Interview

We caught up with Daniel Hernandez Ortega, SVP Devices and Consumer IoT at Telefonica, to discuss the company’s sustainability initiatives and how they are putting more control in the hands of the consumer

In 2024, customers are more sustainability conscious than ever, having an increasingly strong grasp of the environmental impact their decisions make both in their business and personal lives. As Ortga points out, this increasing awareness is gradually being reflected in consumer device choices too.

“Customers are more and more aware of the sustainability challenges and issues. We believe that 40–60% of the people are willing to buy refurbished products,” he explained.

But while consumer sentiment around recycling, refurbishment, and reuse are improving, the desire for the latest, state-of-the-art devices is as strong as ever. AI – perhaps the largest theme of all at Mobile World Congress this year – is a great example of just such a trend, with the proliferation of AI apps and services set to play a huge role in driving the uptake of next generation devices.

For Ortega, however, the incoming device boom coming from AI need not be a negative from a sustainability perspective. Instead, the influx of new devices can be a major accelerator for a more circular device economy.

“AI is going to be a catalyst of change as well. Products of the older generation, which are not AI enabled, are going to be surpassed from a customer experience point of view,” Ortega explained. “So, bringing your old tech, recycling it, and doing a switch-up to a new generation of devices is going to accelerate.”

“It’s a flywheel effect,” he continued. “There are more and more customers trading in their products, so there are more players offering second-hand products, which then gives more choice to customers. There is a really positive momentum around it right now.”

Indeed, alliances between vendors and operators focussed on device sustainability are gaining momentum. The Eco Rating consortium, for example, currently has 11 operators, including Telefonica, and more than 20 vendors working together to label their products in a uniform way regarding carbon footprint.  In this way, customers can become better educated about the impact that their choice of smartphone has on the environment.

In fact, Telefonica is even going one step further, with their Living Apps giving customers not only more information about their device’s carbon emissions, but a way to make more sustainable decisions and support sustainability projects.

“All Telefonica products and services generate a carbon footprint – with tokenomics and blockchain, we’ve given our customers an opportunity to compensate their carbon footprint with the tokens they generated through the use of our services,” he explained, noting that these could be spent on a wide range of sustainability projects around the world, from reforestation efforts to ocean clean up. “The customers can then contribute back to the environment.”

You can watch our full interview with Ortega from the link below:

News

The contract is Wessex Internet’s third Project Gigabit award 

Wessex Internet has secured a significant £18 million government-funded contract to extend broadband services across South Wiltshire. This initiative, part of the broader Project Gigabit aimed at enhancing digital connectivity in underserved areas, will benefit approximately 14,500 homes and businesses in rural regions. 

Under the contract, Wessex Internet will expand its network coverage in South Wiltshire, particularly in areas like the Wylye Valley, Salisbury Plain, and surrounding villages such as Amesbury, Chisbury, and Little Bedwyn. The investment will facilitate the deployment of full fibre connections (FTTP), ensuring high-speed connectivity directly to properties. 

The project is expected to commence in September 2024, with construction scheduled to begin then. The first properties are anticipated to be connected by the end of the year. Both Data and Digital Infrastructure Minister Julia Lopez and Hector Gibson Fleming, CEO of Wessex Internet, have highlighted the importance of this initiative in bridging the digital gap and providing essential services to rural communities. 

Wessex Internet has already made strides in delivering gigabit-capable broadband to rural areas, having served around 17,500 properties in North Dorset and the New Forest through previous Project Gigabit funding. With its operational base near the Wiltshire border in North Dorset, Wessex Internet is well-positioned to cater to the region’s connectivity needs. 

“We are delighted that a contract has been awarded to deliver next-generation broadband to thousands of homes and businesses in South Wiltshire,” said Councillor Ashley O’Neill, Cabinet Member for Broadband at Wiltshire Council. 

“One of our key priorities is to have well-connected communities. As lightning-fast gigabit broadband connections have a profound benefit for local people and businesses, we look forward to working with Wessex Internet to achieve a successful rollout of this scheme and seeing the real difference it can make to people’s lives,” he continued. 

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

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BT wins £26m contract to connect UK schools
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Network technology firm Adtran and UK broadband giant BT Group today revealed that they’ve conducted Europe’s “first successful field trial” of optical transport in a live research network, using Adtran’s Coherent 100ZR pluggable transceiver – achieving “high levels of spectral efficiency and low power consumption.” Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP) Optical Transceivers are a compact (a […]

News

The U.S. Department of Justice has unsealed an indictment that has alleged the Chinese government of running a sustained hacking campaign on U.S. citizens.

Seven nationals from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have been charged for their role in what the U.S. government has described as a “prolific global hacking operation” that targeted officials, individuals, and businesses around the globe, including in the United States.

The indictment charging the individuals was unsealed March 25 by the Department of Justice, and names the defendants as Ni Gaobin, 38; Weng Ming, 37; Cheng Feng, 34; Peng Yaowen, 38; Sun Xiaohui, 38; Xiong Wang, 35; and Zhao Guangzong, 38. According to the unsealed indictment, all the nationals are believed to reside in the People’s Republic of China.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said the hacking campaign led by the individuals in the indictment, whom the government alleges are members of a PRC-backed cyberespionage team known as the APT31 Group, sent “over 10,000 malicious emails, impacting thousands of victims, across multiple continents.”

Among those targeted by the group, according to the indictment, were journalists, corporations, and political officials critical of the PRC regime.

Monaco, in statements included with a Department of Justice press release, said the hacking was conducted to repress critics, compromise government institutions, and steal trade secrets.

The Department of Justice alleged that the individuals named in the indictment carried out hacking operations beginning in 2010.

Efforts of the group included sending emails that “appeared to be from prominent news outlets or journalists,” which contained hidden tracking links, according to the Department of Justice.

“If the recipient simply opened the email, information about the recipient, including the recipient’s location, internet protocol (IP) addresses, network schematics, and specific devices used to access the pertinent email accounts, was transmitted to a server controlled by the defendants and those working with them,” stated a Department of Justice summary of the alleged hacking operations.

The indictment further alleged that members of the APT31 Group targeted government officials across the world with malicious tracking links and cited an incident in 2021, when the Department of Justice said 43 United Kingdom parliamentary accounts were targeted due to their association with parliamentarians that supported the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), a pro-democracy group opposed to the Chinese Communist Party’s authoritarian rule.

The indictment also alleged that officials from a litany of U.S. departments were targeted, including campaign staff for the Democratic and Republican parties ahead of 2020 elections.

American companies targeted by the group included “service providers who managed the computer networks and security for other companies, a leading provider of 5G network equipment, and a leading global provider of wireless technology, among many others,” a summary of the indictment stated.

The official charges levied at the Chinese nationals named include conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said the Department of Justice “will not tolerate efforts by the Chinese government to intimidate Americans.”

“This case serves as a reminder of the ends to which the Chinese government is willing to go to target and intimidate its critics, including launching malicious cyber operations aimed at threatening the national security of the United States and our allies,” Garland said.

This article was originally published on Total Telecom’s sister website, Broadband Communities

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News

The news follows the slew of job cuts from both vendors and operators amid turbulent market conditions 

Ericsson has announced this week that it is set to cut 1,200 jobs in its home market of Sweden as part of wider cost-cutting measures announced earlier this year.  

The company currently employs around 15,000 people in its home country, with its global workforce totalling around 100,000 staff. 

In a press release published today, Ericsson confirmed that the job cuts are part of the “global initiatives to improve the cost position, including headcount reductions, while maintaining investments critical to [Ericsson’s] technology leadership”. 

The statement also notes that other cost-cutting measures will include “reduction of consultants, streamlining of processes, and reduced facilities”. 

In a memo sent to employees last year that was seen by Reuters, the company announced that it will lay off 8,500 employees, around 8% of total global employees. CEO Borje Ekholm said at the time that “It is our obligation to take this cost out to remain competitive”. 

Additional cuts are hardly surprising, with the current turbulent economic conditions leading to market uncertainty worldwide, and therefore a reduction in spending on telecoms equipment.  

This downturn has not only hit Ericsson. The vendor’s Scandinavian rival Nokia is in fact planning even larger scale job cuts, saying last year that they would seek to cut 14,000 roles over the next two years. 

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

Also in the news:

BT wins £26m contract to connect UK schools
Apple fined €1.8bn by European Commission over Spotify row
Japan to reduce regulatory pressure on incumbent NTT 

Network benchmarking firm Opensignal has today published a new study to examine the mobile (4G and 5G) network coverage and performance impacts of the proposed mega-merger (here) between mobile operators Three UK and Vodafone. Suffice to say, improvements are expected in both areas. The merger, which will see Vodafone retain a 51% slice of the […]

The Zayo Group, which runs a large high-capacity metro and long-haul fibre optic network that delivers global reach, has today launched a new “Waves on Demand” service that enables customers to swiftly activate bandwidth across its 400G fibre network in Europe and the UK within 5 working days (the industry standard is said to be […]

In Landkreis Cloppenburg, CampusGenius took part in a groundbreaking project to transform healthcare with our private 5G-as-a-service solution, the GeniusCore. The project ‘Smart Emergency – Rescue Services Reconnected’ aims to address challenges facing the healthcare sector, such as a high burden on staff, low doctor density, and an increasing demand for emergency services in rural areas.

Discover the impact of private 5G networks in healthcare. CampusGenius implemented 5G technology and telemedicine options in the St. Josefs Hospital and St. Pius-Stift care home, with the goal of enhancing medical services and accessibility. Find out how real-time monitoring, augmented reality applications, and easy collaboration among healthcare professionals can revolutionise patient care and operational efficiencies. With a focus on security, affordability, and user-friendly interfaces, this case study showcases the transformative potential of private 5G networks in shaping the future of healthcare.

 

News

The Chinese government has said it will phase out Intel and AMD microprocessors from government computers, replacing them with domestically developed alternatives

In recent years, geopolitical tensions between China and the US have seen both nations try to disentangle themselves from the global supply chain, instead seeking to bolster their domestic production capabilities.

Nowhere has this trend been more on show than the semiconductor industry, which has seen both government’s provide enormous subsidies to local companies in an effort to avoid the impact of bilateral sanctions.

In 2022, the Biden Administration signed the CHIPS and Science Act into law, earmarking $52.7 billion to be used for subsidies over five years to help develop the nation’s chip manufacturing capabilities and R&D. Since then, numerous chip companies have announced they will be opening fabrication plans in the US, most notably Intel and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).

In China, meanwhile, reports suggest that the government is preparing to provide over 1 trillion yuan (around $145 billion) in subsidies to the sector over the next five years.

Now, with sanctions showing little signs of abating and domestic chip capabilities expanding, China is preparing to take the next step on its quest for self-sufficiency, announcing that government computers will no longer make use of US technology.

The new governmental guidelines were first unveiled in December last year, ordering government agencies to only use equipment from companies deemed ‘safe and reliable’ by the China Information Technology Security Evaluation Center (CITSEC).

The list of companies currently approved for use by the CITSEC includes exclusively Chinese firms.

The deadline to transition to domestic equipment is 2027, according to sources speaking to the Financial Times.

These new guidelines are expected to hit US companies like Intel and AMD heavily, both of which have a major market share in China. Last year, Chinese business represented 27% of Intel’s $54 billion revenue and 15% of AMD’s $23 billion in sales.

While these companies will likely aim to be whitelisted by the CITSEC, doing so will require the submission of sensitive R&D documentation that the tech firms will be loath to reveal.

On the other hand, refitting all the Chinese governmental hardware with domestic equipment will be an expensive and time-consuming task. In addition, questions remain around the domestic equipment’s maturity; while China’s domestic chip technology has improved dramatically in recent years, it is doubtful it can perform to the same level as existing US counterparts – at least, not yet.

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

Also in the news:
BT wins £26m contract to connect UK schools
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Press Release

Emtelle, one of the world’s leading providers of blown fibre, cabling and ducted solutions, is excited to announce the strategic acquisition of Ridgemount Technologies, a renowned innovator and manufacturer of fibre optic cable connectors. This acquisition not only celebrates a decade of collaboration and achievements but also marks a new era of innovation and growth in the telecommunications and defence markets.

Combining Emtelle’s and Ridgemount’s expertise sets an ideal platform to develop the next generation of solutions. This collaboration aims to deliver innovative connectivity solutions to meet ever-increasing worldwide demand for reliable, high-performance telecommunications infrastructure. Investment would be prioritised in automation and capacity expansion, this partnership is poised to enhance manufacturing efficiencies and product offerings.

Ridgemount’s FBEAM™ and Venturi™ ranges have solidified its status as a leader in fibre optic connectors for both standard and harsh environments, underscoring our dedication to providing high-performance, reliable connectivity solutions.

Ridgemount will continue to lead in the development of fibre optic connectors, setting new standards for optical performance and manufacturing efficiency. Integration of Emtelle’s innovative FibreFast™ bundle and associated products with Ridgemount’s expertise promises a comprehensive suite of exceptional solutions for customers worldwide.  

With this acquisition, Emtelle sets the stage for the introduction of next generation of connectivity solutions. This alliance is poised to further accelerate R&D in the field of FTTx deployment and the Defence industry.

Tony Rogers, Emtelle’s CEO, expressed excitement stating, “This strategic acquisition signifies a milestone in our journey to drive technological advancements and meet the ever-expanding needs of our global customers. With additional resources Ridgemount, would enable focus on innovation, automation and capacity expansion. Ridgemount’s expertise in fibre optic connectors complements Emtelle’s mission to provide comprehensive, state-of-the-art cabling and ducted solutions. Together, we will set new industry standards and continue our shared legacy of innovation.  Emtelle current business is focused on Telecom and Power sectors, and now we intend to expand our reach into the Defence sector with our duct and fibre optic cable solutions.”

Chris Peters, Managing Director of Ridgemount, shared his enthusiasm for this landmark occasion: “I am enthused by the acquisition of Ridgemount by Emtelle, the sheer possibility to further scale up a rapidly growing business and to develop the next generation of optical fibre connectors will provide significant opportunities for our customers, suppliers and staff alike. We are looking forward to being an integral part of Emtelle’s strategic offerings across a range of markets. This is an exciting opportunity to secure the future of Ridgemount and to grow the business to become a major player in Optical Fibre Interconnect Technology.”