Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News 

Dr. Karsten Wildberger, CEO of consumer electronics retailer Ceconomy, will head up the newly created Ministry for Digitalisation 

Following the federal elections in February this year, Germany’s new government is a ‘grand coalition’ between the centre right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the centre left Social Democratic Party (SPD). CDU leader Friedrich Merz will be sworn in as Chancellor early next month.  

One of the new government’s priorities is a more unified approach to digital transformation across the country, hence the creation of a dedicated Ministry for Digitalisation. 

As the country’s first Digital Minister, Wildberger will be charged with making Germany a “digitally sovereign country – in the economy, state and society. The establishment of the new ministry is a milestone for Germany, and its design will be crucial in determining whether it becomes a true driver of digitalization in Germany.” said Bitkom, a German digital industry association.Wildberger will step down from his role as CEO of Ceconomy in order to take up the role in Merz’s government. 

“Now more than ever, we must become competitive, innovative, and digitally capable: to boost the economy, strengthen social cohesion, improve security, including in cyberspace, and bring the state up to date,” emphasised Ralf Wintergerst, head of Germany’s digital association. 

Wildberger has previously served on the boards of telcos Telstra, Vodafone, and Deutsche Telekom.  

“We believe he is ideally equipped, both personally and professionally, to fulfil the high expectations associated with this special office,” said Wolfgang Steiger, of the CDU-aligned Economic Council. 

“I am honored by the trust that Friedrich Merz has placed in me and the opportunity to become the new Minister for Digital Affairs. Digitalization and technology have been defining themes throughout my professional career, and the new ministry will play a crucial role in the modernization of our country,” said Wildberger in a statement. 

Join us at Connected Germany, 18-19 November in Munich – get tickets here!

Also in the news:
Cellcard’s transition from telco to techo in the Cambodian market
BT opens new flagship Manchester office
Vehicle connectivity is crucial as half of consumers worry about car hacking

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Press Release

BT has announced the opening of its new multi-million-pound office in the heart of Manchester. The opening of Four New Bailey is the final step in BT Group’s five year, UK-wide ‘Better Workplace’ transformation programme, which set out to consolidate the company’s office spaces from around 300 to closer to 30 key locations.

Four New Bailey will house up to 2,000 colleagues from across BT Group and has been fitted with state-of-the-art technology. It also boasts a rooftop terrace offering panoramic views of the city’s skyline. Sitting on the banks of the River Irwell, it replaces BT’s former office site in Deansgate and adds to the company’s other North West locations in Liverpool, Accrington and Warrington.

Manchester joins other locations including Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Dundee and the London HQ in opening its doors to a newly built BT hub. Multi-million-pound refurbishments have also been carried out at other locations, including Belfast, Doncaster, Glasgow and Newcastle.

As well as marking the completion of the Better Workplace Programme, today also saw the company publish an independent report by Hatch, highlighting the knock-on economic benefits from the company’s spend with suppliers and spending by employees.

Visiting Manchester to mark the opening of the office, Allison Kirkby, BT Group Chief Executive, said: “The opening of our new Manchester office is a significant milestone on the journey to transform BT and our office spaces around the UK.

“We’ve invested heavily to provide best-in-class office spaces for our people across the country, reflecting how critical we are to every region of the UK. The broader economic effect from our offices, our people and our spend with UK suppliers is worth £23bn to the nation’s economy and beyond our own people we support around 212,000 jobs in the wider UK economy. And this is in addition to the economic contribution from the full fibre broadband network we are building, calculated to be worth £72bn to the UK’s economy by 2030*.

“As I’ve met colleagues from across the company at our new and refurbished locations, I’m impressed and proud of the vital work they do in their local communities, and of the role BT plays nationwide.”

The independent report by Hatch highlights BT Group’s role in the UK as an employer and investor. It shows that the company directly employs more than 69,700 people and 15,500 contractors in the UK, including engineers building networks, teams in offices supporting customers, and people working in our retail stores. More broadly, the company supports around 212,000 jobs and spends £9.6 billion with UK suppliers and subcontractors, many of which are small businesses.

Sue Glew, BT Group’s Better Workplace programme director, said: “We began our Better Workplace Programme in 2019 to make sure our people had better equipped and more modern offices to call home, to attract the best talent and help us give the best service to our customers.

“Despite facing external challenges such as Covid and global supply chain issues, we’ve given our colleagues multiple new or refurbished workspaces, from Plymouth to Dundee, including a brand-new HQ in London and new regional hubs. More than two million square feet of amazing offices have been created for our people. I’m immensely proud of what our teams and partners have achieved, transforming often tired and dated former buildings into worldclass environments where people can collaborate and learn from each other for many years to come.”

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

Interview 

At the WinWin studio, Total Telecom were joined by Asitha De Costa, Division CIO of Cellcard, Ezecom, Telcotech, and Telemobile and John Zhuang, Director of Huawei’s 5G Operation and Digital Service, to discuss the digital transformation of Cellcard Telecom in Cambodia

Mr. Asitha began by outlining Cellcard’s brand and business strategy, emphasising its role as one of Cambodia’s largest telecom providers: “In terms of the business strategy, Cellcard is positioning itself to be a digital telco rather than just a legacy mobile player, where we are targeting the youth mainly in the country to enable them digitally. So that’s purely the business strategy moving forward for the business,” said Mr. Asitha. 

The journey from telco to techco so far has been years in the making. The transformation extends beyond introducing digital solutions, it involves a complete overhaul of operations, from legacy technologies to advanced automation and AI-driven networks.  

However, the company faces  numerous changes in Cambodia’s competitive market. Tense pricing competition, frequent regulatory changes, and the need for robust Business Support Systems (BSS) and charging systems pose ongoing  requirements. To stay ahead, the company is focused on ensuring its operational infrastructure can support fast product launches and ever-changing consumer demands. 

One of the most critical aspects of this transformation is future-proofing for 5G and AI. Cambodia is a late entrant to the 5G space, but Cellcard is preparing for its launch this year. In a supporting role, Huawei has had a 24-year presence in Cambodia, and has invested many resources, especially over the last three year, supplying BSS solutions, strategic expertise, and digital tools. 

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Telecoms and broadband giant BT today claims to have achieved the final step in their 5-year long “Better Workplace” transformation programme, which has involved modernising and consolidating the number of offices they have (going from around 300 and down to nearly 30 key locations), by opening a new office – the ‘Four New Bailey’ building – in Manchester.

Four New Bailey will house up to 2,000 colleagues from across BT Group and has been fitted with the latest technology. It also boasts a rooftop terrace offering panoramic views of the city’s skyline. Sitting on the banks of the River Irwell, it replaces BT’s former office site in Deansgate and adds to the company’s other North West locations in Liverpool, Accrington and Warrington.

Manchester joins other locations including Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Dundee and the London HQ in opening its doors to a newly built BT hub. Multi-million-pound refurbishments have also been carried out at other locations, including Belfast, Doncaster, Glasgow and Newcastle.

Admittedly, all of this does rather gloss over the impact on jobs, which in some areas has resulted in redundancies because not everybody will have been able to migrate into the new sites. But for BT, there have also been cost savings and efficiency improvements.

Allison Kirkby, BT Group CEO, said:

“The opening of our new Manchester office is a significant milestone on the journey to transform BT and our office spaces around the UK.

We’ve invested heavily to provide best-in-class office spaces for our people across the country, reflecting how critical we are to every region of the UK. The broader economic effect from our offices, our people and our spend with UK suppliers is worth £23bn to the nation’s economy and beyond our own people we support around 212,000 jobs in the wider UK economy. And this is in addition to the economic contribution from the full fibre broadband network we are building, calculated to be worth £72bn to the UK’s economy by 2030.

As I’ve met colleagues from across the company at our new and refurbished locations, I’m impressed and proud of the vital work they do in their local communities, and of the role BT plays nationwide.”

Allison highlights a new “independent report” by Hatch (here), which covers BT Group’s role in the UK as an employer and investor. It shows that the company directly employs more than 69,700 people and 15,500 contractors in the UK, including engineers building networks, teams in offices supporting customers, and people working in our retail stores.

More broadly, the company is said to support around 212,000 jobs and spends £9.6 billion with UK suppliers and subcontractors, many of which are small businesses. Speaking of which, Openreach’s up to £15bn investment into rolling out a full fibre (FTTP) broadband network is also said to be worth £72bn to the UK’s economy by 2030.

However, it’s always wise to take such forecasts with a pinch of salt, as accurately gauging the economic impact of faster broadband technologies is notoriously difficult, not least because most users won’t be starting from a point of zero connectivity.

The list of brand-new buildings to BT include: (BT Group HQ) One Braham, London; Three Snowhill, Birmingham; Assembly, Bristol; New Bailey, Manchester; Capital Quarter, Cardiff; Stanford House, Warrington; West Marketgait, Dundee; Endeavour, Sheffield; Plazza, Liverpool and (Openreach HQ) Gracechurch Street, London.

The list of refurbished offices include: Bangor, Plymouth, Glasgow, North Tyneside, Belfast, Doncaster and Newcastle (Gosforth).

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

News

The Houthi’s say the satellite internet service is a threat to national security

This week, Houthi authorities in Yemen have ordered residents to hand over their Starlink satellite internet equipment, describing the kit as a US instrument for conducting “war on Yemen”.

The order, issued by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in Sanaa, mandated citizens to surrender the equipment to the nearest telecommunications office, with failure to do so resulting in investigation by security forces.

The statement describes the services as a “direct threat to national security” and a violation of Yemen’s sovereignty by the USA.

Since the onset of the Yemeni civil war almost a decade ago, the Houthis have controlled a large part of western Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. The internationally recognised Yemeni government currently resides in Aden, on the south coast.

As a result of the conflict, telecommunications services throughout the country have been heavily impacted, leaving millions without access to the internet amid a humanitarian crisis.

To address this challenge, in September last year, Elon Musk announced that SpaceX’s Starlink services had been made available in Yemen, becoming the first country in the Middle East to make use of the technology.

Starlink available in Yemen! https://t.co/JC1abSA6F8

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 17, 2024

The Yemen government in Aden welcomed the announcement, saying it would not only help provide much needed connectivity across the country but also reduce reliance on the Houthi-controlled internet provider Yemen Net.

The Houthi’s monopoly on internet provision in the occupied region has been a key factor in surveillance and dissent repression, as well as a significant revenue generator for the regime.

As such, it should come as little surprise that the Houthi regime decried the launch, saying it jeopardised citizens data security and promoted US influence in the country.

According to reports, a “senior Yemeni official” acknowledged Starlink’s widespread usage since the service’s launch.

Also in the news:
Diversifying the UK’s data centre landscape: a path to economic growth
Connected North: Thoughts from the show floor
Connected America 2025: Is there a US–China 5G rollout race?

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

London, 29^th April 2025 – Cerillion (AIM: CER), a leading provider of composable BSS/OSS solutions to the telecoms industry, announced today the launch of Cerillion 25.1, the new release of its pre-integrated BSS/OSS suite, which introduces a powerful, next-generation Promotions Engine designed to give communications services providers (CSPs) unprecedented agility in how they create, manage and scale personalised offers.

Many CSPs face challenges in improving customer retention, driving engagement and growing revenue, but traditional campaign systems lack the real-time integration to deliver dynamic and timely offers. Pre-integrated with Cerillion’s Convergent Charging System, the new Promotions Engine gives commercial teams the freedom to build and deploy highly targeted campaigns without coding or delays. It helps CSPs to increase revenue through dynamic promotional campaigns based on a wide range of customer behaviours and triggers, such as frequent top-ups, consistent monthly spending and usage patterns, following an “if this then that” pattern.

Cerillion 25.1 also delivers a set of new AI-powered intelligent assistants that streamline the customer and user experience:

• Bill Intelligence – uses GenAI to automatically compare a customer’s latest bill with their previous one, delivering clear, natural-language explanations for any differences through all engagement channels, and enabling a proactive approach to addressing bill shock.
• Sales Assistant – uses GenAI to enhance the buying experience, with customers able to describe in natural language what they need and the system intelligently selects the best-match products, automatically populating the shopping cart and generating a quote for acceptance.
• Promotions Assistant – uses GenAI-powered natural language and image recognition to help users build new promotions in seconds.

These new tools are designed to reduce complexity for both customers and internal teams – turning CSP operations into a more intuitive, human and helpful experience.

“Without a sophisticated promotions engine, CSPs risk losing valuable opportunities to incentivise customer loyalty and maximise revenue potential, particularly as customer expectations for personalised and timely offers continue to rise,” commented Louis Hall, CEO of Cerillion. “With Cerillion 25.1, we have reimagined how telcos can design, build and launch new promotions, with our AI integration making it faster, easier and more precise than ever before. Furthermore, we’re giving our customers tools that are not only powerful but also genuinely easy to use – and that’s where real transformation happens.”

Find out more about Cerillion’s BSS/OSS suite and BSS/OSS-as-a-Service solutions.

– ends –

Notes to Editors

About Cerillion plc

Founded in 1999, Cerillion (AIM: CER) is a leading provider of billing, charging and customer management systems delivering its solutions across a broad range of industries including the telecommunications, finance and utilities sectors. The Company has a global customer base, with c. 80 customer installations across c. 45 countries and customers include Liberty Global, Virgin Media, KDDI and Proximus. For more information visit: www.cerillion.com

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

The project aims to deliver smarter, faster, and more sustainable connectivity solutions, in a landmark intervention facilitated by Horizon Europe, that will push the boundaries of future network innovation.  

The European Commission-backed 6G project (6G LEADER) will bring together leading innovators from across Europe, fostering knowledge-sharing, cross-border collaboration, and the co-creation of next-generation solutions. Digital Catapult joins a consortium of eighteen industry and academic partners, including Samsung Electronics UK, Telefonica, Nokia UK, and Accelleran following the UK re-joining the Horizon Europe Programme last year.  

Key focus areas include the convergence of AI and wireless communications and the development of sustainable network technologies that could support the decarbonisation of telecommunications and accelerate the real-world application of deep tech innovations. Digital Catapult’s participation is testament to its commitment to driving the adoption of data driven, open and interoperable future networks, having championed advanced connectivity innovation through accelerator programmes and eight interconnected, 5G-enabled testbeds across the UK.  

Digital Catapult will develop proof-of-concept demonstrations for open radio access networks (Open RAN); explore AI-driven methods for network performance enhancements and share insights on 6G RAN technologies and O-RAN architecture. This will build on Digital Catapult’s success to date in advanced connectivity, including its participation in a national 6G research platform. 

The European Commission’s investment into the programme, under the SNS-JU (Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking), highlights the project’s strategic significance for Europe’s digital sovereignty and its influence in shaping future telecommunications standards. The programme will last for 36 months and is committed to achieving breakthroughs in future network innovation and wireless communication technology.  

Joe Butler, Chief Technology Officer at Digital Catapult, said: “We’re excited to be a key player in this 6G initiative, having participated in 17 Horizon projects to date, we’re now expanding our work in advanced connectivity with cutting-edge, AI-driven, and sustainable solutions. Through our collaboration with global industry leaders, we’re advancing 6G technology, paving the way for smarter, more efficient networks that will fuel the next wave of digital innovation.” 

Any reader interested in learning more about Digital Catapult’s future networks activity can learn more here.  

Original article Total Telecom:Read More

BROOMFIELD, Colo. & FOSTER CITY, Calif. – April 22, 2025 – Exabeam, a global leader in intelligence and automation that powers security operations, today released new research highlighting the gap between executive confidence in artificial intelligence (AI) and the daily reality experienced by front-line security analysts. The Exabeam report, From Hype to Help: How AI Is (Really) Transforming Cybersecurity in 2025, based on a survey conducted by Sapio Research, analyzed responses from 1,000 cybersecurity professionals globally and revealed that while AI adoption is widespread, its impact on productivity, trust, and team structure varies sharply by role and region.

The findings confirm a critical divide: 71% of executives believe AI has significantly improved productivity across their security teams, yet only 22% of analysts — those closest to the tools — agree. This perception gap reveals more than a difference in opinion; it underscores a deeper issue with operational effectiveness and trust. Executives often focus on AI’s potential to reduce costs, streamline operations, and enhance strategy. But analysts on the front lines report a very different experience — one shaped by false positives, increased alert fatigue, and the ongoing need for human oversight.

For many, AI hasn’t eliminated manual work; it’s simply reshaped it, often without reducing the burden. This disconnect suggests that some organizations may be overestimating the maturity and reliability of AI tools and underestimating the complexity of real-world implementation.

“There’s no shortage of AI hype in cybersecurity — but ask the people actually using the tools, and the story falls apart,” said Steve Wilson, Chief AI and Product Officer at Exabeam. “Analysts are stuck managing tools that promise autonomy but constantly need tuning and supervision. Agentic AI flips that script — it doesn’t wait for instructions, it takes action, cuts through the noise, and moves investigations forward without dragging teams down.”

AI Delivers Most Impact in Threat Detection, Investigation, and Response

 While the findings reveal a difference in perception, they also demonstrate AI’s positive impact, most consistently in threat detection, investigation, and response (TDIR). Fifty-six percent of security teams report that AI has improved productivity in these areas by offloading repetitive analysis, reducing alert fatigue, and improving time to insight. AI-driven solutions are strengthening security operations with enhanced anomaly detection, faster mean time to detect (MTTD), and more effective user behavior analytics.

Still, trust in AI autonomy remains low — only 29% of teams trust AI to act on its own, and among analysts, that figure drops to 10%.  The industry is aligned on one thing: performance precedes trust. In security operations, organizations aren’t looking to hand over the reins — they’re counting on AI to exceed the limits of the human mind at scale. By consistently delivering accurate outcomes and automating tedious workflows, AI can become a force multiplier for analysts, enabling faster, smarter threat detection and response.

Security Teams Are Restructuring in Response to AI

AI adoption is driving structural shifts in the security workforce. More than half of surveyed organizations have restructured their teams due to AI implementation. While 37% report workforce reductions tied to automation, 18% are expanding hiring for roles focused on AI governance, automation oversight, and data protection.

These changes reflect a new operational model for modern security operations centers (SOCs), one where agentic AI supports faster decisions, deeper investigations, and higher-value human work.

Regional Gaps Signal Uneven Adoption

The report also surfaces regional disparities in the adoption of AI and its impact on productivity. Organizations in India, Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (IMETA) report the highest productivity gains (81%), followed by the United Kingdom, Ireland and Europe (UKIE) (60%) and Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) (46%). In contrast, only 44% of North American organizations report similar improvements.

Bridging Strategy and Execution

As AI continues to reshape the cybersecurity landscape, organizations must reconcile leadership ambition with operational execution. Organizations that want to close the gap between vision and reality can look at adopting agentic AI for its proactive, action-based capabilities. Successful strategies will be defined by their ability to align AI capabilities with front-line needs, involve analysts in deployment decisions, and prioritize outcomes over hype.

To access the full report, From Hype to Help: How AI Is (Really) Transforming Cybersecurity in 2025, visit: https://www.exabeam.com/report

Methodology

This research was conducted by Sapio Research on behalf of Exabeam in February and March 2025. The global survey included 1,000 cybersecurity professionals from 17 countries — ranging from analysts to CISOs — across a variety of industries including finance, manufacturing, healthcare, and government. Respondents represented organizations of all sizes and were selected based on their direct involvement in cybersecurity operations or leadership. The definition of AI was left open-ended to reflect the diverse tools in active use, from machine learning and generative AI to agentic systems.

 

About Exabeam
Exabeam is a leader in intelligence and automation that powers security operations for the world’s smartest companies. As a global cybersecurity innovator, Exabeam provides industry-proven, security-focused, and flexible solutions for faster, more accurate threat detection, investigation, and response (TDIR). Cutting-edge technology enhances security operations center performance, optimizing workflows and accelerating time to resolution. With consistent leadership in AI innovation and a proven track record in security information and event management (SIEM) and user behavior analytics, Exabeam empowers global security teams to combat cyberthreats, mitigate risk, and streamline operations.

Learn more at www.exabeam.com

Contact

Gemma Hamilton
PR for Exabeam

gemma@ilexcontent.com

Original article ISPreview UK:Read More

Internet provider TalkTalk has today launched a free new tool called ‘Broadband Proactive Alerts‘, which is designed to notify customers about local network issues, “often before they even notice a problem“. But only some of the provider’s customers will be able to benefit from it.

The free service or App notifies customers, specifically ONLY those who are on one of Openreach’s older Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC / VDSL2) based broadband lines, of nearby network outages quickly after they occur, which TalkTalk said should improve their online experience and help them feel more in control.

The service combines proactive outage notifications with dedicated case management, enhanced self-service and real-time tracking, to give customers some much-needed reassurance. But it’s currently unclear why they aren’t doing this for Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) lines, although such lines are generally more reliable and TalkTalk’s use of several different alternative FTTP networks may complicate such matters.

Leigh Halliwell, Head of Service Assurance at TalkTalk, said:

“Our research shows that tech troubles and broadband disruptions are a major cause of everyday stress. Brits have been crying out for much-needed tech and life admin support at home – with one-third even admitting it’s something they’d pay for. We’re continuously innovating to deliver a service that not only meets our customers’ needs but also empowers them to get the most out of their connection.

This is why we’re happy to give households across the nation one less thing to worry about, solving tech-mares through our new Broadband Proactive Alerts service. It minimises stress for our customers by making them aware of nearby network issues quickly after they occur, removing uncertainty and giving much-needed reassurance and support.”

A number of other ISPs already offer similar services, although it remains an uncommon feature to offer across the industry. But when employed correctly, such services can also help to reduce the burden on support staff by minimising the need for customers to make a related call or raise an online support ticket etc.

As part of today’s launch TalkTalk also engaged OnePoll during April 2025 to survey a nationally representative sample of 2,000 people in the UK, which noted how 67% said it became a major inconvenience when their broadband goes down, with Millennials being the most impacted group (75%). But 61% said knowing their broadband was down would help to better manage their related stress over such issues.