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The new unit will support SoftBank’s expansive AI data centre ambitions

In a press release issued today, Japanese conglomerate SoftBank has announced the creation of a new battery storage business operating under its mobile network operator unit, SoftBank Corp.

The standalone unit will work on both the technical development of battery technologies, as well as their manufacture.

To do this, the new unit has partnered with a pair of South Korean businesses – Cosmos Lab and DeltaX Co. – with whom they will collaborate on the technology.

Cosmos Lab specialises in battery cell technology, most notably zinc-halogen batteries that use pure water as their electrolyte, removing the flammability risk associated with lithium-ion batteries.

DeltaX Co. is an energy storage system manufacturer that builds ‘next-generation’ battery cells

The battery business unit will be focussed alongside SoftBank’s AI Data Center that is in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture. Here, SoftBank is planning to set up two new sites: the AX Factory, focussed on AI data centre operations and AI infrastructure hardware manufacturing, and the GX Factory, a manufacturing hub for next-generation batteries, solar panels, and related products.

The company is aiming to deploy a plant with battery capacity of one gigawatt-hour per year, which could expand to multiple gigawatt-hours per year in future.

Even at just one gigawatt-hour per year, the deployment would already be one of the largest battery plants in Japan.

Initial production is expected to begin in March 2028, with mass production targeted for 2029.

Initially, the batteries produced will be used to support SoftBanks own AI data centres, but in future will expand to offering the batteries to commercial customers. These could include “grid applications in Japan, as well as for factories and other industrial uses, as well as for residential use, with a view to expanding into global markets over the medium term”, according to the company.

In total, SoftBank is aiming for the business to generate around ¥100 billion (US$637 million) in annual revenues by the end of the decade.

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The move follows the announcement of 15,000 job cuts last year

According to a report from Business Insider, US mobile network operator Verizon is preparing to cut ‘several hundred’ jobs.

The exact number of jobs affected has not been announced, with Verizon saying only that the move will affect “less than 1%” of its total headcount.

The roles will be cut across the organisation, with the company’s headquarters in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, being the most affected area.

Verizon has been steadily reducing headcount for several years, with the most significant cuts taking place late last year with the company announcing plans to cut around 15,000 roles. Once implemented, these cuts will reduce the company’ total headcount to around 85,000. As such, today’s additional cuts could represent a further 850 jobs lost.

Despite these cuts, Verizon notes that it has job openings in other areas of the business.

“We’re continuing to add head count to grow parts of the business that are growing while making targeted job reductions to portions of the business where this is needed,” a Verizon spokesperson said in a statement.

Pressure has been mounting on Verizon in recent years, with the operator losing ground to rivals AT&T and T-Mobile.

Verizon added just 55,000 wireless subscribers in Q1 this year, while AT&T added 294,000. While T-Mobile did not disclose official figures, extrapolations by Recon Analytics suggested total gains of around 520,000 subscribers.

Verizon’s new CEO Dan Schulman was appointed in October last year to reverse this slide, with the executive promising to aggressively pursue cost-cutting and restructuring. Whether these measures will include yet more job cuts, however, remain to be seen.

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Contributed Article

by Aldert de Jongste, strategic advisor at ECP

The Netherlands is seeing renewed subsea cable activity. Since January, IOEMA B.V. has established itself in the Netherlands, bringing a new submarine cable company into the Dutch digital infrastructure ecosystem. Its planned 1,600-kilometre fibre-optic system is designed to connect five Northern European markets and is expected to come ashore at both Eemshaven and near Scheveningen/The Hague, with Greenhouse Datacenters selected as an additional Dutch landing partner alongside Eurofiber. This reflects renewed interest in the Netherlands as a location for next-generation digital infrastructure.

For the Dutch Subsea Cable Coalition*, developments like these underline exactly why international collaboration and practical support for new cable landings matter. Regular visitors to Submarine Networks EMEA may have come across the coalition, either at our stand or in conversations throughout the event. The coalition brings together companies, public organisations and knowledge institutions in the Netherlands with a shared goal: strengthening the country’s position as a digital hub by supporting and attracting new subsea cable landings. In this article, we highlight several recent developments in the Netherlands that are relevant to the international subsea cable community. More information about the coalition and how we work can be found at the end of the article.

Maintaining a leading digital hub

For many years, the Netherlands has been recognized as one of the world’s leading digital infrastructure hubs. Its early investment in connectivity, internet exchanges and data centres helped create a dense, hyperconnected, and internationally competitive digital ecosystem.

But this success also brought new challenges. Due to the Netherlands’ early development as a digital infrastructure hub and its high density of data centers, the country was among the first to face constraints related to power availability and physical space for new digital infrastructure. Members of our coalition still recall a TeleGeography presentation in 2019 in which the Netherlands was described as “closed for business” for new digital infrastructure. It was a sharp characterization of the growing pressure around power availability, space and permitting at the time.

Today, these issues are no longer unique to the Netherlands: power availability, grid congestion and spatial constraints have become defining challenges for digital infrastructure markets around the world. In the Netherlands, they have also contributed to renewed political focus on digital infrastructure. Following the innovation and investment agenda developed under the
leadership of former ASML CEO Peter Wennink, digital infrastructure has now been explicitly recognized as a political priority.

The Netherlands also continues to show strong fundamentals. In TeleGeography’s connectivity ranking, the country scores strongly on the metric of “power”, outperforming several other leading digital hubs. The large-scale development of offshore wind in the North Sea further underlines the country’s long-term ambition. While these investments will not solve today’s power constraints overnight, they do strengthen the longer-term outlook for a cleaner and more resilient energy base for digital infrastructure.

Together, these elements – a strong existing ecosystem, renewed political attention and long-term investment in energy infrastructure – are becoming visible in concrete developments across the Dutch digital infrastructure landscape.

Growing demand and new cable initiatives

One example is the continued demand for large-scale digital infrastructure, reflected in recently granted permits for seven hyperscale data centers and the awarding of funding for an AI Factory in the northern part of the Netherlands. This AI Factory, centered around an AI supercomputer and connected to the EuroHPC ecosystem, will provide access for both the private sector and academia to experiment with, train and develop AI applications. Its open-access approach is expected to further strengthen the Dutch digital ecosystem.

IOEMA and new routes through the North Sea

As mentioned earlier, IOEMA is one example of renewed subsea cable activity in the Netherlands. The planned system would add a new North Sea route connecting the Netherlands with Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark and Norway, strengthening route diversity in Northern Europe. Its planned Dutch landings at Eemshaven and near Scheveningen/The Hague are both close to major internet exchange ecosystems, with NL-IX and AMS-IX both listed among the world’s ten largest internet exchanges.

IOEMA Holding also includes PACS Southern Route, an entity involved in the Pan-Arctic Cable System, which aims to connect Europe and Asia via a northern route rather than through the Middle East. Both initiatives align with areas identified by the European Commission in its Submarine Cable Security Toolkit and Cable Projects of European Interest framework. This fits within a broader European context in which subsea cable security, route diversity and resilience have moved higher on the policy agenda.

Making Dutch cable landing easier to navigate

In parallel, the coalition is working to make cable landings on the Dutch coast easier to navigate by identifying preferred landing locations. For these locations, we are gathering survey data, information on available power infrastructure and backhaul partners, and possible seabed routes. This is done in consultation with relevant government organizations, taking into account the many competing uses of the busy North Sea.

Taken together, these developments underline the Netherlands’ continued relevance to Europe’s digital infrastructure. With a strong ecosystem, renewed political attention, growing demand for AI and cloud infrastructure, preferred landing locations and initiatives such as IOEMA, the country is well positioned to support the next generation of subsea cable systems. At Submarine Networks EMEA, the Dutch Subsea Cable Coalition looks forward to discussing these opportunities with partners across the international subsea community.

Meet the Dutch Subsea Cable Coalition at Submarine Networks EMEA 2026
Representatives of the Dutch Subsea Cable Coalition, including ambassador Martin Prins and coalition strategist Aldert de Jongste, will be present at Submarine Networks EMEA in London this May. Together with other coalition members, they look forward to connecting with the international subsea cable community and discussing the opportunities the Netherlands can offer for future cable landings.

Visit us at stand 13 to learn more about recent Dutch developments, preferred landing locations and the practical support available for parties exploring new routes to the Netherlands.

---

Aldert de Jongste is a political scientist, goldsmith, and strategic advisor at ECP, a Netherlands-based foundation that brings together public and private stakeholders around the responsible development of the digital society. At ECP, he works on issues at the intersection of digitalisation, infrastructure, the economy and societal values. Through the Dutch Subsea Cable Coalition, Aldert is committed to strengthening the Netherlands’ position as a digital hub and to positioning subsea cables as critical infrastructure for the economy, innovation, security and digital autonomy.

 

The Dutch Subsea Cable Coalition: One central point of contact
The Dutch Subsea Cable Coalition is a public-private partnership that brings together companies, infrastructure providers, data centre operators, wholesale end users, knowledge institutions and different levels of government. Its shared goal is to strengthen the Netherlands’ position as a digital hub by supporting and attracting new subsea cable landings.

The coalition acts as a central point of contact for international cable developers and investors exploring opportunities in the Netherlands. It supports new cable initiatives by sharing knowledge about the Dutch digital ecosystem, connecting landing parties with relevant stakeholders and helping them navigate the regulatory and licensing landscape.

By combining public and private expertise, the coalition aims to make the Dutch landscape more accessible for parties looking to land a subsea cable on the Dutch coast: from first orientation to a successful landing.

Stay informed: Webinar on 29 October
The Dutch Subsea Cable Coalition will host its annual webinar on 29 October, providing an update on subsea cable landings and related developments in the Netherlands. The session will highlight the opportunities the Netherlands offers for new cable initiatives, as well as the support available through the coalition. The full program will follow soon. You can register here.

*The Dutch Subsea Cable Coalition is a collaboration of: AMS-IX, Digital Realty, Dutch Datacenter Association (DDA), Equinix, Eurofiber, Fiber Carrier Association (FCA), KPN, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, i3D.net,, Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA), NL-IX, Relined, Rijkswaterstaat, Stichting DiNL, SURF and WorldStream.

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Neos’ fibre network will be used to connect StonesThro’s distributed compute infrastructure

This week, Neos Networks has announced a new partnership with Cornerstone to connect StonesThro’s edge computing infrastructure.

The deal will see Neos Network’s fibre network connect StonesThro’s microscale, distributed cloud and AI compute units, some of which are being co-located with Cornerstone’s existing telecoms infrastructure deployments.

These edge computing facilities will bring data processing capabilities closer to the end user, resulting in lower latency, which is crucial for latency sensitive use cases like autonomous driving, drones, and factory robots.

The partners also suggest the initiative will support the UK’s goals of greater data sovereignty by supporting Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) customers and reducing the country’s reliance on major international cloud providers.

Neos Networks in the UK’s largest B2B connectivity provider, with a fibre network spanning roughly 34,000km across the UK. It is also deploying fibre infrastructure to support the UK’s rail network as part of Project Reach, in partnership with Network Rail, .

“Our national footprint is the ideal backbone for Cornerstone and StonesThro’s edge AI cloud,” said Lee Myall, CEO at Neos Networks. “Through our high-capacity connectivity, we are providing the UK-wide sovereign coverage, optionality and technical resilience required for high-security projects. We are proud to power the infrastructure that will enable the next generation of real-time applications and critical national services.”

“Working with Neos Networks and Cornerstone allows us to develop and scale sovereign edge AI infrastructure with national reach,” added Andy Bates, CISO at StonesThro. “Their position as the UK’s largest B2B connectivity provider, alongside their access to the rail network through Project Reach, makes them the ideal collaborator to help us deliver a local solution for local people.”

The deal builds on the partnership between Cornerstone and StonesThro announced earlier this year, which aims to “explore how micro-edge cloud computing can strengthen the UK’s digital resilience by bringing compute capacity closer to where it’s actually needed”.

Pilot deployments of StonesThro’s edge cloud technology are already being deployed at some of Cornerstone’s 16,000 sites across the UK.

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Vodafone said the deal came at the “right time”, noting that the “significant progress” had already been made in integrating the two businesses

Vodafone has announced it will purchase CK Hutchison’s 49% stake in VodafoneThree for £4.3 billion, giving the UK-based mobile giant full control of the joint venture.

The deal, which values VodafoneThree at £13.85 billion including debt, will be facilitated by a cancellation of shares.

Max Taylor will remain a CEO of the company and Vodafone will retain the use of the Three brand.

CK Hutchison said the deal provided an “attractive” valuation, while Vodafone said deal will allow for continued simplification of operations, with the company aiming to achieve around £700 million in annual capex by the 2030 financial year.

VodafoneThree was formed by the merger of Vodafone UK and CK Hutchison’s Three UK in 2025, following around two years of regulatory scrutiny. The move immediately created the largest mobile operator in the UK, with around 27 million subscribers.

VodafoneThree has pledged to invest £11 billion in upgrading the company’s mobile network over the coming decade, ultimately aiming to reach 99.95% coverage with standalone 5G by 2034.

“A year on from the merger, the team has made remarkable progress, as we maximise the full potential of VodafoneThree and capture the significant synergies. I’m delighted that we will now have full ownership of VodafoneThree as we roll out one of Europe’s most advanced 5G networks, provide the UK’s best customer experience and drive long-term value for our shareholders,” said Margherita Della Valle, Chief Executive of Vodafone Group.

The move itself should not come as a surprise – the terms of the joint venture aways gave Vodafone the option of buying out CK Hutchison after three years, and analysts had regularly speculated that full ownership would be sought after the initial integration had proved successful. However, the speed at which the deal has materialised is notable.

“This deal was always on the cards but comes sooner than expected, with the joint venture still in its first year,” said CCS Insight analyst Kester Mann in a LinkedIn post.

“It also reinforces a wide-held industry view that the Vodafone brands will eventually prevail over the Three brands,” he added.

The deal is subject to regulatory approvals, including those in relation to the UK National Security and Investment Act.

It is expected to close in the second half of this year.

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Contributed Article

By Martha Galley, Chief Sustainability Officer, Calix 

In the race to show sustainability progress, companies often spotlight renewable energy, carbon offsets, or high-profile product launches. These are important, but one of the most effective and measurable ways to deliver both financial and environmental results often goes unnoticed: durability. 

Durability happens when sustainability is built into the design itself. It changes how a business operates, influencing materials, maintenance, and customer trust. When products and systems are built to last, they cut waste, reduce operating costs, and show that a company is thinking for the long term. 

In broadband, this principle has transformed how networks are built and maintained. For years, competition focused on speed, reliability, and upfront cost. Hardware was replaced frequently, and short product cycles were considered standard. But as broadband became essential for education, healthcare, remote work, and community connection, this short-term model began to show its limits. 

Every replacement cycle adds expense to equipment, labor, and training while creating more electronic waste. Providers have begun to realize that acquisition cost, or what you pay on day one, tells only part of the story. The real measure is the total cost of ownership and what it takes to run, maintain, and replace a system over its lifetime. 

Durability looks different across the broadband ecosystem. In the core and access network, systems are designed to operate for decades, but upgrades can require large infrastructure investments. At the premises level, the gateways, routers, and Wi-Fi systems inside homes and businesses turn over much faster, creating a greater environmental impact. That is where design innovation matters most. Software-enabled platforms extend product life and functionality through continuous updates instead of full hardware replacement. This is an evergreen innovation approach that keeps systems capable and efficient while reducing energy use and electronic waste. 

Research supports the importance of designing for longevity. The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) found that increasing a product’s lifespan by 50 percent can reduce replacement needs and environmental impact by about one third. The Fiber Broadband Association reports that retiring copper networks in favor of fiber reduces both costs and emissions because copper requires far more energy to operate and maintain. 

The total cost of ownership perspective makes the value clear. When businesses account for energy use, maintenance, and replacement, durable systems often prove to be the smarter financial choice. Broadband providers discovered this when comparing copper and fiber, and the same holds true across industries, from automotive to consumer electronics. 

Durability may not grab headlines, but it makes sustainability real. It connects environmental responsibility with financial performance and builds long-term confidence among customers, communities, and investors. As more industries adopt sustainable design principles, durability will remain one of the strongest measures of both performance and resilience.

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The new system will connect the Iceland to Scotland, providing additional resilience and support for digital services

Icelandic telco Farice is planning to build a new submarine cable dubbed AUÐUR, aiming to better connect the island to European data hubs.

The AUÐUR cable system will span roughly 1,300km from Iceland’s south coast to Glasgow, Scotland, and will comprise 16–24 fibre pairs, with a capacity of up to 480 Tbps.

The system will provide a new low-latency route between Iceland and Europe‘s key network hubs, particularly with the Nordic region, which is seeing a boom of data centre investment.

Four submarine cable systems currently connect to Iceland: the Greenland Connect system, linking to Canada via Greenland; the IRIS system connecting to Ireland; DANICE, linking to Demark; and the FARICE-1 cable, which connects to the Faroe Islands and the north of Scotland.

The new AUÐUR is expected to function largely as a replacement for FARICE-1, which has been in operation since 2004 and will likely be retired over the coming years.

A marine survey to plan the route in detail is expected to take place next year, with the system expected to be deployed and operational by 2030.

“The time has come to further strengthen Iceland’s telecommunications infrastructure by building a new high-capacity cable. Through the new cable we will create a new low latency route between Iceland and Europe’s key network hubs as well and further strengthen the digital bridge within the Nordics. Icelandic data centres can be seamlessly integrated into network topologies, bridging the US and Nordic markets. The Nordic region is rapidly emerging as a major data centre hub, making interconnectivity with the Nordics ever more important,” said Thorvardur Sveinsson, CEO of Farice.

The cable is named for Auður the Deep-Minded (Auður djúpúðga Ketilsdóttir), a setter who sailed from Scotland to Iceland in the 9^th century.

The submarine cable industry is evolving rapidly. Join the discussion at Submarine Networks EMEA, the world’s most important subsea cable event

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