Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Press Release

Huawei released a series of all-scenario U6 GHz products today at MWC Barcelona 2026 to help carriers unlock the full potential of 5G-A and set the stage for a seamless transition to 6G. The company also launched enhanced AI-Centric Network solutions that will help carriers prepare for the agentic era by enabling intelligent services, networks, and network elements (NEs). Huawei is also showcasing its SuperPoD cluster for the first time outside China, which they have created to offer “a new option for the intelligent world”.

The theme of Huawei’s booth for this year’s conference is “Advancing All Intelligence”, reflecting the company’s plans to build more AI-centric networks and computing backbones that will help carriers and industry customers seize opportunities from the AI era.
U6 GHz: Unlocking 5G-A potential for a smooth transition to 6G

According to Huawei, the next five years will provide a window of opportunity to unleash the full potential of 5G-A. They plan to work with global carriers on the large-scale 5G-A deployment, use high uplink to address surging consumer and industry demand for mobile AI applications, and use the U6 GHz band to unlock the full value of spectrum and pave the way for smooth evolution to 6G.

There are already 70 million 5G-A users globally, and 5G-A is increasingly being adopted by carriers at scale. In China, Huawei has helped carriers deliver contiguous 5G-A coverage across 270 cities and launch 5G-A packages that monetize experience in over 30 provinces.

The all-scenario U6 GHz products and solutions Huawei released today use innovative technologies to create a high-capacity, low-latency, optimal-experience backbone designed for mobile AI applications.

Three-layer intelligence with AI-Centric Network: Seizing opportunities in the agentic era

Following the trend to integrate AI directly into networks, Huawei is using AI to create AI-Centric Network solutions that will act as target networks for the agentic era. These solutions embed intelligence across three layers:

At the service layer, Huawei is helping carriers build multi-agent collaboration platforms, with specialized agents for calling, experience monetization, and home broadband. These platforms will enable AI-driven transformation of carriers’ core services like voice, internet access, and home broadband.
At the network layer, Phase 1 of Huawei’s L4 Autonomous Driving Network (AND L4) solution primarily focuses on single-scenario automation, helping carriers drastically improve O&M efficiency, network quality, and monetization capabilities. By the end of 2025, the company’s single-scenario ADN solutions have been commercially deployed on more than 130 telecom networks worldwide. Moving forward, Huawei will continue to help carriers reshape operations with AI, going beyond single-scenario automation to support end-to-end single-domain network autonomy.
At the NE layer, Huawei works with carriers to accelerate innovation in areas like algorithm optimization for RANs, intelligent and accurate service identification for WANs, and unified service intent for core networks that helps integrate B2C and B2H services. Innovations in these domains are already driving marked improvements in network energy and spectral efficiency, intelligent service awareness, and network resilience assurance.
Computing backbone with SuperPoDs and clusters: A new option for the intelligent world

In the computing space, Huawei is showcasing its computing cluster and SuperPoD products featuring new innovations in system-level architecture, including its UnifiedBus technology for SuperPoD interconnect, for the first time outside China. Key products on display will include the Atlas 950 SuperPoD for AI computing, the TaiShan 950 SuperPoD for general-purpose computing, the Atlas 850E SuperPoD, and the TaiShan 500 and TaiShan 200 servers. These offerings are Huawei’s answer to demand for stronger compute and lower latency – two elements that are especially critical as trillion-parameter AI models become more commonplace and agentic AI is introduced into core production systems.

These offerings also reflect Huawei’s ongoing commitment to going fully open source and open access. The company is actively working with partners to build an open computing ecosystem and provide the world with another option for solid computing power.

In the enterprise space, Huawei’s focus at MWC is on helping different industries accelerate their intelligent transformation. Together with customers, partners, and representatives from different industries, Huawei will unveil a series of innovative practices that are helping different industries go intelligent on all fronts. The company will also share its new offerings in digital and intelligent infrastructure, and give updates on its latest efforts in partner ecosystem development. In total, Huawei will feature 115 industrial intelligence showcases for enterprise customers in different domains; its SHAPE 2.0 Partner Framework; and 22 new industrial intelligence solutions jointly developed with partners.

In the consumer space, Huawei’s theme for this year’s MWC is “Now is Yours”. The company is working to deliver an unparalleled intelligent experience for consumers in all scenarios, and will showcase a range of new smartphones, wearables, tablets, PCs, and earphones that feature its latest breakthroughs in areas like foldable screens, health and fitness, mobile photography, productivity, and creativity. In 2026, Huawei will keep innovating to deliver competitive products with a superior experience, giving consumers greater freedom to discover and create in their own unique way.

Huawei also announced today that it had successfully surpassed the commitment it had made to help drive digital inclusion and combat the rapidly widening digital divide. By the end of 2025, Huawei had worked with customers to provide connectivity to 170 million people in remote areas across more than 80 countries, giving more people access to inclusive digital services.

MWC Barcelona 2026 will be held from March 2 to March 5 in Barcelona, Spain. During the event, Huawei will showcase its latest products and solutions at stand 1H50 in Fira Gran Via Hall 1.

The era of agentic networks is now approaching fast, and the commercial adoption of 5G-A at scale is gaining speed. Huawei is actively working with carriers and partners around the world to unleash the full potential of 5G-A and pave the way for the evolution to 6G. We are also creating AI-Centric Network solutions to enable intelligent services, networks, and network elements (NEs), speeding up the large-scale deployment of level-4 autonomous networks (AN L4), and using AI to upgrade our core business. Together with other industry players, we will create leading value-driven networks and AI computing backbones for a fully intelligent future.

For more information, please visit: https://carrier.huawei.com/en/events/mwc2026

The post Huawei launches enhanced AI-centric network solutions for All Intelligence at MWC 2026 appeared first on Total Telecom.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Broadband and mobile giant Virgin Media and O2 (VMO2) has announced that they will credit back the cost of calls, SMS messages and data (mobile broadband) to and from the UK to several countries in the Middle East, which will be backdated to 28th February and run until 7th March 2026 (although this may be extended).

The promotion, which reflects the problems being caused by ongoing events in that part of the world, will apply to customers of O2’s Pay Monthly and Pay As You Go (PAYG) plans, as well as those using Virgin Media’s Home Phone service. The following countries are covered by this: Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE.

“We want to help our customers stay in touch with their loved ones who are affected by the current situation in the Middle East … We appreciate this is a developing situation and we’ll continue to review the measures we have in place to support our customers,” said VMO2 in a brief statement.

We wouldn’t be surprised if EE and VodafoneThree (Vodafone and Three UK) followed suit with a similar offer, although at the time of writing they don’t appear to have introduced one yet.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

[Barcelona, Spain, March 2, 2026] During MWC Barcelona 2026, Huawei released 115 industrial intelligence showcases, together with its customers, during Industrial Digital and Intelligent Transformation Summit 2026. The summit, titled Advancing Industrial All Intelligence, was held by Huawei to explore new practices in industrial intelligence with its customers, partners, and peers. In addition, Huawei also announced the launch of upgrades to its SHAPE 2.0 partner framework. Huawei also showcased 22 new industrial intelligence solutions with partners, for the electric power, manufacturing and retail, finance, transportation, oil and gas, ISP, media, public service, and smart city sectors.

Huawei proposed the ACT Pathway: A replicable intelligence framework

AI technologies have advanced rapidly over the last year, with reasoning models and agentic workflows both maturing, and physical AI beginning to truly take off. This has allowed AI tools to begin entering core production scenarios and helped applications move from pilots to large-scale use. AI agents can also now better understand and interact with the physical world, and are now capable of making decisions independently.

Huawei introduced the ACT Pathway, which they have developed during their collaboration with global customers over the past few years.

Three key steps specified in the ACT framework were mandatory for achieving comprehensive industrial intelligence. The first step is “assessing high-value scenarios”. So far, Huawei has helped customers identify over 1,000 core production scenarios where AI can play a big role. The second step is “calibrating AI models with high-quality vertical data”. Huawei has built a 6-layer AI security framework to ensure every stage of the AI lifecycle is secure and trustworthy. The third step is “transforming business operations with AI talent”. Talent that understands both industry and AI are needed. Huawei does this by focusing on three areas, including hands-on practice programs, CANN open-source communities, vertical industry communities on Huawei Cloud, and ICT Academies.

Huawei worked with customers to release global industrial intelligence showcases

During the summit, A number of Huawei’s customers joined on stage to help launch 115 global showcases for industrial intelligence, including executives from Eskom, Shandong Port Group, Converge ICT, HM Hospitales, and PetroChina (Beijing)’s Digital Intelligent Research Institute, CNPC, providing reference for organizations of various sectors to embark on their journey towards intelligence.

Huawei invited customers to release industrial intelligence showcases. (from left to right: Len De Villiers, Chief Technology and Information Officer of Eskom; Zhang Liangang, Chief Scientist of Shandong Port Group; Nicholas Ma, Corporate Vice President, President Global Gov. & Enterprise Key Accounts, Huawei; Dennis Uy, CEO and Co-Founder of Converge ICT; Dr. Juan Abarca Cidón, President of HM Hospitales; and Su Yila, Deputy Director of PetroChina (Beijing) Digital Intelligent Research Institute Co., Ltd, CNPC)

Huawei upgraded the SHAPE 2.0 partner framework

Huawei upgraded the SHAPE 2.0 partner framework with AI as the core engine. The concept includes five major updates:

The First is AI-powered products upgrades. Huawei is embedding AI into product and solution offerings, such as the new network agents which can now automate fault location and network optimization to make O&M more efficient.

Secondly, Huawei has upgraded their joint innovation mechanism. Partners can use one-stop AgentArts on Huawei Cloud to develop agents and industry AI solutions.

The third is helping partners develop AI capabilities. Huawei has released a set of standards for AI capabilities and launched over 20 new AI certification courses. And it plans to help more than 1,000 partners get AI-certified.

The fourth is making cooperation more efficient with AI. Huawei provides multiple AI tools that help partners increase productivity, like AI-assisted configuration and HUAWEI eKit chat for technical support. These tools make it easier for us to work together.

Fifth is creating more growth opportunities with AI. This year, Huawei is deploying over 3,000 scenario-specific AI experts and launching intelligent transformation lighthouse projects across 38 industries. Its AI-integrated solutions, like the Atlas 850 server, empower partners to efficiently build their own all-in-one AI solutions.

At the summit, Huawei showcased 22 of its latest industrial intelligence solutions jointly developed with partners in the electric power, manufacturing, retail, finance, transportation, oil and gas, ISP, media, public service, and smart city sectors.

Global customers and partners shared innovative practices at the summit, working together to advance industrial all intelligence

Len De Villiers, Chief Technology and Information Officer of Eskom, said at the summit, “Sustainable electricity supports economic growth, reduces poverty, and improves living standards. Eskom remains pivotal in transforming lives through our significant contribution to South Africa’s economy. Eskom’s strategy and turnaround plan is to pursue financial and operational sustainability, and to modernize power system and energy transition. Through unbundling, Eskom will evolve to be more agile and attract the funding required to deliver the future energy landscape and economic growth.”

Ng Wun-kit, Principal of Pui Kiu Middle School, Hong Kong, China, said at the summit, “Vision of Pui Kiu Middle School in the AI era is to be a leading AI-driven educational pioneer, leveraging technology to deliver personalized, intelligent learning, and cultivate future-ready leaders with global perspectives and innovative minds. We have already implemented AI General Knowledge Course, AI-Empowered Smart Classroom, and Smart & Safe Campus. We will launch the Global Model School of Huawei AI Education Center (AIEC) Solution, and we look forward to sharing our transformative journey, proven methodologies with the international community.”

Hoy-Jin Lee, Vice President of Sales, Solum Europe GmbH, said at the summit, “With the industry’s most extensive ESL lineup, Solum is equipped to optimize any store setting. We have jointly developed an All-in-One Retail Infrastructure Platform, unifying telecom infrastructure and ESL into one scalable, cost-efficient architecture. This solution features a unified gateway that supports LTE, Wi-Fi and ESL, with no dedicated ESL AP required; it offers pre-integrated, ready-to-use deployment and an independent, secure network architecture, which can help reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) by up to 55 percent and deliver up to 33% savings for large-format stores.”

A Comprehensive display of intelligent transformation, innovative digital infrastructure, and partner ecosystem

In the Enterprise Business exhibition area in Hall 1, 98 exhibition stands and 51 interactive demos were set up to demonstrate Huawei’s commitment to intelligent transformation and innovative digital infrastructure, showcasing the latest products, solutions, and global practices of industrial intelligent transformation to customers and partners.

In addition, Huawei set up a dedicated partner exhibition area to display its latest partner policies, tools, marketable solutions, and star products.

The Huawei Enterprise booth at MWC Barcelona 2026 

MWC Barcelona 2026 is held from March 2 to March 5 in Barcelona, Spain. Huawei Enterprise attended the event with the theme of Advancing Industrial All Intelligence. The Huawei Enterprise booth was located at 1H50, Hall 1, Fira Gran Via. For more information, please visit: MWC Barcelona 2026, Huawei Enterprise 

The post Huawei Releases 115 Industrial Intelligence Showcases with Global Customers appeared first on Total Telecom.

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News

By Brad Randall, Broadband Communities

The Wireline Competition Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved a $34.5 billion deal which will see Charter Communications acquire a wide range of assets from Cox Enterprises.

The deal, approved on Friday, includes Cox’s residential cable, commercial fiber, managed IT, and cloud businesses, according to the FCC.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the approval “ensures big wins for Americans.”

Comments from Carr were included in the FCC’s announcement Friday.

“This deal means that jobs are coming back to America that had been shipped overseas,” he said. “It means that modern, high-speed networks will get built out in more communities across rural America. And it means that customers will get access to lower priced plans.”

Carr lauds deal as a win against DEI policies
Carr’s statements about the deal took aim at diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, which he has lobbied against fiercely on the FCC.

“On top of this, the deal enshrines protections against DEI discrimination,” he stated.

According to the FCC, Charter implemented “new safeguards” to “protect against DEI discrimination,” the statement reported.

“Specifically, Charter commits to recruiting, hiring, and promoting individuals based on the factors that matter most: skills, qualifications, and experience,” the statement also read.

The recently approved deal was first announced back in May.

In the deal, Cox Enterprises contributes Cox Communications’ residential cable business to Charter Holdings, which is an existing subsidiary partnership of Charter, the company previously announced.

The FCC says Charter will ” invest billions of dollars to upgrade its network and deliver high-speed service to homes and businesses across the country” as a result of the deal.

“This means that Americans will see faster broadband and lower prices,” the FCC’s release stated. “Additionally, Charter’s Rural Construction Initiative is activating new services across rural states, which can bring better service and job opportunities to rural America.”

This article was originally published by our affiliated publication, Broadband Communities – read more at www.bbcmag.com

The post FCC approves Charter’s $34.5B acquisition of Cox: Key details appeared first on Total Telecom.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Mobile operator VodafoneThree (Vodafone and Three UK) has issued an update on their Joint Venture (SatCo) with satellite operator AST SpaceMobile, which reveals that they’ll kick off their first customer trials of a space-based 4G and 5G mobile (mobile broadband) service – that can connect with regular Smartphones – this Summer 2026.

In case anybody has forgotten. AST SpaceMobile has previously conducted technical trials of a prototype 1.5-ton BlueWalker 3 (here) satellite that orbits at an altitude of a little over 500km and features a huge 693-square-foot (64.4-square-meter) phased array antenna (here). The satellite was specifically designed for sending and receiving mobile signals between the space-based platform and regular mobile handsets – Direct-to-Device (DtD).

The platform was originally developed with support from Vodafone and thus nobody was surprised to see the pair signing a long-term commercial agreement at the end of 2024 (here), which will run until at least 2034. This will support AST’s efforts toward launching a total of 100 similar satellites (BlueBirds) over the next few years (future models will be much larger – 3.5 times bigger – and more capable).

So far, the company has about 6 active satellites in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and they’re aiming to reach 45–60 satellites launched by the end of 2026, which should be enough to deliver continuous coverage across the United States and select markets like the United Kingdom. For its part, Vodafone has already demonstrated a live mobile-to-mobile video call via the new service (here) and they now expect to begin customer trials this summer.

The news follows the launch of Satellite Connect Europe, which is a service provider of open access D2D satellite connectivity and VodafoneThree will be the first UK customer to trial SCE’s services. Headquartered in Luxembourg, and a joint venture between Vodafone Group and AST SpaceMobile, SCE will drive the deployment of five Europe-based ground stations as well as support Vodafone’s wider European objectives to ensure next-gen satellite broadband services comply with relevant spectrum legislation and frameworks.

Andrea Dona, Chief Network Officer of VodafoneThree, said:

“This partnership with Satellite Connect Europe supports our ambition to deliver direct-to-device satellite connectivity capable of data, voice, and SMS to our customers, leading to the elimination of coverage gaps in hard-to-reach and remote areas, as well as supporting the closing of the digital divide. At VodafoneThree, we are absolutely committed to connecting our customers in every nation, in every community, and in every corner of the UK.”

The announcement of VodafoneThree’s first customer trials comes only a few days after rival O2 UK (Virgin Media) became one of the first mobile operators in Europe to go live on Starlink’s latest Direct to Cell (DtC) satellite network via its new O2 Satellite service (here), which will directly compete with the Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile solution.

The O2 Satellite service costs just £3 per month extra to add to an existing airtime plan and will initially offer fairly basic text messaging and limited data/specific app connectivity. But it’s expected to improve significantly as more advanced satellites are launched over the next couple of years.

At present we don’t know what kind of final service performance, features and prices we can expect from AST’s initial network, but it’s likely to be fairly limited at launch and competing with O2’s pricing could also be a challenge. In both cases the goal is to tackle notspots and patches of weak signal coverage, which could be particularly handy in remote rural areas and during terrestrial network outages.

On the flip side, all these new D2D networks are also something that may be giving both radio and observational astronomers a few sleepless nights, as the rapid growth of such things risk disrupting their research work.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The Broadband Forum, which is an industry-driven global standards development organisation, has kicked off a new project that aims to equip global broadband ISPs with clearer guidance on sharing network infrastructure for wholesale use – helping to open up more diverse service choices for customers.

The forum’s new Wholesale Access Project (WAP) plans to define service requirements, best practices, and the technical solutions needed to advance wholesale access in broadband networks in an era of Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) and cloud networks. The hope is that it will spur technical innovation, efficiency, and automation, while maintaining a consistent high quality of service across the shared infrastructure for existing and new deployments.

“It will outline how access network owners can offer their existing access infrastructure to retail service providers, as well as content, application, and cloud service providers. This approach helps established [broadband ISPs] potentially generate new revenue from their unused network capacity, while giving new providers a faster route to market their services,” said the announcement.

The initiative also addresses wholesale access deployment models applicable to different regulations across the globe. As part of the project, members can collaborate and share insights on their own experiences and advise on the lessons learned and challenges with real-world deployments.

Daniele Franceschini, Head of Technology & Innovation at FiberCop, said:

“As one of Europe’s leading wholesale operators, FiberCop is proud to contribute its expertise in the initiative. Wholesale access has been inherently supported by the Broadband Forum’s network architecture over the past 20 years, and this project takes the best practices from copper‑based broadband to reshape and evolve them for fiber and cloud networks.

The project will identify and define the best innovations, solutions, and practices for Service Providers, covering topics from innovative line testing to domain monitoring, service differentiation, and far-edge computing. Besides serving as co-editor of this new BBF project, FiberCop is coordinating a collaborative team of BBF members committed to contributing on these subjects.”

Daniel Willis, General Manager Advanced Access Technologies at NBN Co, said:

“The project will prove incredibly insightful and help to present opportunities in implementing ‘open’ access within an ecosystem where the network is provided by a wholesale network operator, while the subscriber relationship is owned by a separate retail service provider”.

The work set to be undertaken above sounds similar to what the Independent Networks Co-operative Association (INCA), which represents many of the UK’s alternative broadband ISP networks, has already been doing with altnets via the Infrastructure Sharing Group (here) and their complementary Wholesale Standards Initiative (WSI) – here.

Suffice to say that the Broadband Forum’s project is probably arriving a bit too late to have much of an impact upon the UK’s market, but you never know. The Forum said that the initiative’s first stage of work will aim to establish a “holistic framework for wholesale service models, use cases, requirements, and best practices“.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

A new report claims that the debt strained TalkTalk Group, which has allegedly already begun talks with several prospective bidders for their various divisions (here), is set to receive an injection of £115 million from Ares Management – reflecting £65m in new senior debt and a short-term facility of £50m – to boost its finances ahead of any deal.

The group has already had an eventful few years, which was headlined by the demerger of their businesses (Talk Talk Consumer, PXC [Wholesale] and Talk Talk Business Direct) and 2024’s signing of a crucial £400m refinancing package, which enabled them to avoid a default on their debts until 2027 (here, here). This was later followed up by a £120m funding deal in 2025 to help tackle ongoing financial pressures (here).

More recently they’ve also launched a major brand refresh and advertising push for their consumer broadband ISP business (here). At the same time the group is still doing everything it can to cut costs and tackle their underlying debt problem, including the possible disposal (sale) of its remaining businesses and more job cuts (here). In terms of the sale, TalkTalk is already reported to have advanced its talks with several prospective bidders.

However, the latest development today comes from the FT (paywall), which reports that the Group is about to receive an injection of £115m from Ares Management. As well as strengthening the Group’s finances ahead of any deal, the investment also appears to be partly intended to replace a £47m debt facility, which was due to be redeemed in March 2026.

The report indicates that Virgin Media (O2) may have expressed an interest in TalkTalk’s consumer division, while Octopus Investments is said to have an interest in TalkTalk’s business unit. But there’s currently no guarantee that a sale for any part of the business will go ahead (the Group has often struggled to find buyers).

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

National broadband and network access provider Openreach (BT), which has already put 6,000 Electric Vehicles (EV) on UK roads to support their broadband and phone engineers, have today signed an agreement with Smart Charge, Sainsbury’s nationwide EV charging network, to provide its engineers with access to their “ultra-rapid charging hubs” in 80 locations across the country.

The operator, which manages the second-largest commercial vehicle fleet in the UK (c.23,000 vehicles), is currently aiming to upgrade the “vast majority” of their diesel-powered vans and cars to EVs by the end of March 2031 (supporting their Net Zero target for the same date).

The latest move makes it easier for Openreach’s telecoms engineers to keep their electric vans on the road, giving them access to 150kW rapid chargers and simple tap‑to‑pay pricing, including Nectar points on every charge, and 24/7 support.

The network operator has also now installed more than 3,500 home chargers for its engineers throughout the country, but one in three of their engineers are unable to install these at home and around half of their EV drivers rely primarily on public charging. This is where the deal with Sainsbury’s could come in handy.

Openreach has also previously built a partnership with First Bus, so engineers can charge their vans at First Bus depots, taking pressure off public charging points and making life easier for those who live in flats.

Judy O’Keefe, Director of Fleet at Openreach, said:

“Partnerships like this make a real difference. Switching a fleet of our size to electric is a big job, and it only works if day-to-day charging is simple for our engineers – the people who are out on the road every day keeping the country connected. Reducing emissions across the fleet also brings real benefits for local communities, with cleaner air and less noise in the towns and villages we serve.”

With this agreement, our engineers – particularly those who can’t install a home charger – have access to fast, reliable public charging at Sainsbury’s stores nationwide. They get competitive rates and earn Nectar points every time they plug in. It’s a simple, practical benefit that helps keep them moving and supports the high-quality service our customers expect.”

Openreach’s fleet is currently expected to reach 7,000 EVs by the end of March 2026 and they’ve so far also made a £3 million investment into related charging infrastructure.

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Mobile operator EE (BT) has worked with mobile network partner Ericsson to introduce two new capabilities to their core 5G Standalone (5G SA / 5G+) mobile broadband network – Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) and Network Exposure Function (NEF), which enables programmable connectivity, letting businesses and their developers request network performance on demand.

Just to recap. Early 5G deployments were Non-Standalone (NSA) and still had some reliance on slower 4G connectivity. But 5G+ networks are pure end-to-end 5G that can deliver ultra-low latency times, greater energy efficiency, better mobile broadband speeds (particularly uploads), network slicing, improved support for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, increased reliability and security etc.

Building on the deployment of Ericsson’s dual‑mode 5G Core on BT’s Network Cloud, the new Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) capability is a further improvement to network slicing. This feature normally allows for multiple virtual network slices to be setup across the same physical network. Each slice is isolated from other network traffic to give dedicated performance, with the features of the slice tailored to the use case requirements (online gaming, enhanced mobile broadband, payment processing at a big event etc.).

The addition of NSSF will enhance BT’s ability to manage and orchestrate network slices by selecting the optimal network slice for each user based on factors including time, location, subscription type, current network load, and application requirements. NSSF can also dynamically adjust slice assignments in real-time based on network conditions and analytics, meaning that if one network slice becomes congested traffic can be intelligently redistributed to deliver consistent performance even under changing conditions.

The change is being complemented by the introduction of Network Exposure Function (NEF), which enables BT/EE’s customers, developers and partners to integrate selected network capabilities directly into their applications and workflows via secure, standardized APIs. BT seem to be evolving their network from a connectivity layer into a programmable platform, which can support new services and partnerships.

NEF could also provide developers access to capabilities such as quality‑of‑service controls and device authentication, allowing service differentiation through standardized APIs which reduce complexity and the need for specialized network expertise (e.g. a fleet management app could request dedicated low latency connectivity for vehicles in a specific area, or a bank could use real-time device authentication to strengthen fraud checks during mobile transactions).

Greg McCall, Chief Security and Networks Officer, BT Group, said:

“Our renewed partnership with Ericsson reinforces our ambition to evolve BT’s network into a more flexible and intelligent platform for our customers. Capabilities like NSSF and NEF are important building blocks that will allow us to respond to customer needs in new ways as the wider ecosystem matures. This is about putting the right foundations in place today so we can unlock more advanced connectivity opportunities in the future.”

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

The London Access Point (LONAP), which is a not-for-profit Layer 2 Internet Exchange Point (IXP) based in London that was first established in 1997 and works with various different members (broadband ISPs, CDNs, mobile operators etc.), has just announced its new fees for 2026 and once again moved to reduce their port fees.

In a brief email to members, LONAP echoes last year’s update by saying they were “pleased to announce a reduction in port fees”, which would be effective from 1st April 2026. The reductions are said to represent an average price decrease of 14% across all ports on the exchange, “delivering over £228k of annual savings to our Members“.

The latest LONAP pricing is available at https://www.lonap.net/fees, although their member notification also included a brief summary of the key highlights.

LONAP Price Reductions for 2026

Dear Members,

We are pleased to announce a reduction in port fees effective 1 April 2026.

The minimum service level for a LONAP port will be 5Gbps on a 10 GE port;

– 5Gbps on 10 GE ports: Remains at £95 per month. Members paying via Direct Debit from a UK bank account will continue to receive a £25 discount, bringing the effective price down to £70 per month.

– 10 GE and 10 GE on 100 GE ports: Reduced from £150 per month to £125 per month.

– 20Gbps on 100 GE ports: Reduced from £300 per month to £250 per month.

– 40Gbps and 40 GE on 100 GE ports: Reduced from £550 per month to £500 per month.

– 100 GE ports: Reduced from £1,000 per month to £900 per month.

– Additional 100 GE ports in a LAG now charged at £700 each per month.

– 400 GE ports: Remain at £2,500 per month.

These reductions represent an average price decrease of 14% across all ports on the exchange, delivering over £228k of annual savings to our members.

The latest LONAP pricing is always available at https://www.lonap.net/fees

We will continue to provide a £25 per month, per port discount on all services for Members who pay by Direct Debit from an eligible UK bank account.

Signing up is quick and easy at https://www.lonap.net/directdebit.

If you have any questions about pricing or wish to discuss your current peering arrangements on the exchange, please contact Richard Irving, xxxxxxxxx@lonap.net.

For port upgrades, moves, or any other technical queries, please email support@lonap.net

Kind regards