waffles for Brains, MWC Female Keynoters & Tech Decision Makers

This week in our WiC roundup: Mobile World Congress LA releases stats on female speakers; Ernst & Young reveals blast-from-the-past training program; women are feeling less uncomfortable at work; and more.

The MWC Los Angeles Recap 2019 Podcast

What did our analyst colleagues and fellow editors think of all the big booths, meetings and crowded corridors?

Eurobites: Liberty Global Soups Up Electric Vehicles Via Virgin Media's UK Network

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Blue Label Telecoms unimpressed with Cell C; Vodafone plans to sell 'ethical' phones in Europe; Safaricom has a good half-year.

Jio accuses Indian cellular trade body of foul play

India’s leading mobile operator group thinks the fact that the trade body lobbied on behalf of two others is proof of bias against it.

Sharing, selling and standardizing – the great spectrum conundrum

With the World Radiocommunication Conference currently underway in Egypt, it’s timely to discuss some of the spectrum issues facing the industry today.

Apple continues its transition from products to services

Quarterly revenues for gadget giant Apple were up year-on-year but down for the full year, as the company increasingly relies on services.

Revenues are down, but BT looks ready to do battle

Total revenues and profits might have slipped slightly at BT, though it met expectations and it seems the business is lining-up its pieces for an assault on the UK market.

Samsung smartphone recovery overshadowed by semiconductor gloom

Samsung’s Q3 2019 numbers show improved performance in the smartphone business, but the semiconductor sector remains weak, which contributed to the 56% decrease in corporate level operating profit.

Global smartphone market returns to growth, driven entirely by Samsung and Huawei

Shipments in the global smartphone industry returned to growth for the first time in two years according to the latest numbers from Strategy Analytics.

The killer 5G app will be the one which changes behaviour – Orange

It is highly unlikely the telcos will be able to find the silver bullet to justify all 5G investments in a single swoop, and what we’re talking about today is unlikely to cut it.

Google's Joshi: 5G Opportunities Will Be Huge for Women in Comms

Prajakta Joshi says 5G deployments will provide huge opportunities for women in comms.

Taoglas Co-CEO Predicts Bright Future for Cellular 4G IoT Devices

Antenna firm co-CEO sees a solid market for 4G LTE IoT tech.

Chinese Operators Start Selling 5G at a Big Discount

China Mobile is selling 5G at a 30% discount to 4G – and that's just one of the reasons that 5G in China could expand far more quickly than in the US and elsewhere.

Biggest Nuclear Disassembly Plant in US to Test Private LTE Network

The Pantex plant in Texas plans to test a private LTE network that can use drones for connectivity – the move underscores the growing opportunity around private wireless networks.

The Mysterious Case of the Improving iPhone

Apple's iPhone 11 is virtually indistinguishable from the iPhone XS, but CEO Tim Cook has been 'thrilled' by the response to it in the run-up to Halloween.

Nokia’s SOAR Lineup Tackles 5G, IoT Security

Nokia tackles 5G and IoT security with its new security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) lineup.

Ericsson, Huawei Win Top Ratings on 5G Mobile Core

Ericsson and Huawei are the early overall leaders on 5G mobile core infrastructure, according to a competitive assessment of the market by GlobalData. The firm conducted a detailed examination of 5G mobile core portfolios with a special focus on architecture, market momentum, standards and leadership, support for voice and video, 5G services, migration to 5G, and automation.

Intel, Sony, NTT Forge Optical, Wireless Initiative

There’s a new industry forum on the block, and unsurprisingly it aims to speed the adoption of next-generation communications technologies. The Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) forum is the brainchild of Intel, Sony, and the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT).

Cord-Cutting Bloodshed Worsens in Q3

The hemorrhaging of the US pay-TV industry isn't just bad. It's scary bad. Happy Halloween, everyone!

BT Takes Cash Flow Hit With 5G Launch

The UK telecom incumbent is on track to meet full-year targets but faces growing investment challenges and pricing concerns.

Telstra's Network & IT Transformation – Becoming a Software-Centric Organization

For the Australian incumbent, reskilling an entire workforce is the route to a successful network and IT transformation.

SK Telecom Gets a Slight 5G Bump

The impact of 5G in South Korea should offer some encouragement to operators that are just launching the technology.

Qualcomm Adopts DT's nuSIM Tech for Its 9205 IoT Modem

The companies say the nuSIM tech will reduce power and space requirements for IoT devices.

Podcast: Gadget Zombies & Ghoulish Tech Flops

Videophone zombies. Disappearing phones. Moaning mobile services. Glass that makes your skin crawl. Don't be afraid. It's the Light Reading Podcast Halloween Special!

Eurobites: Eir Turns On 5G, With Ericsson Assist

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Swisscom on the down-slope in Q3; T-Systems forges blockchain link with Malta; Telia bankrolls Finnish fiber rollout.

Qualcomm Adopts DT's nuSIM Tech for Its 9025 IoT Modem

The companies say the nuSIM tech will reduce power and space requirements for IoT devices.

Apple-Led Coalition Takes Pro-US Stance in 6GHz Battle Against Ericsson, Huawei

A group of US-based tech companies is accusing Ericsson and Huawei of trying to delay WiFi 6 by asking the FCC to include the 6GHz spectrum band in an ITU study.

Xiaomi goes Suomi for camera research

The Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has set up in Finland its largest R&D centre outside of China for imaging technologies.

Networks need to be built for IoT not smartphones – Sprint

If telcos are going to back the IOT trend to realise the promised fortunes of the digital economy, are they building networks to fulfil this ambition?

Huawei destroys the competition in Chinese smartphone market

According to the latest numbers from research firm Canalys, Huawei’s Q3 smartphone shipments in China increased by 66% while all its competitors declined.

Government policy has held UK back in pursuit of digital economy

While the investment climate for connectivity infrastructure has certainly been improving in recent years, a proactive and prioritised government is critical to ensure rapid evolution to the digital economy.

Vodafone Business and América Móvil team up to woo IoT customers

The B2B group of Vodafone has entered a partnership agreement with América Móvil to provide IoT operators with international roaming service for things.

Vodafone Idea is reportedly struggling, Indian government may step in

Indian operator group Vodafone Idea is reportedly looking to refinance its massive debt, while the government mulls a bailout for the whole sector.

Boingo's CEO Eyes the In-Building Opportunity for 5G

Boingo, which manages WiFi and cellular networks inside large venues around the country, is preparing to enter the 5G world, CEO Mike Finley explains.

Apple's 5G iPhone Plans May Be Getting Clearer

A new report indicates that Apple could release three new iPhones next year that all support 5G across spectrum bands ranging from 700MHz to 28GHz.

AT&T Lowers Unlimited Pricing, Promises 5G Details Later This Year

AT&T reduced the cost of its cheapest unlimited plan by $5/month, following a similar move by Verizon just three months ago.

ACE to Crack Down on Password Sharing

Taking up a cause championed by new member Charter Communications, the studio- and distributor-backed legal consortium will now try to get a handle on unauthorized access to content.

Deutsche Telekom Tackles Cyber Theft, Cloud Management

It’s been a busy week for Deutsche Telekom, which announced a series of new services that aim to tackle cyber theft and simplify cloud management. Additionally, the operator unveiled a partnership with Siemens to deliver corporate services to German enterprises.

Digital Realty Pays $8.4B for Interxion’s European Data Centers

Digital Realty will buy fellow data center operator Interxion for about $8.4 billion. The deal expands San Francisco-based Digital Realty’s European footprint and better positions it to compete against colocation market leader Equinix.

Vapor IO Gets Edgy With Digital Realty

Vapor IO today launched its Kinetic Edge Exchange (KEX) software-defined interconnection technology and said Digital Realty will be the first to deploy the platform. Digital Realty will roll out KEX in its Chicago and Atlanta data centers first, and it will eventually deploy the interconnection technology in all of its U.S. colocation facilities.

Qualcomm-Backed Particle Banks $40M to Expand IoT Platform

Particle today closed another round of funding to advance and expand its full stack IoT platform into more enterprise markets. The company raised $40 million in Series C funding led by Qualcomm Ventures and Energy Impact Partners, which also included seven existing investors.

NetApp Financial Woes Loom Over Keystone Launch

NetApp is headed for the cloud in a flash with its new hybrid, multi-cloud platform NetApp Keystone. The company hopes the move will help it blast past a bumpy start to its fiscal year that resulted in shares plummeting nearly 18% in late trading — to which the legacy storage vendor holds macroeconomic and execution issues to blame. 

Nokia Hires 350 R&D Experts to Fix 5G Problems

Finnish vendor is under pressure to reduce 5G product costs after choosing expensive components and being let down by a supplier.

Eurobites: Digital Realty Digests Interxion for $7.15B

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Nokia goes cloud-native in Tunisia; European operators look at blockchain for roaming settlement; Masmovil enjoys soaraway third quarter.

Operators Starting to Face Up to 5G Power Cost

The cost of running new 5G networks in parallel with older systems could be huge, according to the latest research.

HBO Max to Launch in May 2020, Start at $14.99/Month

WarnerMedia has set a goal to sign up 75 million to 90 million HBO Max subs worldwide, including 50 million in the US, by 2025. A cheaper, ad-supported version will debut in 2021.

AT&T & Verizon Are Stingy on Capex, Despite 5G Deployments

AT&T reduced its capital expenditure from $23 billion this year to $20 billion next year, and Verizon also reported capex figures lower than some analysts expected. What does that mean for 5G? That's unclear.

Verizon Certifies Nordic Semicon IoT Module on Its LTE Network & Developer Program

Devices using the chipset will be running on the network by the end of year.

Everstream invests $27M in Milwaukee area fiber build out

Everstream announced on Tuesday that it's spending $27 million to expand its fiber network in the metro Milwaukee area ahead of next year's DNC.

Australia sues Google for misleading users over location data

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has taken Google to court over allegations that it misled consumers over the collection of their location data.

AT&T delivers bullish 3-year outlook after a mixed Q3

US telecom and media giant AT&T has reported a steady Q3, with revenues slightly down coupled with improved operation. A bullish 3-year outlook to further de-leverage is welcome news to the capital market.

Deutsche Telekom and Ciena join forces on new security service

Deutsche Telekom and Ciena have teamed up on a new security service that encrypts all data during its journey across the globe.

AT&T, Verizon join CBA in backing C-band principles

The C-Band Alliance said it can now make 300 MHz available for 5G as lawmakers question where the proceeds of a private auction would go.

FCC wants to use state muscle to ban Huawei and ZTE even more

What little presence Chinese vendors still have in US networks will be further eroded by a new initiative from the US regulator.

Telia Carrier bolsters its U.S. network with new fiber route

Telia Carrier has added a new DWDM route between Ashburn, Virginia and Atlanta in order to better serve its data center customers.

Google Cloud pumps profits into Alphabet's bottom line

Google cloud Platform continued to post growth in each of its regions during the third quarter, and saw increased interest in its analytics tools.

T-Mobile feels ‘very good’ about merger prospects

T-Mobile executives remain bullish that a merger with Sprint will close in the first part of 2020.

PlayStation Vue to Shut Down

Sony's OTT-TV service will close its doors on January 30, 2020, blaming rising programming costs, heated pay-TV competition and a general decision to 'focus on its core gaming business.'

How US Operators Could Use RCS to Try & Take Back Messaging

Rich messaging has come a long way since it was first introduced by the GSMA in 2008 as a replacement to legacy short messaging services.

US Broadcasters Move to Squash Locast's Counterclaims

Group involving ABC, NBCU, Fox and CBS urge the court to dismiss Locast's counterclaims and instead focus on what they view as a 'wholesale violation of the Copyright Act.'

Can Ajit Pai Split the C-Band Baby for 5G Victory?

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has a difficult decision to make about exactly how to auction C-Band spectrum for 5G. Hanging in the balance are potentially billions of dollars.

Frontier Hops Into Cable's Ad Canoe

Telco is the first non-owner, non-cable operator to tap into Canoe's dynamic ad insertion platform for VoD.

CloudEvents Hits 1.0 Release, Gains CNCF Promotion

The Cloud Native Computing Foundation’s (CNCF) CloudEvents specification hit its 1.0 release milestone and moved from CNCF’s “Sandbox” status to a more formal “Incubator” project. CloudEvents targets solving ongoing complexity around using events to trigger functions in increasingly adopted cloud-native environments.

Google Cloud ‘Strong’ Q3 Revenue Disappoints Wall Street

Despite “strong” Google Cloud revenue, Wall Street wasn’t impressed by parent company Alphabet’s third quarter 2019 earnings, sending Alphabet stock down as much as 4% in after-hours trading.

T-Mobile US Expects Sprint Merger to Close in Early 2020

T-Mobile US’ proposed merger with Sprint has taken longer than planned, but CEO John Legere spun that as an opportunity to further prepare for the integration of their respective networks. “We now expect the merger will be permitted to close in early 2020,” he said during a third-quarter earnings call, according to a Seeking Alpha transcript.

Adaptiv Delivers SD-WAN to SkySwitch uCaaS Customers

SkySwitch is branching out into the highly competitive SD-WAN market through a partnership with Adaptiv Networks announced at the Vectors 2019 event today in Orlando.

The Telecoms.com Podcast: UK Coverage, Monetizing 5G & Nokia

Scott and Iain from Light Reading are joined by returning special guest telecoms analyst William Webb this week.

China Operators Head Into 5G With Lackluster Results

China's telcos will be hoping 5G provides some uplift after reporting another set of weak results.

Eurobites: Orange Bruised in Spain as Africa Delivers

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: UK poised to let Huawei remain; Telecom Italia plans digital renaissance; EE beats Vodafone in Birmingham.

Harmonic's 'Cable OS' Deployment Nears the 1M Modem Mark

Aided by its Comcast deal, Harmonic sees a 20% surge in the number of devices being served by its virtualized converged cable access platform.

India Court Decision a Massive Blow for Telcos

Indian authorities say telcos owe them another $13.9 billion in various fees. The bill could drive one player out of business.

Verizon’s 5G labs test holographic medical imaging

Verizon is also working with a company called Soul Machines that creates an online, animated human to act as a customer service representative.

Google reportedly bids to acquire Fitbit

As Apple continues to progress in the wearables market, Google parent Alphabet is rumoured to be looking at buying Fitbit.

FCC circulates draft on Huawei ‘rip and replace’ program

FCC to consider process to remove and replace Huawei equipment from USF-funded communications networks.

Ofcom announces 700 MHz and 3.6-3.8 GHz auction with no coverage obligations

UK telecoms regulator Ofcom has announced that the next tranche of 5G frequencies will be made available to operators via an auction next year.

AT&T adds 100K postpaid phone subs in Q3, outlines 3-year plan

AT&T on Monday outlined a three-year plan, following a challenge last month from activist investor Elliott Management.

Amdocs launches ‘future ready’ RevenueONE billing system

Telecoms software vendor Amdocs has unveiled its bid to bring billing into the 5G and cloud era, in the form of RevenueONE.

Adtran bows new switch module to improve gigabit broadband

Adtran announced the general availability of a new switch module that it says can scale up to support more than 20,000 broadband customers per system.

AT&T flogs some European holdings to raise cash

US TMT group AT&T is raising $1.1 billion from the sale of its majority state in Central European Media Enterprises.

Ciena turbo charges Colt's IQ network

Colt Technology Services has overhauled its IQ Network by deploying more advanced optical technology from Ciena.

Charter, Comcast could deploy strand-mounted small cells

If Charter and Comcast were to build their own wireless networks, they could deploy strand-mounted small cells and use CBRS spectrum.

Microsoft snatches $10B JEDI cloud contract away from Amazon

The U.S. Department of Defense awarded its $10 billion JEDI contract to Microsoft over Amazon, the latter of which was viewed as the front runner.

Vodafone hones IoT strategy in U.S.

Vodafone Business last week used the Mobile World Congress Los Angeles trade show to elaborate on several of its U.S.-based initiatives.

5G pricing by speed tiers: Finland's example

What are the lessons of a Finland case study for the U.S. telecom market? 

AT&T, Verizon spar over public safety interoperability

How easy is it for first responders on one network to communicate with those on another?

HPE Takes On VMware With AI-Powered HCI

The next phase of software-defined infrastructure is artificial intelligence (AI) powered hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI), according to Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). And to this end, the vendor announced it started shipping its HCI product SimpliVity with Infosight, its AI-management tool, as well as one-click cluster upgrades and integration with its data protection software StoreOnce.

Nokia Beats ‘Trust and Security’ Drum to Bolster 5G Position

Mobile networks are losing their charm as walled gardens. As 5G takes hold, mobile operators have much to gain, but they will also lose the tight control they maintained over closed, purpose-built systems of the pre-5G era, Nokia CEO Rajeev Suri wrote in a blog post.

T-Mobile Preps 600MHz 5G Launch, Expects Sprint Deal to Close in Early 2020

T-Mobile touts another solid quarter as company remains confident the Sprint merger will get done early next year.

Rubrik Cozies Up With NetApp On Data Security

As temperatures begin to drop, Rubrik and NetApp’s relationship continues to heat up after announcing yet another joint service late last week that will integrate Rubrik’s cloud data management service with NetApp’s SnapDiff APIs to shared customers for faster ONTAP backups. 

China's ZTE Regenerating, but Still Smaller Than It Was

The Chinese vendor's profits have recovered after it was struck by fines and trade sanctions last year, but its sales remain smaller than in 2016.

FCC Moves Toward Ripping Huawei, ZTE Equipment Out of US Networks

The FCC moved forward on a proceeding that would ban some US telecom companies from purchasing equipment from Chinese suppliers. The agency also proposed ripping existing Chinese equipment out of US networks.

Ho Hum! Another Blah Quarter for Fios

Verizon's fiber-based broadband and video platform chalks up sluggish data sub gains with so-so video sub losses once again in its Q3 earnings report.

T-Mobile Joins AT&T, Verizon in Targeting First Responders

T-Mobile is offering new pricing plans specifically for first responders such as state and local law enforcement and firefighters. However, Sprint, AT&T and Verizon already offer discounts to those kinds of users.

AT&T Bows to Some Elliot Management Demands

CEO says he won't leave in 2020, but AT&T is looking for new CEO candidates in the longer term.

Microsoft Unleashes a Tsunami of IoT Updates

Microsoft is doubling down on its IoT push. The company today unveiled a bevy of updates to its burgeoning IoT portfolio aimed at addressing ongoing security challenges and easing adoption of the technology.

AT&T Lobs 3-Year Plan Amid Investor Backlash

AT&T isn’t fully out of the woods, but it has made good progress on its plan to reduce total debt and shed some under-performing businesses. That’s the conclusion of analysts at MoffettNathanson following the company’s third-quarter 2019 earnings results.

Microsoft Strikes Down AWS With ‘Big’ JEDI Win

The Department of Defense (DoD) awarded its contentious Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) cloud contract to Microsoft, which was a surprise victory over larger cloud rival Amazon Web Services (AWS).

SKT, Kakao Settle Rivalry in $260M Share Swap

The South Korean companies have settled what was at times a bitter dispute with a share swap and promise to collaborate.

Nokia's 5G Chip Choice Leaves It Exposed

Weak profitability at the Finnish vendor's fledgling 5G business leaves it vulnerable to a market share grab by its main European rival.

AT&T Loses 1.3M Video Subs in Q3

Company believes Q3 represented 'peak' video subscriber losses as company prepares to launch lower-cost AT&T TV platform and its new HBO Max subscription VoD streaming service.

AT&T to Pitch HBO Max to Its 10M HBO Subs for No Extra Charge – Report

That will help prime the pump for WarnerMedia's new streaming service when it launches next spring and works toward a less expensive, ad-supported iteration of the OTT service, Reuters said.

Eurobites: VEON Lands Digital Dynamic Duo

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: ARM extends helping hand to Huawei; Kellner's empire grows; Ofcom plots next 5G auction.

Ericsson Looks To Clear Policy, Logistical Roadblocks to US 5G

Ericsson's Niklas Heuveldop said he's trying to shift the company's focus in the US from just selling equipment to removing obstacles for the company's customers in general.