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
05 Feb 2020
Vodafone reveals €200m cost, two-year 5G roll-out delay to strip Huawei from core network
True cost of government order mounts up as Vodafone joins BT in taking hit worth hundreds of millions of pounds from requirement to remove Chinese technology from core infrastructure Continue Reading
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News
05 Feb 2020
Commsworld claims dark fibre first in Scottish Borders
Broadband provider says lighting Openreach’s Dark Fibre X with its own optical equipment will enable it to provide flexible connectivity speeds of up to 10Gbps Continue Reading
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News
04 Feb 2020
EE retains top spot for UK mobile network performance
UK mobile survey shows increasing user reliance on connectivity, with network operators needing to act now to ensure strong performance for consumer demands across work use cases Continue Reading
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News
04 Feb 2020
No 5G silver bullets on horizon but a third of UK consumers plan to buy 5G handset this year
Research from Amdocs reveals that 5G marketing is working, but consumers still lack knowledge of the broader services it could enable Continue Reading
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News
03 Feb 2020
Orange France contracts Nokia and Ericsson for 5G network technology
Leading telco teams with Finish and Swedish comms tech giants as part of its ambition to realise a 5G network in France in 2020 Continue Reading
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News
31 Jan 2020
BT to take half-billion pound hit on Huawei kit replacement
Telco BT reveals the price to pay to meet the UK government’s new regulations around restricting ‘high-risk’ telecoms equipment suppliers in the nation’s 5G radio network Continue Reading
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News
28 Jan 2020
Cisco unveils business transformation suite for hyper-connected enterprise
New tools claimed to help businesses push their boundaries by reimagining their applications, empowering their teams, securing their data and transforming their infrastructure Continue Reading
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News
27 Jan 2020
Openreach extends full-fibre network to rural UK
UK national broadband infrastructure provider ramps up programme to deliver full-fibre to 200 locations, mainly towns and villages hitherto not passed by network Continue Reading
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News
27 Jan 2020
RAN sharing and convergence juice up Orange for 2020
Telco Orange’s roadmap for Europe in 2020 reveals the power of convergence and the need for ecosystem partnerships Continue Reading
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News
23 Jan 2020
Pluribus claims industry’s first central office edge compute switch
Open networking and controllerless SDN automation tech provider aims to respond to the extensive and exacting needs of distributed cloud environments Continue Reading
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News
23 Jan 2020
Privafy claims ‘fundamentally new’ approach to mobile data security
New company aims to address underlying security vulnerabilities to protect internet-reliant businesses Continue Reading
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News
21 Jan 2020
UK broadband offers poor relative value for money
Importance of fibre push by UK broadband providers clear as research shows data speeds available to UK households have not significantly changed while prices have risen steadily Continue Reading
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News
21 Jan 2020
CityFibre acquires FibreNation in £200m deal
Strategic acquisition sees growing UK fibre provider’s roll-out plans almost double in size, with TalkTalk joining network with long-term commitments for residential and business customers Continue Reading
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News
21 Jan 2020
BT calls on fellow operators for investment fairness in rural UK network scheme
BT wants its prior investments in UK mobile infrastructure to be recognised in formulating operators’ investment in Shared Rural Network Continue Reading
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News
21 Jan 2020
SK Telecom claims standalone 5G data session is world’s first
South Korean telco proclaims 5G breakthrough that makes it set to be first to provide standalone 5G services in the first half of this year Continue Reading
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News
20 Jan 2020
Ericsson to ramp European 5G with new R&D site in France
New facility will provide access to a competence pool and foster industry and academic collaborations on 5G, says company Continue Reading
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News
20 Jan 2020
BT becomes first Euro distribution partner for Google Stadia gaming platform
Incumbent UK comms provider BT teams up with Google to use cloud gaming platform to drive growing fibre broadband network offers Continue Reading
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News
17 Jan 2020
CenturyLink lands $1.6bn network services contract from US Dept of Interior
US operator engaged to help US agency achieve its mission to conserve and manage natural resources and cultural heritage Continue Reading
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News
16 Jan 2020
Global 5G leaders create 5G Future Forum
Six forum members say they will create a common platform to enable a global ecosystem of applications to exploit 5G at its full potential Continue Reading
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News
16 Jan 2020
UK ranks 13th in Cisco digital readiness index
Networking giant reveals benchmark holistically assessing countries’ digital readiness across seven key criteria, including technology adoption and technology infrastructure, and finds UK somewhat wanting Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2020
Liberty Global Europe shakes up executive leadership
UPC Switzerland chief executive flies in to take financial reins at Virgin Media in UK while former UPC Netherlands boss takes over Swiss and select eastern European operations Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2020
Global used smartphone market set to grow 17.6% year-on-year
Questions may be asked of the longevity of steep growth in the new smartphone arena, but research finds no signs of slowing down across the used market Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2020
Openreach extends free fibre installation scheme for UK home developers
UK broadband infrastructure provider drops the threshold for free eligibility to its fibre delivery scheme for new-build houses from 30 to 20 homes Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2020
EE scoops top rating in UK mobile connectivity assessment
BT subsidiary wins top spot in UK mobile quality benchmark survey for sixth time running Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2020
MLL Telecom appoints new CEO
Shaun Ledgerwood succeeds Gary Marven as chief executive as network services provider seeks to maintain momentum as a technology supplier to public and private sector organisations Continue Reading
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14 Jan 2020
Cisco unveils plans for internet of the future
Online technology giant Cisco introduces platform for the internet of the future based on $5bn of investment in areas covering silicon, optics and software, bringing the ability to support massively scaled enterprise networks and 5G networks. Continue Reading
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E-Zine
14 Jan 2020
Building the internet of the future
In this week’s Computer Weekly, Cisco unveils the $5bn platform that it believes will be the future of the internet – we look through the details. The McLaren Formula One team discusses how IoT and data analytics have been key to its revival on the track. And we examine the importance of diversity in software development. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
13 Jan 2020
Samsung boosts US 5G expansion with TeleWorld acquisition
South Korean giant buys US network services provider in the latest initiative designed to advance its 5G network development Continue Reading
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News
13 Jan 2020
SK Telecom gets close to the edge with global MEC task force
As operators’ remits expand beyond providing mobile connectivity to offering new value based on infrastructure, leading Korean operator announces mobile edge computing association Continue Reading
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News
13 Jan 2020
Asia-Pacific to lead 5G technology adoption to 2024
GlobalData analysis predicts that in the 5G era, Asia will lead the field and will hold half of 5G subscriptions globally by 2024 Continue Reading
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News
13 Jan 2020
Virtual broadband connections to pass 500 billion by 2025
Virtualisation booms in broadband as infrastructures have evolved to higher speeds through technical advances in terminating equipment and increased penetration of fibre, but operators are now running out of road for further improvements Continue Reading
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News
13 Jan 2020
TIM becomes first European operator to break 2Gbps 5G barrier
Italian operator takes advantage of acquired spectrum to break 5G network speed barrier using technology from Ericsson and Qualcomm Continue Reading
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News
10 Jan 2020
Scottish government misses national superfast broadband target
SNP government admits failing to meet ambitious target to roll out broadband of at least 30Mbps to all Scottish homes and businesses by 2021 Continue Reading
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News
10 Jan 2020
Portsmouth City Council taps MLL Telecom for future network
Initiative designed to offer schools, residents and businesses a fibre framework that will support existing and future digital services Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2020
Nokia notches 63 commercial 5G tech equipment deals
Finnish comms giant reveals huge strides in 5G essential technology deployment around the world Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2020
5G roll-out no guarantee of smartphone upgrade bonanza
5G’s network success more or less guaranteed, but same can’t be said for 5G smartphones in short term as study finds only 30-40% of those in major markets such as the US, Europe and Australia likely to result in upgrade, while over 50% likely to do so in China Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2020
UK government begins legal process to bring about full-fibre roll-out
First steps on the legislative journey for UK government to make good on election commitments to bring full fibre across the UK Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2020
ITS to fast-track full-fibre roll-out gains with £45m investment
Gigabit network operator ITS plans to use latest funding to move into several new areas across the UK to build full-fibre networks which will pass at least 200,000 premises Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2020
KCOM makes £100m full-fibre investment
Operator for UK’s first full-fibre city looks to spread full-fibre reach to surrounding areas with network that is said to have produced estimated cumulative economic impact of more than £469m Continue Reading
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News
08 Jan 2020
Risk & Assurance Group joins i3forum to combat telecoms fraud
Telecoms risk information and advice service signs up as latest partner member in not-for-profit industry body that brings together the international carrier ecosystem to enable and accelerate transformation Continue Reading
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News
08 Jan 2020
Ofcom announces plans to ‘supercharge’ investment in fibre broadband
Regulator says proposals to upgrade UK broadband infrastructure will transform the business case for national full-fibre investment in towns, cities and villages Continue Reading
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News
08 Jan 2020
Qualcomm gets into gear with autonomous vehicle platform and forges in-vehicle tech partnerships
Chip giant hits the road with new platform to address the complexity of autonomous driving and advanced driver-assistance systems while forging partnership with company specialising in helping launch in-vehicle infotainment systems, telematics and digital clusters to automakers Continue Reading
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News
07 Jan 2020
China Broadcasting Network begins 5G services
China’s national radio and TV network operator becomes fourth company to offer 5G services in the country, serving the cities of Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen Continue Reading
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News
07 Jan 2020
Etisalat unveils MENA’s first OpenRAN network and launches UCC suite
Leading MENA telco makes key move in transforming its network to software-based solution hub and introduces a collaboration suite to aid small businesses in the region with digital transformation journey Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2020
More than 30 million smart street lights by 2023, predicts study
Glowing future for global connected industry over the next three years as adoption of LPWA technologies such as NB-IoT and LoRa grows quickly Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2020
Qualcomm and ZTE claim 5G landmark with voice-over-NR call
Successful 5G VoNR calls sees tech companies declare an important step towards the commercial use of 5G voice experiences Continue Reading
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Feature
03 Jan 2020
The new reality of 5G
5G’s development has been driven by a variety of use cases leading to a multi-service capability – a network of networks. But what is the reality of this, and how is it expected to change as we move forward? Continue Reading
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News
02 Jan 2020
Xiaomi makes big bet on 5G, IoT and partners to advance wireless file transfer
Leading Chinese device manufacturer Xiaomi builds on strong end to 2019 and starts decade with wireless alliance and ambition to cement leadership in 5G, the internet of things and artificial intelligence Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Jan 2020
Ericsson reveals plans for 5G, IoT – and self-driving buses
World’s third biggest maker of telecommunication equipment reveals its plans for new technologies including 5G, the internet of things and automation Continue Reading
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News
02 Jan 2020
Luxoft drives into Microsoft connected vehicle platform ecosystem
Digital strategy and software engineering firm joins the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform as it aims to enable personalised connected customer experiences for automotive companies Continue Reading
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News
31 Dec 2019
Huawei gets India green light as it reports strong sales growth for 2019
Comms technology giant finishes challenging 2019 with solid commercial performance and permission to supply 5G technology in one of the world’s largest internet markets Continue Reading
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News
31 Dec 2019
Top 10 networking stories of 2019
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 networking stories of 2019 Continue Reading
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News
30 Dec 2019
StarHub and U Mobile conduct 5G SA roaming trials
Leading Asian telcos team up to gather 5G roaming insights and establish key aspects, such as the right network configurations and settings, to ensure optimum experience when 5G rolls out commercially Continue Reading
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News
30 Dec 2019
Vodafone taps Nokia to deliver 5G across Australia
With compatible devices becoming more widely available in the country, Vodafone Hutchison Australia will deploy Nokia enabling technology to build out 5G network Continue Reading
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News
24 Dec 2019
Ericsson gains 5G spur with $150m extended credit facility
Swedish tech giant gets loans extension to support research and development of 5G technology in 2020-2022 Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Dec 2019
How to benchmark 25 GbE NICs in converged networks
Network teams can use an array of tools to benchmark the performance and efficiency of 25 GbE network adapters that support converged networks and HCI environments. Continue Reading
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News
23 Dec 2019
Motherhood is the necessity of invention, says Mellanox channel boss
Mellanox vice-president Yael Asseraf Shenhav talks about how her employer has enabled her to thrive in a male-dominated industry and sheds light on how we can all better manage our time Continue Reading
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News
20 Dec 2019
Just 10% of UK homes and businesses have access to full-fibre broadband
Ofcom research reveals that for the highest-speed broadband connections, the UK is still in the slow lane, with only three million homes and businesses having access to fibre Continue Reading
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News
20 Dec 2019
2020 set to usher in age of 5G always-on portable computing
Analyst identifies key 5G trends that will bear fruit in new year and pours cold water on one hyped technology that it thinks won’t make it Continue Reading
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News
20 Dec 2019
Top 10 broadband stories of 2019
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 broadband stories of 2019 Continue Reading
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News
19 Dec 2019
New UK government pledges to accelerate gigabit broadband delivery
New Conservative government’s Queen’s Speech reaffirms commitment to providing gigabit broadband access across the UK, but provides no specific timetable to meet commitments and targets Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2019
Spirent lands at China’s Daxing International to assure critical communications
Beijing airport seeks to create an unrivalled technology experience for passengers and airport personnel Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2019
EE switches on 5G in six more UK locations
Operator broadens UK’s largest 5G network with six additional locations and announces aggressive plans for 2020 Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2019
London needs to accelerate full-fibre digital infrastructure delivery
London’s capability to be the tech hub it aims for is currently limited by a range of issues, including the availability of fibre and the speeds delivered, says report from mayor Sadiq Khan’s office Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2019
Ericsson claims 5G voice and evolved packet core milestones with MediaTek and Telstra
Swedish comms tech giant reveals projects that could create new 5G services for consumers and enterprise customers with emerging technologies, and the successful completion of 5G standalone voice Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2019
Euro telcos eye up cloud market
With the increasing need for global cloud giants to address security, localisation and regulatory compliance, Europe’s telcos eye up datacentre and hosted services as potential growth areas Continue Reading
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News
17 Dec 2019
Cisco bolsters low-latency networking with Exablaze acquisition
Networking giant makes strategic acquisition of Australian provider of ultra-low latency devices and FPGA-based applications Continue Reading
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News
17 Dec 2019
Huawei launches London 5G innovation and experience centre
Comms technology leader opens new establishment in UK capital to promote greater collaboration between businesses and innovators in the development of 5G ecosystems Continue Reading
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News
13 Dec 2019
Huawei counted in as Telefónica Deutschland lays out mid-term strategy
3G to be switched off in 2022 by Telefónica Deutschland as it lays out strategy to drive growth with particularly aggressive plan to accelerate 5G development Continue Reading
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News
12 Dec 2019
Cisco unveils plans for internet of the future
Online technology giant Cisco introduces platform for the internet of the future based on $5bn of investment in areas covering silicon, optics and software, bringing the ability to support massively scaled enterprise networks and 5G networks Continue Reading
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News
12 Dec 2019
Silver Peak claims cloud-scale SD-WAN innovation with enhanced core platform
SD-WAN tech provider enhances Unity EdgeConnect platform to respond to the evolving requirements of cloud-first enterprises looking to scale, automate and extend SD-WAN deployments across multiple fabrics Continue Reading
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News
11 Dec 2019
Tech consortium claims London boroughs lack 5G readiness
London’s local authorities lack strategy or budget to make next-gen networks a reality, according to Tech London Advocates Continue Reading
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News
11 Dec 2019
IoT to be supplanted by internet of senses by 2030
Ericsson research reveals consumers expect AI, VR and AR-enabled connected technology to interact with the senses of sight, sound, taste, smell and touch by 2030 Continue Reading
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News
09 Dec 2019
China, Japan, India to drive APAC networking spend to 2023
Asia-Pacific enterprises are continuing to strengthen their network agility and service delivery capabilities with a view to offering converged service offerings, says GlobalData study Continue Reading
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News
09 Dec 2019
European Investment Bank offers financial support for Orange fibre network
Orange aims to accelerate French fibre momentum following €700m loan from European Investment Bank to develop non-metro French high-speed broadband Continue Reading
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News
09 Dec 2019
China bans foreign computing kit from government contracts
All government offices and public institutions must eliminate foreign hardware and software within three years, according to a leaked directive dubbed 3-5-2 Continue Reading
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News
09 Dec 2019
Telefónica set to announce second core tech supplier as it takes broadcasting to the Edge
Spanish incumbent telco announces plans to add another supplier to join Huawei on its official supplier list for 5G-enabling technologies Continue Reading
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News
06 Dec 2019
German government and connectivity tech firms lead project to boost optical capacity
Government-industry consortium will explore technologies to expand the capacity of optical metro and core networks Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2019
Wells to become UK’s next gigabit city
Medieval Somerset city hopes to encourage business growth and attract new employers by going gigabit Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2019
Huawei mounts legal challenge to US subsidy programme ban
Chinese tech giant fights back against FCC ban on carriers in the rural US from using the Universal Service Fund to buy its equipment and designation as threat to US national security Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2019
European first for Vodafone as global telcos tune into AWS Wavelength
In an endorsement of the cloud giant’s push towards the edge, leading global telcos pile in on AWS Wavelength, eyeing up large low-latency gains in key 5G use cases Continue Reading
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News
04 Dec 2019
Scots urge councils to embrace smart city technologies
Survey of Scottish citizens indicates a number of benefits that local communities can gain from IoT and other connected technologies Continue Reading
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News
04 Dec 2019
Connectivity is levelling the playing field for small businesses in UK creative sector
Research shows key segment of UK creative industry small businesses produce their best ideas and work on the go, increasingly relying on connectivity to drive productivity Continue Reading
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News
03 Dec 2019
CERN increases network capacity for cutting edge of research
Aiming to boldly go even further where physics hasn’t gone before, CERN increases capacity of its technical network to support breakthrough research in fundamental physics Continue Reading
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News
02 Dec 2019
DCC UK second-gen smart meter network passes three million mark
Provider says more than 500 million encrypted messages to and from smart meters have been carried by its secure network in 2019 Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Nov 2019
Taking business transformation and disruption to the Extreme
Supporting business transformation and disruption seem to be on every supplier’s lips these days, but not many can say they are where they are today precisely because of their own business transformation and disruption. Extreme Networks can Continue Reading
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News
28 Nov 2019
AT&T integrating 5G capability with Microsoft cloud
AT&T announces plans to provide availability for Network Edge Compute (NEC) technology, bringing Microsoft Azure cloud services into its network edge locations closer to customers Continue Reading
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News
27 Nov 2019
Openreach set for third technology supplier as it hits Bristol fibre benchmark
BT Group-owned broadband infrastructure provider set to add third fibre to the premises (FTTP) technology supplier to Huawei and Nokia as it accelerates fibre deployment across the UK Continue Reading
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News
25 Nov 2019
Qualcomm and Bosch Rexroth target industrial device market for 5G tech
Collaborating companies successfully demonstrate industrial devices utilising time-sensitive networking technology while operating over a live 5G network Continue Reading
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News
25 Nov 2019
State backs Norway’s fibre cable capacity building
Norway is increasing investment on communications infrastructure in an effort to reduce reliance on Swedish and Danish networks Continue Reading
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News
25 Nov 2019
Juniper claims longest 400GbE deployment
As pressure grows to support bandwidth demands from advanced high-performance computing uses cases, Juniper Networks announces success in 1,300-mile 400GbE network test Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Nov 2019
Figeac Aero manages growth with DataCore software-defined storage
Global roll-out sees DataCore software-defined storage deployed on Huawei hardware to HQ and 14 worldwide sites as aero parts maker copes with acquisition and expansion Continue Reading
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News
22 Nov 2019
Tata, Fortinet to offer managed services for Microsoft Azure virtual WAN
Firms launch one of the first industry offerings of native hybrid SD-WAN coupled with traffic steering and security protection for the Azure cloud Continue Reading
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News
22 Nov 2019
CityFibre appoints chief delivery officer
Alternative UK wholesale fibre provider appoints new network delivery chief to ensure roll-out of programme to bring gigabit broadband to the UK Continue Reading
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News
21 Nov 2019
Vodafone calls up Google Cloud for digital transformation platform
Vodafone is using Google Cloud to create products and services based on deeper customer insight to engage customers with better, more personalised support Continue Reading
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News
21 Nov 2019
How Nicigas is disrupting Japan’s gas market with IoT
Japanese energy retailer Nicigas is deploying 850,000 IoT devices to convert traditional gas meters into smart meters to unlock consumption data amid efforts to shake up the utilities industry Continue Reading
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News
20 Nov 2019
Extreme stretches datacentre fabric with added automation
As the battle for the datacentre becomes much more than speeds and feeds, Extreme Networks announces new capabilities for its Fabric Automation software Continue Reading
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News
20 Nov 2019
Gigabit internet now available to one in 20 globally
5G starts eating into fibre as 5% of the global population gain access to gigabit networks Continue Reading
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News
20 Nov 2019
Ryanair checks in Vodafone for business-class infrastructure
Budget airline gets upgrade in Vodafone Business communication technology infrastructure to support 300 sites and 153 million passengers across 40 countries Continue Reading
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News
19 Nov 2019
Trade associations dial down anger on Labour’s broadband plans
Anger at the Labour Party’s proposals on full-fibre broadband have persisted, but more nuanced views have emerged from fibre associations Continue Reading