Google Cloud, Siemens Ink Industrial AI Deal

Google Cloud and Siemens today announced a collaboration to develop artificial intelligence (AI) and automation services for manufacturing and industrial use cases.

Lumen hires Jason Lish as chief security officer

Lumen Technologies has hired Jason Lish to join the company's senior leadership team as chief security officer. He’ll report to Lumen’s CTO Andrew Dugan.

AT&T tops 5G speed rankings, T-Mobile wins availability

Network testing from RootMetrics show all three of the leading U.S. wireless carriers improved 5G performance since the second half of 2020, but early on the 5G network crown is still up for grabs.

Critics blast Canadian MVNO mandate as lacking

Canada’s telecom regulator approved new rules aimed at boosting MVNO access to the country’s dominant networks, sparking criticism from independent operators and broadband advocates who argued the changes didn’t go far enough.

Ciena touts 800G, preps ZR pluggable

Last year, while the optical transport market seemed focused on 400 Gigabit, Ciena became the first vendor to roll out 800G technology, capable of sending up to 800 billion bits per second over a single optical channel. 600G was widely viewed as the logical next step after 400G, but Ciena says its customers want 800G.

Global smartphone revenues forecast for fastest growth in six years

Strategy Analytics forecasts that the global smartphone wholesale revenues will increase by 13% in 2021, driven primarily by pent-up demand during the pandemic and increased device price.

Marek’s Take: Beware of the return of the half-G

With 5G networks in the U.S. still in their infancy, there’s already some early rumblings of another G. And I’m not talking about 6G (which is in development). I’m talking about the dreaded half-G. 

US escalates its anti-Big Tech crusade

The US House of Representatives has given the thumbs-up to a report that recommends a raft of legal measures designed to curb the power of Big Tech.

FCC seeks more details from Verizon in TracFone deal

The FCC is asking Verizon to supply more details about its planned acquisition of prepaid MVNO TracFone, including plans for Lifeline, customer migration, service pricing and devices.

Jeff Bezos signs off with aplomb

In his final letter to shareholders as CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos looked back on the achievements during his tenure, laid out visions on multiple fronts for the company, and defended its track record in labour relations.

Daily Roundup: AT&T Scoops 3 Flavors of ‘Coming Soon’ Private 5G

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Juniper's Cloud Metro powers the next generation of 5G, edge and IoT services

By reimagining metro networks, operators can start overcoming their most pressing business and technical challenges and reinvent their role in the digital ecosystem.

Cato dips toe in telco waters with KDDI collab

Partnering with a tier 1 service provider is a new move for Cato, which historically competed with telcos on the SD-WAN front and dubbed itself the 'un-carrier' of managed SD-WAN services.

Delivering On Multi-Cloud Promises Means Killing Complexity

Distributed cloud-native applications represent a tantalizing, if complex, opportunity for enterprises looking to bring new, more resilient services to market faster than ever, Vijoy Pandey, Cisco’s VP of engineering and CTO of cloud, said during a panel discussion on multi-cloud and hybrid cloud networking earlier this week.

Dish 5G Leader: We Have Radios, First Market on Track

Dish Network is on track and has all the pieces in place, including radios, to deploy its 5G open radio access network (RAN) in one major U.S. city by October, according to Marc Rouanne, the greenfield operator’s EVP and chief network officer.

With pent-up demand, competitive intensity in wireless primed to detonate

Verizon is now applying discounts to phones with cracked screens. That's just one indication among several of how the US wireless landscape could soon get a lot more competitive.

South Korea adopts 5G network sharing to boost rural 5G

Move comes as three MNOs are set to face more competition from MVNOs in the area of 5G data plans.

Telstra, I Squared in PCCW Global tilt – report

Australian telco Telstra has been making a play for HKT's international unit PCCW Global.

CableLabs takes on role of convergence catalyst

CableLabs is spearheading two initiatives – a group made of up execs from service providers and an advisory council comprised of vendors – focused on driving collaboration and scale around network and service convergence.

Best FRANDs: Apple gets a new day in court over IP

Big Tech faced a hot summer of $3.7B royalty fines in Texas courts, but now one judge says 'hang on there, cowboy' and vacates a $0.5B ruling.

WiCipedia: A cybersecurity PR blunder for the ages

This week in our WiC roundup: A cybersecurity PR blunder; Amazon makes commitment to hire minority employees into senior roles; the evolution of diversity in space travel; and more.

Dell spins off VMware and winds in its $49B debt

Dell bought cloud virtualization star VMware in 2016, and it's booming. But the company is spinning it off to write down a $49 billion debt.

Eurobites: Vodafone UK trials drones for easier network upgrades

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Romania bans Huawei; VEON co-CEO steps down; Nokia claims mmWave breakthrough; hologram pizzas.

The 1970s comeback in UK telecom is a new virus

A government-appointed taskforce wants to interfere in the decisions that operators make about their suppliers, according to a report.

AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile offer unlimited 5G disappointment

The big three US carriers continue to tout new networks, but they remain relatively indifferent about helping customers connect without traditional telco frustrations.

A need for speed: Racetrack invests in private 5G network

Northern Europe's largest motorsports track will use a private 5G network to connect drivers, test autonomous cars and broadcast live video from multiple vehicles at the same time. Finland's KymiRing will deploy Nokia's Digital Automation Cloud infrastructure and will use spectrum provided by Edzcom, the Finnish private network specialist recently acquired by tower giant Cellnex. Initially the network will use the 2.3 GHz spectrum, eventually evolving to 3.5 GHz and millimeter wave, according to Edzcom Managing Director Mikko Uusitalo.

Verizon zeros in on precise location for IoT, automotive

Since launching its Hyper Precise Location service in August, Verizon has expanded access to more than 100 U.S. markets with positioning tech that promises centimeter-level accuracy.

T-Mobile likely to hold onto ‘fast 5G’ lead – analysts

If you ask the analysts at the Wall Street firm New Street Research who’s winning the race to “real 5G,” it’s pretty clear that it’s T-Mobile. Of course, Verizon could always come up with some surprises, but AT&T isn’t even in the game.

Astranis has a plan to slash satellite backhaul costs

Satellite broadband may be all the rage right now, but start-up Astranis has a different target in mind: mobile backhaul.

Illinois is deploying SD-WAN throughout its state-run network

The Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology is upgrading its state-run education network, the Illinois Century Network (ICN), from MPLS to software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN). The state consulted with Fujitsu Network Communications on the project and Fujitsu designed an SD-WAN solution using equipment from Silver Peak, which was acquired by HPE last July. Fujitsu declined to reveal the value of the contract.

Romania goes ahead with Huawei 5G ban

Despite the best efforts of Huawei’s lawyers, Romania is the latest country to bar Chinese vendors from its 5G networks.

Verizon brings 5G fixed wireless for business to 21 cities

Verizon is increasing the number of cities where it offers 5G fixed wireless for business customers this month from three to 24.

Comcast ramps 5G unlimited play with multi-line discount

Comcast zeroed in on multi-line accounts, aiming to boost its share with fresh discounts on Xfinity Mobile’s 5G unlimited plan.

Juniper sharpens it transport network chops with 400G for metro

Juniper Networks is upgrading its transport network offerings, particularly for the metro network, to keep pace with all the changes that are coming with 5G and distributed edge sites.

Huawei is even struggling in its domestic smartphone market

New data from research firm Counterpoint reveals Vivo and Oppo are scrapping it out for the top smartphone spot in China, with Huawei now a distant third.

Open Grid Alliance aims to rebuild the internet

A half-dozen cloud and edge players led by VMware and Vapor IO launched the Open Grid Alliance, aiming to rearchitect the internet by weaving disparate cloud and telecom networks into a seamless fabric akin to the power grid.

Qualcomm touts 5G data calls using dual connectivity

Qualcomm says it was able to complete 5G data calls that combine millimeter wave (mmWave) with FDD or TDD sub-6 GHz spectrum by using 5G Standalone (SA) mode dual connectivity.

EE and AT&T are winning the early 5G performance races

Two reports analysing operators’ 5G performances in the US and the UK have put EE and AT&T slightly ahead of their peers respectively, but there are no sweeping winners.

SK Telecom to spin off its non-telecoms companies

Korean ICT group SKT has decided it’s too diversified, so will be creating a new company to house stuff like SK Hynix and ADT Caps.

American telcos have sounded another death knell for RCS

AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile have pulled the plug on Cross Carrier Messaging Initiative (CCMI), the telcos’ joint initiative to develop an RCS-based cross-carrier rich messaging solution.

Dell Technologies Making Open RAN Happen

True innovation is never an individual achievement. Imagine, for example, if no one had followed Henry Ford into the automotive industry.

Shaw's wireless biz waxes as wireline wanes

Extending a theme that has taken hold at the Canadian company in recent quarters, Shaw's cable pay-TV and broadband business continued to shed subscribers in fiscal Q2 as its mobile business gained more ground.

AT&T Scoops 3 Flavors of ‘Coming Soon’ Private 5G

AT&T, much like every 5G operator, looks forward to selling and deploying private networks to enterprises, but some of its goals require further development.

Daily Roundup: VMware, Dell Split Up

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Verizon's other network buildout focuses on location tech

Verizon's new hyper-sensitive location service relies on several dozen Real Time Kinematics (RTK) reference stations the operator has constructed across the US.

F5 Labs Take Down Collusion Fraudsters

F5 threat researchers say attackers have found a new way to defraud organizations using digital transactions. They call it “collusion fraud,” and say that it cost one well-known food and beverage platform $1.5 million over a three-month period.

Cable ops to be 'surgical' with latest Wi-Fi tech

Wi-Fi 6E will eventually reach the masses, but cable operators will likely use the technology early on targeted, app-driven situations for wireless set-tops, cloud gaming services and in Wi-Fi-constrained MDU environments.

Dish’s 5G Chief Extols Virtues of Visibility in Open RAN Security

The notion that open radio access network (RAN) architecture is also, by extension, open to security threats is a bad misconception, according to Marc Rouanne, a veteran wireless industry executive.

Telefónica incubator Wayra turns ten

The acceleration program has so far helped nurture 800 startups of which 250 have worked directly with the Spanish telco.

Podcast: The Divide – David Gilford on local priorities for federal broadband funds

This week, David Gilford, co-founder of the Broadband Equity Partnership, on what local government and nonprofit broadband leaders need from a national broadband stimulus.

SKT to spin off its non-telecom businesses

SK Telecom is to spin off its non-core businesses to maximize the value of its chip and digital services investments.

China Mobile Lofts Nuage Networks Into Cloud Offering

China Mobile announced this week it would deploy Nokia Nuage Network’s Virtualized Cloud Services (VCS) platform to support the rollout of its public cloud offering.

Ubiquiti's latest hack highlights troubled security path for operators

Vendor Ubiquiti reportedly suffered a 'catastrophic' security breach. 'Their security aligns with the overall nature of their equipment, relatively cheap and flimsy,' said a former Ubiquiti customer.

Juniper Networks Mounts Cloud Metro Vision

Juniper Networks today clamped on to a growing industry-wide effort to rethink how various layers of network infrastructure is assembled and operated. Cloud Metro, the vendor’s vision for the future of metro networks, aims to move past what it describes as siloed, point-to-point metro networks with a versatile IP services fabric.

It's boom time for TSMC, but the chips are down for everyone else

The Taiwanese foundry is struggling to keep up with demand for chips, partly because there are so few alternatives for its customers.

Eurobites: Swisscom calls time on 2G

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Cosmote to shut down 3G services; MTS switches on 5G in Moscow with Huawei; Liberty Global trials Teleste's DAA in UK.

Comcast gets aggressive with unlimited mobile 5G pricing

Subs can reduce the price on Xfinity Mobile unlimited plans as they add lines, down to as low as $30/month in four-line packages. Comcast's previous, more static unlimited plan fetched $45 per month per line.

Airtel revamps structure to focus on India's digital opportunity

India's second-largest service provider by subscribers, Bharti Airtel, has announced a new organizational structure to focus on the digital business.

Titans told to toe the line in China's tech crackdown

Meituan, ByteDance, and JD.com promise to behave, as China's market watchdog, fresh from fining Alibaba $2.8 billion, now calls in 34 other tech giants.

RootMetrics 5G report puts AT&T in first place

New testing shows T-Mobile provided the best 5G availability in a number of US cities, while AT&T provided superior 5G download speeds and reliability.

Dell Technologies spins off VMware for more than $11B

Dell Technologies is spinning off its 80.6% equity ownership in VMware, forming two standalone public companies.

Ericsson pushes 5G uplink limits with MIMO

Ericsson hit what it claimed was a single-user uplink record using multiple input multiple output (MIMO) technology, taking a step toward overcoming what one executive identified as a key limitation on mobile connectivity.

Cross-carrier RCS JV effort shuts down

A joint venture by the biggest U.S. wireless operators focused on an interoperable messaging service based on Rich Communications Service (RCS) is no longer in the works, as the Cross Carrier Messaging Initiative (CCMI) shut down. CCMI’s demise was first reported by Light Reading.

FCC questions carriers on status of free robocall blocking tools

The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday took its next steps to bat down robocalls, including letters to carriers about free robocall blocking tools.

AT&T will pump $2B in funds toward closing the digital divide

AT&T is the latest major communications company to designate billions of dollars toward closing the digital divide. The Covid-19 pandemic has painfully demonstrated the gap that exists between those with broadband connectivity and those without.

Ericsson, MediaTek demo dual connectivity for standalone 5G

Ericsson and MediaTek combined millimeter wave (mmWave) and mid-band spectrum bands in a test of New Radio Dual Connectivity (NR DC) for standalone 5G.

Microsoft adds Alkira to its ‘hand-picked’ startups to aid Azure

Microsoft has created a relationship with Alkira, a startup that helps enterprises to create an IP backbone super fast – like in one hour. Alkira's Cloud Services Exchange (CSX) securely connects branches, data centers, remote users and clouds.

Spot the dystopia as robot dogs patrol New York streets

The internet has been driven mad by footage of Digidog, one of the first real-life implementations of a Boston Dynamics robot.

Nokia scores key cloud win with China Mobile

Nokia chalked up a major win in the cloud realm, as China Mobile tapped the vendor to supply software-defined networking (SDN) technology for an expansion of its public cloud service.

CMA gives Virgin/O2 merger the green light

The UK Competition and Markets Authority has provisionally cleared the proposed merger of Virgin Media and O2 UK.

NEC teams up with Red Hat to deliver cloud native 5G solutions

The Japanese telecoms vendor NEC has brought its partnership with IBM-owned open source software solutions provider Red Hat up to date to deliver multicloud capable 5G solutions.

Orange sticks to its guns on Belgium as Polygon labours Picasso metaphor

Orange on Tuesday reiterated that €22-per-share is its final offer to minority shareholders of Orange Belgium, a figure that some insist does not reflect a fair valuation of the company.

HFR Networks Announces flexiHaul xWave 400G Solution for 5G Transport

HFR Networks, leading the industry with intelligent xHaul RAN Transport and Edge Access solutions, today announced its flexiHaul xWave 400G solution for 5G wireless transport.

Samsung Demonstrates the Full Potential of 5G mmWave with Speeds of 8.5Gbps Across Multiple Devices

Samsung Electronics today announced it has achieved the industry’s fastest 5G speeds in a lab demonstration that combined 800MHz of mmWave spectrum with MU-MIMO (Multi-User, Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output) technology, running on the world-leading Samsung 5G mmWave Access Unit.

Daily Roundup: FBI Hacks Computers to Kill Exchange Web Shells

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Masergy amps up AIOps service for enterprises

Providing a clear picture of network and application performance and the ability to make real-time changes is particularly useful to SMBs that often face budget constraints and have less in-house IT and cybersecurity staff than larger enterprises.

Nvidia CEO Predicts DPU Domination by 2026

Every data center in the world will deploy data processing units (DPU) to isolate the application layer from the control plane within five years, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang claimed Tuesday during a press conference.

VMware, Dell Technologies Reach Spinoff Deal

Dell Technologies today said it will spin off its 81% stake in VMware. The deal will create two separate companies but preserve Dell and VMware’s “strategic partnership,” VMware CFO and interim CEO Zane Rowe said in a statement.

Cisco Joins South Korea’s Post-Pandemic Digitization Push

Cisco is teaming up with South Korea’s government to hasten digitization initiatives as the country aims to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Biden's broadband bill could torpedo a DirecTV-Dish combo – analyst

Proposed bill that earmarks $100 billion for rural broadband could help merger clear the DoJ, but it would also eliminate a 'critical backstop' for the satellite TV industry, MoffettNathanson's Craig Moffett says.

FBI Hacks Hundreds of US Computers, Kills Microsoft Exchange Web Shells

The FBI hacked hundreds of computers in the United States running compromised versions of Microsoft Exchange software and removed malicious web shells in response to a Chinese state-sponsored hack disclosed at the end of February.

Analysts tamp down hopes for edge computing proliferation

5G players ranging from American Tower to T-Mobile are investing in edge computing sites. However, a new report 'informed by the speed of light' raises questions about the parameters of the opportunity.

KDDI Taps Cato SASE for Secure Remote Access

Networking and security vendor Cato today announced a partnership with Japan-based service provider KDDI to deliver its secure access service edge (SASE) platform to customers across North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The announcement marks Cato’s first telecom service provider partnership.

Italy ups EU fund allocation on broadband, 5G – report

Italy's new government diverts an extra $3 billion from the EU COVID-19 recovery fund to ultrafast infrastructure.

Vodafone Germany Activates Europe’s First 5G Standalone Network

Vodafone Germany this week claimed to be the first mobile network operator to deploy a 5G standalone network in Europe. 

Here's how AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile slice and dice 5G plans and pricing

All of the big US network operators are working to get customers to subscribe to their expensive service plans, but the details of their 5G pricing strategies highlight their divergent network positions.

Global biggies show interest in India's PLI scheme

The DoT says global vendors including Ericsson and Nokia have applied via the Production Linked Incentive Scheme to expand their manufacturing base in India.

Huawei promises to share driving in its new smart car business

If there's one thing we've learned from Huawei's annual analyst event this week it is that it's definitely not building its own car – right?

Plex raises $50M to fuel streaming expansion

With a mission to become a 'one-stop shop' for streaming media and plans to tie in a bigger mix of major streaming services, new chairman views Plex as 'the cable company of the future.'

Eurobites: Openreach turns to India's STL for cabling, connectors

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Vector Photonics bag equity funding; German data protection regulator clamps down on Facebook; Spotify suffers branding car-crash moment.

Rights groups seek tougher EU rules for WhatsApp, Skype

Letter calls for EU Parliament to stand up for user privacy rights in reform of ePrivacy directive, and not defend the interests of tech giants.

VMware, Vapor IO, Dell Tech Form ‘Fungible’ Edge Alliance

VMware, Dell Technologies, and a group of cloud and edge infrastructure companies formed the Open Grid Alliance today to foster a re-architected internet. The group, which also includes DriveNets, MobiledgeX, and PacketFabric, wants the internet to converge as a shared platform for distributed compute, data, and intelligence at the edge. 

Virgin Media and O2 merger cleared for take-off

Competition authorities have few worries about the UK tie-up, but customers and employees may feel differently.

Huawei and the great 6G schism

The Chinese equipment giant questions the need for 6G and even 5G technology as protectionism looms and US sanctions force a strategic shift.

Mavenir, Xilinx team up on open RAN massive MIMO

Mavenir and Xilinx have joined forces to deliver a joint 4G/5G massive MIMO portfolio for open RAN deployments.

KDDI will offer Cato’s SASE to enterprise customers

Japanese service provider KDDI Corp. will begin selling Cato Networks’ secure access service edge (SASE) to enterprise customers in North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific. The company said that Cato’s SASE will enable it to offer enterprise customers secure access without having to integrate and manage multiple third-party appliances and virtual network functions (VNFs).

Comcast’s MachineQ releases latest version of IoT platform

MachineQ is a Comcast company that provides internet of things solutions for enterprises. Today, MachineQ announced the latest release of its low-power wide-area-network (LP-WAN) platform.

CCA urges FCC to consider higher-power rules for CBRS

The Competitive Carriers Association (CCA) is asking the FCC to consider adding a new category of devices in the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) that would operate at a higher power than what’s currently allowed.

Verizon, Google highlight how 5G is changing the cloud

Executives from Verizon, Google, Mavenir and Wind River stressed the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) in enabling a 5G world and spotlighted the ways in which the need for deployments of the technology at the edge was transforming the cloud landscape.

Nokia technology chief: The future is in software

Nokia’s technology and strategy chief Nishant Batra said the Covid-19 pandemic triggered a fast-paced evolution toward digitalization, with evolutions in cloud and wireless access as two key enablers.

TIA, CTIA press Biden to let industry lead on telecom security

A coalition of eight well-known telecom groups urged U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration to defer to industry on the development of new information and communications technology (ICT) security standards, seeking to deter unilateral action by the government on the matter.

Mavenir and Xilinx team up to make an OpenRAN mMIMO portfolio

The OpenRAN movement continues its steady progress with the launch of a compatible set of massive MIMO kit from two companies keen to disrupt the networking space.

Words of wisdom from edge experts

The Linux Foundation recently published its State of the Edge 2021 report. As part of the report, a few leaders in edge technology made some insightful and humorous comments.

Italy baulks at Cellnex’s €10bn Hutchison towers buy

Cellnex’s mega-deal to acquire CK Hutchison’s telecoms towers has come up against a regulatory hurdle in Italy.

UK vendor diversity task force calls for more vendor diversity

A task force commissioned by the UK government to look into telecoms vendor diversity has shocked everyone by concluding we need some.

Liberty Global rolls out electric charging points in London

Liberty Global has announced the completion of the first phase of its UK electric vehicle charging initiative in the London borough of Waltham Forest.

US Senator proposes clumsy law that would punish all large companies

Republican Senator Josh Hawley has got carried away by his desire to curtail the influence of the US tech giants.

Vodafone launches standalone 5G that’s ‘as fast as the human nervous system’

Vodafone has announced the launch of standalone 5G services in Germany and is keen to tell the world how it has cast aside the ‘training wheels’ of LTE to offer super-fast mobile speeds.

NEC eyes 5G gains with Red Hat deal

NEC Corporation became the latest network vendor to tap IBM’s Red Hat for a 5G boost, teaming with the software company to bring its suite of next-generation core capabilities to the OpenShift platform.

Harmonic gets lift from agreement with big shareholder

Agreement with Scopia Capital Management leads to some wild speculation about what it all means, but it appears that the motivations behind it are much more straightforward.

Daily Roundup: VMware Details Modern Bank Heists Strategies

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Masergy's AIOps Platform Gets App-Centric Refresh

Masergy announced a series of improvements to its artificial intelligence operations (AIOps) platform today in an effort to improve software-as-a-service (SaaS) and network performance.

Satellites poised to join 5G network topology

Satellites to date have been viewed as a last-resort option for 5G backhaul. But players ranging from OneWeb to AST SpaceMobile to Inmarsat are hoping to provide far more than that.

Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile kill RCS plans

The biggest wireless network operators in the US announced in 2019 that they would jointly launch RCS messaging services sometime in 2020. But it was not to be.

Alkira’s Multi-Cloud Orchestrator Arrives on Microsoft’s Azure Market

Alkira launched its Cloud Services Exchange (CSX) in the Microsoft Azure marketplace today in a bid to simplify multi-cloud deployments. As part of the announcement, Alkira has also joined the Microsoft for Startups program, which provides select companies with technical, sales, and marketing opportunities within Azure.

Comcast's enterprise IoT unit sets sail for scale

MachineQ says rollouts of LoRaWAN gateways and traffic loads are on the rise amid a deployment streamlining effort, investments in sales and marketing and a stronger link to Comcast Business.

VMware: Modern Bank Heists Target Insider Info

More than half of the cyberattacks against financial institutions targeted their market strategies, according to VMware’s latest Modern Bank Heists report.

Comcast's industrial IoT unit sets sail for scale

MachineQ says rollouts of LoRaWAN gateways and traffic loads are on the rise amid a deployment streamlining effort, investments in sales and marketing and a stronger link to Comcast Business.

BT, Ericsson get all Industry 4.0 with Hyperbat

UK battery manufacturer looks to 5G VR digital twin solution to boost productivity.

5.5G needs on-demand spectrum allocation: Huawei

The evolution to 5.5G will require on-demand frequency allocation and much greater network intelligence, Huawei says.

Vodafone trumpets launch of standalone 5G in Germany

German operator teams with Ericsson, Nokia, Oppo and Qualcomm to cast 5G adrift from LTE.

Google Cloud, Broadcom Team Up on Enterprise Security

Google and Broadcom today announced a partnership that will make Broadcom’s enterprise security software available on Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

Xilinx and Mavenir hail massive MIMO breakthrough for open RAN

The companies promise a 64T64R radio unit competitive with the best from traditional players by late 2021.

AXON emerges on fixed access scene with $27M in funding

AXON Networks says it delivers an AI-driven, analytics-based orchestration platform, the AXON AnyNet Orchestrator, in addition to high-speed routers utilizing the latest Wi-Fi technologies.

Eurobites: Use smaller vendors for 5G, UK government tells industry

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Ericsson drives private network for automotive testbed; Openreach invests £100 million in Northern Ireland; Three UK hires new CTO.

Tiny Montana operator voices support for open RAN

Triangle Telephone Cooperative (TTC) is based in Central Montana and counts around 17,000 subscribers. It's considering ripping out Huawei's core and replacing it with open RAN equipment.

Mavenir Readies Xilinx Powered Massive MIMO 5G Radios

Mavenir intends to release massive multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) 5G radios with open interfaces powered by Xilinx silicon later this year. The chipmaker and open radio access network (RAN) software and equipment vendor claim the time is right for open RAN to prove its worth in compute-intensive environments like massive MIMO in a 5G network. 

Roku freshens up device lineup, OS

Roku is rolling out a new entry-level, $39.99 4K player, a premium voice remote and new soundbar/streaming combo, along with a mix of new features in updated OS for streaming players and Roku TVs.

Aruba’s SASE Push Champions Choice, Simplicity

Aruba Networks unleashed a wave of updates to its secure access service edge (SASE) platform during the company’s Atmosphere virtual event today.

T-Mobile strikes back in feud with Dish over CDMA shutdown

T-Mobile is slamming Dish Network for what it calls a “false narrative” over its plans to shut down Sprint’s old CDMA network.

Huawei looks to software, automotive to beat U.S. sanctions

Huawei outlined plans to invest heavily in autonomous vehicle technology and software, aiming to overcome the impact of U.S. sanctions on its mobile unit and secure its future through diversification.

Vodafone turns on standalone 5G network in Germany

Vodafone Germany CEO said the operator is the first in Europe to take off the so-called LTE training wheels of its 5G network, launching standalone (SA) 5G on Monday with vendor partner Ericsson.

Frontier names former AT&T exec as chief network officer

Frontier Communications hired Veronica Bloodworth for the new role of executive vice president and chief network officer. She’ll report to President and CEO Nick Jeffery and oversee all of Frontier’s network operations, including those related to the Company’s modernization plan, which basically involves expanding its fiber optic network.

The FCC gets in on the mobile speed-test game

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is using a speed-test app to collect data as part of its effort to understand the lay-of-the-land in terms of mobile broadband speeds and availability in the U.S.

Nvidia teams with telecom firms for AI-on-5G developments

Several companies working on 5G networks and services — Fujitsu, Google Cloud, Mavenir, Radisys and Wind River — are teaming up with semiconductor company Nvidia to create solutions for Nvidia’s AI-on-5G platform to help speed the development of a variety of use cases, Nvidia announced today.

Microsoft targets cloud AI boost with $19.7B Nuance deal

Microsoft inked a $19.7 billion deal to acquire artificial intelligence (AI) software company Nuance Communications, spending big to boost its cloud capabilities in healthcare and beyond.

Verizon readies for C-band deployments with Crown Castle, SBA

Verizon is following its stated game plan for C-band deployments, reaching agreements with tower companies Crown Castle and SBA to add new gear to existing sites.

Facebook, Google lead latest undersea cable boom

Facebook’s recent announcement that it is investing in two undersea cables connecting the U.S., Singapore and Indonesia is further confirmation that webscale content giants are now the top players in a market once dominated by the likes of AT&T, BT and telco-led consortiums.

Towers specialists buy more sites, raise more money

The towers specialists are at it again. The past few days have brought news of a sizeable telecoms towers deal in Latin America, while a smaller acquisition is underway in Europe.

Huawei unveils its cunning plan for surviving ‘a complex and volatile global environment’

At its latest annual global analyst summit, Chinese telecoms vendor Huawei revealed the strategic changes it’s putting in place to deal with the many novel challenges it faces.

Orange taps up pension fund to finance Poland fibre rollout

Orange Poland has become the latest major telecoms operator to seek out a joint venture partner to help it fund the rollout of fibre infrastructure.

Microsoft is close to acquiring Nuance for $16 billion – report

Microsoft is reported to be in advanced talks to buy speech recognition company Nuance Communications for $16 billion, which would be Microsoft’s second largest acquisition ever.

Overcome the Key Challenges of Open RAN Roll-out

With the increasing pace of 5G rollout, network providers worldwide face growing expectations to deliver massive data volume over different types of spectrum while adhering to varying latency needs. Increasingly, operators and equipment manufacturers alike are adopting open radio access network (RAN) architectures to support successful RAN deployment and management at scale. Advancements in Open RAN networks, such as those made possible by O-RAN ALLIANCE specifications, allow more efficient scalability to meet rising data demands with reduced infrastructure deployment costs. Even so, a disaggregated O-RAN environment creates complexities that need to be addressed, all too often leaving network operators with the burden of ensuring conformance, interoperability, and performance. To streamline successful implementation of critical O-RAN use cases, VIAVI recently enhanced its Test Suite for O-RAN Specifications, a comprehensive set of testing modules for lab validation, field deployment, and service assurance.Roadblocks Ahead When planning deployment and management of networks based on Open RAN architecture, the most pressing concerns for operators center around ensuring interoperability, manageability, optimization and end-to-end performance in a multi-vendor environment. Designing the 5G RAN requires careful consideration of features including multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antennas and multi-band carrier aggregation. This poses a challenge for successful growth and maintenance of the networks, which now need to support multiple technology generations – 3G, 4G and 5G – while scaling to meet rising data demands. Imagine a network where RAN components such as the central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU) and radio unit (RU) are all provided by multiple vendors. This type of environment makes it even more challenging to identify and isolate issues. With the adoption of Open RAN, operators need to validate everything works together before it goes into the live network. Yet addressing these issues requires more than testing the interoperability of distinct vendor technologies. Operators need to see how the technology interacts with legacy 4G equipment in the network, as well as how it responds to different user equipment (UE) environments. Troubleshooting issues after the network has been deployed is important as well. In a multi-vendor environment, it is more difficult to identify product-related network performance issues than it was in a  single-vendor network. With an Open RAN network, operators need open standards and vendor-agnostic validation and troubleshooting solutions to resolve network performance issues.Navigate O-RAN Challenges Successful operation of disaggregated RAN networks will depend on the ability to integrate system components and meet network key performance indicators (KPIs) in a multi-vendor environment. Operators need to have the confidence that all components in the O-RAN network have been validated and verified in a trusted and controlled environment, and all open interfaces and components are working correctly, so that network performance is at least equal to that of a single-vendor network. Critical aspects to be evaluated include:

Zyxel CPE helps service providers make the most of XGS-PON/10G P

Service providers have more reasons than ever to prioritize speed and bandwidth for their customers. On the residential side, streaming is becoming the default method of video consumption, as major content providers like Disney and AT&T’s Time Warner move assets onto streaming services. On the enterprise level, the drive to move applications to the cloud has been accelerated by COVID-19, creating a demand for bandwidth that is not expected to subside. Meanwhile, both consumers and business customers are connecting a growing number of IoT devices to the internet, creating new needs for high speed, low latency connections.

NEC Wraps Red Hat OpenShift Into 5G Aspirations

NEC is nearing the final stages of certifying Red Hat OpenShift for its 5G core offering. The Japanese vendor, which is determined to claim a greater share of the network infrastructure market, also plans to integrate the Kubernetes-based platform into 5G radio access network (RAN) equipment and software, and mobile edge computing. 

Verizon kicks off C-band spending splurge

Verizon inked cell tower deals with Crown Castle and SBA Communications, but some analysts believe Verizon will need to add more towers to its network to meet its coverage goals.

Daily Roundup: Microsoft Pays $19.7B for Nuance

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Comcast makes waves in open source

Two projects originally created by Comcast engineers – Kuberhealthy and Trickster – are the first from the operator to be accepted as 'Sandbox' projects by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF).

Biden's broadband plan ends era of 'hands-off' regulation

Big telecom has driven the industry, with light-touch regulation – not just in the US but across the OECD and much of the developing world. Until now.

Microsoft gets Nuanced in $19.7B voice-rec buy

Microsoft sees cloud services boost its net income by a yearly 33%, up to $15.5 billion, as the Redmond tech giant now cocks an eye at telcos.

T-Mobile blasts Dish 'misinformation campaign' about 3G CDMA shut off

Dish Network has said T-Mobile's CDMA shutdown plans raise 'significant competition and public interest concerns.' But T-Mobile issued a blistering retort to Dish: 'Go do your job.'

AT&T, Samsung, others to meet with Biden over chip shortages

A number of tech companies, including those in the telecom industry, are scheduled to meet with the Biden administration Monday to discuss the effects of the global chipset shortage.

Apple pursuing Apple TV-HomePod combo – report

Product integrations alongside a broader refresh would be an obvious catch-up move against the likes of Amazon, Google and even Roku.

Microsoft Will Pay $19.7B for Nuance to Boost Health Care AI

Microsoft today said it reached a $19.7 billion, all-cash deal to buy Nuance Communications, which provides speech recognition software for health care providers, in a move to boost its industry-specific cloud services.

Comcast Monitoring Tools Dive Into CNCF Sandbox

Two Comcast open source projects, Kuberhealthy and Trickster, joined the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) sandbox today. 

Orange adds Poland JV to European infrastructure plan

Orange Poland teams with Dutch pension fund APG to create 50:50 venture with aim of driving fiber network rollout.

IBM’s Infrastructure Spinoff Gets a Name

Kyndryl is the new name for IBM’s managed infrastructure business, which the company plans to spin off into an independent venture by the end of 2021.

Nvidia’s Grace CPU Targets AI Bottlenecks

Nvidia threw its hat in the CPU market today, unveiling its first Arm-based data center processor called Grace during the GTC 2021 keynote.

Starved of chips, Huawei pivots to cars and software

The Chinese equipment giant hopes investment in software will make it less reliant on state-of-the-art chips.

Neuralink plays mind games with a monkey

Elon Musk's brain-machine interface tech firm shows a macaque monkey playing 'mind-pong' with the aid of an implanted wireless chip.

Nvidia Unveils Next-Gen BlueField DPU

Nvidia unveiled its third-generation BlueField data processing unit (DPU) at GTC 2021 today. The smartNIC is the company’s first since acquiring Mellanox in 2019, and is specifically designed to accelerate SDN, storage, security, and now artificial intelligence applications.

CommScope's set-top spin-out: How did we get here?

The story is not done playing out, but the road leading to CommScope's decision to spin out its Home Networks division has taken many twists and turns, crossing the paths of Digeo, Motorola and Google along the way.

Eurobites: Telecom Italia brings broadband blend to Friuli Venezia Giulia

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Fastweb taps Amdocs for network inventory upgrade; MTN seeks $5 billion valuation of mobile money unit ahead of stake sale; A1 Telekom Austria brings your package inside.

Huawei gives another thumbs-down to open RAN – or so it says

The 5G equipment giant seems to be one of the only telecom companies in China that is not crazy about open RAN.