Rome, 9 June 2025

Sparkle, the first international service provider in Italy and among the top global operators, announces the availability of its “Quantum Safe over Internet” (QSI) to Amazon Web Services (AWS) customers. The service is already available through Sparkle’s commercial channels and will soon be accessible on AWS marketplace.

QSI is a cloud-native solution that offers secure VPN connectivity between customer sites or data centers and cloud providers, protecting sensitive data against quantum computing threats. It operates without requiring changes to existing infrastructure and leverages Sparkle’s network and advanced encryption technologies to ensure fast and secure data transmission with simple, automated management. With the NaaS approach, customers can use the service through a dedicated portal or via API, in an agile, flexible, and fully automated way.

The solution was validated through a dedicated Proof-of-Concept (PoC) conducted across two AWS regions – Frankfurt and Ireland – in collaboration with AWS and Sparkle’s technology partners. The PoC demonstrated the ability to establish secure, quantum-safe VPN tunnels between the two countries while ensuring continuous key rotation and encryption integrity without performance degradation.

“Quantum Safe over Internet” was launched in December 2024 to enable customers to access Sparkle’s network, establish secure connections between their offices, and utilize cloud resources with assurance against quantum attacks. It is the first service of Sparkle’s Multi-Quantum solutions suite which will soon include other use cases.

“This new offering confirms Sparkle’s strong commitment to delivering future-proof cybersecurity solutions to our customers while demonstrating our ability to bring quantum-safe protection into real-world hybrid architectures” said Antonella Sanguineti, Head of Marketing & Product Management Networking, Cloud, Security & Identity Solutions at Sparkle.

About Sparkle

Sparkle is TIM Group’s Global Operator, first international service provider in Italy and among the top worldwide, offering a full range of infrastructure and global connectivity services – capacity, IP, SD-WAN, colocation, IoT connectivity, roaming and voice – to national and international Carriers, OTTs, ISPs, Media/Content Providers, and multinational enterprises. A major player in the submarine cable industry, Sparkle owns and manages a network of more than 600,000 km of fiber spanning from Europe to Africa and the Middle East, the Americas and Asia. Its sales force is active worldwide and distributed over 32 countries.

Find out more about Sparkle following its X and LinkedIn profiles or visiting the website tisparkle.com

Media Contacts:

sparkle.communication@tisparkle.com

X: @TISparkle

The landscape of communications safety sees constant change and Bicom Systems ensures that you can always stay on top of it.

One such change is coming on June 20th, 2025 regarding the STIR/SHAKEN protocols where the FCC wants to take a more proactive approach in combatting robocalls by making each VoIP provider fully responsible for signing outbound calls from their network.

The Bicom Product Suite will make that possible for all VSPs who utilize it, ensuring continued operations in the US market.

What Is STIR/SHAKEN?

STIR/SHAKEN is a set of protocols whose aim is to digitally sign and authenticate caller IDs in an effort to reduce the impact that spam and robocalls make on the everyday customer.

They do this by providing a digital signature to a call through the service provider, one that’s encrypted using a private key.

With Bicom Systems’ PBXware, the process of signing and verifying outgoing calls comes as a built-in implementation that allows VSPs to do both for outbound and inbound calls, enabling them to both authenticate certificates and verify called IDs.

It also facilitates compliance with the FCC’s updated regulations that are being put into effect on June 20th.

The Importance Of Implementing STIR/SHAKEN

As mentioned above, STIR/SHAKEN’s main goal is to reduce the effects of the ever-present nuisance of spam calls, phishing and robocalls by adding an additional layer of security in the form of call attestation.

This should make it easier for the end user to identify potentially fraudulent calls and ignore them, giving them peace of mind and keeping their personal details (and, summarily, their other belongings) safe from the hands of malicious actors.

However, there’s benefit for legitimate businesses here too as the overall level of customer trust will improve with their calls now showing up as verified, improving the rate of successful calls.

What Exactly Are The New Requirements For VoIP Providers?

The newest update in regards to STIR/SHAKEN by the FCC aims to eliminate the use of third-party certificates for call signing and to shift accountability back to the VoIP providers themselves.

To accomplish this, they’re demanding that VSPs must:

• Handle call signing for calls originating from their own networks directly
• Handle the call attestation for all outbound calls
• Obtain an SPC token and their own certificate based on that token

This is done to not only improve the effectiveness of robocall prevention methods, but also to assign full responsibility to the VoIP service providers themselves rather than third parties, ensuring a more accurate VSP legitimacy process.

The VSP must also be properly registered with the STIR/SHAKEN policy administrator.

All of this takes effect on June 20th, 2025, and those found not complying with new regulations in time are likely to be faced with penalties that can go as far as being removed from the Robocall Mitigation Database, and other carriers potentially blocking traffic from them.

Keeping The (Phone) Lines Safe

While STIR/SHAKEN isn’t the be-all and end-all of scam call security, it’s a necessary measure in combatting the threat that it poses, and a step toward the problem’s hopeful elimination in the future.

Bicom Systems firmly believes in the concept of call security and will make sure to do everything in its power to facilitate better call safety at every step.

Get in touch with us and let’s secure a safer telephony experience for your customers, together.

With the release of v7.5, Bicom Systems is becoming compliant with Alyssa’s Law, a U.S. legislation aimed at improving law enforcement response and subsequent threat resolution times in public schools during life-threatening situations.

Its goal is to save lives and minimize casualties, and our goal is to make implementing the systems required to support it quick, easy, and affordable.

What Exactly Is Alyssa’s Law?

Alyssa’s Law is a critical legislation that addresses the issue of law enforcement response time during life-threatening emergencies by striving to improve it. It was first adopted in the state of New Jersey in February, 2019 and has since been adopted by a number of states across the nation (currently 6) with more states working toward getting the law passed and put into effect.

In simpler terms, Alyssa’s Law states that all public elementary and secondary schools are required to have a silent panic alarm connected directly to law enforcement.

The law itself was proposed by Lori Alhadeff, mother of Alyssa Alhadeff who was one of the victims of the Parkland school shooting of 2018 in Florida.

This was done in an effort to try and minimize and, ideally, prevent, any further needless loss of life in places of public education, especially young life, an ongoing problem in the States.

While it was initially met with pushback with claims that such a reform would be too costly on existing budgets, it has proven, through practice, that the pros far outweighed the financial cons.

The Importance Of Alyssa’s Law

As stated earlier, the main goal of Alyssa’s Law is to either prevent, or at the very least, minimize casualties during life-threatening events in public schools, however, the goal is much broader than that:

Improving Law Enforcement Response Times

A second can be the difference between life and death in extreme situations, and Alyssa’s Law aims to allow them to skip the line of a standard 911 call, expediting law enforcement response times.

We at Bicom Systems recognized this and have enabled our PBX system, PBXware, with v7.5 onward, to utilize tools compliant with Alyssa’s Law in order to provide a cost effective solution for Public Schools that adheres to the requirements imposed by the Law in question, helping further combat any potential pushback on the financial front.

It does so by utilizing a device that, once activated, triggers a pre-configured call and plays a recorded message on the other end, ensuring that the alert is clear and to the point, allowing emergency services to act quickly and appropriately.

Maintaining Communication Clarity

During life-threatening situations, it’s not uncommon for people to act panicked and irrational, which can lead to needless delays in law enforcement reaction due to a delay in information.

Additionally, the people in danger may not have access to a communications device at all times which can also delay or entirely prevent law enforcement from being informed on time.

However, the devices installed that comply with Alyssa’s Law aim to eliminate these factors entirely by having them pre-installed at public schools and always connected to law enforcement, regardless of circumstance.

The tools that PBXware provide aim to do this as well, utilizing clear and concise messaging to adequately alert emergency services with the alert alone and by always providing access to the device, regardless of emergency.

This is done with the help of the CyberData SIP Call Button which is now integrated with PBXware, enhancing emergency response capabilities and ensuring compliance with Alyssa’s Law.

Enhancing Overall School Safety Infrastructure

Alyssa’s Law sets a precedent for a more modern level of safety infrastructure in schools, showcasing the flaws in existing safety protocols with the hopes that more legislations follow suit in order to provide a safer environment for children and educators alike to both learn and work in.

Building A Less Stressful Environment For Everyone

With all of these safety measures in place, parents, students and school staff alike can breathe easier knowing that the schools are well equipped to handle any life-threatening situations should it ever come to one.

Securing A Safer And Brighter Future For The Next Generation

Ultimately, the goal of Alyssa’s Law is to emphasize the sense of urgency during these life-threatening situations when they occur, to expedite law enforcement response time, to introduce clear accountability for every party involved, and to, hopefully, prevent these events in the future through its sheer presence.

Bicom Systems supports the safety of American youth and is ready to provide the tools necessary to make Alyssa’s Law take effect across the country as a whole in due time. Let’s work towards a brighter and safer future, together.

MobiFone Corporation, a leading mobile network operator in Vietnam, and open RAN pioneer Rakuten Symphony have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on a pilot project to jointly deploy a 4G and 5G open RAN mobile network in Vietnam.

The MoU, say the partners, will position MobiFone as one of the first mobile operators in Southeast Asia to deploy open RAN, showcase the technology as a viable and efficient solution for mobile network expansion, and provide technical validation to support the commercial operations of open RAN technology in Vietnam.

A pilot programme will see Rakuten Symphony supplying open RAN solutions and engaging with its ecosystem partners to support the project and provide necessary expertise throughout the pilot phase. MobiFone will ensure required cell and core sites are allocated, that the sites are fully prepared to host open RAN technology, and that a mobile core is available to execute the pilot project.

Mr Vinh Tuan Bao, Deputy General Director, MobiFone, says: “MobiFone has identified open RAN as a strategic pathway to gradually establish technological autonomy in next-generation mobile networks. This collaboration will extend far beyond a mere proof of concept. It will pave the way for deeper, more comprehensive partnerships in the near future.

Rakuten Symphony says it is committed to be a global leader in advanced standardised open RAN innovation and technology, automated quality assurance systems and edge cloud capabilities for next-generation communications.

In what is said to be the first time Google has made a deal with an entire country, the Alphabet Inc-owned technology company has this week signed a major submarine cable agreement with the Chilean government.

The deal involves the deployment of a 14,800-kilometre submarine data cable across the Pacific Ocean to connect with Australia and Asia.

Claimed to be the first submarine cable in the South Pacific, scheduled for deployment next year and set to be operational by 2027, the cable will, the partners suggest, bolster Chile’s digital connectivity with Asian nations, including China, its largest trading partner.

Indeed, Reuters reports that the initiative coincides with intensifying competition between China and the US for influence in Latin America, with submarine cables emerging as crucial infrastructure in their technological rivalry.

However, links with Australia seem to be an equally important driver for the cable’s development. The cable will connect Valparaiso in Chile’s central region to Australia and could support mining operations in both Chile and Australia – for example, allowing mining companies that have operations in Chile and Australia, to have a shared command centre.

The cable could also play a part in advancing Chile’s ambitions to become a regional hub for Latin America. Cristian Ramos, head of telecommunications infrastructure for Alphabet’s Latin American unit, has apparently said that the cable would be open for use by other entities, including technology firms operating in Chile. In addition, Desarrollo Pais, a state-owned partner in the venture involved in developing infrastructure projects, is reportedly looking into linking the cable to Argentina via a border crossing.

Reuters adds that unofficial estimates of the cable’s costs range from US$300 million to US$550 million, with Chile potentially contributing US$25 million.

The Chile-Australia link has been on the drawing board for some time, though not always involving China. In fact Google is not the only partner to have been announced over the years; 2021 saw the involvement of aSingaporean cable company called H2.

In addition, this is not the only submarine cable venture planned between Chile and other countries. As we reported in 2023, Chile is planning a submarine cable to link the southern tip of South America with Antarctica, primarily for research purposes.

ZTE Corporation has released its Sustainability Report 2024, marking the 17th consecutive year the company has proactively disclosed its sustainable commitments and progress to the public.

The ZTE Corporation Sustainability Report 2024 highlights ZTE’s ESG strategies and achievements, showcasing how the company is leveraging digital innovation to drive sustainable transformation across the globe.

Amid the accelerating wave of global digitalization, ZTE remains committed to its role as a « Driver of the Digital Economy », advancing its sustainability agenda on two fronts: by making significant strides in green operations guided by science-based carbon targets, and by enabling digital and low-carbon transformation across industries through cutting-edge technologies.

Xu Ziyang, Executive Director and CEO of ZTE, states in the report, « The new wave of AI-driven technological revolution, particularly the boom of large models and generative AI, has propelled global digital and intelligent transformation. In this critical year filled with both challenges and opportunities, ZTE, as a ‘Driver of Digital Economy’, stayed true to its original aspiration and responded to the call of the times. »

The report reveals that ZTE continues to strengthen its underlying capabilities, scaling up R&D investment to build stronger core competence, with R&D expenses accounting for 19.81% of operating revenue. As of December 31 2024, ZTE had filed 93,000 global patent applications, with over 48,000 granted. Specifically, in the field of chips, ZTE had filed about 5,500 patent applications, with over 2,000 granted. In the field of AI, the company had filed more than 5,000 patent applications, with nearly half of them already granted, demonstrating strong innovation and technological capabilities.

Advancing Green Strategies to Tackle Climate Challenges

ZTE centers its core drive on technological innovation, continuously deepening its green development strategy to address climate change challenges and promote the coordinated advancement of digital intelligence and sustainability across industries. In 2024, ZTE received official approval from the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for its near-term 1.5°C target and long-term net-zero targets. In the same year, ZTE published the ZTE Net-Zero Strategy White Paper.

The company continues to advance its « Green Digital Path » initiative across four dimensions: green corporate operations, green supply chain, green digital infrastructure, and green empowerment. ZTE has been named to the prestigious CDP A list for leading climate action for two consecutive years, reinforcing its global climate leadership.

In terms of green corporate operations, ZTE has achieved the remarkable feat of increasing revenue while reducing energy consumption, thanks to years of continuous effort. In 2024, the company improved its energy efficiency by 20% compared with 2021, and recorded a 13.4% reduction in Scope 1&2 emissions compared to the previous year. Its telecom products saw an 8.39% reduction in physical emissions intensity during the use and maintenance phase, while its terminal products achieved a 5.02% year-on-year reduction in absolute emissions over the entire product lifecycle. ZTE reduced its Scope 1&2&3 carbon emissions by 14.317 million tons in 2024 compared to 2023 levels.

For green supply chain, in 2024, ZTE has integrated dual-carbon strategy requirements into supplier management IT systems, including agreement signing, on-site audits, and performance assessments. In this year, ZTE conducted onsite CSR audits for 261 production suppliers (representing 86.9% of the top 90% suppliers by procurement amount).

Regarding green digital infrastructure, ZTE boasts over 800 green innovation patents. As of 2024, the company has conducted carbon footprint assessments for 154 products, covering all its product categories. Through its end-to-end green solutions, ZTE continues to help global operators save over 10 billion kWh of electricity annually.

In green empowerment of industries, ZTE has actively integrated cloud and network infrastructure, IoT, big data, AI and other cutting-edge technologies with traditional industries to achieve a win-win outcome of development and emission reduction. The company has partnered with over 2,000 leading industry players to carry out 5G-powered innovative green practices across 18 sectors—including steel, metallurgy, electronics manufacturing, ports, rail transit, mining, and power—pioneering more than 100 innovative application scenarios.

Upholding a People-Centered Approach to Foster an Inclusive Society

ZTE has pursued sustainable development by advancing both technological leadership and CSR fulfillment. By leveraging its technological advantages, it provides tailored digital solutions to global customers, helping to bridge the digital divide and accelerate digital transformation worldwide. For example, ZTE and Orange have jointly launched the « Enhance Rural Area » project, delivering communications infrastructure to rural regions in Liberia and enabling digital access for more than 580,000 people in remote areas. In Anyang, Henan, the company supported the development of a drone-based blood delivery system, effectively addressing the « last mile » challenge in urban medical logistics. In Hainan, ZTE ensured uninterrupted emergency communications with satellite terminals during Typhoon Yagi.

ZTE upholds a people-oriented philosophy. In 2024, ZTE achieved 100% employee training coverage and its ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems certification now covers offices in 30 countries.

In 2024, ZTE carried out 310 regular public welfare activities across various fields, including rural revitalization, education support, and medical and disaster relief. With the joint efforts of 15,000 employee volunteers, the company has provided assistance to over one million people in need, continuously delivering warmth and creating social value.

Strengthening Governance to Enhance Corporate Resilience

Xie Junshi, EVP and COO of ZTE, states in the report, « Committed to innovation-driven and sustainable development, ZTE has embedded ESG into every aspect of its operations. By harnessing digital and intelligent technologies, we are developing a development model that coexists harmoniously with nature and society, while exploring a path for business continuity in the new era. »

Integrating sustainable development with its corporate strategies, ZTE aspires to strengthen its core competitiveness with a focus on its vision and three strategic cornerstones—internal control, compliance, and talent. In 2024, ZTE upgraded the corporate governance system and established the Strategy and Sustainability Committee to better incorporate the philosophy of sustainable development into its strategies and business activities.

In terms of corporate risk prevention and control, ZTE places particular emphasis on identifying and responding to emerging risks. As AI technology rapidly transforms the world, it brings immense business opportunities while also raising widespread concerns over ethical risks such as privacy infringement and algorithmic bias. To proactively address these challenges, ZTE established the Science and Technology Ethics Committee in 2024, demonstrating high-level organizational commitment to ethical governance. In addition, the company has put in place a technology ethics governance framework to review and assess AI-related R&D projects individually, ensuring the safe, reliable, and inclusive development of AI.

As a member of the UN Global Compact and the Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative and a key participant and a pioneer in the Partner2Connect (P2C) Digital Coalition initiated by the International Telecommunication Union, ZTE has received widespread recognition from numerous global authoritative organizations and rating agencies for its exemplary sustainability practices.

In 2024, ZTE was recognized with EcoVadis Gold Medal for sustainability excellence. In addition, the company was selected for the S&P Global’s Sustainability Yearbook 2024 (China Edition) and honored with the title of « Industry Mover ». It was also listed among the 2024 Forbes China ESG 50 list and received the World Internet Conference Distinguished Contribution Award. Furthermore, ZTE won two BDO ESG awards, as well as the LinkedIn MostIn Awards – Global Talent Magnet Employer, among others.

Moving forward, ZTE will continue to promote sustainable development globally, leveraging technological innovation and international collaboration to inject digital vitality into efforts toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, working toward a greener, more inclusive, and resilient future.

For more details of ZTE Sustainability Report 2024, please download:

https://www.zte.com.cn/content/dam/zte-site/investorrelations/en_announcement/ZTE_Sustainability_Report_2024_EN.pdf

At a recent roundtable discussion, Veon’s Lasha Tabidze described how the group is positioning itself as a service delivery company with LLMs at the core of its AI strategy.

The group has just launched AI Tutor, a Kazakh-language AI-powered learning assistant built on the locally developed KazLLM large language model created by its local operating and software development units, Beeline Kazakhstan and Qazcode. AI Tutor is embedded into Beeline’s Janymda super-app and offers modules to support Kazakh language learning for children and adults, although its capabilities will be expanded in the future.

Tabidze noted that operators are playing a ‘different game’ from hyperscalers with their approach to AI, noting that operators offer the cheapest digital distribution channel, allowing them to push products at a mass level. This is essential for customer-facing AI, as it allows consumers to see the value immediately. Similarly, it allows easier access for businesses to use KazLLM ‘as a service’ and train it using their own data to tailor it for their specific industry.

This ‘LLM-as-a-service’ concept leans on Veon’s tech expertise, with proprietary AI built on top of foundational models, i.e. the more widely known generative AI models such as Meta’s Llama, Google’s Gemini, or DeepSeek, which are used as a baseline. The LLM can then be monetised on a subscription basis to educational institutions etc – Tabidze claims that the main component for creating value is “where AI touches the people”, i.e. augmented and agentic intelligence. By putting this value in people’s hands, they understand it and so are willing to pay for it. Veon intends for companies to use KazLLM to develop internal agents that will help improve the model’s efficiency and drive digital inclusion in this market, for example by helping small businesses upscale their operations. Tabidze notes that developing Kazakh-language educational services delivered a huge nationwide benefit, highlighting the importance of identifying the key focus areas for each market.

“On top [of foundational models] you create the layer where data is secured, created by local people, which is trusted by not only governments or the private sector, but also people like us. When…you trust the company, you start to use it more in your daily work and life. [Our] Kazakh language [LLM], now it’s very good – it’s 40% more precise than if you try to do the same thing through – for example – ChatGPT in the Kazakh language. We started small, and then we scaled – and on the way, we’re learning…it’s very important that several parties are involved. You cannot develop it yourself. You have to have good relationships with every academic institution.”

By forming both public and private partnerships, operators foster trust from all sides, allowing them to become service enablers. International partnerships provide access to databases across different languages, improving its offering and thereby underlining the value of the LLM to the user base. Telcos have spent years amassing data on customer behaviour in a single silo, which is a huge advantage as most siloed data is unstructured and in different formats. Tabidze stated that while the model is transferrable, the datasets are not; structuring the data to be fed into the model is challenging, as is data enrichment on locally developed LLMs where wider datasets are not available. “We’ll have [data] specifically tailored for farming… for healthcare. if some other companies, startups or regular companies, have different very good data sets, that’s where partnership with companies comes into [play]…so you cannot have the closed ecosystem.”

Veon aims to create versions of KazLLM for its other markets, using local insight to help train the model in linguistic nuances, on top of the foundational models. Tabidze named Bangladesh, Pakistan and Ukraine as potential target markets.

News

A new multi-year deal will see Eutelsat’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation support Orange’s terrestrial networks

This week, Orange and Eutelsat have deepened their existing partnership, leveraging the satellite operator’s LEO offerings to support enterprise and government customers, as well as bolstering mobile backhaul.

The deal will combine the satellite network with Orange’s terrestrial networks, aiming to provide seamless connectivity to these customers even in highly remote locations.

“It is of strategic importance for Orange to invest in the unique LEO European solution that provides best in class, resilient, tailored and sovereign digital connectivity services to serve our customers wherever they are located,” said Jean Louis Le Roux, EVP Orange International Networks. “The partnership with Eutelsat for OneWeb services is of vital importance to support their digital transformation.”

Financial details of the deal were not revealed.

Eutelsat operates 35 geostationary satellites and over 600 LEO satellites, having merged with British satellite operator OneWeb in 2023.

Orange first partnered with Eutelsat back in 2020, purchasing capacity on its EUTELSAT KONNECT satellite to cover the entire French territory. Earlier this year, the deal was expanded to cover Orange’s operations in the Middle East and Africa.

Alongside Eutelsat, Orange also has deals with Starlink “in certain geographies, particularly in Africa”, according to CEO Christel Heydemann.

The company is also working to develop its own “sovereign solution” with its satellite subsidiary Nordnet.

In related news, reports this week suggest that Eutelsat is in discussions to raise €1.5 billion in order to further expand its LEO capabilities.

The company has already secured the procurement of 100 new satellites, which are aimed at launch by the end of 2026, but says that a further 340 will be needed to meet its obligations to the EU’s IRIS² project.

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

Also in the news:
SWR deploys Europe’s first ’Rail-5G’ Wi-Fi  
BT accelerates fibre rollout amid cost cuts
AT&T agrees $5.75 billion deal for Lumen’s consumer fibre assets

News

The operator group says its AI Tutor is the first of many digital services to be enhanced with its local language AI models

This week, mobile network operator group Veon has announced the launch of its newest GenAI product: an AI Tutor aimed at teaching users the Kazakh language.

Powered by the Kazakh language AI model KazLLM, AI Tutor provides six gamified learning modules focussed on language learning, supported by a GenAI assistant. Additional modules covering other disciplines are planned for the future.

AI Tutor will be available to Beeline Kazakhstan customers via the company’s super-app Janymda, which currently has 4.9 million monthly users.

“AI Tutor makes learning more accessible to speakers of Kazakh and those who would like to learn Kazakh language by turning AI capabilities into a locally relevant product, seamlessly integrated into Beeline Kazakhstan’s leading digital platform Janymda,” explained Kaan Terzioglu, CEO of VEON Group in a press release. “This is exactly what we intended to offer to our customers when we positioned our AI1440 as a tool that augments human capabilities, and we are determined to put similar technologies to the service of millions of users in our frontier markets through our widespread and accessible digital services and solutions.”

Veon has been espousing the benefits of creating local language LLMs for some time now. Beeline Kazakhstan launched its software company QazCode in 2023, with the company quickly put to work co-developing KazLLM alongside the Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence at Nazarbayev University, and Astana Hub, with the coordination of the Kazakhstan Ministry of Digital Development. KazLLM was formally launched in December 2024, with Veon saying it would use this resource to create “augmented intelligence tools” to “enhance the daily lives” of its customers in Kazakhstan.

Speaking to Total Telecom in an interview at MWC Barcelona earlier this year, Veon’s Group Chief Digital Operations Officer, Lasha Tabidze, explained the rationale for the creation of KazLLM.

“There is a big misconception around using LLMs that everyone speaks English and can prompt effectively in English. That simply isn’t true,” he explained. “There are thousands of languages in the world, but there are only seven that are fully resourced [with public online data], so these are the ones the big players are fine tuning. Less-resourced languages are not getting the attention they deserve.”

According Tabidze, KazLLM already offers answers “40% more precise” than ChatGPT in the Kazakh language, providing local users with a more nuanced experience.

At a press event this week, Tabidze re-emphasised that Veon was “not in competition with the hyperscalers” when it came to LLM creation, since these tech giants have little incentive to build AI models for relatively small markets.

“It’s a different race, a different game,” he said. “This is about supporting our customers and creating solutions for them in their language.”

“AI can be a great tool to shrink the digital divide. But if we don’t make these tools available in local languages, then we risk making that divide even bigger,” he added.

Of course, there is also a significant commercial upside to developing local language LLMs too – particularly where they face little direct competition from the hyperscalers. Veon has been greatly expanding its range of digital services in recent years, from digital healthcare platforms to ride-hailing apps, all of which can be significantly enhanced by incorporating local language AI models.

“We have 40 million plus users out of our super apps, 37 million plus of our financial services, and 28 million users in Ukraine registered on our Helsi platform,” said Tabidze. “We’re using all the power and knowledge we gathered […] to create augmented intelligence agents and bring it into the hands of people.”

Currently, Veon’s digital services revenue stands at just over 14%. Tabidze says Veon’s goal is to increase this figure to 50%, a goal he thinks is achievable in “3–5 years”.

Finally, in addition to leveraging their LLM for their own digital products, Tabidze says Veon plans to offer its LLM to enterprises on an ‘as a service’ basis.

“KazLLM is a foundational model,” he said. “If a company in Kazakhstan decides that they want to train this model themselves on their data – not just use this as a ready agent, but train it – then that’s where LLM as a service comes into play.”

Veon is currently working on additional LLMs in languages including Uzbek, Begali, Ukrainian, and Urdu. Additional LLMs for minority languages in each of Veon’s operating markets are also being created.

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

Also in the news:
SWR deploys Europe’s first ’Rail-5G’ Wi-Fi  
BT accelerates fibre rollout amid cost cuts
AT&T agrees $5.75 billion deal for Lumen’s consumer fibre assets

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) announced on Tuesday it has formed a partnership with technology solutions provider DWP Technologies to modernize its data centre infrastructure with software-driven enterprise and mid-tier storage platforms from Dell Technologies.

PTCL said its modernisation project aims to upgrade its storage infrastructure to streamline its operations, boost operational efficiency, enhance performance, and ensure scalability to meet the growing data demands of its network.

Among the operational benefits promised by the upgrade include a significant reduction in PTCL’s data centre footprint, along with its power and cooling requirements, leading to lower operational costs and greater energy efficiency, the telco said.

The upgraded infrastructure will also be designed to elevate PTCL’s service delivery and operational effectiveness by incorporating a three-site active-active metro architecture. PTCL said this will enable it to maintain continuous service even during localized disruptions.

PTCL added that its current mission-critical platform and ecosystem that supports PTCL and Ufone4G spanning three sites using enterprise replication services (SRDF) will remain fully supported and maintained throughout the modernisation initiative with no service interruptions.

By modernizing our infrastructure, we are not only enhancing our operational capabilities but also reinforcing our commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions to our enterprise customers,” said Jafar Khalid, group chief technology and information officer for PTCL and Ufone 4G.