TIM hits the 5G go-button

Telecom Italia is the latest telco to join the 5G bonanza, announcing launch of its own network in Turin, Naples and Rome.

Vodafone UK edges in front with ‘wider pipe’ approach to 5G

It’s always difficult to offer a winning position before all hands have been shown, but Vodafone looks to have stretched a nose ahead in the UK 5G race.

Ericsson looks to Metallica for customer experience tips

US metal band Metallica has been revealed as the surprise inspiration for Ericsson when it’s mulling over how to keep its customers happy.

Ren’s back to tell us how Huawei is starting to ditch the US

Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei appears to be little more than a celebrity spokesperson nowadays, but a recent interview suggests the vendor is just fine with its US shunning.

Samsung profit is halved, company guidance warns

Samsung, the world’s largest smartphone and memory chip maker, warned the market its quarterly profit would drop by 56%, prior to the official result announcement later this month.

Churn Could Singe Comcast's Broadband & Video Q2 Results – Analyst

Meanwhile, Comcast's Xfinity Mobile business is expected to add 200K lines in the period, and reach a 'steady state,' Nomura analysts predict.

5G4REAL: These 3D-Printed 5G Antennas Are Cheap & Ready to Install

The expansion of 5G networks will require an unprecedented increase in the number of radio units, especially in urban environments.

Equinix Courts Cloud Titans With $1B+ European Partnership

Equinix and GIC, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund, launch a joint venture for more than $1 billion to develop and operate data centers in Europe for the likes of Amazon, Microsoft and other hypercloud providers.

WiCipedia: AI's Dark Side, Diversity's Baby Steps & the Power/Privilege Dynamic

This week in our WiC roundup: Allies in privilege and power; automation gone awry; no pats on the back; and more.

Why Deutsche Telekom Could Exit Romania

The German operator is rumored to be in talks about selling assets in Romania. Difficult as it may be to pull off, that move could make business sense and suit its strategic objectives.

Eurobites: Orange's Richard Braced for Fraud Case Verdict

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Ofcom looks to help out public service broadcasters; Ericsson demos wireless factory; Net Insight lands Swiss deal.

European connected car arm wrestle swings in favour of 5G

The Byzantine European bureaucracy is trying to pick a winner between competing connected car technologies and inevitably it’s taking ages.

Samsung dropped in the deep-end for Aussie smartphone lies

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has opened up legal proceedings against Samsung suggesting it made false, misleading and deceptive claims over water resistance.

Average UK broadband speed up 18% – Ofcom

UK telecoms regulator Ofcom has published its annual communications market report and it reveals a healthy increase in broadband speeds.

Orange gears up for the Tour de France but no mention of 5G

This weekend will see the Tour de France begin in Belgium and while it might be a chance for some to enjoy a tipple in the sun, for Orange it is a monstrous task.

UK launches competition probe into digital advertising market

The UK Competition and Markets Authority wants to know if the digital advertising market is being corrupted by internet giants like Google and Facebook.

Indian companies to be punished for Huawei business

India is the latest country to be dragged into the US/China conflict as the threat of punishment is directed towards any companies who work with Huawei.

Samsung Looks to Multivendor, 5G RAN Future

Samsung is expecting O-RAN gear to arrive by 2020.

5G Back in Europe's Connected Cars Race After Latest Twist

Representatives of EU member states vote to scrap a scheme that would favor a WiFi-based standard over cellular technology in future connected cars.

Samsung Looks to Multi-Vendor, 5G RAN Future

Samsung is expecting O-RAN gear to arrive by 2020.

Broadcom Set to Acquire Symantec – Reports

A $15 billion deal is in the works, according to market speculation.

DT Rushes High-Priced 5G to Market for Samsung-Loving Urbanites

German incumbent becomes the first operator in the country to launch 5G services, but customers outside a few urban hotspots will have to wait.

Eurobites: Deutsche Telekom to Cut Jobs With Stores Cull

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Telenor toots 5G trumpet; InterDigital joins 5Growth project; Telefónica fights fraud; Orange saddles up for Tour de France.

Vodafone, Three Expect No Huawei Ban in UK

The chances of a complete 5G ban on the Chinese equipment giant look remote, as far as two of the UK's mobile network operators are concerned.

Ericsson and Huawei virtue signal over Vodafone 5G launch

Kit vendors Ericsson and Huawei were both quick to bask in the reflected glory of Vodafone UK’s 5G network launch but Nokia kept quiet.

Walking the fine line between innovation and accountability

Almost everyone will agree the technology industry needs to be held accountable through regulation, but we are starting to wonder whether the sticky fingers of bureaucracy are getting too involved.

Satellite operators defend plan for C-Band

The C-Band Alliance (CBA) said a proposal by the CCA, Charter and ACA Connects would delay getting precious mid-band C-Band spectrum into the hands of carriers…

Vodafone ‘rips up the rulebook’ with new 5G pricing model

With EE claiming the ‘first’ accolade many telcos seem to think is critically important, Vodafone needed to do something different to gain attention; this pricing move might well be an important one.

DT, Carphone Warehouse and Elisa show their 5G FOMO

The 5G hard launches are coming thick and fast, which is causing fear of missing out for some in the telecoms game.

US lawmakers formally demand a halt to Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency

As threatened a couple of weeks ago, the House Financial Services Committee has called for Facebook to halt its cryptocurrency plans.

Public cloud spending will more than double by 2023: report

Driven by software-as-a-service (SaaS) and infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), worldwide public cloud spending is poised to double by 2023.

Vodafone 5G goes live in 7 U.K. cities, including London

In London, Vodafone is using 5G equipment from Ericsson’s Radio System portfolio, and it's tapping into dynamic spectrum sharing technology.

Deutsche Telekom kicks off 5G in Germany

While Deutsche Telekom (DT) is reportedly in late-stage talks to save the proposed T-Mobile and Sprint merger, it’s kicking off its own 5G network in Germany.

BT Mobile waiting until later in the year to jump on EE 5G network

UK operator BT, which duplicates the EE network via its own-branded MVNO for some reason, is waiting until the autumn to offer 5G to its subscribers.

Is Broadcom Readying a Lifeline for Symantec?

The deal could help Broadcom to diversify its chip-focused operations and provide relief for Symantec's recent struggles.

Microsoft Hybrid Storage Device Integrates On-Prem NAS, Azure

The caching appliance, called Azure FXT Edge Filer, provides high throughput and low latency to support high-performance computing workloads.

Orange Business Services shuffles leadership team

Orange Business Services announced it has reorganized its executive leadership board.

Windstream creditors look to halt Uniti lease payments

In the latest cycle of Windstream Holdings bankruptcy proceedings, creditors asked a judge to order Windstream to stop making lease payments to Uniti.…

Ericsson and Huawei Power Vodafone UK’s 5G Launch

Cisco is also providing equipment for the network core, while Nokia is being phased out of the carrier’s radio access network plans.

IBM CTO: ‘Open Tech Is Our Cloud Strategy’

IBM ranks among the top three contributors in terms of code commits to open source project, says CTO Chris Ferris. “We don’t run around with the vanity metrics the way some others do, but it’s really important to us.”

Vodafone UK Takes Wrecking Ball to 5G Market

The UK mobile operator has started a race to the bottom with its launch of cut-price 5G services.

SVoD App Downloads Hot, Virtual MVPD Downloads Not

Downloads of apps such as DirecTV Now and other OTT-TV services declined in Q2 as prices for OTT-TV services ticked up, study finds.

Ericsson's Lindgren on Vodafone's 5G Launch

Marielle Lindgren, CEO for the UK and Ireland at Ericsson, talks to Light Reading's Iain Morris about Vodafone's launch of 5G services in the UK, what kind of applications 5G enables and Ericsson's role in the operator's 5G rollout.

5G Today Is Just a Glorified Add-On

Now that all of the major US wireless network operators have launched some type of commercial mobile 5G service, it's worth seeing exactly how they're pricing the offering. The results are anticlimactic, to say the least.

Eurobites: Broadpeak Raises €10M From Eutelsat

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Vodafone UK fires up 5G; Nokia's 5G factory lights the way ahead; BT to launch 5G in the fall; Google invests in Lisbon-Cape Town cable.

Google is now leading the European smart home segment

The smart home is increasingly becoming normalised in the eyes of the consumer, and Google is leading the way in Europe.

CCA, Charter, ACA present alternative for C-Band

The CCA, Charter Communications and ACA Connects – America’s Communications Association have filed a proposal with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)…

Three UK has a great 5G opportunity but needs to do some growing up first

Three is positioning itself to fully exploit the 5G opportunity, but you have to wonder whether it can deliver the high standards it is setting itself by just repeating what it has always done.

Google, WISPA tout results of study on sharing in C-Band

Google and WISPA are touting the results of a study that shows the viability of introducing shared spectrum between satellite earth stations and point-to-…

UK broadband slower than Madagascar and Malaysia

Price comparison site Cable.co.uk has released its latest data for worldwide broadband speeds and it doesn’t paint a flattering picture about the UK.

Splunk Killers Unite, but Will These Next-Gen SIEMs Win?

Exabeam, Stellar Cyber, and Chronicle announced significant deals and product news this past week aimed at displacing the old guard and pulling a bigger piece of the lucrative $124 billion market.

Trump’s Huawei de-escalation plans face broad domestic opposition

President Donald Trump might be about to find out, once again, that he cannot do whatever he pleases in the Oval Office, especially when it comes to national security.

Nokia subsidiary recruits military veterans as cell tower installers

Although unemployment is low, and there appears to be a shortage of cell tower technicians, the telecom market is sending some mixed messages.

Huawei says Trump's reprieve won't have 'much impact'

Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei isn't putting much stock in President Trump's decision to ease some restrictions for U.S. companies selling to Huawei.

Apple CEO triggered by reports of design decline

When Apple’s famous head of design decided to call it a day last week, there was widespread speculation around what may have caused such a move.

Loon balloon spends 223 days in stratosphere

The operations team at Alphabet’s Loon, the former project within Google, managed to break its previous flight record of 198 days by keeping a balloon in the…

Critical Security Flaws Lurk Inside 20% of Docker Container Files

The container files containing the most vulnerabilities were typically the oldest files and “appear to be abandoned or are otherwise EOL’ed (end of life)," explained Kenna's Jerry Gamblin.

Threat of nationalisation continues to hover over BT

The prospect of a Labour Government over the next couple of years seems to be an increasing possibility, which could be bad news for BT and other telcos in the UK.

CenturyLink's Miami gateway a boon to Florida and Latin America

As part of an ongoing effort for its network development, CenturyLink is building a new network gateway in Miami.

AT&T suffers nationwide 911 service outage

AT&T has had 911 outages before. In 2017 police departments across the country reported two similar 911 outages that together resulted in more than 15,000…

Databases are Shifting to the Cloud, Says Gartner

Database and cloud orchestration specialists seem to agree, as Atos extends work with Google Cloud to support Oracle databases and Oracle expands autonomous database capabilities.

Why Telcos Are Going (Cloud) Native

While there is a fair degree of hype around the term 'cloud native' and plenty of misuse by software marketeers, it is clearly an important topic among CSP CTOs and CIOs.

Satellite Giants Battered by New C-Band Proposals for 5G

Charter, Google and others are rallying around new proposals that would release midband spectrum for 5G. However, the government agency in charge of such matters – the FCC – might be a bit hesitant to engage in bold action.

Why Huawei's Addition to the Entity List Is the Pandora's Box of Telecoms

No matter what the US and China agree from hereon, the dynamics of the global telecoms technology supply chain have changed forever.

The Top 4 US Carriers Have Mobile 5G

It's the summer of 5G in the US!

Three UK Eyes Standalone 5G for Coverage Boost

The UK's smallest mobile network operator is preparing for a shift from the non-standalone to the standalone version of 5G technology.

OTT-TV Succumbs to Pricing Pressures

Price hike by PlayStation Vue and new packaging options from Sling TV are more indicators that virtual MVPDs need to adjust to become sustainable businesses.

SD-WAN Update: 5G Impact Still to Come, as the Market Consolidates

In addition to kicking around the idea of 5G's impact on SD-WAN, Heavy Reading's Sterling Perrin shares insights on how the SD-WAN market might evolve this year.

Eurobites: Nokia's Suri Warns Against 5G Security Overload

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Telia acquires Fello AB; Tele2 audits its network following sequence of outages; Michael Joseph returns to Safaricom following death of Bob Collymore.

Dish Divestiture Deal Might Save the T-Mobile, Sprint Merger

Dish Network has reportedly inked a tentative deal with T-Mobile that could save the operator's proposed merger with Sprint. That would likely be welcome news considering the transaction is now officially overdue.

Three UK Ditching Samsung for Huawei as It Rolls Out 5G

The UK mobile operator's decision to rely solely on Huawei as a 5G RAN vendor means Samsung's 4G kit must go.

The Telecoms.com Podcast: Trade Wars, 5G Wins & Phone Bills

It's a new studio but the same old faces this week tackling trade wars, 5G hyperbole and more.

BT Leverages Open Source for Fifth Generation of Network Monitoring

Telcos need new ways to monitor their services and networks and some are turning to the open source community for inspiration.

Equinix Forms $1B xScale Data Center Venture, Targets Cloud Giants

The interconnection giant has been looking for a partner to help finance these hyperscale facilities for about a year. It found this partner in GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund.

Dish, T-Mobile agree on largest parts of divestiture deal - report

Dish Network and T-Mobile have agreed on some of the largest components of a divestiture deal, but government officials remain concerned that the agreement isn…

NTT invests in the UK by combining several companies into NTT Ltd

Japanese telecoms and IT giant apparently didn’t get the memo that the UK isn’t worth investing in anymore because it’s basing an $11 billion business here.

Google doubles down in Las Vegas

Google announced on Monday that it's building a new data center in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson.

Ofcom introduces text-to-switch

Thanks to Ofcom the days of being passed around a call-centre should theoretically be over, as new text-to-switch rules come into play.

Telecoms industry shocked as Glotel Awards entry deadline extended

Marketing departments across the telecoms world have been caught flat-footed with the shock decision by the industry’s flagship awards event to extend its entry deadline.

Google Maps to start predicting crowdedness on public transport

Google Maps is already one of the most popular ways to plan the comings and goings of daily life, but a new update makes it just a little bit better.

US consumers need more than incremental gains from 5G

The last few years has seen an increasing number of consumers hold onto devices for longer, and the trend does not seem to be changing right now.

Understanding the collateral damage from Trump’s trade aggression

President Donald Trump might be back on friendly terms with China’s President Xi Jinping, but his efforts to kill Huawei’s business produced friendly fire, hitting companies based in allied nations.

Trump makes minor Huawei concession following pleading from US tech sector

Following talks with the Chinese leader, US President Trump has announced US companies will be able to flog Huawei some gear if they really must.

NTT combines 28 divisions into one company

NTT announced on Monday that it has pulled 28 of its business divisions into a newly created entity called NTT Ltd.

ETSI NFV Efforts Gain More 5G Support

The updates ensure interoperability between a 3GPP-defined management system and ETSI’s NFV Management and Orchestration (MANO) system.

Trump waffles, lets U.S. firms sell products to Huawei

Following a meeting with Chinese premier Xi Jinping at the G20 summit this weekend, Trump said, “U.S. companies can sell their equipment to Huawei.

SK Telecom, Samsung fete interoperability test with 5G SA core

Samsung Electronics and SK Telecom announced that they successfully completed Korea’s first interoperability test between 5G Standalone (SA) core and other…

Huawei Gets US Reprieve, Nokia Lets CTO Dangle

The China-based vendor is still likely to face U.S. opposition over its involvement in 5G networks.

AT&T, Microsoft Network Edge Test Boosts Performance 50%

The test deployed Microsoft’s cloud services at the edge, and makes the business case for AT&T’s 5G network, said Ofer HaCohen, director of AT&T Foundry in Israel.

Updated: AT&T reaches tentative labor deals with CWA

AT&T announced on Sunday that it has brokered several tentative labor deals with the Communications Workers of America (CWA).

Microsoft’s white space proposal sparks worries from theaters

Theaters in New York City and across the country are sounding the horn about potential elevated risks of interference to wireless microphones and other devices…

Colt CEO Grivner: Industry needs to push forward on MEF APIs

After announcing a partnership with AT&T, Colt CEO Carl Grivner said he would push for more carrier-to-carrier services using MEF's LSO Sonata API.

Intel sets sights on 5G networks

Intel might be out of the 5G smartphone modem business, but it’s still in the thick of it in terms of 5G networking.

5G iPhone Faces Chinese Question

Thanks to a new 5G push in China, analysts are raising their forecasts for the 5G phone market. However, it's unclear how that market will shake out given the ongoing geopolitical dance between China and the US.

Decision Time in 5G Transport

What's the best way forward for operators when it comes 5G transport networks?

Huawei's IP Update Shows Why US Critics Are Scared

A white paper from the Chinese vendor is supposed to show Huawei respects intellectual property. It seems likely to further unnerve Huawei's critics.

CableLabs Seizes On Smarter WiFi

Teams with the Wi-Fi Alliance on new open source, standard way to collect and analyze WiFi network data and troubleshoot in-home WiFi issues that have been a drag on cable opex.

Ovum's Talmesio on 5G's Key Trends

What are the three key trends in 5G right now? Dario Talmesio, principal analyst and practice leader for 5G Accelerator and European TMT Research at research house Ovum, tells all.

MobiTV Banks $50M More

App-focused video streaming tech and distribution company says fresh round of funds will fuel global growth, further tech development.

NTT Revamps to Form Single Giant Global Service Provider

Japanese operator pulls together multiple units to form a single international ICT service provider with annual revenues of $11 billion.

Eurobites: UK Mobile Operators to Get Dumped by Text

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Safaricom boss Collymore dies; ETSI tweaks NFV for 5G; BT hires some job-cutting muscle.

Huaweigate Latest: Trump's U-Turn & Weldon's Whoopsie

Donald Trump's U-turn on Huawei proves this US president lacks any conviction and will not silence the Chinese vendor's critics.

SK Telecom and Samsung Electronics Advance in Bringing Korea Closer to 5G Standalone Commercialization

SK Telecom and Samsung Electronics today announced the successful completion of Korea’s first interoperability assessment between 5G Standalone (SA) Core and other commercial network systems over a 5G network. This successful result brings the two companies one step closer to 5G SA commercialization.

Samsung and SK Telecom Claim 5G Standalone First

The interoperability test between 5G Standalone Core and 3GPP standards for network slicing and other technologies was a first in South Korea and for the operator and vendor.