The UK government will move to ban the possession and supply of “SIM farms” as part of a broader effort to curb fraud and protect the public from scammers. SIM farms are specialised devices that can hold large numbers of SIM cards simultaneously, allowing criminals to automate the mass distribution of fraudulent text messages. These … Read more

Google has long pursued ambitious projects to bring internet access to remote and underserved areas, including the well-known Project Loon. Now the company is reportedly planning a new initiative: launching a constellation of small satellites to deliver global Wi‑Fi coverage. According to reports, the initial rollout would include 180 small, high-capacity satellites placed in low … Read more

The FCC is updating satellite spectrum rules to expand broadband capacity and reshape how telecommunications providers connect their networks. The agency is voting on new regulations intended to modernize how satellite systems share spectrum, replacing decades-old power-flux density limits that governed interactions between Geostationary Orbit (GSO) and Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) systems. The FCC estimates these … Read more

Ericsson and Swisscom have announced the completion of what they describe as Europe’s first end-to-end, multi-vendor 5G NR call, carried out in the Swiss city of Burgdorf. The call took place on Swisscom’s 3GPP-compliant network using Ericsson radio equipment and the Ericsson Cloud Packet Core, a platform designed to deliver converged communication services across mobile … Read more

An overhaul of telecoms rules by the European Union has been called a “missed opportunity” by the association representing Europe’s operators. ETNO (European Telecommunications Network Operators) said the reform of the Electronic Communications Code (ECC) “represented a once-in-a-decade chance to simplify and improve EU rules for the sector in the interest of European citizens and … Read more

(c)iStock.com/Robert Herhold Updated T-Mobile US has unveiled a new initiative aimed at changing the mobile landscape: free calling from the United States to both Mexico and Canada. Branded “Mobile Without Borders,” the announcement accompanies T-Mobile’s report of 2.1 million net customer additions in the second quarter of 2015, marking the ninth consecutive quarter with more … Read more

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has introduced a proposal designed to strengthen the security of U.S. networks by improving internet routing protections. The initiative would require internet service providers (ISPs) to produce confidential reports describing their current and planned efforts to address vulnerabilities in the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), the core protocol that routes traffic … Read more

Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei has denied any wrongdoing after US prosecutors filed a series of criminal charges against the company. The indictment accuses Huawei of offenses including bank fraud, obstruction of justice, and theft of technology. In an official statement, Huawei said it was “disappointed to learn of the charges brought against the company today” … Read more

Researchers at Bell Labs have set a new broadband speed record, achieving more than eight times the previous limit over existing copper landlines. Their XG-FAST demonstration reached 10 gigabits per second, a rate roughly 1,000 times faster than many typical consumer broadband connections. This result also outpaces the fastest consumer fiber packages, such as those … Read more

(c)iStock.com/DrAfter123 In a previous piece from September, I examined how subscription-based business models could shape Communications Service Providers (CSPs) and suggested that the Internet of Things (IoT) presents some of the largest future opportunities. Here, I’ll take a closer look at the IoT side to clarify those possibilities. First, what exactly is the IoT? Definitions … Read more