
California launches $3.2B Middle‑Mile Broadband Network, Connecting Tribal and Rural Communities
The state’s Department of Technology has activated the $3.2 billion Middle‑Mile Broadband Initiative, the nation’s largest open‑access middle‑mile network. The first connection was made to the Bishop Paiute Tribe in Inyo County, marking the inaugural tribal customer. Governor Gavin Newsom aims to build 8,000 miles of fiber, with over 5,300 miles slated for completion by the end of 2026.
The global monolithic microwave IC (MMIC) market is projected to expand from $12.8 billion in 2024 to $23.9 billion by 2030, driven by a 10.5% CAGR. Gallium nitride (GaN) devices are the fastest‑growing segment, expected to reach $3.9 billion with a 17.8% CAGR, while GaAs remains the dominant material base. Demand is fueled by 5G smartphone upgrades, automotive ADAS radar, and high‑frequency defense and space systems that rely on K‑band, Ka‑band, and emerging E‑band spectra. Leading players such as Qorvo, Skyworks, and Infineon are scaling production to meet these diverse applications.
The Shared Rural Network programme has activated its second mobile mast on Islay, delivering 4G coverage to a previously total not‑spot. The green‑finished mast near Kilchoman extends service across 14 km of roads, paths and tracks along the island's western coast....

Ericsson’s 2025 study of 400 UK and Irish fleet managers reveals that unreliable cellular connectivity is a major pain point, with nearly a third of managers citing it as damaging to their professional reputation and 29% of drivers considering leaving...
No, Wi-Fi isn’t a simple overnight solution to solve the problem of satellite D2D not working indoors: https://t.co/CuHz7rOGwU

Vox has introduced Kiwi, a wireless broadband service that promises fibre‑like speeds of up to 200 Mbit/s in South Africa, where fibre penetration remains low. The solution leverages licensed spectrum and proprietary radio‑link technology to deliver low latency and high reliability,...

Antevia Networks and Benetel announced a strategic partnership that integrates Benetel’s outdoor O‑RU with Antevia’s 5G SHIFT private network platform. The combined solution promises faster, repeatable outdoor private 5G deployments with simplified procurement and clearer responsibility boundaries. It is positioned for...
In the latest episode of Software Gone Wild, the host discusses network device telemetry with Dinesh Dutt, a leading authority on the subject. The conversation examines why many operators still rely on screen‑scraping despite the availability of modern protocols such...

bgproutes.io launches as a next‑generation BGP data platform that aggregates routing information from RIPE RIS, RouteViews, PCH and its own peers, surpassing 5,000 worldwide VPs. It uses automated peering via PeeringDB and the BGP Monitoring Protocol to capture both best‑path and...

Japan’s fixed‑line revenue will stay largely flat from 2025 to 2030, rising modestly from $26.4 billion to $26.9 billion (0.4% CAGR). The modest growth is driven by a 1.3% CAGR increase in fibre broadband, while traditional voice services decline at a 1.8%...
SpaceX postponed the Starlink 6-61 launch from Friday to Saturday, targeting an 8:30 a.m. EDT liftoff from Cape Canaveral. The mission will carry 29 new Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 booster B1095, which is on its sixth flight. A 75% chance of...

PLDT was honored at the Green All‑optical Network Forum during MWC 2026 for its sustainable, AI‑ready network practices. The company unveiled its "GRIT" strategy—Green, Resilience, Intelligent Technology—to guide a transition from a traditional telco to a DigiCo model. Leveraging Huawei’s automation,...

BSNL has brought 96,103 of its 4G sites online across India, expanding the telco’s high‑speed network. The sites run on indigenous equipment supplied by a Tata Consultancy Services‑led consortium that includes Tejas Networks and C‑DoT. This rollout follows government‑approved revival...
The Dell’Oro Group reports the global telecom equipment market rebounded in 2025, posting a 4% revenue increase across six key segments after a 14% decline from 2022‑2024. Growth was led by optical transport and service‑provider routers, fueled by expanding data‑center...
Freedom Telecom and Nokia have signed an agreement to open an AI Innovation Lab on Nokia’s Sunnyvale campus, focusing on next‑generation AI data‑center designs for Kazakhstan and neighboring markets. Grameenphone and ZTE announced a strategic MoU at MWC 2026 to...
Ohio IX and its member Com Net have successfully deployed a 400 Gbps connection, marking the first such link at the exchange. The upgrade uses OSI optics technology and is hosted in the Cologix data center, which also offers remote access...
The iTalk broadband outage has now lasted nearly two weeks, leaving thousands of ADSL and FTTC customers offline. iTalk, a reseller of Vodafone and TalkTalk wholesale services, has not responded to inquiries, prompting speculation about a wholesale migration or commercial...

A new NTCA‑Cartesian report finds the $8.5 billion Universal Service Fund essential for keeping rural broadband and voice services viable. It shows that operating expenses in sparsely populated areas are about 44 % higher, with labor accounting for half of costs, leading...

A recent Cord Cutters News survey shows fiber internet has become the top choice for cord‑cutters, capturing 43 percent of their broadband market share and overtaking cable providers, which now hold just 40 percent. The shift reflects a demand for gigabit speeds,...

Talkie Communication, a Maryland ISP, filed a petition with the FCC seeking preemption of state zoning rules and annual fees that it says block the deployment of fixed‑wireless equipment on a utility pole. Maryland state agencies and Queen Anne’s County...
Japan’s government cautioned domestic firms that aid Ukraine’s reconstruction about the risk of technology and sensitive data leaks via Huawei‑supplied 5G networks. The warning follows a Ukrainian telecom operator’s 5G trials with Huawei and a failed bid by Japan’s Rakuten...

Connecticut’s Net Equality Program, enacted in June 2025 and effective Oct. 1 2026, obligates ISPs with state contracts to provide a low‑cost broadband plan of $40 per month or less to households receiving public assistance. The law guarantees minimum speeds of 100 Mbps...

Spectrum and RingCentral announced an expanded partnership that introduces the Unified Customer Experience (UCX) platform for Spectrum Business customers. The bundle combines RingCentral’s AI‑driven RingCX contact‑center suite and the AI Conversation Expert (ACE) with Spectrum’s managed network and onboarding services....

In this inaugural episode of SSPI’s "Connectivity to Intelligence" series, host Tamara Bond‑Williams talks with Benny Rettnamone, founder and CEO of QVIA, about the challenges of handling massive data streams at the edge—on aircraft, ships, and offshore rigs—where connectivity is...

The Federal Communications Commission has permanently banned voice service provider Belthrough LLC from connecting to U.S. telephone networks after repeated violations of robocall mitigation rules. All U.S. voice and intermediate providers must block incoming traffic from Belthrough within 48 hours...

Ciena’s CEO highlighted Managed Optical Fiber Networks (MOFN) as a core growth engine, noting a 40% year‑over‑year rise in Indian orders and record shipments of its RLS product line. The optical networking segment surged 67.9% to $1.02 billion, helping lift total...

The Canadian Radio‑television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced it will eliminate activation, plan‑change and early‑cancellation fees for most wireless and internet services, except where a subsidised device or home‑installation cost is involved. Service providers must update billing systems by June 12,...
Molex has introduced Impress, a co‑packaged copper interconnect that places a compression‑based connector directly on the ASIC substrate. The solution supports data rates up to 224 Gbps PAM‑4 and offers full‑channel isolation, reduced latency, and enhanced signal integrity. Building on the...

AT&T unveiled revamped post‑paid consumer and business smartphone plans, introducing the Value 2.0, Extra 2.0 and Premium 2.0 line‑up for individuals and Unlimited Standard 3.0, Advanced 3.0 and Premium 3.0 for enterprises. The top consumer tier now includes 100 GB of mobile‑hotspot data and 4K streaming, while...
Cisco unveiled a suite of high‑end optical solutions aimed at powering distributed AI workloads, including the Open Transport 3000 multi‑rail line system and an upgraded NCS 1014 chassis with a 12.8 Tbps, 800 GE line card. The new hardware delivers up to 3.2 Tbps...

Vodafone Greece announced a limited‑time support package that eliminates roaming and international calling charges for its Greek subscribers traveling to or residing in the Middle East. The waiver applies to ten countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates...

Total Wireless, Verizon's prepaid value brand, now operates over 2,000 stores nationwide, adding 1,100 locations in 2025 and averaging three new openings per day in 2026. The company aims to reach 4,000‑5,000 stores as part of a long‑term growth plan....
TOTSCo, the operator of the One Touch Switch (OTS) platform, has opened a consultation to address performance gaps after 18 months of operation and roughly 2.5 million broadband switches. The body highlights four problem areas – hub match success, failed messages,...
Does anyone use Zoom Phone as their business phone? I don't know if I want to continue with a physical work phone.
Is AI networking upstart Eridu working on a high radix, waferscale switch ASIC? Maybe. Just maybe. $NVDA $AMD $AVGO $MRVL https://t.co/4337xttDy2
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CloudMosa's Cloud Phone, a cloud‑powered solution that turns 4G feature phones into app‑capable devices, has seen four‑fold growth in South Africa, now representing 76% of the company's African user base. The rapid expansion is driven by deep partnerships with local...
“we like the Lynk architecture. It’s a unique design which puts certain functions up in the satellite, certain functions on the ground and this will deliver an overall lower-cost business case,” via @malleven33 https://t.co/QPfqnMP3XF
Data from New Street Research shows that the proposed combination of Astound Broadband and GFiber will have the biggest competitive overlap with AT&T, Comcast and Charter. @Light_Reading https://t.co/jUVW6Uq9gE
Iridium Communications was downgraded from Strong Buy to Buy after a 35.6% rally and signs of fundamental softness. Q4 2025 revenue held steady at $212.9 million while government subscribers dropped 14.2%, with growth driven mainly by low‑value commercial IoT data customers....
On 28 February 2026, coordinated cyber operations drove Iran’s internet traffic to just 1‑4 % of normal levels, coinciding with US‑Israeli air strikes that killed the Supreme Leader. Analysts attribute the blackout to a hybrid mix of regime‑imposed whitelisting, large‑scale DDoS attacks,...

Ukrainian mobile operator Lifecell reported that voice traffic carried over its LTE network now accounts for 29% of total calls. The carrier’s VoLTE subscriber base reached almost 1.5 million in January, a 2.5‑fold increase year‑on‑year. About 4.5 million smartphones – roughly 66%...

Pilar, a Russian tower operator owned by mobile carrier T2, is expanding its presence in the media sector. The firm manages over 33,500 telecommunications towers nationwide, with broadcasters accounting for 25 % of its customer base. In the past year it...
Life Belarus has rolled out 587 new antennas across 300 LTE base stations, boosting its network capacity. The operator completed upgrades on 139 sites by March 10, with roughly 85% of them now operating on the 1,800 MHz band. These enhancements have...

CitizenWatch Philippines urges lawmakers to broaden consultations on pending mobile data rollover bills, supporting the consumer‑protection goal but warning that rules designed for fixed monthly plans may not fit the country’s promo‑driven prepaid market. They highlight risks such as loss...

Helios Towers unveiled its five‑year IMPACT 2030 strategy, targeting a tenancy ratio above 2.5× by 2030 after already surpassing the 2.2× goal in 2025. The towerco now operates 14,746 sites across eight African markets and Oman, with adjusted EBITDA projected at...

Maz Khan, president of Vitalis Smart Communities, argues that connectivity—not just isolated gadgets—is the essential foundation of a true smart community. He warns that without a robust network, IoT devices and AI applications frustrate residents rather than enhance their lives....
"Today, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) approved $0 in federal broadband deployment funds for the District of Columbia. Why? Because effective oversight matters." via NTIA https://t.co/jwFvQUvmBe

Rostelecom has finished the second phase of modernising the telecommunications infrastructure at Evraz’s Kachkanar mining and processing plant in the Yekaterinburg region. The rollout adds a private LTE network, expanding on nine base stations installed in the first phase with...

Benchmark Telecom, a Belgian telecom infrastructure provider, launched the Ranger XL, a mobile transmitter designed for temporary network capacity. The telescopic mast extends up to 30 meters and can be operational in just 30 minutes. It targets high‑traffic events such as festivals and...

Two years after Chinese‑state linked group Salt Typhoon breached at least ten U.S. telecoms, officials say the public remains largely indifferent. The hack gave attackers access to call‑detail records for millions of Americans, yet most citizens cannot see a direct impact...
As noted by the KeyBanc analysts, $T released a new mobile rate card today: -Premium 2.0 is more expensive than before -Value 2.0 is cheaper than before Is this a #pricewar? Not quite, but it is a signal of competition in the space. https://t.co/qmhZx9UeS7