News

Telecoms networks and broadband communications

• January 19, 2021 19 Jan'21

  Legacy security architectures threaten to disrupt remote working

  Annual survey of IT leaders finds network security is of prime concern as most companies continue with work-from-home policies

• January 19, 2021 19 Jan'21

  BT to make data for Oak National Academy charge-free

  Telecoms giant announces that data charges for government-backed academy will be removed

• January 19, 2021 19 Jan'21

  AE Aerospace claims 5G landmark in transforming manufacturing productivity

  Leading UK manufacturing business and partners trial 5G to pioneer productivity improvements and drive recovery in key sector hit hard by Covid

• January 18, 2021 18 Jan'21

  Three UK, Tata team to accelerate 5G network roll-out

  IT services, consulting and business solutions provider employed to help UK operator configure and maintain its next-generation mobile network and ensure first time right network operations

• January 18, 2021 18 Jan'21

  Hyperoptic offers free broadband packages for home schooling

  Full-fibre broadband provider helps to address issues facing UK schoolchildren in digital poverty who lack a reliable Internet connection for home learning

• January 18, 2021 18 Jan'21

  Community Fibre to supply free 50Mbps broadband for vulnerable London households

  Fibre altnet looks to address growing problem of the digital divide and ensure continuity of education in UK capital

• January 18, 2021 18 Jan'21

  Airband to supply full-fibre broadband across rural Cheshire

  One of the UK’s largest UK rural connectivity providers wins £4.5m project to provide ultrafast full-fibre broadband to rural and hard-to-reach areas of Cheshire

• January 18, 2021 18 Jan'21

  Biased language deters half of female candidates, finds Openreach

  When looking into the language of its job adverts, telecoms firm Openreach found that half of female candidates were put off if the language of a job posting was too unconsciously male

• January 15, 2021 15 Jan'21

  Private LTE/5G market set to reach £4.2bn in 2024

  Research firm predicts sales of private LTE/5G infrastructure to show 43% CAGR from 2019 to 2024, potentially worth an estimated $5.7bn (£4.2bn)

• January 15, 2021 15 Jan'21

  Google Cloud, Nokia accelerate readiness for cloud-native enterprise 5G solutions

  Cloud platform provider and comms tech supplier announce plans to jointly develop cloud-native 5G core solutions for communications service providers and enterprise customers with cloud capabilities to the network edge to accelerate enterprise ...

• January 15, 2021 15 Jan'21

  Hong Kong Airport Authority takes off with upgraded IP/MPLS network

  Next-generation network to offer key regional hub migration of legacy applications to support increased passenger capacity, reliability and ease of expansion

• January 15, 2021 15 Jan'21

  BNP Paribas, Orange Business Services deploy SD-WAN to French retail sites

  Co-construction approach between leading bank and telco ensures business continuity during deployment of software-defined infrastructure across France as part of its digital transformation strategy

• January 14, 2021 14 Jan'21

  BT cries foul on rivals’ coverage claims as O2, EE extend UK 5G nets

  Two of the UK’s mobile giants make significant additions to next-gen networks, but BT consumer CEO warns that rivals are not giving customers meaningful levels of coverage and quality in their 5G offers

• January 14, 2021 14 Jan'21

  Port of Felixstowe lands funding for UK government 5G trial

  UK’s largest and busiest container port to test the potential of 5G across two use cases: enabling remotely controlled cranes and optimising predictive maintenance though IoT and AI

• January 13, 2021 13 Jan'21

  Yearly expectations smashed with £105bn spent on mobile apps in 2020

  With the world of work changed forever due to the Covid-19 pandemic, mobile apps cash in, with consumer spend increasing 20% annually with business apps showing particular spike in usage

• January 13, 2021 13 Jan'21

  EE 5G to deliver BBC Green Planet augmented reality experience

  Increased 5G network capacity will enable AR experience for landmark BBC series using holographic video to explore the world from the perspective of plants

• January 13, 2021 13 Jan'21

  BT eyes up next-gen services with digital unit

  In what it says is an important statement of intent following a 2020 with a number of innovations, incumbent telco announces new division designed to deliver next-gen digital platforms and services

• January 13, 2021 13 Jan'21

  Telstra International appoints South Asia head

  The international arm of Telstra has hired former DXC Technology executive Geraldine Kor as its managing director for South Asia to tap new growth opportunities

• January 12, 2021 12 Jan'21

  Virgin Media aims for in-home connectivity transformation with Intelligent WiFi Plus

  As it ramps up gigabit network development in locations across the UK, cableco launches Wi-Fi access devices to work with new access system to bring up to three times faster in-home wireless speeds

• January 12, 2021 12 Jan'21

  Community Fibre ups ante with fibre-based entertainment service

  London-based fibre altnet uses growing gigabit network to offer first entertainment service based on full-fibre broadband

• January 12, 2021 12 Jan'21

  Bahrain hopes 5G roll-out will attract more tech firms to its shores

  Bahrain has completed its 5G roll-out, which will support its IT infrastructure in creating the right environment for technology firms

• January 11, 2021 11 Jan'21

  BT removes mobile data charges for BBC Bitesize educational content

  As part of a broader partnership between the UK’s public broadcaster and its incumbent telco, hugely popular and award-winning BBC Bitesize programming slot is to be zero rate for all EE, BT Mobile and PlusNet Mobile customers

• January 11, 2021 11 Jan'21

  Used smartphone sales to dial in near double-digit growth in 2020

  Research shows refurbished and used devices continue to provide cost-effective alternatives for businesses looking to save money when buying a smartphone

• January 08, 2021 08 Jan'21

  BT offers unlimited data for remote learning

  UK incumbent telco joins campaign to make sure disadvantaged children can get connected as Covid-19 lockdown closes schools and other educational establishments

• January 08, 2021 08 Jan'21

  ‘Litany’ of UK government failures in gigabit broadband roll-out

  Second UK MPs’ report in matter of weeks slams government for dismal failure and lack of sufficient progress in meeting already scaled-back benchmark for gigabit-capable connectivity by 2025

• January 08, 2021 08 Jan'21

  EXFO forms full-fibre testing initiative with Openreach

  BT broadband provision division to deploy permanent full-fibre monitoring technology to assist in programme to deliver broadband across UK homes

• January 07, 2021 07 Jan'21

  Five million UK households paying £804m more than they should for broadband

  Significant number of UK householders won’t switch broadband networks for fear of losing their connection or the perceived hassle of switching, but many are left paying too much, research shows

• January 07, 2021 07 Jan'21

  Vodafone announces free data schemes for small business

  As research shows the strain on business from Covid, UK communications operator announces programme to offer free high-speed connectivity

• January 07, 2021 07 Jan'21

  Jeremy Darroch steps down as Sky Group chief executive

  Exec who transformed former satellite TV provider into Europe’s largest multi-platform communications provider with mobile, telephony and FTTH steps down after 13 years

• January 07, 2021 07 Jan'21

  Iskratel top of the world with Potosí fibre-optic deployment

  GPON broadband network deployed to meet the needs of thousands of residents in the highest city in the world

• January 06, 2021 06 Jan'21

  Qualcomm appoints new CEO

  Claiming validation of its business model and leadership in 5G, the communications chip giant appoints successor to retiring chief executive with brief to drive value

• January 06, 2021 06 Jan'21

  Viasat checks in with Delta to boost in-air connectivity

  US airline adds next-generation Ka-band satellite technology to mainline fleet to help modernise how passengers stay connected and enjoy content during travel

• January 06, 2021 06 Jan'21

  Operators join UK government’s kids’ mobile access scheme

  UK mobile operators join scheme to help families that need access to connectivity to support their child’s learning needs during the latest lockdown, while BCS calls for free mobile access to education sites

• January 05, 2021 05 Jan'21

  euNetworks rounds on The Loop Manchester

  Bandwidth infrastructure company enhances footprint with unique routes, extra capacity and flexibility with dedicated high-speed fibre-optic network in northern powerhouse

• January 05, 2021 05 Jan'21

  Ooredoo Group expands Ericsson 5G tech agreement

  New agreement promises new functionalities with faster time-to-market and enhancements to the digital experience for people, enterprises and industries across operating companies in 10 countries

• January 05, 2021 05 Jan'21

  Qualcomm expands 5G capabilities of Snapdragon 480 mobile devices

  Enhanced mobile platform line claimed to be able to accelerate global 5G commercialisation and deliver ‘series-defying’ features to mass-volume smartphone segment

• January 05, 2021 05 Jan'21

  SKT and AWS debut 5G edge cloud service

  SK Telecom’s multi-access edge computing service will let enterprises build low latency applications that make use of AWS cloud services

• January 04, 2021 04 Jan'21

  Ericsson to power DTAC 5G network in Thailand

  Almost half of Thailand’s 70 million population to be served by a new 5G radio access network from leading local communications service provider DTAC

• January 04, 2021 04 Jan'21

  Openreach takes the strain as broadband usage more than doubles in 2020

  In what it says is a year like no other, BT broadband provision division reveals added infrastructure pressures from “new normal”

• December 31, 2020 31 Dec'20

  Top 10 networking stories of 2020

  Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 networking stories of 2020

• December 30, 2020 30 Dec'20

  Top 10 telecoms and mobile stories of 2020

  Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 telecoms and mobile stories of 2020

• December 24, 2020 24 Dec'20

  EU looks to enter broadband space race

  European Union looks to extend communications frontier through consortium examining the design, development and launch of a European-owned space-based communications system

• December 24, 2020 24 Dec'20

  Digital infrastructure flourishes in 2020

  Study from co-operative trade association for next-generation broadband services notes increased industry investment and roll-out growth, marking a significant year for network infrastructure

• December 24, 2020 24 Dec'20

  New contractors appointed to roll out fibre broadband across Devon and Somerset

  Airband, Truespeed and Wessex Internet selected to roll out full-fibre networks on behalf of the Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) programme

• December 23, 2020 23 Dec'20

  Top 10 Australia IT stories of 2020

  Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 Australia IT stories of 2020

• December 23, 2020 23 Dec'20

  5G coverage set to reach over half of global population by 2025

  Despite 5G deployment still facing various challenges, operators are making progress in addressing major issues

• December 23, 2020 23 Dec'20

  Cisco reveals intention to acquire Dashbase

  Networking tech and services giant gets out the corporate chequebook for the third time in a matter of weeks to buy customer experience and analytics software provider

• December 22, 2020 22 Dec'20

  UK parliamentary committee slams government broadband targets as unrealistic

  Report highlights missed targets and overpromising in gigabit infrastructure roll-out and urges government and national regulator to take bolder, faster action to address the causes of costs and delays

• December 22, 2020 22 Dec'20

  Viasat announces $222m RigNet acquisition

  Global communications company unveils plans to expand and diversify commercial connectivity portfolio, with purchase of intelligent networking solutions firm to add complementary technology

• December 22, 2020 22 Dec'20

  Top 10 remote working stories of 2020

  Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 remote working stories of 2020

• December 21, 2020 21 Dec'20

  5G roll-outs to continue apace in 2021

  New 5G launches will be led by telcos in forerunner markets, but the industry’s near-term outlook will depend on the timing of an economic recovery

• December 21, 2020 21 Dec'20

  Openreach announces massive job creation plan for gigabit network deployment

  New green fleet for engineers as BT broadband provision aims to create 2,500 new roles in its own organisation and about 2,800 with partners to supporting full-fibre network build-out

• December 21, 2020 21 Dec'20

  Gigabit proliferates as UK’s fixed and mobile networks take the strain from Covid

  The UK’s fixed and mobile networks take the strain of remote working and increased online entertainment uptake

• December 17, 2020 17 Dec'20

  CityFibre, PQMS expand network construction training partnership

  Former altnet brings online two new training centres in Bury and Pulborough alongside existing site in Coventry

• December 17, 2020 17 Dec'20

  SSE strengthens Scotland’s digital infrastructure with next-generation connectivity

  High-capacity 100Gbps connectivity services delivered into datacentre intended to future-proof Scotland’s businesses and public sector organisations

• December 17, 2020 17 Dec'20

  EY: Coordinated action vital to meet Gigabit Britain network deployment targets

  With gigabit connectivity crucial to supporting the UK’s ‘levelling up’ agenda and plugging the digital divide, an EY study shows half of UK SMEs believe investment in gigabit connectivity is vital for the economic development of their region after ...

• December 17, 2020 17 Dec'20

  Huge uptick in global 5G deployment across 2020

  Although yet to fully accommodate the boost it got from the recent launch of suitably enabled iPhones, the 5G market has enjoyed a strong third quarter, according to data from mobile testing specialist

• December 16, 2020 16 Dec'20

  Networking infrastructure issues peg back firms adapting to Covid-19 new normal

  Survey shows inadequate infrastructure is preventing businesses from meeting challenges around remote working and omni-channel customer demand and holding them back from embracing more innovative technologies

• December 16, 2020 16 Dec'20

  UK offering relatively poor value for broadband services

  Low absolute pricing is among the region’s best, but lower average speeds compared with much of Europe makes the UK one of the continent’s laggards when it comes to broadband value for money

• December 16, 2020 16 Dec'20

  Singapore employees want more support for remote working

  Singapore workers faced challenges in accessing internal company resources, spotty connections and had to use their personal devices for business while working remotely

• December 15, 2020 15 Dec'20

  Ericsson sets sail with enhanced maritime connectivity

  Swedish tech provider aims to rectify lack of options for at-sea communications where traditional satellite comms have seen high prices, high latency and low throughput

• December 14, 2020 14 Dec'20

  Optus teams up with VMware on SD-WAN

  Australia’s second biggest telco, Optus, will offer VMware’s SD-WAN solution to enterprises in a highly fragmented market

• December 14, 2020 14 Dec'20

  Standards alliance adds to membership as NEC opens new Open RAN lab

  Japanese tech giant establishes Open RAN laboratory in India to complement centre of excellence in the UK, where Southampton University spin-off joins O-RAN Alliance

• December 14, 2020 14 Dec'20

  Giffgaff goes AWS to drive operational transformation

  UK mobile virtual network operator selects Amazon cloud as part of plan to accelerate innovation and enhance new services

• December 14, 2020 14 Dec'20

  Zoom, Google Meet, TikTok dominate mobile app downloads in 2020

  Study from leading analytics firm reveals how 2020’s mobile app arena has been transformed through Covid-19, and how the app providers are setting up for 2021

• December 11, 2020 11 Dec'20

  Three UK gears up for 2021 business expansion

  UK mobile network operator sets out plans to enhance business proposition over next 12 months, improving connectivity, how it operates and how it interacts with customers

• December 11, 2020 11 Dec'20

  Aryaka offers hybrid workplaces “risk-free on-ramp” to SASE

  New managed secure private access solution claimed to be able to make remote employees “first-class citizens” for corporate applications

• December 11, 2020 11 Dec'20

  Cisco accelerates collaboration with ‘wave’ of Webex enhancements and plans

  Reacting to the new normal ahead of all organisations and as part of a major overhaul of its conferencing and collaboration options, network technology and solutions giant unveils Webex portfolio overhaul and intent to buy audience interaction ...

• December 10, 2020 10 Dec'20

  Cato boosts network management with SASE cloud API

  GraphQL-based API designed to extract security and networking information globally with a single request allows enterprises to automate provisioning and management of SASE deployments from third-party platforms

• December 10, 2020 10 Dec'20

  Deloitte: Cloud, intelligent edge and telemedicine set to accelerate in 2021

  Global market for intelligent edge computing will expand to $12bn in 2021, with more than 400 million video visits to doctors worldwide across the year

• December 09, 2020 09 Dec'20

  Top IT predictions in APAC in 2021

  The Asia-Pacific region will continue to be a cradle for technology innovation in the new year, whether it is 5G services, artificial intelligence, cloud computing or cyber security

• December 08, 2020 08 Dec'20

  Remote working issues block path to success for medium-sized businesses

  Nearly a third of European workers at mid-sized organisations feel disengaged and unmotivated due to issues with technology while working remotely

• December 07, 2020 07 Dec'20

  Cisco aims for enhanced engagement with IMImobile acquisition

  Network technology and solutions giant makes strategic acquisition of cloud communications software and services provider to embed omnichannel engagement into customer experience-as-a-service

• December 07, 2020 07 Dec'20

  Nokia to be technology lead for EU 6G project

  Finnish comms tech provider is the project leader for European Commission’s flagship initiative for research into the next generation of wireless networks

• December 07, 2020 07 Dec'20

  Ericsson, TIM, Qualcomm, claim 5G FWA speed milestone

  Although fixed wireless access has not yet gained as much publicity as other use cases for the next-generation infrastructure, its potential in connecting those in remote areas to 5G is vast and a consortium of technology vendors and leading Italian...

• December 07, 2020 07 Dec'20

  UK Space Agency awards £7m for space innovation projects

  A range of ‘high risk, high reward’ projects have been awarded a total of £7m from the Space Agency’s National Space Innovation Programme, aiming to make the UK a world leader in space technology

• December 04, 2020 04 Dec'20

  FTTH Council Europe slams misleading advertising for fibre networks

  Fibre broadband trade body study shows consumers are confused about marketing and performance of broadband-access technologies, recommending a ‘fibre-ready’ label should be introduced for new buildings and major renovations

• December 03, 2020 03 Dec'20

  Nova casts light on streaming network issues as energy demands soar

  So-called industry-first solution brings new revenue opportunities, reduces churn and differentiates offer for video providers as they struggle to cope with energy surge in providing services

• December 03, 2020 03 Dec'20

  Openreach claims UK first as it moves from copper to full-fibre in Salisbury

  Salisbury takes a step closer to becoming the UK’s first ‘fully digital’ city with full-fibre deployment

• December 03, 2020 03 Dec'20

  IT teams’ challenges ramp up in maintaining high-quality network video experience

  Companies providing streaming services have seen huge growth in demand, which has meant providing an optimal user experience while managing surging user traffic

• December 03, 2020 03 Dec'20

  Nokia deploys 5G private networking across five German research centres

  Finnish comms tech giant continues roll-out of standalone private 5G network for large-scale implementation across renowned German research institutes

• December 02, 2020 02 Dec'20

  RingCentral notes unified communications gains with PCCW Global private network

  Global infrastructure provider implements private network to enable unified collaboration and contact centre systems firm to augment and scale networks to accommodate rapid growth and spikes in demand

• December 02, 2020 02 Dec'20

  Comms giants flow to edge of Amazon to boost 5G enterprise, industrial applications

  Vodafone and Verizon announce partnerships with cloud giant to offer edge computing for use cases including autonomous vehicles, security, smart cities, healthcare and live interactive video streaming

• December 02, 2020 02 Dec'20

  Three continues UK 5G roll-out

  UK operator now offers 5G in 154 towns and cities serviced from over 800 sites across the UK and announces partnership with Ericsson that includes roll-out of 5G and improvements to 4G network

• December 01, 2020 01 Dec'20

  Zoom revenue bonanza continues into third quarter

  Breakout video conferencing firm continues strong run and in third quarter shows ongoing influx of customers

• December 01, 2020 01 Dec'20

  UK government sets out 5G tech diversification strategy

  Second reading of the Telecoms Security Bill outlines specific measures to restrict the use of Huawei’s goods, services and facilities in 5G networks and details of the new 5G Supply Chain Diversification Strategy designed to build a resilient, open...

• November 30, 2020 30 Nov'20

  UK government ploughs £3m into 5G test facility

  Harwell Campus 5G research facility gets financial boost to assist development of advanced communications for terrestrial and satellite-based broadband networks

• November 30, 2020 30 Nov'20

  Faster-than-predicted growth for 5G with 3.5 billion subs forecast by 2026

  Despite uncertainties caused by Covid-19, new research from Ericsson reveals that the pace of introducing new 5G functionality has increased in 2020

• November 30, 2020 30 Nov'20

  Orange unveils plans for French 5G roll-out

  Two years after gaining spectrum for 5G services in its home territory, the mobile network operator reveals first French cities for 5G deployment using 3.5GHz frequencies

• November 27, 2020 27 Nov'20

  Plymouth to host world’s first 5G ocean-based marine testbed

  5G docks at Plymouth Sound with virtualised testing platform designed to put the city at the forefront of marine and maritime innovation

• November 27, 2020 27 Nov'20

  Ericsson taps into industry momentum for network orchestration and automation

  Swedish comms tech provider rides the wave of orchestration and automation systems supporting cloud-native functions and orchestrating services across domains, from the edge to private and public cloud

• November 27, 2020 27 Nov'20

  Linius aims to add magic to video conferencing with Whizzard

  New product for the conferencing and enterprise collaboration markets offers the ability to transform hours of video footage into bite-sized pieces of content and increase knowledge sharing

• November 26, 2020 26 Nov'20

  Broadband access drives New Zealand remote working to be permanent fixture

  Covid-19 crisis pushes Kiwis to do more online and the changes are sticking, according to research from ANZ telco and media research and consulting firm

• November 26, 2020 26 Nov'20

  UK broadband industry ‘confused’ by government funding claims

  National broadband suppliers and trade bodies express surprise and lack of enthusiasm for Spending Review claims of providing positive outcome for gigabit roll-out across the country

• November 26, 2020 26 Nov'20

  Vodafone, Ericsson trial automated flight paths for connected drones

  UK fixed and mobile operator and comms technology provider take to the sky to ensure safe passage for drones

• November 26, 2020 26 Nov'20

  Inadequate home internet speeds contribute to ‘digital divide’ during UK lockdown

  Survey reveals connectivity speeds are considered inadequate in 30% of properties and over one-third admit to judging the competence of colleagues who have connectivity issues during conferencing sessions

• November 25, 2020 25 Nov'20

  Government’s infrastructure strategy says technology is key

  The strategy aims to put innovation and technology at ‘the heart’ of its approach to transforming the country, as government launches new national infrastructure bank

• November 25, 2020 25 Nov'20

  Legacy tech adds to management headaches in dealing with new normal

  Concerns raised over post-Covid return to the office, with virtually all C-level leaders admitting to still using offline processes and significant numbers believing their company will prioritise business continuity over safety

• November 25, 2020 25 Nov'20

  Securing UK’s critical national infrastructure is a 2021 priority

  Government outlines the UK’s strategic cyber security policies for the coming 12 months, with critical national infrastructure a clear priority

• November 24, 2020 24 Nov'20

  UK telecoms industry gives guarded welcome to Telecommunications Bill proposal

  New legislation aims to provide a basis to strengthen the security framework for technology used in 5G and full fibre networks, including the electronic equipment and software at phone mast sites and in telephone exchanges