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Smartphone technology

May 20, 2020 20 May'20
Coronavirus: Pandemic spurs QR code app upgrade at PayPal

PayPal introduces QR code payment functionality to its mobile app to support social distancing
May 20, 2020 20 May'20
NCSC discloses multiple vulnerabilities in contact-tracing app

National Cyber Security Centre has received mountains of feedback on the security of the government’s Covid-19 contact-tracing app, and has now taken the step of making multiple disclosures
May 19, 2020 19 May'20
GDPR wholly inappropriate to govern contact-tracing data

Human Rights Committee Chair Harriet Harman says current data protection law is not up to the job of governing the data collected by the Covid-19 contact-tracing app
May 19, 2020 19 May'20
Doubts mount over effectiveness of UK contact-tracing app

Studies from BCS and Anomali reveal that a significant proportion of the UK population is not prepared to download the Covid-19 contact-tracing app

May 19, 2020 19 May'20
Huawei: US using technological strengths to ‘crush’ companies outside its own borders

Chinese tech giant hits back at White House decision to extend technology ban and says it will ultimately be self-harming
May 18, 2020 18 May'20
Worldwide comms services industry projected to take limited hit from Covid-19

Coronavirus pandemic has changed some trends in the global telecom services market, but operators have adapted quickly and temporarily pushed aside some earlier priorities, says IDC
May 15, 2020 15 May'20
Coronavirus: Digital bank’s valuation falls as it seeks funds to ride Covid-19 storm

Monzo is seeking new investment to help it through the coronavirus pandemic
May 14, 2020 14 May'20
Harman seeks to bring private member’s bill over contact tracing

Chair of Human Rights Committee aims to put the proposed Contact Tracing (Data Protection) Bill 2020 before parliament as a private member’s bill if necessary
May 14, 2020 14 May'20
UK’s contact-tracing app targeted by scammers

Even though it is only operational on the Isle of Wight as a beta test, the UK government’s coronavirus contact-tracing app has already attracted the attention of cyber criminals
May 14, 2020 14 May'20
SK Telecom brings quantum security to the masses

The South Korean telco is readying the world’s first 5G smartphone equipped with a quantum random number generator chipset

May 13, 2020 13 May'20
Telcos’ enterprise ambitions at risk from private network operators, private spectrum

Research finds a rising number of spectrum initiatives underpinning strong momentum for private cellular networks within enterprises
May 13, 2020 13 May'20
European comms bodies set up standards group, call for vigilance on contact-tracing apps

New ETSI group will develop standardisation framework for secure smartphone-based proximity tracing systems, helping to break Covid-19 transmission chains
May 12, 2020 12 May'20
Draft Covid-19 contact tracing legislation proposes formal oversight

Human Rights Committee chair Harriet Harman has outlined a proposed bill to guarantee the security and privacy of data generated by the UK’s Covid-19 contact tracing app
May 12, 2020 12 May'20
Vodafone shrugs Virgin move as it posts steady financial year

UK operator claims to have defied the odds and bucked the market in last financial year but warns of impact of Covid-19 on business
May 12, 2020 12 May'20
Details released of second UK contact-tracing app development

Contractual documents show Zuhlke Engineering receiving an official start date of 6 May to supply a managed delivery team to support and run proximity mobile application and services for the UK
May 11, 2020 11 May'20
Contact-tracing app hits teething troubles as minister confirms changes could be made

UK contact-tracing saga continues as UK government releases details of impact assessment on the app and admits that adaptations and even total change in form are not off the table
May 07, 2020 07 May'20
Contact-tracing app fails to protect privacy and human rights

Reassurances over the security and human rights implications of NHSX’s approach to developing its Covid-19 contact-tracing app are insufficient, says the cross-bench Human Rights Committee
May 07, 2020 07 May'20
Brits expected to call time on office life after lockdown

O2 Business study reveals currently displaced workers see a permanent change to their company’s approach to flexible working
May 07, 2020 07 May'20
Industry 4.0 transformation reaches communications inflection point

Survey finds huge potential for investment in advance 4G and 5G technology among industrial organisations
May 06, 2020 06 May'20
UK comms experts continue to question contact-tracing app

Academics and comms industry experts challenge UK government scientists on their defence of NHS contact-tracing app, in particular the issue of centralised data gathering
May 06, 2020 06 May'20
Cash use to go below 5% of total spending in Middle East

Banks expect a rapid reduction of the use of cash in the region
May 06, 2020 06 May'20
Telcos lose out in early enterprise 5G business

Research reveals that industries and enterprises are ready to reap the benefits of 5G, but warns that service providers need to learn how to satisfy this demand
May 05, 2020 05 May'20
T-Mobile US claims ‘significant’ 5G standalone architecture firsts

US operator partners with comms technology leaders to achieve world’s first milestones for standalone architecture 5G
May 05, 2020 05 May'20
UK contact-tracing app developers hit back at effectiveness and privacy doubts

Pre-eminent scientists continue to defend NHS contact-tracing app from criticism of its effectiveness and the use of centralised data gathering
May 05, 2020 05 May'20
Building security and privacy into contact-tracing apps

Governance and data decentralisation are among measures that organisations can take to allay security and privacy concerns over contact-tracing apps, according to RSA
May 04, 2020 04 May'20
No silver bullets and ‘bumps in the road’ likely but UK contact-tracing app development gathers pace

UK scientific experts address doubts on contact-tracing app’s effectiveness, particular regarding data privacy, but admit that its nature may have to evolve as the roll-out scales up
May 04, 2020 04 May'20
Research institutes warn of necessity for UK contact-tracing app to link to testing

BCS and Cass Business School call for proposed UK contact-tracing app not to be launched without alignment to testing and warns that without this link, NHS will not be able to “big data” its way out of “no data” situation
May 01, 2020 01 May'20
5G on the ropes as Covid-19 set to land $51bn blow on global mobile services industry

Research predicts mobile revenue will drop 4.1% worldwide because of pandemic, with European operators taking a particular heavy hit
May 01, 2020 01 May'20
Global contact-tracing apps take divergent routes to beat Covid-19

Telecoms will play a key role in controlling the coronavirus through contact-tracing apps that can mitigate its spread. But that will only be the case if population masses actually use the apps – and that’s not guaranteed for a variety of reasons
May 01, 2020 01 May'20
Pre-owned device values stay strong amidst coronavirus pandemic

More than half a billion dollars returned to US consumers in Q1 2020 as used and new mobile device markets stabilise after Covid-19 disruption
April 29, 2020 29 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Cash use plummets during UK lockdown

Consumers are switching to digital payment methods amid the current global pandemic crisis
April 29, 2020 29 Apr'20
Nokia closes capacity and customer experience tech deal with Bharti Airtel

Third-largest telco in the world’s second-largest telecoms market takes up Nokia Single Radio Access Network to enhance capacity and improve 5G readiness
April 28, 2020 28 Apr'20
Black Rose Lucy ransomware now posing as FBI porn warning

A new strain of Russian-developed ransomware impersonates US federal law enforcement to force payment, says Check Point
April 28, 2020 28 Apr'20
Adtran initiates software-defined access network project, advances the smart home experience

Partnerships with Orange and Plume will evaluate and test SDN-based programming for next-gen fibre access networks, and boost customer experience management of Wi-Fi-enabled services
April 24, 2020 24 Apr'20
Wireless stakeholders cheer ‘historic’ FCC Wi-Fi 6GHz spectrum allocation decision

US broadcast and telecoms regulator confirms proposal lauded as a milestone moment that will no less than supercharge connectivity
April 24, 2020 24 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Dutch Covid-19 tracking app stirs national debate

Privacy concerns raised over mobile app to help track and control the spread of coronavirus in the Netherlands
April 24, 2020 24 Apr'20
NHSX reveals full details of UK Covid-19 contact-tracing strategy

National Health Service’s digital innovation unit aims to allay fears over privacy and confidentiality in forthcoming contract-tracing app
April 23, 2020 23 Apr'20
Coronavirus: RAF flies in for UK contact tracing app test

NHS announces test at air base of app designed to alert users of the close proximity of those carrying or having symptoms of Covid-19
April 23, 2020 23 Apr'20
5,400% growth forecast for enterprises using WhatsApp Business APIs

Unprecedented and extraordinary growth forecast for business version of WhatsApp, with growth from just 992 to 55,000 users expected over the next five years
April 23, 2020 23 Apr'20
iOS zero-day leaves iPhone users dangerously exposed

Researchers identify dangerous vulnerabilities in Apple’s iOS operating system that allow remote code execution on target devices
April 22, 2020 22 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Banking and mobile sectors collaborate to stop text scams

Initiative aims to protect 50 genuine brands and government organisations from being impersonated by cyber criminals
April 22, 2020 22 Apr'20
Traditional banks need to do more than gloss over back-end systems with fintech paint

Banks need to work with fintechs if they are to prosper in the new world, but first they must update their back-end systems
April 21, 2020 21 Apr'20
Collaboration and communications get richer as Covid-19 ushers in new working reality

Covid-19 lockdowns bring about collective rethink in the way we work, with remote video becoming normalised and a potential change in the way effectiveness is measured
April 20, 2020 20 Apr'20
Ada Lovelace Institute questions effectiveness of UK contact-tracing strategy

Independent study institute for user-focused data and AI solutions argues that NHS Covid-19 tracking plans will not be effective unless action is taken to address technical limitations
April 17, 2020 17 Apr'20
Ofcom publishes technical data debunking 5G links to Covid-19

Ofcom makes latest response to the unfounded and dangerous fake news suggesting links between 5G networks and coronavirus
April 17, 2020 17 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Big hit to European 5G as smartphone industry set for sharpest falls in 20 years

Screeching halt to telecoms money truck predicted for 2020 as Covid-19 outbreak impacts phone production and 5G roll-out
April 17, 2020 17 Apr'20
EU warns no compromise on privacy as NHS clashes with tech firms on contact tracing

EU and UK regulators express data privacy concerns days after Silicon Valley giants announce collaboration on contact-tracing apps to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus
April 16, 2020 16 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Telcos in developed markets to lose more than $40bn

Big increases in unemployment will see a 3.4% decline in telecoms revenue this year, with the negative impact to persist for the next 12 months, says analyst
April 15, 2020 15 Apr'20
Samsung claims 4.3Gbps 5G speed breakthrough

Korean tech giant’s latest lab demonstration uses MU-MIMO technology to showcase 5G’s potentially vast capacity, new radio, NR, 28GHz access unit
April 14, 2020 14 Apr'20
Apple and Netflix most imitated brands in phishing attacks

A new report highlights the brands which are being most frequently spoofed by cyber criminals in phishing attacks
April 09, 2020 09 Apr'20
How Bolt plans to be more uber than Uber

Overcoming competitors with brand names that have become part of the modern vernacular is a challenge Estonia-based Bolt has set itself as it takes on Uber
April 07, 2020 07 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Home business opportunity knocks for consumer IoT suppliers

Internet-of-things manufacturers see a huge new market opening up from the millions of new enterprise customers working from home
April 02, 2020 02 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Is Zoom safe and should security teams ban it?

Zoom’s rapid rise to prominence has highlighted a score of security problems with the service. Should CISOs try to steer their organisations away from it, or ban it outright?
April 02, 2020 02 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Standardisation delays threaten long-term enterprise 5G

Covid-19 outbreak could see delays in essential technology roll-out, leading to the 5G industry missing out on up to 10% of total revenues, says research firm
April 01, 2020 01 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Use of fintech apps in Europe accelerates

Fintech apps are being increasingly used by consumers as restrictions on their movements are put in place
March 31, 2020 31 Mar'20
Huawei extols 2019 as ‘extraordinary’ year

Despite political challenges across the world restricting use of its technology, Chinese comms tech giant posts strong yearly increase in sales and profit
March 31, 2020 31 Mar'20
Too late to protect online privacy, say Brits

Most UK consumers are concerned about data privacy, but think it’s too late to do much about it, according to a report
March 31, 2020 31 Mar'20
Houseparty denies hack as credential stuffing attacks spread

Social media service denies its service has been hacked, and is offering a million-dollar bounty to anybody who can prove otherwise
March 30, 2020 30 Mar'20
Fujitsu unveils Japan’s first commercial private 5G network

Successful verification under provisional licence opens path to commercial launch for private 5G network for Japanese tech giant
March 29, 2020 29 Mar'20
Australian government unveils Covid-19 app

Federal government launches Coronavirus Australia app to keep Australians updated on the latest developments in its fight against the coronavirus outbreak
March 27, 2020 27 Mar'20
Coronavirus: Smartphone production to plummet 20%, over $25bn lost in roaming revenue

Two studies reveal the huge hit on the mobile device and service industry that is likely to be caused by the Covid-19 outbreak
March 27, 2020 27 Mar'20
Microsoft targets 5G arena with Affirmed Networks acquisition

IT giant turns sights on telecoms opportunities, bringing expertise of virtualised, cloud-native network software provider into Azure fold
March 26, 2020 26 Mar'20
Coronavirus: Be alert to rogue mobile apps exploiting outbreak

Well-meaning developers are beginning to offer medical apps to monitor coronavirus symptoms and provide information on the pandemic. Opportunists and cyber criminals are not far behind them
March 25, 2020 25 Mar'20
Coronavirus takes toll on IT spending in Asia

The economic fallout from the Covid-19 outbreak is expected to slash the growth rate of the region’s IT industry to just 1.2% this year
March 24, 2020 24 Mar'20
Coronavirus: Contactless spending limit increased to fight pandemic

Banking and financial services trade body UK Finance to increase spending limit for contactless payments to £45 from the start of April
March 24, 2020 24 Mar'20
Russia presses ahead with developing 5G, but allocation of frequencies needs to be resolved first

Russian mobile operators are pooling their resources to help them overcome the technical challenges of creating 5G networks
March 24, 2020 24 Mar'20
Tekya auto-clicker malware exploits kids’ Android apps

Google has removed multiple apps for children that were found to contain Tekya auto-clicker malware
March 24, 2020 24 Mar'20
Nokia, LG Uplus build fully automated 5G IP transport network in Korea

Finnish comms firm wins another Asian contract with Korean operator to improve speed of 5G service deployment
March 23, 2020 23 Mar'20
Chunghwa Telecom selects Nokia, Ericsson for rapid 5G build-out

Taiwanese operator taps Nordic comms giants for essential equipment in improving efficiency and user experience
March 20, 2020 20 Mar'20
UK Coronavirus Bill relaxes restrictions on mass surveillance powers

Emergency legislation would massively expand state surveillance and police detainment powers
March 20, 2020 20 Mar'20
Coronavirus: Sans Institute issues cyber security advice for parents

With schools now shut across the UK, parents will bear more responsibility for keeping children safe online and educating them about online harms
March 18, 2020 18 Mar'20
Nokia spreads Wing IoT with 5G and edge capabilities

Finnish communications tech provider Nokia enhances its Worldwide IoT Network Grid managed service to support operators in offering 5G internet of things services with minimal capital investment
March 18, 2020 18 Mar'20
4G arrives for eastern half of Jubilee Line

Full 4G mobile connectivity arrives on half of one of London’s busiest Underground transport links, paving the way for extended communications throughout the network
March 17, 2020 17 Mar'20
Covid-19: NCSC issues secure remote working guidance

With hundreds of thousands likely to be working remotely for some time, the UK’s NCSC has issued best practice guidance to enable security teams to support them
March 17, 2020 17 Mar'20
UK mobile networks hit by outage

It didn’t take long for the UK’s mobile networks to feel the strain from additional home workers, after UK government advised people to work from home
March 13, 2020 13 Mar'20
Ofcom reveals UK 5G mobile airwaves auction rules

UK comms regulator announces plans to auction two bands of spectrum to boost mobile broadband and 5G, but is criticised for missing opportunity
March 12, 2020 12 Mar'20
Ericsson to acquire MC-PTT provider Genaker

Swedish comms tech firm sees acquisition strengthening its ability to meet demands of transforming mission-critical communications and private network market
March 12, 2020 12 Mar'20
EE further expands UK 5G network

BT-owned mobile operator rolls out 5G to 21 new locations in the country
March 12, 2020 12 Mar'20
Cookie-stealing trojans found lurking on Android phones

Kaspersky discovers two new Android malware modifications that could give hackers control of their victims’ social media accounts
March 10, 2020 10 Mar'20
US Pacific Northwest National Laboratory taps Verizon to explore 5G potential

Comms giant links up with science and technology research body to explore opportunities for 5G to impact national security, energy efficiency and advance science in the US
March 10, 2020 10 Mar'20
Ericsson enables seamless eSIM activation for Samsung devices

Comms tech giant claims enhanced digital experience for consumers by managing mobile subscriptions on eSIM-enabled devices without QR codes
March 06, 2020 06 Mar'20
5G moves from hype to reality and will add $2.2tn to global economy by 2034

Trade association for global mobile industry predicts huge growth and huge revenues from rapidly expanding 5G universe
February 27, 2020 27 Feb'20
Nokia claims end-to-end 4G and 5G New Radio slicing first

Finnish comms tech provider beefs up comms network essential equipment offer with 4G, 5G end-to-end slicing
February 27, 2020 27 Feb'20
Kr00k vulnerability compromises billions of Wi-Fi devices

Billions of Wi-Fi chips used in IoT devices, laptops, smartphones and tablets are vulnerable to a serious vulnerability
February 25, 2020 25 Feb'20
Google warns users not to mess with Huawei devices

Google tells users of Huawei devices to try to avoid bypassing controls preventing them from loading its apps
February 25, 2020 25 Feb'20
Huawei unveils MWC product portfolio led by €2,500 5G smartphone

Chinese tech giant unveils 5G smartphones, tablets, chipsets, AI, Wi-Fi 6, routers, chipsets and cameras that it was set to announce at the cancelled Mobile World Congress
February 24, 2020 24 Feb'20
Coronavirus, global economic slowdown to cap 5G smartphone sales in 2020

First half of 2020 will likely be much weaker than expected for the 5G smartphone market, but a strong bounce-back is possible in second half of the year if the coronavirus spread is brought under control
February 24, 2020 24 Feb'20
Commercial, enterprise use cases to drive VR to $24.5bn by 2024

Analyst ABI Research predicts standalone virtual reality applications to be the main driver of substantial growth as the market strikes right balance between price, performance and ease of setup
February 24, 2020 24 Feb'20
KDDI taps Nokia, Ericsson to support 5G standalone network

Japanese mobile operator works with Nordic comms tech giants for cloud-based solutions to support standalone 5G network
February 21, 2020 21 Feb'20
McKinsey: Connectivity evolution to drive global GDP past $2tn

McKinsey Global Institute report on 5G and the connected world predicts huge contribution from advanced communications to global GDP
February 21, 2020 21 Feb'20
Malicious apps still getting past Google controls

Check Point researchers have found multiple malware-infected apps in the Google Play store, including a clicker called Haken, which has been downloaded more than 50,000 times
February 20, 2020 20 Feb'20
Critical for operators to redefine 5G business models, says Huawei

Undeterred by the cancellation of what would have been a totemic global showcase for its 5G products, Huawei reveals its 5G strategy for 2020 at London forum
February 20, 2020 20 Feb'20
O2 delivers solid fiscal 2019 and points to 5G as future of entertainment

Telefónica’s UK business arm clocks up continued growth in revenues and profits driven by expanding customer numbers and predicts 5G could boost the entertainment sector by as much as £2.3bn over the next 10 years
February 20, 2020 20 Feb'20
Vodafone launches new IoT portfolio and 5G tariffs

Body-worn vision camera and surveillance system are the first products to be unveiled in Vodafone’s new internet-of-things range enabled by growing 5G network that now has pay-as-you-go capability
February 18, 2020 18 Feb'20
Three UK chooses CityFibre as preferred backhaul provider for nationwide 5G roll-out

Digital infrastructure platform provider tapped to provide backhaul backbone for roll-out of next-gen mobile infrastructure across the UK
February 18, 2020 18 Feb'20
Cisco: 5G to support more than 10% of global mobile connections by 2023

Annual internet report suggests that by 2023, there will be 3.6 networked devices or connections per person and nearly 10 devices and connections per household
February 18, 2020 18 Feb'20
Smart cities, automotive to drive 5G IoT industry to deliver rocketing revenues

Analyst forecasts bonanza for operators as supporting internet of things services becomes essential to securing a return on their 5G investment
February 18, 2020 18 Feb'20
Tech stocks tumble as Apple admits coronavirus will affect iPhone production volumes

Apple does not expect to meet the revenue guidance previously provided for the March quarter as virus crisis hits production volumes and Chinese demand
February 17, 2020 17 Feb'20
Ericsson goes right for the 5G core in 2020

Swedish comms tech giant predicts substantial growth for 5G in 2020, with particular focus on the fundamental enabling standalone core technology
February 14, 2020 14 Feb'20
Huawei rejects racketeering and theft claims from US Department of Justice

Ongoing spat between US and China intensifies after US Department of Justice accuses Huawei of racketeering and intellectual property confidentiality violations