Recent years have seen an uptick in regional submarine cable projects being developed and launched in the EMEA region. One of those projects is the IONIAN subsea system which is being built by Islalink. 
Islalink’s current focus is on delivering the IONIAN submarine system. Can you tell us more about the project? 
Greece has suffered from a lack of investment on its international telecommunications network since the financial crisis in 2008…

Recent years have seen an uptick in regional submarine cable projects being developed and launched in the EMEA region. One of those projects is the IONIAN subsea system which is being built by Islalink. 

Islalink’s current focus is on delivering the IONIAN submarine system. Can you tell us more about the project? 

Greece has suffered from a lack of investment on its international telecommunications network since the financial crisis in 2008. Such investment is required for the development of the digital economy in Greece. We started working on the IONIAN project in 2019 with this basic assumption and we developed a business plan for IONIAN that was approved a year ago by our investors. 

2022 is set to be a big year for the IONIAN cable. How is the project progressing and when are you expecting to be ready for service? 

The project is progressing as per the plan that was defined a year ago, and we expect to be ready for service by the end of this year 2022. The cable is now ready for installation, and it will be laid after the summer window, during which no landing operations can take place. Also we have finalized all major agreements and acquisitions for the critical terrestrial elements. 

What will this new cable mean for connectivity in the Mediterranean region? 

IONIAN will be a much needed route between Italy and Greece and it will bring: 

– Maximum diversity from existing routes 

– The safest possible submarine route as the cable will be laid mostly in deep waters, avoiding the most common hazards for submarine cables 

– Very large capacity with 24 low attenuation fiber pairs, each capable of delivering more than 15 Tbps with existing technology 

– Redundant terrestrial fiber routes with up to 40Tbps each to reach Athens, Milan, Rome and Thessaloniki 

What are your predictions for the submarine cable industry over the next 18 months? 

The submarine industry is already – and will keep being in the coming years – extremely busy to deliver the projects that are being deployed and those that are under development, many of them led by the OTTs. Large fiber count systems (with up to 24 fiber pairs, even when repeated) are becoming common as Open systems with DC to DC connectivity have already become now the norm of the industry.  

You will be joining us as a speaker at Submarine Networks EMEA 2022 in May. What are you most looking forward to about the event? 

In the past years Submarine Networks EMEA has established itself as a very focused gathering of the industry, and it is very nice as its smaller size allows you to network with suppliers, customers and partners in a more relaxed environment. I also hope to get an update from the industry as a whole during the sessions which are generally quite interesting.   

Launched back in summer 2021, the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Programme is a $980 million programme directed by tribal governments, offering grants for the deployment of broadband infrastructure on tribal lands, as well as to enhance the access to digital learning opportunities and telehealth.
 
Applicants for the grants had until September 2021 to apply, with the programme receiving over 280 submissions. Ironically, at the start of 2022, some tribal advocates complained to the Senate that they did not have the broadband access needed to apply for the funding scheme…

Launched back in summer 2021, the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Programme is a $980 million programme directed by tribal governments, offering grants for the deployment of broadband infrastructure on tribal lands, as well as to enhance the access to digital learning opportunities and telehealth.

Nonetheless, since late 2021 the NTIA has gradually been reviewing these applications, periodically announcing grant allocations in batches. So far, these allocations have been relatively small, totalling around $6 million for various projects. 

This week, however, marks the first major raft of grants to be allocated, with the NTIA awarding 19 grants worth almost $77 million. The grants will affect communities in 10 states, with the projects set to boost internet use and adoption projects to improve healthcare, workforce development, education, housing, and social services in tribal communities.

By far the largest of these grants is being given to the Alaska Federation of Natives. Totalling over $35 million, the project proposes a consortium consisting of 73 Alaska Native Tribal governments, Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs), and tribal organisations to reduce barriers to broadband usage among Native Alaskans by providing broadband-enabled devices, subsidizing broadband service, and implementing digital skills and workforce training. It will also seek to improve health care access among tribal communities by equipping Alaska tribal health partners with the equipment and training needed to offer telehealth services.

In total, the NTIA has so far awarded 33 grants, representing over $83 million in investment. 

“For far too long, Tribal Communities have been cut off from the benefits of high-speed internet, as well as the associated economic benefits that come with it. From running a business to taking online classes to scheduling a doctor’s appointment, the internet is a necessary tool for participating in our modern economy, and it’s an absolute injustice that this resource has been deprived from so many Native Americans across our country,” said US Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. 

“This critical funding will bring affordable, high-speed internet service to Tribes from Alaska to Rhode Island, and many places in between, expanding access to telehealth, distance learning, and workforce development. Today’s awards reaffirm the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to ensuring that Tribal communities, as well as unserved and underserved communities in every state and territory, have the resources they need and deserve to thrive in our increasingly digital economy.”

The recently enacted Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will see an investment of $65 billion in broadband funding across the country, will further bolster the TBCP with an additional $2 billion.

Extending broadband access to tribal communities in the US is a major challenge. While 2019 data from the Federal Communications Commission showed that 95.6% of the US population had access to fixed broadband services, his number shrinks to just 79.1% of people on tribal lands. 

In addition, to having less access to the technology, the data also suggests that there is also a major hurdle when it comes to uptake of these services, with just 46.5% of tribal households making use of available broadband services. 

Clearly, there is much progress yet to be made to help connect tribal communities and, with almost $2.9 billion remaining, the scale of government support via the TBCP must accelerate quickly if it is to have a significant impact on the growing digital divide in the US.

This week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has agreed to allow AST SpaceMobile to test its direct-to-smartphone satellite technology in the US.
The tests will see AST’s soon-to-launch BlueWalker 3 satellite connect to customers unmodified smartphones, with the tests reportedly using “lowband cellular frequencies and Q/V-band frequencies”. Based on the company&’…

This week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has agreed to allow AST SpaceMobile to test its direct-to-smartphone satellite technology in the US.

The tests will see AST’s soon-to-launch BlueWalker 3 satellite connect to customers unmodified smartphones, with the tests reportedly using “lowband cellular frequencies and Q/V-band frequencies”. Based on the company’s FCC application, at least some of the spectrum being used will be covered by three licences held by AT&T.

« We appreciate the diligent support of the FCC in providing the experimental license for our upcoming satellite launch, » said AST SpaceMobile CEO Abel Avellan in a statement. « Together with other testing around the world, this license will enable us to conduct some of our most important testing here, at home, in the United States. »

AST was founded back in 2017 as AST & Science, only becoming AST SpaceMobile last year following a merger with SPAC New Providence Acquisition Corp that valued the business at $1.8 billion.

Since its conception, AST has aimed to create a low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation called BlueBird, which can provide connectivity directly to customers’ mobile phones without any need for modified hardware, software, or applications. The planned constellation will be 170 satellites strong upon completion, with the first batch of 20 satellites due for launch next year. A further 90 satellites are planned for launch in 2024.

AST’s first test satellite, BlueWalker 1, was launched in 2019. Successful trials, a second test satellite, BlueWalker 2, was initially planned for launch in 2021, but this was ultimately cancelled in favour of the larger BlueWalker 3, which will be launched later this year with the help of SpaceX.

As part of its licencing announcement, AST also revealed that it had struck a new partnership with the Philippines’ largest mobile operator, Globe Telecom, aiming to use its burgeoning satellite network to help provide coverage to the operators most remote customers. 

« The Philippines’ thousands of islands create formidable challenges to meet a growing demand for cellular broadband connectivity, » said Chris Ivory, chief commercial officer of AST SpaceMobile. “We believe our planned space-based network solution is well-suited to help, and we’re excited to work with Globe.”

The company already has commercial agreements with Vodafone and AT&T, with Memorandums of Understanding also signed with Telefonica, Indosat Ooredoo, Tigo, Telstra, Orange and others. Taken together, these agreements could see AST servicing more than 1.8 billion mobile customers.

AST is targeting an initial commercial launch for 2023.

Given its sensitive nature, it is rare for cybersecurity to be discussed openly during international discussions, but this is exactly what happened earlier this this week when a Norwegian delegation, including the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, travelled to Sweden to strengthen cooperation between the two countries. The three-day event featured a heavy focus on improving cybersecurity dialogue between the two countries, with participating IT firm Advania suggesting lack of knowledge of the subject in Europe as a whole was a &‘…

Given its sensitive nature, it is rare for cybersecurity to be discussed openly during international discussions, but this is exactly what happened earlier this this week when a Norwegian delegation, including the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, travelled to Sweden to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

The three-day event featured a heavy focus on improving cybersecurity dialogue between the two countries, with participating IT firm Advania suggesting lack of knowledge of the subject in Europe as a whole was a ‘major problem’ for society.

The increasing focus on security at international talks should come as no surprise, particularly against the current backdrop of the war in Ukraine. But, more than threats to national security, cybersecurity vulnerabilities for businesses are becoming an increasing challenge around the world. There is currently a large demand for improved cybersecurity software for businesses and the public sector as a result of the enormous amount of data being generated by these companies every day.

In fact, the surge in data creation means that approximately 90% of data available today did not exist just two years ago. 

As businesses continue to digitalise and move to the cloud, the need for better cybersecurity capabilities is becoming more urgent than ever.

This week, Norway’s Telenor is taking action, announcing its partnership with Aker and Cognite to establish a new software security company, Omny.

The purpose of Omny is to fill the much-needed gap in the cybersecurity market, aiming to be a world-leader in operational industrial security.

« The services that Omny is developing will further strengthen our ability to deliver comprehensive security services across IT and operational technology,” explained Sigve Brekke, president and CEO of Telenor. “Over the last 5–6 years, Aker has played an active role in the establishment and development of industrial software companies. By joining forces with such capable partners, we will be able to deliver security services the like of which are currently not available in the market. »

The software being built by Omny is noteworthy for being capable of notifying individuals and businesses as to exactly which of their systems is under attack. Currently, standard security systems provide no information about which industrial systems are being affected, meaning company responses to attack are often clumsy and imprecise. 

« In the event that an unauthorised individual attempts to engage in digital sabotage against a company, the software will use its monitoring and consequence understanding capabilities to detail precisely which systems will be affected and how critical these are to the customer,” said to Øyvind Eriksen, president and CEO of Aker. “In order to protect themselves from intruders, businesses must have an overview of all potential vulnerabilities in their own systems and operations. We create a virtual twin of the physical operation in advance which allows us to identify risk factors, actions and consequences. »  

The product will be co-developed alongside industry partners, based on Cognite’s Data Fusion platform, which allows for the collection and analysis of large volumes of data.

Omny will launch this product in the Norwegian market in 2023, with the aim of launching the product internationally in 2024.

This has not been Telenor’s only focus on cybersecurity in recent months. Last month, Telenor Group also announced the fourth reinstatement of their Joint Purpose Agreement with Cisco, working together to combat issues with cybersecurity in business operations.