Siemens Expands Private 5G Play
Siemens announced a major expansion of its private 5G portfolio, adding the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Finland, France, Norway, and Poland to its footprint, now spanning 15 countries across Europe and the Americas. The U.S. launch will rely on a dedicated CBRS‑band radio unit for on‑premises deployments, while new radio hardware covers the 3.8‑4.2 GHz licensed spectrum. Upgraded routers now include edge‑runtime capability, allowing AI workloads to execute directly on the device. Siemens targets manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, food‑and‑beverage, and heavy‑industry customers seeking reliable, low‑latency connectivity.
Options Technology Adds Direct Connectivity to Japan Alternative Market
Options Technology announced direct, low‑latency connectivity to Japan Alternative Market (JAX), a new proprietary trading system, extending its AtlasFabric network across Japan and the broader APAC region. The integration gives institutional clients managed access to JAX market data and trading...
Congress Takes Up an Old Problem: Writing Laws for a Future It Can’t See
Congress is revisiting the 1996 Communications Act, recognizing that its landline‑centric framework no longer fits broadband, 5G, streaming and satellite services. Lawmakers face pressure from national‑security concerns, the erosion of the Universal Service Fund, and renewed scrutiny of Section 230....
Data Prices Ease, but Affordability Gap Persists
South Africa’s Competition Commission released its second Cost of Living Report, showing data prices remain below headline inflation but still hinder digital inclusion for low‑income households. Wired broadband growth stayed just under 15 % annually, while wireless data stabilized around 2 %...
Ring, Reject, Repeat: South Africa’s Spam Call Crisis
South Africa faced an unprecedented spam call surge, with Truecaller reporting over 30 billion unwanted calls in 2025 and a 20% year‑on‑year rise in the first quarter of 2026. The flood of scam calls has conditioned users to reject unknown numbers,...
FBI Warns of AVrecon Malware Targeting Network Devices Across 163 Countries
The FBI has issued a warning about AVrecon, a modular malware that compromises home and small‑office routers by exploiting unpatched remote‑code‑execution flaws. The malware was used by the now‑dismantled SocksEscort proxy service, which sold access to roughly 369,000 infected devices...
As More Copper Wire Thefts Knock Out Service, some Point Fingers at Scrap Yards
Copper wire thefts are surging across Canada, with Bell reporting 1,275 incidents in 2025—a 40% jump from the prior year—and Rogers seeing outage hours rise 400% since 2022. In early January, thieves stole 90 kg of copper wire in Clarendon, N.B.,...
Wireless AI Paradox Emerges as Wi-Fi Evolves Into Strategic Growth Engine
Cisco's State of Wireless 2026 report, based on 6,098 decision‑makers, reveals a “wireless AI paradox”: AI drives the biggest ROI while also creating security and talent challenges. Enterprises that treat Wi‑Fi as a strategic asset see compounding benefits—78% report efficiency...
Remote NetApp Array over Photonic Link Nears Local Access Speed
A proof‑of‑concept demonstrated that a NetApp flash array accessed over IOWN’s all‑photonics network (APN) can deliver performance nearly identical to local storage, with less than 1 % increase in GPU training time across distances up to 3,000 km. The 100 Gbps single‑mode fiber...
Bharti Airtel Achieves 650 Mn Subscriber Milestone
Bharti Airtel announced it has crossed 650 million subscribers worldwide, spanning its Indian and African operations. The telecom now ranks second globally by mobile customer base, behind China Mobile, with 386 million mobile users in India and 179 million in Africa. Airtel highlighted...
Amazon in Talks to Buy Satellite Operator Globalstar
Amazon is in advanced talks to acquire satellite‑telecom firm Globalstar as it accelerates its low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) broadband project, Kuiper. Globalstar, valued at about $8.8 billion, saw its shares jump 24% to $85 after the news. The deal would give Amazon access...
Essex Awards £29m Network Contract to MLL
Essex County Council awarded a £29 million (≈ $36.8 million) managed network services contract to MLL Telecom. The agreement covers roughly 175 sites and serves about 9,000 council staff, public and guest users daily. It aims to modernize the enterprise network for hybrid...
Report: UK Broadband Market Flat
The UK broadband market held steady in Q4 2025, adding just 14,000 new connections to reach an estimated 28.96 million total lines. Full‑fibre (FTTP) penetration accelerated to 81.3% of premises, the fastest pace since the nationwide rollout began. Openreach contributed 571 k FTTP...
India's Telecom Imports From China Rise to $6.37 Billion in 2023-24: Pemmasani
India’s telecom imports from China climbed to $6.37 billion in the 2023‑24 fiscal year, up from $5.55 billion in 2019‑20. Total telecom‑equipment imports rose to $17.01 billion, reflecting a broader expansion in the sector. To curb dependence, the government introduced a public procurement...
NBN Delivers Steady Performance, but some Consumers Missing Out on Full Plan Speeds
The ACCC’s latest Measuring Broadband Australia report shows that most Australian households on NBN fixed‑line services achieved 98.5% of their advertised plan speeds during peak evening hours in December 2025. The newly introduced NBN Home Fast plan (500/50 Mbps) delivered an...
GoNetspeed Achieves 100% Fiber Coverage in North Hamden
GoNetspeed announced that North Hamden, Connecticut, has achieved 100% fiber‑optic internet coverage after a privately funded $6 million investment. The rollout will serve more than 8,000 residents and businesses with symmetrical speeds ranging from 500 Mbps to 6 Gbps. Construction continues neighborhood by...
Grain Looking to Market 800 MHz for Direct-to-Cell
Investment firm Grain Management has acquired T‑Mobile’s 800 MHz spectrum and 600 MHz holdings for about $2.9 billion, aiming to lease or sell the airwaves to satellite operators for direct‑to‑cell (D2D) services. The companies seek FCC waivers to suspend build‑out deadlines and allow...
Meghalaya Govt Signs MoU With Starlink To Pilot Satcom Services
The Meghalaya government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Elon Musk’s Starlink to pilot satellite broadband in the state’s most remote areas, focusing on schools, health centres and farms. The pilot will test high‑speed internet reliability before a broader...
0.45-8 GHz 16-Way SMA Female Power Divider
URF Inc. launched a high‑precision 16‑way SMA female power divider covering 0.45‑8 GHz, featuring an ultra‑low 1.55:1 VSWR and ±0.4 dB/±8° balance. The unit delivers less than 4.2 dB excess loss, 16 dB isolation, and can handle up to 150 W peak power. Priced at...
Broadband Expansion Alone Won’t Close the Digital Divide, Panelists Warn
Industry leaders warned that expanding broadband infrastructure alone will not close the U.S. digital divide. While the $42.45 billion BEAD program has funded new networks, 24 % of seniors—about 19 million people—remain offline, and rural communities still face adoption hurdles. Panelists highlighted affordability,...
CanarySat CEO Antonio Abad Outlines the Sovereign, Secure Approach Behind the Magec Constellation
CanarySat, backed by Spain’s Arquimea, unveiled its Magec constellation – a planned 264‑satellite Ka‑band LEO network aimed at sovereign, secure communications for governments, critical infrastructure and essential enterprises. The company, less than a year old, leverages five years of design...
Ligado Case Might Not Upend Spectrum Auction Certainty: Former NTIA Administrator
Former NTIA administrator John Kneuer told a Federalist Society webinar that the Ligado lawsuit is unlikely to destabilize the certainty surrounding FCC spectrum auctions. Ligado is pursuing roughly $40 billion in damages, claiming the Defense Department’s secret use of L‑band spectrum...
FCC Router Rules Shake U.S. Market: Ookla Data Reveals Top Vendors and Wi-Fi Upgrade Gap
The FCC’s new router rule forces any consumer router built abroad to obtain a waiver before sale, aiming to curb cyber‑attacks linked to foreign hardware. Ookla data shows the U.S. market is led by Eero, TP‑Link, Netgear and others, all...
Vodafone Idea Adds Users After 5 Years
Vodafone Idea posted a net gain of 21,927 subscribers in February, raising its total base to 198.4 million—the first positive addition in nearly five years. The modest growth follows extensive 4G and early 5G network expansion and comes after the Indian...
Helios Towers to Expand Mobile Connectivity Across DRC
Helios Towers has secured a $110 million investment agreement with DRC’s ANAPI to expand its mobile tower infrastructure. The deal will fund new sites in urban and rural areas, improve network resilience, and incorporate sustainable energy and local skill programs. Helios,...
Helios Towers to Invest $110m on Telecoms Infrastructure in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Helios Towers announced a $110 million investment to expand telecom tower infrastructure in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The deal, signed with the government’s ANAPI agency, will fund new sites across urban and rural areas and improve energy resilience. Helios already...
ESN ‘on Track’ for 2030 Completion, UK Official Tells BAPCO
The UK’s Emergency Services Network (ESN) is back on schedule, with data‑only services potentially available to first responders as early as 2024. Full mission‑critical voice capability is slated for the second quarter of 2028, and a mass migration of users,...
North Carolina Directs $26M to Connect Rural Homes by 2026
North Carolina has allocated nearly $26 million in stop‑gap broadband grants to bring high‑speed internet to 5,161 homes, businesses and community institutions across 66 rural counties by the end of 2026. The program, funded through the federal American Rescue Plan Act...
Pioneer Selected for Alaska OTTER Cable Project
Pioneer Consulting has been chosen by Copper Valley Telephone Cooperative to manage the Oceanic Tatitlek Telecommunications Enhancement Route (OTTER) submarine cable project in Alaska. The 50‑kilometer, repeaterless fiber link will connect Valdez to the remote villages of Tatitlek and Ellamar,...
TIM CEO Presses for Quicker Regulatory Decisions
TIM chief executive Pietro Labriola warned that European regulators are still too slow, despite becoming “more sensible,” and urged faster decision‑making in the AI‑driven era. He highlighted how technology adoption has accelerated—from 75 years for 100 million phone lines to just two...
AgileTV Makes DACH Move with LIWEST IPTV Launch
AgileTV has entered the DACH market through a partnership with Austrian operator LIWEST, launching a next‑generation IPTV platform that merges linear TV, streaming and app‑based entertainment. The service features super‑aggregation, an open content system for third‑party integrations and regionalisation tools...
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MTN to Invest $1.3B in South Africa by 2028
MTN South Africa announced a R21.8 billion ($1.3 billion) investment plan through 2028 to expand its ICT infrastructure, building on a $404 million network spend in 2025. The rollout targets broadband connectivity, entrepreneurship and digital‑skills development across the country. MTN highlighted its $321 million...
Chinese Captain Sentenced for Taiwan Cable Damage
A Chinese captain was sentenced to three years in prison for deliberately damaging the Taiwan‑Penghu No. 3 submarine communications cable by anchoring in a restricted zone. The court ordered him to pay NT$18.22 million (about US$570,000) in damages to Chunghwa Telecom. The...
Comcast Is Vistance Networks' Top Customer… by a Lot
Vistance Networks, now owned by Amphenol, disclosed that Comcast accounted for about 35% of its 2025 revenue, up from 21% in 2024, making it the company’s dominant customer. Aurora Networks, Vistance’s cable‑access arm, saw revenue climb 47% to $1.2 billion, driven...
A New Kind of Geosynchronous Orbit
The article introduces On‑Earth Orbit (OEO), a proposed satellite architecture that operates at ground level while remaining geosynchronous, promising near‑zero latency for internet services. By staying close to users, OEO eliminates the 300 ms lag typical of GEO and avoids the...
AT&T Makes $1 Billion Worth of Cost Cuts for US Government
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced a new agreement between the NTIA and AT&T that will reduce FirstNet’s costs by roughly $1 billion while securing an additional $1 billion in network investments. The deal, valued at about $2 billion in total, aims to...
Mouser Adds PolyPhaser RF Surge Protection Products
Mouser Electronics has signed a global distribution agreement with PolyPhaser, an Infinite Electronics subsidiary, to sell its RF surge protection portfolio. The lineup includes coaxial protectors covering frequencies from 400 MHz to 2.5 GHz, with power handling up to 3 kW and surge...
Growing Up and Growing Old Online: A Regional Connectivity Reckoning
Middle Eastern governments have poured billions into fiber, 5G and smart‑city projects, but the region now faces a digital‑wellbeing dilemma across generations. Youth remain the most connected, with 82% online, while older adults lag in digital‑payment adoption and are vulnerable...
AT&T, DigitalBridge and Verizon Leaders to Headline Connect (X) 2026 Digital Infrastructure Event
The Wireless Infrastructure Association announced the keynote lineup for Connect (X) 2026, featuring senior executives from AT&T, Verizon and DigitalBridge. The three‑day event will be held May 4‑6 at the Broward County Convention Centre in Fort Lauderdale, gathering tower operators, investors and...
Deutsche Telekom CEO Hits Out at European Microregulation
Deutsche Telekom CEO Tim Höttges used the shareholder meeting to criticize the EU’s upcoming Digital Networks Act, calling it a form of micro‑regulation that would limit scale and undermine European digital sovereignty. He highlighted the group’s strong 2023 results –...
NPR Distribution Highlights New Adaptable Receiver
NPR Distribution’s vice president Badri Munipalla announced at the Public Radio Engineering Conference a next‑generation ContentDepot Edge receiver, a low‑latency terrestrial solution for live broadcast distribution. The Edge platform, currently in pilot, adds station‑to‑station sharing, geo‑targeted delivery, richer metadata and...
Vodafone Pushes EU over Comms Market Unity
Vodafone’s chief external and corporate affairs officer Joakim Reiter warned EU regulators that fragmented telecom rules undermine the bloc’s single‑market ambitions. He argued that inconsistent regulations, unlike those in energy and capital markets, threaten investment in advanced networks such as...
DSIT Seeks Figurehead ‘to Lay the Digital Foundations for the Country’
The UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is hiring a new Director General for Digital Foundations, a senior civil‑service role paying £174,000 (about $221,000) per year. The post will lead government cybersecurity policy, the Government Cyber Unit, and...
US, AT&T Agree $2B Public Safety Deal
The U.S. Department of Commerce announced a renegotiated FirstNet contract in which AT&T will invest $1 billion and simultaneously cut $1 billion in project costs, creating a $2 billion value proposition for public‑safety communications. The deal accelerates deployment of a dedicated 5G Core...
AI-Driven Operating Model Key to Cloud-Native, Autonomous Networks
The Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance (NGMN) released a briefing titled "Cloud native next chapter – agentic AI‑based operating models" that maps cloud‑native maturity to AI readiness for telecom operators. The document defines five progressive AI adoption levels aligned with...
Novel Graphene-Based Sub-Terahertz Receivers Could Enable Ultra-Compact, Zero-Power 6G Links
Researchers from ICFO, ETH Zurich and partners have unveiled the first graphene‑based sub‑terahertz direct receivers that deliver multi‑gigabit‑per‑second data rates over a 3‑metre link at room temperature. The devices occupy a tiny 0.018 mm² footprint, are compatible with standard CMOS back‑end...
Paratus Launches Starlink-Powered Connectivity for Africa’s Essential Services
Paratus Group has unveiled Paratus Essential Access, a Starlink‑powered satellite service that delivers high‑speed, low‑latency connectivity to essential‑service organisations across Africa. The offering targets law enforcement, hospitals, schools, emergency responders, and agricultural initiatives, providing preferential pricing and priority support. It...
Maziv Commits R9bn to Expand Fibre, Create 10K Jobs
Maziv, the open‑access fibre network owner of Vumatel and Dark Fibre Africa, announced a R9 billion (approximately $486 million) investment pledge over the next five years to accelerate South Africa’s high‑speed broadband rollout. The plan includes a dedicated commitment to generate 10,000...
Aehr Gains Initial Order From New Silicon Photonics Transceiver Customer
Semiconductor test equipment maker Aehr Test Systems announced an initial order from a major, unnamed networking supplier developing silicon‑photonic transceivers for hyperscale AI and cloud data centers. The order includes several FOX‑XP wafer‑level burn‑in systems capable of testing nine wafers...
C-DOT Eyes Spinoff to Take Indian Tech Global
India’s Center for Development of Telecom (C‑DOT) is preparing to spin off a commercial arm, giving private investors a 51 % stake while the agency retains 49 %. The move aims to bypass government tendering constraints and accelerate the global rollout of...