Will Mobile Operators Rise to the Wi‑Fi Challenge?

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(c)iStock.com/AnthiaCumming Wi‑Fi calling is gaining strong momentum as mobile operators seek to counter the growing threat from over‑the‑top VoIP services offered by internet application providers. Reliable voice service remains central to the mobile experience and essential for operators’ customer retention efforts. A fully integrated, bearer‑neutral voice service is an attractive proposition, but the trend has … Read more

How 5G Will Transform Multiplayer Gaming and Cloud Play

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While some regions still wait for reliable 4G, much of the world is already moving forward with 5G. This next-generation mobile network promises dramatically faster speeds, far lower latency, and greater capacity. If you follow tech and gaming news, you’re probably enthusiastic about 5G’s rollout. But what does it mean specifically for gaming? Below we … Read more

Opinion: Why the Smart Home Might Never Be Truly Smart

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(Photo credit of Kit) The Internet of Things (IoT) has not yet fulfilled its promise. Progress is slowed by competing standards and an industry that struggles to reach consensus. Analysts place the technology near the “Peak of Inflated Expectations” on the Hype Cycle, reflecting a mix of notable successes and visible failures. Many IoT successes … Read more

Dell’Oro Predicts Continued Downturn in RAN Market

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A new report from Dell’Oro Group predicts that the global Radio Access Network (RAN) market will remain in decline over the coming years. Dell’Oro forecasts RAN revenues to fall at a compound annual rate of about 1% through 2024. This downturn follows a period of rapid expansion—roughly 40% growth between 2017 and 2021—driven largely by … Read more

Ofcom Raises Concerns Over BT’s Ongoing Openreach Influence

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The UK telecoms regulator Ofcom has reiterated concerns that BT continues to exert substantial influence over decisions affecting Openreach, the national broadband network. After years of complaints from rival providers that BT — Openreach’s previous owner — had favoured its own retail operations in strategic choices, Ofcom intervened last year to change the company’s structure. … Read more

UK Telecoms Infrastructure Review Charts Plan for World-Class Connectivity

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The UK government has published its Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, outlining a strategy to deliver what it calls “world-class” connectivity across the country. The report begins by reviewing recent broadband progress. It notes the government met its target in December last year to provide superfast broadband—currently defined as above 24 Mbps—to 95 percent of UK … Read more

Korean Telecoms Join Forces to Standardize Network APIs

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South Korea’s three leading telecom operators—SK Telecom, KT, and LG U+—have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to create and adopt a unified Network Open API standard. The agreement is designed to speed digital transformation across the industry, simplify integration for developers and businesses, and improve compatibility with international services. Historically, each operator provided its … Read more

GSMA: Rising Spectrum Costs Could Harm Mobile Network Performance

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The GSMA has found that mobile operators are struggling with spectrum costs, and those costs are holding back necessary investment to improve network performance. On average, the GSMA reports that consumers pay roughly 38% less for mobile services than they did ten years ago. That’s good news for household budgets, but it masks serious pressures … Read more

Amazon Web Services Outage: What Happened and What’s Down Now

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Amazon’s cloud service experienced a brief outage this week, interrupting service across parts of the U.S. East Coast and affecting several high-profile sites, including Netflix, Reddit and Foursquare. Some European customers also faced disruption after lightning struck a data center in Dublin, Ireland. The affected Amazon Web Services (AWS) systems were restored within about half … Read more

Telefónica to Pilot Mobile Wallet System Across Europe

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BlackBerry maker RIM has announced a partnership with Spanish telecom giant Telefónica to trial NFC mobile wallet technology across Europe. While NFC payments are already widely adopted in parts of Asia, uptake in Western markets has been slow as the industry navigates competing interests among device makers, carriers, banks and retailers. Recently, however, several major … Read more