One of the more interesting subsea cable projects currently on the drawing board got a boost this morning. Confluence Networks has lined up an anchor tenant for the Confluence-1 cable system along the east coast of the US. Laser Light Communications Inc. has signed on for a 25-year agreement totaling over $20M for a piece of the system. … [visit site to read more]
Using her experience working in Venture Capital, Angel Investment and with startup businesses, Charlotte Scott, Senior Investor Relations Manager at Innovation SuperNetwork, works to improve the relationship between investors and businesses.
Through her work in the Northern Investor Hub and on the Pathways to Funding North of Tyne and Tees Valley Securing Investment programmes, she builds bridges between businesses and investors, helping investors expand their portfolio, reach new opportunities, and connect with exciting businesses.
Hear from Charlotte as she shares her key tips and advice on how to improve your business investor connectivity.
Be Authentic.
Transparency and authenticity are often missing when it comes to building long lasting investor business relationships. There’s a misconception that investors loom in the upper echelons of society. However, human stories will engage them, and authentic connections can be the basis of a very trusting and productive relationship.
An investor will likely take a board seat in your business, so if you haven’t taken the time to build that trusting relationship where you can disclose key information, then they can’t help you make decisions and offer advice that could potentially save your company.
Take the time to just get out there, network with investors and invest time nurturing those relationships. Treat them as humans and respect their time and opinions as you would anyone else. You’ve got to be able to have good communication and good interpersonal relationships.
Expand and diversify your pool of connections.
Working with start-ups in a variety of roles and regions has introduced me to a lot of underrepresented founders and communities that have – through no fault of their own – slipped through the access to funding net. And that was quite an eye opener. It was clear how much having access to business support could really transform their personal and professional situations.
It’s generally acknowledged that we want to hang out with people who have similar interests. But if an investor is really committed to diversity and inclusion then they should be branching out, involving themselves with communities who are not from the same background, and welcome the diversity of opinion that comes with expanding our network beyond the familiar.
Expanding your network allows you to come across such a range of people, ideas, and businesses. The nature of individuals operating businesses is that they’re ambitious and highly motivated – have a certain resilience and grit. It’s a wonderful thing to be surrounded by.
Make sure your voice is heard.
Get out there and start talking about yourself! If an investor needs to go to areas and break into communities who don’t look and sound like them, you’ve got to try and do the same.
For example, put an event every week in your diary where you think investors might be and show up. Don’t pitch in that informal environment but have a chat and start to build a positive relationship. That person will remember you as that interesting individual who they had a good chat with a couple of months ago, so they’ll be more receptive to start up a conversation and lend you a hand.
Working with Innovation SuperNetwork.
At Innovation SuperNetwork, we work with businesses access the finance they need, helping them to understand their options.
We offer a programme of events, workshops, and one-to-one support to help you identify and apply for grants or loans. Our investor readiness programme steps in to make you pitch perfect and able to secure investment for growth.
Through the Northern Investor Hub, we work closely with local and national partners, to bring experienced and budding investors together, identifying co-investment opportunities, and showcase the North’s most inspiring businesses.
If you are an investor, find out more about the opportunities we can provide for you here.
Chinese telecoms equipment vendor ZTE said on Friday it has collaborated with China Mobile and Qualcomm to achieve a peak download rate of 5.4 Gbps on a 5G-Advanced network by combining three-carrier aggregation with 1024QAM.
Earlier this year, China Mobile’s Zhejiang Branch conducted an end-to-end field test using 3CC CA (three-carrier component carrier aggregation) technology, utilising 260 MHz of spectrum in the 2.6-GHz and 4.9-GHz bands.
The test also used 1024QAM (1024-state Quadrature Amplitude Modulation), a higher-order modulation technology defined in 3GPP’s Release 17 that can transmit 10 bits of data in a single symbol.
3CC CA and 1024QAM are both key components in 5G-Advanced, the next iteration of 5G under Release 17. When the two are combined, 1024QAM can improve the peak data rate and spectral efficiency by 25% over 256QAM in the same bandwidth, according to ZTE.
The field test results showed that combining both features can achieve a single user downlink data rate of over 5.4 Gbps, the company said in a statement.
The test utilized China Mobile’s 5G network in Jiaxing, as well as commercial 5G network equipment from ZTE and a test device powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X75, billed as the first 5G-A-ready modem and RF system.
China Mobile said the test shows how it can “fully unlock the spectrum potential of 5G commercial networks”, particularly for emnerging bandwidth-intensive applications like “VR smart experiences, ultra-high-definition live broadcasting, and glasses-free 3D.”
Earlier this month, China Mobile said it has launched 5G-A in 100 cities across China, and aims to expand coverage to more than 300 cities before the end of this year.
The European fiber operator euNetworks announced the addition of a new metro fiber network market this morning, bringing their total across the continent to 18. The move follows last spring’s acquisition of 1,660km of fiber and duct across Belgium from a utility company, transforming those assets to better fit alongside euNetworks’ existing presence throughout the Benelux region. … [visit site to read more]
22 April 2024: This Earth Day, BT is announcing a new partnership with the UK Business Climate Hub (UKBCH) that aims to help UK small & medium businesses (SMBs) halve CO2e emissions by 2030 and empower them to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. It comes as research suggests UK SMBs would stop 280 million tonnes of CO2e emissions from reaching the atmosphere if they hit this near-term goal*.
There are 5.5 million SMBs in the UK, making up more than 99% of all businesses nationwide. Collectively they account for almost half (44%**) of non-household emissions, making their role in tackling the climate crisis critical to the UK’s chances of hitting net zero by 2050.
Nine in ten (90%) of SMEs would like to address climate change at their business, but find it challenging to get started and identify the right tools to mitigate their environmental impact.*** To help them map out a path to net zero, the UKBCH, a shared endeavour between industry and government, has welcomed BT as a key industry partner and member of its Advisory Board, and has developed ‘Seven Steps to Sustainability’ to empower SMBs to get started today.
The new partnership aims to bring together BT’s expertise in supporting more than one million small business customers with the UK Business Climate Hub’s free resources to help businesses reduce their carbon footprint and their energy bills. Businesses can take the first step today by checking out the available, free resources from the UKBCH on its website. They can also work towards the SME Climate Commitment, by making a pledge to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, achieve net zero emissions before 2050, and report progress on these goals annually.
Chris Sims, Managing Director, Small and Medium Business at BT, says: “BT set its first carbon reduction target more than 30 years ago, and we’ve had a strong track record of hitting our sustainability goals ever since. But we have size on our side – and from speaking to our small business customers we know that with limited resources, many of them struggle to find the time, the funding, or the guidance to help them prioritise sustainability. With the UK Business Climate Hub we are beginning our journey to reach more businesses with free tools and practical support to help them set the foundations for a greener future, and ultimately, reach Net Zero.”
Chris Taylor, Net Zero Programme Director at the Broadway Initiative – which manages the UK Business Climate Hub – adds: “We’re delighted to partner with BT and are energised about the impact we will make together. The UK Business Climate Hub works closely with the government and our industry partners to produce essential guides for SMBs across multiple sectors, with practical advice on how to reduce carbon emissions and save on energy bills. Whether it’s a tailored net zero plan for individual SMBs, free carbon footprint calculators or an online training course on cutting emissions, with our tools and support, SMBs can reduce both costs and emissions and transition to a greener economy – the ultimate win-win.”
Seven steps to Sustainability: Practical tips for all sectors
The UKBCH has charted a course for SMBs to build and achieve a greener future. The ‘Seven Steps to Sustainability’ break down key actions so that businesses can create an achievable plan. These include:
1. Understand the basics: An overview of net zero and how to reduce your business’s carbon footprint and any legal requirements on reducing carbon emissions.
2. Involve your team: Engage staff across the business to develop carbon reduction and energy saving initiatives. This could include an internal working group or hiring an external consultant.
3. Make the SME Climate Commitment: Commit to halving business emissions by 2030, reach net zero by 2050, and report yearly on progress towards these goals.
4. Make a plan: Measure current emissions from fuel consumption and electricity use. Taking stock of current business activities that contribute to overall carbon emissions will enable businesses to identify key focus areas.
5. Take action: Deploy technologies and new approaches to save energy and reduce carbon. Businesses can get sector-specific information here, and learn about specific actions that can be taken here.
6. Find finance and support: Businesses across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales can identify specific programmes or initiatives to help them to finance their sustainability journey.
7. Look beyond your business: Identify opportunities across the business’s entire value chain to reduce its impact, including creating a greener supply chain, using electric vehicles and transport, and get low carbon product labels and certifications.
SMBs can visit the UKBCH website to access an entire library of free resources, tools and advice to cut carbon, reduce energy use, and chart a course to net zero: https://businessclimatehub.uk/
One of the more intriguing projects people are talking about these days is Toptana Technologies’ plans for a cable landing station on the West Coast of the United States. Toptana is a first-of-its-kind indigenous-owned internet infrastructure and technology company, owned by the Quinault Indian Nation (QIN) of the Pacific Northwest, a community of more than 3,000 tribal members located along the coast in northern Washington State. Its mission is to connect the digitally unconnected and provide internet access to rural communities, starting by bringing the first subsea cable landing station to Washington State in over 25 years. The team is currently building necessary backhaul network connectivity to Seattle and major data center clusters in Hillsboro, Oregon. Today we talked about the company’s plans and its underlying motivation and outlook with Tyson Johnston, who serves as Toptana’s chairman of the board. … [visit site to read more]
The Philippine government launched the first phase of its National Fibre Backbone (NFB) project on Friday, which it says will boost the country’s economy as well as its digital ambitions.
According to a statement from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), NFB Phase 1 comprises a 1,245-km cable network from Laoag, Ilocos Norte to Roces, Quezon City. It connects 14 provinces across Northern and Central Luzon, Metro Manila, four Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) eco-zones, and two national government data centres.
Phase 1 of the government-owned backbone – which was soft-launched in December 2023 – sports 28 nodes and delivers an initial capacity of 600 Gbps.
At the official launch ceremony on Friday, Philippine president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr said the NFB “serves as the economic spine that props up our growth, and supports our development. More importantly, we understand that in order for Filipinos to reach their full potential, we must invest in a fast and reliable internet.”
President Marcos Jr said that the completed NFB “will open employment opportunities, improve market efficiency, attract foreign investments, and stimulate livelihood across the different sectors of our economy and our society.”
In the meantime, he said, NFB Phase 1 would help over 340 national and local government offices connected to GovNet boost their overall operational efficiency and generate more than PHP145 million (US$2.2 million) in potential annual savings.
“Additionally, it will extend a digital lifeline to more than 3,000 Filipinos and different Free Wi-Fi Sites, enabling direct internet access for approximately 750,000 beneficiaries in Regions I, III, and here in [Metro Manila],” he added.
Also at the launch event, DICT secretary Ivan John Uy said Phase 1 of the NFB represented a “monumental leap forward in our journey towards a digitally empowered society. With the activation of these nodes, we are bringing high-speed internet across to underserved communities, unlocking opportunities for education, healthcare, and economic development.”
Uy also said DICT will leverage the high-speed connectivity provided by the NFB to power last-mile initiatives like the National Government Portal (NGP) and the Broadband ng Masa Program.
The remaining five phases of the NFB are scheduled to be completed in 2026, at which point it will span 28,000 km. According to the Manila Times, Uy said that Phases 2 and 3 could be completed by the end of this year.
DICT said the completed NFB will help increase the Philippines’ internet penetration rate from 33% to 65% and reach 70 million Filipinos. It also said the initiative would also lower the price of internet connectivity to as much as US$5.00 per Mbps.
“The next phases of the National Fibre Backbone project will focus on broadening our network coverage, extending connectivity across regions, and providing broadband internet access to government institutions and public spaces,” Uy said.
Keep up-to-date with all the latest news, articles, event and product updates posted on Developing Telecoms.
Subscribe to our FREE weekly email newsletters for the latest telecom info in developing and emerging markets globally.
This week, Delta Airlines has announced that it has chosen T-Mobile as its preferred mobility partner.
The two companies have signed a long-term strategic partnership to bring 5G to Delta’s operations.
The deal will see Delta move more than 60,000 workflows to T-Mobile, including devices used by flight attendants, customer agents, and ground crews on 5G-enabled smartphones, tablets, and other devices. According to Delta, this will allow for airport operations to be streamlined, from check-in to take-off.
Delta will also deploy a T-Mobile 5G hybrid network at their headquarters in Atlanta, which will bring both indoor and outdoor 5G coverage to support the operations across the campus.
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
“Connecting the world also means harnessing world-class connectivity,” said Ranjan Goswami, SVP of Customer Experience Design, Delta Air Lines in a press release.
“Our collaboration with T-Mobile is unlocking how we serve customers at each step of their journey and ensuring our people have all the information they need at their fingertips to deliver the elevated and welcoming experiences Delta is known for,” he continued.
Also this week, T-Mobile announced the completion of a 5G network investment in Louisiana, which totalled $290 million. The network’s development included the deployment of 300 new cell sites and over 1,870 upgrades to existing sites.
The move comes after the company announced that it would add new capacity to the country’s leading 5G network by activating the 2.5 GHz spectrum purchased in a 2022 auction.
Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter
Also in the news:
South Korea to invest $7 billion in AI semiconductors
Swisscom expands 5G partnership with Ericsson
Daisy Group set to acquire 4Com for £215m
Infinera GX Series Powers Paratus Superhighway Network Between Johannesburg and Europe
San Jose, Calif. – April 18, 2024 – Infinera (Nasdaq: INFN) announced today that Paratus Group, a leading network provider in Africa, deployed Infinera’s GX Series and FlexILS solutions to offer the lowest-latency express route between Johannesburg and Lisbon, delivering services with a latency of 123 milliseconds and supporting wavelengths up to 800G. Infinera’s solutions were deployed on the recently completed 1,890-km Paratus express fiber link between Johannesburg and Europe, via Botswana to Swakopmund, where it connects with the Equiano subsea cable from Namibia to Lisbon and on to London and the rest of Europe.
Paratus’ new superhighway offers network operators an unparalleled opportunity for capacity and redundancy where resilience and high-speed performance are required. This guarantees seamless data flow, efficient communications, and uninterrupted services. Paratus is the landing partner for the Equiano subsea cable, which offers diverse routing and geographically separated paths. Deploying Infinera’s solutions mitigates possible cable station faults and ensures the network remains intact and fully functional around the clock.
“As a steadfast partner on the ground in Africa, Paratus offers unrivalled wholesale capacity solutions for network operators, as exemplified by our advanced technology from Infinera, our infrastructure, and our commitment to offering redundancy,” said Martin Cox, Paratus Group Chief Commercial Officer.
“Our continual investment in creating Africa’s quality network is now extended with the live launch of this superhighway powered by Infinera’s industry-leading technology. This is an exciting time for network operators in South Africa because they can now enjoy the fastest and most robust connectivity from Africa to Europe,” said CEO of Paratus Group, Schalk Erasmus.
“Deploying Infinera’s GX networking solution enables Paratus to leverage the industry’s highest-capacity solution to offer its customers high-performance services while minimizing latency and maximizing reliability,” said Nick Walden, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales, Infinera. “We are pleased to work with Paratus to launch these new services to the region.”
Contacts:
|
Infinera Media: Anna Vue Tel. +1 (916) 595-8157 avue@infinera.com |
Infinera Investors: Amitabh Passi, Head of Investor Relations Tel. +1 (669) 295-1489 apassi@infinera.com |
About Infinera
Infinera is a global supplier of innovative open optical networking solutions and advanced optical semiconductors that enable carriers, cloud operators, governments, and enterprises to scale network bandwidth, accelerate service innovation, and automate network operations. Infinera solutions deliver industry-leading economics and performance in long-haul, submarine, data center interconnect, and metro transport applications. To learn more about Infinera, visit www.infinera.com, follow us on X and LinkedIn, and subscribe for updates.
Infinera and the Infinera logo are registered trademarks of Infinera Corporation.
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the operational and performance benefits of Infinera’s GX Series and FlexILS solutions. These statements are not guarantees of results and should not be considered as an indication of future activity or future performance. Actual results may vary materially from these expectations as a result of various risks and uncertainties. Information about these risks and uncertainties, and other risks and uncertainties that affect Infinera’s business, is contained in the risk factors section and other sections of Infinera’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the Fiscal Quarter ended September 30, 2023 as filed with the SEC on February 29, 2024, as well as any subsequent reports filed with or furnished to the SEC. These reports are available on Infinera’s website at http://www.infinera.com and the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our expectations, beliefs, intentions, or strategies and can be identified by words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “should,” “will,” and “would” or similar words. Infinera assumes no obligation to, and does not currently intend to, update any such forward-looking statements.
