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 a two‑tier split, with Orange and Bouygues at ~33‑34 ms, while SFR and Free lag behind. Despite high coverage, web‑page load success averages only 70%, highlighting a gap between signal presence and usable service.
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...
New Zealand Boosts Digital Economy with Telecoms Reform
New Zealand is overhauling its telecommunications regulations, with a review recommending 22 changes to replace legacy rules designed for copper networks. The reforms aim to streamline levy calculations, modernise access and fibre rules, and cut bureaucratic overhead, potentially saving providers an...
Court Asked to Pause DEA-Related Lawsuit Against Trump, Pending Key Court Decision
The National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) filed a motion to pause its lawsuit against former President Donald Trump over the suspension of Digital Equity Act (DEA) grants. The DEA, a $2.75 billion program created under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs...
E-Power Inc. And Raytel Electronics Announce Strategic Alliance to Launch Next-Generation 800G and 1.6T High-Speed Optical Modules for U.S. AI...
E-Power Inc. and Raytel Electronics have formed a strategic alliance to co‑launch 800‑gigabit and 1.6‑terabit optical modules for U.S. AI data centers. The partnership blends Raytel’s high‑speed optical technology with E‑Power’s microgrid and anode‑based storage solutions, creating a combined data‑flow...
UK Tightens National Security Rules for Telecom Infrastructure
On 12 March 2026 the UK government issued its response to a July 2025 consultation, tightening the National Security and Investment Act (NSIA) rules through revised Notifiable Acquisition Regulations (NARs). The revisions break down the advanced‑materials schedule, add water to the scope, and...
NTIA Planning to Finish BEAD Approvals by May
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has set a May 2026 deadline to approve the remaining state broadband spending plans under the $42.45 billion BEAD program. California, Illinois and Oklahoma are the only states still awaiting approval, while 45 states...
House Committee Approves FirstNet Reauthorization
The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted unanimously (51‑0) to advance the First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act, extending FirstNet’s authority through 2037. The bill adds National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) approval authority, appoints an associate administrator, and reserves...
Lawmakers Weigh Updates to 1996 Telecom Act at House Hearing
Lawmakers convened a House Communications and Technology Subcommittee hearing to examine the Telecommunications Act of 1996, acknowledging that the law’s original competition‑boosting framework has not kept pace with broadband, mobile and digital platform evolution. Chairman Rep. Richard Hudson and former...
NTT East Goes on Private 5G RIC Roll
NTT East, a unit of Japan’s NTT conglomerate, completed a landmark private‑5G laboratory trial using O‑RAN Alliance‑defined RAN Intelligent Controllers (RICs) with 26 vendor partners. The multi‑vendor tests achieved a 98.5% success rate across 335 device combinations, validating interoperability and...
The FCC Must Choose: Enforce the Rules or Preserve LEO Competition
The FCC faces a pivotal choice between enforcing its LEO deployment milestones and preserving competition in low‑Earth‑orbit broadband. Amazon has asked for a two‑year extension to meet its 1,618‑satellite Leo deadline, citing launch bottlenecks despite a $10 billion investment and a...
Telenor, GlobalConnect Fibre Deal Facing Hurdles
Norway’s competition authority has raised red flags over Telenor’s planned purchase of GlobalConnect’s fibre business, warning that the deal could lift broadband prices and degrade service quality by curbing competition. Regulators highlighted that many households might be left with only...
Frequency Matters, March 27: Cables/Connectors Section, Industry News/Events
Microwave Journal’s Frequency Matters episode on March 27 spotlights the March Cables and Connectors special‑focus section, with host Pat Hindle reviewing the latest industry articles, news and events. The show is sponsored by RFMW, a leading RF component supplier, and...
Comcast Business Powers 2026 THE PLAYERS Championship Network and Broadcast Infrastructure
Comcast Business installed a massive network for the 2026 THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass. The deployment featured roughly 600 miles of fiber, 400+ Wi‑Fi access points and connected 58,000 devices, supporting up to 16,500 concurrent Wi‑Fi users and 40 TB...
Strengthening Subsea Cable Security in the Indo-Pacific
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) proposes a cooperative framework to bolster subsea cable security across the Indo‑Pacific, a region that now carries roughly 95% of global data traffic. Japan alone operates at least 20 landing stations, underscoring...
Tonga Gains New Transpacific Cable Link via Hawaiki
BW Digital announced the landing of a 383‑km spur of the Hawaiki subsea cable in Tonga, creating the nation’s second international fiber link and its first direct connection to a trans‑pacific backbone. The cable ties Tonga to Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii...
Eurobites: CityFibre Hopes for Trenches without Tailbacks
CityFibre will pilot BUKO Digital’s traffic‑management system in Worthing, using satellite‑navigation interception and social‑media alerts to smooth trench‑digging and cable‑laying during a ten‑day road closure. The trial aligns with a local‑authority scheme that rewards minimal disruption. Meanwhile, Spanish tower operator...
Deadline for Simba Telecom's M1 Acquisition Pushed Back
Keppel and Simba Telecom have agreed to push back the long‑stop date for Simba's acquisition of M1's telecom business to May 21 2026, after the Infocomm Media Development Authority extended its regulatory review. The transaction, announced in August 2025, values M1's enterprise...
Virgin Media Business Wholesale Accelerates High-Capacity Delivery in the UK
Virgin Media Business Wholesale announced a major milestone in its Project Spark network transformation, completing national upgrades to its high‑capacity core, metro and MPLS layers. The new National High‑Capacity Services core now spans 23 sites, supporting 83% of demand, while...
Virgin Media O2 Reaches 1 Million Milestone in UK Digital Inclusion Drive
Virgin Media O2 announced that it has connected one million digitally excluded people across the UK, fulfilling a core target of its Better Connections Plan. The effort combined free mobile data, device donations and expanded 4G coverage, while also delivering...
Mobile Network Spending to Fall 29% in 2026-31, Says ABI Research
ABI Research forecasts global outdoor mobile network spending to peak at $92 billion in 2026, stay flat in 2027, then tumble 29% to about $65 billion by 2031. The decline follows near‑complete 5G rollouts and early 6G planning, with 5G‑Advanced expected to...
India Can't Let BSNL Fail but It Seems Incapable of a Turnaround
India’s state‑run telecom operator BSNL has absorbed three government‑funded revival packages totaling roughly $38 billion yet remains loss‑making, with its wireless market share slipping to 7.44% in January 2026. The latest 4G rollout, delayed by an indigenous‑technology mandate, arrived only last year...
5G Deployment Drives Rural Development in Guangxi China
China Mobile and Huawei have rolled out a 5G information superhighway across Chongzuo, Guangxi, giving 94% of its natural villages 5G coverage. In Buhua Village, the upgrade has lifted collective annual income to roughly $69,000 and raised per‑capita earnings by...
Viasat & QEST Explore Next-Generation Multi-Band Antenna
Viasat and antenna specialist QEST have begun a joint study to create a dual‑band X‑band/Ka‑band airborne terminal that builds on Viasat’s Hybrid SATCOM Approach platform. The project will replace the GAT5530’s Ku‑band aperture with QEST’s TRL‑9 X‑band hardware, enabling aircraft...