Internet infrastructure

FullFibre expands reach in East and West Midlands

Boost to altnet’s goal of reaching 500,000 premises by 2025 as rising expectations from consumers, and demands such as increased homeworking, drive expansion in key central England belt Continue Reading

Neos Networks delivers education and research dark fibre network across Northern Ireland

Neos Networks introduces education and research dark fibre network to Northern Ireland, bringing new points of presence and Belfast-based access centres designed to offer greater resilience through sub-sea backup links to mainland UK Continue Reading

Under-investment in hybrid work threatens successful return to the office for European workers

Research from Ricoh Europe shows staff are looking to their employers for clarity and innovation in their new hybrid workplace, but a lack of planning and investment threatens to derail the success of a widespread return to the office Continue Reading

Anonymous claims it has hacked the Central Bank of Russia

Hackers operating under the Anonymous banner claim to have stolen more than 35,000 sensitive files from the Central Bank of Russia as part of its cyber war against the Russian state Continue Reading

Ransomware demands and payments increase with use of leak sites

Ransomware demands and payments continue to climb as gangs increasingly turn to Dark Web leak sites to add pressure on victims Continue Reading

UK full fibre flourishes from local, European gigabit broadband providers

Slovenia-headquartered ICT provider is intensifying its activities in Western Europe, and is now offering fibre-to-the-home services from a newly opened branch in the UK Continue Reading

CW Innovation Awards: Transforming Australia’s national assessment programme

Education Services Australia has transformed the country’s national assessment programme through an online platform that has enabled teachers to design adaptive tests and improved student engagement Continue Reading

Digital continues to deplete bank branch networks as Lloyds cuts 60 more

Lloyds Banking Group has stripped UK high streets of a further 60 branches as the take-up of digital banking continues Continue Reading

UK government promises high-speed internet for all schools by 2025

Hot on the heels of announcing upgrades to UK mobile networks in hard-to-reach places, and as part of its latest plans to roll out gigabit broadband across the country, government turns connectivity focus on educational establishments Continue Reading

Virgin Media Business Wholesale brings dark fibre, managed services capacity to south Wales

Major fibre upgrade by wholesale arm of UK cable provider more than doubles capacity across Wales to support demand from wholesale partners, ensuring shorter delivery times for customer projects Continue Reading

Vodafone targets UK small business with full-fibre broadband offer

With the impending shutdown of ISDN and PSTN phone lines in 2025, UK operator unveils full-fibre broadband offer specifically for the small office/home office sector Continue Reading

CityFibre gains £300m funding as it passes Portsmouth full-fibre milestone

New investment increases network provider’s recent financing round to over £1.4bn to enable participation in Project Gigabit rural programme and support continued roll-out acceleration Continue Reading

Mavenir makes business communications software pivot

Network software provider transitions from radio access network software solutions towards offering SaaS portfolio of business communications for CSPs, channels and systems integrators Continue Reading

Accenture: Trust and opportunities in the metaverse

The metaverse is the wild west of the internet, but pioneering businesses are laying the foundations for a new era of virtual reality Continue Reading

Connectivity partnership sees Tata Communications get in gear with Formula 1

Global communications firm charged with delivering a managed end-to-end network that will transform the F1 fan immersive video experience in more than 180 countries Continue Reading

Ukrainian tech journalists join fight to fill news void

Technology journalists in Ukraine are raising funds to enable them to help Ukrainians survive during the Russian invasion Continue Reading

UK government warned of ‘slow progress’ on infrastructure plans

Annual report from UK’s official independent infrastructure adviser warns that progress on gigabit roll-out may be at risk, and sets out infrastructure priorities for 2022 Continue Reading

No end to UK bank branch closures as HSBC shuts 69 more

HSBC closes another 69 branches as customers continue to migrate to digital channels Continue Reading

FullFibre furthers reach in Midlands and goes live with Droitwich Spa cabinet

Boost to altnet’s goal of reaching 500,000 premises by 2025 as wholesale customer lights up first cabinet in Droitwich Spa, allowing residents to access an ultrafast, full-fibre network, as Midlands South team makes gain Continue Reading

Supreme Court refuses Julian Assange extradition appeal

The case will be referred to the home secretary Priti Patel to make a decision. The WikiLeaks founder has yet to say whether he will file further appeals Continue Reading

UK businesses struggling to support flexible work

Research reveals that as hybrid becomes the norm, a clear majority of firms say the pandemic caused them to re-evaluate what they value in the workplace Continue Reading

Encryption myths versus realities of Online Safety Bill

The UK government can’t legislate the impossible – a safer society depends on encryption, not breaking it Continue Reading

600 public buildings in Wales get full-fibre broadband

Completion of the largest public sector broadband project in Wales, funded by the UK government, sees gigabit connectivity delivered to buildings including hospitals, GP surgeries, care homes, libraries and youth centres Continue Reading

Telefónica Vivo launches 5G-ready IP transport network across Brazil

Brazilian operator teams with Cisco and NEC to deploy a flexible and scalable 5G-ready IP transport network for its converged mobile and fixed networks as it prepares to launch a next-generation communications network infrastructure Continue Reading

CityFibre deploys 100th fibre exchange to power full-fibre roll-out

Century up for fibre exchange (FEX) deployments for UK’s largest independent full-fibre platform, enabling the delivery of live gigabit broadband services to the first 4.8 million premises of its eight million roll-out Continue Reading

Government to force tech firms to stop fraudsters using their platforms for scams

Changes to legislation will make social media and search engine firms responsible for preventing fraudsters using their platforms to commit crimes Continue Reading

Limelight gains large CDN scale with Edgecast acquisition

Leading CDN provider gains extra scale with strategic purchase, claiming to have created global leader in edge-enabled software services with diversified revenue across products, clients, geographies and channels Continue Reading

Accelerating full-fibre gigabit growth sees UK altnet association start 2022 on strong note

Independent Networks Cooperative Association enjoys continued membership boom as altnets maintain momentum in UK after several years of record investment Continue Reading

Ukrainian engineers fight to keep internet online

IT professionals in Ukraine are working tirelessly and at great risk to keep the country connected to the internet during the Russian invasion Continue Reading

Use of encrypted Telegram platform soars in Ukraine, Russia

Encrypted messaging service Telegram is proving a valuable asset to both sides in Russia’s war on Ukraine Continue Reading

Nationwide suffers payday payments outage

Nationwide customers were left unable to pay bills on payday as the building society suffered a software outage Continue Reading

MWC 2022: Huawei hones hybrid offer with fibre to the room

Aiming to address the new world of work, tech giant Huawei has launched a fibre-to-the-room gigabit all-optical room offering Continue Reading

Information in the metaverse is A Tale of Two Cities

The metaverse will make it easier to access an increasing wealth of information, but it also will make it more difficult to distinguish real from fake, accurate from wrong – and that goes for information as well as the information sources themselves Continue Reading

Workers demand universal high-performance broadband to succeed with hybrid work

Cisco Broadband Index finds just more than two-fifths of UK workers now rely on their home internet to work from home or run their own business, but almost three-quarters think broadband services need to dramatically improve to enable them to work from anywhere Continue Reading

CW Nordics: Swedish drone app gets life-saving equipment to heart attack victims

Thanks to an app developed in Sweden, drones can get life-saving equipment to heart-attack victims before emergency services can arrive on the scene, potentially increasing patient survival rates. Also in this issue, read about a Swedish bank's time-saving robots, and how Finland aims to democratise the ‘wild west’ of AI. Continue Reading

Paid-for advertising still not covered in Online Safety Bill

Consumer group Which? calls again for government to include measures against scam paid-for advertising in the Online Safety Bill Continue Reading

Virgin Media O2 seeks joint venture for UK full-fibre extension

Just weeks after claiming to have taken a huge competitive step in the UK broadband market by hitting its target of gigabit capability to all its customers, operator looks for financing to fuel further growth Continue Reading

Risk of UK digital broadband divide growing

Report from communications regulator warns that amid rising cost of services, millions of low-income families in the UK are missing out on a £144 annual broadband saving Continue Reading

It takes a village: Protecting kids online is everyone’s responsibility

The rapid uptake of smartphones among children has contributed to the increasing number of cases of cyber bullying and online grooming. Is this an educational issue or a cultural problem, and can modern enterprise help? Continue Reading

DDoS attacks hit Ukrainian defence ministry and banks

A further wave of cyber attacks has taken place against targets in Ukraine amid heightened tension in the region Continue Reading

UK finance regulator effects changes to ‘buy now, pay later’ contract terms

BNPL finance providers have agreed to make their contracts with consumers fairer, amid concerns Continue Reading

On a mission to track space junk

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the space experts tracking orbital debris using graph database technology. We meet the startups taking very different approaches in trying to develop commercial quantum computers. And we ask why it’s so difficult to build a data science team and how to overcome the challenges. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Jio and SES forge joint venture for satellite-based broadband services across India

Joint venture between satellite operator SES and Indian mobile network operator Jio aims to extend network reach and resiliency by using satellites in geostationary and medium Earth orbits, including O3b mPOWER Continue Reading

UK superfast, ultrafast broadband deployments track upwards rapidly in Q4 2021

Majors and altnets hit the accelerator in gigabit connectivity roll-out in the UK, but survey reveals big discrepancy between the country’s best and worst fibre-enabled locations Continue Reading

TalkTalk: Switch to full fibre benefits climate

Study from leading UK operator pinpoints green gains from switching to full fibre over copper networks, including increased efficiency, reduction in degradation and exchanges, and fewer engineer journeys Continue Reading

CMA secures final Privacy Sandbox guarantees from Google

The CMA has secured a final set of Privacy Sandbox commitments from Google relating to the proposed removal of third-party cookies from its Chrome browser Continue Reading

Operator 5G engagements increase by more than 50% in 2021

Research from mobile test and assurance services provider shows that standalone core, network cloudification and operational agility drive accelerating 5G roll-outs, with service assurance rapidly gathering pace Continue Reading

ISPA, Good Things Foundation team to address UK digital divide

Digital exclusion remains a huge issue in the UK and to address the problem, leading digital inclusion charity has entered into a partnership with the Internet Services Providers’ Association Continue Reading

Samsung, Amdocs collaborate for private 5G at Howard University

Comms tech and software providers partner to deploy Citizens Broadband Radio Service private 5G network across Howard University’s campus in Washington DC Continue Reading

Qualcomm expands investment in XR and the metaverse

Mobile chip giant opens new labs in Europe to build on existing commitment to make extended reality accessible to the masses, with focus activities on XR R&D, engineering and key technology development Continue Reading

Minister defends digital economy legislation before Lords

A digital minister has said that the UK’s forthcoming digital markets legislation is ‘superior’ to similar efforts in the EU, but could not commit to a specific time frame for when it will be introduced to Parliament Continue Reading

Ferrari accelerates digital transformation with Qualcomm strategic technology collaboration

Leading mobile processor firm inks deal to be systems solutions provider for legendary motor marque in strategic technology collaboration aimed at helping to boost the manufacturer’s digital transformation Continue Reading

BT announces managing director of Incubation for Digital unit

Innovation leader announced for digital unit as it aims to build a customer-centric digital organisation to bring products and services to customers and create new opportunities Continue Reading

Porn sites will be legally required to verify users’ ages

Porn sites could be legally obliged to verify that their users are 18 or over under proposed online safety rules, in UK government’s second attempt to prevent children from accessing pornography online Continue Reading

NO-UK submarine cable system claims record line rate

Submarine cable system between Norway and the UK claims milestone that will facilitate a new era of connectivity between the countries Continue Reading

UK fintech investment sees sevenfold increase in a year

UK fintech investment rose from $5.2bn in 2020 to $37.3bn in 2021, with 603 private equity, venture capital and merger and acquisition deals Continue Reading

LATAM Airlines taps Intelsat to support in-flight connectivity on new Airbus fleet

Aircraft’s satellite-based communications claimed to offer the best connectivity experience across Latin America Continue Reading

Users set to skip Wi-Fi 6E as campus switch market grows more quickly than expected

Potential tough times ahead for Wi-Fi 6E, but digital transformation initiatives have been accelerated by the pandemic, spurring new network requirements and putting pressure on IT managers to upgrade their networks Continue Reading

6GHz Wi-Fi spectrum critical to enable Australian technology innovation

Global spectrum organisation calls on Australia to set aside the full 1200MHz of available 6GHz spectrum for Wi-Fi applications under the country’s communications and media authority licensing framework Continue Reading

Openreach sees record-breaking quarter for fibre as BT reports mixed Q3

BT’s trading update for the nine months to 31 December 2021 shows overall decline in revenues in global and enterprise, supply chain issues and rising costs, but Openreach full-fibre roll-out rockets Continue Reading

UAE chooses Accenture to develop national payments platform

Consortium led by Accenture to build new payments infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates Continue Reading

French Supreme Court raises constitutional questions over EncroChat hacking secrecy

Conseil Constitutionnel to decide whether ‘defence secrecy’ over state EncroChat cryptophone hacking breaches French constitution Continue Reading

Mechanism underlying cookie popups found in breach of GDPR

A fundamental element of the mechanism by which the advertising industry requests tracking consent from web users has been found in breach of the General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading

UK government slammed for not living up to broadband promises

Broadband industry criticises UK government for not living up to its promises as new connectivity goals announced Continue Reading

UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency appoints first CEO

The government has named the first CEO of the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency Continue Reading

Astrocast announces commercial launch of bidirectional satellite IoT service

Global nanosatellite internet-of-things network provider switches on service that it says will redefine the boundaries of IoT, enabling all businesses to benefit in any location Continue Reading

Giganet, Anixter team to expand FTTP internet service to the UK

Further momentum in UK full-fibre broadband market sees leading ISP entering into a multi-year agreement with subsidiary of Wesco International, to support the expansion of gigabit connectivity delivery across the UK Continue Reading

Smart connectivity to transform world experience within a decade

Brain-controlled smart assistants, disease-detecting mirrors and digitally connected trees to become mainstream by 2030, by when the average person will interact with smart devices 4,800 times a day, claims study Continue Reading

Microsoft uses Q2 2022 earnings to delve into metaverse

Company’s CEO sees a role for Microsoft that takes the metaverse beyond gaming and into the business sphere Continue Reading

Bank account switching accelerates as consumers choose digital services

Surge in UK consumers changing current account providers is a sign that digital banking services are eating into the traditional sector Continue Reading

City Fibre full-fibre network goes live in Thames Valley

UK’s largest independent network provider aims to bring much-awaited gigabit connectivity to Reading and Slough areas Continue Reading

Appetite rising for network as a service

Study from edge-to-cloud networking provider reveals digital transformation in the post-pandemic era is drawing IT leaders towards network models that are more agile and adaptable Continue Reading

UK altnets add fibre across Greater Manchester, Midlands and Southwest

Two UK independent broadband providers announce full-fibre network offers aimed at allowing businesses to reach potential through supporting both on-premise and hybrid modes of work Continue Reading

Global broadband divide is closing but speed inequalities widen

Research finds need for greater investment in advanced, full-fibre broadband networks is essential to closing a digital divide among global broadband users Continue Reading

Shanghai rated world’s number-one smart city for 2022

What is described as a world-leading citizen data platform propels China’s technical heart as the leading connected conurbation Continue Reading

MPs say Online Safety Bill fails to tackle full range of harms

A DCMS select committee has warned that the Online Safety Bill should be expanded to cover more types of harmful content, such as child abuse material designed to circumvent content removal Continue Reading

Advantages of traditional banks are weakening amid digital challenge, says FCA

Weakening of the advantages enjoyed by traditional banks over the years is “driven by digital innovation and changing consumer behaviour”, says regulator Continue Reading

UK parliamentary committee casts doubt on government’s gigabit connectivity targets

UK parliamentary committee pours scorn on Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s confidence in meeting targets for gigabit connectivity Continue Reading

Content removal will not stop misinformation, says Royal Society

Censorship of scientific misinformation online could exacerbate feelings of distrust, so government should look at information literacy and funding fact checkers instead, says report Continue Reading

Arizona State University taps Verizon for 5G Innovation Hub

Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband and mobile edge compute services enable researchers to develop and test real-world solutions to enhance immersive education, remote learning, virtual reality and data analytics Continue Reading

The race to quantum computing

In this week’s Computer Weekly, researchers are racing to create the first commercially useful quantum computer – we look at one of the European candidates. Cyber security is one of the greatest risks facing the global economy, warns the World Economic Forum. And we examine the role of employee experience in hybrid working. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Jisc selects Neos Networks for gigabit fibre network serving north-west England

Business connectivity provider strikes partnership to connect major universities and research centres in Liverpool and Manchester to gigabit-capable fibre network offering up to 100Gbps connections and 10-fold increases Continue Reading

CityFibre extends full-fibre in Aberdeen

Granite City sees rock-solid gigabit connectivity in £19m expansion of full-fibre network to homes and businesses in the Aberdeen area Continue Reading

International Space Station gets connected on SpaceDataHighway

SpaceDataHighway deploys space laser communications to increase the operational flexibility of ISS, allowing more astronauts, scientists and researchers to benefit from a direct link with Europe Continue Reading

Connexin switches on full-fibre broadband network in Hull

So-called ‘disruptive’ communications company specialising in building and operating smart city infrastructure connects first customer to full-fibre network in East Yorkshire Continue Reading

Full-fibre investment helps tackle digital exclusion in Greater Manchester

Study from cable operator and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority reveals the massive significance that digital investment is making for local people, helping to assist those at risk of digital exclusion, create local jobs and tackle homelessness Continue Reading

Hispasat expands North America strategic collaboration, bolsters Brazilian holdings

Spanish satellite operator expands agreement with Swedish connectivity services company to offer high-capacity portable broadband solution in North America, and acquires the full share capital of its subsidiary in Brazil Continue Reading

Satellite broadband boost as Intelsat expands fleet, Inmarsat supports IoT

Satellite providers take connectivity to higher orbit as Intelsat continues investment in global 5G software-defined network while Inmarsat supports IoT monitoring for RWE’s hydroelectric power stations in Wales Continue Reading

98 more Openreach exchange areas to go digital in copper network shutdown

Mildenhall and Salisbury test sites will be first to stop selling copper-based services in 2022 in a further acceleration of Openreach’s plan to halt traditional broadband and voice services across the UK by 2025 Continue Reading

CW Middle East: What does Saudi Arabia’s autonomous vehicle agenda mean for the world?

If all goes according to plan, within a few years, one million people will live in Saudi Arabia’s ‘city of the future’ – and every one of them will depend on a fleet of self-driving cars. Also in this issue, read about the UAE's bid to become a world-leading location for artificial intelligence innovation. Continue Reading

NCSC sounds alarm over Russia-backed hacks

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre joins US calls to be wary of Russian state interference in critical national infrastructure IT systems Continue Reading

CityFibre gets to work on bringing full-fibre to Cambridgeshire

Further expansion from network provider will fulfil Fenland District Council’s digital needs, bringing previously unavailable full-fibre connectivity within reach of thousands of homes and businesses Continue Reading

A legal minefield called the metaverse

Will the metaverse create a $1tn revenue market? Who knows? How long will it take to reach this lofty potential? Who can tell? Will people invest across this emerging landscape of speculative riches? You bet Continue Reading

Mavenir, BAI Communications to deliver Sunderland smart city project

Network software firm enters collaboration with global communications infrastructure provider for smart city project Continue Reading

Qualcomm announces Microsoft collaboration to boost AR in the metaverse

Mobile chipmaker enters into collaboration with Microsoft to design custom augmented reality chips and integrate software platforms Continue Reading

Fintech players get cosy in Luxembourg

Luxembourg aims to play a larger role in the rapidly growing global fintech market Continue Reading

The developing metaverse: Commercial realities of extended realities

The metaverse is almost certain to become a highly competitive commercial playground, if not battlefield. It will likely not only establish highly profitable markets but also lead to high-profile failures Continue Reading

Aviva invests further £100m in Truespeed for full-fibre roll-out

Just after appointing a new CEO, regional UK internet service provider gains £100m worth of funding from Aviva Investors to fast-track ultra-high-speed broadband connectivity Continue Reading

Admins warned that Exchange date fix will take time to roll out

At the start of the New Year, Exchange 2016 and 2019 email servers started queuing email messages due to a date bug Continue Reading

UK government reveals next step in plans for gigabit broadband in new-build homes

Latest part of programme to accelerate gigabit broadband across the UK will see it included in new-build homes Continue Reading