The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned several adverts for UK fixed wireless broadband ISP 6G Internet (IX Wireless) after they were found to have caused confusing by “misleadingly implying that a sixth-generation mobile network existed and was able to be used by consumers.” Awkward. The provider, which has previously spoken of an aspiration to […]

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The deal deepens the relationship between the two firms, who have worked together since 2020 

Infosys, India’s second largest IT services company, has signed a five-year contract with Liberty Global to provide Liberty with services worth $1.64 billion. The deal has the potential to be extended by an additional three years, and if so, will be worth $2.3 billion. 

The deal is an expansion of a pre-existing agreement established in 2020, in which Infosys supports Liberty Global’s various technology services. This expansion will see Infosys take over the building and operations management of Liberty Global’s Horizon entertainment and connectivity platform, incorporating external innovations such as Infosys’ AI technologies (Topaz™) to ensure an improved operation in both scalability and efficiency. 

Horizon is the platform through which Liberty Global’s 10 million worldwide TV customers access content, including both live and on-demand video. Since 2020, it has been run by Liberty Global with assistance from Infosys, but the new deal will see Infosys take over the platform’s operation and development. 

If the deal is approved by regulators, Liberty Global will license Horizon to Infosys, who will then run the system for service providers outside of the Liberty Global Group. According to Liberty, this will  “enable millions of new customers, around the world, to experience next-generation digital entertainment and connectivity services through Horizon for the first time” and provide both Liberty Global and Infosys with new revenue opportunities.  

But despite this handover, Liberty Global will retain some elements of control, including product roadmaps, as well as “all intellectual property for the Horizon entertainment and connectivity platforms”. 

“We are excited to bring Infosys Topaz™ to enable transformative AI-first capabilities to complement the cloud-first digital foundation we have laid for Liberty Global using Infosys Cobalt. This will unveil a new chapter in our joint journey of innovation as we reimagine entertainment and the connectivity experience for millions of global consumers,” said Salil Parekh, CEO and MD of Infosys. 

“This expansion of our relationship is the right next step to further strengthen the performance of our digital-first entertainment and connectivity solutions [and] scale their reach and impact… as we chart the next round of innovations that we will drive together,” said Liberty Global CTO Enrique Rodriguez. 

According to the companies, it is estimated that over 400 Liberty Global employees will join Infosys to assist in the running of the licensed platform. 

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Press Release

2Africa, the largest submarine cable system in the world, was officially launched today in Mozambique, 15th August, in the city of Nacala-Porto. A first-of-its-kind data centre was also officially opened today by project partner, Master Power Technologies.

This is the first submarine cable to land in the north of the country. It promises greater internet capacity and accelerated connectivity for Vodacom customers, supporting the growing digital economy in Mozambique.

Through this submarine fibre optic cable infrastructure, Vodacom will provide a direct international gateway for faster and more reliable internet services in the country.

The 2Africa consortium includes eight international partners: China Mobile International; Meta; Bayobab (Formerly MTN GlobalConnect); Orange; Center3; Telecom Egypt; Vodafone Group (the parent company of Vodacom); and WIOCC. These companies have partnered to build 2Africa. Launched in May 2020, the submarine cable project aims to significantly increase the capacity, quality, and availability of internet connectivity between Africa and the rest of the world.

Vodacom is the designated partner for the landing, providing infrastructure for the cable installation at existing sites in the Maputo harbour area and Nacala port.

“The landing of the 2Africa submarine cable reaffirms Vodacom’s commitment to boost digital inclusion in Mozambique and the African continent by increasing access to quality internet services and investing in network infrastructure to support this. This is an ambitious challenge for which we cannot achieve results alone. Collaboration between other industry players and the public sector is key, to enable the connection of more citizens across the continent,” revealed José Mendes, Managing Executive: Vodacom Business, Mozambique.

From this infrastructure, service providers will be able to obtain capacity on a fair and equitable basis, encouraging and supporting the development of a healthy internet services ecosystem. Direct international connectivity can then be provided to data centres, enterprises, and wholesale customers. Once the fibre optic cable system is deployed, businesses and consumers will benefit from better quality, reliability, and lower latency for Internet services, including teleworking, high-definition video streaming, as well as advanced multimedia and mobile video applications.

The landing of the fibre optic cable system also offers potential for much-needed regional job creation in sectors that rely on direct international connectivity, such as data centres, call centres and software development. This employment opportunity can help contribute to local and national socio-economic development.

The 2Africa project supports further growth of 4G, 5G and fixed broadband access, providing better connectivity to underserved and rural areas as well as network resilience. As a gateway to international connectivity, the fibre optic cable landing will help develop telecoms networks in every province.

Submarine cable systems that provide international networks between continents and countries are an integral part of the connectivity value chain and increase the internet’s ability to meet the current and future demands of Africa’s growing digitalisation, while catalysing economic growth. An RTIstudy indicated that the 2Africa cable is expected to stimulate an economic impact of US$26.2-36.9 billion, equivalent to 0.42-0.58% of Africa’s GDP, within two to three years of its commissioning.

Alcatel Submarine Networks is responsible for the manufacture and installation of the 2Africa cable, which is scheduled for completion in 2024. The cable system is 45,000 kilometres long and with a design capacity of 180 Terabits per second. It will connect Europe (to the east via Egypt), the Middle East (via Saudi Arabia) and Africa. Essentially, the 2Africa project will connect 19 countries in Africa and 33 in total.

The submarine fibre optic cable system enables more communities to access transformative online resources, from education and healthcare to jobs and financial services, and to experience the economic and social benefits of seamless connectivity.

Is 2Africa a game-changer for the African continent? Join the operators in discussion at the world’s largest submarine cable networks event, Submarine Networks EMEA 2024

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Rural UK broadband ISP Truespeed, which is deploying a 10Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network to homes in the South West of England (mostly in Devon, Wiltshire and Somerset), has revealed that they’ve now covered 91,000 premises (up from 75k in May 2023) and have over 17,000 customers (up from 15k). The operator, which holds an […]

A new survey of over 1,000 UK people, which was conducted by ExpressVPN, has found that 59% of respondents do not trust their neighbours with access to their home broadband ISP network via Wi-Fi and seemingly for good reasons – linked to privacy and security. But we assume this means 41% would still trust their […]

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The newly signed contract will strengthen the technological infrastructure of National Air Traffic Services (NATS), which manages more than 2.5 million UK flights each year   

A new deal between BT and NATS will see the UK telecoms giant upgrade the air traffic control specialist’s critical data network and cybersecurity systems across numerous sites. 

NATS manages all UK airspace from two air traffic control centres and provides air traffic services to 14 UK airports.  

As part of the deal, BT will be responsible for the modernisation and management of NATS’ network, as well as the company’s cybersecurity. The latter will involve the development of an upgraded cybersecurity system including a new proactive central coordination point for cyber resilience. 

“NATS is implementing a truly transformational technology programme to keep the skies safe and support our customers worldwide, so it is vital we have BT as industry leaders alongside us,” said Tim Bullock, NATS’ Supply Chain & Facilities Management Director. 

 “Secure, high-bandwidth connectivity is essential in keeping the UK’s air traffic moving in the future – so after many years of building world-class networks and cyber security for providers of critical national infrastructure, we are looking forward to delivering this now for NATS,” said Andy Rowe, BT’s Director of Central Government. 

“Under the partnership we will be responsible for both network provision and cyber security within the NATS strategic supplier ecosystem, and will be embarking on consolidating and modernising the entire network to build a world-class digital infrastructure that is fit for the future of air traffic management.” 

BT has worked with NATS for many years, including using them as a case study for their IP Connect network back in 2019. 

Join the conversation about the evolving UK telecoms landscape at this year’s Connected Britain   

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The operator has gained access to all of the spectrum it purchased at auction roughly four months ahead of schedule

Back in 2021, Verizon paid a whopping $45.5 billion at auction for 5G spectrum in the C-band, planning on using it at the backbone of their national 5G network.

However, there was a catch: some of the spectrum was currently being used by satellite operators, like Intelsat and SES, to provide video and radio services.

Thankfully, this issue had been foreseen well in advance by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which had introduced a plan in 2020 offering the satellite players incentives totalling almost $10 billion to clear the C-band spectrum quickly by December 2023. Since then, most satellite operators have moved swiftly to migrate their services off the C-band and therefore collect the sizable payouts.

Now, the roughly four months before the deadline for the satellite players to shift their services, Verizon has announced that the migration process is complete, and it now has access to the entirety of its C-band spectrum holdings.

As a result, it will begin to rollout the additional spectrum across the country, noting that this will allow 5G customers in some parts of the country double or even triple the current bandwidth.

“Early access to the remainder of the C-band spectrum puts us another four months ahead of schedule from our original projections. This additional spectrum will make 5G Ultra Wideband available to even more Americans and will open up more availability of our home and business broadband solutions,” said Joe Russo, EVP & President of Global Networks and Technology for Verizon. “The more spectrum we deploy on our network, the more capacity we add for our customers to connect.”

Making use of the newly freed-up spectrum is seemingly a simple task, with the operator’s existing 5G RAN only requiring a simple software update to integrate the additional airwaves.

Verizon had initially deployed 60MHz of C-band spectrum across 46 markets in 2022, a total that slowly expanded as the satellite operators gradually migrated away from the C-band. Now, full access to the company’s C-band holdings means the operator can provide a minimum of 140MHz of spectrum across the contiguous US, with an average of 161MHz.

In 158 markets in the US ­­– covering almost 40 million people – customers will have access to the full 200MHz of spectrum.

What impact will additional C-band spectrum have on 5G consumers in the US? Join the discussion at Connected America 2024, live in Dallas, Texas

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News 

The two firms have been collaborating for over a decade on 4G and 5G innovations 

BT and Qualcomm Technologies have announced the continuation of their partnership with their 5G lab facilities based in Qualcomm’s offices in Hampshire. 

The facilities include 5G test labs using BT’s live environment, which allow the two firms to continue testing and authenticating new, innovative 5G technology. 

“By working directly with Qualcomm Technologies in an embedded 5G lab, we’ll be able to realise the benefits of closer working, helping to bring the next generation of technology to our customers sooner,” said Naveen Khapali at BT. 

‘Our state-of-the-art lab facilities will help facilitate and speed up the time-to-market, which means customers can benefit from the new technology sooner,’ said Bikrant Jain, Business Development Director at Qualcomm 

The two firms have been collaborating for over ten years on technological innovations. In April, for example, EE (owned by BT) set a 5G spectrum aggregation record, becoming the first European network to successfully aggregate 5G through seven different spectrum carriers, delivering the network’s fastest speeds to date. 

How is the UK telecoms landscape evolving in 2023? Join the operators in discussion at this year’s Connected Britain event  

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Sky Business considers buying up TalkTalk B2B unit
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Internet video stream giant Netflix has continued its steady move into the video gaming market this week by launching a “limited beta test” of their new remote play cloud gaming service, which is currently only available to a “small number” of broadband using customers in the United Kingdom and Canada on selected TVs. Over the […]