(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/Leonardo Patrizi) RCS, or Rich Communication Services, is the mobile industry’s response to feature-rich over-the-top (OTT) messaging apps such as WhatsApp. As an interoperable standard, RCS supports group messaging, IP voice calls, high-resolution photo and file sharing, typing indicators, and read receipts across networks—bringing richer features to native carrier messaging. With traditional SMS … Read more

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has prohibited Three from running advertisements that claim it is the only network in the UK offering “real 5G.” UK advertising regulations require that any claim of being superior to competitors be supported by clear, substantiated evidence. Three’s advertisements relied on the fact that it holds a contiguous 100 MHz … Read more

There’s a clear sense of urgency woven through operator strategy conversations at MWC in Barcelona this week. Since last year’s show, the telco community has tried to develop over-the-top (OTT) services to counter the revenue pressure caused by independent OTT players. They have experimented with initiatives such as the Wholesale Applications Community. Overall, results have … Read more

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has urged manufacturers to eliminate default passwords on internet-exposed systems, warning that these credentials present serious risks when exploited by malicious actors. In a recent alert, CISA highlighted incidents where Iranian-affiliated cyber actors linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) used default passwords to access operational … Read more

(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/Tuomas Kujansuu) The Internet of Things (IoT) is moving quickly from concept to reality. At industry events, vendors showcase technologies that connect everyday objects and systems — from smart cars and m-Health solutions to connected homes and smart cities. Every participant in this ecosystem is working to secure a share of the expanding … Read more

(Image Credit: Three UK) A data breach at Three UK has put roughly six million customers at risk after attackers accessed the operator’s database using authorized credentials. Although financial details were not exposed in the incident, personal information such as names, phone numbers, addresses and dates of birth were accessed. Those records could be sold … Read more

According to Ramgopal Vidyanand, Celltick’s vice president of corporate marketing and business development, one of the biggest challenges for mobile operators today is that mobile devices have become the primary screen for users. In practical terms, that means operators who are currently lagging behind face an uphill battle; the situation is unlikely to improve without … Read more

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has released a draft outlining the performance targets it expects for the final 5G specification. This draft offers a preview of the capabilities networks should deliver to qualify as true 5G. If you prefer the full technical document, refer to the ITU draft linked in the original article; below is … Read more

SK Telecom has reported achieving exceptionally high download speeds during the final phase of its 5G trials using a Samsung Galaxy S10. In a collaborative test between the two South Korean companies, they recorded a peak download speed of 2.7 Gbps. At this rate, SK Telecom says a 2 GB movie could be downloaded in … Read more

Outgoing FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel is proposing a fast-tracked spectrum auction to fund the removal and replacement of Chinese telecommunications equipment from US networks. The issue returned to the forefront after the Salt Typhoon disclosures showing that Beijing-linked threat groups had infiltrated US telecom networks. While specific compromised hardware has not been publicly detailed, removing … Read more