Quibi: a short-form streaming service to keep an eye-on

A passing reference at IBC 2019 was the first we had heard of Quibi, but it certainly looks like an interesting proposition which could add further disruption to the content world.

Which vendor leads in 5G contracts?

The quantity and quality of 5G contracts are both important metrics for wireless equipment vendors.

US lawmakers want to look at private emails from tech execs

Scrutiny of the US tech giants has been taken up another level after members of the US House Judiciary Committee have demanded they expose their internal workings.

T-Mobile pursues more 2.5 GHz experiments

If its merger with Sprint doesn’t go through, T-Mobile could still use spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band—of the EBS variety.

Frontier debuts its Cloud Managed Solutions platform

Frontier Communications is looking to rebound from a disappointing second quarter last month by offering a new managed cloud IT service.

GSMA lobbies for more and cheaper spectrum

Ahead of WRC-19 mobile industry lobbying group the GSMA has lobbied on behalf of the mobile industry.

AT&T signs content mega-deal with Bad Robot Productions

US telecoms and media giant AT&T has doubled-down on its Time Warner acquisition by committing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars more.

Union blasts Elliott for threatening jobs at AT&T

Granted, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) doesn't usually come to the defense of AT&T, but in this case, it's urging the company to…

GiGstreem pulls in $10M in Series B funding round

Tyson, Virginia-based GiGstreem raised $10 million in a Series B funding round that was led by RET Ventures with participation from LNC Partners.

Comcast puts open source networking software into production

Comcast sent its Senior VP of Next Generation Access Networks Elad Nafshi to the ONF conference today to announce its big step on virtualization of the cable…

Silicon Valley drops the ball on censorship once more

Yet another set of ill-considered censorship decisions by Silicon Valley has illustrated once more the impossible position they are in.

IBM upgrades mainframes to include hybrid cloud features

IBM announced a new mainframe server that's geared towards cloud-native applications and multi-cloud security

U.S. fastest in global 5G speeds – Opensignal

Notably, operators in countries other than the U.S. with maximum 5G speeds above 1 Gbps are using mid-band spectrum rather than mmWave for 5G.

Entner: Elliott’s ideas for fixes at AT&T are anything but easy

It was only a matter of time until someone showed up with ideas of how to propel the stock price, but the ideas are much easier to conceive on a spreadsheet…

DataBank dials in on its data center strategy in smaller markets

While there's plenty of data center action by cloud companies in places such as Ashburn, Virginia, DataBank has taken the road less traveled.

ONF works on an open source evolved packet core

The work being done with a CUPS-compliant EPC relates to the core network.

Amazon Shows More Interest in 3.5GHz Wireless Networks

Amazon is preparing to expand its tests of CBRS wireless networks to additional locations, though exactly what the company is hoping to learn from the tests remains a bit of a mystery.

Shipments of Bluetooth-Enabled IoT Devices to Surpass Smartphones in 2024

The share of IoT devices will rise as smartphones fall, says ABI.

AT&T, AMG's NextLink Fined by FCC for Talking During Auction

The FCC fined AT&T $75,000 and AMG $100,000 for holding prohibited communications during the agency's CAF II auction last year.

Acacia Ups the Coherent Ante

Optical module specialist makes a mark with its latest product that will give parent-to-be Cisco something to smile about.

5G4Real: Singapore's Intense 5G Race

Dive deep into the infinity pool of telecom Singapore with Heavy Reading's James Crawshaw and Light Reading's Tien Fu. Featuring interviews with Caroline Chan of Intel and Rodrigo Beyer Fernandez of Ericsson.

Add Sub-Prime 5G to the UK's Broadband Woes

A new ranking of maximum 5G speeds puts the UK right at the bottom, a familiar position for the Brexit-bound nation.

Charter Is Preparing to Build a Wireless Network

Cable company Charter Communications is expected to begin building an LTE network in 3.5GHz spectrum in select locations where it counts a large number of Spectrum Mobile customers.

Eurobites: Sunrise/Liberty Deal Catches More Flak

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Deutsche Telekom taps VMware for SD-WANnery; Ericsson and Qualcomm claim standalone 5G breakthrough; UK government still dithering over Huawei.

WiCipedia: Tips for Female Conference Speakers & How Women Impact Product Dev

This week in our WiC roundup: Female conference-goers can maximize experience with engagement; girls are the future of security tech; more women needed in health tech industry; and more.

Radisys supports Reliance Jio behind the scenes

Reliance Jio is the upstart mobile operator that now counts 340 million 4G LTE subscribers in India.

France rediscovers the importance of sovereignty in response to Facebook’s cryptocurrency

The French Finance Minister has said he will block Facebook’s plans to launch a global cryptocurrency, citing its threat to monetary sovereignty.

Qualcomm, Ericsson ready for standalone 5G with new test

Qualcomm and Ericsson are flexing their readiness by achieving a successful data connection compliant with the 3GPP 5G New Radio standard in standalone mode.

Vodafone switches on its 5G network at Gatwick Airport

The south terminal of Gatwick Airport is now ‘5G ready’ according to Vodafone, as the gradual roll-out of 5G across the UK continues.

Huawei wants to sell its 5G tech to rivals – report

The latest bid by Chinese kit vendor Huawei to adapt to US sanctions could involve licensing its 5G technology to whoever is willing to pay.

NEC and Infovista team up on SD-WAN for UC services

NEC has forged a partnership with Infovista that included combining Infovista's SD-WAN with NEC's unified communications services.

U.S. Cellular, C Spire get in on latest iPhone action

Along with national carriers, U.S. Cellular and C Spire are among those offering Apple’s latest products, but selling Apple’s gadgets still isn’t a slam dunk…

Rafay Systems launches SaaS automation framework

Rafay Systems announced on Thursday an $8 million Series A funding round, and the launch of its SaaS-based automation framework for container apps.

Huawei considers selling access to its 5G tech

As Huawei finds itself at odds with the U.S. government, Ren Zhengfei, chief executive of the Chinese telecom giant, disclosed he is willing to sell access to…

New California law says Uber drivers are employees, Uber says they’re contractors

A new law looks set to be passed in California that could set a much wider precedent regarding the employment status of participants in the gig economy.

Radio France taps Orange Business Services for IP overhaul

Radio France is giving its Paris headquarters, Maison de la Radio, a makeover with IP technology from Orange Business Services and Cisco.

AT&T on Track for 100% Core Network Virtualization Next Year

AT&T hit a milestone virtualizing 75% of MPLS tunnel traffic on its core network, with 100% in its sights for 2020.

AT&T Intros 'Safety Button' for US Hotel Workers

Hotel workers transmit their exact location to security when the 'safety button' is pushed.

Charter Seeks Buy-In for Piracy Plan

In addition to working with Disney, Charter is urging other programmers and MSOs to get behind a common set of 'authentication principles' designed to clamp down on password sharing, CFO says.

T-Mobile Poland's Sewera: Operators Need to Take Command

Greater control of network software brings heightened responsibility, according to an executive from the Eastern European operator.

Orby TV Links Up With Eutelsat for New Prepaid Satellite TV Service

Launched earlier this year, Orby TV's prepaid offering is renting transponder space to power a prepaid offering that starts at $40 per month.

Huawei Eyes Sale of 5G Assets to Western Rival – Economist

Chinese vendor is prepared to sell its 5G knowhow, says the company's founder in his latest interview.

Altice USA Loves What Locast Does, CEO Says

A formal relationship has yet to materialize, but Altice USA's Dexter Goei confirms company has held talks with the embattled provider of OTT-delivered local broadcast TV.

It's Time to Get Excited About 3.5GHz CBRS

We're days away from initial commercial deployments in the 3.5GHz CBRS spectrum band, often called 'Goldilocks spectrum' because of its propagation characteristics. It certainly appears to be just right, given the diversity of initial commercial applications.

Australia's TPG Had No 5G Plan. Does Anyone?

The legal battle over a proposed merger between two operators shines a bad light on Australia's telecom market.

AT&T's Fuetsch: 'We Really Didn't Have a Choice' on Open Networking

Increased network demand since the dawn of the smartphone era – up an astounding 470,000% since 2007 – made network virtualization mandatory. Now, the carrier is deploying SDN-enabled broadband access as part of that transition.

Eurobites: Telia Appoints New CEO

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Helios Towers reignites IPO; 5G lands at Gatwick Airport; OBS lands IP deployment gig; fiber-to-the-social-housing.

AT&T needs a more effective marketing strategy

My take is that AT&T is getting slammed in part because the company has lacked a strong marketing message and because its brand does not resonate…

AT&T’s Fuetsch signs on for another 2-year term at ONF

Fuetsch took the opportunity at his ONF keynote to highlight some of the biggest projects within the ONF.

Change is on the Telefónica horizon with towers and workforce restructure

Telefónica has announced plans to accelerate the strategy of monetizing its tower assets after getting the green light from the Board of Directors.

Verizon not diverting from strategy due to Dish: Dunne

Why is Dish a better operator than Sprint? That's a question state attorneys general need to answer, according to Verizon EVP Ronan Dunne.

Aussie regulator not in the ‘real world’ over Vodafone and TPG

Lawyers representing Vodafone Australia and TPG have suggested the Australian competition watchdog is not living in reality as it continues quest to force in a fourth MNO.

Apple finally gets the memo on sacrificing margin for market share

By making its entry-level new phone cheaper than last year’s one and only charging a fiver for its new video service, Apple is further compromising its premium image.

GSMA pushes the case for 26 GHz ahead of WRC-19

In an open-letter to representatives of 170 governments ahead of the ITU’s World Radiocommunication Conference in November, the GSMA has pressed the case for 5G in the mmWave spectrum bands.

Epsilon plants an SDN flag in Turkey

Wholesale service provider and enterprise provider Epsilon has landed in Turkey with a planned SDN hub and a point-of-presence (PoP) in Istanbul.

Telefónica seeks to boost funds from tower assets

Mobile operator Telefónica announced it would speed up plans to monetize its tower infrastructure assets, giving itself a 12-month timeline to generate funds.

Telefónica International Wholesale Services automates everything

Telefónica International Wholesale Services (TIWS) announced it has completed its network automation journey across all of its services.

US tech fraternity pushes its own version of GDPR

The technology industry might enjoy light-touch regulatory landscapes, but change is on the horizon with what appears to be an attempt to be the master of its own fate.

SDN takes control of 75% of AT&T's MPLS tunnel data traffic

AT&T now has 75% of the data traffic running through its MPLS tunnels under SDN control.

New iPhones support CBRS Band 48

Apple’s new iPhone models support CBRS Band 48.

Sprint Launches 5G IoT Lab in Georgia

Curiosity Labs relies on 5G for low-latency connectivity for automated vehicles, drones and more.

Apple's AR Headset Could Do for 5G What iPhone Did for 4G

Apple is rumored to be working on some kind of AR-capable headset. If the gadget is released, it could create the kind of cultural zeitgeist that the original iPhone did.

Verizon Promises Overhauled Fixed Wireless 5G Service Later This Year

The chief executive of Verizon's consumer business said more than 80% of the operator's 5G Home customers could install antenna receivers for the service themselves.

Why CenturyLink Bought Streamroot

Streamroot's peer-assisted CDN technology will help CenturyLink extend a video streaming bridge to hard-to-reach parts of the globe.

Telefónica to Spend €1.6B on Workforce Makeover

Spanish operator will retrain 6,000 employees and offload others in its latest effort to bolster financial performance.

Trump's Trade War Has Cost the US 5G Industry $1.2B So Far, CTA Says

President Trump's tariffs on products from China have cost the US a total of $12 billion so far, according to new figures from the Consumer Technology Association.

5G Business Models Still Elude Asian Telcos

Telcos have plenty of 5G use cases to show off but less idea when it comes to making money from the next-generation technology.

Eurobites: Orange & Ericsson Test 5G in Warsaw

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Vodafone goes deeper in Kaltura's cloud; ADVA lands Russian data center contract; Deutsche Telekom revs up its blockchain scooters.

More Towers for Sale: Telefónica's Turn to Offload Assets

Following Vodafone, Spain's biggest operator puts its mobile sites up for review as it tries to cut debts and lower costs.

Podcast: Apple's iPhone 11 & TV+ Debut – the Telco Angle

Will Apple's new iPhone 11 grow telco profits? Will Apple TV+ compete in a crowded OTT market? And why does everybody have fabulous hair in an Apple TV+ series where civilization has collapsed because everybody in the world is blind?

ECOC 2019 Preview: Beware of the Irish Goodbye

The optical networking industry has seen its fair share of customers show up to the party and then leave without warning. One analyst ponders what's going to be different in the next 12 months.

Podcast: Apple's iPhone 11 & TV+ Debut: The Telco Angle

Will Apple's new iPhone 11 grow telco profits? Will Apple TV+ compete in a crowded OTT market? And why does everybody have fabulous hair in an Apple TV+ series where civilization has collapsed because everybody in the world is blind?

Anatomy of an OSS RFI Process

Heavy Reading recently managed a request for information (RFI) process for a network operator – here's what happened...

Silicon Valley-busting Euro Commissioner gets additional digital role

Not content with continually fining US tech companies in her role as European Competition Commissioner, Margrethe Vestager is now in charge of all things digital too.

Smartphone market finally expected to grow again in 2020

After years of misery, decline and shrinking profits, IDC is estimating the smartphone market might actually grow in 2020 thanks to 5G.

Verizon drives 5G at U-M auto test facility

Verizon is working with Mcity at the University of Michigan to advance transportation safety using 5G and C-V2X.

Verizon boosts VoIP service for enterprises with SD-WAN

Verizon has made enterprise-specific upgrades to its cloud-calling platform, including SD-WAN connectivity.

O2 starts making progress in the enterprise services world

O2 might be an ‘also ran’ in the enterprise services world to date, but in being named a supplier on the Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) new Network Services 2 framework, it is taking a step in the right direction.

CenturyLink snaps up video delivery vendor Streamroot

CenturyLink has bought privately held OTT video distributor Streamroot for an undisclosed sum.

US gives Huawei back some gear it nicked two years ago

In September 2017 US authorities confiscated a bunch of Huawei kit on its way from California to China and has only just returned it.

Fortinet chalks up an SD-WAN win with Telenor Sweden

Fortinet continues to make in-roads into the SD-WAN sector, announcing on Tuesday that it has struck a deal with Telenor Sweden.

Sprint opens 5G smart city testbed

Sprint tomorrow is opening a 5G-powered testbed in Georgia to develop and evaluate smart city infrastructure and IoT applications within a living lab.

50 US Attorney Generals sign-up to Google antitrust investigation

Usually, when you put 50 lawyers in a room together, it’s a bloodbath, but Google has seemingly done the impossible; united them all behind a single cause.

China Telecom and China Unicom jointly build and share 5G RAN

China Telecom and China Unicom, two of China’s three leading telecom operators, and two of its four 5G licensees, will jointly cover parts of the country with one shared 5G radio access network.

Telefónica Spain looks to cut about 5,000 jobs

Telefónica Spain may cut about 5,000 jobs via a voluntary retirement plan as it seeks to lower its costs and boost its share price.

Federated poised to hit ‘go’ on CBRS

Federated Wireless is ready to initiate services in the CBRS band as soon as the FCC issues its public notice of approval.

Sprint, Peachtree Corners Et Al to Launch 5G IoT Lab in Georgia

Curiosity Labs relies on 5G for low-latency connectivity for automated vehicles, drones and more.

What to Expect From Altice Mobile

Analysts expect Altice USA to collect 1.7 million mobile customers by 2023, and pay Sprint around $2.50 for each GB those customers consume.

Comcast, Programmers Sue Maine Over Cable à la Carte Law

They claim the new state law focused on cable operators is preempted by federal law, violates First Amendment.

Apple TV+ to Debut November 1, Fetch $4.99 Per Month

Apple to offer a free year of the new subscription VoD service with purchase of any new iPhone, Mac or Apple TV.

Another Tiny Wireless Operator Is Launching 5G

Nex-Tech Wireless, which serves parts of Kansas and Colorado, will use equipment from Ericsson to launch 5G. The announcement again shines light on rural US operators that use Huawei equipment.

Broadcom Tunes Up Video Play for RDK

Aiming to speed up service provider deployment cycles, Broadcom's new RDK-infused chips for video set-tops and gateways weave in new app framework and Metrological's App Store.

Taiwan Finalizes 5G Network Sharing Arrangements

Taiwanese authorities are mandating network sharing arrangements as they prepare for an upcoming spectrum auction.

Masergy Puts a 'Virtual Engineer' in Enterprise Networks

Masergy provides an AI boost for enterprise network management.

Podcast: Ciena's CEO Sets Sail for Growth

Ciena CEO Gary Smith said that M&A is always a possibility as the company looks to build its software business while managing the growth of its optical platform sales to web-scale companies.

SES & Microsoft Ink Unearthly Cloud Partnership

Satellite networking provider SES will bring Microsoft Azure cloud connectivity to remote locations, as well as Azure media services to broadcasters.

Everactive Offers Battery-Less Power for IIoT

Everactive is looking to solve what it claims is a major problem for industrial IoT – the need to replace batteries.

From X to Zzzzz: Apple's iPhone 11 Faces an Uphill Struggle

The gadget company's latest device seems unlikely to reinvigorate iPhone sales amid consumer apathy and growing competition.

Eurobites: Telefónica to Wield Jobs Ax Again – Report

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Soros considers sale of Hyperoptic stake; BT unleashes its drone killer; Nevion 5G virtualization project bags EU grant.

China Spices Things Up With 2-Become-1 5G Plan

Two of China's operators will come together to build a single 5G network that could be a game changer for the global industry.

ONF Debuts Open Source 'Stratum' Switch OS

Stratum is the foundation for the ONF's next-generation SDN initiative.

The Telecoms.com Podcast: Digital Services, Brexit... & Guinness

Shot on location in a Dublin pub, this week's podcast sees the regular crew joined by Openet's Niall Norton to talk digitalization, Brexit and more. Oh, and they drink some Guinness.

'Upswitching' From LTE Trips Up 5G Latency In South Korea

Yes, 5G provides blazing-fast speeds. But new research from IHS Markit's RootMetrics in South Korea found that some users are seeing latency hiccups due to the fact they need to first move from LTE to 5G in order to access those blazing-fast speeds.

Elliott trashes AT&T management and its execution in wireless

Elliott says over the last decade AT&T has failed to execute on strategic opportunities, and it compared AT&T unfavorably to Verizon.

Huawei reportedly reckons it has an Android ban workaround

At a recent trade show a Huawei exec indicated that there may be a way to enable its future smartphones to access Android apps despite Google being banned from working with it.

U.S. Cellular seizes chance to fill void for ‘fairness’

U.S. Cellular said its research showed a gap in the wireless category where people still don’t believe there's a carrier who's on their side, so it…

Elliott’s vultures are circling AT&T

Activist investor Elliott Management has set its eyes on AT&T, suggesting the firm is bloated and undervalued, with ambitions to cut staff, clear out the leadership team and sell-off non-core assets.

Google confirms it is in the DoJ crosshairs

The technology industry is facing regulatory and legislative assaults from all angles, and Google has confirmed it is attempting to help the Department of Justice with its own investigation.

Sprint, Ericsson—and more—tackle the cloud, edge

Where does the edge end and the cloud begin? And how can mobile operators compete with larger cloud players dominating the field?

Apple tells Google to stay in its lane over security claims

Apple has hit back at a Google blog post, which emerged last week, suggesting its rival in the smartphone OS segment was ‘stoking fear’ amongst its users.

SES teams up with Azure for private cloud connections

SES has ratcheted up its relationship and connectivity options with Microsoft Azure by becoming an Azure ExpressRoute services partner.

SK Telecom and Samsung reckon we need 8K TV over 5G

Korean tech giant Samsung has teamed up with compatriot operator SK Telecoms to develop what they claim will be the world’s first 5G 8K TV.

Edgecore advances its white box ambitions

Taiwan-based Edgecore historically built boxes that the incumbent telecom vendors, such as Cisco and Ericsson, would buy.

Microsoft President defends Huawei, calling Trump Un-American

Microsoft President Brad Smith has leapt to the defence of under-fire Chinese vendor Huawei, suggesting the US Government should table evidence if it wants to continue on this path.

Samsung picks Amdocs to fuel 5G VNFs

Samsung Networks is going with Amdocs to accelerate the development of its virtual network functions for mobile operators by employing ONAP.

Synchronoss CEO: ‘Messy is good for us’

As U.S. and other carriers around the world contend with flat to lower revenue growth and “frenemies” like Google, Apple, Amazon and Facebook, they’re faced…

iPhones lag in download speeds

U.S. iPhone users got 4G download speeds significantly lower than users of other high-end smartphones from OnePlus, LG and Samsung.

Panasonic debuts new FirstNet-ready Toughbook

Panasonic introduced its newest version of the semi-rugged Toughbook mobile computer, with optional 4G LTE connectivity and certified for AT&T’s FirstNet…

Marek’s Take: Making 5G work indoors is a huge task for operators

Key 5G applications like remote surgery and virtual reality will require good indoor coverage. Can small cells and neutral-host distributed antenna systems…

AT&T, Verizon Inch Toward Open RAN

AT&T said it tested an eCPRI connection with equipment from Nokia and Samsung, while Verizon appears to have deployed Nokia's cloud RAN. The moves reflect growing operator interest in open RAN technologies.

ViacomCBS Won't Claw Back Content

Unlike Disney, the newly formed ViacomCBS isn't expected to forgo lucrative licensing dollars just to pump fuel into its OTT, direct-to-consumer plans.

Trump Is Losing the European War Against Huawei

US efforts to have the controversial Chinese vendor banned from Europe's 5G networks are failing.

Altitude TV Exploring Streaming Pact With Amazon – Report

As its impasse with AT&T, Dish and Comcast drags on, the regional sports net is sizing up Amazon as a potential distribution partner.

AT&T Could Win in 5G, but Needs an Overhaul First, Activist Investor Says

Elliott Management, which now owns around 1.2% of AT&T's total market value value, argued the company must refocus on its core businesses. AT&T believes it has already set the right course for the company.

China Mobile Eyes Network Slicing Market in 2020

China's biggest service provider is investing in edge computing and network slicing capabilities as it extends its 5G network reach.

Eurobites: Proximus Boss Protests Innocence Over Shares Sale

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Roku targets UK market with Hisense; SES launches cloud service on Microsoft's Azure; Telekom Slovenije offers data gifting.