Samsung Surpasses Apple in South Korea as Brand Loyalty Falls

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It’s another day in the ongoing Apple versus Samsung narrative. Beyond the continuing patent battles and courtroom headlines, a new survey from South Korea offers a less-than-encouraging picture for Apple’s brand loyalty in its rival’s home market. According to DIGIECO, a research group affiliated with Korea Telecom, 53 percent of 416 iPhone users surveyed said … Read more

Huawei India CEO: India Must Decide Independently on 5G Vendors

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Huawei India CEO Jay Chen urged that India should make its own independent decision about whether to restrict Chinese 5G vendors, rather than follow pressure from other countries. In an interview with the Economic Times, Chen emphasized Huawei’s confidence in its relationships within India, saying: “The Indian government, companies and customers all have their full … Read more

Google Stores Arrive in Three UK Shops — What to Expect

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For some time there has been speculation that Google might follow Apple’s lead and open physical retail locations to showcase the hardware the company has been investing in recently. As Google expands beyond web services into consumer devices, brick-and-mortar presence could help customers explore and buy products like Chromecast, Chromebooks, Nexus phones, and emerging wearables. … Read more

Apple Courts UK Telecom Partner for TV Plans and Beach Walk Perks

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Apple is reportedly seeking a UK-based telecommunications partner to expand the reach of its TV platform in an important market for the company. According to a report in The Telegraph, BT is the frontrunner in talks with Apple. BT, which also owns the UK’s largest mobile operator, EE, is expected to distribute Apple TV devices … Read more

Verizon and Nokia Deploy Private 5G Network at Thames Freeport

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Verizon Business, Thames Freeport, and Nokia are collaborating to deploy private 5G networks across major logistics and manufacturing sites along the River Thames in the UK. The initiative is designed to drive long-term digital transformation in one of the country’s busiest maritime logistics hubs, modernising operations and enabling advanced industrial use cases. The private 5G … Read more

How Ending European Roaming Charges Will Trigger New Service Innovation

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After a long regulatory process, the European Union has abolished mobile roaming charges. As of June 15, mobile network operators may no longer impose extra fees for calls, texts, or data used while traveling anywhere within the 28 EU member states. This change is welcome news for European consumers, vacationers, and business travelers who no … Read more

Skype Turns 10: 3D Video Calls Are Coming

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Skype turns 10 today, and according to reports it is developing 3D video calling technology. Microsoft’s corporate vice president for Skype, Mark Gillett, confirmed the work in an interview with the BBC. He said the technology exists in the lab and the team is evaluating device ecosystems and capabilities to determine when it could be … Read more

Cisco to Buy BroadSoft for $1.9B to Expand Cloud and Software Services

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Cisco has announced it will acquire cloud calling and contact center solutions provider BroadSoft for $1.9 billion (net of cash). This acquisition strengthens Cisco’s unified communications portfolio and enhances its ability to support the large number of legacy TDM (time-division multiplexing) lines that are expected to migrate to IP-based and cloud-native solutions over time. By … Read more

VMO2 Tower Stake Sale Could Fetch Over £1 Billion

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Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) has started marketing at least 50% of its stake in Cornerstone, the UK’s largest telecommunications tower company. If VMO2 were to sell its entire holding, the transaction could generate more than £1.5 billion, based on an estimated total valuation for Cornerstone of roughly £3 billion. The company has circulated sale materials … Read more

Verizon Trials NG-PON2 Fiber with 40G Total Capacity

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(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/ljhimages) Earlier this month Verizon announced in a press release that it has begun laboratory testing of ADTRAN’s NG-PON2 technology, marking the first step toward commercial deployment. Verizon plans to introduce NG-PON2 initially for a range of business solutions in 2017, with residential rollout to follow as the technology matures and operational experience … Read more