The Rapid Evolution of Transport Lasers
Transport lasers have accelerated from 1 Gbps in the early 2000s to emerging 1.6 Tbps solutions today. IEEE standards progressed through 10 Gb (2002), 40 Gb (2010), 100 Gb (2010), 400 Gb (2017) and now 800 Gb and 1.6 Tb lasers are in limited deployment. Digital Signal Processing was pivotal for 40 Gb adoption, while falling component costs drove 400 Gb to become the long‑haul norm by 2022. AI‑driven traffic is the primary catalyst pushing carriers toward terabit‑class optics.
Sovereignty for Sale
Elon Musk’s decision to block Russia from using Starlink satellites has hampered Russian drone and artillery operations, highlighting the strategic power of private space assets. After initially supplying Ukraine with terminals, Musk later restricted their use against Russian territory following...
Presentation: Netlab Overview and Use Cases
At the recent NetBCN event, a concise presentation showcased netlab’s expanding portfolio of use cases, adding a dedicated “use cases” section to the standard deck. The speaker highlighted roughly a dozen scenarios, ranging from rapid prototyping of network designs to...
Lycamobile Launches Ligue1+ Promotion in France
Lycamobile, a UK‑based MVNO, has launched a €19.99 prepaid 30‑day 5G plan in France aimed at football enthusiasts. The offer bundles 200 GB of data, unlimited calls and texts, and a Ligue 1+ streaming pass for one screen. It is available throughout...
Press Release: Gilat Secures Multi-Million Dollar IFC Hardware Order
Gilat Satellite Networks announced a multi‑million‑dollar order from a leading in‑flight connectivity integrator for its AeroStream Ka‑band wideband amplifiers. The hardware, including 60 W Ka‑band block upconverters, will be delivered over the next 24 months to equip commercial aircraft. Gilat notes...
Technology Shorts March 2026
Researchers unveiled four breakthrough technologies that could reshape communications and data‑center infrastructure. Columbia University’s "rainbow chip" creates a frequency‑comb, allowing dozens of precise light channels to travel simultaneously through a single fiber, promising massive bandwidth gains for broadband networks. The...
MWC 2026 | Intracom Telecom Showcases AI-Enabled Platform Enabling Autonomous Operations
Intracom Telecom unveiled its uni|MS™ AI platform at MWC Barcelona 2026, promoting fully autonomous network operations for communication service providers. The AI‑driven solution lets operators specify desired outcomes—such as rollout validation, segment optimization, or disruption prevention—and automatically orchestrates diagnostics, analytics, and...
MWC 2026 | Aduna Drives Global Network API Adoption with Ecosystem Expansion
Aduna announced at Mobile World Congress 2026 that its network‑API platform now partners with 15 digital‑identity, fraud‑prevention and communications providers, expanding its ecosystem. The joint‑venture, originally launched by Ericsson and 12 major operators, now offers CAMARA‑based APIs in six countries...
Leighton Buzzard Gains CityFibre Full Fibre Service in Linslade Area
CityFibre has launched full‑fibre service in Leighton Buzzard’s Linslade area, adding new streets—especially around Melfort Drive—to its Project Gigabit rollout. The network uses XGS‑PON technology, offering symmetrical speeds from 2 Gbps up to 5 Gbps, with the highest tier currently exclusive to Sky...
Tejas Networks Unveils Hyper-Scalable DCI Platform at MWC Barcelona
Tejas Networks introduced the TJ1600‑D3, a hyper‑scalable data‑center interconnect (DCI) platform, at MWC 2026 in Barcelona. The WDM optical transport system delivers line rates from 400 Gbps to 1.2 Tbps per wavelength and can scale to 51.2 Tbps of shelf capacity within a compact...
Understanding 10BASE-T1L
10BASE‑T1L, defined in IEEE 802.3cg, delivers 10 Mbps full‑duplex Ethernet over a single twisted‑pair for up to 1 km. The standard lets BACnet/IP run directly on the link, eliminating gateways and allowing seamless integration with IT networks. Existing two‑wire fieldbus runs can be...
Thales Validates Post-Quantum Cryptography on Live Networks, Enabling Ongoing Protection
Thales demonstrated live‑network post‑quantum cryptography for 5G, remotely updating SIM and eSIM cards with quantum‑safe algorithms. The "crypto agility" approach eliminates the need for massive hardware swaps, enabling instant security upgrades across existing devices. The trial underscores Thales’ role in...
Telekom Relies on Starlink: Satellites to Close the Last Gaps in Mobile Coverage in Germany
Deutsche Telekom announced a partnership with Elon Musk’s Starlink to launch direct‑to‑device satellite mobile service in Germany starting in 2028. The initiative targets the remaining 1.2% of the country without 2G coverage, offering basic voice, data and messaging where terrestrial...
February Update - Tematica Select Digital Infrastructure Model (DIGI)
On March 3, 2026 Tematica released its February update to the Select Digital Infrastructure (DIGI) model, which tracks firms that build and operate the backbone of the hyper‑connected economy. The revision expands the universe to include edge‑computing, 5G tower, and submarine‑cable operators,...
Cell Tower Valuation Model (Updated March 2026)
The article introduces a new Excel‑based Cell Tower Valuation Model designed for telecom infrastructure underwriting. It highlights how 5G rollouts, rising data usage, and new operators are turning cell towers into high‑demand, inflation‑protected CRE assets. Valuations are driven by cash‑flow...
WEBINAR: Two-Part Series on RF Power Amplifier Design
The RF power‑amplifier landscape has shifted from simple scalar load‑pull to sophisticated vector and simulated techniques as mmWave and sub‑THz designs demand tighter margins and wider bandwidths. Keysight’s two‑part masterclass introduces a VNA‑inspired load‑pull method that uses a‑ and b‑waves...
Huawei Launches Xinghe Solution for Cost-Effective, Quantum-Secure WANs
Huawei unveiled the Xinghe Intelligent Traffic‑Encryption Integration Solution at MWC Barcelona 2026, embedding a built‑in Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) board into its NetEngine 8000E router series. The technology uses a high‑precision noise‑reduction algorithm to allow quantum, negotiation and data channels to...
Rising Costs of Broadband Construction
The Fiber Broadband Association’s 2025 annual report shows median fiber construction costs climbing to $18 per foot for buried lines and $8 per foot for aerial routes, marking 3% and 14% increases respectively. Labor remains the dominant expense, representing roughly...
TalkTalk to Get £115m Funding Injection From Ares Management
TalkTalk secured a £115 million cash injection from Ares Management, comprising £65 million of senior debt and a £50 million short‑term facility to replace a £47 million debt due in March. The funding follows earlier capital raises of £235 million in December 2024 and £120 million...
Wireless Mobile International Search Joins the TCCA
Wireless Mobile International Search (WMIS) announced its membership in the Telecom Critical Communications Alliance (TCCA), a global, member‑led body serving the critical communications ecosystem. Founded in 2005, WMIS specializes in recruiting senior talent for wireless, mobile and IoT networks across...
IDEMIA Secure Transactions, Tele2 IoT and Cisco Launch SGP.32 IoT Solution
At Mobile World Congress, IDEMIA Secure Transactions, Tele2 IoT and Cisco unveiled the first commercially available end‑to‑end IoT solution built on the GSMA SGP.32 eSIM standard. The offering combines IDEMIA’s certified eSIM ecosystem, Cisco’s Mobility Services Platform, and Tele2 IoT’s global connectivity...
Strengthening Critical Infrastructure Security with OSINT
The article spotlights a free, 10‑hour YouTube course titled "OSINT for ICS and OT" created by Mike Holcomb, aimed at closing the training gap in industrial control system security. It underscores how operational technology—power plants, water treatment, railways and factories—has become a...
MediaTek Puts Spotlight on AI and Connectivity at MWC 2026
MediaTek used Mobile World Congress 2026 to unveil its "AI For Life: From Edge to Cloud" showcase, highlighting breakthroughs from 6G radio interoperability to AI‑driven connectivity. The company demonstrated the world’s first 5G‑Advanced CPE with Wi‑Fi 8, delivering up to 40%...
Ericsson, Sony and Vodafone Highlight 5G Photography Innovation at MWC
At Mobile World Congress, Ericsson, Sony and Vodafone showcased a 5G‑enabled photography proof‑of‑concept that leverages CAMARA‑compliant network slicing and API‑driven on‑demand reservation. The system pairs Sony cameras and portable data transmitters with Ericsson’s programmable network and Vonage APIs to guarantee...
Nordic Semi nRF93M1 IoT Modules Offer LTE Cat 1bis Cellular Connectivity, Wi-Fi Location Capabilities
Nordic Semiconductors unveiled the nRF93M1 LTE Cat 1bis IoT module at Mobile World Congress 2026, offering up to 10 Mbps downlink and 5 Mbps uplink speeds. The family includes two variants—LABA for Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa, and LACA for global deployments—both supporting a...
Worth Reading: Faster than Dijkstra?
Bruce Davie argues that using algorithms marketed as faster than Dijkstra’s in link‑state routing offers little practical benefit. Historical data shows Dijkstra can compute SPF for a 2,000‑node network in about 100 ms, comfortably meeting modern convergence needs. Most networks operate...
The $75 Radio: Why US Special Operations Command Needs to Buy Off the Shelf for the Next War
U.S. Special Operations Command is urged to supplement its high‑signature, expensive military radios with disposable, low‑power commercial‑off‑the‑shelf (COTS) solutions such as LoRa. By operating in the unlicensed sub‑gigahertz ISM band and using chirp spread spectrum, these radios can hide below...
Ericsson and Intel Collaborate to Accelerate AI-Native 6G; Other AI-Native 6G Advancements at MWC 2026
Ericsson and Intel announced an expanded partnership at MWC 2026 to accelerate AI‑native 6G development, focusing on AI‑driven RAN, cloud‑native core, and next‑gen silicon. The collaboration leverages Intel Xeon AI acceleration and upcoming Ericsson silicon to deliver energy‑efficient, secure compute...
Supermicro Expands Support for AI-RAN and Sovereign AI Solutions
Supermicro announced expanded AI‑RAN and sovereign AI infrastructure at MWC 2026, unveiling new 1U and 2U server models built on NVIDIA Grace CPUs and Blackwell GPUs. The ARS‑111L‑FR, ARS‑221GL‑NR, and ARS‑111GL‑NHR systems target distributed radio access networks and edge AI...
NTT Unveils Tech to Enhance AI Performance for 6G and Next-Gen Computing
NTT, NTT DOCOMO and NTT DATA will showcase IOWN photonics‑based networking at MWC Barcelona 2026, highlighting its role in powering 6G and next‑generation AI workloads. The group announced a university‑industry project that merges 6G and IOWN to enable autonomous AI...
Apple’s iPhone 17 Series 5G mmWave Antenna Module Revealed to Be Powered by Soitec FD-SOI Substrates
Independent teardowns confirm that Apple’s iPhone 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max use Qualcomm’s QTM565 mmWave antenna‑in‑package module, which is fabricated on Soitec’s Fully Depleted Silicon‑On‑Insulator (FD‑SOI) substrate via GlobalFoundries’ 22FDX process. The finding validates FD‑SOI as a high‑volume substrate for FR2 5G...
Starlink’s German Alignment
At Mobile World Congress, Starlink announced a partnership with Deutsche Telekom to deliver satellite broadband to more than 140 million subscribers across ten European markets, using Starlink’s Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) spectrum. The deal effectively treats the pending renewal of EchoStar’s...
The High Cost of the "Digital Existence Tax"
The author details a personal "digital existence tax" of roughly £7,600 annually, equivalent to £633 per month, covering storage, communications, web hosting, security, AI tools, legacy services, and Stripe fees. AI‑related expenses have surged from £8 per month in 2021...
New Mexico’s New Broadband Affordability Plan
New Mexico’s legislature approved the Low‑Income Telecommunications Assistance Program (LITAP), a state‑run broadband subsidy mirroring the expired federal Affordable Connectivity Plan. Eligible households receive a $30 monthly discount, rising to $75 for tribal residents, with funding drawn from the State...
O2 Confirms £700m Network Investment in 2026
O2 announced a £700 million network investment for 2026, reaffirming its Mobile Transformation Plan and matching the spend level of 2025. The funding targets upgrades to 4G and 5G, new mast installations and small‑cell deployments to boost reliability, capacity and coverage....
Netlab: Using L3VPN (MPLS/VPN) with SR-MPLS Core
The article demonstrates how netlab can orchestrate a full‑scale MPLS/VPN lab using an SR‑MPLS core, combining Arista cEOS PE routers with FRRouting P routers in Docker containers. LDP is disabled, forcing IS‑IS‑based segment routing to handle label distribution, while two...
E& Selects BroadForward to Reinforce Secure 5G Roaming
e& UAE announced at MWC that it will deploy BroadForward’s Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP) to harden its 5G and international roaming interconnects. The software‑based, vendor‑agnostic SEPP will be rolled out with systems integrator Emircom, enabling secure 4G‑5G interworking. This...
Ericsson Joins the OCUDU Ecosystem Foundation
Ericsson has joined the OCUDU Ecosystem Foundation as a founding premier member and secured a seat on its Board of Directors. The move positions Ericsson to influence the open‑source CU/DU software stack that underpins next‑generation 5G and emerging 6G networks....
Nokia, Ericsson Partner to Drive Intelligent Network Automation
Telecom giants Nokia and Ericsson announced a strategic partnership to accelerate intelligent automation across cloud RAN and Open RAN networks. Ericsson will join Nokia’s SMO Marketplace while Nokia will become part of Ericsson’s rApp Ecosystem, enabling cross‑vendor rApp development via...
Fast Growth, Controlled Debt, Still Paying You to Wait
T‑Mobile delivered an 8% jump in 2025 service revenue to $71.3 billion, while core adjusted EBITDA rose 7% to $33.9 billion and free cash flow hit $18.0 billion. The carrier added 3.3 million post‑paid phones and 7.8 million total post‑paid lines, keeping churn under 1%...
MM8108 Wi-Fi Chip Hits up to 43 Mbps While Stretching Links for Miles
Morse Micro’s MM8108 Wi‑Fi chip delivers up to 43 Mbps while extending coverage to several miles, far beyond conventional routers. The chip’s low‑power design enables solar‑ or battery‑powered installations, making it ideal for off‑grid and disaster‑relief scenarios. Global regulatory compliance and...
Iran ’S Internet Near-Totally Blacked Out Amid US, Israeli Strikes
Iran experienced a near‑total internet blackout on Feb. 28, 2026, as U.S. and Israeli strikes hit the country. Network monitoring by NetBlocks showed national connectivity dropping to roughly 4% of normal levels, while Cloudflare reported traffic falling to effectively zero...
Starlink High-Speed Wi-Fi Is Coming to British Airways Planes in March, But Rollout Schedule Remains Unclear
British Airways will launch its first aircraft equipped with high‑speed Starlink Wi‑Fi in March, though the broader rollout timetable remains vague. CEO Sean Doyle highlighted "excellent progress" despite the system not yet being installed on any plane. The IAG‑wide contract...
Italy’s Mynet Picks STL to Drive Connectivity for Intacture Data Centre
Italy’s Mynet has partnered with STL to install next‑generation optical‑fibre connectivity at the Intacture data centre in Trentino. The €50.2 million project, with €18.4 million funded by the PNRR, required ultra‑fast deployment in a mountainous environment. STL’s high‑fibre‑count, compact‑diameter cables enabled Mynet...
GSMA Foundry, NUHS Partner to Drive 5G and AI Innovations in Healthcare
The GSMA announced a strategic partnership between its Foundry innovation hub and Singapore’s National University Health System (NUHS) to accelerate 5G‑enabled, AI‑driven healthcare solutions. The collaboration will focus on private 5G networks, digital twins, XR, IoT and ambient AI to...
Weekly Brief – 27th February 2026
PXC has refreshed its wholesale platform, 1Portal, adding end‑to‑end automation and expanding orderable services to include Openreach SOGEA, CityFibre FTTP, Community Fibre and Freedom Fibre, with Trooli slated for future integration. Village Networks has lodged an Ofcom application for code...
Orange Maroc Launches Yo Max 5G Plans with OTT Services
Orange Maroc unveiled Yo Max 5G, a new family of mobile plans priced between MAD 99 and MAD 649 per month. The six options deliver 25 GB to unlimited data, with higher tiers adding 80 GB+ roaming allowances. Each tier bundles an expanding set...
Weekly Wrap: Resilience Is the New Spectrum Policy Buzzword
The EU’s Digital Networks Act (DNA) is being positioned as a cornerstone for simplifying telecom regulations and reducing market fragmentation across member states. At the Future Connectivity Summit, regulators emphasized the Act’s role in fostering spectrum coherence while also highlighting...
A Telehealth Success Story
The San Francisco Tech Council launched a state‑funded program that teaches low‑income, limited‑English‑proficiency patients how to use online medical portals. Participants received a 45‑minute hands‑on session with a digital navigator, enabling them to schedule appointments, view results, and request prescriptions. Feedback...
Openreach Awarded Another Project Gigabit Type C Contract
Openreach has secured the Project Gigabit Type C Call Off 8 contract for Cheshire, valued at £37.5 million. The agreement replaces the earlier FreedomFibre deal and targets 18,500 hard‑to‑reach premises with full‑fibre gigabit service. Rollout is expected to begin in late 2026, adding roughly 3.2 % additional...