Telefónica has launched a collaboration with the Association of Science and Technology Parks (APTE) to pilot blockchain technology across a wide range of Spanish companies. According to industry reports, the initiative will give roughly 8,000 firms located in science and technology parks throughout Spain access to Telefónica’s blockchain network. As part of the trial, Telefónica … Read more

Ofcom has announced a new “One Touch Switch” initiative designed to make switching broadband providers simpler and more reliable for consumers. Telecom providers have a long history of raising out-of-contract prices, a practice that often hits older and less digitally active customers hardest because they are less likely to shop around for better deals. One … Read more

T-Mobile has introduced the nation’s first commercial plan for Narrowband IoT (NB‑IoT) as it positions itself to benefit from expected growth in connected devices. NB‑IoT is based on the 3GPP standard and is frequently regarded as a stepping stone toward 5G IoT because it delivers many of the same advantages: extremely low power consumption, extended … Read more

(c)iStock.com/FilippoBacci A recent OpenCloud-sponsored survey shows that three-quarters of telecom operators plan to deploy a converged service layer (CSL) by 2018. A converged service layer is a service-layer architecture designed to deliver real-time voice and video calling services independently of the underlying access network. Operators are increasingly adopting CSLs to replace complex legacy service layers … Read more

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has authorized low-power wearable devices, including augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headsets, to operate in the 6 GHz frequency band without requiring an individual license. This decision responds to a growing influx of mixed-reality products and aims to enable broader consumer and commercial use of the spectrum. Allowing … Read more

By Susan Kuchinskas Government legislation is the primary driver shaping Latin American automotive markets, according to Scott Sedlik, vice president of marketing at INRIX. One prominent example is Brazil’s CONTRAN 245 regulation, which mandates that new vehicles include tracking modules. Currently in the early stages of implementation, CONTRAN 245 is expected to stimulate demand for … Read more

Industry sources indicate that IBM has shown interest in acquiring Research In Motion’s (RIM) enterprise services division, the unit responsible for the secure server infrastructure that supports BlackBerry devices’ email and messaging services. According to a Bloomberg report citing unnamed sources, IBM made an informal approach about purchasing the enterprise services business. The division operates … Read more

Intel announced substantial advances in its wireless product roadmap, unveiling new modems designed to accelerate 5G adoption. The company introduced the Intel XMM 8000 series, its first family of commercial 5G New Radio (5G NR) multi-mode modems, alongside the Intel XMM 7660, the company’s latest LTE modem. Intel previously introduced the XMM 7560 at Mobile … Read more

Samsung has been a relatively minor player in the current 5G market, but the company is positioning itself to take a leading role in the next generation of mobile networks by launching dedicated 6G research. The South Korean tech giant aims to gain an early advantage over long-established telecom equipment makers such as Nokia and … Read more

(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/BrianAJackson) Several countries have tried to expand surveillance powers, but the European Court of Justice has intervened to curb what could have been one of the most intrusive uses of personal data by a Western government. Under the pretense of protecting citizens from terrorism, Theresa May, while Home Secretary, championed the Investigatory Powers … Read more