News 

The statement adds further fuel to the US–China geopolitical fire 

The US government’s ongoing investigation into cyber threats from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has uncovered a wide-reaching espionage campaign targeting commercial telecommunications networks, according to a joint statement released this week from the FBI and CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency). 

The findings have revealed that Chinese affiliated hackers have breached networks across multiple telecommunications companies in a “broad and significant cyber espionage campaign,” allowing unauthorised access to sensitive data and private communications. 

Specifically, the hackers have been able to access and steal customer call records, including information about individuals involved in political and government activities. In some instances, they also intercepted communications tied to US law enforcement requests under court orders, raising serious concerns about the integrity of confidential information and data privacy within US commercial networks. 

The Wall Street Journal first reported the attack last month, and suggested that both telcos and broadband providers, including AT&T, Verizon and Lumen were among the targets, although the most recent has not named specific companies. At the time, the Chinese Embassy in Washington has denied the claims, calling them a “a distortion of fact” and a political attempt to “smear” China.  

The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are working together to support affected companies, share information to prevent further attacks, and improve cybersecurity across the telecom sector. Organisations concerned about breaches have been encouraged to contact their local FBI office or reach out to CISA for assistance. 

In recent years, US–China tensions have grown over tech and telecom security, driven by concerns around control of critical infrastructure like 5G and semiconductors. The US has placed restrictions on Chinese telecom companies, including Huawei, and imposed export limits on advanced technology, citing national security risks. Alleged cyber intrusions by Chinese hackers into US telecom networks and privacy concerns over apps like TikTok have added to these strains, fueling a push for self-reliance and competition over key technologies. 

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UAE-based operator Etisalat by e& and Mauritius-based digital infrastructure provider WIOCC say they have formed a strategic partnership to integrate their subsea networks to accelerate growth of Africa’s hyperscaler ecosystem.

According to a joint statement released Tuesday, e& and WIOCC said the partnership aims to broaden their market presence and strengthen their respective capabilities to meet increasing demand from customers for scalable, resilient, and low-latency connectivity solutions.

The partnership also opens up new avenues for growth in underserved and emerging markets across various parts of Africa, including the eastern and southern regions where the majority of hyperscalers currently operate, said WIOCC group chief operating officer Ryan Sher.

“WIOCC’s carrier-grade infrastructure, combined with our deep local knowledge and vast regional footprint, allows us to deliver tailored, high-capacity connectivity solutions that supports the complex needs of telcos and hyperscalers,” he said.

The announcement came the same day that WIOCC’s data centre subsidiary Open Access Data Centres (OADC) announced the imminent launch of Open Access Fabric (OAfabric), its open digital interconnection platform that will establish interconnection hubs across Africa to address escalating demand for advanced interconnection services. OADC said the platform will launch initially in Nigeria and the DRC in January 2025.

Meanwhile, Nabil Baccouche, group chief carrier and wholesale officer for e&, said that the tie-up with WIOCC – which currently supplies high-capacity connectivity between more than 30 African countries – will boost e&’s presence in Africa, as well as enhance to its global reach that currently spans 38 markets in Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Central & Eastern Europe.

“By combining e&’s carrier-grade infrastructure, global reach from Asia to Europe via the Middle East, and regional expertise, we offer tailored, high-capacity connectivity solutions for telcos and hyperscalers,” he said. “Our Smarthub edge data centres, featuring AI-grade capabilities, further enhance this offering.”

News 

No financial details of the deal will be disclosed, Nokia said 

Nokia has announced its acquisition of technology assets from Rapid, which includes the world’s largest API hub and a skilled research and development team. This acquisition marks a major step in Nokia’s plan to grow its network API offerings, aiming to support a wider ecosystem of telecom operators, software providers, and cloud giants to unlock the potential of 5G and 4G networks. 

Rapid (formerly known as RapidAPI) is a company that provides a platform for discovering, connecting, and managing APIs (Application Programming Interfaces). It’s particularly well-known for hosting one of the largest API hubs globally, which allows developers to access a vast library of APIs from various providers. Through this hub, developers can find, test, and integrate APIs into their applications, making it faster and more efficient to develop software that interacts with other services or platforms. 

As telecom companies look for ways to capitalise on massive investments in 5G, network APIs are becoming essential tools. By standardising network functions, these APIs allow developers to create new applications for consumers and industries. Nokia’s Network as Code platform, now enhanced with Rapid’s API technology, will give operators a way to integrate their networks, control API usage, manage lifecycle processes, and connect with Rapid’s global developer base. 

Since introducing its Network as Code platform in September 2023, Nokia has attracted 27 partners, including major players like BT, DISH, Google Cloud, and Telefonica. With Rapid’s assets in hand, Nokia is positioned to strengthen its role in the expanding 5G API market, helping operators transform network investments into new revenue streams. 

“Operators need a bridge to connect to thousands of developers to drive enterprise and consumer value creation and monetize their networks. Rapid’s technology and talented R&D team, together with Nokia, will allow us to bring a robust API infrastructure platform to accelerate network API-related product development and drive adoption across its broad global developer community,” said Raghav Sahgal, President of Cloud and Network Services at Nokia in a press release.  

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News

The deal is set to boost connectivity in the capital

Neos Networks has joined forces with London-based fibre provider Vorboss to offer new high-capacity, last-mile connectivity options in London. The deal will allow Neos Networks’ customers to access Vorboss’s extensive fibre network through the LIVEQUOTE platform, giving businesses a transparent view of prices for services up to 10Gbps.

The collaboration comes in response to surging demand for high-bandwidth, affordable connectivity in London, particularly as businesses look for resilient networks to support growing digital demands.

“By combining our extensive nationwide network with Vorboss’ advanced London infrastructure, we’re increasing the options for businesses demanding top-tier connectivity. This deal allows us to extend our reach in the capital, providing more organisations with access to the robust, secure networks they need,” said Lee Myall, CEO at Neos Networks in a press release.

“Enabling the London last-mile for Neos will pitch our network directly against the legacy players in London, and will show just how strong we are in performance, delivery timeframes, and value.

The companies say that they are helping to contribute to the UK’s digital infrastructure goals through this deal. By “increasing the availability of high-capacity backhaul and last-mile connections in the capital,” the companies are aiding the government’s nationwide broadband coverage target. The government’s current target is for gigabit broadband to be available to 85% of the UK by 2025 and nationwide by 2030. As of January 2023, the figure sat at around 72% of UK premises (according to Ofcom).

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

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Telekom Malaysia’s wholesale arm TM Global said on Monday it will expand its core data centres in Cyberjaya and Johor  to serve growing demand for domestic and international data hosting services.

TM Global said the second phase of both the Klang Valley Data Centre (KVDC) in Cyberjaya and Iskandar Puteri Data Centre (IPDC) in Johor will deliver a combined IT load of around 20MW. Both data centres will meet Tier-III standards, as well as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver rating for long-term sustainability.

The KVDC and IPDC upgrades – which are scheduled for commercial operations sometime in 2025 – are part of the next phase in TM’s roadmap to grow its infrastructure ecosystem as Malaysia overall positions itself as a data centre hub and a digital powerhouse in Southeast Asia.

That strategy also includes TM’s recently established joint venture with Nxera, the regional data centre arm of Singtel’s Digital InfraCo unit, which plans to develop data centres in Malaysia, starting with a 200MW hyperscale AI-ready data centre campus in Johor.

TM Global EVP Khairul Liza Ibrahim said the KVDC and IPDC expansions and the Nxera tie-up will lay the foundation for digital services such as cloud, advanced analytics, AI and IoT.

“KVDC and IPDC are integral infrastructures in Malaysia’s digital ecosystem, serving as international gateways and interconnected points to support 5G networks,” she said in a statement. “This second phase of our data centre expansion will feature sustainable designs, boosting our capacity to support hyperscalers, OTT players, cloud and next generation AI providers, as well as enterprises.”

Khairul Liza added that TM Global’s recent acquisition of a facilities-based operator license in Singapore will allow the company to provide seamless data centre-to-data centre connectivity.

“This enables us to meet the growing connectivity demands across the region, linking data centres from Thailand to Malaysia, Singapore, and Batam in Indonesia,” she said.

TM currently operates seven data centres across Malaysia. The operator has said its participation in the Asia Link Cable Systems (ALC) subsea club cable – which links Hong Kong and Singapore, with branches connecting Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam and Hainan, China – will add another 24 Tbps of international capacity for its data centres in Johor when the cable goes live in the third quarter of 2025.