News

A new proposal would bar entities that are “national security concerns” from receiving wireless equipment authorizations from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

By: Brad Randall, Broadband Communities

Republican and Democratic members of the FCC have announced bipartisan support for a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would hold impose strict national-security criteria to test labs and telecommunications certification bodies that approve wireless devices for the U.S. market.

The proposal, supported by FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democrat, and FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, a Republican, will be voted on at the FCC’s next open meeting, according to a May 1 release from the FCC Office of Media Relations.

Commissioner Carr called the proposal “another significant step in the FCC’s work to advance the security of America’s communications networks,” in comments included with the FCC’s release.

“It does so by proposing to ensure that the test labs and certification bodies that review electronic devices for compliance with FCC requirements are themselves trustworthy actors that the FCC can rely on,” Carr said.

The proposal would add another set of rules to the FCC’s equipment authorization program, which was adopted after the Secure Equipment Act of 2021 was implemented. According to the FCC’s announcement, the proposal would prohibit the equipment authorization program from working with any lab or certification body with that is either directly or indirectly controlled by an entity on the FCC’s “Covered List.”

Entities on the FCC’s Covered List “are deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons,” according to the FCC’s website.

The proposal, if adopted, would utilize a 10 percent ownership or control threshold, and a 5 percent reporting threshold to determine which telecommunications certification bodies and test labs are ineligible for use by the FCC’s equipment authorization program.

“Communications networks are a part of everything we do, and it’s why their security matters more than ever before,” Rosenworcel’s comments stated.  “So, we must ensure that our equipment authorization program and those entrusted with administering it can rise to the challenge posed by persistent and ever-changing security and supply chain threats.”

Entities on the FCC’s Covered List include Huawei Technologies Company, which last week had a test lab denied by the FCC for participation in the equipment authorization program, the FCC’s announcement stated.

“This new proceeding would permanently prohibit Huawei and other entities on the FCC’s Covered List from playing any role in the equipment authorization program while also providing the FCC and its national security partners the necessary tools to safeguard this important process,” the agency’s announcement read.

Huawei, which has been on the Covered List since March 2021, is a Chinese multinational communications conglomerate that produces smart devices and technology infrastructure. It is far from the only Chinese company on the FCC’s Covered List, which also includes firms like China Mobile International USA Inc., China Telecom (Americas) Corp., and China Unicom (Americas) Operations Limited, all of which were added to the list in 2022.

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Network operator Openreach (BT) has published the next batch of 84 exchanges (Tranche 16) in their “FTTP Priority Exchange Stop Sell” programme, which reflects areas where over 75% of premises are able to get full fibre and will thus stop selling copper based analogue phone and broadband products (i.e. FTTP becomes the only available product).

Currently there are two schemes for moving away from old copper lines and services, which can sometimes criss-cross. The first starts with the gradual migration of traditional analogue voice (PSTN) services to digital all-IP technologies (e.g. SOGEA), which is due to complete by December 2025 and is occurring on both copper and full fibre products (i.e. ISPs are introducing digital voice / VoIP services). The national “stop sell” on analogue phone services began on 5th September 2023 (here).

The second “FTTP Priority Exchange” project involves the ongoing rollout of gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) lines – using light signals via optical fibre instead of electrical signals via slow copper lines. Only after this second project has largely completed (75%+ FTTP coverage) in an exchange area can you really start to completely switch-off copper-based products, but that’s a long process because you have to allow time for customer migrations.

Between the scrapping of analogue phone services, the full fibre rollout and the gradual switch away from copper lines, this process will take several years in each area to complete, and the pace will vary (i.e. some areas have better coverage of full fibre than others). Naturally, premises that can’t yet get FTTP will continue to be served by copper-based broadband products.

84 New Exchange Locations (Tranche 16)

The migration process away from the legacy services starts with a “no move back” policy (i.e. no going back to copper) for premises connected with fibre, which is followed by a “stop-sell” of copper services to new customers (12-months of notice is given before this starts and that is what today’s list represents). This stage is then followed by a final “withdrawal” phase, but that comes later. The stop sell is applied at premises level, so it shouldn’t impact you if you don’t yet have access to FTTP (edge-case conflicts may still occur due to rare quirks of network availability).

The 84 exchanges announced today – covering 880,000 premises – takes the total number of exchange upgrades that have already been notified as part of the aforementioned process (including trial exchanges), or which are actively under “stop sell“, to 1022. The “stop sell” in the Tranche 16 areas will be introduced from 26th May 2025.

By the summer, these ‘stop sell’ rules will have been activated in a total of more than 700 exchanges – meaning around 6 million UK premises will be under active Stop Sell.

The operator also has a Stop Sells Page to their website, which usually makes it easy to see all the planned changes, but for the last couple of updates the download link for their latest Tranches has adopted the .mht (web archive) format that doesn’t load in any of the web browsers we’ve tried. We’ve highlighted this to Openreach before, although the issue remains.

Otherwise, the following list is tentative, so changes and delays will occur (exchanges can and are often shifted around into different tranches).

84 Stop Sell Exchanges in Tranche 16

Exchange Name
Exchange Location

1. Aberdeen Portlethen (PIP)
Portlethen

2. Aberdeen West
Aberdeen

3. Addingham
Addingham

4. Alderminster
Alderminster

5. Appleton Roebuck
Appleton Roebuck

6. Ashington (AIT)
Ashington (Northumberland)

7. Aspull (ASP)
Greater Manchester – Wigan

8. Atherton (ATH)
Greater Manchester – Wigan

9. Attercliffe (SF/AC)
Sheffield

10. Barking
Greater London – Barking and Dagenham

11. Barnby Dun
Doncaster

12. Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland

13. Bridgend
Bridgend

14. Burnham-On-Sea
Burnham-on-Sea

15. Busby (GW/BUS)
Glasgow

16. Buxton
Buxton (High Peak)

17. Carlisle
Carlisle

18. Chatham Dock (CH/DY)
Gillingham (Kent)

19. Chesterfield (CD)
Chesterfield

20. Clynnogfawr
Trefor

21. Coalville (CJY)
Coalville

22. Cowers Lane
Heage

23. Dowsby
Rippingale

24. Dromara
Saintfield

25. Dunchurch (DEY)
Rugby

26. East (MR/EAS)
Greater Manchester – Manchester

27. Evington (LXV)
Leicester

28. Exeter Castle
Exeter

29. Flamborough
Flamborough

30. Foxhall
Ispwich 

31. Grimsby
Grimsby

32. Hadleigh Essex (HVL)
Rayleigh

33. Heath Hayes (HYY)
Cannock

34. Houghton Le Spring (HMI)
Houghton-le-Spring

35. Huddersfield (HF)
Huddersfield

36. Ilkeston (II)
Ilkeston

37. Ilkley
Ilkley

38. Kidsgrove
Kidsgrove

39. Kingskerswell
Kingskerswell

40. Knaresborough (KB)
Knaresborough

41. Leagrave (LGV)
Luton

42. Leven
Leven

43. Lindfield (LEL)
Haywards Heath

44. Llanbrynmair
Llanbrynmair

45. Llanrumney
Cardiff

46. Lofthouse Gate (UOG)
Wakefield

47. Mareham Le Fen
Mareham le Fen

48. Medway
Chatham

49. Moore
Moore

50. Mossley (MMF)
Greater Manchester – Tameside

51. Motherwell (MOO)
Motherwell

52. New Cross
Greater London – Southwark

53. New Mills
New Mills

54. North Cave
South Cave

55. North Kelsey
North Kelsey

56. Oldham
Greater Manchester – Oldham

57. Penistone
Penistone

58. Pontardawe
Pontardawe

59. Raunds (RBC)
Raunds

60. Rearsby (RBX)
Rearsby

61. Richill
Craigavon

62. Ross On Wye
Ross-on-Wye

63. Rotherfield
Rotherfield

64. Roxwell
Chelmsford

65. Rugby
Rugby

66. Scotter
Scotter

67. Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe

68. Sherburn Hill
Sherburn (County Durham)

69. Skegness
Skegness

70. Solihull (BM/SOL)
Solihull

71. South Shore
Blackpool

72. Southend (SMU)
Southend-on-Sea

73. Stotfold (XTO)
Stotfold

74. Stratford on Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon

75. Templepatrick
Antrim

76. Thurnby (TBV)
Leicester

77. Torquay
Torquay

78. Tregynon
Tregynon

79. Ulgham
Ellington (Northumberland)

80. Undercliffe (QDQ)
Bradford

81. Upminster (L/UP)
Greater London – Havering

82. Waltham On The Wolds
Waltham on the Wolds

83. Wickersley
Rotherham

84. Withdean
Brighton and Hove

Homes and businesses in the New Forest (Hampshire, England) village of Everton were left cut-off from part of Openreach’s UK broadband and phone services this week, which occurred after criminals caused significant damage to the network while attempting to steal the operator’s copper telecoms cable.

The incident, which began on Monday, impacted 128 premises across the community and local reports (here) quote Hampshire Police as saying that 70 metres of copper cable was pulled up from a point on Lymington Road. Two men were spotted working in yellow jackets around a pavement near to that location a couple of days prior to the incident, possibly in preparation for the later theft.

Crimes like this have become common in recent years, driven in part by the high price of copper, although a series of UK-wide arrests toward the end of 2022 (example) – followed by some convictions – did put a limited dent in the activity. More recently, Openreach has seen a sharp 30% reduction in cable theft over the past year after introducing a new forensic liquid marker (SelectaDNA) to help track and protect their network (here).

However, SelectaDNA takes time to deploy and can’t be added to cables that are already in the ground, which leaves some scope for thieves to continue targeting the operator’s core copper cables. The perpetrators of such crimes never have any regard for the harm they cause to locals, some of which are dependent upon the related services.

An Openreach spokesperson said:

“We’re really disappointed that residents in the Everton area have borne the brunt of criminal behaviour and theft from our network. These attacks cause significant damage and unacceptable disruption to the lives of local people and put vulnerable people at risk.

Our cable was cut on Monday and the damage has impacted phone and broadband services to around 128 local homes and businesses. Engineers are working to restore services as quickly and safely as possible.”

Feedback posted to the local Facebook community group suggests that at least some of the affected homes may have been reconnected by late afternoon on Monday. We have since asked Openreach to supply a more up-to-date statement and await their response.

The rollout of full fibre (FTTP) lines should, eventually, help to reduce such thefts as fibre has no value to thieves. But this won’t completely stop the problem from occurring because fibre and copper cables often share some of the same ducts, and thieves sometimes confuse the two. BT and Openreach will eventually remove their copper cables too, but that’s a much longer process.

Openreach also has a partnership with Crimestoppers, which sometimes offers rewards for information given anonymously to the charity about cable thefts, if it leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible – you can contact them 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111 or use their anonymous online form. You can also contact Openreach’s security team direct or report via the local police (101), or if you see a crime in progress, then call the police on 999.

Brighouse, 1st May 2024 – Abzorb, an innovator in public sector and business networking, has a developed and delivered a £1.2 million network transformation project for Norfolk County Council (NCC) that reduces costs while increasing performance and security across 221 sites. It developed a unified software-defined wide-area networking (SD-WAN) solution that enables NCC to use the most cost-effective connectivity provider at each site with monitoring and visibility delivered in a single platform.

90% of end users at NCC say they see improvement in network performance since the deployment and it has simplified things for the internal IT team as they no longer need to monitor and manage multiple solutions and providers. Abzorb created a bespoke internet-based solution that enables NCC to leverage the best networking technologies at each site, including FTTP, SoGEA, and Fibre Ethernet, while selecting the most cost-efficient and high-performing provider for long-term cost reductions.

“Abzorb provided us with a flexible foundation for connecting more than 200 sites with the best networking option at each site. Its technology and provider agnostic approach has enabled the Authority to improve security, reduce complexity and deliver savings benefiting the council, the communities we serve. The Abzorb team understands public sector and it’s challenges which helps us to develop a solution that is easy to manage with a small team but delivers trusted and reliable connectivity,” said Kurt Fray, Head of IT at Norfolk County Council. “Cost efficiencies mean that we’re able to explore emerging technologies and strategies to further optimise our IT capabilities and continue to enhance Digital services and Digital Service delivery in Norfolk.”

Abzorb’s tailored SD-WAN solution for NCC integrates existing hardware and optimises connectivity options at each location. It also simplifies network management with automated ticketing and fortifies network security with protection against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. Abzorb monitors and manages NCC’s networking environment with a single streamlined support helpdesk service.

“Public sector networking doesn’t have to be complicated. We worked in collaboration with Norfolk County Council to understand their ambition, strategy, IT estate and investments then developed a solution that wouldn’t require ‘ripping and replacing’ existing investments in technology. Instead, we simplified operations and found ways to maximise the value of existing equipment within a solution that leverages cloud, automation and cybersecurity,” said Dean Al-Sened, Head of Public Sector and Enterprise at Abzorb. “We’ve proven that network transformation can deliver simplicity, flexibility, and agility for local councils. You just have to understand public sector needs and deliver innovative and creative solutions.”

The partnership enables Norfolk County Council to meet the evolving demands of its constituents and positions the County Council to proactively adapt to emerging trends, technologies and cloud services. Abzorb is a UK-based network solutions provider with 20+ years of experience delivering digital transformation for public sector organisations, service providers and enterprises.

####

About Abzorb

Abzorb Systems is a leading network solutions provider with over 20 years of experience. Headquartered in Brighouse, West Yorkshire, Abzorb understands that telecom solutions are not one-size-fits-all. Partnering with top-tier providers, it offers tailored communication solutions to enhance business operations. With 100,000s of mobile, fixed voice and data customer connections, it understands that technology and communications can shape and play a pivotal role in your business operations.

Partnering exclusively with top-tier providers, it delivers communication solutions that truly elevate business activities. Abzorb’s comprehensive suite of telecom services empowers businesses to tailor their telecom options according to their unique needs and those of their customers. Abzorb’s vision is to simplify the increasingly complex world of communications for its customers and partners, whilst enabling them to conduct business more efficiently by managing all their communication needs in one centralized platform.

https://www.abzorb.co.uk/

About Norfolk County Council

Norfolk County Council (NCC) is the main local authority for Norfolk providing services countywide to more than 900,000 Norfolk residents. It takes the lead in critical policy areas, working with 84 elected Members responsible for the strategic local government services in the county.

NCC provides high quality service through involving people who use our services to shape and comment on them and by promoting efficiency and innovation. NCC works in partnership with local businesses, voluntary organisations and other local authorities such as District and Parish Councils in order to provide the people of Norfolk with excellent services.

https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/

Having access to reliable, high-speed internet for work, communication and improved education opportunities is vital in today’s society with fibre fast becoming an essential utility. However, projects to support digital inclusivity often place emphasis on connecting rural communities and there are areas in towns and cities that remain overlooked.

These include MDUs, which have been a challenge to connect to high-speed internet. This is largely due to the more complex installation considerations MDUs demand and the need to work alongside landlords and housing associations who must comply with their own stringent safety standards.

MS3 Networks is tackling these challenges head on to provide more choice in broadband provider to those living in MDUs. Working closely with HCC, the company has been granted a master wayleave agreement to allow access to its MDU premises. Once connected to MS3’s network, tenants will enjoy a greater selection of broadband providers thanks to the growing number of internet service provider (ISP) partners on the network.

For decades, Hull residents have been limited to a single broadband provider and, as a result, some of the highest broadband costs in the country. Competition from the likes of MS3 Networks is turning that tide. As a wholesale network operator, MS3 has a growing list of ISP partners on its network, each offering a range of packages and prices.

“Offering access to MDUs is an important part of our strategy,” explained Jo Fleming, corporate partnerships manager at MS3 Networks. “MS3 holds a strong belief in the power of technology to bridge the digital divide and promote equal opportunities for all, and we have taken various steps to ensure that individuals from all communities benefit from the progress of the digital era. 

“Our business model works in a way that is quite unique, in that we sell directly via our multitude of wholesale partners only.  What this means is that the consumer can select internet packages that are aligned to their individual bandwidth and budget needs. In addition, our wholesale partners have implemented social tariffs specifically tailored to lessen the financial burden on individuals belonging to more economically disadvantaged communities. These tariffs provide discounted rates for internet services, making them more accessible to those who would otherwise struggle to afford them.

“We strive to work with Local Authorities and MPs with their digital inclusion strategies and understand the needs of the local areas and the overall economic benefit we can bring.”

To learn more about MS3 Networks and its partner network across the Humber region, visit the website.

News

Reports suggest that the West Africa Cable System (WACS) has been repaired this week, leaving just one remaining cable system awaiting repairs

In March this year, four submarine cables situated on the West Coast of Africa – WACS, Sat-3, Ace, and MainOne – were severed near the Ivory Coast, causing major internet issues across the continent.

The exact cause of the damage was unclear, though seismic activity in the region was the primary suspect.

Response by the cable owners was swift, with much of the affected traffic quickly migrated to other neighbouring cables, like Google’s Equiano system. However, disruption remained across the region, notably impacting Microsoft’s data centre operations in South Africa.

To make matters worse, repairing the cables would be far from straightforward. Earlier that same month, a trio of submarine cables had been severed in the geopolitically volatile Red Sea, drawing the attention of the small yet efficient cable repair ship community. This left relevant cable ships not only a continent away from the breaks in West Africa, but also battling through a lengthy permissions process to gain access to the militarily sensitive Red Sea.

As a result, repairs to the damaged Africa cables have faced lengthy delays. Sat-3 was reportedly repaired at the start of April, while repairs to the WACS were only completed on Tuesday.

While no specific announcement appears to have been made, the Ace system also appears to now be operational, according to reports.

The status of the MainOne cable remains unclear, though a cable ship (CS Sovereign) has reportedly been assigned to repair it, a process which should take until May 11.

How is the submarine cable ecosystem evolving in 2024? Join the cable operators in discussion at this year’s Submarine Networks EMEA conference

Also in the news:
T-Mobile and EQT form JV to buy Lumos
Korean Air shows off comprehensive urban air mobility system backed by 5G
Virgin Media O2 reaches plastic waste milestone

Grid Telecom, the wholly owned subsidiary of the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO) of Greece and Quadrivium Digital, are joining forces to create a new world-class Cable Landing Station (CLS) in Chania, on the northern coast of Crete.

This CLS will be hosted within Quadrivium’s 20MW Interconnection Data Centre (DC) campus and will act as a new node to anchor international subsea cable systems from Asia and Africa crossing the Eastern Mediterranean. It will connect Greece and the broader Balkan – Mediterranean region with Turkey, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Israel, Cyprus, Egypt, all GCC countries, and other East, South, and West destinations.

Grid Telecom and Quadrivium Digital will offer state-of-the-art infrastructure for the secure landing and operation of subsea optical fibre cable systems in Crete, including services for housing the power feeding and subsea line terminating equipment, as well as other mission-critical equipment for interconnection and peering of optical, Ethernet and IP data traffic. Quadrivium’s facility in Chania combines world-class landing infrastructure with a Tier III+ DC, providing a “CLS-within-a-DC” total solution.

A buried borepipe into the sea with eight ducts will provide a cutting-edge solution, compliant with international specifications. Multiple Beach Manholes (BMH) will land subsea cables and connect directly via secure fronthaul into Quadrivium’s Tier III+ DC. As part of this development, Grid Telecom will provide diverse and highly reliable backhaul network to all existing and new DCs on the island of Crete, the Greek mainland, as well as in neighboring countries, leveraging its capabilities to interconnect securely through its terrestrial and subsea networks.

The strategic partnership between Grid Telecom and Quadrivium Digital will bring advanced data transport solutions to the market, creating a new telecommunications corridor between Europe and the Middle East. Leveraging the strategic position of Crete, it will create a new super hub through alternative low latency paths to most destinations in South Eastern Europe, Turkey, Egypt, Cyprus, Israel, and the Arabian Peninsula.

The Chairman of Grid Telecom, Mr. Kostas Agathakis, said:

“We are continually looking for ways to strategically expand our services to partners and customers. In this framework, our plans to partner with Quadrivium Digital in building a new CLS in Crete will significantly support the implementation of new, international alternative routes. Moreover, it will enhance the strategic role of Crete as a crucial open access interconnection node in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans”.

The CEO of Quadrivium, Aditya Ayyagari, said:

Chania is the Eastern-most location where international networks can peer within the European Union’s regulatory and commercial framework, with 10-15 ms latencies into Greece, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Israel and GCC countries – cutting latencies into Marseille by half. This strategic partnership with IPTO and Grid Telecom creates a combined landing and interconnection solution which helps subsea cable consortiums completely eliminate costly and time-consuming permitting processes and landing infrastructure construction. Furthermore, the ability to directly cross-connect with other subsea cables, backhaul carriers and digital platforms within Quadrivium’s Interconnection Data Centre creates a rich ecosystem that brings digital transformation to Greece, Crete, and the Municipality of Chania.

The Chairman and CEO of IPTO, Manos Manousakis, stated:

“IPTO is building critical infrastructure for tomorrow’s electricity and telecommunications backbone networks throughout Greece and beyond, contributing to Greece’s transformation into a critical energy and data hub of high geopolitical value at the crossroads of Europe, Africa and Asia. Neutral Data Centers and open-access cable landing stations create synergies and add value, which is why we highly value the strategic cooperation between IPTO’s subsidiary, Grid Telecom and Quadrivium. In this framework, leveraging on the strategic geographical position of Crete, creates win-win business opportunities and brings innovative total telecommunications solutions, enhancing the strategic role of Greece as a neutral open-access connectivity node in the broader Balkans – Mediterranean region.”

– End-

About IPTO:

The Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO) is responsible for the operation, monitoring, maintenance, and development of the “Hellenic Electricity Transmission System”, aiming to ensure safe and undisrupted power supply across the country. IPTO’s “Ten Year Network Development Plan” provides for the electrical interconnection of major Greek islands in the High Voltage System by 2029, the strengthening and modernization of the continental power grid as well as the facilitation of Greece’s transition towards a cleaner energy mix. IPTO’s investment program, includes the Crete-Attica power link, supplemented with dual optical fiber cables, the completion of Cyclades as well as the interconnections of the Dodecanese and the NE Aegean islands. IPTO is also developing new international interconnections to Italy, Bulgaria, Albania, North Macedonia and Turkey, and supports new subsea electricity interconnectors which are being are promoted, to Cyprus, Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia with Greece as the main hub.

For more information, contact:

Email: pressoffice@admie.gr

About Grid Telecom:

Grid Telecom was established in 2019 as a wholly owned subsidiary company of the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO) of Greece and acts as its telecommunications vehicle for providing wholesale services and total solutions to national and international operators and large enterprise customers. Grid Telecom’s optical fiber terrestrial and subsea network exceeds 4,000 km throughout Greece and will soon exceed 6,000 km connecting most Greek islands with the core network, offering dark fiber and spectrum, achieving the shortest possible routes, network diversity, maximum security, and very low latency. Grid Telecom is developing a growing international optical fiber network that is supported by a state-of-the-art proprietary DWDM optical network, providing ultra-fast capacity services, as well as collocation services within protected areas in IPTO’s substation sites across Greece.

For more information, contact:

Email: pressoffice@grid-telecom.com

About Quadrivium Digital:

Quadrivium Digital is an infrastructure platform founded in 2022 by a team with decades of experience in the Data Centre industry. The Quadrivium Digital team have expertise in creating network-dense interconnection hubs that become major transit and exchange nodes in the world’s internet architecture. Quadrivium Digital’s portfolio of interconnection Data Centres, established with the termination of subsea cables across multiple EMEA locations, is attractive to subsea cable consortiums, telecom carriers, content providers and digital platforms. Our customers and partners benefit from better network resilience and latency, lower platform costs and accelerated revenue generation.

For more information, contact:

Email: info@quadrivium.digital

News 

The move comes as Microsoft ramps up its data centre investments worldwide 

Microsoft and asset management company Brookfield have agreed a renewable energy deal whereby Microsoft will invest an estimated $10 billion in energy projects that will be developed by Brookfield and its renewable company arm. 

The deal will see Brookfield Renewable Partners provide 10.5 gigawatts of new renewable energy capacity between 2026 and 2030 in the U.S. and Europe, which will be added to the grid that Microsoft data centres draw electricity from. Microsoft, in return, will gain access to a pipeline of new renewable energy capacity, supporting the increasing demand for cloud services both domestically and globally. The scope of the deal may widen at a later date to include Asia-Pacific, India, and Latin America. 

No explicit financial details of the deal were disclosed, although the Financial Times estimated that adding the new capacity would cost over $10 billion, citing “recent industry trends.” 

“This first of its kind agreement, which is almost eight times larger than the largest single corporate PPA ever signed, is a testament to our ability to reliably deliver clean power solutions at scale to our corporate partners and accelerate the energy transition,” said Connor Teskey, CEO of Brookfield Renewable and President of Brookfield Asset Management in a press release. 

The deal is an extension of a pre-existing collaboration between the two corporations. Prior to this agreement, nearly one gigawatt of renewable capacity had already been contracted. As well as making use of wind and solar energy, the partnership will explore new carbon free energy generation technologies, contributing to both companies’ goals to decarbonise global energy supplies and reduce carbon emissions, including Microsoft’s sustainability goals of having all of its electricity consumption matched by zero carbon energy purchases by 2030. 

The USA is home to a third of the world’s data centres, and Microsoft has ramped up its investment in both its domestic and foreign markets in order to gain a competitive edge over rivals such as AWS. Last month the company unveiled an AI hub in London, following Microsoft’s 2023 pledge to invest £2.5 billion over the next three years to expand its UK data centre infrastructure. 

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that the investment “a  for the future of AI infrastructure and development in the UK,” in government statement.   

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

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Celebrating innovation: nominate your telco AI champion today!
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News

In our fast-paced telco world, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant future—it’s here, transforming the way we connect, communicate, and collaborate. At Total Telecom, we recognise the pioneering spirits driving this change. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce the launch of our exciting competition: Telco AI Champions! 

We’re on the hunt for the unsung heroes of Telco AI, those forward-thinkers who are redefining the boundaries of what’s possible in our industry. Whether they’re innovating behind the scenes or leading from the front, their impact is undeniable—and it’s time their contributions were celebrated. 

Do you know someone who fits the bill? Perhaps a colleague who’s spearheading AI initiatives, or an industry contact whose insights are shaping the future of telecoms? Here’s your chance to give them the recognition they deserve. We’re looking to showcase the Top 20 Most Influential Voices in the Telco AI Space, and your nomination could shine a spotlight on a deserving individual. 

To nominate your Telco AI Champion, simply click here and fill out a quick Google Form. It’s a fantastic opportunity to honour the innovators and thinkers who are making a significant impact in telecommunications through the power of AI. 

Don’t miss out on this chance to celebrate excellence in our field. Nominate your Telco AI Champion today! 

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Vodafone has today confirmed their commitment to deploy 5G Standalone (5G SA / mobile broadband) technology to rural Wales as part of its proposed merger with Three UK, while adding that the merger “could” also result in 4G being delivered to more than 93% of the Welsh landmass by 2027, which would then lead to an upgrade to 5G by 2034.

Most existing 5G networks in the UK are Non-Standalone (NSA) based, which in simple terms means they partly rely on older 4G infrastructure. By comparison, 5GSA reflects a pure end-to-end 5G network that can also deliver improvements such as ultra-low latency times (fast), better mobile broadband upload speeds, network slicing capabilities, better support for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, increased reliability and security.

Last year Vodafone became the first UK operator to launch a 5GSA network with their new “5G Ultra” package for consumers (here), although its coverage was initially limited to parts of London, Manchester, Glasgow and Cardiff, with more being added. But in February 2024 they were joined by O2 (VMO2), which has initially gone live in parts of 14 cities and their service comes at “no extra” cost to customers (here).

However, Vodafone, as part of their proposed mega-merger with Three UK (here), have pledged to reach more than 99% of the UK’s “population” with their 5GSA network by 2034 and to push fixed wireless access (home broadband) to 82% of households by 2030.

Naturally, this will include Wales, although the press release doesn’t appear to clarify a specific target. Both 5G and 5G SA are currently already available in some areas across Wales, including Cardiff, as well as parts of both Newport and Swansea. The commitment follows research showing that 50% of premises in Wales’ rural constituencies are currently 5G not-spots.

Andrea Dona, Chief Network Officer at Vodafone UK, said:

“We know that access to connectivity is important for everyone, but this research reveals the extent to which rural Wales is experiencing digital exclusion, showing exactly why we need to accelerate the roll out of 5G infrastructure. Through our proposed merger with Three UK, we would be able to help close the rural digital divide in Wales, helping these communities to take advantage of 5G and enjoy the same benefits it brings to their urban neighbours.”

All of this is clearly designed to drum up more support for their merger, while also supporting the Government’s Wireless Infrastructure Strategy (WIS), which last year set out an ambition for “all populated areas to be covered by ‘standalone’ 5G (5G-plus) by 2030” (here). But it’s worth noting that Vodafone’s 5GSA targets aren’t legally binding.