News 

China’s objective is to establish a comprehensive computing power infrastructure system by the end of 2025 in the face of US restrictions 

China has invested more than 43.5 billion yuan ($6.1 billion) in data centre investment over the past two years, according to an official statement on Thursday reported by Chinese state publication Xinhua. 

The funds have paid for the construction eight computing hubs as part of China’s “East Data, West Computing” initiative, launched in 2022 by Chinese National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). 

The concept involves storing data in the more economically developed eastern regions of China, where digital and industrial activity is concentrated, and processing it in the western regions, which have plenty of land and energy but lower data demand.   

The $6,1 billion investment includes the deployment of three server hubs on China’s populous east coast and five hubs in China’s central/western corridor.  

Speaking at a big data expo in Guiyang, in southwest China’s Guizhou Province, Liu Liehong, the head of the National Data Administration, reported that total investments linked to the hubs deployment had surpassed 200 billion yuan ($28.2 billion). He also mentioned that the number of data center racks now exceeds 1.95 million. 

This project is a critical element of China’s digital infrastructure strategy, aiming to boost the capacity of inland areas to store and manage data. China also has plans to create 10 national data center clusters as part of this broader effort.  

The push comes as the country has faced tight sanctions from the US, which have included exports of some advanced computing products. 

As computing power is emerging as a vital productive force in the digital economy, Liu explained that China will support cities in exploring new approaches over the next few years to determine the most effective solutions for data infrastructure development countrywide. 

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

Also in the news:
Coastguard’s emergency network gets an upgrade from Telent
AT&T fined nearly $1m over 911 failings
How will the CityFibre–Sky deal really affect BT? 

Business broadband ISP, cloud and technology provider Daisy Communications has managed to irritate some of their UK customers after the provider automatically added a new internet security feature – ‘SafeWeb Plus’ – to their accounts, at a cost of £11.99 ex. VAT per month, without first getting consent.

It seems like only last week that we were reporting on how Onestream had attracted the ire from some of their customers for doing something similar with NordVPN (side note: it was literally last week). But while consumers have plenty of laws to defend them against such practices, it can be a bit more of a grey area when it comes to businesses (they don’t enjoy as many protections).

Nevertheless, there is usually a little something called business ethics, even in B2B transactions, which in most cases helps to ensure that companies play fair with each other. However, in this case, the concept of such ethics appears as if it could have been placed under some strain. This occurred after Daisy Communications added the paid SafeWeb Plus add-on to customer bills without first getting their express consent.

In fairness, Daisy did include a link to an opt-out form, but this isn’t a simple ‘click to decline‘ style affair. Instead, you have to actually waste time filling in the full form, and that’s just so you can avoid being billed for something that you probably didn’t ask for in the first place. This is of course assuming you didn’t a) accidentally overlook the email (easily done in today’s land of daily promotional spam), or b) fail to read much further down to where it mentions the service charge, as well as the opt-out.

Extract from Daisy Communications’ Customer Email

Subject: Protect your business with Daisy Communications

That’s why we’re adding SafeWeb Plus, one of our cyber security solutions, designed to help to keep your business data safe and protected, to your account.

… (then much further down the email) …

From 1 September 2024, you will have SafeWeb Plus added to your account. So, you will see a monthly fee of £11.99 (excluding VAT) added to your bill.

To opt out of SafeWeb Plus please fill in the form here: https://daisycomms.co.uk/h2-safeweb-plus-opt-out

None of this is to say that SafeWeb Plus is a bad service, in fact it could be a very useful feature to have. But is it so hard to simply get the customer’s consent first, before adding it to their bills? According to some of the feedback we’ve seen, this might not be the first time that Daisy has done something like this, although that requires further investigation.

We have contacted Daisy Communications for a comment.

Welsh broadband ISP Ogi, which is building a multi-gigabit speed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network to premises across South Wales, has added around 30 additional businesses to their coverage thanks to a new deal with the Caerphilly County Borough Council. This has enabled them to expand across the Tredomen Business and Technology Park.

Located on the same site as the Council’s HQ, the business park is home to some 30 local businesses, from law firms to accountancy practices and tech startups. Ogi has completed the installation of a new bespoke “Ogi Pro” full fibre business network on the site, which leverages its £5m deployment in nearby Hengoed and can supply “affordable business-grade connectivity” at speeds of up to 8Gbps, with capacity to increase as demand grows.

The deployment, which should also support the council’s efforts to make the Ystrad Mynach site greener (fibre uses less energy than the old copper network), appears to be another one of that will harness their 25Gbps Nokia (25G PON) network. Ogi became the first UK broadband ISP to deploy this commercially in 2022 (here).

Ogi’s Director of Business Sales, Andy Dow, said:

“Business Parks like Tredomen are economically important to their regions, and it’s only right they have the same access to good connectivity as places like Cardiff and Newport.

As more of us look to work closer to home, innovation can happen anywhere, and it’s important we invest in the foundations – the infrastructure that’s needed – to help these companies grow at scale. I’m delighted Ogi has been able to partner with Caerphilly Borough Council at Tredomen, helping to make the park more attractive to existing tenants and new companies moving in – and I can’t wait to see what those businesses do with this new technology.”

The network operator has so far covered a total of 100,000 premises (Ready for Service) with their new full fibre network – most of them residential – in Wales up to the end of 2023. In addition, they’re home to over 20,000 customers. But we haven’t seen as much build activity from them during 2024 as in previous years.

News

Ireland is currently home to over 80 data centres 

Google’s proposal to build a major 72,400 square metre data centre in Dublin has been rejected by the South Dublin County Council.  

In its refusal, the council noted concerns over the potential strain on the national power grid, saying there is currently “insufficient capacity in the electricity network” as well as a “lack of significant on site renewable energy” to power the data centre once it became operational in 2027..  

Strain on Ireland’s power grid 

Currently, data centres account for 21% of Ireland’s total electricity use, with this share expected to rise by up to a third by 2026

Data centres are becoming infamous for their high energy consumption. With the demand for digital services, cloud computing, and AI booming worldwide, major tech firms are investing billions in regional data centre infrastructure to support future growth. Whether the data centres’ local power grids will be able to meet that demand, however, is increasingly uncertain. 

EirGrid, Ireland’s national grid operator, has warned of “rolling blackouts” if the number of foreign tech giants’ data centres was allowed to continue unchecked. 

Environmental concerns 

The Irish National Trust highlighted that Google’s planned data center could also contribute an additional 224,250 tons of CO2 emissions annually, roughly 0.44% of the country’s total carbon output. This increase, they argued, would be in conflict with Ireland’s commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  

National Trust planning officer Sean O’Callaghan warned that the data centre “is entirely incompatible with our obligations to reduce emissions”. 

The rejection of Google’s data centre proposal reflects broader concerns in Ireland and beyond about the sustainability of data centres. As data centres now consume more electricity than all urban households combined in Ireland, the decision reflects the need to balance technology advancements with environmental responsibility.  

Google, who have not commented on the decision, may yet appeal the decision. 

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

Also in the news:
Coastguard’s emergency network gets an upgrade from Telent
AT&T fined nearly $1m over 911 failings
How will the CityFibre–Sky deal really affect BT? 

The RAN (Radio Access Network) automation market traces its origins to the beginning of the LTE era when SON (Self-Organizing Network) technology was introduced to reduce cellular network complexity through self-configuration, self-optimization and self-healing. SON’s shortcomings, together with the cellular industry’s shift towards open interfaces, common information models, virtualization and software-driven networking, are driving a transition to Open RAN automation with standards-based components – specifically the Near-RT (Real-Time) and Non-RT RICs (RAN Intelligent Controllers), SMO (Service Management & Orchestration) framework, xApps (Extended Applications) and rApps (RAN Applications) – that enable greater levels of RAN programmability and automation.

While the benefits of SON-based RAN automation in live networks are well-known, expectations are even higher with the RIC, SMO and x/rApps approach. For example, Japanese brownfield operator NTT DoCoMo expects to lower its TCO by up to 30% and decrease power consumption at base stations by as much as 50% using Open RAN automation. It is worth highlighting that domestic rival Rakuten Mobile has already achieved approximately 17% energy savings per cell in its live network using RIC-hosted RAN automation applications. Following successful lab trials, the greenfield operator aims to increase savings to 25% with more sophisticated AI/ML models.

Although Open RAN automation efforts seemingly lost momentum beyond the field trial phase for the past couple of years, several commercial engagements have emerged since then, with much of the initial focus on the SMO, Non-RT RIC and rApps for automated management and optimization across Open RAN, purpose-built and hybrid RAN environments. Within the framework of its five-year $14 Billion Open RAN infrastructure contract with Ericsson, AT&T is adopting the Swedish telecommunications giant’s SMO and Non-RT RIC solution to replace two legacy C-SON systems. In neighboring Canada, Telus has also initiated the implementation of an SMO and RIC platform along with its multi-vendor Open RAN deployment to transform up to 50% of its RAN footprint and swap out Huawei equipment from its 4G/5G network.

Similar efforts are also underway in other regions. For example, in Europe, Swisscom is deploying an SMO and Non-RT RIC platform to provide multi-technology network management and automation capabilities as part of a wider effort to future-proof its brownfield mobile network, while Deutsche Telekom is progressing with plans to develop its own vendor-independent SMO framework. Open RAN automation is also expected to be introduced as part of Vodafone Group’s global tender for refreshing 170,000 cell sites.

SNS Telecom & IT’s “RAN Automation: 2024 – 2030” report predicts that global spending on RIC, SMO and x/rApps will grow at a CAGR of more than 125% between 2024 and 2027 alongside the second wave of Open RAN infrastructure rollouts by brownfield operators. The Open RAN automation market will eventually account for nearly $700 Million in annual investments by the end of 2027 as standardization gaps and technical challenges in terms of the SMO-to-Non-RT RIC interface, application portability across RIC platforms and conflict mitigation between x/rApps are ironed out. The wider RAN automation software and services market – which includes Open RAN automation, RAN vendor SON solutions, third party C-SON platforms, baseband-integrated intelligent RAN applications, RAN planning and optimization software, and test/measurement solutions – is expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 8% during the same period. For more information, please visit: https://www.snstelecom.com/son

News 

The Group has seen a 10.3% revenue increase year-on-year, with strong subscriber growth across France, Italy, and Poland 

Iliad Group has claimed it is now one of Europe’s top five telecom companies upon the release of its H1 2024 accounts this week.

With nearly 50 million subscribers across its operations in France, Italy, and Poland, the company reported a revenue increase of 10.3% in the first half of the year, reinforcing its position as a key player in the European telco market.  

Growth across key markets 

In France, revenues rose by 9.6% in the first half of 2024, with a particularly strong performance in the second quarter, where it saw a 9.1% increase year-on-year. Iliad added 120,000 new mobile subscribers in Q2 2024, and gained 189,000 new fibre subscribers. 

Iliad argued that its new Wi-Fi product, the Freebox Ultra, which launched in January, played a crucial role in retaining its customer base in France.   

In Italy, revenues rose to 11.5% in the first half of the year. The company maintained its market leadership in net mobile subscriber additions for the 25th consecutive quarter, adding 279,000 new subscribers in Q2 alone. In the fixed market, Iliad Italia added 35,000 new fiber subscribers, strengthening its foothold in a highly competitive environment. 

Poland saw a 12.0% revenue increase. Play, Iliad’s Polish subsidiary acquired in 2020, continued to gain market share in the mobile segment, adding 62,000 new post-paid mobile subscribers and 67,000 prepaid users in the second quarter. The fixed-line segment saw more modest growth, with 17,000 net additions.  

Overall, the company’s EBITDAaL (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortisation, and leasing) rose by 13.2% to €1.86 billion in the first half of 2024, with a margin increase to 37.8%. This growth was particularly strong in Italy (up 26%) and Poland (up 15%). 

Operating free cash flow increased by 61% to €971 million, “allowing the Group to reinforce its financial structure, with its leverage ratio coming in at 2.8x at end-June 2024 versus 3.0x at end-2023″, read the statement. 

“The Iliad Group has reached a historic milestone by becoming one of Europe’s top five operators. Our growth is a testament to our commitment to innovation, investment in our networks, and dedication to providing the best services to our customers,” said group CEO Thomas Reynaud. 

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

Also in the news:
Coastguard’s emergency network gets an upgrade from Telent
AT&T fined nearly $1m over 911 failings
How will the CityFibre–Sky deal really affect BT? 

News

The company says the deal will not impact its ability to provide 5G services to customers

Malaysia’s approach to 5G has been highly controversial. Rather than auction 5G frequency licences to telcos, as is the norm in most countries around the world, the Malaysian government instead opted to set up a state-owned 5G wholesaler, Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), in early 2021.

Malaysia’s five major mobile operators – CelcomDigi, Maxis, U Mobile, Telekom Malaysia, and YTL Communications – were initially highly resistant to working with DNB, arguing that they could rollout 5G infrastructure far more effectively as individuals. Ultimately, however, after over a year of stagnant negotiations and government threats, the five companies all agreed to sign 5G agreements with DNB, as well as each acquiring a 14% stake in the business.

In total, this would see 70% of DNB owned by the operators, with the government holding the remaining 30%.

The operators were given until June 21 this year to complete Share Subscription Agreements with DNB, a deadline which was met by all the operators apart from Telekom Malaysia, which sought an extension until August 21st. At the time, Telekom said it was waiting for shareholder approval from an extraordinary general meeting.

Now, with the extended deadline expiring over a week ago and DNB rejecting requests for further delays, the stake sale to Telekom Malaysia has been cancelled.

The decision will leave the four participating telcos with 16.28% stakes in the business, for a collective stake of 65.12%, as per a contingency plan devised by the Ministry of Finance.

Telekom have been quick to point out that this failure to secure a stake in DNB will not impact the company’s ability to provide 5G services to customers, with the companies’ wholesale deal unaffected.

“This turn of event does not affect TM’s current 5G offerings to customers, as its 5G wholesale service subscription from DNB remains in place,” explained Telekom in a statement.

It is worth noting here that DNB may soon have direct competition in Malaysia’s 5G arena. The government is currently seeking an operator partner to help set up a second national 5G wholesaler, with communications minister Fahmi Fadzil noting that CelcomDigi, Maxis, Telekom Malaysia, and U Mobile have all submitted bids to be selected as the government’s 5G partner.

If selected, provisions are in place that would see the winning company divest of any stake in DNB.

Fadzil says the government is likely to choose a winner by the end of the year.

It is unclear whether this bidding process was a factor in Telekom’s delayed approach to acquiring a stake in DNB.

Keep up with all the latest telecoms news with Total Telecom’s daily newsletter

Also in the news:
Coastguard’s emergency network gets an upgrade from Telent
AT&T fined nearly $1m over 911 failings
How will the CityFibre–Sky deal really affect BT? 

In a small but notable development, network operator Openreach (BT) has finally announced that it will withdraw the supply of their hybrid fibre G.fast “ultrafast broadband” modems (CPE) from 1st December 2024 (i.e. existing customers who experience a fault with one of these modems will now need to look elsewhere).

Just to recap. G.fast (ITU G.9701) was an interim hybrid-fibre and copper technology, which was capable of download speeds up to 330Mbps, but which ultimately ended up being abandoned (here) in favour of Openreach’s welcome desire to deploy full fibre (FTTP) technology at scale. The service only ever covered around 2.8 million UK premises, and just a tiny number of ISPs still support it (here).

Openreach has since overbuilt many of their G.fast cabinet (extension pod) areas with FTTP (here) and take-up of the old service was so low that some of those don’t even have any active G.fast customers left. The network operator stopped supplying their own G.fast modems (Customer Premises Equipment) for new installs some time ago, partly because ISPs started offering routers with a built-in modem (these are becoming harder to find) and partly because the product is clearly on the way out.

The latest small update is that Openreach are now withdrawing the supply of G.fast modems from 1st December 2024 (see change in price list), which means that those who still use the modem (usually as part of a two box solution from an ISP – wireless router + G.fast modem) won’t be able to get a direct replacement if that fails. The service currently costs £72 +vat.

Network access provider Openreach (BT) has made progress on their deal with social housing provider Wolverhampton Homes in the West Midlands (England), which will enable them to extend their 1.8Gbps speed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based broadband ISP network to cover thousands of flats and apartments across the city.

A total of more than 4,500 flats and apartments across the city are expected to benefit from the master wayleave agreement in Wolverhampton, which was originally signed all the way back in October 2022. The upgrade is thus already underway and improving internet speeds and reliability for thousands of residents in the Aldersley, Bilston, Central Wolverhampton, Wednesfield, Tettenhall and Woodcross areas.

So far Openreach have completed the full fibre build to 1,000 homes across 89 different buildings, which leaves 3,500 more premises, across a further 135 buildings in Wolverhampton, left to be upgraded in the near future. The tenants will join more than 55,000 other premises across Wolverhampton who already have access to full fibre broadband via the same network.

The operator’s new FTTP network has so far covered over 15 million UK premises (there are a total of c. 32.5m across the country) and they aim to reach 25 million by December 2026, while also holding an ambition to cover “up to” 30 million by 2030.

Kasam Hussain, Regional Director at Openreach, said:

“We’re thrilled to be working with Wolverhampton Homes on this significant broadband upgrade. Working together is a crucial step in making sure that residents across the city have access to some of the best broadband available anywhere in the UK. The support from both the council and Wolverhampton Homes has been instrumental in making this happen.

Ian Gardner, Director of Property Services at WH, said:

“Partnering with Openreach is a tremendous opportunity for our residents. Improved broadband access is essential for modern living, whether it’s for work, education, or entertainment. This initiative demonstrates our commitment to enhancing the quality of life for people in our community.”

Wolverhampton Homes is the City of Wolverhampton Council’s arm’s length management organisation that is responsible for managing the majority of council-owned homes across the city. But it’s important to remember that this isn’t an automatic upgrade for consumers and, once live, they’ll need to pick a package from a supporting ISP (e.g. BT, EE, Sky Broadband, TalkTalk, Zen Internet, Vodafone, AAISP, iDNET etc.).

Rural network operator and UK ISP Fusion Fibre Group (formerly FACTCO) has today announced that their existing deployment of a new gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network in Stocksfield and Mickley is being extended to include 70 “hard-to-reach” properties in the Northumberland village of Hedley on the Hill.

The extension is being supported with public (government) investment from the Building Digital UK (BDUK) agency’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS). Construction of the new network is due to start next month and the provider has already invited residents to a drop-in session at Stocksfield Cricket Club on Monday 16th September 2024, from 1 pm to 7 pm.

Residential customers in the village can expect to pay from £18.74 per month for a 200Mbps (symmetric) speed with a free install on a 24-month plan (discounted from £24.99), which rises to just £33.74 per month for their top 1000Mbps service (discounted from £44.99). The package also includes a wireless router and UK based support.

Fusion Fibre Group’s National Head of Sales, Gary Spooner, said:

“Small communities are often poorly serviced and ignored by the larger providers, that’s why we’re so excited to bring this Hedley on the Hill up to speed with full fibre broadband. This project underscores our commitment to providing high-speed internet to underserved rural communities.

An upgrade like this doesn’t just bring faster internet, it unlocks opportunities for residents to stay connected with the modern digital landscape.”

The provider also offers a cheaper social tariff to those on state benefits, which costs just £10 per month for 100Mbps (symmetric) on a 24 or 12 month term.