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The milestone means passengers traveling through central London stations can enjoy reliable 4G coverage on their journeys 

Transport for London (TFL) and neutral host provider Boldyn Networks have completed the rollout of high-speed mobile coverage across the entire Elizabeth Line. This marks another step in TfL’s ongoing efforts to improve connectivity across London’s transport system. 

All UK mobile network operators — Three UK, EE, Vodafone, and Virgin Media O2 — are participating in the project, allowing all UK mobile customers access to connectivity on the Tube 

Back in May, TfL and Boldyn announced that 4G coverage had been deployed at all stations on the Elizabeth Line; today’s announcement means that the coverage is now delivered inside the tunnels too.  

The work extends coverage to tunnels serving central London stations such as Whitechapel, Stratford, Canary Wharf, Custom House, and Woolwich.  

“This is yet another step towards ensuring Londoners and visitors can stay connected on our transport network. It means customers can access the latest travel information and keep in touch with colleagues, friends, and family throughout their journey on the Elizabeth line,” said Mayor of London Sadiq Khan in a press release. 

For commuters, this means the ability to stay online throughout their journey. The expanded network also benefits TfL staff, improving communications and bolstering safety by supporting the Emergency Services Network (ESN). Once fully operational, the ESN will provide frontline responders with access to real-time data and critical information during emergencies. 

The Elizabeth Line milestone is part of a broader effort from TFL and Boldyn Networks to bring mobile coverage to the entire London Underground, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), and London Overground Windrush line. 

Progression includes: 

– Northern Line: Coverage expansion towards Morden and between King’s Cross St Pancras and Moorgate, expected by early next year. 

– Bakerloo Line: Tunnel sections between Piccadilly Circus and Embankment will go live in the coming weeks, with additional stations to follow. 

– Piccadilly and Victoria Lines: Further connectivity is planned for these lines in the coming months. 

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New US export controls on semiconductor technology this week have been met immediately by retaliatory measures from China

This week has seen the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ramp up controls on its tech exports to China, particularly those related to the manufacture of semiconductors.

The additional restrictions cover 24 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment and three types of software tools for developing or producing semiconductors. It also includes High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM), a computer memory interface at the heart of AI chip technology.

In addition to these restrictions, the update added 140 companies to the US’s infamous Entity List, 136 of which were Chinese. US companies looking to sell restricted items to entities designated on this list are required to acquire a specialised export licence from BIS, which is seldom granted. Companies to the list in this most recent batch include semiconductor fabs, tool companies, and investment companies that the US claims have links to the Chinese government.

These new measures, BIS says, are designed to slow China’s ability to “indigenise the production of advanced technologies” that may pose a threat to US national security. In particular, this includes the creation of advanced-node integrated circuits, which are used for advanced AI and military applications.

“They’re the strongest controls ever enacted by the US to degrade the PRC’s ability to make the most advanced chips that they’re using in their military modernization,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.

China has responded quickly to the new sanctions, banning shipments to the US of several ‘dual-use’ metals used to make semiconductors and military applications. This includes export bans on gallium, germanium, antimony and superhard materials, with stricter rules also to be put in place for graphite products.

“The US preaches one thing while practicing another, excessively broadening the concept of national security, abusing export control measures, and engaging in unilateral bullying actions. China firmly opposes such actions,” said China’s Commerce Ministry in a statement.

These retaliatory sanctions are effective immediately.

This trade dispute represents the latest sparks in the ever-increasing geopolitical clash for technology dominance between the US and China. Both nations are currently supporting multibillion-dollar state subsidy programmes to bolster domestic semiconductor production, aiming to reduce their reliance on the global supply chain.

In other chip-related news, this week saw the shock retirement of Intel CEO Patrick Gelsinger.

Intel has been struggling to remain competitive in recent years against the likes of TSMC and AMD, despite substantial internal restructuring and the laying off of 15,000 staff. In its most recent quarterly report, the company reported losses of $1.6 billion.

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The formation of the joint venture had been under discussion for over a year 

Telefónica’s proposed sale of its Peruvian fibre optic network to private equity firm KKR and Chilean telecom operator Entel has collapsed, representing a major setback in the Spanish telecom giant’s efforts to streamline operations and reduce debt.  

The deal, announced in July last year, would have seen KKR and Entel acquire a 54% and 10% stake in the network, respectively, valuing the business at approximately €550 million, including debt, according to reports. The newly created joint venture, dubbed On Net Fibra de Peru, would become Peru’s first open first independent open access wholesale fiber optic network, with KKR aiming to more than double the network’s coverage to 5.2 million by the end of 2026. 

The deal was cleared by the Peruvian competition regulator in September, leaving the way seemingly clear for the deal to go ahead. 

Last week, however, Entel disclosed the breakdown of negotiations in a Peruvian regulatory filing, citing unfulfilled closing conditions.  

“Pangea has communicated that, due to the failure to comply with certain closing conditions stipulated in the SSA (in reference to the agreement), related to a parallel transaction between KKR and Telefónica Hispam regarding Pangea that will not materialize, Telefónica Hispam has expressed its intention to formally document the termination of the SSA. To date, the parties to the SSA are in discussions regarding the terms and conditions of said termination,” explained Entel in a statement. 

Telefonica had planned to use the sale proceeds to cut its debt by €200 million, aligning with its broader strategy to divest non-core assets and focus on key markets like Spain, Brazil, and Germany. 

Telefónica has been actively selling off assets in recent years, including its tower businesses and shares in fibre ventures across Europe and Latin America. These moves are aimed at tackling its €26 billion debt burden and free up capital to investment in 5G and digital infrastructure in key markets. 

KKR has a history of investments in critical telecom infrastructure – including most recently in Telecom Italia – has partnered with Telefónica in other fibre-related ventures, including acquiring its Chilean wholesale fibre optic network in 2021. 

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The deployment, which Huawei says is the world’s first ‘large-scale integrated 5G-Advanced intelligent network’, will provide services to over 10 million people in the Chinese capital

China Unicom Beijing has deployed a far reaching 5G-Advanced network covering stadiums, schools, scenic areas, metro stations, commercial areas, residential areas, and other facilities in Beijing. 

The new three component carrier (3CC) network will provide 5G coverage for roughly 10 million customers within Beijing’s 4th Ring Road and the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center, 85% of which will use the latest 5G-Advanced technology.  

This 5G-Advanced network offers greater speeds (up to 10 Gbps), improved network capacity, spectral efficiency, and coverage versus existing 5G networks. These capabilities make the new network perfect for supporting the latest consumer use cases, such as immersive videos, UHD live streaming, and cloud gaming, according to China Unicom and it tech partner Huawei. 

But perhaps the most important aspect of this new network – at least from China Unicom’s perspective – will be its integration with AI and machine learning.  

The operator has built in end-to-end automation for sites based on user service data, including AI-powered optimization of provisioning, services, iteration, and inspection. This will not only help the sites to operate more efficiently, resulting in cost savings for the operator, but allow for the rapid deployment of new services automatically, without manual intervention. In this way, this automated process will reduce the provisioning time from days to minutes.  

These AI capabilities will require significant compute power to function effectively. As a result, China Unicom is deploying the necessary compute infrastructure alongside the sites themselves, allowing AI workloads to be handled locally, at the edge.  

China Unicom says it is the first operator to implement this network self-provisioning and self-optimisation in lightweight scenarios.  

“Large bandwidth can quickly improve user experience. Only by providing 10-gigabit network capabilities can we guarantee a gigabit experience for all users. This time, we’ve built a large-scale integrated 5G-Advanced intelligent network to bring a better experience to all China Unicom users across Beijing,” said Yang Lifan, Deputy General Manager of China Unicom Beijing. “We are confident that, based on Huawei’s advanced technologies and our smart operations capabilities, we will provide users in Beijing with an increasingly better network experience in the future.” 

5G-Advanced shines at Workers’ Stadium and the Great Wall 

As part of the public network deployment, China Unicom has paid special attention to the recently reopened Workers’ Stadium, one of the country’s largest football stadiums. The stadium will be supported by numerous 5G-Advanced 3CC sites, both inside and outside, allowing customers to receive download speeds of over 10Gbps. 

“Field tests recorded a downlink peak rate of 11.2 Gbps, allowing a crowd of up to 68,000 people to simultaneously and smoothly watch 1080p videos. Meanwhile, the uplink peak rate reached 4 Gbps, sufficient to support services like UHD shallow compression,” explained Huawei in a statement.  

The stadium’s 5G-Advanced network will also support novel use cases, including those related to the Internet of Vehicles (IoV), Internet of Things (IoT), and extended reality (XR) split rendering. 

Alongside Workers’ Stadium, another area receiving a significant 5G-Advanced network deployment from China Unicom is the Great Wall Scenic Area, situated roughly 70km northeast of Beijing. This area is one of the Great Wall of China’s best preserved and most picturesque sections, receiving over 1.4 million visitors annually.  

Here, China Unicom has worked with the local Yanqing District Government to deploy 5G-Advanced base stations at scale, offering the area 5G coverage both on the ground and at low altitudes of up to 300 metres. This ensures that visitors to the Wall and the surrounding area can enjoy uninterrupted network coverage wherever they are, helping to support tourism, logistics, and emergency rescue. 

As user demands on the network continue to increase and AI use continues to scale, 5G networks must continue to evolve. Telcos around the world will be watching this deployment from China Unicom closely, hoping to take key lessons for their own 5G-Advanced upgrades in the near future. 

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The European parliament has approved Ursula von der Leyen’s selected commissioners for her second term as President of the European Commission

Earlier this summer, Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected as President of the European Commission, granting her a second five-year term as head of the European Union’s most powerful institution. Now, this week has seen von der Leyen’s selection of European Commissioners ratified by parliament, setting the stage for a new European regulatory era to begin next year.

“This is the Europe that I love. And this is the Europe my Commission will always devote itself to. Because I believe that our generation of Europeans must once again fight for freedom and sovereignty. For the freedom that the people of Ukraine are heroically fighting for. For the freedom to shape our own future in a confrontational and unstable world. But this freedom is not just an abstract word. It is about Europeans knowing that their families will be safe. Their country protected. That they will be able to afford to buy food or heat their homes, with decent wages and fair prices. That they will be able to seize opportunities. And that they feel in control of the change – and the speed of change happening – in society,” said von der Leyen said in a speech this week.

“Our fight for freedom may look different to generations past. But the stakes are just as high. And, honourable Members, these freedoms will not come for free. It will mean making difficult choices. It will mean massive investment in our security and prosperity. And above all it will mean staying united and true to our values. Finding ways to work with each other – and overcoming fragmentation. This is what I – and all 26 women and men with me – will strive for every single day. We are ready to get to work immediately.”

In terms of the incoming Commission’s priorities, von der Leyen spoke of closing the innovation gap between Europe, the US, and China, with a heighted focus on European R&D and international competitiveness. Digital technology, naturally, will be a keystone here, with Finland’s Henna Virkkunen being appointed to lead this strategic approach as Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.

As far as telecoms regulation is concerned, the other key figure being appointed to the Commission is Spain’s Teresa Ribera Rodríguez, who will become Executive Vice-President for the Clean, Just and Competitive Transition. Rodríguez will be tasked not only with accelerating the bloc’s decarbonisation, but also with overseeing its competitive landscape and State Aid framework.

Exactly how Virkkunen and Rodríguez will approach telecoms regulation remains to be seen, but the first significant indicator will likely be the legislative proposal for the Digital Networks Act, which Virkkunen will be required to prepare early next year. This Act will include a framework for the governance of the bloc’s telecoms sector and is likely to have a major impact not only for telcos but also Big Tech.

You can find the full list of Commissioners-designate here.

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The group’s formation is timely, following the high-profile damage to subsea cables in the Baltic Sea earlier this month 

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) have joined forces to create a new advisory group focused on protecting submarine cables.  

Submarine cables carry over 99% of international data, making them essential for everything from online shopping and financial transactions to digital health services and education. However, is critical infrastructure is vulnerable to damage from fishing, anchoring, natural disasters, equipment failures, and potentially deliberate sabotage, with around 150 to 200 faults reported each year, according to data from the ITU. 

As such, this newly formed advisory body will bring together governments, industry leaders, and experts to develop best practices for protecting cables, speed up cable repairs and deployment efforts, and reduce risks to existing cables. 

“The formation of this International Advisory Body with ITU marks another step toward safeguarding our global digital infrastructure,” said ICPC Chair, Graham Evans in a press release. 

“By working together, we can promote best practices, foster international collaboration, and create a consistent approach to protect the vital submarine cable networks that underpin global connectivity,” he added. 

The advisory group currently includes 40 members, including government ministers, telecom regulators, and industry experts. It will be co-chaired by Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, and Sandra Maximiano, Chair of Portugal’s National Communications Authority (ANACOM). 

The group will meet at least twice a year, with the first virtual meeting planned to take place next month. A physical meeting at the Submarine Cable Resilience Summit in Nigeria will follow in February. 

The formation of this advisory group comes just days after a pair of submarine cables were severed in the Baltic Sea, putting the submarine cable industry under the international spotlight. An investigation into the cause of the damage is already underway, with European governments saying at the time that they feared the incident could be an intentional act of sabotage on behalf of malicious state actors.  

This week the Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson requested that Chinese cargo ship Yi Peng 3 return to Swedish waters as part of the investigation, as the incident occurred inside Sweden’s exclusive economic zone (the area of the sea to which a country has exclusive rights). The ship was in the area at the time of the damage. 

Just yesterday, it was revealed by the Wall Street Journal that the ship is currently surrounded European vessels after investigators suspect that the ship deliberately dragged its anchor 100 miles across the Baltic Seabed.  

The investigation is still ongoing and the ship’s crew is cooperating.  

“Neither sabotage nor an accident can be ruled out,” said Katja Bego, a Senior Research Fellow at Chatham House, speaking to Reuters. 

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The deal covers over 3,000 Open RAN sites across Germany 

Nokia has announced a deal with Deutsche Telekom to support the deployment of over 3,000 sites for its Open RAN network in Germany.  

The rollout, which is already underway in the Neubrandenburg region, will see Nokia replace equipment from the incumbent vendor, Huawei. Partnering with Fujitsu, Nokia will provide O-RAN-compliant technology designed to modernise Telekom’s network.  

“This deal is further evidence of our significant commitment to multi-vendor Open RAN and ensuring we have greater supplier choice for radio access networks,” said Abdu Mudesir, Group CTO and Managing Director of Technology Germany at Deutsche Telekom in a press release. “The network performance in the already implemented area is delivering the best customer experience. And now together with Nokia, we look forward to scaling up Open RAN in Germany.”. 

This deal comes amid broader efforts by European telecom operators to reduce their reliance on Huawei, which has historically been a dominant supplier of equipment in the region. 

 Huawei’s presence in Europe has faced increasing scrutiny over security concerns raised by the US and several European governments. While the EU itself has not specifically lobbied against the use of Huawei equipment, it has introduced more stringent security guidelines for network equipment and encouraged telecom operators to diversify their supplier base. 

As such, only a small number of countries – such as the UK and Sweden – have banned the use of Huawei equipment in national networks outright. Instead, most governments have taken a lighter approach, with many only mandating that Huawei equipment be removed from the most sensitive parts of telecoms networks.  

This is the case for Germany, which has been particularly cautious in mandating operators to phase out Huawei equipment. After years of indecision, it was only this summer – almost five years since the 5G security debate began – that  Germany ordered the removal of Huawei equipment from the core of the network by the end of 2026. By the end of 2029, the wider network components from these manufacturers in 5G access and transport networks must be replaced. 

“We are protecting the central nervous systems of Germany as a business location — and we are protecting the communication of citizens, companies and the state,” said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser. “We must reduce security risks and, unlike in the past, avoid one-sided dependencies”  

In anticipation of rules such as this, Deutsche Telekom, one of Huawei’s largest European customers, has been gradually shifting toward a more diverse vendor mix for a number of years. The partnership with Nokia represents another significant step in this direction, with Deutsche Telekom moving to better align with European Union objectives of reducing dependency on high-risk vendors and fostering a competitive, secure telecom ecosystem. 

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The government has announced a trio of new projects, supported by the UK Space Agency, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), and the European Space Agency, aiming to provide reliable, high-speed internet for some of the UK’s hardest-to-reach areas 

This week, the UK government has announced new satellite projects aimed at delivering broadband to some of the country’s most remote communities. These projects typically combine the use of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellites to provide improved wireless communication, benefiting both residents and visitors to rural areas.   

It should come as little surprise that two of the three projects in the announcement relate to remote islands. These are locations that pose major deployment challenges for terrestrial infrastructure and are rarely populated enough to make such a rollout cost effective for mobile operators. As such, these islands are often left to languish with little or poor-quality connectivity.   

The first of these projects takes place on Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland. Located seven miles off the mainland, the island has 141 residents but attracts 40,000 visitors annually. Limited by poor mobile signals and no direct broadband cable, the government’s £2 million pilot project aims to combine GEO and LEO satellite terminals with wireless technologies to deliver improved connectivity for residents, businesses, and tourists.    

The second project relates to Papa Stour, one of the most remote Shetland isles. Here, a £1 million project will test similar hybrid networks to provide faster and more reliable internet. This is expected to support conservation efforts, tourism, and the daily lives of residents.    

Finally, a third project, dubbed the Nomadic Multi-orbit User Terminal Demonstrator, aims to develop portable satellite terminals capable of delivering gigabit speeds by combining both LEO and GEO satellite signals. These terminals can be mounted on vehicles to rapidly provide connectivity in remote regions, supporting emergency services, farmers, and event organisers in hard-to-reach areas.    

The government hopes that these projects will boost education, healthcare, tourism, and local economies while offering a model for expanding connectivity in rural and remote areas across the UK. 

“Digital infrastructure is essential for our modern way of life. But for too long, many businesses and communities have felt left behind,” said Telecoms Minster Chris Bryant in a press release. 

“This is why we must do whatever it takes to ensure we harness technological innovation to enrich people’s lives and tackle exclusion, rather than entrench existing inequalities. These pilots, for instance, will help shape the next generation of connectivity, using a combination of satellite technology and mobile networks to test innovative new services that could be a real game-changer for remote and rural communities,” he added. 

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The trial paves the way for bringing satellite-enabled messaging to customers in remote areas across Europe 

Deutsche Telekom, Qualcomm, and Skylo Technologies have completed what they claim is Europe’s first successful trial of text messaging direct-to-handset over satellite.  

The trial, conducted in Greece by Deutsche Telekom’s local subsidiary Cosmote, saw the Cosmote’s terrestrial mobile network integrated with Skylo’s GEO satellite network, allowing the device user to send and receive SMS messages. The devices used were equipped with a Snapdragon® X-80 5G Modem-RF System and integrated NB-NTN satellite connectivity. 

The messages were sent over Satellite Services (MSS) spectrum and were based technically on 3GPP’s Release 17 specifications for Direct-to-Handset (D2H) connectivity. This will allow customers to send and receive text messages globally, even in areas without traditional mobile coverage, using their regular phones, with no ad-ons or additional hardware.  

Perhaps the biggest advantage here is the use of commercially licensed MSS spectrum, which is available on a pan-European basis, allowing devices to roam seamlessly across international borders.  

“Soon, subscribers won’t have to think twice about coverage before texting, whether they’re on a remote island in Greece or venturing in regions without cell coverage – it’ll be a part of their cellular service. The future of satellite connectivity is strong integration into carrier networks and we’re excited to partner with Deutsche Telekom which has been paving the way for these new services”, said Parthsarathi Trivedi, CEO and co-founder of Skylo in a press rel ease. 

The technology could play a key role in improving coverage for rural communities, enhancing emergency response, and providing reliable connectivity wherever it is needed. 

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The new service is powered by technology from California-based cybersecurity company Fortinet  

BT has expanded its secure networking service for UK businesses, introducing new features designed to protect cloud data and applications. The upgrade, powered by cybersecurity company Fortinet, adds increased security to BT’s existing Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) services, making it easier for companies to securely access the cloud and managing their networks effectively. 

The new capabilities include AI-powered Security Service Edge (SSE) features, such as firewall-as-a-service, secure web gateways, and zero-trust network access. These tools ensure that only verified users and devices can access sensitive company resources.  

As businesses increasingly shift to cloud-based operations and support employees working from various locations, these new features provide a solution for keeping data and applications safe. With this expanded service, BT aims to simplify network security and help companies protect themselves against growing cyber threats while maintaining seamless access to cloud services, the company said. 

“Building upon our decade-long partnership, we’re proud to collaborate on the new SASE service with BT to enable its UK customers to converge networking and security,” said Nirav Shah, Vice President, Products and Solutions at Fortinet in a press release.  

“SASE complements the cybersecurity platform approach to delivering integrated security and secure network access regardless of where users are located. By combining Fortinet’s cutting-edge SASE and secure networking solutions with a leading choice of fixed and 5G access networks from BT, customers can have a nimble, robust, and more secure network to help them get the best from the cloud,” he continued. 

Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter  

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