Vodafone has confirmed the sale of its Spanish operations to Zegona Communications as part of a strategic reshaping of its portfolio to drive future growth. The agreement is valued at €5 billion, consisting of €4.1 billion in cash and up to €0.9 billion in Redeemable Preference Shares (RPS). Once the transaction closes, Vodafone will continue … Read more

Mobilitie, headquartered in Newport Beach, California, has installed a new cellular wireless system at Avaya Stadium in San Jose. The upgraded network provides fans with advanced voice and data communications powered by more than 150 small digital antennas, remote units, and other core network components. The neutral-host distributed antenna system (DAS) deployed by Mobilitie uses … Read more

Amdocs, a leading provider of customer experience systems and services, released a survey yesterday focused on PLM (Product Life-cycle Management) for telecom service offerings. TelecomsTech spoke with Eitan Elkin from Amdocs to discuss the survey findings and whether telecom operators are positioned to face future challenges and emerging competitors. Eitan explains the PLM background: “PLM … Read more

San Francisco–based networking leader Cisco has released its predictions for 2014. As journalists, we receive many forecasts, but it’s hard to ignore guidance from a company with Cisco’s scale and experience. Throughout 2013 we frequently covered and discussed the trend known as the “Internet of Things” and how the industry often lacked a clear direction. … Read more

British cabinet minister Michael Gove has denounced the rumours linking 5G to coronavirus as “dangerous nonsense,” as a wave of vandalism has seen mobile masts set alight across the UK. You may have seen the claims circulating online. Scrolling social media recently reveals posts promoting the idea that 5G networks are responsible for COVID-19 — … Read more

A recent joint innovation project between Ericsson and Deutsche Telekom successfully demonstrated a millimetre-wave link capable of transmitting data at 40 Gbps. The live trial, staged at the Deutsche Telekom Service Centre in Athens, marks a clear step forward from today’s typical 10 Gbps deployments toward the eventual 100 Gbps era. The link operated over … Read more

For years there has been ongoing speculation about Apple’s potential move into the television market. The company’s interest was made most explicit by CEO Steve Jobs, who told biographer Walter Isaacson that the current TV experience was “brain dead.” “I should be able to walk into a room, ignore the remote controls, and say, ‘OK … Read more

(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/akrp) Why do over-the-top (OTT) communication apps like Skype, Viber, Line and WhatsApp exist? In my view, they arise to exploit inefficiencies in the market. If a ubiquitous, seamless, low-cost communication service that connected anyone, anywhere, across multiple media already existed, there would be no need for OTT players. In the mobile landscape, … Read more

(Image Credit: littlemoresunshine) Google’s Project Loon aims to provide internet access using high-altitude balloons that deliver a 4G-like signal down to the ground from roughly 20 kilometers up. In a significant development, Telstra, one of Australia’s largest mobile carriers, has partnered with Google to launch a test of 20 balloons over western Queensland this December. … Read more

(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/stocknshares) More than 36,000 Verizon employees are set to begin a strike tomorrow over a contract dispute. Verizon, however, says it is “fully prepared” to continue serving customers and has been making contingency preparations for such an outcome. The Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), which … Read more