Networking and communication

ThinkWiFi launches first Kenyan commercial outdoor deployment of TIP OpenWiFi

Kenya’s largest ISP dedicated exclusively to rural and peri-urban markets teams with free, uncapped internet operator to provide disaggregated, open-source Wi-Fi network funded through digital advertising monetisation model Continue Reading

Aqua Comms unveils 400GE transatlantic service for Energy Sciences Network

Anticipating a flood of data beneath the waves, Dublin-based subsea connectivity provider provides London to New York infrastructure for high-performance network built to support scientific research Continue Reading

CW EMEA: The future of work

In this month’s CW EMEA, we look at the future of work in Europe after the pandemic forced a change in entrenched human behaviour. For years, people talked about flexible working being the way forward, but scepticism within the management of large companies held it back. This all changed when Covid-19 began to spread out of control and governments and businesses quickly told people to work from home where possible. We also look at the increasing problem of IT failures in Dutch hospitals and how they are affecting patient care, highlighting the need to improve IT security in hospitals. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Telia taps Ericsson to switch on private 5G network

Ericsson and Telia launch the Baltic region’s first enterprise 5G private network in Estonia to enable smart factory transformation Continue Reading

UK full-fibre furthers pace of roll-out in first quarter of 2023

Quarterly assessment of UK fixed broadband industry shows full-fibre rolls across UK at a fast clip over the first three months of 2023, but local authorities in remote and rural areas still lack access to gigabit Continue Reading

MPLS and SD-WAN fail to meet needs of modern enterprise

Study from network architect argues modern uses cases have broken the network edge, with both traditional topology and much-touted software-defined replacement not cutting it Continue Reading

Qualcomm hits accelerator on connected vehicles with Autotalks acquisition plan

Adding mileage to its strategy to go up a gear with its automotive offers, mobile platform provider announces intention to buy specialist vehicle-to-everything fabless semiconductor company Continue Reading

IT Priorities 2023: security dominates IoT investment plans 

With increased devices and sensors collecting data, there is more rich information for businesses to use as analysis and in training – but security still tops wallet share, says report Continue Reading

Reliable connectivity key to smooth business running for UK SMEs

Study from Sky Business shows that in today’s uncertain economic climate, UK SMEs are under pressure to cut costs while maintaining quality services, with the impact of energy prices cited as a major concern Continue Reading

IT Priorities 2023: Collaboration technologies to benefit from future of work investment drive

Research finds that as businesses settle into hybrid work, UCaaS and other collaboration technologies are regarded by IT professionals as crucial tool for driving employee productivity and workflow optimisation Continue Reading

Chat control: EU lawyers warn plans to scan encrypted messages for child abuse may be unlawful

Leaked legal advice warns that European ‘chat control’ proposals to require tech companies to scan private and encrypted messages for child abuse are likely to breach EU law Continue Reading

7 factors to consider in network redundancy design

Network pros should consider multiple factors when adding redundancy to network design, including network equipment, protocols, backup, processing and subnet connections. Continue Reading

IT Priorities 2023: Distributed IT and hybrid work drive adoption of new networks

Research shows security continues to dominate networking needs, along with the need to support users wherever they are, with firms more than ready to invest in future of work initiatives Continue Reading

Welsh Water turns on CPaaS tap for enhanced customer experiences

Not-for-profit water company deploys CPaaS-based video comms services to optimise operations, budget control and solve customer issues more quickly Continue Reading

Sateliot joins GSMA, inks standard roaming agreements

Global trade association for mobile comms industry welcomes provider of satellite-based 5G IoT services as an operator member, signing contracts for standard roaming with more than 100 operators Continue Reading

Vodafone enables ITN Coronation TV coverage with 5G network slice

Coronation broadcast first in UK to be enabled by a public 5G standalone network, with leading news provider using mobile network for swift and secure transfer of coverage from remote sites to newsroom Continue Reading

Maritime bandwidth capacity demand set to increase 20-fold by 2032

Research finds maritime connectivity market showing high-bandwidth prices adhered to expected downward trends as non-geostationary orbit constellations take to the sea to meet rising demand for satellite bandwidth Continue Reading

Wi-Fi, existing network functions critical to successful private enterprise 5G

Research paper highlights the needs and use cases for Wi-Fi 6 and private 5G as a fundamental part of converged, access-agnostic connectivity portfolios rather than using parallel infrastructure Continue Reading

European space and comms firms eye up IRIS² constellation opportunity

After signing off on its Galileo and Copernicus constellations, EC tenders for supply of new secure and resilient connectivity infrastructure for European governments, businesses and citizens Continue Reading

UK full-fibre boost as Openreach expands, Gigaclear claims rural altnet leadership

Operators at both ends of the corporate scale make notable advances in their respective roll-outs of gigabit connectivity in the UK Continue Reading

Scottish residents and businesses in £75m 4G investment boost

First UK government-funded phone mast upgrade activated in Scottish borders to give major 4G mobile coverage boost to community Continue Reading

Nokia claims first CE-certified 5G automated drone-in-a-box service

Comms tech giant declares first-mover status with CE-certified turnkey drone-in-a-box offering, designed to meet the needs of public safety agencies, smart cities, construction, energy and defence organisations Continue Reading

SES, Viasat hail successful satellite launches

European operator’s second-generation medium earth orbit system said to be just one launch away from providing global connectivity services backed by service level agreements Continue Reading

The creeping threat and challenges of multivendor SD-WAN

Geographic considerations are often a key reason why organizations adopt multivendor SD-WAN. But these network environments have significant disadvantages. Continue Reading

6 steps for rapid geographic network segmentation

When segmenting network operations in certain parts of the world, modular network design and geographic domain definition are two vital elements to consider. Continue Reading

Microsoft fails to get CMA thumbs-up on Activision deal

The UK Competition and Markets Authority has decided that Microsoft‘s proposed $68.7bn acquisition of Activision would damage the cloud gaming market Continue Reading

M1 doubles down on maritime 5G

Seafarers will be able to access telemedicine services while out at sea, among other maritime 5G applications M1 is rolling out in Singapore’s waters Continue Reading

The benefits of digital twin networks

Digital twin networks use historical and real-time data to simulate a network. That data results in benefits around network visibility, training, security and compliance. Continue Reading

Data a driving force at Aston Martin Formula One

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we speak to Aston Martin Formula One’s Clare Lansley to find out how digital transformation helps the team to move further up the F1 grid. We explore how automation and AI is helping businesses tackle rising costs and also look into the maturity of Industry 4.0 initiatives. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Most IT staff uncomfortable deploying surveillance tech at work

The IT teams responsible for deploying and running digital surveillance in workplaces say they are uncomfortable with “extremely common” practice of spying on colleagues, research finds Continue Reading

Emergency alert test review confirmed after ‘small number’ of mobile users excluded

In wake of emergency alert test on 23 April, government confirms review into why some 4G and 5G mobile phones were excluded Continue Reading

Amazon Web Services selects 14 startups for space accelerator

The cohort of startups will use AWS and its resources to accelerate the research and development of their technologies and boost their growth Continue Reading

CyberUK 23: New advice on smart city security issued

The NCSC and key allies have drawn up new guidance to help communities balance the cyber security risks involved with creating smart cities Continue Reading

UK Emergency Alert Test sparks cyber fraud warning

Fraudsters and scammers are likely to use the upcoming test of the UK's new mobile Emergency Alert system as bait in their attacks, while misinformation and conspiracy theories spread Continue Reading

3CX incident may be world’s first double supply chain attack

It’s supply chain attacks all the way down as Mandiant publishes information suggesting that the 3CX software supply chain compromise was initiated via a prior software supply chain compromise Continue Reading

Huawei: rethinking approaches to networks and computing is critical

Comms tech giant Huawei kicks off 20th Global Analyst Summit affirming commitment to connectivity, computing, storage and cloud and how strategic objectives of industry should drive digital transformation Continue Reading

EE claims ‘monster’ 4G connectivity for further 1,500 UK rural communities

BT-owned mobile operator claims milestone under government’s Shared Rural Network programme and announces expansion of 4G network to 1,500 rural communities across UK Continue Reading

Halfords tools up for consistent experiences with AI-driven wired and wireless access

Motoring and cycling retailer reduces network-related trouble tickets and improves uptime in garages and stores after deploying artificial intelligence-driven network access Continue Reading

Volvo gets into gear with Qualcomm to drive connectivity for EX90 Excellence

Mobile chip and platform provider’s Snapdragon Digital Chassis deployed by car giant to enable highly connected driving experiences in EX90 and EX90 Excellence vehicles Continue Reading

In WAN evolution, is software-defined now implied?

Networking trends and innovations, such as automation and network as a service, have started to ingrain software-defined principles into WAN environments. Continue Reading

Orange joins forces with industry, academia to build French quantum comms

Leading telco joins industry leaders, start-ups and academic players announce the official launch of a programme in charge of deploying Quantum secure communications networks in France. Continue Reading

Cisco urges users to keep its network hardware up-to-date

In the wake of a campaign of threat activity targeting a six-year-old Cisco router vulnerability, the networking giant has warned users to be on high alert and update their hardware Continue Reading

2022 becomes ‘graduation year’ as 5G reaches global tipping point

Seventh annual 5G progress report from provider of network test, monitoring and assurance solutions finds 47 of world’s 70 largest economies now have active 5G networks, with diverse and widespread interest in mmWave across the globe Continue Reading

Enterprise networking sees age of SASE and network as a service

Report reveals complexity of third workspace has transformed how modern IT organisations view network and security, with 98% of IT executives planning to increase investment in cloud services Continue Reading

Tech companies and NGOs urge rewrite of Online Safety Bill to protect encrypted comms

The Online Safety Bill faces amendments in the House of Lords amid concerns that it could weaken the security of end-to-end encrypted communications for UK citizens Continue Reading

Qualcomm unveils solutions to enable new industrial applications, scale IoT ecosystem

Chip giant’s latest IoT solutions designed to deliver superior performance, advanced connectivity and next-gen processing for a wide range of use cases for smart buildings, enterprises, retail and industrial automation Continue Reading

Industry 4.0 usage matures across industrial campuses

Nokia and ABI Research announce results of study highlighting the progress and plans for enterprise infrastructure investments in several key sectors made over the past year Continue Reading

Tech spending in India to grow by 9.6% in 2023

Digital initiatives in the public sector along with investments in telecoms and other areas are expected to spur technology spending in India this year Continue Reading

SD-WAN and MPLS costs more complementary than clashing

An SD-WAN vs. MPLS cost comparison is not always an either-or decision. Organizations often implement both technologies to enhance network traffic performance. Continue Reading

Zoom looks to bolster employee experience with Workvivo acquisition

Latest part of continued expansion of communication and engagement platform sees acquisition of employee experience company to offer hybrid workers new ways to stay connected Continue Reading

RWTH Aachen looks for educational edge with private 5G

Global IT infrastructure and services company announces a live private 5G installation for a leading university in Germany to support and develop research, innovation and education Continue Reading

Examine a captured packet using Wireshark

Wireshark is a useful tool for capturing network traffic data. Network pros can make the most of the tool by analyzing captured packets to see what that data means for troubleshooting. Continue Reading

Cellcom, Parallel Wireless pilot independent 5G network in Israel

Leading Israeli cellular provider and Open RAN software platform launch what they claim is a unique, first-of-its-kind experiment to deploy a standalone fifth-generation network for autonomous 5G applications Continue Reading

Government launches Smart Data Council to lower utility bills

The council aims to find ways to use and encourage uptake of smart data to make it easier to switch utility providers and save money Continue Reading

Valoo taps Nokia to offer multi-gig fibre broadband in Finland

As part of its mission to make Finland an information society that meets international standards, digital service provider becomes global tech firm’s first comprehensive XGS-PON solution in home territory Continue Reading

Zayo expands connectivity with fastest direct network from Manchester to New York City

Future-ready network and tailored edge services provider adds to 16 fibre and route miles, marking additional transatlantic cable connection Continue Reading

San Francisco Giants hits home run for Extreme Networks with Wi-Fi 6E first

Technology implementation at the home of renowned baseball team set to improve fan experience and create operational efficiencies Continue Reading

Ciena makes Wave with purpose-built router for converged metro

Networking systems provider announces debut of what it calls industry-first platform architecture optimally designed for converged metro network Continue Reading

Alibaba Cloud unveils cheaper cloud options, new language model

Alibaba has introduced cheaper instances of its compute and storage services in China and is jumping on the generative AI bandwagon with its Tongyi Qianwen language model Continue Reading

RAI Amsterdam deploys Wi-Fi 6, OpenRoaming to enhance conferencing experiences

OpenRoaming technology sees deployment in one of Europe’s largest exhibition facilities to connect delegates, exhibitors and attendees automatically and secure Wi-Fi with faster attach rates Continue Reading

Nokia expands industrial edge applications to accelerate Industry 4.0 transition

Four digital enablers designed to expand operational technology edge applications to connect, collect and analyse data from disparate sources – including video cameras – unlocking value Continue Reading

Thousands at risk from critical RCE bug in legacy MS service

Thousands of organisations worldwide are at risk from three vulnerabilities – one critical – in a legacy Microsoft service that they may not be aware they are running Continue Reading

Webex brings cloud collaboration to US security and defence

Leading collaboration technology provider announces air-gapped trusted cloud for defence industry use case allowing teams to work together through modern meeting, chat and calling experiences on Webex app Continue Reading

ReadyLinks brings cloud-managed G.hn access networking knowledge to HomeGrid Forum

Industry alliance to promote globally recognised networking technology providing multi-gig access and in-building services for enterprise, industrial, smart grid and residential use cases welcomes cloud networking specialist to ranks Continue Reading

Netskope claims hybrid work ‘revolution’ with SASE client and endpoint SD-WAN

Netskope looks to deliver consistent security and superior user experience for hybrid workers through reduced costs and complexity from extended borderless SD-WAN and SASE Continue Reading

Stemmer Distribution optimises communications infrastructure

Largest distributor of dental products in France standardises communications through UCaaS to help meet all its needs of reachability and mobility, while rationalising costs for the present and future Continue Reading

AMRC demos UK’s first, fully operational standalone 5G factory of the future

Centre for research into advanced manufacturing technologies used in the aerospace, automotive, medical and other high-value manufacturing sectors shows transformative effect of standalone 5G in £10m+ UK government-backed project Continue Reading

Far North Fiber plots route for pan-Arctic connectivity

Route study begins to define the fastest and most secure route for Submarine cable system directly connecting Japan, North America, and Ireland and Scandinavia through Arctic region Continue Reading

UK government announces plans and investment to evolve future telecoms

As part of a national mission to connect all communities, government unveils an investment package worth almost £150m to put the UK at the forefront of future research and £40m to boost 5G tech take-up Continue Reading

SD-WAN vs. VPN: How do they compare?

When comparing SD-WAN and VPN, enterprises choosing between the two technologies should consider factors like cost, management and routing intelligence. Continue Reading

Aetheros looks to add edge intelligence to US smart meter market

Scalable, open IoT operating system introduced to US market to unlock distributed intelligence at the edge Continue Reading

NTT flies with SES for satellite-based enterprise edge and private 5G network

Global IT infrastructure and services company teams with satellite operator to combine expertise in networking, enterprise managed services and O3b mPOWER satellites to deliver reliable connectivity to enterprises Continue Reading

UK broadband industry to see huge increases in tariffs in April 2023

Days after regulator begins scheme to make service switching easier, majority of UK’s largest broadband providers announce double-digit price increases in April 2023 leading to calls that UK broadband is broken. Continue Reading

Ericsson: flexibility the new work-life currency

Study from Ericsson’s Consumer & IndustryLab reveals how employees and employers navigate the current work environment and their views on the future of work shaped by the pandemic, digitisation and the fluctuating labour market Continue Reading

How India’s Cropin is tapping the groundswell in agritech

Cropin, one of the first movers in agriculture technology, has built an industry cloud platform that is now used by the likes of PepsiCo to maximise crop yields Continue Reading

Juniper checks in at CitizenM to boost hotel experiences with personalised engagement

Boutique hotel chain adopts network tech provider’s AI-driven wireless access and firewalls to streamline IT operations and provide enhanced services to guests Continue Reading

UK emergency services overcharged by £200m a year for comms network

Tech provider to appeal withering criticism by UK competition watchdog of vast overcharging in emergency services communications network Continue Reading

Use cases of digital twins for networks

Network engineers can use digital twins for design, testing, security and maintenance. But limitations with vendor specificity and a lack of standards hinder wider adoption for now. Continue Reading

Disconnect emerges between UK management and employees on hybrid work

Study from leading business software company finds that while overwhelming majority of IT leaders say they are investing in improving the hybrid experience for their organisation, only half of workers think it’s enough and feel their productivity has suffered Continue Reading

Careful regard needed to identify and prioritise 5G mmWave use cases

While 24-100 GHz band of 5G comms increasingly used for indoor/outdoor congested network hot zones, fixed wireless access and indoor enterprise, analyst cautions that deployment of 5G mmWave technology poses challenges beyond physical characteristics Continue Reading

The new shape of design in the age of Industry 4.0

The modern manufacturing process has evolved over the last decades to the point where there are many interconnected disciplines taking place, often at the same time. With the advent of advanced comms technologies, interconnections are taking on a whole new paradigm for engineering. Continue Reading

Virgin Orbit hits ground after filing for redundancy

Days after announcing it was to cut 85% of its 750-strong workforce, responsive satellite launch provider files for bankruptcy Continue Reading

Driving up IT efficiency and sustainability

IT leaders need to balance IT sustainability with business drivers to innovate with digital technologies and ensure corporate systems remain secure Continue Reading

Failure to enforce faster broadband switching deadline could see £1.85bn loss

Uswitch study highlights biggest barriers to switching broadband providers and warns delay in One Touch Switch deadline could mean UK broadband customers miss out of upwards of £1.85bn in savings Continue Reading

What's the difference between network reliability and availability?

Network reliability is how long infrastructure works without disruption. Network availability is the percentage of time infrastructure operates in a given time frame. Continue Reading

Cisco looks to ‘supercharge’ the internet for the future with improved networking economics

Looking to support the rise of IoT, AI and ML, 28.8T 800G line card is said to be up to six times more space-efficient compared with current offerings Continue Reading

RDK, Telenet up the ante on Wi-Fi management and performance

Boost to wireless comms as operator introduces smart Wi-Fi 6 pods and mesh technology combined with the latest modem, while technology consortium launches software component designed to unify residential Wi-Fi software Continue Reading

Parliamentary committee maintains criticism of UK space comms strategy

Even as satellite broadband industry rockets, report from Commons Science and Technology Committee criticises continued failures in key technical areas Continue Reading

Connected drivers gain most from V2X with prior knowledge of capabilities

Study reveals attitudes towards common traffic issues and complications, and a number of potential benefits of vehicle-to-everything technology Continue Reading

HP looks to lead with hybrid work collaboration and productivity portfolio

Tech giant bids to address growing issue in world of hybrid work where many workers are reluctant to return to the office because of sub-optimal technology Continue Reading

3CX unified comms users hit by supply chain attacks

Ongoing supply chain attacks against customers of UC firm 3CX appear to be linked to North Korean threat actors Continue Reading

Colt expands Equinix on-demand partnership in Singapore, Hong Kong

Digital infrastructure companies expand longstanding on-demand partnership in key Asian territories with software-driven connectivity Continue Reading

Ogi sees capital full-fibre opportunity with Cardiff gigabit offer

In what could represent a multimillion-pound bandwidth boost to Cardiff’s business offering, Welsh altnet reveals plans to bring bespoke full-fibre gigabit network to the city Continue Reading

Broadband services to drive Australia and India fixed communications

Research finds vast geographies no limitation to seeing growth in fixed broadband markets, with particular strength in fibre-to-the-home and business roll-outs Continue Reading

Traditional WAN vs. SD-WAN: How do they compare?

While comparing traditional WAN vs. SD-WAN, network professionals can see the many benefits of SD-WAN, including centralized control and dynamic traffic management. Continue Reading

5 common SD-WAN challenges and how to prepare for them

SD-WAN technology has its fair share of risk factors, some of which include cost reduction and management. Find out how your IT team can prepare for these challenges. Continue Reading

Personal quality of experience metrics required to ensure 6G profitability

Study says development path for sixth-generation mobile technology services can offer opportunity to embrace a more comprehensive, user-centric service delivery path with direct focus on quality of experience Continue Reading

Faroese Telecom, Ericsson set European 5G mmWave downlink speed record

Telco serving self-governing North Atlantic Ocean archipelago reveals details of 5G mmWave text aggregating 800MHz of 5G mmWave spectrum in n258 and 40 MHz of 4G FDD spectrum to achieve downlink speed of 5.9Gbps and upload speed of 1.6Gbps Continue Reading

Cisco enhances hybrid work with AI Webex innovations

Comms tech giant makes AI-powered enhancements to collaboration offering, encompassing devices and customer experience to deliver more personalised and inclusive experiences with camera intelligence Continue Reading

Kore looks to build first IoT hyperscaler status with Twilio IoT acquisition

Global provider in IoT connectivity-as-a-service acquires customer engagement platform firm’s IoT business unit Continue Reading