In today’s economy, reliable broadband internet access is crucial for using online government services and participating in eCommerce. While affordable connectivity is common in many urban areas, many rural and remote communities still lack adequate options. Demand for high-speed internet over both fixed and mobile networks has surged, but worldwide access remains uneven. Despite ongoing … Read more

Politicians and security officials have expressed outrage after details of a sensitive meeting—held to decide whether the UK should permit Huawei equipment in national 5G networks—were leaked to the press. Minutes from a National Security Council (NSC) session appeared in newspapers on Wednesday, just one day after the closed-door meeting. Prime Minister Theresa May attended … Read more

Virgin Media has committed to upgrading its entire UK broadband network to full-fibre by 2028. Today, the operator’s infrastructure mainly uses Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) technology, with some Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) implemented via Radio Frequency over Glass (RFoG). The network is currently being upgraded to support the DOCSIS 3.1 standard, a process due to complete by … Read more

(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/gyn9038) Converged services are not a new idea in telecommunications. For over a decade many providers have successfully bundled fixed-line telephony and broadband into single offerings. In the UK, for example, about 46% of households subscribe to a so-called “double-play” package. More recently, “triple-play” bundles that combine fixed-line telephony, broadband and paid television … Read more

(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/Easyturn) SK Telecom, in collaboration with Samsung, has launched the world’s first nationwide LoRaWAN network for the Internet of Things (IoT), providing broad low-power, long-range connectivity across the entire country. SK Telecom and Samsung have a history of joint innovations; most notably, they previously demonstrated a 7.5 Gbps “5G” link. This latest effort … Read more

Three UK has made its mobile network significantly more sustainable by rolling out next-generation, AI-driven hardware and software from Ericsson. Over the past 18 months, Three and Ericsson have carried out a network modernisation programme focused on improving energy performance. The project pairs Ericsson’s energy-efficient radio hardware with advanced AI and data analytics to reduce … Read more

T-Mobile has been ordered to demonstrate that it did not provide false or misleading information to government regulators about its plans to shut down 3G services when seeking approval for its merger with Sprint. In a ruling by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), T-Mobile was directed “to show cause why it should not be … Read more

Global Wireless Solutions (GWS) has launched a new benchmark testing app in the UK. Currently available for Android devices only, the app is targeted at mobile operators, device manufacturers, regulators and network engineers who need reliable, repeatable measurements of wireless performance. The app is positioned as one of the most comprehensive tools in its category, … Read more

Self-organizing networks (SON) help mobile operators manage the growing complexity of radio access networks (RAN) by automating provisioning, configuration and reconfiguration to optimize capacity and performance. The advantages are tangible: operators that have deployed SON report capacity utilization improvements of more than 15 percent and reductions in dropped call rates exceeding 20 percent. However, like … Read more

France’s leading telecom operator this week reaffirmed that WiFi offload is the most practical strategy for managing growing mobile data traffic. At the Broadband World Forum on Wednesday, Alain Maloberti, Senior Vice President of Networks at France Telecom, stressed the value of using existing WiFi infrastructure to relieve pressure on the mobile network. He argued … Read more