New customers seeking to join ISP LilaConnect, which following the VXFIBER acquisition is now part of Freedom Fibre‘s UK full fibre broadband network (here), may like to know that the provider has launched a new promotion to celebrate the “summer of sport” by offering their 1Gbps package with the first 6 months free on a 24-month contract.

LilaConnect has so far connected over 13,000 customers to its original gigabit full fibre offerings in Stoke-on-Trent, Bristol, Colchester, Wivenhoe, Crewe and Nantwich, Leek and Uttoxeter. But they’d naturally like to grow that figure, and hence today’s new promotion.

Jan Lange, Managing Director of LilaConnect, said: “With so much sport being readily available to watch this summer, we’re delighted to be able to bring this offer to fruition for all the sports lovers out there. We’ve seen first hand how poor internet connectivity can negatively impact viewing experiences of live coverage, so we wanted to make sure that we have all sports fans covered – from football and tennis, to the Olympics.”

The package itself normally costs £34.98 per month for symmetric speeds of 1Gbps on a 24-month term, although under their Limitless Full Fibre deal new customers will now get the first six months of service for free. The small print states that this offer will run until 31st July 2024 and attracts a one-off installation cost £49.

News 

The investigation is the latest move in the US and China’s ongoing struggle for global tech dominance 

The US government is investigating Chinese telcos China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom due to concerns that the firms could provide US data to the Chinese government via their US cloud and wholesale routing services.  

According to Reuters, citing three sources familiar with the matter, the US Commerce Department has subpoenaed the three companies and has completed “risk-based analyses” of China Mobile and China Telecom, but has made less progress in the probe of China Unicom. 

China Mobile, China, Unicom, and China Telecom are China’s three national mobile operators, all of which are state owned, and combined serve roughly 1.7 billion customers across the country. Beyond their domestic operations, the operators have a significant international presence, offering a wide variety of telecoms and IT services.  

In the US, however, the companies’ presence is relatively limited, having all been banned from providing telephony and broadband services by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) due to national security concerns since 2019. The companies’ wholesale cloud services – a small part of their overall operations –  have yet to be directly impacted by sanctions. 

Now, the US government is potentially looking to extend its sanctions to cover the wholesale cloud operations, arguing that these could route US data through China where it would be more accessible to the Chinese government.   

The current probe extends to internet exchange points (PoPs) and cloud services, critical infrastructures where data interception or manipulation could occur. 

The Chinese embassy has responded to the claims, asking the US to “stop suppressing Chinese companies under false pretexts,” emphasising that China will continue to defend the rights and interests of Chinese companies. 

The investigation is part of a broader strategy by the government to mitigate security risks posed by Chinese tech firms. The issue feeds into the ongoing wider battle between the two geopolitical rivals over global tech dominance. This rivalry includes various sectors such as telecommunications, semiconductors, AI, and 5G. The US government is particularly concerned about the implications of Chinese advancements in technology on national security, intellectual property, and economic competitiveness. 

Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter

Also in the news:
Freshwave to deploy small cells in Manchester for VMO2
SGP.32: A reality check on the latest remote SIM provisioning standard
Vodafone Germany partners with FlyNex on industrial drone platform 

Brsk, one of the UK’s fastest-growing full fibre broadband providers, has set a new industry standard for alternative network providers (altnets) by being the first to introduce real-time customer support via WhatsApp.

 

This move places the brand directly in their customers’ hands, providing instant access to vital information and assistance via a trusted and widely used platform.

 

Brsk has initiated a pilot project with a select group of customers and plans a phased rollout to continuously refine and enhance the service. Early feedback has been positive, indicating increased customer satisfaction and engagement.

 

With around 39 million WhatsApp users in the UK alone, adopting this platform is a natural progression for brsk. The provider is already renowned for outstanding customer service, as demonstrated by their 4.6 / 5 Trustpilot score and by taking the title of Best Customer Experience at the 2023 ISPA Awards.

 

By leveraging WhatsApp, brsk aims to:

Sustain and improve customer satisfaction scores.
Accelerate response times for customer inquiries.
Engage with customers on a familiar platform, offering convenience and reducing the need for lengthy phone calls.

Kirsten Eddey, Chief Customer Officer for brsk, stated: “Introducing WhatsApp support is a significant step in our commitment to exceptional customer service. We aim to make broadband support as effortless and effective as possible because our customers deserve nothing less.”

The WhatsApp support channel is currently managed by customer excellence agents, supplemented by AI tools that learn and optimise response strategies. This ensures efficient and accurate support, surpassing the capabilities of traditional chatbots.

 

Anyone wanting to check brsk’s full fibre coverage can do so at http://www.brsk.co.uk.

——- ENDS

WALTHAM, MA — June 25, 2024 — Netcracker Technology announced today that 4iG, a Hungarian convergent communications group, has launched a transformation program to migrate all retail customers of its subsidiary companies – Vodafone Hungary and DIGI – onto Netcracker’s full IT stack, which includes Netcracker Digital BSS and Netcracker Digital OSS, part of the flagship Netcracker Digital Platform.

The multi-year project to bring all operating companies on a single cloud-ready IT stack will help Vodafone Hungary and DIGI increase their use of automation and centralized processes, as well as improve customer experience by creating an integrated operation.

4iG’s subsidiaries and their customers will also benefit from a new far-reaching application development engagement, allowing the companies to support an expanding retail customer base and wide range of business requirements and processes.

The operator will continue leveraging Netcracker’s extensive managed service offerings to support existing deployments while targeting the highest levels of service stability. A robust Agile culture, reinforced with powerful DevOps automation processes and tools, will help deliver new functionality, operational enhancements and solution updates for faster time to delivery.

“Throughout our partnership with Netcracker, we have experienced continuously improving operational stability and development quality,” said Tamás Bányai, CEO at Vodafone Hungary. “Now that we are bringing our partners onto our network, that relationship will become even more critical, and we look forward to these new projects and additional success.”

“As 4iG grows its business and customer base, Netcracker is honored to continue its journey as the group’s IT partner of choice,” said Benedetto Spaziani, GM at Netcracker. “We are excited to be part of such a critical migration project that includes application development to help 4iG streamline its operations and deliver the best experience for its customers.”

 

 

 

 

 

About Netcracker Technology

Rapid digitization is disrupting the status quo of today’s communications markets. Constantly evolving customer needs and behaviors require service providers to adapt quickly and diversify their businesses to deliver the outcomes that their customers expect. Building digital ecosystems, anticipating customer requirements and delivering a digital-first experience are essential for service providers to accelerate innovation, expand into new markets and become the disruptors in the 5G era.

Netcracker Technology, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NEC Corporation, has the expertise, culture and resources to help service providers around the world transform their businesses to thrive in a digital economy. Our innovative solutions – including our flagship cloud-native Netcracker Digital Platform – value-driven services and unbroken delivery track record of three decades help service providers to achieve their digital transformation goals, drive the telco to techco evolution within their organizations and realize business growth and profitability. For more information, visit www.netcracker.com.

Media Contact

Anita Karvé
Netcracker Technology
MediaGroup@Netcracker.com   

 

Tollring has extended its longstanding relationship with Dstny by securing a new three-year contract to deliver its latest call recording solution to Dstny’s pan-European service providers.

Dstny, a leading European cloud business communications provider, has been working with Tollring since Dstny’s acquisition of Telepo in 2021.  The contract renewal reaffirms Dstny’s confidence in Tollring products and services which integrate seamlessly with their infrastructure and meet customer compliance requirements in each region.

Tony Martino, CEO of Tollring says, “As one of the fastest growing communications companies in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50, with 295% revenue growth over the past four years, we are delighted to continue our valued partnership with Dstny. Our relationship grows from strength to strength as they take advantage of our latest technical advances, including our newest call recording solution.”

Daan De Wever, co-founder and CEO of Dstny Group says, “We are excited to renew our partnership, which allows us to launch our new Dstny Premium Call Recording solution, powered by Tollring. The new user interface of the application meets our own objectives of delivering simplicity, intuitiveness and easy deployment. These priorities enable us to deliver an excellent experience both to our partners and their customers.”

About Tollring www.tollring.com

Tollring is a market leading software developer providing data visualisation and business intelligence tools that help manage, understand and control a wide array of communications information, resources and assets. 

With offices in the UK, the USA, India and Australia, Tollring specialises in business communications analytics, call recording solutions, telecoms expense management and fraud management systems.   Its innovative solutions are developed in-house and distributed via an extensive channel partner network to over 31,000 businesses globally. 

Tollring prides itself in its high levels of technical capability and strives to deliver outstanding support having been certified in quality standard ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 27001 for Information Security Management. It is a Microsoft Gold Partner in application integration, data analytics, application development, cloud platforms and a Silver Partner in project and portfolio management.

About Dstny www.dstny.com

Dstny is a premier global provider of cloud-based business communications solutions. With over 3,5 million users, Dstny simplifies communication for companies, partners, and service providers with products delivered as a service across all formats, including voice, video, and chat. Featuring a mobile-first design and easy integration, Dstny’s innovative technology and strong local partnerships allow for delivering exceptional user experiences. Headquartered in Brussels, Dstny has ca. 1000 employees in 8 countries.

For two decades, Beaming has been at the forefront of providing internet and voice services that meet the ever-changing demands of businesses. Beaming was established during the broadband rush of the early noughties to fill a gap in the market for high-quality connectivity and communications products combined with excellent customer service.

 

Beaming was the first UK internet service provider to offer a combined call and broadband package and one of the first to specialise in serving business customers. It has established a reputation for rock-solid connectivity and a successful niche serving organisations with complex internet and IT requirements. Customers include multisite businesses and schools, organisations requiring guaranteed internet uptime such as radio stations, and those seeking maximum cybersecurity protection.

 

Sonia Blizzard, Managing Director of Beaming, said: “The past 20 years have been remarkable for Beaming and the internet. We’ve become an established ISP serving thousands of businesses nationwide and have seen the web transform from a nascent technology to an indispensable business tool. In that time, we’ve focused relentlessly on ensuring our customers stay connected, protected and competitive in our increasingly digital world.”

“As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we wanted to give something back to the community that has supported us. Beaming’s brief history is a resource for anyone interested in understanding how far the internet has come and potentially where it is heading in the future.”

To celebrate its anniversary, Beaming has published a ‘Brief History of the Modern (Business) Internet’, a video and online report highlighting 100 significant events in the tech and internet business landscape over the last 20 years.

This issue has forced the majority of employees to leave their office building simply to make a phone call (60%), with reports of decreased productivity (74%) and increased stress levels (72%) as a result.

Most of the UK has access to strong mobile signal in their home and local community, yet these latest findings indicate that buildings are proving a barrier to workers receiving this service in the office. Many hybrid workers are looking to their organisations to address this, with nearly two thirds of those surveyed (61%) calling on their employers to increase investment in office mobile connectivity.

 

The recent survey of 2,000 UK hybrid workers reveals that slow internet speeds (40%), weak mobile network signal (39%) and dealing with areas in the office which have poor or no mobile coverage (36%) are the top connectivity issues faced. In fact, over a quarter (27%) of those experiencing connectivity issues experience this on average two to three days per week.

 

With many of today’s office buildings consisting of thick concrete or stone walls, brick and steel structures and an increased use of metallised-glass, over half (55%) of those surveyed report that their mobile connection is better at home than the office. According to the findings, the top three problem areas at work with weaker mobile signal include office stairwells, meeting rooms and communal spaces such as kitchens or break rooms.

 

Edmund Wilkinson, Head of Sales for In-Building solutions from Cellnex UK said: “These findings emphasise that many office buildings across the country are not yet fit for purpose when it comes to facilitating the needs of a modern workforce and we must ensure that our infrastructure is suitably upgraded to meet demand.

 

“In today’s increasingly digital world, reliable mobile connectivity is essential for productivity and employee wellbeing. By addressing these issues businesses can expect to not only increase productivity, but also create a more collaborative and less stressful work environment for their employees.”

 

The majority of those surveyed (86%) also stated that they believe reliable mobile connectivity plays an important role in job performance. Poor mobile connectivity would also deter 68% of hybrid workers surveyed from coming into the office, and 40% stated they have considered changing jobs due to persistent mobile connectivity issues.

Westcon-Comstor, a global technology provider and specialist distributor, today announced it has joined forces with Extreme Networks to help transform spectators’ sports and event experiences by driving adoption of Extreme solutions across stadiums and venues throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

Westcon-Comstor is now the first distributor in the EMEA region to be officially recognised as a delivery and solutions partner for stadiums looking to leverage Extreme’s market-leading solutions, which have already been deployed by world-famous football clubs including Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund as well as US-based sporting bodies such as Major League Baseball, NASCAR and the National Football League (NFL).

By spearheading the rise of the connected stadium, Extreme is revolutionising the matchday experience for sports fans.

High-speed Wi-Fi connectivity and Wi-Fi analytics enable seamless experiences including mobile ticketing, cashless transactions, in-seat concessions ordering, real-time sports betting, and improved stadium app performance, driving fan engagement while boosting revenue generation for venues. Strong network infrastructures improve ticketing, security, and staff collaboration and provide data-driven insights for better resource allocation and operational planning.

Westcon-Comstor and Extreme Networks have a long-standing relationship, and the new agreement sees Westcon bring Extreme’s solutions to the IT channel in EMEA for the first time.

Through its network of channel partners including technology resellers, systems integrators and service providers, Westcon will accelerate adoption of Extreme’s solutions across the region – creating new growth opportunities for its channel partners while adding value through its own services. Westcon’s experienced services team will install and deploy the infrastructure to meet each venue’s specific requirements.

“Extreme Networks is an innovator in the space – shaking up the status quo and helping customers find new ways to drive better outcomes. They’ve taken a leadership position in driving seamless deployments across large venues and stadiums, and we’re excited to partner with them as they continue to expand their presence across EMEA,” said Martin Flensburg, VP, Business Operations, Global Supply Chain Solutions and Services at Westcon-Comstor. “This new element in our relationship with Extreme creates exciting new opportunities for our partners and adds to our long-held collaboration, enabling the delivery of projects across Extreme’s networking solutions, supported by Westcon services.”

“Good connectivity is not just a modern luxury, it’s the basis to deliver an exceptional fan experience and for effective fan engagement. Fans demand more than just a thrilling game; they seek an immersive experience where the talent on the field is complemented by seamless and secure connectivity in the stands,” said Markus Nispel, CTO EMEA at Extreme Networks. “The combination of Extreme’s industry-leading solutions and deep knowledge of stadium environments with Westcon-Comstor’s rich heritage in creating strong, scalable customer relationships creates a significant opportunity for both companies to continue to expand across EMEA.”

ielo, the French neutral operator for fiber infrastructures, announces a €208m structured funding package from leading international banks including NAB, NordLB, NIBC, EdRAM, LBPAM and LCL. The deal follows a successful initial fundraising from DIF Capital Partners in July 2020. This new stage will enable ielo to sustain its growth while continuing to develop a state-of-the-art fiber infrastructure nationwide. Thanks to its networks, ielo works alongside its operator partners to support companies and public authorities in their digitization. ielo is reaffirming its position as the sole neutral infrastructure operator in the French market.

Thanks to the vision of its founders and the dedication of its teams, ielo, which was established in 2016, has become a national, neutral and independent infrastructure operator in less than ten years.

Since acquiring funds from DIF Capital Partners in 2020, ielo has increased the size of its metropolitan network tenfold and created its own national long-distance network. These homogeneous, ultra high-capacity networks provide unique end-to-end service quality and a competitive advantage for its operator partners.

In 2024, ielo operates and maintains:

a 16,000 km metropolitan fibre network to be as close as possible to end-customer sites;
an 11,000 km long-distance network to transport the data of its partners and their customers from one side of France to the other;
a presence in almost 200 data centres in France and Europe.

In January 2024, ielo announced an invoiced sales of €43M.  Over the last four years, ielo has recorded continuous annual growth of 33% and has become one of the most dynamic players in the digital infrastructure sector. These positive results are driven by the renewed confidence of its 400 active operator customers, who were joined in 2023 by 60 new national and international players.

Today, ielo is entering a new stage in its development with a €208M structured funding package. The aim of this investment is to provide the necessary framework and financial stability for new projects over the next five years. Now that ielo has reached maturity and financial equilibrium, it will continue to focus on developing the company while supporting the digital ecosystem of its partners.

Arthur FERNANDEZ, CEO of ielo, commented: “This funding demonstrates the buoyant momentum that ielo has built year after year.  Today, we are even prouder of the progress we have made, as it has been achieved without compromising what ielo is founded on, namely our independence, our ethics and our expertise. Thanks to this investment, our teams will be able to continue rolling out a state-of-the-art fibre infrastructure in France. And now, more than ever, we intend to accelerate our development to serve our partners and the French digital ecosystem as a whole.”

RBC Capital Markets, Latham & Watkins and Dentons advised ielo on this transaction. The lenders were advised by A&O Shearman.

Press Release

Telefónica and Nokia today announced an agreement to jointly explore new opportunities leveraging 5G Standalone (SA) capabilities for network APIs to support developers in creating new use cases for consumer, enterprise, and industrial customers.

Through this agreement, Telefónica will harness Nokia’s NEF for various purposes that enable developers to access the operator’s 5G network capabilities, like precise device location, enhanced notifications based on connectivity status, edge discovery, and more.

Having access to these capabilities will enhance developers’ capacity to build new applications and drive new service APIs for the industry.

Nokia’s NEF solution, based on 3GPP specifications, provides a process for interfacing with well-defined functions in the core network. It also enables API mashups so developers can combine multiple APIs from different core functions into a new customized API, which is easier for developers to use to create new applications.

Nokia’s Network as Code platform with developer portal brings together networks, systems integrators, and software developers, into a unified ecosystem that provides developers a simple way for integrating advanced 5G capabilities into their applications; without having to navigate the complexity of the underlying network technologies.

Nokia has signed collaboration agreements with 14 network operators and ecosystem partners, in Europe, North America, and South America, to use the platform since its launch in September 2023.

Cayetano Carbajo Martín, Core & Transport Director, Global CTIO at Telefónica said: “We are pleased to take this step with Nokia in recognition of the tremendous opportunity we have to further empower developers with the tools they require to deliver new use cases and experiences for their customers and beyond. This partnering agreement is about steering the industry in building new APIs and more use cases over 5G SA capabilities that have been launched across Telefonica’s main operations”.Shkumbin Hamiti, Head of Network Monetization Platform, Cloud and Network Services at Nokia said: “There continues to be a rising recognition that sustaining closed networks is a thing of the past and that embracing ecosystems is the way forward for deepening collaboration and creating new use cases; delivering better customer experiences; and generating new revenue opportunities. Our agreement with Telefónica is added proof of the much greater telco ecosystem openness that we are now seeing today and we look forward to jointly working to support developers in harnessing a broader array of network capabilities.”