Press Release

Sparkle, the first international service provider in Italy and among the top global operators, opens a new Point of Presence (PoP) in Brasilia to support the growing demand for international connectivity in Brazil. First in Brasilia and fifteenth in the country, the new PoP expands Sparkle’s network capillarity in Brazil – featuring presence also in Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Rio De Janeiro, Salvador, and São Paulo, – while consolidating its positioning as a leading global Tier-1 backbone in Latam and one of the main providers in the Americas.

Located at ELEA BSB2 data center, the PoP is fully integrated with Sparkle’s global Tier-1 IP backbone Seabone that boasts extensive coverage in Central and South America with 18 points of presence across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Panama, Peru, and Puerto Rico. In addition, thanks to its terrestrial and submarine networks which includes four “digital highways” – Curie in the Pacific and Monet, Seabras-1 and soon Manta in the Atlantic -, Sparkle offers five diversified routes for connectivity from South to North America ensuring complete redundancy and a top-quality data experience.

Integrated with Sparkle’s Tier-1 global backbone Seabone – the sixth largest IP network worldwide – the new node will enable network operators, ISPs, OTTs, content delivery networks, and content and application providers to benefit from reliable, low-latency IP transit services in scalable multiples of 10 GB, 100 GB, and 400 GB. Additionally, customers have access to a comprehensive suite of IP solutions, including DDoS Protection services, which safeguard networks against cyberattacks, and Virtual NAP, providing virtual access to leading Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) without the need for proprietary infrastructure development.

How is the submarine cable ecosystem evolving in 2025? Join the discussion at Submarine Networks EMEA, the world’s largest dedicated subsea cable event

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 33 countries.

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

Media Contacts:

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X: @TISparkle

News

The relief package could provide a 50% waiver of interest and a 100% waiver on penalties related to adjusted gross revenues

This week, rumours are swirling that India’s upcoming government budget could contain a life raft for the nation’s beleaguered telecoms sector.

According to reports, the government’s annual Union Budget, set to be announced by Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1, may contain a relief package waiving billions of dollars in fees that are owed to the government related to adjusted gross revenue (AGR).

To recap, back in 2019 the Indian Supreme Court upheld the definition of AGR presented by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). To the telcos’ horror, this definition saw a far greatr swathe of their revenues fall under the AGR definition, leaving them owing the DoT billions in fees.

India’s largest telco – then a relatively new challenger in the market – quickly paid off its comparatively small AGR dues.

Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi), on the other hand, commenced a longwinded legal campaign to get the fees dismissed or recalculated. All of these challenges have been rejected by the Supreme Court in the past six years, with the only relief coming in the form of a staggered payment schedule and a moratorium on payment. That moratorium concludes this year, with the next tranche of payments due in 2026.

Combined, Airtel and Vi owe the government around 1.2 lakh crore rupees (around $11.6 billion). Vi, which has been struggling to compete and losing ground to rivals for almost a decade, owes around two-thirds of this total.

Over half of the money owed is from interest on the initial AGR dues, as well as a myriad of penalties accrued from missed and late payments.

According to the reports this week, the new budget could contain a 50% waiver on this accrued interest and a 100% waiver on penalties.

The scale of this windfall for the telcos cannot be underestimated. A research note from ICICI Securities estimates that such a decision would reduce the total Vi owes by 520 billion rupees ($6 billion) and 380 billion rupees ($4.4 billion) for Airtel.

Exactly whether this relief will come to pass, however, remains unclear. Following media report yesterday, Vi released a statement clarifying that the company has “not received any communication from the Government in relation to the above-reported matter”.

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

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A new report from consultancy firm EY and European broadband operator Liberty Global, which alongside Telefonica is also a parent of the merged Virgin Media and O2 UK, has today argued for the “strategic adoption” of AI in the telco sector to help drive “major sustainability gains over the next decade“. Just don’t worry about its power consumption.

The report – ‘Smarter networks, greener planet‘ (PDF) – argues that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help broadband and mobile operators to “build smarter, more efficient networks that are kinder to our planet“, such as by optimising energy use in networks, as well as monitoring and predictive maintenance to reduce downtime, and extending the life of infrastructure and mobile handsets etc.

However, the report also acknowledges that AI is not a panacea, and its benefits must out way the costs. For example, research cited in the report shows that in just two years’ time the AI sector could consume between 85 and 134 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity annually – approximately 0.5% of total global consumption and roughly equivalent to the current electricity usage of the Netherlands.

On the flip side, other research in the report states that telco operators now carry as much as 10 times more data compared with five years ago, whilst maintaining similar levels of energy consumption. But it’s worth noting that a lot of this has to do with evolutionary improvements in the energy efficiency of CPUs (processors), lasers, the growing use of fibre optic lines and so forth – not strictly AI.

Manuel Kohnstamm, SVP and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of Liberty Global, said:

“Despite these challenges, I’m optimistic about our industry’s future. Our research points towards a scenario we call ‘Growth’ — where the strategic application of AI not only leads to significant energy efficiency across telco operations but also helps establish best practices for sustainable AI across all sectors.

We’re already seeing promising signs, with some operators managing to carry ten times more data than five years ago without increasing their power consumption.”

Dr Harvey Lewis, partner for AI at EY and Report Author, adds:

“While the scenarios we present are speculative, they highlight the strategic potential of AI in the telco sector. Success will depend on network collaboration across Europe, investment in skills and infrastructure to create more competition, and a holistic approach to AI adoption that balances immediate efficiency gains with long-term sustainability impacts.”

The admittedly quite speculative “Growth” scenario mentioned above would see telecommunications networks handle “50 times more data traffic” than now, while increasing energy consumption by only 10%. This, claims the report, would see the elimination of both Scope 1 and 2 emissions, a 70% increase in the lifespan of equipment, and networks becoming net contributors to clean energy production.

Quite a lot of this AI related investment and development is already happening. Testament to this is the fact that not a week seems to go by these days without at least one big announcement dropping into ISPreview’s inbox about new AI related technologies being adopted into modern digital networks, often alongside big claims of energy efficiency.

On the other hand, quite a few of those same AI announcements often read more like an attempt by marketing departments to repack routine enhancements in network automation and machine learning as something more sophisticated. The result is often one that dilutes the very meaning of AI in order to sell new products that aren’t really all that different from what came before. But experiences do vary, and more sophisticated AI solutions and Large Language Models (LLM) are at play in some areas.

The industry also faces some real hurdles, like the complexity of integrating new technology with existing infrastructure and the evolving, while not always predictable, regulatory landscape. The report thus concludes by outlining eight key recommendations that it claims could lead the telecommunications sector to reach a desirable outcome.

The 8 Recommendations for AI in Telecommunications

• Conduct comprehensive assessments of AI’s sustainability impact to identify opportunities for reducing energy consumption and waste.

• Prioritize AI-driven network optimization to enhance efficiency across mobile and fixed-line networks.

• Accelerate the transition to AI-managed renewable energy sources by optimizing integration of diverse energy sources, managing storage, and predicting future needs.

• Implement AI-enhanced circular economy practices to extend equipment lifespans and improve recycling and reduce waste.

• Develop comprehensive AI governance frameworks that integrate sustainability considerations.

• Foster an organisational culture that values both technological innovation and sustainability through cross-functional collaboration.

• Invest in workforce development – equipping teams with necessary skills in AI, data analytics, and environmental management.

• Lead efforts to develop industry-wide standards for sustainable AI, establishing common metrics for measuring environmental impact.

Edinburgh-based alternative UK network ISP GoFibre has today announced that they’ve managed to sign-up 1,000 customers to their new full fibre (FTTP) broadband network in the Scottish Borders town of Hawick, which has just completed its build. Locals are now being offered a special deal that gives new customers speeds of 1000Mbps for the price of 500Mbps for the duration of their contract.

The operator’s new Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network is now available to 6,000 premises (ready for service) in Hawick, which is home to a population of c.12,500 and gives them a local broadband take-up rate of 16.67% (not bad coming so soon after build completion). In total, GoFibre now has over 22,000 premises ready for connection across the Scottish Borders in places like Galashiels, Kelso, Melrose, Selkirk, Jedburgh, and Duns.

Residential customers of the new service typically pay from £25 per month for a 150Mbps (30Mbps upload) package on a 24-month term with an included wireless router, which rises to £39.50 for their top 1000Mbps (100Mbps upload) plan. The latter also comes with a bonus Wi-Fi extender (this can optionally be taken on other plans at extra cost).

Neil Conaghan, CEO of GoFibre said:

“To reach this milestone in our heartland of the Borders is fantastic, with Hawick locals now able to enjoy the benefits of our seamless high speed connection.

To celebrate achieving 1,000 customers, we are offering new Hawick customers our max speed package (1,000 Mbps) for the price of the 500 Mbps [£33] for the duration of their contract. We remain committed to adding value to every community that we serve, and we would like to thank all of our customers throughout Scotland and the north of England for their continued support.”

News

The new CEO is taking over the company during a major decline in its stock price, with Telefónica’s market value falling by more than half under Álvarez-Pallete’s leadership 

After a board meeting in which shareholders expressed the desire for new company leadership, Telefónica’s board has accepted the resignation of CEO José María Álvarez-Pallete.  

Marc Murtra, the former president of IT and defence solutions company Indra, has been appointed to succeed Álvarez-Pallete, assuming shareholder approval.  

The coup appears to have been politically motivated. Through its state-owned fund SEPI, the Spanish government acquired a 10% stake in Telefónica in 2023, giving it greater influence within the company. This appears likely to have played a central role in the board’s decision to replace Álvarez-Pallete with Murtra. On Friday, Álvarez-Pallete was called into the offices of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to be informed of the board’s decision. 

Critics, including analyst James Ratzer of NewStreet Research, have raised concerns that Murtra’s appointment, which reportedly at the request of  the government, is primarily politically motivated and not in the company’s best interests. Murta notably has “limited telecoms experience”. 

Private Telefonica shareholders, such as Caixa (10%) and BBVA (5%), reportedly supported the change, signalling the growing role of government-aligned entities in Telefónica’s operations. 

Investors have reacted cautiously, with Telefónica’s shares falling by 3% this morning, amid fears of political interference. Some political figures, like Borja Semper of the opposition People’s Party, have openly condemned the change, calling it an “assault” on Telefónica. 

“Leadership is a journey that, like life itself, is made up of countless chapters. The one that is now beginning, I have no doubt, will be full of opportunities that will allow Telefonica to reach new heights and achieve new successes,” said Álvarez-Pallete in a social media post. 

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

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EXA Infrastructure enters into agreement to acquire Aqua Comms
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News

The breach, which took place last year, reportedly saw hackers steal months of the agents’ text and call logs

According to a report from Bloomberg, FBI agents are being warned that their data may have been compromised in a data breach at AT&T.

AT&T announced having been attacked in July last year, revealing that six months of customer mobile data from 2022 had been stolen. The hackers responsible subsequently attempted to extort AT&T, threatening to sell the data on the dark web unless a ransom was paid.

While the exact contents of the data stolen during the breach was not revealed, a document seen by Bloomberg indicated that the FBI believed this information could link agents to their secret sources. As such, the FBI reportedly took immediate action from the FBI to help conceal the identity of confidential informants.

An anonymous source that reviewed a sample of the stolen data confirmed that it included the call logs of at least one FBI agent.

“After criminals stole customer data last year, we worked closely with law enforcement to mitigate impact to government operations,” said AT&T spokesperson Alex Byers.

In a statement, the FBI said it “continually adapts our operational and security practices as physical and digital threats evolve”.

“The FBI has a solemn responsibility to protect the identity and safety of confidential human sources, who provide information every day that keeps the American people safe, often at risk to themselves,” it added.

Recent years have seen telcos increasingly targeted by cybercriminals, with numerous major breaches recorded by all of the US telcos since the pandemic. Most recently, the media’s focus has been on the telco-targeted cyberattacks by China-affiliated hacker group ‘Salt Typhoon’, which impacted both AT&T and Verizon.

In a statement last week, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Jessica Rosenworcel said it was time for the FCC to modernise its rules around cybersecurity and keep closer tabs on telco security.

“The time to take this action is now. We do not have the luxury of waiting,” she said in a statement. “Telecommunications networks are essential for everything in day-to-day life, from our national defense to public safety to economic growth. The actions we take and propose here will strengthen our cybersecurity safeguards and enhance our resilience against future attacks.”

Are US telcos doing enough to protect their data from ever-growing cyber threats? Join the discussion at Connected America, live in Dallas, Texas

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News 

Freshwave will deploy a portable 5G private network at the Edinburgh facility to help support robots and AI applications  

The collaboration, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), is designed to improve robotics testing and drive innovation in the agritech sector. 

The first use case for the portable 5G network features Spot, a four-legged wireless robot.. Using the 5G network, Spot streams live video, generates 3D maps, and conducts infrared scans in real time to support agricultural work. This data-driven approach aims to improve farming productivity and sustainability. 

Portable 5G networks provide fast, reliable internet access in rural areas where traditional broadband is limited. With low latency, these networks enable real-time data analysis for tasks such as crop monitoring and equipment adjustments. Their portability makes them ideal for seasonal or mobile operations where permanent mobile infrastructure is not viable.  

“Robots have the potential to transform the agricultural sector, similar to the way equipment such as tractors did so many years ago, but they need the right networks to power this data-driven approach,” said Steve Maclaren, COO at the National Robotarium in a press release. 

 “This portable 5G private network is going to allow us to unlock exciting new applications for our customers. One day we’ll see multiple robots in the field working together on different tasks, from weed removal to nutrient-analysis to pesticide application, creating a co-bot (human and robots working together) workforce to achieve results that simply aren’t possible without harnessing technology. It’s truly a gamechanger and the future of agritech.”    

The UK agritech sector is growing rapidly, projected to reach £15.6 billion by 2026.  

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

Also in the news:
FBI agents’ data exposed in AT&T cyberattack
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Over half of Brits have never heard the term ‘data centre’, finds Telehouse study

News 

The infrastructure is designed to operate for at least a decade 

Vantage Towers, TOTEM, Orange, O2 Telefónica, and Saarland University of Applied Sciences have joined forces to deploy a 5G highway corridor connecting Metz in France to Saarbrücken in Germany. 

The “5G Autobahn to Autoroute” (5G A2A) project spans 60km, with construction beginning in early 2025, aiming to complete in late 2027. 

The corridor will include a 55km section in France and a 5km stretch in Germany. In France, TOTEM and Orange will install nine new masts and upgrade eight existing ones to provide 5G connectivity using 3.5GHz spectrum. On the German side, Vantage Towers and O2 Telefónica will deploy up to five masts equipped with distributed antenna systems (DAS) on the 3.6 GHz frequency. 

Combined, these two deployments will provide reliable 5G coverage along the entire international roadway, supporting advanced mobility services such as lane-changing assistance, collision prevention, and real-time traffic updates. It will also provide a testing ground for autonomous vehicle trials and improve connectivity for travellers crossing the border. 

Financial support for the project comes from the EU’s “Connecting Europe Facility Digital” programme and France’s Grand Est administrative region. 

“With the establishment of the Franco-German mobile communications corridor, we are advancing digital transformation in Europe. We are creating infrastructure that enables uninterrupted cross-border connectivity and, in the future, the use of advanced mobility applications such as autonomous driving functions – setting new standards for digital connectivity,” said Christian Hillabrant, CEO of Vantage Towers in a press release. 

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

Also in the news:

Ofcom cracks down on mid-contract price rises
Over half of Brits have never heard the term ‘data centre’, finds Telehouse study
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Press Release

Telehouse launches educational initiative featuring character ‘DC’ to enhance public understanding of data centres and their impact on digital lives

Half of UK consumers (51%) have never heard of the term ‘data centre,’ highlighting a significant lack of awareness about their critical role in powering daily digital life. New research from Telehouse reveals how, despite the increasing reliance on digital services and their recent categorisation by the government as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), 67% of UK consumers admit they do not know what a data centre is or does.

The survey, which involved over 2,000 UK consumers, identifies a significant gap in public understanding. While 48% of respondents believe data centres positively impact the digital services they use at home and work, such as video streaming and online shopping, there remains a substantial knowledge gap about the scale and scope of data centre operations. Nearly half (43%) of the respondents are unaware of the vast number of people, applications, and data supported by these facilities.

Telehouse’s findings also highlight a mixed perception of data centres’ importance in the context of remote working, a trend that has surged in recent years. While 59% see data centres as critical to enabling remote work, 19% are unsure how these facilities support such activities, and 15% consider them not very critical or not critical at all.

The study underscores the public’s partial understanding of data centres, with misconceptions about their roles. In an effort to bridge this knowledge gap, Telehouse has launched an educational initiative featuring a character named ‘DC.’ Through an engaging video, DC aims to demystify data centres, explaining their functions and significance in everyday technology use.

Mark Pestridge, Executive Vice President and General Manager at Telehouse Europe, commented on the initiative: “We realise there’s a significant knowledge gap regarding data centres and their impact on digital lives. By introducing ‘DC,’ we hope to educate people about the critical work done in data centres and inspire our future generations to consider careers in this field. We also hope that bridging this knowledge divide may be key to increasing trust in the digital infrastructure that underpins our connected lives.”

Telehouse’s commitment extends to supporting education and career development in the technology sector, offering apprenticeships and work experience opportunities to young people. The company also advocates for more educational programs focused on data centre technologies in schools and universities.

For more information on the crucial role of data centres and to watch Telehouse’s educational video featuring the ‘DC’ character, visit their website.

How is the growing data centre ecosystem impacting the UK economy? Join the discussion at Connected North live in Manchester   

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Shropshire-based UK ISP Aquiss has this morning announced that they’ve launched an additional range of broadband packages based off FullFibre Limited‘s (Fibre Heroes) network, which has so far deployed an open access Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network to cover 380,000 UK premises ‘ready for service’ (23rd Aug 2024).

The provider, which already supplies services via Openreach and CityFibre’s growing national FTTP networks, appears to be offering a range of packages via FullFibre Ltd that start from £32 a month for speeds of 150Mbps (average) on a 12-month minimum contract term (discounted to £16 pm for the first 3 months), which rises to £48 (£24 pm for the first 3 months) for their top 900Mbps tier.

All packages include symmetric service speeds, unlimited usage, a 12-month minimum contract term, a pledge of no mid-contract price rises, free activation, a static IPv4 address and static IPv6 addresses (/56). But new customers will be expected to supply their own broadband router, which is not included.

FullFibre’s underlying network typically covers around 130 towns across parts of Derbyshire, Essex, Gloucestershire, Greater Manchester, Herefordshire, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Merseyside, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire in England.

Interestingly, Aquiss’ website states that the new network covers 500,000 properties, although we’ve yet to see that being confirmed as an RFS figure by the operator itself.