Four bits of expansion news, two domestic and two international: … [visit site to read more]

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The regulator said the operator had not done enough to protect consumer data

This week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has reached a settlement with telco giant AT&T, fining them $13 million for their lack of oversight over customers’ data security.

Back in January 2023, bad actors gained access to the data of 8.9 million AT&T customers via a cyberattack on an unnamed third-party cloud vendor.

According to the FCC, this vendor was used by AT&T “to generate and host personalized video content, including billing and marketing videos” for the affected customers.

As part of the vendor’s service agreement with AT&T, the company was required to destroy or return customer data once it was not longer needed. However, the FCC claims that AT&T did not enforce these obligations, thereby creating the conditions for the data theft to take place.

Customer data stolen included that from the period 2015 to 2017, which should have been deleted in 2017 or 2018.

Today, following an investigation, the FCC has fined AT&T $13 million for its failure to protect consumer data.

“The Communications Act makes clear that carriers have a duty to protect the privacy and security of consumer data, and that responsibility takes on new meaning for digital age data breaches,” said FCC chairwoman, Jessica Rosenworcel. “Carriers must take additional precautions given their access to sensitive information, and we will remain vigilant in ensuring that’s the case no matter which provider a customer chooses.”

As part of the settlement with the FCC, AT&T will be required to increase its data security and supply chain integrity practices, as well a carry out annual compliance audits.

It is worth noting that this is not the only cybersecurity breach of AT&T being investigated by the FCC. Earlier this summer, AT&T revealed a data breach that took place in April affecting roughly 109 million customers – almost the company’s entire subscriber base.

The FCC’s investigation into this incident is still ongoing.

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Also in the news:
Meta resumes use of UK user posts to train its AI models
Verizon’s 4,800 job cuts will cost over $1.9 billion
CMA questions Vodafone–Three merger after second probe

Four bits of international news: … [visit site to read more]

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The five new Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites are the first step in providing mobile coverage to ‘not spots’ across the USA

AST SpaceMobile has successfully launched its first five BlueBird LEO satellites, which will ultimately form part of a constellation aimed at delivering direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity to mobile subscribers.

The five satellites carry antenna arrays that each cover around 700 square feet, making them the largest ever deployed by a commercial space craft.

For the next three months, the quintuplet will undergo various calibration testing, after which beta tests with AT&T (and likely Verizon) customers will begin.

Each of the satellites’ beams are designed to support a capacity of up to 40 MHz, enabling peak data transmission speeds of up to 120 Mbps. and will target approximately 100% nationwide coverage from space with over 5,600 coverage cells in the US.

Initial coverage from the satellites will be limited; the devices will orbit the Earth twice a day, providing about an hour of combined connectivity across the US. AST aims to launch 17 additional satellites during Q1 next year, with plans for up to 155 to be built by 2030, which will ultimately provide global coverage.

“This is a pivotal moment for AST SpaceMobile as we bring our vision to enhance cellular connectivity globally, with the support of our strategic partners and the unwavering commitment of our team,” said Abel Avellan, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of AST SpaceMobile. “As we shift our manufacturing focus to increase Block 2 production of the active payload systems and other components for the first 17 Block 2 satellites, we are excited to bring this revolutionary technology to the world. We believe space-based broadband cellular connectivity will revolutionize how people connect, empowering communities and driving economic growth on a global scale.”

Both AT&T and Verizon have deals with AST SpaceMobile to make use of the satellites to deliver connectivity to ‘not spots’ across the country. The services will use the operators’ respective 850MHz spectrum and will connect to unmodified smartphones.

“This is an exciting next step to a future where our customers will only be hard to reach if they choose to be – giving them the power to go anywhere and the possibility to do anything while staying connected with just an everyday cell phone” said Jeff McElfresh, Chief Operating Officer at AT&T. “This moment has been several years in the making, and I am proud of our teams’ work, in collaboration with AST SpaceMobile, to help make space-based connectivity a reality.”

Exactly how the mobile operators will commercialise these services remains to be seen, but AT&T’s network chief Chris Sambar has previously hinted that the service will be available as-standard on premium packages or as a paid addition to cheaper packages.

Besides AT&T and Verizon, AST SpaceMobile also has partnership and investments from the likes of American Tower, Google, Rakuten, and Vodafone.

It should also be noted that AST SpaceMobile is not the only satellite operator to be eying D2D connectivity. Indeed, SpaceX’s more than 7,000-satellite Starlink constellation has plans to launch its own D2D connectivity services later this year.

Also in the news:
Meta resumes use of UK user posts to train its AI models
Verizon’s 4,800 job cuts will cost over $1.9 billion
CMA questions Vodafone–Three merger after second probe

Four bits of infrastructure expansion news from the US and Europe: … [visit site to read more]

Kenya’s ICT Authority has reportedly launched an ambitious US$2.4 billion project to reduce digital inequality, modernise business processes, and improve the country’s digital landscape. But this isn’t the only digital transformation initiative announced in East Africa in recent weeks, as the Eastern Africa Regional Digital Integration Project may soon be rolled out.

The ICT Authority Strategy Plan 2024-2027, unveiled late last week, provides the framework for transformative projects including nationwide digital literacy programmes, the expansion of secure broadband infrastructure, and the adoption of e-government services. 

The US$2.4 billion plan also focuses on addressing connectivity access gaps and create a more equal digital future for all Kenyans. 

Dr Margaret Ndung’u, Kenya’s minister for information, communications, and the digital economy, states that her ministry is also moving on with its goal to enhance Kenya’s fibre network coverage nationally (100,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable), establish 25,000 public Wi-Fi hotspots, and develop 1,450 Digital Village Smart Hubs across the country. 

This news comes hard in the heels of an announcement last week that the East African Community (EAC) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) are set to commence implementation of the Eastern Africa Regional Digital Integration Project (EARDIP).

EAC is a regional intergovernmental organisation of eight partner states: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development is an eight-country trade bloc in Africa.

EARDIP aims to establishing a unified and comprehensive digital network that connects even the most isolated areas, promoting equitable access to digital resources.

In addition, the project seeks to harmonise digital policies and regulations, in order to facilitate smoother cross-border trade and communication, fostering greater regional integration and economic cooperation.

A comprehensive regional cybersecurity framework, including unified cybersecurity policies, sharing threat intelligence, and providing resources for capacity-building in cybersecurity skills, is also planned.

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The company initially received backlash back in June before an intervention from the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) 

Meta has announced that it will begin training its AI models using public content shared by users on Facebook and Instagram in the UK, having paused the training in June due to regulatory clashes. 

The company intends to start this process in the coming months, with customers of their platforms to be informed via in-app notification.  

Meta argues that the use of this training will allow the company’s AI models to better reflect British culture, history, and language. In reality, of course, this is more about accessing the many millions of posts that will help to enhance their product offerings and maintaining a competitive edge against rival models. 

The decision follows discussions with the ICO after Meta paused its AI training in the UK to address regulatory concerns. Meta has since received clarity from the ICO, which confirmed that using public data under the legal basis of “Legitimate Interests” is acceptable. As a result, Meta expects its AI models to launch in the UK sooner than originally planned. 

Stephen Almond, Executive Director Regulatory Risk at the ICO has released the following statement:  

“Meta has since [since June] made changes to its approach, including making it simpler for users to object to the processing and providing them with a longer window to do so. Meta has now taken the decision to resume its plans and we will monitor the situation as Meta moves to inform UK users and commence processing in the coming weeks.” 

“We have been clear that any organisation using its users’ information to train generative AI models needs to be transparent about how people’s data is being used. Organisations should put effective safeguards in place before they start using personal data for model training, including providing a clear and simple route for users to object to the processing. The ICO has not provided regulatory approval for the processing and it is for Meta to ensure and demonstrate ongoing compliance.” 

Meta remains under scrutiny from various regulators over its handling of consumer data, particularly in Europe where the rollout of its Generative AI products remain paused as a result of regulatory inquiry.  

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Also in the news:
CMA questions Vodafone–Three merger after second probe
UK govt to class data centres as critical national infrastructure
Connected Britain 2024: The Award Winners

With the rise of the cloud and the growing influence of AI driving infrastructure decisions around the world, new entrants are emerging to build the next generation of internet infrastructure.  One such new entrant is Lightstorm, which has rapidly built out DCI infrastructure in India and Southeast Asia in just the last few years.  With us today to talk about Lightstorm’s approach to networking for the hyperscale era is CEO Amajit Gupta.  Prior to co-founding Lightstorm, Amajit helped run Microsoft’s cloud networking infrastructure. … [visit site to read more]