Mobile network operator giffgaff has today launched a cheaper 18-month “Good Contract” unlimited data (mobile broadband) tariff, which is now available for only £25 per month (previously £35). The update also benefits more than 12,000 existing customers on the old plan, automatically reducing their bills by £10 a month. The new plan includes all of […]

News 

Construction on the new semiconductor plants will begin in the next 100 days 

India has approved the construction of three semiconductor plants worth 1.26 trillion rupees ($15.2 billion), as the country aims to become an electronics global leader and decrease its reliance on chips from abroad. 

The announcement of the project ties into the “Make in India” initiative, which was launched in 2014 to transform India into a global hub for design and manufacturing. 

The first of the plants will be built in Dholera, Gujarat, by a partnership between Tata Electronics and Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, with the companies jointly investing almost $11 billion. The new plant will focus on mature 28nm technology, which is widely used in industries such as automobiles, consumer electronics, and defence. 

The second plant will be set up in Morigaon, Assam, with an investment of $3.26 billion by Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test Pvt Ltd. This site, by contrast, will focus on “indigenous advanced semiconductor packaging technologies including flip chip and integrated system in package technologies” in the automotive, electric vehicles, and electronics industries. 

India’s third plant will be built in Sanand, Gujarat via a nearly $1 billion investment from a partnership between CG Power, Japan’s Renesas Electronics Corporation, and Thailand’s Stars Microelectronics. This plant will also produce chips for consumer, automotive, and power applications. 

“This is a big decision for the country and a key accomplishment towards making India a self-dependent country,” Indian Electronics Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told Reuters. 

“India already has deep capabilities in chip design. With these units, our country will develop capabilities in chip fabrication. Advanced packaging technologies will be indigenously developed in India,” read a government statement. 

India, who does not yet have a chip making plant, estimates that its semiconductor industry will be worth $63 billion by 2026, rivalling that of market leader Taiwan.  

It is estimated that the three plants will create a total of 80,000 jobs–20,000 in advanced technology and 60,000 indirect positions. 

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

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NEWS

Fastwyre Broadband, a leading provider of high-speed and affordable fiber optic networks across the United States, has invested $65 million to enhance networks and expand into Louisiana regions. Formerly Cameron Communications, the company, with roots dating back to 1928, has evolved to revolutionise internet accessibility as Fastwyre Broadband.

Moss Bluff, Cameron Parish, Carlyss, and other Louisiana areas will benefit from internet speeds ranging from 2 to 10 gigabits per second, surpassing nearby city hubs.

CEO Chris Eldredge emphasises the commitment to delivering top-tier connectivity at affordable rates, aligning with the company’s deep-rooted history and pride in Louisiana.

“Our deep-rooted history in Louisiana, dating back to 1928 when our predecessor company ‘Cameron Communications’ was founded, fills us with immense pride as we continue to serve residents and contribute to the growth of businesses in this vibrant region. This connection drives our investment of over $65 million to expand and fortify our fiber optic infrastructure to digitally empower local communities for decades into the future.”

The investment focuses on fortifying fibre optic infrastructure to digitally empower local communities. Fastwyre’s reliable network, featuring symmetrical speeds, no data caps, and affordable bundles, caters to residential and business needs, fostering community support. The company stands at the forefront of innovation, investing in a rapidly growing, state-of-the-art fibre network, with a commitment to serving communities in need of enhanced connectivity.

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Waivers to the ‘Buy American’ requirements placed on Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program funding are expected to impact just 10% of total equipment purchases

Back in 2021, as part of Biden administrations mammoth Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the government also introduced the ‘Build America, Buy America Act’ (BABA), requiring US companies using government subsidies primarily purchase equipment from domestic suppliers.

For the telecoms industry, this means that access to the $42 billion in BEAD programme funding currently being distributed by the US National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is contingent on being able to find suitable US suppliers. Currently, the rules stipulate that 55% of BEAD funding must be spent with US companies.

However, given the global nature of the telecoms equipment market, such requirements pose a major challenge for operators, both in terms of quality and cost. Various industry bodies quickly petitioned the NTIA to introduce a waiver process, saying that shifting to primarily domestic equipment would be a slow and technically challenging process, potentially causing delays and reducing the BEAD funding’s effectiveness.

By August last year, these overtures were bearing fruit, with the NTIA proposing a waiver process on the ‘Buy American’ obligations for BEAD funding under certain circumstances.

Now, the NTIA has formally launched the related waiver process, saying it expects 90% of the BEAD programme’s $42 billion in funding can still be spent on US-made products.

“At first, many in the industry told us that requiring the ‘Buy America’ domestic manufacturing preference for the BEAD program couldn’t be done–and that a blanket waiver would be necessary,” wrote Will Arbuckle, a senior policy adviser with the NTIA in a blog post. “We worked closely with stakeholders to develop this guidance and we’re pleased to see that manufacturers have stepped up and proved this narrative wrong.”

BABA waivers will be active for the next five years, throughout the period of BEAD funding, and will only apply to certain parts of the network. The fibre cables themselves, for example, as well as optical line terminals, optical line terminal line cards, optic pluggables and optical network terminals, must continue to be majority purchased from the US.

What does this waiver mean for the US broadband industry? Join the sector in discussion at Connected America live in Dallas. Get your tickets now

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News 

Mobile UK, the trade body representing the UK’s mobile operators, has released a statement today pleading with the government to make the country’s telecoms “investment environment” more positive in the upcoming Spring Budget 

Mobile UK’s report argues that the industry is facing many pressing challenges, including “rising costs due to inflation, a decade of flat/declining revenues, rising demand for data requiring massive investment in network capacity, and growing Government asks to deliver social goods, such as social tariffs, to ensure everyone is digitally included”.  

On the basis of these industry challenges, the report makes a direct plea to UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt MP to act quickly to “ensure the UK mobile industry can thrive and be and be in a sustainable and healthy position to provide the UK with world-class connectivity.” 

 Mobile UK asks that the government: 

– Puts in place measures to help improve the investor outlook; 

– Redirects or remove annual licence fees; 

–  Ensures certainty in the tax system; 

– Increases resources in the planning to streamline and approve new mobile infrastructure; 

– and invests in digital skills. 

None of this is particularly new or groundbreaking, with Mobile UK having made overtures to the government on similar topics for many years. 

The report states that the body believes that enacting these principles will help to close the £25 billion investment gap (identified by think tank Digital Connectivity Forum), whose own report found that UK operators may struggle to reach their 2030 goals due to a lack of investment. 

‍“The mobile network operators believe these actions will help unlock the full potential of the UK’s mobile industry,” said Mobile UK CEO Hamish MacLeod. “We hope to work with the Government to break down barriers and create a positive investment environment that supports the deployment of mobile infrastructure to help sustain people’s ultra-connected lifestyles, along with the recruitment of digital champions within local authorities.” 

Back in November, then BT CEO Phillip Jansen issued a similar plea, calling on the government ahead of the Autumn statement to implement permanent tax breaks for infrastructure investment, in order to “give businesses like BT Group genuine long-term certainty to plan and shift the investment environment in Britain from good to great.”   

In a blog post, Jansen explained that the introduction of a tax Super Deduction in April 2021 – which reduced tax on new plan and machinery equipment by 25% – had allowed BT to increase its fibre rollout targets from 20 million homes to 25 million homes. This scheme was replaced last spring by a policy of Full Expensing, allowing companies a 100% tax relief on qualifying plant and machinery investments between April 2023 and April 2026. As this is set to end in just under two years, Jansen called for permanent tax breaks so that the UK telco industry can investment £20 billion to meet government fibre and 5G targets. 

The 2024 Spring Budget is set to be announced this week, on Wednesday 6th March. 

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

Also in the news:
Dish set to turn down T-Mobile spectrum, triggering auction!
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Headquartered in Nottingham, with locations throughout the UK and USA, CWCS provides 24/7/365 enterprise-grade infrastructure for mission critical data systems, websites, and applications through a choice of cloud, bare metal, dedicated servers, and colocation services.

The acquisition of the new site follows extensive research, and the data centre is due to be online in 2024. The announcement forms part of CWCS’s strategy to support growing demand from existing and new customers, as well as supporting the growth for current and future acquisitions.

Karl Mendez, managing director of CWCS Managed Hosting, explains why the expansion is so important and timely: “In the last three years, we have embarked on an ambitious growth strategy to expand our portfolio of services through company acquisitions.”

“There’s an increasing demand for hosted solutions, especially private cloud and server colocation where customers want their data in a redundant and secure data centre facility with technicians available 24/7, and that’s exactly what we can offer.”

Opening a new data centre in Nottingham significantly increases our capacity to offer flexible options comprising of cloud hosting, dedicated server hosting, and colocation services.

Above all, it ensures we can continue to meet the individual needs of our customers, and positions us as a partner in mission critical data hosting.”

Final specification details will be announced later in 2024 but the data centre will continue the CWCS strategy to uphold certifications ISO 27001 and 9001 in security and quality management. The company also aims to be become carbon neutral by 2030.

Giles Davis, partner at chartered surveyors, Geo Hallam & Sons, acted as the agent to find premises for the state-of-the-art facility.

Giles explains the how they met the tough brief: “The search to find a suitable facility was a challenging brief, given the nature of the CWCS business. We looked for premises that were well located and could be stripped back with planning permission. The building we’ve secured is an ideal canvas for CWCS to fit out with their new data centre and associated offices. We wish the team every success.”

Mark Tomlinson at Director at FHP, who acted for the sellers in the sale commented:

“The lack of industrial freehold opportunities could have prevented CWCS from achieving its expansion. But by working with Giles Davis at Geo Hallam we’ve been able to solve the problem by putting forward a building they can repurpose, securing a sale for our client, and helping CWCS achieve its vision. We are delighted to have completed this deal with them and wish CWCS every success with its expansion.”

The new site will be a leader in energy efficiency, as Karl explains: “This is an energy hungry industry so it’s imperative we take responsibility for the energy our centres consume, and help our customers manage their energy overheads and emissions too.”

“We are committed to becoming a leader in secure, low-emission hosting, and our goal to be carbon neutral by 2030 is evidenced by this acquisition. CWCS data centres are already powered using renewable energy and our new site will be no exception.”

 

 

Singapore, 29 February 2024 – Epsilon Telecommunications (Epsilon), a KT Corp. company and leading global interconnectivity provider, has appointed Warren Aw as its Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and David Yoon as its Chief Operating Officer (COO). These appointments will enhance Epsilon’s global business strategy, product portfolio and collaboration with KT.

 

Warren Aw has more than 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, most recently as Epsilon’s Managing Director, APAC. As CCO, Aw will oversee the Data, Colocation and Voice business segments, developing and implementing a global business plan to achieve profitable growth. He will also lead the Procurement team to improve the bi-lateral relationship with international, regional and domestic carriers, and the Marketing team to facilitate a strong alignment with the overall sales strategy. David Yoon has 20 years of industry experience, most recently serving as Epsilon’s Director of Business Synergy for the past two years. Prior to this, Yoon held the role of Director of Global Telecom Business Management and Development at KT. In his role as COO, Yoon will spearhead Epsilon’s business strategic alignment with KT and work closely to meet the growing demands in South Korea and around the world. He will also oversee the development of Epsilon’s products and services to closely align with customers’ needs and overall company objectives.

 

“Since joining Epsilon in 2021, Warren has been the driving force behind our commercial strategy in the Asia-Pacific region. His commercial insights and wealth of knowledge in the data centre, cloud, ICT and networking sectors will be pivotal in driving Epsilon’s growth,” said Damon Lee, Chief Executive Officer at Epsilon. “As David takes on his new role of COO, he brings extensive experience in developing new business models in revenue management, business strategy, and go-to-market. His familiarity with both Epsilon and KT will be a huge value-add as we continue to align both companies’ strategies, missions and visions. I am confident in these new appointments and look forward to seeing the positive impacts on our collaboration moving forward.”

 

Epsilon has a growing global footprint, with a network fabric that spans across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. The new appointments will accelerate Epsilon’s strategy and collaboration with KT, enhancing the customer experience of both companies.

 

“I am honoured to take on the role of Chief Commercial Officer at Epsilon. Over the past few years at the company I have seen Epsilon’s dedication to innovation, and I am excited to be at the forefront of this,” said Warren Aw, Chief Commercial Officer at Epsilon. “I’m eager to lead our talented teams in furthering our mission, driving growth and delivering unparalleled value to our customers across the globe.”

 

With more than 20 years of experience, Epsilon delivers agile network services to businesses globally. Its solutions are powered by a carrier-grade, hyper-scalable backbone, providing a flexible model for customers.

 

“I’m looking forward to embarking on my next step at Epsilon as COO, collaborating closely with our teams at Epsilon and KT to drive operational efficiency and further alignment,” said David Yoon, Chief Operating Officer at Epsilon. “We’re in a great position to take Epsilon to new heights and achieve mutual opportunities for growth, ensuring we stay at the forefront of connectivity innovation for our customers.”

 

Epsilon’s network covers over 300 data centres and a continually growing ecosystem of 600+ Cloud, IX, SaaS and technology partners worldwide. Aw and Yoon will support Epsilon’s global strategy and roadmap to further extend its network reach and deliver a wide range of connectivity solutions to customers across continents.

 

 

 

About Epsilon Telecommunications 

 

Epsilon is a global interconnectivity provider that simplifies how businesses connect applications and data around the world and in the cloud. Its Network as a Service (NaaS) platform Infiny provides businesses with a suite of high-performance connectivity and communications services at the click-of-a-button. 

 

Epsilon offers fully-managed connectivity services with automation, orchestration and a comprehensive approach to end-to-end service delivery, ensuring consistent and reliable connectivity to world’s leading data centres, clouds and internet exchanges. Its services are powered by a carrier-grade global backbone with extensive presence across the Asia-Pacific including Mainland China. 

 

Epsilon is part of KT Corp. (KRX: 030200; NYSE: KT), South Korea’s largest telecommunications company. It is headquartered in Singapore with offices in London and Sofia. 

 

https://epsilontel.com

ENLIGHT’EM, an Innovative Training Networks project funded by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action, has ended in December 2023 marking a major milestone: contributing to design a new generation of wireless systems based on visible light communication (VLC) and on the low power consumption of light-emitting diodes (commonly known as LEDs) for challenging Internet of Things (IoT) scenarios.

As Domenico Giustiniano, Principal Investigator of the IMDEA Networks-coordinated project and Research Associate Professor at the institute points out, “We have advanced the state of the art in areas such as visible light communication for the low data rate regime as well as for high-speed applications, provided innovative solutions for resilient VLC systems, designed systems leveraging the simultaneous transfer of information and energy by light waves, and investigated new communication systems such as between light sources and smartphone cameras and under-screen cameras. We have also addressed key application-oriented challenges in areas such as indoor localization, vehicular networks and underwater networks.”

Legacy and benefits to society

One of the key aspects of ENLIGHT’EM has been to collaborate in the sustainable development of new wireless systems, which is the approach taken by the project to provide economic added value in the society in line with the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined by the United Nations to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and address climate change by 2030. ENLIGHT’EM has delivered several groundbreaking results, as evidenced by several top publications in renowned conferences and journals achieved by the project’s researchers. In total, almost 70 publications have been achieved during the life of the project.

As a result of the project, a total of 4 patents have been filed by both academic and industrial partners. In addition, a research team from IMDEA Networks with the participation of ENLIGHT’EM funded PhD student Dayrene Frómeta (Early Stage Researchers – ESR) has won the first prize in the food category of the competitive European EIT Jumpstarter program for their business idea LiFi4Food, which seeks to provide solutions for digital and precision agriculture. Today, LiFi4Food has become an IMDEA Networks spin-off that aims to positively impact indoor food production with an eco-friendly monitoring control system with battery-free sensors for greenhouses.

Ultimately, ENLIGHT’EM’s success is attributed to people, from the commitment of the supervisory team to the talent and passion of the PhD students. The IMDEA Networks research team, in particular, has contributed greatly to its scientific output, including communication and exploitation activities. Particularly noteworthy is the role of Borja Genovés, now a Marie Curie PostDoc Fellow in the USA, and Javier Hervás, for having assumed, and executed to the best of his ability, the demanding position of project manager.

Next steps

ENLIGHT’EM marks the beginning of new possibilities. “We have identified several potential initiatives, such as joint research, joint follow-up proposals and participation in events. For example, the work on battery-free systems, to which my group at IMDEA Networks has contributed greatly, is now becoming a hot area also for future 6G networks, with the recent establishment of a dedicated work item on so-called Ambient IoT, and we see several opportunities for future projects in this area,” Dr. Giustiniano points out.

A project that, although now completed, continues to illuminate the present and sculpt the future of wireless communications with a unique fusion of technology and light.

Intracom Telecom, a global technology systems and solutions provider, announces the enhancement of its distribution partnership with Wave1 Pty Ltd, one of Australia’s leading Microwave Communications Solutions Provider. This continuing collaboration aims to promote more and new products from Intracom Telecom’s cutting-edge E-Band and MW systems, addressing the growing demand for advanced business solutions across the continent.

Wave1’s primary focus is on promoting the full line of UltraLink™-GX80 products and the innovative family of OmniBAS™-BX radios in Australia, addressing the communication and connectivity needs of verticals, such as mines, utilities, city councils, first responders, as well as CSP and ISP. Leveraging state-of-the-art technology, Wave1 will continue to deploy OmniBAS™-BX radios to deliver cost-effective, multi-Gigabit transmission solutions, while the UltraLink™-GX80 E-Band system, IP/MPLS ready, is offering a reliable 80 GHz 10 Gbit/s solution as a compelling alternative to optical fiber.

Wayne Anderson, CEO of Wave1 Pty Ltd, stated: “We are delighted to enhance our collaboration with Intracom Telecom. The elevation of our partnership enables us to broaden our broadband offerings, delivering substantial value to both our and Wave1’s customers through the incorporation of the latest innovations and advanced technologies.”

John Tenidis, Marketing Director of Intracom Telecom’s Wireless Solutions Portfolio, commented: “Wave1 is a model partner for our channels of sales. We decided to enhance the relationship due to sharing the same principles with our company. Devotion to the customer, adherence to quality are the foundations of our reputation. The featured products empower Wave1 to make a significant impact in the market. We are confident of the sustained growth in Australia.”

Link to Word Doc: www.wallstcom.com/Riedel/240229-Riedel-Hibino_Partnership.docx
Link to Japanese Translation: www.wallstcom.com/Riedel/240229-Riedel-Hibino_Partnership-JP.docx

Photo Link: www.wallstcom.com/Riedel/Hibino_Partnership-Kozuma-Lambert.jpg
Photo Caption: Left to right: Takashi Kozuma, Hibino Corporation; Vincent Lambert, Riedel Communications.

Photo Link: www.wallstcom.com/Riedel/Hibino_Partnership_Group.jpg
Photo Caption: Left to right: Rik Hoerée, Riedel Communications; Takashi Kozuma, Hibino Corporation; Vincent Lambert, Riedel Communications.

WUPPERTAL, Germany — Feb. 29, 2024 — Riedel Communications today announced a new partnership with Hibino Intersound Corporation, one of Japan’s leading distributors in the Pro AV industry, to enhance its presence in the Japanese market. With the partnership set to commence in April 2024, Hibino Intersound Corporation will distribute Riedel’s cutting-edge intercom solutions, including the Bolero wireless intercom system, the Artist digital matrix intercom platform, and the SmartPanel user interface, as well as the MediorNet real-time media network, encompassing both TDM and IP configurations.

“We have always admired Riedel’s commitment to innovation and their products’ reputation in the market. The MediorNet line, in particular, is expected to play a pivotal role as we expand our business scope,” said Hiroshi Ikegaki, Representative Director of Hibino Intersound Corporation. “Integrating Riedel’s renowned intercom systems and advanced network products with our robust audio and video systems empowers us to deliver more sophisticated and complete solutions.”

The collaboration with Riedel allows Hibino Intersound Corporation to enhance its product offerings, providing customers with comprehensive solutions that streamline operations and improve user convenience. Hibino Intersound Corporation’s commitment to excellence aligns with Riedel’s reputation for quality and ease of setup.

“The partnership with Hibino Intersound Corporation opens up exciting new business opportunities for both companies in the Japanese Pro AV market,” said Guillaume Mauffrey, Director of Sales in Asia at Riedel Communications. “Their extensive distribution network and industry expertise, combined with our innovative product lineup, will undoubtedly lead to a new era of connectivity and workflow efficiency for our customers.”

Further information about Riedel and the company’s products is available at www.riedel.net.

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About Hibino Intersound Corporation
Hibino Intersound Corporation is a company of the Hibino Group that introduces imported brands from all over the world with focus on audio and video. The Hibino Group, as a business group providing total solutions to meet pro audiovisual and IT needs, is engaged in sales and installation of audio and video equipment, design and installation related to architectural acoustics, and audio and large-scale video services for concerts and events.

About Riedel Communications
Riedel Communications is a leading provider of live production tools in the worlds of media, sports, and entertainment. The company’s hard- and software solutions span from distributed video and audio networks over intercom and replay solutions to WAN and MPLS applications. Thanks to Riedel’s holistic approach, its three business units — Product Division, Managed Technology Division and Networks Division — can leverage powerful synergies to provide flexible infrastructures, tools, and services for both fixed and temporary installations around the globe, enabling Riedel customers to run even the most complex projects on-site, remotely, or in the cloud. Riedel is headquartered in Wuppertal, Germany, and employs over 1,000 people in 30 locations throughout Europe, Australia, Asia, and the Americas.

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