News 

The heavy reliance on undersea cables remains a major risk as over 95% of global internet traffic depends on them 

UK Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer has urged European leaders for increased cooperation on subsea infrastructure defences at a European Council meeting in Brussels.

The call comes after an increase in suspicious activity from Chinese and Russian vessels around key European submarine cables. Last month, A Russian spy ship was caught in the English Channel attempting to gather information on critical underwater infrastructure. 

Furthermore, there has been multiple submarine cable incidents in the Baltic Sea since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with many of these cable cuts – intentional or otherwise – being linked to Russian and Chinese vessels. As the frequency of these incidents has ramped up, NATO has deployed patrol ships to the region as part of a mission called ‘Baltic Sentry’. 

“We need to deepen co-operation to protect ourselves from state threats and sabotage, including on sub-sea infrastructure,” said Sir Kier in an address to European leaders. 

In disclosed correspondence between House of Lords Peers Lord Coaker and Lord West of Spithead, it has been revealed that the UK’s first multi-role ocean surveillance ship, RFA Proteus, has been deployed as part of a broader plan to protect national infrastructure, with a second vessel still in the early planning stages. 

The government is “committed to ensuring the security and resilience of the UK’s telecommunications infrastructure” and pointed to ongoing coordination with government agencies and the subsea cable industry, said Lord Coaker. 

Just last week, The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy (JCNSS) announced that it would explore the security credentials of the UK’s submarine cable ecosystem as part of a new industry enquiry, in a direct response to the increase in suspected malicious underwater activity. 

The government emphasised the UK’s reliance on its 60 existing submarine cables, warning of the potential disruption that damage to multiple cables at once would cause the UK. 

Join the conversation at the EMEA’s Most Important Subsea Event, Submarine Networks EMEA! Get tickets here. 

Also in the news:
From the bully pulpit: FCC’s Carr could pursuade allies over new subsea cable regulation
Labour to slash rural broadband funding
EE renews partnership with Home Nations Football Associations and Wembley Stadium

Taking a leap forward from 4.7, 4.8 focuses on one of the more major changes in the industry today, the addition of IPv6, both to help combat the scarcity of remaining IPv4 addresses and their rising financial upkeep costs.

Additionally, Further QoL changes have been made to SERVERware to streamline DNS record management as well as the overall experience with using the SERVERware GUI.

Let’s find out about it in a bit more detail, shall we?

SERVERware

Adding IPv6 Address Support

While IPv4 addresses still retain relevance, their growing scarcity has started to impose issues for address translation for SIP traffic as well as monetary issues in regards to their procurement.

That’s why we have enabled support for IPv6 addressing in both SERVERware and sipPROT.

This support relays across most of SERVERware’s core systems like: networking, addressing, geo-redundancy and DNS resolution.

Both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses are still supported thanks to SERVERware’s dual stack network configuration support with the note that the IPv6 feature is still in the testing phase and may receive changes down the line.

Networking has added a new tab for adding IPv6 subnets where both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses will be available when reserving address space for Partition resources and configuring VPS network interfaces.

As far as Addressing is concerned, both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses can be assigned.

However, currently only static IPv6 addresses can be assigned, but look forward to dynamic IPv6 addressing in the future.

With Geo-Redundancy, both an IPv4 and an IPv6 address can be used as a failover option under Geo-Redundancy settings.

And for DNS Resolution, SERVERware’s CoreDNS service responsible for handling DNS queries now supports resolving AAAA records for IPv6 addresses.

French Language Localization

In an effort to support localization of our products and make them easier to use for users who aren’t native English speakers, a French translation for SERVERware will be available with v4.8.

Almost every aspect will be fully translated, including backend messages.

The only parts of SERVERware that will remain in English are system logs in order to ensure quick response times from our Support and Dev teams for troubleshooting purposes.

We aim to localize SERVERware across more languages in the future. Should you have any particular requests on which languages you’d want us to add next, feel free to reach out to us.

Official and Community Template Verification And Signatures

The inclusion of the SERVERware template restructure was well received, however we always aim to provide you with the best experience which is why we’ve continued to improve upon it as v4.8 introduces template verification and online signatures for templates stored on the Bicom repository.

This serves to add an extra layer of protection to your systems as unsigned templates will now trigger a warning to notify you that you’re about to install an unsigned template at your discretion, allowing you to either proceed with the install or cancel it if you were prompted to install a fake or unsafe version by mistake.

CNAME DNS Records For VPSs

The next major update coming with 4.8 is CNAME record resolution and assignment support for VPSs that are running on SERVERware which should help simplify DNS A record management for domains.

This change has made it possible to create multiple CNAME records for a single VPS with different DNS names that’ll still be resolved to the same IP address by the SERVERware Controller.

In order to facilitate this change, we’ve redesigned the existing DNS SRV tab to provide a more intuitive layout that should simplify the addition of DNS records to a designated VPS, with the option to edit existing records.

Secondary DNS Zone Persistence

In order to provide further redundancy options for any unforeseen downtime, 4.8 is adding secondary DNS zone persistence for SERVERware sites that depend on the Controller’s ability to respond to DNS queries.

It ensures that the DNS zone information remains reachable even if the primary DNS zone goes down for any reason as all the information on it is stored on the site that’s designated and configured to act as the secondary DNS zone.

It should respond to DNS queries in place of the primary zone should the latter go down.

API Documentation

To provide a way for seasoned developers to recall all of SERVERware’s functionalities in regards to VPS management as well as make it easier to onboard new ones, we’ve introduced API documentation to SERVERware.

It can be found under the “Account Settings” tab and it provides detailed information about managing VPSs with example outputs and the possibility to test each API call directly from the UI.

sipPROT

sipPROT and IPv6

As mentioned earlier, sipPROT has also seen an update with SERVERware’s IPv6 address support, allowing sipPROT to further enhance its security capabilities by adding IPv6 address ranges into its attack detection radius.

This also applies to its dynamic blocking, allowing it to automatically detect and block potential malicious actors trying to stage an attack on your systems from an IPv6 address.

API Documentation

Similar to SERVERware, sipPROT is also getting its own API documentation section, detailing all actions revolving around IP address list management as well as including calls for fetching data from Attack Logs and Hosts tabs, making it useful for devs both new and seasoned.

The standalone version of sipPROT will receive its own API documentation section in the next sipPROT release.

And More…

Alongside these major changes, we’ve also been hard at work ironing out any kinks and squashing bugs that were present prior, ensuring a smoother experience with both SERVERware and sipPROT alike.

For more detailed information regarding all the changes, you can check out the full v4.8 release notes here.

We are sure to continue our efforts in developing a platform that satisfies the needs of your clients while retaining its intuitive design throughout and we are looking forward to showing you more of what we have in store, but more on that in our future releases.

Until then, we hope to have met your expectations and that both you and your clients remain satisfied.

7.4 ushers in the new year with a heap of changes to our products that may appear simple, but are integral in delivering both a modern work environment and the safety that one would expect to have while utilizing it.

PBXware

OAuth2

Starting off with PBXware, one of the major changes in this version is the introduction of the OAuth2 App capability, allowing customers to add their own OAuth apps that can be used to both create and manage multiple credentials per app.

The currently available options relate to SMTP and Fax2Email functionalities.

The gloCOM Suite

MSIX Installer For Windows

In 7.4 gloCOM is receiving an MSIX installer option for Windows operating systems, allowing users to have a more streamlined way of both installing and uninstalling the app that comes bundled with boosted install success rates, lower network bandwidth and no file duplication across apps.

Universal Build for macOS

Additionally, macOS users are getting a similar quality of life update with the creation of a universal binary that will work for both Apple silicon and Intel-based Mac computers, reducing the hassle of needing separate installers for the two systems.

Call Forwarding Destination Options

On the more practical side of things, gloCOM is receiving an update to its call forwarding functionality, allowing you to forward calls toward a specified number, or to a voice box instead of letting the call drop.

This should help in improving customer frustration and is particularly useful to set up if you’re receiving a call outside of operating hours.

Call pause and wait to dial functionality

Additionally, gloCOM GO is now capable of utilizing the pause (,) and wait-to-dial (;) symbols, the addition of which was made with the intent of improving call handling times and to streamline dialing numbers that required automated prompts like PINs or other extensions.

Users have access to these inputs by long-pressing the “*” and “#” buttons on the dialpad respectively.

Chat Improvements

gloCOM’s messaging feature has also received two significant upgrades with 7.4.

The first improvement was made to an already existing feature, Chat Reactions. With 7.4 their use won’t be restricted to group chats alone and will now be usable in 1-on-1 conversations as well.

The other improvement is directed at our Android gloCOM GO users, the ability to expand the text chat input to full screen to make message previews clearer and to enable more coherent correspondence over mobile devices. 

Contact Center

Contact Center’s focus in v7.4 was on providing agents with more tools to monitor and improve the customer and agent experience as well as automate a few tedious processes.

Email Signature Templates

Email signature templates are a novelty with 7.4, a quality of life feature that allows for the creation of personalized signatures based on company templates that can be used in order to maintain consistent branding across all forms of communication and to maintain the company’s professional image.

LiveChat Forms

Starting with 7.4, Omnichannel license holders will now have access to LiveChat forms, the “Pre-Chat” form from an earlier release and the all new “Leave a Message” form.

The Pre-Chat form is now configurable which means that the company admin can decide if the information on the customers will be collected prior to getting routed to an agent in order to provide them with a better and more useful experience.

Meanwhile, the Leave a Message form is used when a customer sends a message on LiveChat outside of operating hours and is set up by specifying an email address that customers can redirect their problems and questions to should they wish to do so.

The key goal of this form is to let agents pick up the conversation with the customer at a later time, even if the customer has left the visited webpage/live chat and answer their questions.

Customer Satisfaction Survey

The next major addition for Contact Center is the Customer Satisfaction survey for both voice and messaging queues. As the name implies, this feature is utilized to gather feedback from customers after a completed voice or messaging conversation in order to gauge agent performance, identify potential pain points and improve it going forward.

The Returning Customer Feature

Another customer-oriented novelty is the Returning Customer feature, one that utilizes information gathered on the customer from previous interactions in order to reconnect them to the agent they’ve talked to prior, helping reduce customer frustration and improve handling time.

Upload Link To Call Records

Finally, a quality of life update for Contact Center users, the ability to link call records directly to the CRM of choice, helping reduce storage space constraints with specific CRM packages and removing the need for downloading call records in general.

And More…

These are only some of the more notable changes that have been introduced with the release of 7.4.

Plenty of other bug fixes, quality of life changes and feature updates have also been introduced, like:

• Scheduled meeting notification functionality for gloCOM Web
• Android 15 support for gloCOM GO
• Bicom Systems becoming a verified Meta Tech provider with the gloCOM Meta app
• Added CMP deployment in PBXware

These changes should further streamline your experience with the Bicom product suite as a whole as well as make your work easier going forward.

We look forward to seeing your feedback on these new additions and hope that the changes in v7.4 have increased your overall enjoyment of our products.

The fallout from the recent announcement, reported on these pages, that José Maria Álvares-Pallete had resigned from his position as Chairman & CEO of Telefónica has continued with news that he will not stay in the position of Chair of the GSMA Board of Directors.

“By virtue of this resignation, he is no longer able to continue in the position of the Chair of the GSMA,” the GSMA said. Álvarez-Pallete had been the CEO of Telefonica since April 2016.

The industry organisation, which represents the interests of mobile network operators worldwide, added: “The GSMA is grateful for his contribution to the organisation and to the industry overall.”

It continued: “Gopal Vittal, CEO of Bharti Airtel Group and GSMA’s Deputy Chair, will be Acting Chair of the GSMA Board until the Board elects a new chair after MWC Barcelona. Also, we are pleased to share that Mr Marc Murtra, new Chairman & CEO of Telefónica, will represent Telefonica on the GSMA Board with immediate effect.”

Vittal, whose company is the second-biggest operator in India and is a major player in South Asia and Africa, was recently re-elected as the Deputy Chairman of the GSMA board. He has also served the board as a key member for the term 2019-2020.

The GSMA is an industry association that today unites over 1,000 mobile operators and businesses across the ecosystem and related industries. There are 26 members of the GSMA Board, including senior representatives from global operators, as well as smaller independent operators.

As we reported at the time, a Telefónica statement explained that Álvarez-Pallete’s contract was terminated following a board meeting on 18 January to align with the company’s “new shareholding structure” and meet the wishes of certain new shareholders for a “new stage” of leadership.

An upgrade, a new PoP, some datacenter investment, and a subsea cable project gets funded: … [visit site to read more]

Keep up-to-date with all the latest news, articles, event and product updates posted on Developing Telecoms.
Subscribe to our FREE weekly email newsletters for the latest telecom info in developing and emerging markets globally.

As the air transport industry faces more competitive and financial pressures, ICT is stepping in with technology that can enhance efficiency and, it is hoped, cut costs, as recent deals in the Middle East involving Wipro and SITA indicate.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has selected Wipro Limited, a leading technology services and consulting company, to lead its comprehensive technology modernisation.

Wipro says it will ensure seamless migration of legacy systems and improve operational efficiency across key areas, including workplace, network, infrastructure, and service management.

As part of the five-year contract, Wipro FullStride Cloud will deliver a customised cloud-based solution that will provide Etihad Airways real-time insights into its resource utilisation and improve operational agility and scalability for its global operations.

Wipro will also integrate Gen AI modules across the IT framework – from automation of data centres to conversational support to end users. Gen AI will also provide intelligent device management and insights that will optimise performance and resolve potential disruptions proactively.

Additionally, Etihad Airways will gain access to Wipro’s Innovation Lab in the UAE, which will play a role in enhancing its technology to meet the evolving demands of its global operations.

Meanwhile Bahrain Airport Services (BAS), a leading ground handling service provider, has announced an upgrade to Bahrain International Airport’s ground operations management system through the implementation of the advanced Resource Management System (RMS) by SITA, the air transport industry’s IT provider.

The new system aims to optimise workforce allocation, enhance equipment utilisation, and provide real-time operational insights, thereby improving efficiency and the passenger experience.

SITA says the RMS introduces advanced technologies that enable airport operations teams to manage resources accurately and swiftly, ensuring greater flexibility in addressing the daily operational needs of airlines. It reduces downtime and increases service efficiency, particularly during peak periods.

SITA adds that the system also facilitates effective monitoring of ground equipment usage, extending equipment lifespan while reducing maintenance and energy costs. Additionally, it enables flexible employee scheduling, ensuring optimal coverage during peak times while avoiding overstaffing during quieter periods.

News 

The investment follows a SoftBank taking a $1.5 billion stake in OpenAI last year 

Japanese conglomerate SoftBank reportedly in discussions to invest between $15 billion and $25 billion in OpenAI, according to a recent report from the Financial Times.  

If it goes ahead, the investment will make SoftBank OpenAI’s largest financial backer and would significantly expand the Japanese company’s presence in the AI sector. 

“The talks are ongoing and the amount that SoftBank could invest in primary equity into OpenAI is a moving target,” said an anonymous source. 

In addition to this potential investment in OpenAI, SoftBank has already committed $15 billion to Stargate, recently announced a joint venture between involving Oracle, OpenAI, and SoftBank.  

The Stargate Project is a $500 billion AI infrastructure initiative to build advanced US-based AI data centres. Announced at the White House last week, it aims to invest $500 billion over the next four years to build new AI infrastructure in the US, starting with deploying $100 billion immediately.  

SoftBank’s CEO Masayoshi Son is the chairman of the joint venture.  

This week, competition in the AI landscape has greatly intensified following the launch of Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek. It has quickly positioned itself as a strong competitor to the likes of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, having seemingly trained a comparative AI model at a fraction of the usual cost. As a result, SoftBank’s share price dropped by 8.3%. 

Neither SoftBank nor OpenAI have responded to the news. 

Join us at this year’s Connected America, 11-12 March in Dallas. Get discounted tickets here! 

Also in the news:
EE renews partnership with Home Nations Football Associations and Wembley Stadium
BT welcomes new Business unit CEO as company’s revenue dips
Ooredoo launch GCC’s largest submarine cable connecting seven countries 

The European Commission has announced the Africa-EU Space Partnership Programme, an initiative, backed by a €100 million (about US$103.8 million) investment, that, the EU says, forms a critical part of its Global Gateway strategy to deepen space cooperation between the EU and Africa.

The programme will focus on three key priorities. It will advance the green transition by developing space-based services that enhance early warning systems for hazardous weather and climate-related events. 

It will also strengthen institutional collaboration between the EU and African nations to enhance decision-making and improve policy frameworks in the space sector. 

Finally, the programme will strengthen the private sector by enhancing the capabilities of the space industry, driving innovation, and fostering a dynamic space-based data economy to promote sustainable growth across the continent. With this in mind, it will actively engage European private companies in areas such as service provision, capacity building and innovation. 

The Africa-EU Space Partnership Programme leverages European space technologies to support Africa’s sustainable development in sectors like agriculture, climate monitoring, and disaster risk reduction.

It relies on Copernicus, a programme looking at our planet and its environment, for Earth observation, along with Galileo, the EU´s Global Navigation Satellite System, and EGNOS, the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service, for improved navigation. It also aims to support Africa’s space ambitions through the African Space Policy and Strategy.

Initiatives like the GMES & Africa (another Earth observation programme) enable access to and utilisation of crucial satellite data to develop applications in the fields of land, water, and natural resources, and marine and coastal areas.

By increasing the uptake of space-based data and fostering institutional and private sector capacity the EC says the programme will empower African countries to monitor environmental changes more effectively and reduce risks from natural disasters through advanced early warning systems.

It will also support sustainable economic growth, including through safer air traffic management enabled by the development of Africa’s satellite navigation system.

Press Release

EE will continue to invest in all levels of football across all four Home Nations, with specific focus on growing the women’s game as well as support for England’s para and eLions teams

EE has signed a series of deals to continue as exclusive lead partner of all Home Nations football teams until 2028. The four-year extension will see the EE logo continue to appear on all training kits worn by England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales senior men’s and women’s squads until 2028.

Wembley Stadium will also retain its official title of Wembley Stadium connected by EE. Since the partnership began in 2015, an estimated 15 million fans have benefitted from EE’s purpose-built connectivity, with mobile data usage at the stadium increasing by more than 80 percent in 2024 as more people relied on EE to capture and share some of the most iconic moments in sport and music history.

Having been the first mobile network to bring both 4G and 5G connectivity to Wembley Stadium, the extended deal will see the network’s brand retained across the stadium with a continued commitment to invest in new technology at the venue. The agreement will also see Wembley and EE continue their shared ambition to maintain its status as the best-connected stadium in the world.

Pete Jeavons, Marketing Communications Director at EE said: “At EE, we pride ourselves on our longstanding partnerships with the UK’s leading cultural institutions, investing in the things that matter most to our customers.

Since the partnership began, we have worked with the Home Nations football associations to use football as a catalyst for change, addressing important societal issues such as racism, misogyny, homophobia and accessibility in football, while coming up with innovative new ways to encourage different communities to take up the sport.

Football is part of the fabric of our nation, so EE is proud to stand beside all four home nations and Wembley – the home of English football – for the next four years, continuing to invest in the sport at all levels to engage communities across the country.”

EE will continue to support disability football through its title sponsorship of The FA Disability Cup and the England Para Lions. EE will also become a partner of The FA’s eLions – England’s official esports team.

Mark Lynch, Stadium Director at Wembley Stadium connected by EE, said: “We are delighted to continue our long-standing partnership with EE which will ensure Wembley Stadium retains its status as one of the best-connected stadia in the world.

“Over the last ten years EE has continually demonstrated its commitment to invest in developments across the stadium including the 5G network and our two sensory rooms, which are hugely popular with neuro-divergent guests, who might otherwise not be able to attend large-scale events.

“The new agreement will bring more benefits to all our guests over the next four years and enable us to deliver an improved customer experience for all.”

The English FA’s Commercial Director, James Gray, said: “We look forward to continuing our relationship with EE as lead partner for four more years.

“Over the years, we have worked collaboratively with EE across all levels of football, and I am particularly delighted to see an increased investment in our para teams.

“This is great news ahead of an important year which includes our senior women’s team competing at EURO 2025 and the men’s team starting their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign under new head coach Thomas Tuchel.”

EE’s partnership will be activated across Wembley and St. George’s Park, The English FA’s national football centre, and will allow the company to continue its work supporting grassroots football with initiatives such as EE Playmaker, England Football’s free online entry-level coaching course.

Scottish Football Marketing Commercial Director Brendan Napier: “Our partnership with EE over the past four years has been incredibly beneficial, coinciding with back-to-back EURO finals for our men’s team and unprecedented growth in the girls’ and women’s game in Scotland.

“EE reinforcing their commitment to Scottish football through this four-year renewal is a tremendous boost to all levels of the game – from our senior national teams, right down to grassroots football.

“The renewed partnership will help us in our objectives to continue to grow the national game and make it accessible to all who want to participate, thereby cultivating the amazing social, mental and physical benefits that our wonderful sport has to offer for as wide a group as possible.”

Sharon Tuff, Chief Commercial and Engagement Officer at the Football Association of Wales: “We are delighted to continue our partnership during this exciting and transformative time for football in Wales.

“Under Rhian Wilkinson, our Cymru Women’s National Team are one of only two home nations to qualify for this summer’s UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 finals. This will be our very first appearance at a major tournament and Cymru will be looking forward to making history by rapidly scaling up participation for women and girls across Wales as part of that legacy.

“With the injection of optimism and renewed vigour under Craig Bellamy, our Cymru Men’s National Team are determined to qualify for a third FIFA World Cup in 2026 and we will continue to use on pitch success to inspire the joy, health and wellbeing of Wales, and look forward to collaborating with EE to create more cohesive communities and better outcomes for people through football in Wales.”

Stephen Bogle, Head of Commercial Operations for the Irish FA, said: “We’re delighted to extend our partnership with EE through to 2028. As the lead partner of Northern Ireland’s national teams and a key supporter of grassroots football, EE has played a pivotal role in advancing the game at every level. We’re particularly pleased to see their increased commitment to women’s football and look forward to collaborating closely in the coming years to bring their activation plans to life.”

EE customers will continue to enjoy benefits as part of the partnership including Home Nations  match offers and tickets to Home Nations events.

Join the UK’s telecoms ecosytem at Connected North, 23-24 April in London. Get discounted tickets here!  

Also in the news:
Apple secretly testing direct-to-device satellite connectivity with Starlink and T-Mobile
BT to cut 5% of Northern Irish workers
Trump targets TSMC with Taiwan chip tariffs