AT&T: Security Top Concern as Edge Interest Surges

Despite the edge’s often nebulous definition, enterprises aren’t waiting around to adopt and secure the fledgling technology, a recent AT&T report concluded.

VMware Project Arctic Ushers In Cloud-Managed vSphere

VMware intends to make life easier for vSphere users with its recently announced Project Arctic — a cloud-connected management console for on-premises services. It initially will focus on disaster recovery (DR) and ransomware protection use cases while ushering in a software-as-a-service (SaaS) version of vSphere.

Google ploughs more money into India with $1 billion Bharti Airtel investment

US technology giant Google will invest up to $1 billion in Indian telecoms giant Airtel as part of its Google for India Digitization Fund.

Scammers stole $770 million through social media in 2021, says FTC

The Federal Trade Commission, which is currently involved in a lawsuit to breakup Facebook and Instagram parent Meta, has released some stats pointing to the extent of social media fraud.

Global smartphone recovery hampered by component shortages

The Q4 21 global smartphone shipment numbers show the recovery from the Covid slump of 2020 has been hampered by the chip crisis.

TIA touts supply chain security standard

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) is on a mission to turn the phrase ‘securing the telecoms equipment supply chain’ from a soundbite into something a little more tangible.

Crown Castle looks to a brighter future for small cells

Crown Castle has posted a strong set of financials for last year and is already upping its 2022 guidance. But the big news is around small cells; after years of hype, we are finally starting to see some traction.

Juniper Guns for Cisco, Nokia With Revamped Routing Silicon

Juniper Networks claims its next-generation Express routing silicon, announced this week, offers higher performance than either Cisco’s P100 or Nokia’s FP5 ASICs. The new chips launch alongside three MX-series routers, all of which are powered by Juniper’s Trio 6 ASICs.

Gartner Calls Cloud Providers' Sustainability Bluff

Nearly every cloud provider is touting its sustainability efforts as the data center industry continues to grow and burden the environment in tandem. However, much of this sustainability-focused messaging is lofty, aspirational, and holds little practical value apart from positioning those vendors as bleeding hearts for the planet, according to Gartner analyst Ed Anderson.

SDxCentral 2-Minute Weekly Wrap: Will Google Debut 800G Data Center Switches in 2022?

Daily Roundup: Intel’s Foundry Ramp Rides on $52B CHIPs Bill

In case you’ve been stuck in video conference meetings all day, here are today’s top stories from SDxCentral. Also, make sure to subscribe to our daily newsletters to get these stories in your inbox.

Russian subsea cable caper, optical networking news and notes

This digest of recent optical networking news and notes covers AT&T's gigabit broadband boosts, Nokia's network wins in Portugal, rural fiber builds in Texas and Louisiana and Internet2's new backbone.

Court upholds California's net neutrality law

Appeals court agrees that FCC decision to reclassify the Internet as a Title I information service means the Commission no longer has the authority to regulate the Internet when it was once viewed as Title II telecommunications service.

The Divide: How FibreONE is helping bring broadband infrastructure to rural Canada

This week, Tim Emoff, vice president of the telecom division at Sales Outsource Solutions, joins to discuss FibreONE: a coalition of telecom companies that have partnered to help deliver fiber infrastructure across rural Canada.

iPhone 13 helps Apple hit blockbuster earnings

iPhone 13s in Christmas stockings rocket Tim Cook's company to an unexpected revenue record (and briefly $3 trillion valuation) though iPad sales trail off.

Charter to ratchet up DOCSIS upstream upgrades, rural fiber buildouts in 2022

Charter earmarks $1 billion to fund 2022 rural construction initiatives, including projects tied to the Rural Opportunity Digital Fund (RDOF). That figure could rise as Charter explores more broadband network subsidy programs.

Amid 5G capex spike, tower cos diverge on strategy

'When we break down annual US wireless capex by carrier, it becomes clear that 2022 should be a record year (or close to it) for telecom providers,' wrote the financial analysts at Credit Suisse.

China Unicom finally falls to the FCC with US market ban

Following rivals China Mobile and China Telecom, China's third-largest operator has fallen afoul of the FCC, banned from the US due to security concerns.

Intel Q4 is revenue record-breaker, but gross margins squeezed

CEO Gelsinger talks about 'unprecedented demand,' but continuing supply chain constraints and a trimmed EPS outlook are causes for concern.

Altice Europe drops Portugal selloff plan – report

Could failure to sell MEO in Portugal affect chances of buying more of BT?

Juniper closes Q4 with $1.3B in revenue, up 6%

CEO Rami Rahim said he remains optimistic for growth in 2022 despite supply chain challenges.

NEC waltzes off with Blue Danube to bolster 5G unit

Japanese tech giant buys US developer of beamforming technology that previously worked on 5G trials with AT&T.

'We don't have to do CBRS to make mobile work,' says Charter CEO

Targeted CBRS deployments reduce offload costs and beef up margins, but they are not critical to achieving the grander business goals of Charter's mobile business, which raked in a record 380,000 mobile lines in Q4 2021.

Cable's 'stable,' but could do better, new Rogers CEO says

Network expansion, upgrades and expanded use of fixed wireless access tech among initiatives underway as Rogers prepares to wrap merger with Shaw Communications.

Eurobites: Orange names new boss

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Telia makes more of its tower assets; Eir forms new fiber entity with InfraVia; Nokia goes for AMD processors.

As growth slows, 5G operators encourage 'step ups'

'All of the carriers see unlimited uptake and plan buy-ups within unlimited as key drivers of ARPA [average revenue per account] and service revenue growth,' wrote financial analysts at Cowen.

BT datacentres to power London Underground’s new mobile connectivity

Telecoms group BT has signed a multi-million pound contract to deliver data centre facilities to infrastructure firm BAI Communications, which is masterminding the plan to get 4G on the underground. 

Spotify continues to back Rogan after Neil Young ultimatum

Music streaming service Spotify has removed Neil Young’s music after the legendary rocker said he wouldn’t share a platform with podcast giant Joe Rogan.  

New TIM CEO looking into network spin-off

TIM’s broad of directors has charged new chief exec Pietro Labriola with examining options for the future of its infrastructure assets, which could include a network spin-off.

Deutsche Telekom pulls the plug on its cloud gaming service

It’s game over for MagentaGaming, which has announced it is shutting down on February 26th.

Daily Roundup: Cisco Battles Bias, Discrimination With Responsible AI

In case you’ve been stuck in video conference meetings all day, here are today’s top stories from SDxCentral. Also, make sure to subscribe to our daily newsletters to get these stories in your inbox.

Intel's Foundry Ramp Rides on $52B CHIPs Bill

Intel’s Ohio “mega fab” expansion grabbed headlines last week, but the project’s future is deeply intertwined with the CHIPs for America Act.

Verizon Amps Renewable Energy Capacity

Verizon signed seven new renewable energy contracts, which push its projected capacity to 2.6 gigawatts and drive the operator ever closer to its 2035 net-zero operational emissions goal.

Price tag to shutter AT&T's 3G network $380M

AT&T said it would be able to continue to support some 3G calls even after its network shutdown, thanks to a new deal with vendor Syniverse.

CBRS isn't living up to expectations – Dell'Oro Group

Dell'Oro Group previously expected sales of CBRS-capable RAN equipment to hit 5% of the North American market by 2026. Now the firm believes it will account for less than 5% by 2026.

Peacock to double content spend to $3B in 2022, absorb steeper losses

Spending boost comes as NBCU looks to emphasize paid subscriber growth at Peacock. The premium streaming service ended the year with 24.5 million monthly active accounts and more than 9 million paid subs.

Calix reports continued growth amid supply chain struggles

In a letter to investors, CEO Carl Russo warned that supply chain constraints in 2022 will 'challenge our ability to grow as fast as we have the past two years.'

Samsung rides smartphone, chip sales to record Q4

South Korean tech giant increased operating profit by 53% and net income by 64% on the back of record sales of 76.57 trillion won ($63.7 billion).

Comcast to boost footprint expansion as broadband growth slows

Meanwhile, Comcast's Xfinity Mobile business pulled in a record 312,000 mobile lines in Q4, expanding that total to almost 4 million.

Sigfox looks over and out with insolvency filing

The French startup has been mired in problems documented by Light Reading for years, and the pandemic seems to have finished it off.

10G, FARMSIS and the future of cable broadband

Phil McKinney, president and CEO of CableLabs, joins the Light Reading podcast to discuss where the cable industry is on the path to 10G and how CableLabs is stoking interest and innovation with its 10G Challenge.

Eurobites: Telia explores 'smart battery' technology for network efficiency

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: new TIM boss sets out his stall; Telefónica Tech checks its credentials; BT signs London Underground data center deal.

AT&T has let go of 77,400 employees in just four years

A ruthless pursuit of $6 billion in cost savings and the divestment of underperforming media assets are rapidly shrinking the US telco.

Japan's $440M plan to ensure subsea cable, data center diversity

The government will spend about 50 billion yen ($440 million) on subsea cable and data center decentralization for security and economic development reasons.

US government frets about domestic chip sector amid continued shortages

A report by the US Department of Commerce warns the global chip shortage isn’t going away anytime soon, so the US needs to ramp up its domestic production.

Apple grabs top spot in Chinese smartphone market

According to the latest data from Counterpoint, US gadget giant Apple’s share of the Chinese smartphone market is growing rapidly.

Microsoft rakes in massive revenues thanks to cloud boom

Microsoft’s most recent quarterly revenue clocked in at an astonishing $51.7 billion – a 20% jump which was propelled largely by Azure and other cloud services.

Virgin Media O2 bags itself a sweet private networking deal

Staff at British Sugar smiled indulgently this week as the telecoms press took a golden opportunity to make jokes about sweet things.

BT plays catch up on OpenRAN with help from Nokia

UK operator group BT has decided it’s time to put a bit more effort into OpenRAN and recruited Nokia to provide the RIC for a trial in Hull.

IHS inks latest, but probably not last, Brazil towers deal

IHS is spending hundreds of millions more on its Brazilian telecoms towers portfolio as part of an inorganic growth plan that is almost certainly not over yet.

Airwaive Project nabs $3M for blockchain-powered network deployments

In its new funding announcement, Airwaive focused exclusively on the FWA applications of its technology.

Verizon's Nicki Palmer isn't afraid to fail

As women in the telecom industry work toward parity in representation, particularly in technical roles, they can't let fear get in the way of their career goals, said Palmer.

AT&T's 5G buildout gets more ambitious

AT&T expects to cover 200 million people with a total of 80MHz of midband spectrum – across both the C-band and the 3.45GHz-3.55GHz band – by the end of next year.

Iliad plots low-cost mayhem for Italy's fixed market

Iliad Italia launches a new fiber plan with incentives for its existing mobile subscribers.

Locast on the hook for just $700,000 – report

Terms of the secret financial settlement, which reportedly clears individuals from liability in Locast's case with US broadcasters, might also help clear the way for Gigi Sohn's nomination to the FCC.

AT&T expects fiber sub growth to surge in 2022

CEO John Stankey said fiber sub growth will ramp up after AT&T ended 2021 with a bunch of new inventory. AT&T added 271,000 fiber subs in Q4 2021, about the same it added in the year-ago period.

Microsoft's power won't dim when the pandemic ends

Shares in Big Tech are down since the beginning of the year as investors fret about a return to the old normal. They shouldn't.

Microsoft's continued cloud growth keeps a target on telcos

As Microsoft's sprawling cloud creates a desperate dependency among businesses, the company said its cloud and 5G can forge new business models for network operators.

BT puts open RAN RIC through its paces with Nokia

The UK incumbent also plans to unveil a dedicated 'open RAN innovation center' this year, although chief architect still seems to prefer 'major global vendors.'

Eurobites: Nokia trials 600G with GlobalConnect

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: private networks a-go-go; UK smart devices safety bill gets second reading; ageing rocker gives Spotify an ultimatum.

Vodafone UK to start 3G shutdown in 2023

The UK operator needs 3G out of the way before it can rely on open RAN.

Inango takes a run at low latency on DOCSIS

Company claims its software, when tightly integrated with the modem or gateway, provides a fresh way to support app-targeted, low-latency capabilities on DOCSIS networks while still being compatible with the CableLabs specs.

Ericsson shares spike as it rolls with the Chinese punches

Swedish kit vendor Ericsson managed to offset continued decline in China with gains elsewhere and improved its margins in Q4 2021, which seems to have pleased investors.

Facebook teases AI supercomputer built to power the metaverse

Meta, the artist formally known as Facebook, is showing off its new AI Research SuperCluster which it claims will be the fastest AI supercomputer on the planet.

Vodafone UK will start switching off 3G next year

After 17 years and many billions of pounds, Vodafone UK is preparing to call time on its 3G network.

Iliad launches broadband in Italy with cheap FTTH and home-made box

French telco group Iliad launched its fixed broadband service in Italy on Tuesday with all the whooping and hollering one would expect from a new market entrant.

Verizon adds 78K fixed wireless subs in Q4 as Fios broadband growth slows

Verizon's FWA subscriber result, which includes both business and residential customers, outpaced the growth of Fios Internet in Q4 2021.

Rosenworcel wants to broaden broadband choice in multi-tenant buildings

The FCC said the new rules are in response to ISPs engaging in 'a pattern of new practices that inhibit competition' in apartment buildings and other multi-tenant environments.

Nvidia preparing to drop purchase of Arm – report

Nvidia would owe SoftBank $1.25 billion if its purchase of Arm fails.

Can Vodafone Idea avoid government control?

With the administration now holding 35.8% of the company, the Indian operator must clear pending dues in four years to limit the government's involvement.

NTT Security's Greg Garten on cleaning up 'dirty networks'

Garten says there's a misconception in the industry that traditional approaches to security can be applied easily to the cloud.

Verizon: 2022 will be different

'2022 is positioned to be our best year yet,' Verizon CFO Matt Ellis declared. But some analysts aren't so sure. 'We struggle to buy into a longer-term growth story,' argued the MoffettNathanson analysts.

Ericsson sets course for the enterprise in latest profit mission

Swedish equipment vendor is guiding for a sharp increase in profitability as it aims to grow its market share and corner the enterprise sector.

Investigating open RU costs for open RAN

SPONSORED: Heavy Reading's Open RAN Operator Survey examines the cost and performance trade-offs for O-RUs.

Here's how Cox blew its mobile launch

Cable company Cox inked an MVNO deal with Verizon in January 2021 and planned to launch mobile services by October 2021. The company spent roughly $99 million on the effort. But then T-Mobile got in the way.

Eurobites: 9M UK broadband users unaware of impending price hike – study

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Transsion chooses HERE for location services upgrade; Helios eyes African fintech; 5G for cycling, sausages.

Charter picks El Paso as first RDOF launch market

Charter, which is still grappling with pole access issues in some areas, has launched gigabit broadband, mobile, TV and voice services via FTTP to more than 1,230 homes and small businesses in rural El Paso.

TelcoDR to go strictly virtual at MWC 2022 as Ericsson returns

The one-woman consulting firm made a big splash last year when it took over the Swedish vendor's stand, but this year its 'Cloud City' will be an online experience only.

US turns up the heat on Google over alleged dodgy data dealings

Four US states have launched action against Google for allegedly deceiving users over location tracking – asserting that basically you can’t turn it off.

TIM gets new CEO as Italy eyes new telco

The news that Pietro Labriola will be TIM’s new CEO is hardly a surprise, but rumours of M&A in the Italian telecoms market are perhaps more unexpected.

EU gets tougher on big tech

The EU parliament late last week agreed a set of draft measures that push back on big tech’s data gathering, targeted advertising, and look to insert more transparency on how content is removed.

FCC Commissioner Carr accuses FAA of ‘misinformation campaign’ over 5G

Republican affiliated FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr went on the podcast hosted by veteran conservative US broadcaster Glenn Beck to talk 5G.

Schneider’s Christel Heydemann frontrunner for Orange CEO job

With the end of January fast approaching, time is running out for Orange to find a successor to Stephane Richard.

Carriers With 5G Cores Remain Lonely

5G cores remain incredibly rare — only 19 5G standalone (SA) networks have been deployed on these cores to date — and while that number could double in 2022, it still signals a “slow uptake,” according to Dave Bolan, research director at Dell’Oro Group.

Jio Estonia partners with University of Oulu on 6G research

They will work on aerial and space communication, holographic beamforming, 3D-connected intelligence in cybersecurity, microelectronics and photonics.

AT&T lights up multi-gig fiber speeds in dozens of US markets

Launch of 2-Gig and 5-Gig FTTP tiers in 70-plus markets puts more pressure on cable ops to enhance their existing DOCSIS 3.1 network or accelerate their upgrade activity centered on the new DOCSIS 4.0 specs.

Shamsunder, longtime Verizon 5G exec, departs company

'I will forever be one of Verizon's biggest fans, and will be rooting for the team for years to come,' Sanyogita Shamsunder wrote on LinkedIn of her departure from Verizon.

MWC Barcelona 2022 to be 'not far from' pre-pandemic attendance – GSMA chief

The GSMA reported 109,000 attendees at its show in Barcelona, Spain, in 2019. GSMA Director General Mats Granryd expects a similar turnout in 2022.

How Didja is accelerating its local TV streaming expansion

CEO Jim Long says the startup is using digital 'beachheads' to gain initial footholds in various US markets, with plans to follow with deployments of antenna sites that can stream out larger channel lineups.

Will Dish move into 'phase 2' of its 5G buildout?

Dish Network is estimated to have around 1,000 cell towers up and running today. That figure could increase to around 15,000 by this summer. It would need to reach at least 40,000 for nationwide coverage.

Telecom Italia confirms Pietro Labriola as CEO

Former TIM Brasil CEO takes over all powers of ex-CEO Luigi Gubitosi.

Open RAN moving faster than expected – Dell'Oro

Research firm estimates nascent tech will account for around 15% of the overall 2G-5G RAN market by 2026.

Ciena's Gina Nienaber on IP/optical convergence

Gina Nienaber explains service providers' priorities for IP/optical convergence, and she shares insights from a recent Heavy Reading survey on the topic.

Inside the messy world of T-Mobile's midband 5G spectrum licenses

T-Mobile offered the Christian College of Georgia $1 million to buy its 2.5GHz spectrum license, which the carrier has been leasng. The company also told the college it could not sell the license to anyone else, even if it could get a better price.

Eurobites: Is Netflix set for a UK slump?

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: some Brits ditch their smartphones; trade bodies sign up to EU green scheme; is 5G really good for the environment?

Vodafone, Iliad merger could revive Italian mobile – if allowed

Europe remains awash with four-player mobile markets, despite the best efforts of the region's investors.

China operators make a play for the metaverse

Investment last year totaled 25.9 billion yuan ($4.1 billion) across 209 projects.