Press Release

Nokia has announced it is working with Industrial Partner Siemens Mobility to deliver an IP/MPLS backbone communications network and cybersecurity solution for the new metro railway network in Sydney, Australia. The new Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport line will become the transport spine for Greater Western Sydney, connecting communities and travelers with the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport and the growing region.

The Nokia mission-critical communication network, which includes an IP/MPLS backbone network and data center fabric in conjunction with Nokia NetGuard Cybersecurity solution, will support robust secure applications such as CCTV for passenger safety, train-to-ground communications backhaul for in-station, on-board and trackside applications, along with the associated data center and cloud networking.

In December 2022, the largest ever Public Private Partnership (PPP) contract in New South Wales was awarded to Parklife Metro for the Stations, Systems, Trains, Operations and Maintenance (SSTOM) work package.

The SSTOM project will deliver:

Six new stations from St Marys, Orchard Hills, Luddenham, Airport Business Park, Airport Terminal and the new Aerotropolis
12 new metro trains
A stabling and maintenance facility to be built at Orchard Hills

The complex security, performance and reliability requirements of new digital and legacy rail and passenger communications services will be served by the Nokia mission-critical IP/MPLS network, comprising a comprehensive suite of routers and switches. The Nokia NetGuard Cybersecurity solution will leverage the latest industry standards and technology innovations to ensure sensitive systems and data are protected from emerging threats, through capabilities such as multifactor authentication, automated endpoint detection and response, real-time alerts, and device authentication.

Vijay Singh, Project Director at Siemens, said: “We are pleased to work again with Nokia as we deliver a safe, sustainable transport solution for residents and visitors to Sydney. The new data communications and cybersecurity solution will be vital to support both legacy and new digital passenger and rail communications services.”

Stuart Hendry, Head of Enterprise and Partner Sales for Asia Pacific, Network Infrastructure at Nokia, said: “This exciting project further strengthens a longstanding partnership with Siemens in Australia and around the world. As the threat of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure continues to grow around the globe it is vital that communications networks benefit from the highest level of data security. As such we are pleased to be able to apply both our local knowledge as well as our expertise in delivering secure mission-critical IP/MPLS and data center fabric solutions to provide leading-edge mission-critical network for rail and NetGuard Cybersecurity package that will support reliable operations and the safety of passengers. Working with Siemens Mobility, we can replicate this for other metro rail programs.”

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

Contract-free mobile operator VOXI, which is Vodafone’s virtual network operator (MVNO) sibling, today claims to have become “the first telco in the UK” to develop and deploy a Large Language Model (LLM) based AI chatbot to help “transform its customer services“. The new system has been built in collaboration with Accenture and is being powered […]

Internet service provider No One, which typically sells broadband packages via both Openreach and CityFibre’s national networks, have notified residential customers of their decision to “partner up” with Home Telecom, which is a subsidiary of the Telecom Acquisitions (TAL) group where TalkTalk holds a controlling stake. The letter being sent to customers (credits to hacman […]

Broadband ISP WightFibre, which operates a gigabit speed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network across the Isle of Wight – just off the South Coast of Hampshire in England, has begun to notify existing customers of their latest annual price increase that is due to be implemented from 1st April 2024. The provider’s policy on price increases, from […]

The Fusion Fibre Group (formerly FACTCO), which is a rural ISP and UK full fibre network builder, has today announced that their new Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network in the North Yorkshire village of Escrick has finally begun to go live and connect its first customers. The local deployment, which has been funded out of the operator’s […]

News

The operator says the bot can deliver ‘human-like interactions with customers’ and is able to handle sophisticated consumer requests

Today, Vodafone UK has become the first operator in the country to launch a large language model (LLM) chatbot, introducing the novel technology for its VOXI customers.

The chatbot, which has been developed in conjunction with Accenture UK, is built on ChatGPT architecture and will reportedly be used to deliver more nuanced customer service.

According to Vodafone, the new chatbot can successfully handle ‘sophisticated consumer requests’ delivered in naturalistic language. The example provided below shows the chatbot handling a relatively sophisticated request around pricing, which would typically be hard for a more generic chatbot to answer accurately.

“VOXI is using generative AI to fundamentally reinvent its business. The customer experience is only the start of how this technology can be adopted at scale across the organisation,” said Accenture UK’s Generative AI Lead, Mark Farbrace.

Vodafone also notes that the AI has been developed using an AI safety framework aimed at protecting customers and ensuring ‘the responsible and ethical deployment of AI technology’.

The chatbot will initially be trialled with a small number of customers, with a wider rollout expected to follow once any initial issues have been identified and corrected.

Chatbots are certainly nothing new for the telecoms industry, which has used them to various degrees of success for many years. GenAI-based chatbots, however, are potentially far more exciting, offering not only a more flexible and personable experience for the customer, but also the potential for individually personalised consumer offerings.

 

 

Is AI going to reshape what it means to be a telco in 2024? Join the discussion at Connected North 2024, live in Manchester

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

News

The funding will go towards AI research aimed at tackling climate change, heathcare, and national security  

Jeremy Hunt, the UK Chancellor, has announced a substantial commitment to the UK’s AI sector in the Spring Budget announcement yesterday, pledging £100 million in funding to The Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s national institute for data science and AI. 

In a press release, the institute said the funding marks a “key milestone in the delivery of the Institute’s new strategy which sets out how it will use data science and AI to tackle some of the biggest issues facing society”. 

The injection of £100 million will come over the next five years from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) via the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).  

The Institute is predominantly government funded and is focussing on three areas when it comes to AI: environment and sustainability, health and defence, and national security, with the wider goal of being the “best place in the world for data science and AI research, collaboration, and business”. 

“The Alan Turing Institute is at the forefront of our national AI capability and has helped to cement the UK’s position as a leader in this transformative technology,” said UKRI Chief Executive Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser. 

“This new investment will ensure that the Turing can continue to explore the frontiers of AI, working across the research and innovation system to deliver the UK’s AI Strategy.” 

“Our purpose is to make great leaps in data science and artificial intelligence to change the world for the better and this £100 million investment will allow us to chart a new path over the next five years, working with our partners across the ecosystem to uncover solutions to society’s greatest challenges,” confirmed Dr Jean Innes, Chief Executive of The Alan Turing Institute. 

The UK government is currently heavily investing in AI.  

Back in October, the Prime Minister UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that taxpayer spending on AI chips and supercomputers is set to increase to £400 million as part of efforts to make the UK a global leader in cutting edge technology.  

In a recent Global AI Index created by UK news source Tortoise, the UK was ranked fourth out of 62 countries, behind US, China and Singapore. 

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

News

The stake was sold to US investment firm GQG Partners, leaving  Singtel with a roughly 29% stake in Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest operator

This week, Singtel has announced it has sold a 0.8% stake in Indian telecoms operator Bharti Airtel to GQG Partners for roughly $711 million.

The move marks the latest step in the company’s gradual divestment in India’s second largest mobile operator, with Singtel having sold a 3.3% stake in the business for $1.9 billion back in 2022.

Singtel has undergone a strategic shift since 2021, aiming to raise capital to help fund a fundamental shift in the business from telco to techco, including scaling up the company’s data centre and IT services businesses.

“The group is now in an even stronger position to execute our disciplined capital approach of balancing investing for greater growth and delivering strong, sustainable returns,” said Singtel finance chief Arthur Lang in a statement.

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

News 

The UK broadband operator has announced that they have raised £147.5m to fund their fibre rollout, alongside sister company YouFibre 

In the process of the fundraising, Netomnia welcomed three new lenders—Barclays, Alpha Bank, and Nord/LB—in addition to their existing lenders. 

Netomnia says that the financial backing will propel the company’s to become a leading fibre provider in the UK, known for its swift network deployment, innovation, and efficient capital utilisation.  

Having recently surpassed 850,000 premises with fibre-to-the-home, Netomnia and YouFibre boast a combined customer base of 80,000. 

“We are very pleased to welcome three new lenders to Netomnia and YouFibre with support from our existing lenders,” said Jeremy Chelot, CEO at Netomnia and YouFibre. “This backing demonstrates the strength of Netomnia’s deployment plans in the market and we’re delighted they have chosen to support the continued acceleration of our businesses.” 

“Our success is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our team, as well as the unwavering support of our investors and partners. With this latest round of funding, we are well-positioned to accelerate our network deployment efforts and continue delivering best-in-class internet services and customer experience.” 

Discover Netomnia’s UK network rollout plan here. 

Join us at next month this year’s Connected North event – 22-23 April in Manchester – get your tickets now! 

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

A group of full fibre broadband operators, which are being led by alternative network providers Ogi and Vorboss, have today called on the UK Government and Ofcom to urgently help tackle a recent rise in attacks – often committed by criminal gangs and vandals – against vital national telecoms infrastructure and the engineers who build […]