News

The regulator says it wants to ensure that vulnerable customers are being treated fairly and that access to emergency services is not being jeopardised during the switch

Across the UK – and, indeed, across many parts of the world – steps are being taken to migrate customers away from traditional analogue landlines to IP-based digital landline services.

While for the vast majority of customers this process will cause little disruption, for a number of vulnerable customers who rely more heavily on the older system, the switch could be more problematic. Perhaps the largest issue is related to IP-based services reliance on a consistent power supply; if power supply is disrupted, such as during a storm, this can leave customers unable to contact emergency services.

Concerns related to these issues saw Ofcom call on operators to pause their landline migration process back in December last year, asking the operators to review their processes.

Today, Ofcom has gone one step further, launching an investigation into Virgin Media to examine whether they have been treating vulnerable customers appropriately.

“This investigation relates to concerns about Virgin Media’s compliance with two areas,” explained the regulator in a statement. “First, our rules require that Virgin Media must take all necessary measures to ensure uninterrupted access to emergency organisations. Second, our rules also require that Virgin Media establish and comply with effective policies and procedures for the fair and appropriate treatment of vulnerable consumers.”

Virgin Media defended itself, saying it has been working with Ofcom and the government to ensure the switch-over takes place smoothly and are following best practices.

“Last December we signed a Government-led charter and have paused all landline migrations, carried out an end-to-end review and will make further improvements to the measures we already have in place before switchovers restart,” said the company in a statement. “While telecoms companies like us have a crucial role to play in this switchover activity, it’s essential that telecare companies and local authorities also step up and meet their responsibilities to ensure everyone receives the support they need. We’re cooperating fully with the regulator’s investigation and will continue to work closely with the rest of the industry and other parties.”

Want to keep up with all the latest news from the UK telecoms sector? Join the ecosystem in discussion at this year’s Connected North conference live in Manchester

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News

As the risks associated with climate change grow, Telefonica is aiming to help businesses better understand the impact of adverse weather events

This week, international mobile operator giant Telefonica has announced an investment in Mitiga Solution, a company focussed on climate risk management solutions.

Mitiga is a company combining climate science with AI analysis, with their EarthScan™ software solution allowing them to accurately measure customers’ exposure to risk related to changes to environmental conditions, like flooding, heatwaves, and storms.

“Current traditional data models are inadequate for calculating impacts because they are based solely on past events projected into the future,” explained a press release from Telefonica. “[Mitiga] incorporates new data models based on physical and transient data to complement traditional models, enabling its clients in sectors such as finance, insurance, real estate, industry and retail to comply with European CSRD/SFRD legislation and make more cost-effective and sustainable investment decisions.”

The investment, for an unspecified amount, comes via Telefónica Ventures and Íope Ventures, the operator’s startup innovation arm Wayra.

Telefonica says the investment is in line with the Group’s strategy surrounding sustainability, with climate risk assessment viewed as an increasingly important field.

“Telefónica supports the transformative power of innovation and technology to build a sustainable future, which is why we have made a double commitment by investing in Mitiga through both Telefónica Ventures and Íope Ventures, the investment vehicle jointly created by Wayra and Telefónica Seguros. For us, Mitiga is a strategic partner that will help us drive our business in Climate Tech,” said Irene Gómez, director of Telefónica Innovación Abierta and CEO of Wayra.

“Climate change is the biggest challenge facing society today and in the coming decades, not least because of the large-scale economic impact it will have. We need to rethink our cities, homes and workplaces to build resilience to climate change on a daily basis. That’s why we’re excited about this strategic collaboration with Telefónica to bring our SaaS climate risk assessment technology to more businesses and public organisations,” said Alejandro Martí, CEO and co-founder of Mitiga Solutions.

Keep up with all of the latest telecoms news from around the world with Total Telecom’s daily newsletter

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News

The breach was seemingly caused inadvertently by a fellow staff member

This week, US mobile giant Verizon has informed authorities that the personal data of 63,206 people – primarily the company’s own employees – have been compromised by a data breach. This represents the data of roughly half of the company’s 117,000 workers.

The breach occurred on September 21 last year and was only detected on December 12, almost three months later.

While the specifics surrounding what caused the breach were not revealed, Verizon said it believed “inadvertent disclosure” and “insider wrongdoing” were the cause of the breach.

According to the operator’s report, the data compromised during the attack included employees’ names, addresses, Social Security Number or other national identifier (if available), gender, union affiliation (if applicable), date of birth, and compensation information.

However, it appears none of this data has been shared with external sources.

“[On Sept. 21], a Verizon employee obtained a file containing certain employee personal information without authorization and in violation of company policy,” explained Verizon in a sample letter to victims filed with the Maine attorney general’s office. “Promptly after learning of the issue [on Dec. 12], we conducted a review. […] At this time, we have no evidence that this information has been misused or shared outside of Verizon as a result of this issue.”

Verizon says work is ongoing to better understand the cause of the breach and to improve internal security.

The company has also implemented a two-year identity theft protection and credit monitoring service, details of which have been sent to impacted employees.

This data breach is Verizon’s second major security scandal in the past year, with 7.5 million of the company’s wireless subscribers having their data leaked on the Dark Web.

Want to keep up to date with the latest telecoms news from the US market? Join the telcos in discussion at this year’s Connected America conference live in Dallas, Texas

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Press Release

Aqua Comms, a leading provider of global subsea connectivity services, today announced a long-term lease agreement for Trans-Atlantic subsea spectrum with Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) for 25% of a fibre pair between New York, Dublin and London. This agreement marks the first Trans-Atlantic spectrum acquisition by ESnet, the high-performance network built to support scientific research, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Science and managed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

ESnet serves as the DOE research community’s “data circulatory system,” providing services to tens of thousands of scientific researchers throughout the entire national laboratory system, its supercomputing facilities, and its major scientific instruments, as well as peering with more than 270 research and commercial networks worldwide. Secured for 15 years, this quarter-fibre-pair will provide a dedicated 5 Tbps data pipe that will be a foundational element of ESnet’s long-term trans-Atlantic strategy to accommodate rapid increases in data traffic from DOE science collaborations and facilities, including ramping up for the high luminosity upgrade of CERN’s Large Hadron Collider.

“Scientific research has entered the exascale era, and researchers need to be able to rapidly, seamlessly, and reliably move vast quantities of data from instruments to high-performance computing facilities to their human collaborators all over the world — and back again,” said ESnet Executive Director Inder Monga. “ESnet is committed to continuing to build a robust, redundant network ready to serve the Department of Energy’s research ecosystem now and for the long-term future.”

Jim Fagan, CEO at Aqua Comms, said, “Subsea Spectrum offers the scalability and control of dark fibre at a fraction of the cost allowing customers to plan for their long-term network needs. By working with Aqua Comms, ESNet can be confident in our expertise and leading global subsea engineering services as we continue to demonstrate that we are at the forefront of the technology supporting the needs of our customers with high-bandwidth, efficient network services.”

The Aqua Comms network is leveraging Ciena’s (NYSE: CIEN) GeoMesh Extreme submarine network solution, powered by WaveLogic 5 Extreme coherent optics and Manage, Control and Plan (MCP) advanced software capabilities, to support customers’ ever-growing connectivity and bandwidth needs. Additionally, Ciena Services is providing submarine-specific automation for installation, spectrum activation, and testing for time savings and improved optimization, as well as SLTE technical support to ensure optimal network reliability.

“When 400G wavelengths are not sufficient for growing demands, operators are turning to subsea spectrum to fulfill their scalable, continent-to-continent requirements,” commented Thomas Soerensen, Vice President, Global Submarine Solutions, Ciena.“With Ciena’s best-in-class GeoMesh Extreme solution, Aqua Comms’ network has the high bandwidth, intelligence, and cost efficiency to meet the unique connectivity needs of big science.”

Want to keep up with all the latest news from the submarine cable community? Join the discussion at Submarine Networks EMEA, the world’s largest subsea communications event

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News

Yemeni telecoms operators say they fear Houthis may destroy submarine cable infrastructure as part of the ongoing conflict

Vague threats from Houthi rebels have Yemeni telecoms operators fearing that local submarine cable infrastructure could be in jeopardy.

Late last year, a Houthi-linked Telegram channel published a map showing submarine network infrastructure in the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Persian Gulf alongside a message that appeared to imply these cables could become targets for future aggression.

“There are maps of international cables connecting all regions of the world through the sea. It seems that Yemen is in a strategic location, as internet lines that connect entire continents — not only countries—pass near it,” read the post.

The Red Sea is a vitally important thoroughfare for international data traffic, allowing data to travel from Asia and Africa into the Mediterranean Sea and on to Europe via the Suez Canal. The Red Sea’s floor plays host to 16 submarine cables that reportedly carry around 17% of the world’s internet traffic, including crucial military communications for the surrounding region.

Perhaps the most important of these cables is the Asia-Africa-Europe (AAE-1) cable, which spans over 25,000km and connects Southeast Asia to Europe. Damage to the AAE-1 or accompanying cables could have major ramifications not only for the local economies that rely on them for connectivity but also for the international data community.

In recent months, this fact has become more pertinent with Yemeni Houthi rebels conducting a drone-led attack campaign against commercial shipping in the region in retaliation for the ongoing war in Gaza. This has led to major bombing campaigns in Yemen by Western powers, with the conflict expanding to include around a dozen countries.

But could this conflict realistically come to also encompass submarine cable infrastructure? The realities of such an attack seem unlikely. While the general location of submarine infrastructure is published by the community in order for maritime traffic to avoid damaging the cable, locating the cable accurately enough to attack it from the surface would be very difficult without precision equipment. Similarly, getting close enough to attack these cables without submersibles – particularly in an area constantly patrolled by various naval vessels – would be a risky business.

On the other hand, the part of the seabed where the cables pass near the Yemeni coast is notably shallow, reaching depths of only about 100m. While this would be of little help to the Houthis when it comes to locating the cables themselves, it does make the prospect of damaging these cables more feasible using conventional means; for example, using submersible explosives similar to the sea mines that the Houthi’s have deployed in the Red Sea for numerous years.

If a cable were to be damaged, the repair process would likely be arduous. There is only a very limited number of cable ships available internationally to perform the repairs, many of which would have to travel for days or even weeks to reach the location of the break. Couple this with the added complexity and security requirements of working on a cable in troubled waters like the Red Sea and cables could take months to repair.

For now, the Houthis’ veiled threats to submarine cable infrastructure seem to be little more than hot air, but they do highlight a growing appreciation for the critical role that submarine cable infrastructure plays in global economy – and the far-reaching impact disrupting these systems could have for the international community.

How are global conflicts impacting international data traffic? Join the submarine networks community in discussion at this year’s Submarine Networks EMEA conference

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News 

Industry associations representing the operators argue that operators would rather keep the existing legislation than implement the proposed framework 

Industry groups representing European telecoms operators have warned that the European Commission’s proposed Gigabit Infrastructure Act (GIA) could penalise companies and damage the sector. 

The European Telecommunications Network Operators Association (ETNO), the European Competitive Telecommunications Association (ECTA), the GSMA, and GigaEurope have released a joint statement outlining their concerns on the draft proposal, which comes ahead of an EU meeting next week when lawmakers will draft the final legislation. 

The GIA was first proposed by the European Commission in February 2023, with the legislation aimed at reducing the costs of deploying gigabit-capable networks and simplify the rollout process. The GIA is part of a wider EU goal of deploying gigabit-capable infrastructure across the EU by 2030, in line with the EU’s Digital Decade programme.  

However, the joint statement from the industry associations has disputed the proposed GIA’s effectiveness, saying that the current negotiations “risk turning it into a measure that penalises telecoms operators, without producing any real benefit in terms of administrative simplification”.  

The statement takes two main issues with the draft text. Firstly, the European Commission’s suggestion of eliminating the ‘tacit approval’ clause, which currently would allow operators to push through with their deployment if local municipalities do not respond to a request for a construction permit within a reasonable timeframe. The clause is controversial, with some EU companies considering it an intrusion on the rights of third parties and private property owners, but the telecoms organisations argue that to remove the clause is to remove a “key measure that would speed up network rollout”. 

Secondly, a proposal added by the European Parliament to impose price caps on calls and messages within the EU, which the group says is unnecessary due to the market’s competitive nature. 

The joint statement argues that the provision of digital networks is “critical for the prosperity of the whole of Europe, providing the backbone of a modern, efficient and sustainable economy for European citizens”. It is clear that most citizens would agree with this sentiment, but this statement is masking the real motivation from the operators: a cheaper and easier way to roll out their networks. 

The end of the statement makes clear that the “EU telecom industry” would rather retain the current laws on the subject than implement the new ones, saying that retaining the regulatory status quo would be “less damaging”. 

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

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Press Release

Ericsson and Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) today announced a long-term co-operation for joint research in the area of AI, Compute and Radio.

As part of this collaboration, two milestone agreements were inked between both the organizations which will allow researchers from both organizations to collaborate towards developing novel AI and distributed compute technology towards 6G research.

A symposium on Radio and Network research was organized at GS Sanyal School of Telecommunications (GSSST) where leaders from Ericsson Research and IIT Kharagpur participated to discuss the developments and advancements for the future of networks and communication.

AI and Compute Research is instrumental to Ericsson’s 6G networks as the compute offload needs to be managed dynamically at edge and the policies would primarily be driven by AI. These themes of research are well aligned with IIT Kharagpur and both organizations view this partnership as a way to push the boundaries of fundamental and applied research in the Radio domain.

Virendra Kumar Tewari, Director of IIT Kharagpur, says: “In the commitment towards Digital India and making India the hub of technological innovation, this collaboration with Ericsson will be effective for next-generation technology significantly. 6G networks integrated with artificial intelligence will enable AI-powered applications to run faster and more efficiently. In the 6G era, IIT Kharagpur aims to contribute to Radio Access Technology and Network, Core Network, RF & Device Technologies, VLSI Design, Neuromorphic Signal Processing, Services and Applications. The institute also looks forward to participate in Telecommunications Standardization Process, Developing Test Beds, Prototype Development and Commercialization along with training and manpower development. This collaborative research partnership in fundamental areas as well as translational research will be transformational for our Future Network Platforms.”

Magnus Frodigh, Head of Ericsson Research, says: “This collaboration strengthens our R&D commitments in India and is pivotal to Radio, Compute and AI research. We are excited to partner with IIT Kharagpur and look forward to collaborative research in fundamental areas as well as translational research for our Future Network Platforms”. Dr Frodigh also presented Ericsson’s vision on 6G which aims to blend the physical and digital worlds enabling us to improve the quality of life by incorporating widespread Sensor-based communications between humans and machines through digital twins.

Nitin Bansal, Managing Director of Ericsson India, says: “Ericsson is well poised to lead 6G innovation and we are making significant R&D investments in India in line with our commitment to the country. Given our 5G and technology leadership, our research initiatives are geared to provide affordable network platforms for ubiquitous connectivity all across the country”.

The Speakers and Panellists of the Conference included Prof. Suvra Sekhar Das (Head, GSSST), Prof. Debarati Sen, Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti, Prof. Soumyajit Dey and many other faculty members from IIT Kharagpur; Dr Magnus Frodigh, Head of Ericsson Research, Dr Mikael Hook, Head of Radio Research and Dr Mikael Prytz , Head of Network Research.

Some of the key initiatives finalized by both the organizations include:

• Compute offload and Resource Optimization at edge compute: The project aims to explore resource optimization, dynamic observability and sustainable distributed and Edge computing technologies.
• RL based Beamforming for JCAS: Safe, Causal, and Verifiable: The project aims to explore causal AI methods for joint communication and sensing (JCAS)

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News 

‘The platform is a result of two year’s research and development  focussing on generative AI 

Jio Platforms, the parent company of Reliance Jio, India’s largest mobile operator, has announced the launch of its new artificial intelligence platform named ‘Jio Brain’. 

The platform, which was announced in a LinkedIn post by Senior Vice President Aayush Bhatnagar, will “integrate Machine Learning capabilities in the telco network or any industry-specific IT environment – without undergoing network / IT transformation.” 

The platform will aid the creation of new 5G services, help transform enterprises, optimise network operation, and allow for innovation in 6G, where machine learning is a key capability, according to Bhatnagar. 

Digging into the attached information sheet, the platform combines the speed, latency and connectivity of 5G with the data processing, analysis, and automation capabilities of machine learning, to allow any operator or enterprise to institutionalise machine learning in their day-to-day operations. 

Users will be able to integrate their own datasets using a simple interface, with the platform supported by over 500 application programming interfaces to allow for customised offerings. 

Current applications already available include ‘enterprise and mobile-ready LLM (large language models)-as-a-Service’, text-to-text translation, and speech-to-text translation services. 

Bhatnagar described the platform as a “significant milestone” for the company’s 5G/6G product line. 

Generative AI is a huge hot topic for the telco industry. Last July, four major global telcos (SK Telecom, e&, Deutsche Telecom, and Singtel) partnered to form a Global Telco AI Alliance, signing a Memorandum of Understanding to co-develop a Telco AI Platform that will serve as a foundation for new AI services such as super apps and digital assistants.  

Earlier still, in 2022, SK Telecom announced its intention to become an AI company to set itself apart from competitors. The company said it would do this in three ways: redefining its core businesses with AI, innovating customer relations through AI, and sharing its AI transformation processes with other companies. 

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

Also in the news:
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News

A selection of the month’s biggest news stories from the German telecoms market, with guest commentary provided by Rowan Thomson, Senior Conference Producer of Connected Germany, Total Telecom

EU launches Nostradamus – prepares Europe for a quantum world: A Deutsche Telekom-led consortium has been given a mandate by the European Commission to create testing infrastructure for quantum key distribution.

Nokia doubles down in Germany with €360 million investment  The Finnish vendor says the investment will cover chips, software, and hardware as part of a four-year European IPCEI (Important Projects of Common European Interest) project.

Deutsche Telekom and BREKO clash over duct access rights: As regulators continue to debate the Gigabit Infrastructure Act, industry association BREKO is clashing over potential changes that they say will lead to overbuild by incumbent operator Deutsche Telekom.

Telefónica increases stake in German unit to 93%: The Spanish operator group upped its stake in its German business by roughly 21% for €1.5 billion following a public tender process.

Vodafone Germany and Autobahn collaborate on 5G rollout: Vodafone will add 150 new 5G sites by the end of 2026, aiming to cover the entire German motorway system by 2028.

“Germany’s telecoms market is likely to see further consolidation and evolution as funding and investment are prioritised for the new year. Shared access to infrastructure, via open access, is likely to remain a key topic this year as well as avoiding overbuild – you can read in more detail on the disagreement between BREKO and Deutsche Telekom over duct access rights in our round up of German news above.

Away from the fibre market, we’re also taking a look at developments in mobile, from Nokia’s increased investment in Germany to the collaboration between Vodafone and the Autobahn to extend the 5G network across Germany’s motorways. Make sure you subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest industry news from Germany and further afield.”

– Rowan Thomson, Senior Conference Producer of Connected Germany, Total Telecom

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Want to keep up with all the latest developments in the German telecoms market? Join the ecosystem in discussion at this year’s Connected Germany conference live in Munich

HAUD AND ORANGE FORGE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TO BOOST INTERNATIONAL A2P MONETISATION AND ENHANCE MESSAGING PROTECTION

Uppsala Sweden – HAUD, a leading telecommunications security company, has officially announced a transformative strategic partnership with Orange Wholesale commitment to identify, address, and mitigate revenue leakage across all channels within the Orange group, ensuring sustained protection and revenue growth across the entire portfolio of Orange operating companies worldwide.

As part of this long-term partnership, HAUD is set to deliver a comprehensive suite of services, to bolster Orange’s A2P Monetisation business. These services encompass vulnerability testing assessments, strategic consulting, and award winning security software deployment throughout the Orange group. HAUDs mission is clear – to fortify the identification and prevention of A2P revenue leakage across diverse messaging channels, securing and optimizing the A2P Monetisation ecosystem.

“The partnership with HAUD signifies a strategic move towards fortifying the integrity of our messaging platforms and maximizing revenue generation. HAUDs solutions ensure we can maximize revenue from our messaging platforms in partnership with our operating companies and affiliates, solidifying our commitment to providing secure and innovative services,” said Cedric Gonin, VP Global Business Support at Orange Wholesale.

The Smart Ecosystem is meticulously designed to prioritize the protection of subscribers and systems, against potential threats while ensuring sustainable, scalable revenue streams. By embarking on this strategic journey with Orange Wholesale, HAUD reinforces its commitment to pioneering advancements in telecommunication messaging security. The partnership marks a pivotal step towards fortifying messaging protection and maximising the value derived from A2P Monetisation initiatives within the global telecom landscape, “said Erik Angelow, CEO at HAUD.

For further information, please contact:

Emily Morgan

emily.morgan@haud.com

About HAUD

HAUD stands as a distinguished leader in telecommunications security, dedicated to serving global Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). Our comprehensive expertise spans a suite of award winning solutions, including A2P Monetization, Messaging Protection and Security, Messaging assurance, and SMS and Messaging Firewalls. 

With an unwavering commitment to empowering our clients, HAUD facilitates the imperative to “Stay in Control” of network dynamics, wholesale revenue, and overall customer experience. As the enduring and trusted partner for telecom operators and messaging partners worldwide, HAUD delivers cutting-edge services that redefine the benchmarks of telecommunications security.