Network hardware
Network hardware products such as routers, switches, hubs, appliances and gateways form the vital infrastructure for successful enterprise IT. We look at the latest trends in technologies in building LANs, WANS and Ethernet networking.
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News
28 Jul 2025
Accelerated fibre deployments to take broadband tech spend to $20.1bn by 2028
Analysis shows growing broadband market optimism, reflecting stronger growth outlook to 2029 with increasing homes passed as cable and fibre ISPs ramp up DOCSIS 4.0 and deployment projects Continue Reading
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News
28 Jul 2025
Nokia lands connectivity deal for Medusa subsea cable system
Comms tech provider celebrates major win as part of transformative, open-access infrastructure connecting North Africa and Europe with high-capacity fibre links Continue Reading
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News
02 Jun 2020
Vodafone gives six months’ free business broadband to UK SMEs
UK telco introduces scheme to help UK small businesses attempting to cope with new phase in Covid-19 lockdown Continue Reading
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News
02 Jun 2020
Enterprises planning future with 5G and Wi-Fi 6
Deloitte study shows advanced wireless technologies increasingly seen as a ‘force multiplier’ for emerging technologies including AI, IoT, cloud and edge computing Continue Reading
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News
02 Jun 2020
Covid-19: Global smartphone sales take a tumble in Q1 2020
Leading analyst Gartner attributes 20% year-on-year decline in device sales to effect of coronavirus pandemic, with leading brands showing sharp falls Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2020
SmarTone deploys Ericsson Spectrum Sharing to open the gates to 5G-based smart city
Hong Kong operator deploys 5G broadly across territory using dynamic spectrum-sharing technology Continue Reading
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News
27 May 2020
Revealed: Surveillance camera network that covered Dominic Cummings’ lockdown travel
A network of automatic number plate recognition and local authority traffic cameras could help police track Downing Street chief of staff Dominic Cummings’ journeys to Durham and Barnard Castle during the Covid-19 lockdown Continue Reading
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News
27 May 2020
Three-quarters of people expect to work remotely more often after the lockdown
Current changes in working patterns through the Covid-19 outbreak set to see marked shift in the future, and have major impact on digital infrastructures Continue Reading
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News
27 May 2020
Covid-19: Managing spikes in website traffic now IT leaders’ biggest challenge
AppDynamics research reveals that 95% of companies plot new tech course after Covid-19 outbreak as technologists see opportunity to show their value to the business Continue Reading
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News
27 May 2020
EE network sees fivefold leap in Zoom users, 45% increase in voice calls, apps since lockdown
Research from mobile operator highlights changing habits of UK citizens during lockdown, with video conferencing seeing massive leap Continue Reading
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News
26 May 2020
Huawei hits out at fresh UK network probe
UK cyber security agency confirms it will conduct a new investigation into the security-worthiness of Huawei’s 5G technology Continue Reading
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News
26 May 2020
Nokia joins the Open RAN Policy Coalition
Finish comms tech provider reinforces its commitment to the development of future secure mobile radio technologies for 5G by joining open and software-defined network technology consortium Continue Reading
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News
22 May 2020
Rancho Water turns tap on Extreme connectivity for critical water delivery
US public utility uses secure and resilient wired and wireless network systems to power 45,000 service connections across 100,000 acres Continue Reading
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News
22 May 2020
Openreach taps Nokia to extend full-fibre network capacity
Deal covers essential equipment to extend Gigabit fibre access network across UK Continue Reading
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News
19 May 2020
European network traffic volumes stabilising
The updated summary report from body of European regulators for electronic communications on how network operators can cope with increased demand for network capacity finds that, by mid-May 2020, all is well Continue Reading
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News
15 May 2020
BT reported to be in talks to sell off Openreach to fund full-fibre roll-out
Report suggests Openreach sale could raise £20bn as BT announces £12bn build programme to extend FTTP network Continue Reading
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News
13 May 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2020
BT claims positives amid challenging fiscal year
BT reports tough 2019/20, leading to major restructuring plan to go forward to meet major fibre-to-the-premises targets Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2020
UK comms market set for shake-up as O2 and Virgin Media confirm merger
Coming-together of leading fixed-mobile provider and cable network provider will create genuine competition to BT/EE Continue Reading
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News
04 May 2020
UK transport research body calls for safer in-vehicle technologies
Voice-controlled systems are the future of autonomous, according to TRL, whose recommendations follow a report into Apple CarPlay and Android Auto demanding improved standards in voice-activated infotainment systems Continue Reading
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News
29 Apr 2020
IT Priorities 2020: SD-WAN soars as collaboration and communications no longer on back burner
At the start of the year, networking professionals looked likely to invest in monitoring, converged architectures and WAN technologies, while unified communications was in decline and collaboration of minimal interest Continue Reading
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News
28 Apr 2020
Ericsson scores further 5G RAN win with True Corporation Thailand
Thai comms operator engages the Swedish technology provider to enable smooth, fast and cost-effective 5G network evolution in three regions Continue Reading
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News
27 Apr 2020
Potential near £70bn boost to British economy from gigabit broadband
Research shows that delivering ‘Gigabit Britain’ could provide over £50bn gross value added to the economy in five years, growing to £68.8bn in 2030, but suppliers warn that more must be done to turn broadband ambition into reality Continue Reading
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News
24 Apr 2020
European fibre roll-outs speed up
European fibre-to-the-home and fibre-to-the-building coverage maintains a positive growth trend, with subscribers increasing by 15% since September 2018 Continue Reading
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News
21 Apr 2020
Covid-19 outbreak sees first-quarter revenues flatten for Huawei
Chinese networking mega-firm endures tough first quarter, but pledges that it will ride out the coronavirus storm Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2020
INCA: UK gigabit broadband progress more important than ever
Trade body for independent network providers calls for progress toward the delivery of ultrafast broadband to all parts of the UK to continue despite the current Covid-19 lockdown conditions Continue Reading
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E-Zine
17 Apr 2020
CW ANZ: Trend Watch on communications infrastructure
In this handbook, Computer Weekly looks at how Australia’s bushfires impacted its telecoms networks and the increase in SD-WAN adoption in Asia-Pacific Continue Reading
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News
17 Apr 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
16 Apr 2020
Orange expands mesh Wi-Fi into Belgium, reinforces marine service capabilities
SoftAtHome’s mesh Wi-Fi now available for Orange Belgium customers while Orange ship begins undersea cabling survey work off coast of Sicily Continue Reading
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News
16 Apr 2020
BT inks Ericsson 5G supply deal but delays schedule to replace Huawei kit
UK telco engages Swedish tech firm to deploy cloud-native dual-mode 5G core, but rows back on deadline to remove all Huawei technology from mobile core by end of year Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: European network traffic curves flatten but security issues increase
Nokia research finds networks are taking the strain despite a huge increase in upstream traffic during the day from videoconferencing and downstream during weekends from video-on-demand Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2020
UK altnets increase full-fibre coverage by 50%
Independent network providers notch up notable year in 2019 as fibre access for all becomes political hot potato Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2020
Coronavirus puts brakes on 5G core deployments
Research firm identifies short- and long-term impacts that global pandemic will have on 5G core and edge networks Continue Reading
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News
09 Apr 2020
Cato Networks seals significant investment to take SASE forward
More validation for secure access service edge solutions as SD-WAN provider scoops cash injection Continue Reading
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News
08 Apr 2020
Vodafone taps VMware to complete European roll-out of network virtual infrastructure
Operator taps virtual infrastructure firm to add last piece of pan-European digital infrastructure architecture and gain agility and flexibility Continue Reading
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News
08 Apr 2020
Samsung, AWS claim world’s first mission-critical comms video call
MCPTX solution powered by leading cloud platform said to enable first responders to accurately assess vital moments using voice, data and video calls Continue Reading
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News
08 Apr 2020
Cellwize aims for 5G network efficiency high note with Chime
Cloud-based open RAN automation platform claimed to bring required flexibility and speed to accelerate 5G networks development Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2020
UK government, mobile trade association, operators slam attacks on UK 5G masts
Criminal damage to phone masts and abuse of telecoms engineers condemned as the product of “crackpot” online conspiracy theories Continue Reading
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News
02 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Ofcom relaxes ISPs’ broadband obligations
UK comms regulator loosens operating guidelines on broadband operators to prevent driving additional traffic to call centres and not punish inability to meet repair targets Continue Reading
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News
01 Apr 2020
Security, network services top enterprise challenges for deploying UCaaS, CCaaS
Research finds ongoing challenges in deploying unified-communications-as-a-service and contact-centre-as-a-service firms also preferring bundled network solutions from a single provider Continue Reading
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News
01 Apr 2020
HPE unveils open source software to reduce 5G complexity
Open distributed infrastructure management software launched to resolve complexity that telcos face in rolling out 5G networks across thousands of sites equipped with multiple suppliers’ IT infrastructures Continue Reading
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News
31 Mar 2020
Nokia launches AI-based operations to help telcos enter the 5G era
Cognitive operations designed to help comms service providers transform their network, service and business operations through extreme automation enabled by artificial intelligence and machine learning Continue Reading
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News
31 Mar 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
31 Mar 2020
Coronavirus: Teleworking drives new application usage growth for Comcast
Largest network operator in US issues assurance that huge shift in usage patterns and extra demands on home networks are well within infrastructure’s capability Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2020
Coronavirus: internet providers enhance support for customers, end data caps
Supporting the UK’s government efforts to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and support home working, UK network operators agree a wide range of supportive measures Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2020
CityFibre completes FibreNation acquisition
Official go-ahead for buyout which takes former altnet into mainstream status as the UK’s third largest national digital infrastructure and fibre operator Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2020
Nokia claims 5G capacity benchmark, enters first phase of 5G project at Port of Zeebrugge
Flurry of 5G-related activity continues with raft of 5G patents and 5G-ready private wireless connectivity for partner ecosystem to accelerate IoT-based innovation Continue Reading
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News
26 Mar 2020
Coronavirus: Openreach to restrict engineers’ home visits
BT’s national broadband provision division announces that it is to cut down on home visits throughout the UK and focus only on national infrastructure, essential public services and vulnerable customers Continue Reading
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Tip
25 Mar 2020
802.3cg standard extends single-pair Ethernet range and speed
IEEE 802.3cg is a single-pair Ethernet standard that aims to support speeds up to 10 Mbps, extend Ethernet range up to 1,000 meters and offer multidrop capabilities. Continue Reading
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News
25 Mar 2020
Coronavirus: Virgin finds new data trends as it creates 500 contact centre jobs
Cable network provider issues assurance on the resilience of its infrastructure, which is under unprecedented strain from domestic users, and beefs up service staffing Continue Reading
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News
25 Mar 2020
Amdocs launches HoMeOS and becomes Veego strategic partner and investor
Leading provider of communications and media software launches home broadband management and makes strategic investment in Israeli AI startup Continue Reading
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News
24 Mar 2020
ETSI unveils augmented reality framework
Industry specification group on augmented reality develops new specification to enable multi-supplier ecosystem for industry and consumers Continue Reading
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News
24 Mar 2020
Coronavirus: Global VPN deployments rocket since 11 March
Business virtual private network uptake has taken off over the past 10 days as global workforces become vastly more distributed Continue Reading
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News
23 Mar 2020
Coronavirus: Internet capable of taking the strain but service prioritisation key
With networks offering assurances they can cope with the millions of added users working from home, experts suggest that strict management of applications and services will be pivotal Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Mar 2020
Coronavirus: Can the networks take the strain?
It was predicted that the mass roll-out of computer networks would mean at some point that there was no difference between work and home as a working location. These assumptions are about to be tested to the full Continue Reading
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News
17 Mar 2020
New-build homes in UK to come gigabit-speed ready
UK government carries on with ambitious plans to roll out full-fibre across nation by 2025 Continue Reading
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News
17 Mar 2020
Telenor opens Norway’s first 5G service
Commercial 5G network opens in nine different cities and villages across Norway, making Telenor the first mobile operator in the country to offer 5G to customers Continue Reading
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E-Zine
17 Mar 2020
How NHS Digital is helping support the coronavirus crisis
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to NHS Digital about how technology is supporting the health service’s response to the coronavirus crisis. We examine the challenges of running a successful security operations centre. And we look at the emerging datacentre architecture based on composable infrastructure. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
16 Mar 2020
5G propels connected vehicles into top gear
Survey predicts 83 million 5G-connected cars will be on the road by 2035 as next-generation networks become more pervasive Continue Reading
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News
13 Mar 2020
Modest Q4 growth for worldwide enterprise WLAN Market
Wi-Fi 6 gives current and potential boost to enterprise sector in overall disappointing WLAN market in the fourth quarter of 2019 Continue Reading
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News
12 Mar 2020
EE further expands UK 5G network
BT-owned mobile operator rolls out 5G to 21 new locations in the country Continue Reading
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News
12 Mar 2020
IT Priorities 2020: Benelux organisations and budgets focused on digital transformation
IT leaders in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg expect bigger budgets this year, with spending on digital transformation projects and related technologies being prioritised Continue Reading
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News
12 Mar 2020
Elisa to pull plug on 3G network in 2023
Final countdown starts for third-generation mobile communications in Finland, with capacity to be used for 5G services Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2020
Nokia lights up Rakuten network, flies with Irish Aviation Authority
Finnish tech giant to install photonic networking for new Japanese operator while providing high-bandwidth IP/MPLS network to support air traffic control in Ireland Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2020
UK Budget Speech reaffirms £5bn commitment to full-fibre broadband
Chancellor Rishi Sunak says UK government will fulfil its promise to make significant funding available to develop gigabit broadband roll-out across the country Continue Reading
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News
10 Mar 2020
UK government survives rebellion on ‘high-risk’ comms tech supplier strategy
Government fends off rebel MPs proposing an amendment that would lead to an outright ban on Huawei technology regarded as posing a direct threat to the UK’s national security Continue Reading
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News
10 Mar 2020
Qualcomm claims ‘significant’ progress on cellular vehicle-to-everything tech
Chip giant hits throttle on communication solutions designed to enhance road safety and facilitate smart transportation systems, including support of automated driving Continue Reading
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News
10 Mar 2020
HPE offers operators as-a-service 5G core software stack
GreenLake cloud-native technologies from HPE and Aruba designed to help telcos build and deploy 5G networks and better integrate with Wi-Fi 6 networks Continue Reading
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News
10 Mar 2020
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 Continue Reading
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E-Zine
10 Mar 2020
Is technology innovation broken?
In this week’s Computer Weekly, despite its reputation for fresh thinking the tech sector is stuck in old ways that prevent true innovation – an expert explains why. Our buyer’s guide examines how networking is affected by the growth of cloud-native applications. And we look at the key tech-related compliance issues for SMEs. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
10 Mar 2020
Telia Carrier expands SD-WAN solution portfolio
Stockholm-based network provider claims global service, based on Viptela and Cisco technology, is world’s best-connected SD-WAN offer Continue Reading
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News
10 Mar 2020
IT Priorities 2020: IP network investments top priority for Middle East IT leaders
IT leaders in the Middle East expect to see increased spending on IP networks as digital transformation continues across the region Continue Reading
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News
09 Mar 2020
UK Shared Rural Network gets official go-ahead
UK government and leading mobile operators confirm £1bn scheme to roll out 4G coverage to 95% of UK landmass by end of 2025 Continue Reading
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News
09 Mar 2020
Google Cloud targets telcos with Global Mobile Edge Cloud
Google Cloud announces programme to help telcos address pressures to digitally transform in the face of the rise of 5G, network-centric business models and ‘dramatically’ raised consumer expectations Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2020
MPs set sights on Huawei in 5G security probe
Weeks after UK government allowed access to radio access part of mobile networks, MPs announce inquiry into the use and security of equipment supplied by foreign companies for 5G networks Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2020
CityFibre adds 36 more towns and cities to UK full-fibre network
There’s no stopping infrastructure provider CityFibre in 2020, as it adds yet more locations to its Gigabit City fibre broadband programme in the UK Continue Reading
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News
03 Mar 2020
Industry group launched to develop standards for fibre deployment in sewer network
Water utilities companies are working with SSE Enterprise Telecoms to deploy fibre in the sewers, as well as transform the sewage system into a “smart wastewater network” Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2020
Ericsson Spectrum Sharing now commercially available globally
Swisscom, Telstra, Ooredoo and Play are among global service providers confirmed to use Ericsson Spectrum Sharing to launch 5G on a nationwide scale Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
26 Feb 2020
More than half of UK businesses lack confidence to implement 5G
EY study finds 5G investment set to soar among British businesses, but the majority are not confident in their organisations’ ability to deploy 5G Continue Reading
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News
26 Feb 2020
Samsung teams with comms tech leaders to set 5G speed benchmark
Samsung, Verizon, Motorola Mobility and Qualcomm deploy carrier aggregation and the latest 5G cell technology to achieve multi-gigabit speeds on a commercial smartphone connected to live 5G network Continue Reading
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News
26 Feb 2020
Cisco senses opportunity with 5G mobile cloud software and hardware
Networking technology and services giant Cisco announces mobility systems aimed at helping service providers drive revenue and profitability from 5G infrastructure Continue Reading
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News
24 Feb 2020
Qunifi inks Vonage partnership to integrate Microsoft Teams for enterprises
Vonage customers can now access the Microsoft Teams phone-calling feature using their business phone service Continue Reading
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News
24 Feb 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
24 Feb 2020
Huawei eyes up optical network opportunities
Global networking comms tech provider Huawei unveils first in end-to-end optical connectivity for ultra-high bandwidth and ultra-low latency in enterprise applications Continue Reading
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News
21 Feb 2020
Cloud and 5G to drive SD-WAN adoption in APAC, says Silver Peak
Cloud migration and 5G services will boost the uptake of SD-WAN in a region where some markets are still in the early adopter phase Continue Reading
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News
20 Feb 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
19 Feb 2020
Qualcomm makes major moves in 5G essential equipment
Chip giant Qualcomm introduces third-generation 5G modem-RF system to enhance 5G performance and 5G/4G mobile filter technology Continue Reading
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News
18 Feb 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
17 Feb 2020
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 Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2020
CSPs trail business customers in 5G ambition
Survey claims to show lack of determination driving disconnect between communications service providers and business customers, threatening lucrative business-to-business 5G revenues Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2020
Nokia to roll out 5G in France and Italy, enables IoT in Argentina
Finnish comms tech firm to introduce 5G and offer network modernisation in France and Germany, while helping Telecom Argentina to meet enterprise customers’ internet-of-things needs Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2020
Nearly three-quarters of C-suite see visibility into network as business driver
C-suite decision-makers say businesses must rethink what is possible to survive and that technology, particularly the network, must be an enabler in the process Continue Reading
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News
12 Feb 2020
2019 meaningful revenues elusive, but opportunity knocks from enterprise for 5G
Research from 5G engagements reveal where investment is strongest, the trends that are driving roll-outs and the road ahead for operators, network equipment manufacturers and device makers Continue Reading
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News
11 Feb 2020
Verizon opens 5G lab and studio in London
Leading US communications provider Verizon opens first 5G-enabled facility outside home market to offer organisations a hub to develop, test and co-create 5G applications, hardware and experiences Continue Reading
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News
11 Feb 2020
iPhone 11 shakes up secondary mobile market as trade-in rates continue to rise
Mobile marketplace provider calculates that the secondary arena is set to grow from its current value of $25bn and reach $39bn by 2025 as manufacturers push devices to secondary channel Continue Reading
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News
10 Feb 2020
City of Wolverhampton Council taps CityFibre to deliver full-fibre connectivity
Wolverhampton embarks on project to build what is claimed to be “future-proof” full-fibre connectivity that will underpin the city’s next phase of technological transformation Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2020
‘Enormous’ growth prospects for 5G in enterprises
Newly formed research body predicts global 5G enterprise mobile subscriptions will rise from 500,000 to 175 million by 2024 Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2020
Vodafone, Orange tap Amdocs to boost Spanish business offers
Communications and media software and services provider extends its reign in Spain’s telco sector with business enhancement solutions for two leading telcos Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2020
Telia claims 400GE first with Cisco
Huge rise in users wanting on-demand content prompts internet backbone provider to deploy Cisco 400GE-ready network Continue Reading