Today's Telecom Pulse
Vodacom invests $666M for 30% stake in Maziv fibre group
Vodacom announced a R12.64 billion ($666 million) purchase of a 30% equity stake in fibre infrastructure provider Maziv. The deal includes R6.28 billion ($331 million) of goodwill, R7.93 billion ($418 million) in cash, R4.57 billion ($240 million) of fibre assets and contractual rights, and R143 million in capitalised costs.
Also developing:
By the numbers: BizLink to acquire Blackstone's Interplex Datacom for $850M
Ondas Shares Jump 32% on $50 M Revenue Surge and $390 M Forecast
Ondas (ONDS) stock surged 32% in May after the company posted a ten‑fold revenue jump to $50 million and guided to $390 million for the year. The growth stems from aggressive acquisitions in defense‑grade drone and secure‑wireless technology, but investors remain wary of high dilution and a steep valuation.
Finnish Police Identify Four Suspects in Baltic Sea Subsea Cable Sabotage
Finnish police have named four individuals suspected of damaging two subsea telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea, linking the case to the seized cargo ship Fitburg. The investigation, now referred to prosecutors, underscores heightened security concerns and the launch of...
Openreach Teams with EMR to Fight £4bn UK Cable‑Theft Crisis
Openreach has partnered with European Metal Recycling (EMR) to block the flow of stolen copper cable that costs the UK economy an estimated £4.3 billion since 2013. The alliance adds DNA‑tagged cables, grid alarms and a zero‑tolerance scrap policy, aiming to...
Kinetic Hits 2 Million Residential Fiber Connections, Boosting Revenue Share Above 50%
Little Rock‑based Kinetic, a unit of Uniti Group, announced it has crossed the 2 million residential high‑speed internet connection mark in its 18‑state footprint, with fiber now accounting for more than half of its revenue. The milestone underscores the company’s rapid...
Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile Are Done Letting Storms Win
Verizon, AT&T and T‑Mobile are rolling out AI‑driven systems to keep cellular networks operational during hurricanes. Verizon deploys drones and digital‑twin models to map tower damage before crews can reach sites, cutting restoration to minutes or hours. AT&T’s Geo Modeler...
California Senate Urged to Reject Amendment Stripping State Regulator’s Telecom Authority
A California constitutional amendment, ACA 9, cleared the Assembly with a 67‑1 vote and now faces a two‑thirds Senate hurdle before reaching the ballot. The proposal would strip the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) of its constitutional mandate to regulate telecommunications,...
ViaTunisia Cable Reaches Ready for Service Milestone
The ViaTunisia subsea cable linking Marseille, France, and Bizerte, Tunisia, has achieved Ready for Service status, moving from construction to full operational availability. Designed for a 25‑year lifespan, the system was built by Alcatel Submarine Networks with marine deployment by...
SBA Communications vs Crown Castle: REITs Duel Over 5G Growth
Analysts pit SBA Communications against Crown Castle as the premier tower REITs for 5G investors, highlighting SBA's modest revenue growth and stronger margins versus Crown Castle's larger but shrinking top line, higher debt and robust free cash flow. The comparison...
FCC Tightens Subsea Cable Rules to Boost Security
The Federal Communications Commission unveiled new regulations that require licenses for operators of submarine line‑terminal equipment, the critical interface between undersea cables and U.S. networks. The rules prohibit the use of gear from Chinese firms such as Huawei and ZTE...
Starlink Hits 12 Million Subscribers, Plans 100x Bandwidth Boost with V3 Satellites
SpaceX’s Starlink service now serves over 12 million active customers across more than 160 countries. The company announced its next‑generation V3 satellites will deliver over ten times the bandwidth of current hardware and will be launched at a rate that could...
Cisco SD-WAN Faces Critical Root-Level Bug, No Fix Yet
Cisco SD-WAN Has a New Root-Level Problem, and There’s No Fix Yet https://t.co/VBIYZekErp #BreakingNews https://t.co/GbcBizSJ8F
Next Ariane 6 Launch to Carry 36 Amazon Leo Satellites Using Upgraded Boosters
Amazon Leo will lift 36 broadband satellites on an Ariane 64 launch from French Guiana on June 17, marking the first Ariane 6 flight to employ the longer P160C solid‑rocket boosters. The upgraded boosters add more than two metric tons of low‑Earth‑orbit capacity, allowing...
17 Nations Launch GUIDE Undersea Cable Security Framework
Seventeen nations unveiled the Guiding Principles for Underwater Infrastructure Defence Exchanges (GUIDE) at the Shangri‑La Dialogue, creating the first cross‑regional framework to protect subsea telecom and energy cables. The voluntary initiative, spearheaded by Singapore, focuses on information sharing, early warning...
Discover How WFC725A Extends RFSoC to FR3 - Live at IMS 2026
Wupatec and Mitsubishi Electric will showcase a live demonstration at IEEE IMS 2026 that extends Xilinx’s RFSoC platform into the FR3 (24‑40 GHz) band for 5G‑Advanced and 6G testing. The setup pairs Mitsubishi’s GaN Doherty power‑amplifier module with Wupatec’s RFSoC‑based measurement...
Unitel Expands 3G, 4G and 5G Network Coverage Across Angola in May
In May, Angola’s leading mobile operator Unitel broadened its network footprint by adding 3G, 4G and 5G services across several municipalities. The rollout delivered 5G coverage to Soyo in Zaire province, 4G to Leua (Moxico) and Chipeta (Bie), 3G to...
Peoria City Council Approves 70‑Foot Cell Tower to Boost Emergency Calls
The Peoria City Council voted on June 2 to approve a 70‑foot, 1,000‑square‑foot cell tower near Vistancia Boulevard and Westland Road, overriding a planning commission recommendation to deny the permit. Officials say the site will improve emergency communications, while residents...
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Medusa's ViaTunisa Subsea Cable Now Live
Orange announced that the ViaTunisia segment of the Medusa submarine cable system is now live, linking Marseille, France and Bizerte, Tunisia. The new route joins Orange’s global backbone through a fully redundant urban fiber ring, delivering high‑capacity, low‑latency connectivity across...
Beeline Russia Deploys Private LTE/5G-Ready Network for Gold Mining Company Polimetall
Beeline Business has rolled out a private LTE network, ready for 5G upgrades, at Polimetall’s Veduginskoye gold mine in Russia’s Krasnoyarsk region. The deployment includes two fixed and three mobile LTE base stations, giving the miner flexible coverage as pits...
T-Mobile Makes a Big Change to Its 5G Home Internet Service
T‑Mobile has introduced a hard download‑speed cap of 354 Mbps for new subscribers to its low‑cost Rely 5G Home Internet plan, marking the first explicit limit in its fixed‑wireless lineup. Existing Rely customers remain on the uncapped version, while higher‑tier Amplified...
Cable Lobby Seeks FCC Waiver to Keep Foreign‑Made Routers in U.S. Broadband
The NCTA-The Internet & Television Association filed a petition Tuesday urging the FCC to grant an expedited waiver on its recent ban of foreign‑made consumer routers. The lobby argues the rule threatens broadband availability for millions, citing supply‑chain shortages and...
Eutelsat and Tototheo Global Sign LEO Deal for Maritime Connectivity
Eutelsat and Cyprus‑based Tototheo Global have signed a partnership to bring OneWeb low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity to maritime customers, as well as enterprise and government users in Greece and Cyprus. The agreement leverages Tototheo’s maritime expertise and Eutelsat’s growing LEO...
Public Wi-Fi at Crossroads in India as Telcos Question Relevance
India’s public Wi‑Fi landscape is at a crossroads as TRAI solicits stakeholder input on the future of the PM‑WANI programme. Telecom operators argue that widespread, low‑cost 4G/5G mobile broadband has eroded consumer need for subsidised Wi‑Fi, and they warn of...
ViaTunisia Subsea Segment Reaches Ready-for-Service Status
The ViaTunisia subsea cable segment linking Marseille, France, and Bizerte, Tunisia, has achieved ready‑for‑service status, moving from construction to full operational availability. Co‑financed by the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility, the project received funding for 30% of its construction and management...
Spain Given More Cash for 6G Research
Spain’s IMDEA Networks is at the center of four EU‑backed 6G research projects—PROSPERO, PAISES‑6G, PRIME‑6G and IoT‑ZERO—receiving a share of €14 million ($15 million) from the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking. The SNS JU program, funded with up to €900 million ($981 million) from...
Vodafone Idea Launches Silent Mobile Verification for Its Subscribers Using Meta Platforms
Vodafone Idea (Vi) has launched silent mobile verification (SMV) for its subscribers on Meta’s WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram platforms. SMV authenticates a user’s mobile number in the background via the carrier’s network, removing the need for manual OTP entry. The...
Analyst: Years of Subs Growth Ahead for Starlink
Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite broadband unit, now serves over 10 million active terminals and is projected to surpass 45 million subscribers in a bullish scenario by 2030, with a bearish outlook still above 35 million. The rapid subscriber growth, driven by lower launch costs...
Verizon, AT&T, T‑Mobile Deploy AI, Drones and ‘COWs’ for Hurricane Season
Verizon, AT&T and T‑Mobile are rolling out AI‑powered damage assessment, drone‑delivered micro‑towers and “cell on wheels” units ahead of the 2026 hurricane season. The new tools promise to shrink restoration times from days to minutes or hours, keeping customers connected...
Fiber Frenzy
Louisiana-based LFT Fiber announced new residential multi‑gigabit internet offerings across the Acadiana region. In addition to its existing 250 Mbps, 500 Mbps and 1 Gbps tiers, the carrier now provides 2 Gbps service for $120 per month and 6 Gbps for $170 per month. The...
Some Lawmakers Wary Of NextNav Proposal
At a House hearing on June 4, lawmakers expressed skepticism about NextNav’s plan to launch a terrestrial GPS backup and 5G broadband network in the lower 900 MHz band. At least eight members warned that higher‑power transmitters could interfere with existing users...
Roth Provides BEAD and Spectrum Updates
At a Free State Foundation event, NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth detailed the latest progress on the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program and the agency’s spectrum‑reallocation effort. The NTIA has approved 54 state deployment plans and is moving states...
Bouygues Telecom Introduces New 5G Plan Including BeIN Sports
Bouygues Telecom has launched a new 5G plan priced at €21.99 (about $24) per month, timed with the 15th anniversary of its low‑cost B&You brand. The offering bundles access to Qatari broadcaster BeIN Sports, giving subscribers the ability to stream...
H3C Launches World’s First Wi‑Fi 8 Enterprise Access Point with US‑made Broadcom Chipset
H3C announced the debut of the first enterprise‑grade Wi‑Fi 8 access point, powered by Broadcom’s US‑made BCM4918 chip. The device targets factories, campuses and dense offices, promising up to 30% better spectral efficiency and a 25% cut in latency through AI‑driven...
Trade Groups Push FCC to Keep Lifeline Verification With USAC
Trade groups NTCA and NRECA filed a June 2 petition urging the FCC to keep Lifeline eligibility verification centralized with USAC and the National Verifier. They argue that shifting identity checks and Social Security number collection to individual carriers would burden...
FCC to Impose 120-Day Deadline on Slow Broadband Projects
D.C. Memo: @BrendanCarrFCC Ready to Slap 120-Day Deadline on States, Cities Slow Rolling Broadband Construction Builds | At the agency’s June 25 meeting, Carr plans to propose regulations intended to ensure that deployment projects are not ‘tied up in...
Ciena Poised for More Growth as AI Network Spending Shows No Signs of Stopping
Ciena reported a 39.5% jump in first‑quarter revenue to $1.57 billion, while EBITDA surged 324% to $283 million on a GAAP basis. The company’s leadership says AI‑driven network spending will keep accelerating, with hyperscalers projected to pour about $1 trillion into capex by...
State Department Seeks Small Businesses for LEO Satellite Terminals
The U.S. State Department issued an RFI seeking small businesses to supply low‑earth‑orbit (LEO) satellite terminals, airtime and support services for its Remote Expeditionary Area Communications Hub (REACH) program. The effort will equip 277 overseas embassies and consulates with off‑grid...
Supreme Court Sides With Trump Administration On Federal Regulation of Telecom Companies
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8‑1 in favor of the Trump administration, confirming the Federal Communications Commission’s authority to impose data‑privacy fines on telecom carriers. The decision upheld $100 million in penalties against Verizon and AT&T for mishandling customer location data,...
Supreme Court Rules FCC Fines Punishing Telecom Giants for Sharing Location Data Were Legal
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the FCC’s authority to levy nearly $200 million in fines against AT&T, Verizon and T‑Mobile for sharing customers’ location data without consent. The 8‑1 ruling dismissed the carriers’ claim that the penalties violated their right to...
Tech, Media & Telecom Roundup: Market Talk
T‑Mobile unveiled Dynamic CX, an AI‑driven system that anticipates and mitigates network slowdowns in dense crowds. The tool scans public event listings and real‑time online activity to flag upcoming mass gatherings, then reallocates spectrum and power as crowds shift. Dynamic CX debuted...
AT&T Rolls Out $35 Simple Fiber Broadband Plans, Targeting Bundled Customers
AT&T announced a new Simple Fiber lineup on June 3, 2026, with plans as low as $35 a month for customers who combine wireless and home internet. The offering includes speeds from 300 Mbps to 5 Gbps and is marketed as a...
FCC Backs US Broadband Builders
FCC Chair Brendan Carr unveiled a proposal that forces state and local governments to decide wireline telecom infrastructure requests within 120 days and caps associated fees to the government’s actual costs. The rule, anchored in Section 253 of the Communications Act,...
US Supreme Court Sides with FCC in Clash with Wireless Carriers over Fines
The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the FCC’s authority to issue in‑house forfeiture orders, rejecting challenges from AT&T and Verizon in an 8‑1 decision. The FCC had levied fines of $57 million on AT&T, nearly $47 million on Verizon, $80 million on T‑Mobile and...
SES Partners with Viva to Launch Multi-Orbit In-Flight Connectivity
SES and Viva have teamed up to roll out a multi‑orbit inflight connectivity service across Viva’s Airbus fleet. The solution uses SES’s geostationary satellites and Eutelsat’s OneWeb LEO constellation, delivered via an electronically steered array antenna under 7 cm tall. Initially...
AT&T Has Been Hit With an Unexpected Crime Wave. The AI Boom Has Something To Do With It.
AT&T disclosed more than 10,400 copper theft incidents this year, prompting a $20,000 reward for tips that lead to arrests. The surge is linked to copper prices roughly doubling as AI data centers and other high‑tech infrastructure demand the metal....
Community Fibre 1Gbps for £20/Month (June Promo)
Community Fibre has launched a June promotion offering 1 Gbps full‑fibre broadband for £20 per month (≈$25) on a 24‑month contract. The price steps up to £23 ($29) in April 2027 and £26 ($33) in April 2028, making it one of the cheapest gigabit...
Verizon Store Policy Spurs Two‑Hour Waits as Employees Push Aggressive Sales
Verizon employees say a newly enforced policy that forces staff to pitch every product to every shopper is creating lines that exceed two hours. The mandate, part of CEO Dan Schulman's aggressive turnaround, has drawn criticism from workers and customers...
Oman Launches Nationwide Satellite Internet Drive for Schools
Oman's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has launched a nationwide satellite‑internet program targeting 49 remote government schools. The first phase will install 185 Starlink devices delivering 250‑500 Mbps to bridge connectivity gaps in hard‑to‑reach areas. TRA aims for 100% internet coverage across...
SpaceX's $2 Trillion IPO Push Fuels Starlink Expansion and Starshield Rollout
SpaceX is preparing a $2 trillion initial public offering while a Falcon 9 lifted 29 Starlink satellites into low‑Earth orbit, and Britain began using the militarised Starshield network. The moves highlight a clash between commercial broadband ambitions and growing defense demand for...
Kinetic Reaches 2 Million Residential Fiber Connections Across 18 States
Kinetic, the fiber‑optic arm of Little Rock‑based Uniti Group, announced it has crossed the 2 million residential connection mark in its 18‑state footprint, a milestone driven by aggressive construction, external partnerships and a shift to fiber‑dominant revenue.
80% Spam Calls, Messages Move to OTT Communications Platforms: Telcos
Telecom operators and the Cellular Operators Association of India say that strict TRAI regulations have pushed roughly 80% of spam calls and messages onto unregulated over‑the‑top (OTT) platforms such as WhatsApp and Truecaller. While the networks enforce KYC, header registration...