News

Smartphone technology

• July 22, 2021 22 Jul'21

  Dynamic UK mobile landscape continues to evolve and improve

  BT-owned network, EE, comes to the fore as competition drives 5G roll-outs, and leading operators show marked performance improvements across first half of 2021

• July 22, 2021 22 Jul'21

  Satellite and 5G firms announce ubiquitous UK communications trial

  Space agencies and leading technology businesses test ubiquitous UK communications coverage for transportation market in region of south-west England notorious for poor communications

• July 21, 2021 21 Jul'21

  Ericsson, MediaTek claim 5G mmWave milestone

  Swedish comms tech giant and Taiwanese fabless semiconductor company team up to double current millimetre wave uplink speed ceiling to almost 500Mbps

• July 20, 2021 20 Jul'21

  Uber drivers face real-terms pay cut after service fee hike

  Unionised Uber drivers have condemned the ride-hailing firm for ‘cynically’ framing its UK service fee rise as a way of improving equality among drivers, rather than a pay cut

• July 20, 2021 20 Jul'21

  Nordic banks join forces to compete with fintechs

  Collaboration will be key for traditional Nordic banks to retain business amid intense competition from tech companies

• July 19, 2021 19 Jul'21

  Pegasus mobile RAT abused to monitor journalists and activists

  Israel-based surveillance specialist NSO Group is facing renewed pressure after it emerged its Pegasus mobile surveillance tool may be being widely abused by repressive regimes

• July 16, 2021 16 Jul'21

  Ericsson lands landmark Verizon 5G deal as it reports strong Q2

  Just as it was announcing a robust end to its first half, global comms tech provider reveals massive contract with US communications giant to deliver 5G solutions

• July 15, 2021 15 Jul'21

  Lawyers take EncroChat hacking operation to French supreme court

  Lawyers head to French supreme court after appeals court finds EnroChat inception legal under French law

• July 15, 2021 15 Jul'21

  Fintech sector continues to attract investment as Revolut hits $33bn valuation

  Revolut has become the most valuable financial technology firm in the UK after its latest round of investment, with plans for a ‘superapp’

• July 15, 2021 15 Jul'21

  ODA reaches milestone as TM Forum calls on telcos to grab cloud opportunity

  Industry association set up for driving digital transformation through collaboration calls on comms providers to take advantage of industry-defining cloud native standards

• July 15, 2021 15 Jul'21

  3G net to be retired in 2023 as BT promises 5G across entire UK by 2028

  UK’s incumbent telco unveils new mobile and convergence ambitions with almost universal next-generation wireless over next seven years

• July 14, 2021 14 Jul'21

  Mastercard, Verizon Business team to bring 5G to global payments industry

  Global payments company harnesses comms provider’s 5G network to innovate in payments and commerce sector, delivering solutions to support immersive retail technology and point-of-sale

• July 14, 2021 14 Jul'21

  O2 Business improves in-store customer experiences with advanced connectivity-based AI technology

  Technology uses artificial intelligence and video analytics to help retail businesses improve the in-store experience, with processes boosted by 5G

• July 14, 2021 14 Jul'21

  Vodafone Spain deploys Ericsson 5G Core Standalone for pre-commercial operation

  Spanish subsidiary of Vodafone follows UK and German counterparts in selecting Ericsson for core standalone solution to unlock the full potential of next-generation networks

• July 13, 2021 13 Jul'21

  More women in South Asia using mobile internet

  A GSMA study found that the gender gap is closing for mobile internet usage in South Asia, along with higher smartphone ownership fuelled by the falling cost of handsets and data

• July 13, 2021 13 Jul'21

  Buoyant Nokia expects to raise 2021 guidance

  Comms tech provider says positive news likely in forthcoming Q2 results and despite some headwinds in the second half, it has good foundation for the full year

• July 13, 2021 13 Jul'21

  SNCF on track for industrial 5G in France

  French train operator and technical partners unveil 5G Living Lab devoted to industrial practices, designed to extend 5G tests in local station and support modernisation of the group’s industrial entities

• July 13, 2021 13 Jul'21

  UK fintech investments recovering from lost year

  Fintech investments have bounced back in the first half of this year after a Covid-19-hit 2020

• July 13, 2021 13 Jul'21

  GSMA calls for 2GHz of mid-band spectrum to meet UN targets

  Starting from the position that meeting mid-band spectrum needs is vital to the future of 5G and requires forward-planning from policy-makers, mobile industry trade association warns that without additional spectrum, it will be impossible to realise...

• July 12, 2021 12 Jul'21

  KUKA taps Nokia to facilitate industrial 5G SA private wireless network

  German industrial robot manufacturer turns to comms technology provider for 5G private wireless for reliable connectivity in the development of intelligent automation

• July 12, 2021 12 Jul'21

  Liverpool 5G Create, Blu Wireless develop industry-boosting IP

  5G mmWave networking equipment provider teams with Liverpool-based part of 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme to develop new multi-sector intellectual property

• July 12, 2021 12 Jul'21

  CMA consults on market investigation into emergency services’ mobile radio network

  Competition watchdog considers whether to launch market investigation into role played by Motorola’s mobile radio network used by all emergency services in UK

• July 12, 2021 12 Jul'21

  Enterprise 5G, cloud and IoT disrupting the comms service provider market

  Research predicts major uptick in enterprise IT spending, spurred by edge, 5G and private network investments, representing significant opportunity for communications service providers in 2022 and beyond

• July 12, 2021 12 Jul'21

  IoT at tipping point but multi-region connectivity, device deployment hinder UK adoption

  Research from connectivity specialist finds three-quarters of UK respondents say their internet-of-things project is at best only somewhat successful in meeting expectations and realising benefits, but 91% still plan increased investment

• July 09, 2021 09 Jul'21

  Enterprise private LTE, 5G networks projected to realise more than $7bn in annual spend by 2026

  Study finds mission-critical use cases in manufacturing and energy/utilities driving demand for dedicated comms networks, but ecosystem remains challenging

• July 08, 2021 08 Jul'21

  Vodafone creating indoor OpenRAN solution for business customers

  UK operator Vodafone continues its momentum in developing OpenRAN solutions by partnering with Mavenir to create an indoor small cell solution for business customers

• July 08, 2021 08 Jul'21

  Virgin Media O2 unveils ‘significant’ 4G and 5G boost

  Ahead of the summer holidays, newly merged communications company announces what it says is a significant 4G and 5G boost to holiday hotspots

• July 08, 2021 08 Jul'21

  CSP share of enterprise 5G deals falls 5% in 2021

  Study shows that while the number of enterprise 5G projects doubled over the past year, competition from alternative service providers has significantly impacted CSPs’ share of the market

• July 07, 2021 07 Jul'21

  UK 5G availability and speeds progressing at steady clip

  Analyst’s latest monthly snapshot of next-generation mobile network development shows steady progress of 5G in Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle

• July 07, 2021 07 Jul'21

  Remote workers feel disconnected from company IT departments

  As hybrid working becomes the norm, study advises that now is the time to invest in more robust technology to support remote workforces for the long term, and to fend off lingering feeling of resentment over lack of support

• July 06, 2021 06 Jul'21

  Pharrowtech claims first viable fibre alternative with wireless

  Launch of 60GHz high-speed board designed to allow manufacturers and service providers to test broadband capabilities and support high-speed internet roll-out

• July 06, 2021 06 Jul'21

  TPG Telecom taps Nokia to launch world’s first live 5G standalone 700MHz service

  Leading Australian telco unveils low-band 5G standalone service to cover wide outdoor areas, as well as deep indoor urban environments using Nokia’s triple-band remote radio unit

• July 05, 2021 05 Jul'21

  Quarter of UK financial services staff want to continue working from home

  Working from home looks set to stay in the finance sector after Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, as staff express their preferences for remote working

• July 05, 2021 05 Jul'21

  Port of Ipswich trials IoT system to digitise operations

  BT and ABP deploy intelligent asset platform across East Anglian maritime commercial hub to help its voyage towards smart port status

• July 05, 2021 05 Jul'21

  Aurrigo gets into autonomous gear through Vodafone, AWS partnership

  Autonomous vehicle specialist becomes one of the first UK companies to benefit from a new technology partnership between UK comms operator and leading cloud provider

• July 03, 2021 03 Jul'21

  Berlin court finds EncroChat intercept evidence cannot be used in criminal trials

  In a major setback for police hacking operations, Berlin’s regional court has decided that intercepted data from the EncroChat phone network should not be used in criminal prosecutions

• July 02, 2021 02 Jul'21

  Qualcomm, Capgemini collaborate to boost 5G private network implementations for industries

  Partnership between 5G comms tech provider and leading business management firm looks to improve interoperability, provide proven performance and ease deployment for clients looking to unlock benefits of 5G private networks

• July 02, 2021 02 Jul'21

  UK government launches 5G network building competition

  Latest part of UK government’s 5G diversification strategy sees launch of competition to put UK at the cutting edge of developing tech for 5G mobile networks

• July 02, 2021 02 Jul'21

  Ericsson, Huawei claim 5G core tech lead with Mavenir, Affirmed Networks leading challengers

  Research reveals 5G core dominance is contingent on supplier positioning and strategy, but also that hungry pure-play software suppliers were already offering disruptive innovation and agility

• July 02, 2021 02 Jul'21

  AT&T to move 5G mobile network to Microsoft Azure

  Leading US operator to run its mobility network on leading cloud platform as it aims to deliver cost-efficient 5G services at scale, while network cloud technology will be deployed to gain competitive advantage through streamlined operations and ...

• July 02, 2021 02 Jul'21

  Ericsson, Deutsche Telekom, Samsung claim world first in 5G network slicing trial

  Global operator joins leading tech firms in test showcasing the benefits of 5G end-to-end network slicing optimised for cloud virtual reality game streaming, while also allowing service providers to offer customer-focused service assurance

• July 01, 2021 01 Jul'21

  Nordic mobile wallets to merge onto single tech platform

  Plans underway to merge the mobile wallets of various Nordic banks into a single public cloud-based technology platform

• July 01, 2021 01 Jul'21

  Openreach warns UK firms to check comms CPE ahead of analogue switch-off

  Ahead of current analogue phone network reaching the end of its life by December 2025, UK broadband provider advises firms to start checking digital compatibility of CPE such as alarm services, lifts, payment card readers and medical equipment

• June 30, 2021 30 Jun'21

  Half of mobile phones sold in the UK at risk of security issues

  Lengthy mobile phone contracts leave buyers at risk of their devices losing support for security updates

• June 30, 2021 30 Jun'21

  Orange unveils Europe’s first 5G SA fully end-to-end experimental cloud network

  Global operator to launch region’s first standalone fully end-to-end cloud network from devices to IS in a cloud-native mode

• June 30, 2021 30 Jun'21

  Google Cloud, Ericsson target telcos with 5G, edge cloud solutions

  Google Cloud and Ericsson form partnership based on respective compute platform and 5G technology portfolios to help comms service providers deliver capabilities to the edge to unlock new possibilities for enterprises

• June 29, 2021 29 Jun'21

  Productivity apps here to stay as quarterly mobile app spending hits all-time high

  Research from leading mobile data and analytics company App Annie finds $7bn jump in app spending year on year, suggesting the start of a global economic rebound

• June 29, 2021 29 Jun'21

  UK government reveals full extent of benefits of mobile, fibre development schemes

  Scotland, Wales and North East England set to benefit most from mobile coverage boost under £1bn scheme with more than 230,000 Welsh homes and businesses to get access to faster broadband through Project Gigabit, and nearly 1,000 public buildings ...

• June 29, 2021 29 Jun'21

  MWC 2021: Global mobile industry leaders show commitment to 5G mmWave

  Mobile industry leaders unite as key 5G business segment expands its momentum across multiple regions, aiming to allow operators and OEMs to meet rising demand for data and expand into new service opportunities

• June 29, 2021 29 Jun'21

  Bank branches will be a thing of the past in five years, say bankers

  Traditional bank branches are likely to disappear from the high street in the next five years, but banking ecosystems will ensure customer service levels are high, say bankers

• June 28, 2021 28 Jun'21

  UK government announces high-tech lab to boost 5G diversification strategy

  As a central pillar of strategy to build a more secure and innovative 5G supply chain, Sonic Labs test facility opens to explore ways of building 5G networks in a ‘simulated’ real-world environment

• June 28, 2021 28 Jun'21

  5G yet to take off as UK households demand more than broadband speed promise

  Study from leading management consultant finds that despite not unrealistic worries about domestic network reliability, UK householders feel networks have dealt with extra strain from mass home working

• June 25, 2021 25 Jun'21

  Brighton tourists charged thousands of pounds for fairground ride after Worldpay glitch

  Tourists at a Brighton attraction were overcharged by thousands of pounds due to a glitch at payment processor Worldpay

• June 25, 2021 25 Jun'21

  Vodafone launches 5G standalone commercial pilots in UK cities

  Operator launches commercial pilot of 5G standalone service in London, Manchester and Cardiff as it continues development of cutting-edge mobile technologies

• June 24, 2021 24 Jun'21

  Visa to acquire Swedish open banking fintech for €1.8bn

  Payments giant Visa agrees to pay €1.8bn to acquire Tink, a specialist open banking fintech

• June 24, 2021 24 Jun'21

  NTT saddles up for Tour de France digital twin

  World-famous cycling event to see ‘unique’ concept in communications designed to bring together people, processes and technology over 3,400km, ensuring the continuity and resilience of the race

• June 24, 2021 24 Jun'21

  Nokia deploys AI services to cut complexity of network support and maintenance

  Comms tech provider launches advanced suite of support services using artificial intelligence and automation to simplify network operations and maintenance

• June 24, 2021 24 Jun'21

  Stalkerware apps becoming normalised among young people

  Data in a new report appears to show that dangerous stalkerware apps are becoming normalised in younger age groups

• June 24, 2021 24 Jun'21

  Lloyds Bank to close 44 more branches

  Banking group has announced the closure of a further 44 branches as customers increasingly use other channels for banking

• June 23, 2021 23 Jun'21

  Mavenir, MobiledgeX enable global edge connectivity with Deutsche Telekom

  Network software provider teams with multicloud edge deployment tech firm to bring cloud-native dynamic deployment of 5G core for leading global operator

• June 23, 2021 23 Jun'21

  Time to patch increases significantly during pandemic

  New data from US-based endpoint management specialist Automox reveals some of the challenges security teams face in keeping up with endpoint security

• June 22, 2021 22 Jun'21

  Users’ network expectations change in new normal

  Ciena study reveals how sustainability, connected industries and always-on connectivity are shaping the UK’s digital post-Covid landscape

• June 22, 2021 22 Jun'21

  London Underground network goes fully mobile

  TfL hands 20-year concession to comms company to provide what is claimed to be most advanced network of its kind on the Tube, helping to remove one of the UK’s most high-profile mobile ‘not-spots’

• June 22, 2021 22 Jun'21

  NSPCC, IWF help under-18s scrub their nude photos from the web

  Report Remove tool is designed to be used by under-18s to report nude images or videos of themselves that have appeared online

• June 22, 2021 22 Jun'21

  Nokia, DISH, AWS to launch first 5G SA core network on public cloud

  US network operator runs 5G standalone core on global cloud platform to optimise network operations and launch new software and services rapidly and efficiently

• June 21, 2021 21 Jun'21

  Parliamentary devices left in taxis, buses, trains and pubs

  Nearly 100 devices belonging to parliamentary staffers, including MPs and peers, were lost or stolen over the course of 2019 and 2020

• June 21, 2021 21 Jun'21

  Virgin Media O2 boosts small business broadband in UK

  Cable broadband provider clams to be ‘supercharging’ business connectivity with a free upgrade designed to help SMEs bounce back from the pandemic

• June 21, 2021 21 Jun'21

  Triax Technologies raises $12.5m Series A funding to expand IoT offer

  First dedicated industrial internet of things venture capital fund supports growing loT worksite platform to increase worksite safety and efficiency

• June 18, 2021 18 Jun'21

  NHS App reaches six million users, thanks to Covid vaccine feature

  More than two million new users have downloaded the NHS App since it was updated in May to include Covid-19 vaccination status

• June 18, 2021 18 Jun'21

  Digital banks could dominate once baby boomers pass on their wealth

  Traditional banks face challenges in the coming years due to an increasing number of millennials only using digital banks

• June 18, 2021 18 Jun'21

  Vodafone taps Ericsson to strengthen UK 5G core

  Partners to deploy cloud-native dual-mode 5G core to bring the full promise of 5G services to business users

• June 18, 2021 18 Jun'21

  Telenor, Telia tap Nokia for 5G joint network roll-out in Denmark

  Nokia to work with leading Danish mobile operators via their joint network to accelerate the delivery of 5G services across Denmark following the availability of 3.5GHz spectrum

• June 17, 2021 17 Jun'21

  DISH, Dell announce Open RAN 5G edge infrastructure first for US

  Leading US operator taps IT giant for cloud-native, open 5G radio access network and edge compute technology and announces collaboration on go-to-market strategies for joint edge solutions

• June 17, 2021 17 Jun'21

  Garden Court Chambers makes the case for communications transformation with UCaaS

  Rapid transition from limited on-premise systems to cloud-based video conferencing and workstream collaboration sees leading London legal firm gain ‘frictionless’ digital workplace for a team-centric experience

• June 17, 2021 17 Jun'21

  5G subscriptions expected to exceed half a billion by end of 2021

  Driven by China, North America and the Gulf Cooperation Council markets, 5G remains on track to become the fastest adopted mobile generation in history, with subscriptions increasing at a rate of about a million per day, says latest Ericsson ...

• June 17, 2021 17 Jun'21

  Vodafone, AWS Wavelength unveil Europe’s first multi-access edge computing services

  Cloud provider’s Wavelength system to be carried on European operator’s 4G and 5G networks to deliver ultra-low-latency capabilities to UK business customers and software developers serving the UK market

• June 16, 2021 16 Jun'21

  Contactless payments accounted for a quarter of all UK payments in 2020

  Restrictions in everyday life brought by the Covid-19 pandemic fuelled an increase in the use of contactless payment technology during 2020

• June 16, 2021 16 Jun'21

  Competition and Markets Authority turns attention to Google and Apple

  Are the two dominant mobile operating system providers anti-competitive? The Competition and Markets Authority shines a spotlight on the two digital giants

• June 15, 2021 15 Jun'21

  5G race hotting up in UK cities

  RootMetrics analysis of UK 5G sees rapid improvement in overall network capability, with BT-owned network recording the highest availability in all four cities tested and fastest download speed approaching 200Mbps

• June 15, 2021 15 Jun'21

  Nokia and Ooredoo initiate 4G and 5G fixed wireless access deployment across Oman

  Leading comms tech provider and local Oman operator begin 4G and 5G fixed wireless access deployment for services covering homes and businesses throughout the country

• June 11, 2021 11 Jun'21

  Verizon gets On Site with private 5G networking to enterprise and public sector

  US comms provider brings dedicated 5G Ultra Wideband capabilities to large enterprise and public sector customers regardless of whether their premises are within its public 5G coverage area

• June 11, 2021 11 Jun'21

  FBI planned a sting against An0m cryptophone users over drinks with Australian investigators

  Australian Federal Police and the FBI came up with the idea over drinks: build a cryptophone network with a built-in backdoor and sell it to crime gangs around the world

• June 10, 2021 10 Jun'21

  Qualcomm drives for cross-industry digital transformation with new IoT range

  New generation of IoT solutions designed to deliver advanced edge-AI performance, innovative power-efficiency, 5G connectivity capabilities and enhanced features for processing and security

• June 10, 2021 10 Jun'21

  Zoom aims to empower hybrid workforce with phone appliances

  Video conferencing provider introduces devices that offer an all-in-one desk phone solution for calls and meetings, with hardware solutions from Poly and Yealink

• June 09, 2021 09 Jun'21

  BBVA to cut 3,000 jobs in Spain as digital technology transforms industry

  Spanish bank is the latest to announce swingeing branch and job cuts amid increased digital competition

• June 09, 2021 09 Jun'21

  Klarna takes on UK credit card providers with feature that breaks up online payments

  Fintech unicorn introduces feature to its app in the UK which will challenge traditional credit card providers

• June 09, 2021 09 Jun'21

  Nokia, Qualcomm and UScellular claim 5G mmWave range record

  Consortium of leading mobile technology firms claim range milestone for mmWave next-generation networks

• June 07, 2021 07 Jun'21

  Police raids around world after investigators crack An0m cryptophone app in major hacking operation

  Police in 16 countries carried out raids on after Australian Police and the FBI cracked an encrypted An0M communications network used by crime groups

• June 07, 2021 07 Jun'21

  Covid-19 accelerates interest in 5G

  EY report shows that while the pandemic has prompted greater interest in 5G and IoT for majority of organisations, most are also struggling to identify the right 5G supplier strategy

• June 07, 2021 07 Jun'21

  Trial of UK’s first mobile vehicle-to-everything road safety system goes live

  Almost out of the garage at the same time as the real-life road run of an autonomous shuttle bus in Oxford, cities in the West Midlands are opening their roads for the national debut of vehicle-to-everything mobile technology

• June 07, 2021 07 Jun'21

  Mixed blessings in smartphone market as sales rise but replacement cycles lengthen

  Average cost of mobile handsets is increasing and people do not feel compelled to upgrade, with new features – such as foldable designs – limited to premium products

• June 04, 2021 04 Jun'21

  Inclusivity and participation top issues for employees in new normal

  Canva study reveals pressing need to bridge the hybrid workforce divide and for companies to adopt new technologies and processes to sustain employee happiness and productivity

• June 04, 2021 04 Jun'21

  Indian IT giants cut carbon emissions by 85% as pandemic stops travel

  Spurred by pandemic-related challenges, India’s IT industry has slashed travel costs and carbon emissions through the use of the latest technology

• June 04, 2021 04 Jun'21

  BT sets out to enhance UK digital infrastructure with next-generation street connectivity

  UK telco unveils plans for Street Hub 2.0 units to help local communities stay connected, boost 4G/5G mobile coverage and bring environment monitoring to high streets

• June 04, 2021 04 Jun'21

  Vodafone-led consortium unveils 5G first multi-supplier RAN intelligent controller implementation

  Operator declares success of technical trial investigating how building a cost-effective O-RAN ecosystem can benefit mobile network users

• June 04, 2021 04 Jun'21

  Orange Business Services taps Ericsson for enterprise IoT security

  As billions of internet-of-things devices become connected and intelligent, security becomes more important, as comms tech provider delivers new security offering for CSPs

• June 04, 2021 04 Jun'21

  Secrecy around EncroChat cryptophone hack breaches French constitution, court hears

  French lawyers claim that investigators are unlawfully withholding details of a cryptophone hacking operation in a case that could impact UK prosecutions

• June 03, 2021 03 Jun'21

  Connectivity and flexibility deemed vital for the future of small businesses

  Research from mobile operator Three UK uncovers post-Covid work job opportunities as hybrid working set to become the default for businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises

• June 03, 2021 03 Jun'21

  Aviva to launch autonomous vehicle trial on public roads in UK

  Research work at UK’s first commercial laboratory for 5G and satellite communications, the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, takes next step with real-life road run of shuttle bus in Oxford

• June 03, 2021 03 Jun'21

  5G drives surge in mobile trade-ins in Q1 2021

  Latest edition of mobile device tracker shows continued year-on-year growth, highlighting the significant role of mobile trade-in programmes in stimulating new 5G smartphone upgrades