Vodafone Idea Is Using Ciena’s WaveLogic 6 Extreme to Modernise Transport Network
Vodafone Idea (VIL), India’s third‑largest telecom operator, has deployed Ciena’s WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e) to upgrade its transport network. The rollout achieved a 1.6 Tb/s capacity on a meshed Data Center Interconnect (DCI) fabric, aimed at meeting surging bandwidth demand. VIL expects the modernised network to support AI workloads and attract hyperscalers, neoscalers, and large enterprise customers. The upgrade positions the carrier to compete more aggressively in data‑intensive services.
Virgin Media O2 Accelerates UK 5G Upgrade Programme
Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) has signed multiyear contracts with Ericsson and Nokia as part of a £700 m (≈$889 m) mobile transformation plan to overhaul its UK 5G network. The agreements will upgrade the majority of VMO2’s radio access network to 5G+...
World Backup Day 2026: A Telecom B2B Guide to Data Protection in the AI Age
World Backup Day on March 31 highlights telecoms’ need for robust data protection amid AI‑driven growth. AI adoption has surged, with 77% of telecom executives citing operational benefits and 61% using AI for analytics, but it also inflates data volumes and...
Service Quality and Consumer Protections to Improve in Proposed Changes to NBN Regulation
The ACCC released a draft determination that will set NBN Co’s regulatory framework from 1 July 2026, proposing lower capital spending, reduced weighted‑average cost of capital, and tighter benchmark service standards. It also upgrades the entry‑level broadband offering to a 25 Mbps download/10 Mbps...
Telecom News: Ethio Telecom, Safaricom, MTS, MegaFon, T2 Mobile, VimpelCom, Beeline
The Nigerian Communications Commission has mandated that mobile operators provide airtime credits to subscribers when service quality falls below standards, tying fines to infrastructure upgrades. Ethiopia’s government introduced a Universal Access Fund, requiring operators to contribute 1.5% of annual gross...
Telecom News: Fiber Broadband Association, NFR, Bharti Airtel, Tata Teleservices
The Fiber Broadband Association unveiled a "fiber‑first" framework to help U.S. states accelerate middle‑mile fiber deployment, emphasizing cross‑agency coordination, dig‑once policies, and streamlined permitting. The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) rolled out an AI‑enhanced optical‑fiber‑cable (OFC) system at 50 level‑crossing gates,...
Telstra Overruled in Mobile Coverage Claims Stoush
Australia’s regulator ACMA confirmed its draft standard that classifies signal strengths below –115 dBm as ‘no coverage’, forcing carriers to label maps with four tiers: good, moderate, usable and no coverage. The rule means Telstra could have up to one million...
AT&T Unveils New Bundle
AT&T launched OneConnect, a bundled offering that pairs unlimited wireless service with 1 Gbps fiber home internet for new customers in eligible fiber‑powered markets. The single‑line package is priced at a fixed $90 per month, inclusive of taxes and fees. Two‑user...
Fiber Frenzy
Charter is extending its Spectrum network in Marion County, Florida, to serve more than 15,000 addresses with up to 1 Gbps speeds, and will fund an $18,000 grant for the local Marion Senior Services program to boost digital literacy among older...
Charter Outlines Billing, Community Benefits Post-Merger
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is the last regulator to approve Charter’s $34.5 billion merger with Cox Communications, and both firms responded with a 55‑page filing covering billing, PEG channels, and broadband deployment. Charter asserts the deal will let Cox...
Gigapower Drops FCC Petition
Gigapower, a joint venture between AT&T and BlackRock Global Infrastructure Fund, withdrew its FCC petition after a dispute with the city of Rock Hill, South Carolina, over access to roughly 1,692 city‑owned utility poles. The conflict stemmed from Rock Hill’s...
WAVE Achieves First Cloud-to-Gateway Satcom Virtualization with AI Signal Analysis
Members of the IEEE‑backed WAVE Consortium—AWS, Gilat Defense, and SES Space & Defense—demonstrated the first standardized cloud‑to‑gateway satellite communications virtualization using FPGA acceleration. A 10 Mbps video stream was transmitted through a DVBS‑2X modem, digitized at an SES gateway, and processed...
Live in the Booth: AST SpaceMobile President Scott Wisniewski Talks Spectrum Strategy and Defense Potential
AST SpaceMobile President and Chief Strategy Officer Scott Wisniewski highlighted the recent launch of the BlueBird 6 satellite, a new agreement with European carrier Orange, and the company’s evolving spectrum strategy. He announced that AST secured its first Space Development Agency...
SpaceBridge Launches UniHub as Streamlined VSAT Platform
SpaceBridge unveiled UniHub, a compact all‑in‑one VSAT hub that consolidates SDR multichannel modulation, burst demodulation for up to 800 carriers, network communication center functions, QoS, and advanced waveforms like TDMA and dSCPC. The platform promises reduced footprint, lower SWaP, and...
I've Used Google Fi for 8 Years—Here's Why I've Stuck Around for so Long
Joe Fedewa, a veteran tech journalist, has relied on Google Fi for eight years, citing its hassle‑free number porting, flexible pricing and seamless device activation. The carrier’s original $35 base fee plus $10 per gigabyte model remains unchanged, while newer...
How Lumen Is Dismantling Decades of Network Complexity
Lumen Technologies, a $12.4 billion telecom operator with a 500,000‑mile fiber network, faced fragmented inventory from decades of acquisitions, operating over 17 legacy systems and nearly 500 data sources. It built a unified data layer and AI‑driven digital twin, launching the...
Delaware Becomes the Fifth State in IQ Fiber’s Growing Footprint
IQ Fiber officially launched its 100% fiber‑optic service in Kent County, Delaware, marking the company’s entry into its fifth Eastern U.S. state. The rollout is backed by a $150 million investment that will span the next 18‑24 months and generate more...
Invences Empowers Small Businesses With Smart Telecom Networks
Invences, founded in 2023 by telecom veteran Bhaskara Rallabandi, delivers autonomous, low‑cost private 5G/6G networks for small businesses, farms, factories and universities, especially in underserved areas. The Texas‑based startup leverages Open RAN, virtualized RAN, digital twins and agentic AI to...
IDB Invest and Proparco Partner with Millicom to Expand Digital Infrastructure Across Latin America
IDB Invest and French development finance firm Proparco are jointly investing $100 million in a Colombian‑peso‑denominated bond issued by Millicom International Cellular. Each institution will anchor $50 million, financing network upgrades across Bolivia, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and Paraguay. The proceeds...
South Korea Extends Facial Recognition SIM Registration Pilot to June 2026
South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT has pushed back the end of its facial‑recognition SIM registration pilot to June 30, 2026. The trial, which began in December, requires users to scan their face at activation to match identity‑document data, targeting fraud...
ESIM and iSIM for IoT: Remote Provisioning, Flexibility and Scale
Embedded SIM (eSIM) and integrated SIM (iSIM) are reshaping IoT connectivity by allowing carriers and enterprises to provision cellular profiles over the air. eSIM uses a dedicated chip, while iSIM embeds SIM functions directly into the device’s main processor, cutting...
The 10 Coolest IoT Connectivity Companies: The 2026 Internet Of Things 50
The 2026 CRN IoT 50 highlights ten connectivity firms reshaping enterprise IoT in the AI era. AT&T’s $5.75 billion acquisition of Lumen’s Quantum Fiber adds 4 million fiber sites, targeting 60 million locations by 2030. Other leaders include Aeris with over 100 million devices, Myriota’s...
Orange Steams Ahead in French Railway Connectivity
France’s rail corridors now enjoy near‑universal 4G coverage, yet passenger‑grade connectivity varies sharply among operators. Ookla’s Speedtest Intelligence data (Mar 2025‑Mar 2026) shows Orange delivering a median download speed of 283.4 Mbps—52% faster than SFR and more than double Free’s 120.4 Mbps. Latency forms...
The Staggering Cost of Connecting Every South African Household
South Africa requires between R108‑billion and R142‑billion (≈ $5.7‑$7.5 billion) to deliver 100 Mbit/s broadband to every household by 2035, according to a DBSA‑commissioned Digital Infrastructure Investment Study. The study, led by Networks Anonymous strategist Pieter Grootes, breaks costs into new‑build, replacement and...
Hikvision Introduces LinkVu: An Integrated IoT & Networking Solution for SMB Installers
Hikvision has launched LinkVu, a cloud‑managed IoT and networking suite aimed at small‑ and medium‑size business installers. The platform consolidates switches, routers, access points, cameras and other devices under the Hik‑Partner Pro mobile app. Integrated tools such as the HPP...
Top ICT Tenders: SASSA Looks to Modernise WAN
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has issued a tender to modernise its wide‑area network across 461 offices in all nine provinces. The agency seeks a secure, resilient SD‑WAN solution that integrates its existing APN service, provides automated failover,...
NCC Orders Telcos to Compensate Users for Poor Network Service
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has ordered mobile network operators to compensate subscribers with airtime credits when service quality falls below prescribed standards. Compensation will be calculated based on users' average spending and the specific locations of outages, and must...
BEREC Provides Early Assessment of the Digital Networks Act, Welcoming Ambition While Highlighting Areas for Improvement
The European Commission’s Digital Networks Act (DNA) aims to modernise the EU’s connectivity framework, emphasizing resilience, sustainability, and a faster shift from copper to fibre while harmonising spectrum and numbering resources. BEREC, the body of national regulators, issued an early...
Vodafone Idea to Expand 5G to 90 More Cities by May, Targets 133 Cities Nationwide
Vodafone Idea (Vi) will extend its 5G services to 90 additional Indian cities by May 2026, raising total coverage from 43 to 133 cities. The expansion spans 15 telecom circles, including major metros and emerging Tier‑2/3 markets such as Chennai,...
Broadcasters Warn Operators on 5G API Gap
A coalition of broadcasters—including Sony, BBC, France Televisions and Neutral Wireless—has urged mobile operators to expose standardized QoD and QoS APIs through the GSMA Open Gateway. The request targets the CAMARA API set to give broadcasters real‑time control over 5G resources, improving...
“Sleeper Cells” In Telcos Seen Using Novel New BPFdoor Malware
Researchers have identified a novel malware called BPFdoor that exploits the Linux kernel’s eBPF subsystem to filter packets at kernel level, evading firewalls, IDS and deep packet inspection. The threat has been observed operating as “sleeper cells” within telecommunications networks,...
New ACMA Rules to Make Telcos More Accountable for Outages
Australian regulator ACMA will enforce new network‑outage transparency rules from 30 June 2026, requiring telcos to publish a historic register of major unplanned disruptions resolved after 31 March 2026. Providers must disclose twenty specific data points, including outage type, duration, geographic breakdown and affected...
Aewin Unveils NCT404 Quad-Port 10GbE Card with Intel E610 Controllers
Aewin introduced the NCT404, a full‑height, half‑length PCIe CEM quad‑port 10 GbE NIC built around two Intel E610‑XAT2 controllers. The card provides four RJ45 10 GbE ports, PCIe Gen 4 ×8 connectivity, and dual Gen 3 bypass pairs that keep traffic flowing during host failures. Intel’s E610...
Government Likely to Extend SIM-Binding Deadline for WhatsApp, Telegram and Other Messaging Platforms: Report
India's Department of Telecommunications will push the SIM‑binding compliance deadline for messaging apps to the end of December 2026, after companies cited technical hurdles. The rule, introduced in November 2025, requires apps like WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal to link accounts...
Telecom News: SES, K2 Space, Satellite Communication to Samsung Galaxy Smartphones
SES partnered with K2 Space to build the meoSphere medium‑Earth‑orbit satellite network, planning 28 high‑power satellites for launch by 2030. The constellation will use software‑defined payloads to deliver faster, lower‑latency connectivity for government, mobility and telecom customers. Meanwhile, India warned...
AI Takes On the Spam Call Epidemic
In 2025 Americans received roughly 29.6 billion robocalls, driven by large‑scale SIM farms that can place thousands of calls from legitimate numbers. These farms evade traditional filters, especially as scammers adopt AI‑generated voices that sound human. Researchers at Virginia Tech propose...
Huge Mobile Bandwidth Increase Needed as AI Use Surges
Thailand’s two largest mobile operators, AIS and True, will each require at least 100 MHz of additional spectrum to handle a surge in AI‑driven data uploads. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) intends to fast‑track a 3,500 MHz spectrum auction, slated...
New Comcast Business Plans
Comcast introduced Total Solutions Advantage, an all‑in‑one bundle for small‑business customers that pairs high‑speed Business Internet with its Security Edge cyber‑protection. The offering launches with four speed tiers ranging from 300 Mbps at $60 per month to 2 Gbps at $170 per...
Fiber Frenzy
Comporium has launched fiber internet to over 500 homes and businesses in Transylvania County, North Carolina, delivering 1 Gbps speeds after completing a 64‑mile buildout. Meanwhile, California ISP Race Communications is allocating more than $200 million to extend its fiber network into...
Judge Pauses T-Mobile’s ‘Save Over $1,000’ Campaign
A U.S. District Court judge granted Verizon's request for a preliminary injunction, halting T‑Mobile's "Save Over $1,000" advertising campaign. Verizon alleges the ads falsely claim customers can save more than $1,000 annually by switching from its Unlimited Ultimate Plan to...
FCC Cable Rate Report
The FCC issued an order to begin its mandatory cable‑rate report, requiring randomly selected operators to submit detailed pricing data by May 29. The questionnaire covers subscription fees, retransmission‑consent charges and related costs, with historical retrans fees averaging $30‑$350 per subscriber....
I Turned a Spare Android Into a Wi-Fi Extender and It Fixed My Dead Zones
A homeowner repurposed a spare Android phone as a Wi‑Fi extender by enabling its mobile hotspot and positioning it between the router and dead zones. The phone’s hotspot can broadcast on 2.4 GHz for range or 5 GHz for speed, but it...
BSNL Boosts Daily Data Without Price Hike, Users Now Get More Data
BSNL has upgraded its Rs 485 (≈$5.80) prepaid Data Bonus Plan, boosting daily data from 2 GB to 2.5 GB while keeping price and 72‑day validity unchanged. The enhancement, offered at no extra cost, also retains unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS per day....
Syria Eyes $1 Billion Revival for Postal and Mobile Networks
Syria has launched a $1 billion investment drive to modernize its postal service and expand mobile‑phone coverage, seeking roughly $500 million for each sector. European firms such as Poste Italiane and a La Poste‑CMA CGM consortium, along with Saudi, UAE and Jordanian postal operators,...
JioBusiness Looks Beyond Broadband with Its Managed Wi-Fi Push
JioBusiness is expanding its enterprise portfolio with a Managed Wi‑Fi service built on Wi‑Fi 6 technology. The offering promises secure, centrally managed wireless LAN for small to large enterprises, emphasizing scalability, low latency, and integrated security controls. JioBusiness highlights industry‑specific use...
Smartphones, Smart Choices: The Hidden Advantages of Daily Internet Packages
Bakcell is promoting high‑speed daily internet packages as a flexible alternative to traditional monthly data plans. The daily bundles prioritize maximum throughput during peak usage hours and reset the network handshake each 24‑hour cycle, which can improve connection stability. By...
ESIM Technology by Bakcell: The Future of Connectivity
Bakcell has launched an eSIM solution that embeds a digital SIM directly into compatible devices, allowing users to activate mobile plans instantly by scanning a QR code. The technology eliminates the need for physical SIM cards, supports multiple profiles on...
Researchers Turn Ocean Dead Zones Into Talking Skies for Pilots
European researchers in the EU‑funded ECHOES programme have proved that space‑based very high frequency (VHF) radio can deliver real‑time voice and data links to aircraft over oceanic airspace. Two low‑Earth‑orbit satellites, weighing 35 kg and 100 kg, relayed standard VHF signals, enabling...
A Comcast Tech Support Nightmare – If Comcast Is to Survive, It Has to Improve Its Customer Service
Comcast’s WiFi Pro system with 4G LTE backup, sold as a safety‑critical solution, turned into a multi‑day ordeal for a customer whose autistic son relies on internet‑enabled alarms. The new modem repeatedly rebooted, the extender showed a persistent 4G‑setup error,...
91 Members of Congress Urge FCC to Set a Firm ATSC 3.0 Transition Date
A bipartisan coalition of 91 members of Congress sent a March 27 letter urging the FCC to establish a firm transition deadline for NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0). The National Association of Broadcasters praised the move and reiterated its push for a 2028...
