This week's roundup looked at the top news stories from the Global B2B tech & telecoms industry.
The stories cover subsea cable expansion, encrypted messaging, cloud infrastructure investments, subsea cable security, Google's acquirement of Wiz, telecom infrastructure, standalone 5G networks, fibre connectivity, Nvidia's plans for a new quantum computing lab and satellite direct-to-cell messaging services.
Here are our highlights:
monday_____________________________
EU funds €14.3m for Medusa subsea cable expansion into West Africa
AFR-IX Telecom has secured a €14.3 million grant from the European Commission to extend the Medusa Subsea Cable System into West Africa.
Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/4kTa2k2
The GSMA has announced the release of new specifications for Rich Communication Services (RCS), the chief upshot of which is secure messaging between Android and iOS devices.
Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/4iyBv8U
tuesday___________________________
Oracle to invest $5bn in UK cloud infrastructure
Oracle will invest $5 billion over the next five years to boost its cloud infrastructure in the UK, supporting the government’s vision for AI-driven growth. The move will help businesses and public services access cutting-edge AI, multicloud, and sovereign cloud solutions.
Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3FwTRZM
Subsea fibre cables can 'listen out' for sabotage
Some companies are trying to monitor what's going on in the vicinity of any cable – by using fibre optic signals to listen out for surreptitious underwater drones, or hostile vessels dragging their anchors along the seabed.
Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/4iCXAmR
Wednesday___________________________
Google announces agreement to acquire Wiz for $32bn
Google LLC announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Wiz, Inc., a leading cloud security platform headquartered in New York, for $32 billion, subject to closing adjustments, in an all-cash transaction.
Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3DQKWli
Data: 81% of telcos admit aging infrastructure slowing innovation
Legacy infrastructure is straining service providers financially and operationally, yet many remain hesitant to retire ageing systems like copper, 2G, and 3G, new research from TXO reveals.
EE targets 5G SA access for 28 million people by end of March
More UK towns and cities are set to be upgraded to EE’s 5G Standalone network this month – including Exeter, Caerphilly, Doncaster, Middlesbrough and Sunderland.
UK still Europe's fastest growing full fibre market
Operators in the UK added 4.2 million homes passed in the year to September 2024, putting the market at the top of the FTTH Council Europe's latest growth leaderboard, in volume terms at least, a position it also occupied in the same publication a year ago.
Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/4iCsjQO
FRIDAY____________________________
Nvidia to open quantum computing lab, CEO says
Verizon fires back at T-Mobile in battle of the satellite 'firsts'
US telco Verizon has laid claim to being the first to offer customers a satellite direct-to-cell messaging service, a little over month after T-Mobile made a similar proclamation.
Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/4hsXZqT
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