News 

The shift comes as cloud providers face growing investor scrutiny over AI-related infrastructure spend 

Amazon Web Services (AWS), is reassessing its approach to data centre leasing, with a particular focus on international markets, according to analysts at Wells Fargo.  

The report suggests AWS has paused some leasing discussions, indicating a short-term slowdown in large-scale infrastructure expansion. Rather than cancelling existing agreements, the move appears to reflect a reassessment of recently secured capacity, as AWS looks to align its growth with projected demand over the next two years. 

“It does appear like the hyperscalers (big cloud companies) are being more discerning with leasing large clusters of power, and tightening up pre-lease windows for capacity that (would) be delivered before the end of 2026,” Wells Fargo analysts noted. 

This comes on the heels of Microsoft’s decision to shelve data centre projects totalling 2 gigawatts across the US and Europe, citing oversupply concerns based on revised demand forecasts. 

“It looks like hyperscalers are becoming more selective when leasing large power clusters and are shortening pre-lease windows for capacity expected before the end of 2026,” Wells Fargo noted. 

AWS has downplayed the move. “This is routine capacity management,” said Kevin Miller, Vice President of AWS Global Data Centers, in a LinkedIn post.  

He addressed speculation around AWS’s data centre plans, stating that demand for both generative AI and core workloads remains strong. He noted that the company regularly evaluates multiple infrastructure options to meet customer needs efficiently. He confirmed there have been no fundamental changes to AWS’s expansion strategy. 

Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to our newsletter 

Also in the news:
No sign Baltic subsea cable damage was deliberate, say Swedish authorities
Colt offloads eight data centres in strategic refocus
A Northern Ren-AI-ssance

Startup stories

Introducing Synthetiko

Picture a platform that transforms the way enterprises view and act on customer behavior, one that gives them the power to train and own their own deep learning models for web analytics. That’s exactly what we do at Synthetiko. We enable businesses to dive beneath the surface of traditional dashboards and spreadsheets to uncover granular, real-time insights about how users navigate digital experiences. The ability to quickly identify and respond to user behavior can be the difference between leading the market and falling behind.

It matters now more than ever because budgets are tight, teams are being asked to do more with fewer resources, competition is fierce: A single bad user experience can push customers toward a competitor, and user behaviors change rapidly. Without real-time analytics, organisations are perpetually playing catch-up.

Synthetiko is here to bridge those gaps—helping enterprises achieve speed, agility, and deep understanding in their digital strategy.

The Spark That Drove Us Forward

Our story begins with firsthand experience. While consulting for large enterprises like Vodafone, Pernod Ricard, The AA, and NatWest, we repeatedly witnessed a glaring challenge: teams were drowning in data but struggling to interpret it in a way that led to clear, actionable insights. Traditional web analytics solutions offered dashboards of numbers and percentages but left the “why” behind user actions unanswered.

This constant bottleneck of manual effort and slow iteration became our inspiration. If businesses could quickly reconstruct every step of a user’s online journey, seeing exactly where they paused, clicked, or abandoned, imagine how effectively they could optimise digital experiences.

The Journey So Far

Building a deep learning ecosystem capable of capturing and analysing real-time user behavior was no small feat. Our earliest challenge was designing a neural network architecture that could handle the sheer volume of granular data generated by high-traffic enterprise websites. Many existing tools were built to deliver summary metrics—like bounce rates and time on site—but few could dissect a user journey down to the micro-interactions in real time.

Despite these complexities, we launched our 1.0 Analytics Neural Network for alpha partners, and the results have been remarkable:

Reduced analysis time: What once took days or weeks to interpret can now be understood within minutes.

Increased conversion opportunities: Our partners can isolate the exact moments where users lose interest or encounter friction, then optimise accordingly, often leading to immediate improvements in key performance metrics.

Stronger collaboration: Departments from marketing to engineering can finally work off the same, detailed data, speeding up the overall decision-making process.

Witnessing how this technology cuts down weeks of data sifting into a near-instant view of customer behavior is a testament to our central belief: real-time, AI-driven insights can be a game-changer for any enterprise serious about digital growth.

Future Vision

In the coming year, our ambition is to expand the scope and capability of Synthetiko in several ways with a Flagship Optimisation Model

We’re on track to launch our v1 Optimisation Model, which will go beyond identifying behavior trends. It will proactively recommend which site improvements or content changes have the highest potential to boost conversion and engagement, well before a human analyst would even suspect an issue.

Ultimately, we see a future where enterprises own an evolving intelligence layer—one that not only optimises their own user experiences but could even be licensed out, helping them generate new revenue streams from their proprietary models.

Excitement for Connected North

With all this momentum, Connected North is the perfect platform for us to share our vision. We’re eager to:

Demonstrate our technology in front of an audience ready to embrace AI-driven solutions.

Engage with forward-thinking enterprises that see the value in deep, immediate insights into user behavior.

Connect with potential investors who recognise the long-term scalability of owning a proprietary AI analytics engine.

We believe Connected North is a unique opportunity to showcase what’s next in web analytics—an approach that’s agile, granular, and truly data-driven. By telling our story and sharing our real-world results, we hope to spark meaningful conversations about the transformative power of deep learning in customer experience and digital strategy.

News 

Colt Technology Services has agreed to sell eight of its European data centres to NorthC and a UK-based data centre firm, both backed by funds managed by investment giant DWS Group 

The facilities, located in Amsterdam, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, and two sites in London, were part of Colt’s acquisition of Lumen EMEA in 2023. The deal is expected to complete later this year, subject to regulatory approvals. 

NorthC, a Netherlands-based data centre operator with a strong presence in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), will take on six sites across continental Europe. The two London data centres will be acquired by a separate UK entity also supported by DWS-managed funds. 

As part of the transaction, around 400 customers will transition to the new operators. However, Colt says the majority of these customers will remain on its network, as many use its connectivity services in parallel. 

Colt has said that the move aligns with its company strategy to “focus on its core business strategy”, concentrating on digital infrastructure and global network services, particularly as demand accelerates in AI, cloud and enterprise connectivity markets. 

The company will maintain a presence in the divested facilities, keeping network infrastructure and forming a strategic partnership with NorthC to ensure continued service delivery. 

“We’re pleased to have entered into this agreement to divest our data centres to NorthC and to the funds managed by DWS Group. The sale will enable us to focus on our strategic imperatives of driving growth, delivering exceptional customer experience and building a sustainable network for the future,” said Keri Gilder, CEO of Colt Technology Services in a press release. 

The deal also supports NorthC’s growth plans, expanding its regional data centre portfolio in key European metro areas. The company has been steadily growing its market presence through targeted acquisitions and localised service offerings. Colt’s global footprint spans more than 40 countries, with over 275 Points of Presence and ten subsea cable routes. It also co-manages AS3356, one of the most widely-peered networks globally. 

Join us at this year’s Connected Britain, 24-25 September in London. Get discounted tickets here! 

Also in the news:
No sign Baltic subsea cable damage was deliberate, say Swedish authorities
A Northern Ren-AI-ssance
Cordiant edges closer to completing of BT Ireland’s wholesale unit purchase  

News

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has accused regulators in Europe of harbouring anti-American biases against US tech firms

This article was originally written by Brad Randall, Editor of our sister publication Broadband Communities

It’s choosing time for Europe, at least according to comments from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr in a recent interview with the Financial Times.

Carr’s comments came as he accused countries in Europe of protectionism, saying that anti-American sentiment has played a factor in decisions made by European regulators.

“If Europe has its own satellite constellation then great, I think the more the better,” Carr said to the Financial Times, referring to low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology. “But more broadly, I think Europe is caught a little bit between the U.S. and China. And it’s sort of time for choosing.”

Carr’s comments also tried to downplay concerns about Starlink. In the past, Starlink has been criticized for lacking affordability versus the price tag for connections from fiber providers.

“If you’re concerned about Starlink, just wait for the CCP’s version, then you’ll be really worried,” Carr told the Financial Times, referring to the Chinese Communist Party.

He also reportedly urged Nokia and Ericsson to move more manufacturing operations to America.

Previously, Brian Hendricks, VP of Policy and Public Affairs for Nokia Americas, has told Broadband Communities that Nokia supports bringing manufacturing back to the United States.

However, he also called Trump’s tariff policies “extremely difficult to predict,” describing the current situation as “a sharp image of a fuzzy concept.”

Hendricks said the lack of predictability is causing “a real bottleneck” for those who are excited about the U.S. market’s potential and want to make investment choices but are concerned about recent events.

“So, it’s counterproductive. I think that’s what worries me,” he said.

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Learn more about Broadband Communities Summit 2025 in Houston.

News

Multiple cables in the Baltic Sea were severed in November, with authorities initially suspecting deliberate sabotage

Today, Swedish authorities have released the initial results of their investigation into the Baltic submarine cable cuts, saying that there is no evidence of foul play.

“It cannot be determined with certainty whether a Chinese ship intentionally damaged data cables in the Baltic Sea,” concluded the government authority in a statement.

However, a separate probe into the cuts is still ongoing, with deliberate damage by bad actors not being ruled out.

“A lot of [the damage to the cables] is consistent with an accident,” said the head of the investigating authority, Jonas Bäckstrand. “But it is clear that if you want to do something deliberately, you also do it in a way that will avoid detection as much as possible.”

The pair of submarine cables in the Baltic Sea were fully severed in November last year, with the surrounding nations quick to raise the question of potential sabotage.

Following the initial phases of investigation, it was discovered that the Chinese bulk carrier ship Yi Peng 3 was in the area at the time the cable damage occurred. The ship has since been under investigation for dragging its anchor across cables, though whether this was done deliberately or accidentally is unclear.

The two affected cables were the BCS East-West Interlink cable, which connects Gotland, Sweden, and Lithuania, and the C-lion-1 cable between Helsinki, Finland, and Rostock, Germany.

The latter is the only direct subsea cable link between Finland and mainland Europe.

At the time, the German and Finnish governments released a joint statement saying, “We are deeply concerned about the severed undersea cable connecting Finland and Germany in the Baltic Sea. The fact that such an incident immediately raises suspicions of intentional damage speaks volumes about the volatility of our times.”

“We take all reports of possible damage to infrastructure in the Baltic Sea very seriously. As I said earlier, they must be seen against the background of the serious security situation that prevails”, wrote Finnish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on X in February.

Join us at next year’s Submarine Networks EMEA in London, 27-28 May in London. Get tickets here!

Also in the news:
NOW Telecom’s mobile licence revoked after ‘grossly deficient’ infra rollout
Nokia, Telia, and Finnish military demo 5G network slicing across borders
Anatel approves expansion of Starlink satellite operations in Brazil

Partner Article

As the UK’s most geographically diverse digital infrastructure provider, Pulsant champions regional thinking.  Every day, there’s a push for technological innovation to go beyond the M25 and drive the brightest businesses nationwide.

This has led to our focus in the Northern Powerhouse. Pulsant have invested extensively in data centres across Manchester, Rotherham, and Newcastle.  Across all their sites, Pulsant have seen the same thing: a wave of businesses poised to capitalise on digital commerce and artificial intelligence (AI) opportunities, leading to a revival of innovation, employment, and growth.

Manchester takes the lead

It is no surprise that Manchester is set to lead this Northern Renaissance. The UK’s second city recently took the crown of the most AI-ready metropolis [1].

The city of bees now boasts the most AI-related companies outside of London and the most significant number of AI technology-focused events. Opportunities for employment in data science and cloud analytics are a rich seam of possibilities for people seeking careers and a powerful driving force for new learning facilities and courses in AI disciplines.

Flagship initiatives such as the use of AI at Manchester United, collaborating with Manchester Metropolitan University[2], have catapulted Manchester to the forefront of AI discussions. And, tellingly, Manchester lies at the heart of a powerful new northern geography, with Leeds, Salford, and Liverpool all appearing in the top ten AI cities for 2024[3].

Investment in infrastructure

The level of investment in the digital infrastructure that this AI demands has been equally diverse. At one extreme, US investment outfit Blackstone has committed to a £10 billion investment to build a major AI data centre under the QTS brand in Cambois, Northumberland, on the site of a former power plant[4].

Elsewhere, the Singapore-backed Elite UK REIT has submitted a planning application to build an 80MW facility at Peel Park in Blackpool[5]. Blackpool Council is also progressing the Silicon Sands scheme within the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone. This 40-acre data centre cluster has the potential to bring billions of pounds of investment into one of the most deprived areas of the UK.

The driving force behind both these examples – and others – is proximity to both power and connectivity. For example, Silicon Sands is incredibly close to the landing point for the CeltixConnect-2 subsea fibre-optic internet cable that connects the USA, UK, and Ireland. CeltixConnect2 is part of the North Atlantic Loop, which also includes Manchester. That proximity means low latency connection for intensive AI workloads and more.

High-speed, high-capacity connectivity is at the heart of AI – something seen in the 150 networks on the London Internet Exchange (LINX) interconnection fabric hosted at Pulsant’s Manchester facility. Pulsant’s partnership with LINX via their facility in Old Trafford and the LINX Scotland regional interconnection hub based at Pulsant South Gyle enables regional businesses to evolve their network using the connective power of peering and more.

Pulsant and LINX are committed to improving the infrastructure and processes that underpin digital business success and economic growth for every region in the UK.

Networks that connect into an Internet Exchange Point (IXP) like LINX means that the traffic is kept local for lower latency, enhanced performance and increased control amidst a hive of media, content, and enterprise networks.

And make no mistake, it will be AI and the associated advanced data connection and collaboration capabilities that drives the next chapter in the history of businesses in the North.  Data has been referred to as ‘the new oil’.  But, in the case of Northern England, AI is the new industry that it feeds.

The potential of AI and digital business to come to be considered alongside the coal, steel, and manufacturing sectors that have dominated the Northern industrial heritage, is very real – and remarkably close to being realised. The Ren-AI-ssance has begun.

Find Pulsant at stand 47b at this year’s Connected North, taking place at Manchester Central on 23-24 April

[1] See SAS AI Cities Index 2024 – where is the most AI ready in the UK? | SAS UK

[2] See Manchester United aim to use AI for ‘on-pitch advantage’ in university link-up – Manchester Evening News

[3] See SAS AI Cities Index 2024 – where is the most AI ready in the UK? | SAS UK

[4] See Blackstone gets green light for £10bn QTS data center in Northumberland, UK – DCD

[5] See 80MW data center proposed in Blackpool, UK – DCD

Interview

As Türkiye prepares for its anticipated 5G spectrum auction, Türk Telekom is taking the lead, aiming to transform user experiences and drive industry innovation. In the WinWin studio, we spoke to Zeynep Özden, Marketing and Customer Experience Assistant General Manager at Türk Telekom, who shared her insights on the company’s vision and strategy in the approaching 5G and AI era.

“We are eagerly looking forward to offering new services and experiences to our users,” said Ms. Zeynep, highlighting that Türk Telekom has connected 54% of its LTE mobile base stations to fibre, surpassing the global average.

The company has conducted extensive 5G trials over the past two years, spanning sectors including transportation, healthcare, education, and sports. Notably, Türk Telekom recently showcased its 5G capabilities by installing mobile networks in stadiums for the top four Turkish Football League clubs, allowing many simultaneous experiences, a huge milestone following their initial launch at Istanbul Airport.

“We are determined to build all the advantages of 5G to every layer of society, and to build the digital future in the most efficient way possible,” leveraging innovative solutions from partners like Huawei, emphasising energy efficiency and spectrum optimisation.

Additionally, Ms. Zeynep highlighted the crucial role of AI in shaping Türk Telekom’s future, stating that AI will make network management and operational processes smarter, and help in precisely improving customer experiences, “ensuring expectations are reflected accurately in product and service development processes.”

“We hope that AI, which is one of the most crucial outcomes of digitalization, will become a powerful force in promoting network and business innovation at Türk Telekom,” she continued.

Also in the news:
NOW Telecom’s mobile licence revoked after ‘grossly deficient’ infra rollout
Nokia, Telia, and Finnish military demo 5G network slicing across borders
Anatel approves expansion of Starlink satellite operations in Brazil

News

Newspaper reports suggest that the newly merged telco giant is preparing to bundle Pay-TV services with fixed broadband, phone, and mobile plans

According to reports, Vodafone and Three may be preparing to launch a Pay-TV, seeking to capitalise on their newfound scale and help grow their subscriber base.

The Telegraphnotes that discussions between the two operators on this topic have already begun, but highlights that no formal decision has been made.

As such, the specifics of the potential offering are yet to be decided but are likely to include broadcast TV as well as streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Vodafone–Three’s  largest rivals, Virgin Media O2 and BT (EE) both already offer Pay-TV services, hence the operator’s interest in this space is hardly surprising. However, success in the Pay-TV market is far from guaranteed. These offerings must compete in a highly competitive streaming market, with viewing habits shifting away from conventional TV services.

BT itself has notably reduced its focus on the Pay-TV segment in recent years, with the traditional customers increasingly preferring to subscribe to streaming services independently.

That said, it is worth noting that Vodafone Group already has experience with the converged Pay-TV formula, with the company already offering similar bundled services in Germany and the Netherlands with some success. In the UK, the company’s TV offering has so far been limited to providing subscribers with an Apple TV box as part of certain packages.

The £15 billion merger of Vodafone and Three was finally approved by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in December last year. The move will make Voda–Three the largest mobile network operator in the UK, with around 27 million subscribers.

How will the Vodafone–Three merger impact the UK telecoms industry? Join the discussion next week at Connected North, live in Manchester

Also in the news: 
Nokia, Telia, and Finnish military demo 5G network slicing across borders
Mobile operators quibble with Ofcom over spectrum fees
Deutsche Telekom commits to Google Cloud through 2030 

News

The German antitrust regulator, the Bundeskartellamt (BKartA), says Vodafone and Vantage have deliberately obstructed the development of 1&1’s mobile network

In a statement released today, BKartA said it suspects Vodafone and its privately owned tower spin-off Vantage Towers of engaging in anticompetitive practises designed to delay its would-be mobile rival 1&1.

The preliminary legal assessment accuses Vodafone and Vantage Towers of failing to provide 1&1 access to thousands of its mobile sites, as per a previous agreement.

“According to the information available to us at this stage, the delay and its negative effects on competition in the relevant markets could, and in view of the prohibition of abusive practices under competition law, should indeed have been avoided,” said Andreas Mundt, president of the BKartA. “At the current stage, we are considering using our powers as a competition authority to enforce the provision of the sites which have not yet been made available.”

1&1 Drillisch won 5G mobile spectrum at auction back in 2019 with the intention of building out its own network and becoming Germany’s fourth national operator. By 2021, 1&1 had signed a deal with Vantage Towers to access up to 5,000 of the towerco’s existing mobile sites, allowing them to more rapidly deploy their burgeoning 5G network.

The contract specified that 3,800 sites were to be made available by 2025.

By the end of 2022, however, it was becoming clear that access to this may sites by 2025 would be unlikely, with 1&1 saying it had been granted access to just five sites. In 2023, 1&1 formally complained to BKartA, who subsequently launched an investigation into the source of Vantage’s delays in providing the agreed upon infrastructure.

1&1 says the delays caused by Vantage have severely harmed their ability to compete in the market,

The BKartA said that Vodafone and Vantage could have taken steps to resolve this issue but instead appear to have focussed on supporting Vodafone’s rollout.

“Based on current knowledge, the companies would have had numerous options to respond to any difficulties in fulfilling the contract without causing such massive delays. For example, the companies could have temporarily shifted Vodafone’s own expansion to locations other than those planned for 1&1 and/or focused more of their own resources on contract fulfilment,” said the statement.

The regulator says it is “provisionally considering, in addition to establishing the antitrust violations, ordering the provision of the remaining sites within three years and accompanying this order with further measures”.

Vodafone and Vantage Towers now both have an opportunity to explain themselves to the regulator, with a final ruling expected “mid-year”.

How is the German telecoms market evolving? Join the discussion at Germany’s leading digital economy event, Connected Germany live in Munich

Also in the news: 
Nokia, Telia, and Finnish military demo 5G network slicing across borders
Mobile operators quibble with Ofcom over spectrum fees
Deutsche Telekom commits to Google Cloud through 2030 

Press Release

KDDI and Okinawa Cellular will start providing au Starlink Direct, a direct to cell service between satellites and au smartphones, on April 10, 2025. This is the first Direct to Cell satellite service in Japan [1] .
The service is compatible with 50 smartphone models and is available free of charge to au users from today for the time being without the need to apply.

The au Starlink Direct service allows au smartphones to directly connect to the Starlink satellite that supports direct telecommunications, enabling connectivity wherever there is a sight of sky, even outside the coverage area. In addition to text messaging with friends, users can receive emergency earthquake alerts and share current location with families, providing peace of mind in emergencies. Furthermore, Android users can simply send text questions to get support for searches and other tasks from Google’s AI assistant, Gemini.

Although au’s population coverage is more than 99.9%, its area coverage rate is approximately 60% due to Japan’s unique topography [2]. au Starlink Direct, which covers all of Japan, enables connectivity in the remaining 40%. The service can be used to communicate with family members and friends, in emergencies, etc., even in mountainous areas, island areas, and campgrounds and at sea where it is difficult to provide a telecommunications environment.

KDDI is expanding the au coverage area to all of Japan to bring the experience of “Connecting the Unconnected. wherever you see the sky.”

Commenting on the launch of au Starlink Direct, Gwynne Shotwell, President & COO of SpaceX, said: “I’m very excited to bring direct-to-cell phone connectivity to Japan through KDDI, the first in Asia and one of the first in the world. Both Starlink and direct-to-cell are game-changing technologies, making connecting the unconnected simple and bringing potentially life-saving capability to the people of Japan for disaster and other emergency responses.”

Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to our newsletter 

Also in the news: 
Nokia, Telia, and Finnish military demo 5G network slicing across borders
Mobile operators quibble with Ofcom over spectrum fees
Deutsche Telekom commits to Google Cloud through 2030 

1. Among direct telecommunications services between satellites and smartphones that enable individuals to send and receive SMS messages.
2. “Results of Survey of Radio Usage Pertaining to Mobile Phones and Nationwide BWA in fiscal 2024 (in Japanese only) (4.1MB)” by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.