The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has expanded its satellite communications capabilities through a AUS$221 million contract with Inmarsat, bringing Inmarsat’s satellite services into broader operational use across the Defence Force. Under this arrangement the ADF operates as a virtual satellite operator, allowing Defence to directly manage and allocate satellite resources. Inmarsat reports that the arrangement … Read more

The Senate has formally confirmed Jessica Rosenworcel as the Federal Communications Commission’s first permanent chairwoman. President Biden’s nominee has led the FCC as acting chair since January 2021, following the resignation of former chair Ajit Pai. The Senate vote was 68 to 31 in favor of confirming Rosenworcel as chairwoman, a decision that also grants … Read more

Let’s Encrypt, the non-profit certificate authority, has begun issuing certificates for IP addresses after years of requests for this capability. Until now, Let’s Encrypt issued certificates only for domain names, forcing those who needed certificates for raw IP addresses to turn to the small number of alternative certificate authorities that offered that option. IP addresses … Read more

KPN and Dutch pension fund ABP have agreed to form a new tower company, TowerCo. The partnership supports KPN’s “Connect, Activate & Grow” strategy by optimising the value of passive infrastructure assets while preserving strategic flexibility. The agreement responds to rising data consumption and the rollout of new technologies. As demand grows for network expansion … Read more

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