Networking and communication

12 official practice questions for the CCNA 200-301 exam

These practice questions for CCNA 200-301 lay out what readers need to know about network security and IP routing in the LAN, from 'CCNA 200-301 Official Cert Guide, Volumes 1 and 2.' Continue Reading

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

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

Elmer Fudd Goes Cyber Hunting As A Service

Time – they say – is of the essence (if not vanilla) but never more than in network detection and response (NDR) scenarios. The problem with many products aimed at detecting network anomalies and ... Continue Reading

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

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

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

Scotland, Wales and North East England set to benefit most from mobile coverage boost under £1bn scheme with more than 230,000 Welsh homes and businesses to get access to faster broadband through Project Gigabit, and nearly 1,000 public buildings and 150,000 homes and businesses in Northern Ireland to get full-fibre connections Continue Reading

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

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

MWC 2021: Totogi aims to ‘do for telcos what Salesforce did for CRM’

Public cloud telco software launches charging engine to achieve what it says is the world’s best performance benchmark of one million transactions per second with usage-based pricing with free tier option for CSPs Continue Reading

OneWeb, BT sign agreement to explore rural satellite connectivity solutions

Low Earth orbit satellite constellation provider OneWeb announces agreement with BT to discover how satellite technology might support improved capacity, mobile resilience, backhaul and coverage in challenging geographic locations Continue Reading

Virgin Media O2 uses gigabit voucher scheme to connect rural Sussex homes

Recently merged communications provider announces that it will, for the first time, make use of government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme to help residents in West Sussex benefit from next-generation connectivity Continue Reading

Swisscom embarks on public cloud migration with AWS to power 5G innovation

Switzerland-based telco Swisscom has named AWS its preferred public cloud partner to power its digital transformation plans Continue Reading

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

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

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

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

Vodafone launches 5G standalone commercial pilots in UK cities

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

Reliance Jio teams up with Google on 5G and retail

India’s biggest telco will use Google Cloud to manage its 5G network and grow its commerce business Continue Reading

UK workers demand economic recovery to be built on better internet access

Cisco announces index of broadband services in the UK and reveals lead role in government’s levelling-up initiative designed to help close the digital divide Continue Reading

NTT saddles up for Tour de France digital twin

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

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

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

Extreme Networks taps up Microsoft Azure to provide UK customers with locally hosted cloud service

Extreme Networks will draw on Microsoft Azure's UK datacentre region to provide its customers with locally hosted versions of its flagship cloud management platform Continue Reading

Two-thirds of SMEs yet to consider impact of Openreach analogue and ISDN switch-off

Survey by network services provider reveals worrying lack of preparedness amongst SMEs regarding support for remote workers ahead of the end of analogue copper services form BT broadband provision division Continue Reading

WD-40 eases network friction with SD-WAN, SASE

Manufacturer of so-called ‘miracle spray’ overhauls inflexible, decades-old MPLS infrastructure with managed networking and security Continue Reading

Mavenir, MobiledgeX enable global edge connectivity with Deutsche Telekom

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

Majority of global knowledge workers will be remote by the end of 2021

Leading research firm predicts remote work will drive PC and tablet shipments to over 500 million units for the first time ever by the end of 2021 Continue Reading

Openreach calls on CommScope to deliver full-fibre broadband network across UK

BT broadband provision division and wired and wireless network technology provider enter into partnership to accelerate pace of gigabit network roll-out Continue Reading

Users’ network expectations change in new normal

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

London Underground network goes fully mobile

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

Cloudflare announces new integrations with Microsoft, others

New security integrations with Microsoft Azure Sentinel, Splunk, Datadog and Sumo Logic will supposedly make it easier for users to analyse network security data Continue Reading

Computers 1 Humans 0

It’s a reality – and one that becomes ever clearer, the more you travel and the more folk you meet – that the vast majority of people are actually quite stupid. Without getting all political, ... Continue Reading

GlobalFoundries to open new fab in Singapore

US chip foundry GlobalFoundries is building a $4bn semiconductor fabrication plant in Singapore to expand its manufacturing capacity as chip demand surges worldwide Continue Reading

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

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

Virgin Media O2 boosts small business broadband in UK

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

Exor International showcases Industry 4.0 smart factory

Intel and Telecom Italia have worked with Exor to look at how 5G and AI can help build Industry 4.0 applications for manufacturing Continue Reading

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

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

New lab to bolster Singapore’s Industry 4.0 capabilities

Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research teams up with local manufacturing software company to make Industry 4.0 capabilities more accessible to manufacturers Continue Reading

Indian telcos start 5G trials, mass adoption remains elusive

Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have started 5G trials in different cities, but mass adoption is still some way off due to high spectrum and infrastructure costs Continue Reading

Hyperoptic selects EXFO to accelerate fibre net deployment

As it embarks upon a nationwide expansion of network, the fast-growing UK gigabit broadband provider enters into partnership to obtain network testing technology to guarantee buildout optimisation Continue Reading

Vodafone taps Ericsson to strengthen UK 5G core

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

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

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

3 best practices for network observability

Research shows a correlation with NetOps success and network observability. Following best practices of network observability can facilitate this success. Continue Reading

WBA promises new monetisation opportunities with OpenRoaming Release 2

Trade association members drive launch of new standard for wireless networking, now including Orion Wi-Fi from Google’s Area 120, the first full deployment compliant with the standard Continue Reading

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

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

Garden Court Chambers makes the case for communications transformation with UCaaS

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

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

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

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

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

Axiata doubles down on Google Cloud

The regional telecoms group plans to use Google Cloud’s compute, storage and networking services across the six telcos under its fold Continue Reading

Confusion abounds around true definition of SASE, but doesn’t stop take-up

Global digital transformation survey finds nine out of ten companies reviewed remote connectivity strategy during lockdown and secure access service edge gains huge interest Continue Reading

Lack of clarity hinders UK gigabit broadband roll-out

UK’s ability to capitalise on solid current momentum in roll-out of next-generation gigabit broadband is at risk because too few consumers are aware of the technology and its benefits, study warns Continue Reading

5G race hotting up in UK cities

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

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

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

Cisco unveils catalyst for 5G at industrial IoT edge

Communications and services giant enhances portfolio of internet of things routers to unite edge networks and scale IoT deployments in factory and production environments Continue Reading

More than $8bn forecast for cable investments over next three years

2021 Submarine Cable Map research reveals the changing dynamics in the market Continue Reading

Collaboration challenges loom but UK adults demand hybrid working

Analysis of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on attitudes to future working practices in the UK reveals that population wants more remote working despite technical hurdles Continue Reading

Vodafone announces key partners for Europe’s first commercial Open RAN network

Operator selects Dell Technologies, NEC, Samsung, Wind River, Capgemini Engineering and Keysight Technologies to build what it says will be one of the largest Open RAN networks in the world Continue Reading

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

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

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

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

Evidence emerges of new digital divide in UK connectivity

Study shows extent to which online connectivity impacts quality of life but reveals that renters are nearly twice as likely to describe their connection as only average or unreliable, compared with home owners Continue Reading

Verizon Business looks for edge with advanced SASE

Telco launches SASE solution merging SD-WAN capabilities with network security services, creating a unified, cloud-delivered service model that supports digital enterprises Continue Reading

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

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

Zoom aims to empower hybrid workforce with phone appliances

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

CW Europe: Amsterdam reins back datacentre developments over environmental concern

The construction of datacentres in the Netherlands’ Amsterdam region has accelerated at such a pace that their demands for electricity are causing concern, prompting city authorities and datacentre operators to open a dialogue about sustainable datacentre industry expansion. Also in this issue, find out the state of play in the adoption of open banking across Europe. Continue Reading

Boom in hybrid working, high-speed connectivity drive influx into UK market towns

Network data from TalkTalk shows many UK employees are moving house as hybrid working transforms working habits and becomes very much here to stay Continue Reading

Virgin Media O2 trial lays foundations for sustainable network expansion

UK telco announces successful demo in using recycled aggregate while building network in Glasgow, which could lead to massively reduced carbon emissions per year in future network build outs Continue Reading

UK altnets to invest nearly £12bn in fibre by 2025

Massive investments imminent by independent broadband providers to drive the creation and realisation of Gigabit Britain Continue Reading

Triggered dormant bug sees Fastly CDN cut to the quick

Cloud provider acts quickly to restore content delivery network after software bug disrupts service for major firms spanning media, e-commerce and government websites, including Amazon, The Guardian and Gov.uk Continue Reading

Cisco reveals new Webex to power ‘inclusive’ future of work

Collaboration suite has new look and feel, and supports hybrid work collaboration at what is claimed to be 40% lower cost than à-la-carte systems Continue Reading

Nokia, Qualcomm and UScellular claim 5G mmWave range record

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

Aryaka activates EU-friendly point of presence

Cloud-first managed SD-WAN and SASE provider aims to bridge recently emerged EU/UK connectivity gap with enhanced networking support and application experience Continue Reading

BT announces dedicated business unit to support small companies

Telco launches new single office, home office unit offering ‘unbreakable’ Wi-Fi to deliver ‘unrivalled’ connectivity, coverage and customer service for micro-businesses Continue Reading

Covid-19 accelerates interest in 5G

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

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

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

Inclusivity and participation top issues for employees in new normal

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

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

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

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

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

Orange Business Services taps Ericsson for enterprise IoT security

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

Secrecy around EncroChat cryptophone hack breaches French constitution, court hears

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

Connectivity and flexibility deemed vital for the future of small businesses

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

Aviva to launch autonomous vehicle trial on public roads in UK

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

Reports raise alarm over Huawei access to Dutch networks

Espionage accusations raise security questions for Netherlands organisations using Chinese supplier’s equipment and services Continue Reading

Juniper Is Getting The Hang Of Acquisitions...

Had an excellent catch-up with Apstra, a company I’ve followed since day one, fascinated by its concept of “intent-based networking”. After all, my IT raison d’etre is to prove that stuff “does ... Continue Reading

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

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

Zoom boom carries over into 2021

Breakout video conferencing firm’s current fiscal quarter revenues almost treble those posted at the end of April 2020 Continue Reading

Cato expands SASE reach in DACH region

Secure access service edge ‘pioneer’ announces new point of presence and expanded sales investment reflecting strong SASE growth in Germany, Austria and across EMEA Continue Reading

Equinor powers global collaboration with 5G-ready private LTE network

Producer of oil, gas and wind power supporting more than 170 million people globally signs eight-year frame agreement with comms tech supplier for private 4.9G and 5G-ready networking systems Continue Reading

Virgin Media O2 launches with mission to transform UK comms industry

Drawn-out merger of Liberty Global and Telefónica UK cable and mobile assets comes to fruition under new working brand aiming to power the UK’s recovery and create ‘unbeatable’ choice for consumers Continue Reading

What the Telecommunications (Security) Bill means for UK industry

The Telecommunications (Security) Bill is intended to reinforce the security of the UK telecommunications infrastructure, but what are the implications for industry? Continue Reading

Buying a VPN? Here’s what you need to know

VPNs are an effective cyber security tool for businesses and remote workers, but there are many things to consider before purchasing and implementing one. We explore some of these Continue Reading

BT begins trial on ‘revolutionary’ optical fibre

Researchers conduct trials of hollow-core fibre at BT’s research facility labs in collaborative project with Southampton University spin-out company and open radio access network mobile supplier Mavenir Continue Reading

Upstream data usage flattens but gigabit-speed subscribers continue to rise

As businesses emerge from the pandemic, research suggests the way in which firms use broadband may have changed for ever, with upstream data consumption flat amid seasonal average usage declines Continue Reading

Vodafone, CityFibre extend partnership to include Ethernet services

Partnership that has gained rapid traction on the home front is taken to the business environment, offering organisations more choice, lower cost and a faster private data network Continue Reading

Small business workers fear missing out on hybrid opportunity

Research finds three in five small business workers expect to be predominantly office-based after Covid-19 restrictions ease, due to high levels of admin and paper-based processes Continue Reading

Businesses hail new Openreach rural full-fibre focus

BT broadband provision division announces next step in gigabit broadband deployment programme to offer levelled-up connectivity for premises in hardest-to-reach parts of the UK Continue Reading

Network reconnaissance techniques for beginners

In this excerpt of 'How Cybersecurity Really Works,' author Sam Grubb breaks down common network reconnaissance techniques used by adversaries to attack wired networks. Continue Reading

Revolutionising communication and collaboration for the hybrid world

As hybrid working looks set to become the norm in the post-Covid world, the lessons learned during lockdown will need to be applied. However, firms will have to overcome the limitations of current communication and collaboration tools Continue Reading

Giganet expands South of England service area through CityFibre

Leading ISP expands partnership with leading infrastructure provider to add 22 locations for its full-fibre home broadband services Continue Reading

RootMetrics benchmark reveals marked improvements in everyday 5G experience

New network performance yardstick from analyst firm highlights ‘everyday’ usage of next-generation networks in pure play and mixed modes, and finds that BT-owned mobile service maintains availability and speed leadership Continue Reading

Oxbotica and TRL pilot safety framework for off-road autonomous vehicles

Autonomous vehicle technology companies develop code of practice to deploy autonomy safely, efficiently and at scale across a range of environments, in particular off-road settings such as mines, farms and ports where there are no pre-defined or standardised highway rules Continue Reading

Proximus claims world’s fastest live fibre network with Nokia PON

Accelerating build out of Belgium’s leading high capacity, open fibre network, operator taps comms tech provider to make first ever 25G PON live deployment running on the same fibre network equipment currently used Continue Reading

Dumfries & Galloway to host Scotland’s first rural 5G connectivity hub

Farming and rural healthcare are among the sectors set to benefit from 5G hub, which will bring together technological expertise, academic research and local businesses Continue Reading

Top 10 must-have unified communications features in business

UC priorities changed dramatically due to the pandemic. Read our list of the features made for this new era of remote collaboration. Continue Reading

CW Nordics: Denmark takes a top-down approach to gender equality in tech entrepreneurship

Tech Nordic Advocates has adopted a new approach to closing the gender gap in Danish technology startups, looking to emulate Canada’s top-down approach. Also in this issue, find out the state of play with the adoption of open banking in Europe. Continue Reading

Openreach taps Ciena to boost connectivity services for UK carriers

To hasten full-fibre network build out and help meet growing customer demand, BT-owned broadband provision division deploys new routing, switching and optical solutions Continue Reading