EXCLUSIVE March 2026 Update on Openreach Full-Fibre Roll-Out
Openreach added 363,513 full‑fibre premises in the past four weeks, bringing its total database to 21.75 million sites – 65.1 % of UK premises. In the last quarter the company passed FTTP to another 1.06 million locations and is on track to hit the 25 million‑premises milestone by December 2026. A modest dip in growth for postcodes introduced in 2025‑2025 is offset by rising contributions from alternative‑net operators. The firm hints at a slower build‑out pace for 2027‑2030, raising questions about future deployment strategy.
FCC Alert on Cybersecurity Risks
The Federal Communications Commission issued an unprecedented cybersecurity alert for telecom operators, noting a fourfold rise in ransomware attacks from 2022 to 2025. The agency urges carriers to patch systems promptly, enable multi‑factor authentication, segment networks, and monitor vendor security...
Qualcomm X105 6G-Ready 5G Modem to Deliver 14.8 Gbps Download and 4.2 Gbps Upload Peak Data Speeds
Qualcomm unveiled the X105, the industry’s first 3GPP Release 19‑ready modem‑RF system, capable of 14.8 Gbps downlink and 4.2 Gbps uplink peak speeds. Built on a 6 nm RF transceiver, it delivers 30% lower power consumption and a 15% smaller footprint than the X85....
IPv4 ECMP Works on Arista cEOS Release 4.35.2F
Arista’s cEOS 4.35.2F release finally supports IPv4 ECMP, allowing forwarded traffic to be balanced across multiple equal‑cost paths in an anycast topology. The lab test shows packets alternating between two downstream nodes, confirming functional ECMP. However, locally originated traffic still...
Kaniz Mahdi Joins TM Forum’s AI and Data Mission Board
TM Forum announced that Kaniz Mahdi, AWS Industries Director of Technology, has joined its AI and Data Mission Board. The board will steer the AI‑Native Blueprint, which debuted three core projects—Model as a Service, Data Products Lifecycle Management, and Agentic...
Turris Omnia NG Wired Dual 10GbE, Quad 2.5GbE Router Drops Wi-Fi for Cost Savings
Turris has launched the Omnia NG Wired router, mirroring the feature set of its Wi‑Fi 7 model but stripping out built‑in wireless to cut costs. The device offers dual 10 GbE SFP+ cages, four 2.5 GbE RJ45 ports, a Qualcomm IPQ9574 SoC, 2 GB...
APNIC Routing Security SIG at APRICOT 2026: Social Engineering, RPKI, ASPA, & TA Constraints
At APRICOT 2026, APNIC’s Routing Security SIG highlighted six RPKI‑related initiatives, most notably Indonesia’s rapid climb to over 90% RPKI coverage driven by the IIX’s drop‑invalid policy. The session introduced the Autonomous System Provider Authorization (ASPA) object for path validation and...
EU Regulation Dossier Updated for 2026
The EU’s 2026 spectrum regulation dossier has been refreshed, adding two new research notes that examine 5G rollout across the 27‑member bloc and in the Balkans. The notes evaluate the effectiveness of the EU’s 5G “pioneer bands” and the persistent...
INCA State of the Altnet Report Says Altnets Moving Towards Monetisation
The INCA State of the Altnets report shows full‑fibre coverage reaching 19.7 million premises by the end of 2025, with live connections climbing 32% to 3.5 million. Growth is driven largely by customers switching from Openreach and Virgin Media, pushing the altnet...
The Gulf Built Oil Pipelines to Avoid Hormuz. It’s Now Doing the Same for Data
Gulf nations are racing to construct six overland data corridors linking the region to Europe, routing traffic through Syria, Iraq, and the Horn of Africa. The most advanced, Saudi Arabia's SilkLink, secured an $800 million contract to lay 4,500 km of fiber...
All Points Fibre Networks Now Offering 1.7 Gbps and 2.3 Gbps CityFibre Full Fibre
All Points Fibre Networks (APFN) has upgraded its Aquila wholesale platform to deliver 1.7 Gbps and 2.3 Gbps multi‑gigabit speeds using CityFibre’s XGS‑PON technology, bringing its offering in line with other CityFibre‑based platforms. The 5 Gbps tier remains exclusive to Sky for now....
VIAVI Unveils True-Phase DAS Fiber Sensing Interrogator with AI/ML at the Edge
VIAVI Solutions introduced a next‑generation True‑Phase Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) interrogator that embeds AI and machine‑learning at the network edge. The device leverages VIAVI’s patented phase‑stepping interferometry to deliver accurate strain, vibration and acoustic measurements across multiple fibers. Real‑time event...
Pakistan Raises USD 507 Million in 5G Spectrum Auction
Pakistan’s telecom regulator, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), concluded a major 5G spectrum auction on March 10, offering 595 MHz and selling 480 MHz for $507 million. Jazz secured the largest share with 190 MHz, while Zong obtained 110 MHz and Ufone 180 MHz. The auction generated...
Rogers Upgrades Fido Customers to 5G at No Extra Cost
Rogers Communications will automatically upgrade the majority of its low‑cost Fido mobile customers from 4G LTE to 5G, with no price increase or plan change. The nationwide rollout promises speeds up to 1 Gbps for users with compatible devices. The upgrade...
Telefonica Germany Expands 5G Coverage to More Areas
Telefónica Germany announced the rollout of its 5G network to three additional locations—Cunnewitz, Kroeppelshagen‑Fahrendorf, and Neuenhasslau. The upgrades bring high‑speed mobile connectivity to these towns, aligning with the operator’s broader plan to launch roughly 8,000 5G projects by 2025. This...
Home Unity Launches Retail Services over Freedom Fibre Network
Home Unity announced the launch of retail broadband services over the Freedom Fibre network, adding the provider to its portfolio of alternative networks. Freedom Fibre’s current footprint spans the North West and West Midlands, with plans to extend into Bristol,...
Semtech Launches Device-to-Cloud Cellular Video Platform for Critical Surveillance, Analytics
Semtech introduced a device‑to‑cloud cellular video platform built around its AirLink AR60 5G router and an AI‑powered compression engine from Digital Barrier. The solution couples multi‑IMSI carrier management via Semtech Smart Connectivity with edge‑level video compression, enabling live, high‑resolution surveillance...
MTS Launches Voice Transcription Service for Customers with Hearing Impairments
MTS has launched a free, nationwide voice transcription service for hearing‑impaired customers, converting incoming calls to real‑time text and turning typed replies into spoken audio. The solution uses MTS VoiceTech’s AI‑driven speech recognition and synthesis, eliminating the need for third‑party...
Mega Launches Family Plan with Unlimited Data for 3 Sims
Kyrgyz telecom operator Mega unveiled the Family Plus plan, priced at KGS 790 per month for three SIM cards with unlimited mobile data and on‑net voice minutes. The package also provides 20 off‑network minutes and the option to add extra SIMs for...
Semtech Intros 5G RedCap IoT Modem with Plug-and-Play Ethernet Functionality
Semtech has begun sampling its FX86E modem, a 5G RedCap solution that also supports LTE Cat‑4. The module offers plug‑and‑play Ethernet connectivity for both public and private 5G networks, aiming to simplify IoT device integration. Measuring just 82 × 60 × 32 mm, it targets...
Virgin Media Owner Considering Other Broadband Takeovers
Telefónica, the owner of Virgin Media, says it will consider further broadband takeovers to bolster Virgin Media O2 against Openreach. The joint venture recently agreed a £2 bn acquisition of Netomnia, which will be folded into the Nexfibre platform alongside InfraVia...
Netlab 26.03: EVPN/MPLS, IOS XR Features
Netlab 26.03 has been released, bringing a suite of new multi‑vendor features to the network‑lab platform. Cisco IOS XR now supports SR‑MPLS, MPLS/VPN, EVPN over MPLS, VRRP, advanced BGP session parameters and extensive routing policies. Juniper cRPD, EVPN/VXLAN on vPTX and...
Jackson County REMC Taps Adtran to Transform Broadband Network
Jackson County REMC has partnered with Adtran to overhaul its rural broadband network, deploying fiber access, AI‑driven Mosaic One SaaS, and Intellifi® managed Wi‑Fi. The integrated solution aims to close the digital divide across a ten‑county area, serving more than...
Beamforming for Networks that Sense and Communicate at Once
Researchers propose a hybrid beamforming scheme that lets a single high‑frequency transmission carry both data and environmental sensing information, addressing the dual‑purpose demand of emerging 6G networks. Traditional beamformers become computationally prohibitive when scaling to massive antenna arrays, making real‑time...
Polish Operators Agree National Roaming During Emergencies
Polish mobile operators Orange Poland, T‑Mobile Poland, Polkomtel and Play have signed an agreement to establish a national roaming framework for emergency situations. The plan, announced by UKE chairman Przemyslaw Kuna at the Economic Forum “Time” in Warsaw, aims to...
Megafon Upgrades Mobile Network Coverage for Moscow Flats
Megafon has rolled out an indoor mobile network upgrade across multiple Moscow apartment complexes, extending coverage to more than 140,000 residents. The enhancement reaches apartments, elevators and other indoor zones, delivering consistent voice and data service. The new infrastructure also...
Kyivstar Invests UAH 4.5 Bln in Back-Up Power Equipment Since War Starts
Kyivstar, Ukraine’s leading mobile operator and Veon subsidiary, has spent over UAH 4.5 billion since the war began to purchase, install and maintain more than 6,000 backup generators. The equipment bolsters network resilience amid frequent electricity blackouts caused by Russian attacks. Most...
Onshoring Customer Service
The FCC is set to vote on rules that would curb overseas customer service for ISPs, cable and cellular carriers, encouraging onshoring of call‑center jobs. Proposed measures include English‑proficiency standards, mandatory location disclosure, a right to transfer to U.S. agents,...
Shared Rural Network Hits 50 Mobile Mast Milestone in Wales
Shared Rural Network (SRN) has upgraded 50 mobile masts in Wales, bringing the total UK upgrades to 119. The upgrades enable all four major operators—EE, Three, Virgin Media O2 and Vodafone—to provide 4G coverage from each site, boosting national coverage...
Eurofiber, Colt Announce Cross-Carrier Quantum-Secured Fiber Corridor
Eurofiber and Colt Technology Services announced a cross‑carrier Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) corridor linking the financial hubs of Amsterdam, London and Brussels. The partnership leverages Eurofiber’s dense fiber infrastructure and Colt’s ultra‑low‑latency carrier‑grade services to deliver quantum‑secured, high‑performance connectivity. The...
TIME dotCom Taps Ciena to Offer 1 Tb/S Data Transmission Across the Pacific
TIME dotCom Berhad has integrated Ciena’s latest coherent optical technology into the 9,000‑km FASTER submarine cable, enabling a single‑carrier wavelength capacity of 1 Tb/s and an industry‑first 1.6 Tb/s solution. The upgrade comes as global bandwidth demand has more than tripled since...
O2 Telefónica, Ekinops Partner to Drive 5G Connectivity for Enterprise
O2 Telefónica and Ekinops have co‑developed the MRU‑5G Managed Remote Unit, a mobile‑fixed solution that extends gigabit‑class 5G connectivity into enterprise buildings where fiber is impractical. The outdoor unit can be installed up to 100 m from a data room with zero...
Automating Netlab-Based Cisco SD-WAN Deployment
Netlab, an open‑source lab generator, does not include native support for Cisco SD‑WAN. Sebastien d’Argoeuves created a GitHub repository that automates Cisco SD‑WAN deployment once a netlab lab is launched. The solution reads netlab’s JSON/YAML topology, maps device roles, and...
Stc Pilots AI-Powered Arabic–English Translation for Voice Calls
Saudi Arabia’s stc Group has launched phase two of its “New Calling” initiative, piloting AI‑driven real‑time Arabic‑English translation for voice calls. The service is currently live for a limited set of Riyadh customers and relies on low‑latency network processing combined...
MTN Zambia Partners with Starlink to Offer D2C Services
MTN Zambia has partnered with SpaceX’s Starlink to pilot Direct‑to‑Cell (D2C) service, completing the first data session and fintech transaction over the satellite network. The test proves that 4G handsets can connect directly to Starlink’s LEO constellation, delivering voice, video...
DNB Heads to Private Status After CelcomDigi and Maxis Buy MOF Shares
Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), Malaysia's 5G wholesale operator, is set to become a fully private company after CelcomDigi and Maxis each exercised a put option to buy the 41.67% stake held by Minister of Finance Incorporated (MOF Inc). The transaction,...
DSG-22.6 GHz Is a $1,590 Open-Source RF Signal Generator Based on Atek Midas’s Custom ICs (Crowdfunding)
Atek Midas has introduced the DSG‑22.6 GHz, an open‑source RF signal generator that spans 150 MHz to 22.6 GHz. Priced at $1,590, it offers professional‑grade performance—1 Hz tuning resolution, <100 µs tuning speed, and ≥40 dBc spurious suppression—at a fraction of traditional benchtop costs. The unit...
Assessment of Norwegian Mobile and Fixed Broadband Revenues in a Nordic Context 2025
The Norwegian Ministry of Digitalisation and Public Governance released a comprehensive analysis on 6 March 2026, commissioned from Tefficient, that benchmarks mobile and fixed‑broadband subscriber revenues across Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland up to June 2025. The report expands on four prior yearly...
EXCLUSIVE: February 2026 Update on Broadband Availability Across the UK, Nations and Regions
The latest UK broadband audit shows gigabit availability climbing to 90.17% nationwide, while full‑fibre (FTTP) coverage now stands at 82.99%, just 0.01 points shy of the 83% milestone. Northern Ireland tops the chart with 97.18% gigabit penetration, whereas London records...
Singtel Picks Ericsson to Drive Industry Transformation with 5G Advanced
Singapore’s telecom leader Singtel has entered a strategic partnership with Ericsson to fast‑track the rollout of 5G Advanced as an AI‑powered, programmable platform for enterprises. The collaboration will introduce AI‑in‑RAN, end‑to‑end network slicing with enforceable SLAs, and commercial APIs to...
Safaricom Powers the 2026 WRC Safari Rally with Advanced Connectivity, IoT Solutions
Safaricom has been named the official technology and connectivity partner for the 2026 World Rally Championship Safari Rally in Kenya. The telco will deploy multiple Connectivity on Wheels units and optimise its 5G network to support high‑speed livestreaming, media centres,...
Weekly Brief – 6th March 2026
Openreach announced a hike in its FTTP expedite fee to £145, up from £125, effective 1 March, signaling tighter cost structures for rapid broadband deployments. Virgin Media O2’s Call Defence AI has now labeled over 1 billion nuisance calls, cutting answer rates by...
Press Release: LOT Begins Fitting Viasat Inflight Wi-Fi to Long-Haul Fleet
LOT Polish Airlines has begun installing Viasat’s Amara inflight Wi‑Fi on its long‑haul fleet, starting with Boeing 787 Dreamliner SP‑LSA. Two additional Dreamliners will be equipped by the end of April, offering paid chat ($7) and streaming ($29) bundles while...
The Iran Question…
Elon Musk announced on X that Starlink weapon systems are shut down when identified, and the next day SpaceX limited the maximum in‑motion speed for its Roam and Priority plans to 100 mph. The company simultaneously launched higher‑priced Aviation 300 and Aviation 450...
A New Voice Feature
T‑Mobile is beta testing a real‑time translation service that supports fifty languages and is marketed as the first agentic AI platform on a wireless network. Unlike existing translator apps, the feature is embedded in cellular plans and runs from the...
Ofcom Investigates Two Imageboard Sites over CSAM and Non-Consensual Images
Ofcom has opened an investigation into the provider of two anonymous image‑board services to assess compliance with the UK Online Safety Act. The probe focuses on whether the platforms have conducted required illegal‑content risk assessments and implemented safeguards against non‑consensual...
EE 8Gbps Trial Available to Sign up in Guildford/Woking
EE is rolling out a free XGS‑PON trial in Guildford, Woking and surrounding Surrey villages, offering up to 8 Gbps download and 800 Mbps upload speeds. Interested residents must register via the BT TrialCentre and will receive new fibre, an ONT and...
Rakuten Symphony, Lightstorm to Deliver Sovereign Network-as-a-Service Platform
Rakuten Symphony and Lightstorm have formed a strategic partnership to deliver a sovereign Network‑as‑a‑Service platform that merges Lightstorm’s Polarin NaaS fabric with Rakuten’s cloud‑native platform and orchestrator. The combined solution provides a self‑service portal for provisioning, billing, and performance monitoring...
Ericsson, Optus Partner on AI Model for Accurate 5G SA Coverage Prediction
Ericsson and Australian carrier Optus have launched a joint trial of an artificial‑intelligence model that predicts whether a device on one 5G Standalone frequency layer is also covered by another. The model, trained on months of live Optus data, can...
Podcast: Iris² and the European Space Programme
Dominic Hayes, spectrum manager for the European Commission, discussed the Iris² satellite programme on a PolicyTracker podcast, highlighting its role within the broader European Space Programme. Iris² aims to provide a European‑controlled direct‑to‑device (D2D) communications network, offering an alternative to...