Network access provider Openreach (BT) has named Glenrothes engineer Lee Carmichael (40), who installs full fibre (FTTP) broadband around Fife in Scotland, as their ‘Engineer of the Year 2023‘ for his repairs, installs, out-of-the-box thinking and support for colleagues. As well as being presented with the award, the 40-year-old, who has been with the company […]

As expected, BTSport’s Pay TV service has today officially been rebranded to TNT Sports throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland. The move follows last year’s deal between broadband giant BT and Warner Bros. Discovery, which resulted in a 50:50 Joint Venture (JV) company between BT Sport and Eurosport UK. In addition to the launch […]

A new report from the Digital Connectivity Forum (DCF), an industry think-tank, has found that UK’s rollout of gigabit-capable broadband and 5G mobile connectivity would benefit from improvements in communication, collaboration and consistency between local authorities and the telecoms industry. At present, over 76% of UK premises can already access a fixed gigabit-capable broadband ISP […]

News

The standalone 5G (5G SA) solution will allow devices to connect to both private and public networks simultaneously using a single SIM card

Orange Business has announced the launch of a new hybrid private mobile network solution, allowing simultaneous access to a private network deployed by Orange as well as the company’s public commercial network.

The “two-in-one” 5G SA solution uses a router from Cradlepoint that connects to both networks and directs data flows to the desired network based on the application or use case.

The solution also relies on network slicing, edge computing, and local break outs across the overlapping public and private 5G networks to ensure network security and guaranteed low latencies.

The solution has been successfully tested at Orange’s facilities in Arcueil, Paris.

Orange says that the hybrid network will have many uses, particularly in industrial settings, where it can be used to connect industrial equipment, objects, smartphones, tablets, human-machine interfaces, or even autonomous vehicles.

As well as providing secure connectivity for a site’s critical activities, it will also allow for connection to subcontractors and remote sites, host third parties, and provide coverage for users beyond the site’s boundaries, such as forklift drivers and freight travelling by road, river or rail.

“Companies in all sectors face modernization, competitiveness and resilience challenges. The evolution of existing networks towards a hybrid private model promises major benefits in terms of production optimization, improvement of the experience of actors in the field and technology management. Orange mobilizes its dual expertise as operator and integrator to support its customers in their transformations,” explained Valérie Cussac, Orange Business’s Senior Vice-President of Smart Mobility Services (statement translated from French).

Earlier this year, Orange announced the launch of a 5G SA network in Spain, but in other markets, including France, the company has yet to make the upgrade to the more advanced technology.

What impact will the arrival of standalone 5G have on the wider telecoms ecosystem? Join the operators in discussion at this year’s live Total Telecom Congress

Also in the news:
EU and Japan sign deals for subsea cables and semiconductors
Home Office lambasted over Emergency Services Network delays
Ofcom probes VMO2 as customers complain about contract cancellation

News

The Belgian operator will purchase a 57.56% stake in India’s Route Mobile, a move they say will create the world’s third-largest Communications Platform-as-a-Service (CPaaS) offering

Today, Proximus has announced a major push into the global CPaaS market, agreeing to purchase a majority stake in India’s Route Mobile for €643m.

The acquisition is being made via Proximus’s enterprise-focussed subsidiary Proximus Opal, which itself is the parent company of Proximus’s CPaaS business Telesign.

The deal will see Proximus Opal take a 57.56% in Route Mobile, with the Belgian operator explaining they will move to combine Route Mobile with Telesign to create what they claim is the third largest CPaaS company globally by messaging volumes.

Combined, the two businesses will generate an annual revenue of around €900 million, with Proximus saying that Route Mobile’s footprint in the Indian subcontinent, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America perfectly complements Telesign’s presence in Europe and North America.

“With a vastly expanded customer outreach. Proximus’ CPaaS portfolio will be significantly extended through adding Route Mobile capabilities, notably in omnichannel, which will help capture value from the ongoing – generative AI-based – revolutions in customer engagement,” said Proximus in a company statement.

Rajdip Gupta, the current CEO of Route Mobile, will head up the combined company’s CPaaS operations, while Joe Burton, the current CEO of Telesign, will lead their digital identify activities.

Alongside the initial stake acquisition, Indian regulatory law means that Proximus Opal will also be obligated to offer to purchase up to a further 26% of outstanding shares in Route Mobile at the same price; if all shareholders agree to this additional offer, Proximus’s final stake in Route Mobile would sit at just under 75% and its total spend to around €1 billion.

As part of the agreement, Route Mobile’s founding shareholders, represented by Clear Bridge Ventures, will subsequently re-invest up to €300 million in Proximus Opal, taking a stake of up to 14.5%.

The deal is expected to be closed in the next six months, pending regulatory approval.

How is the CPaaS landscape changing in 2023? Join the operators in discussion at this year’s live Total Telecom Congress event

Also in the news:
EU and Japan sign deals for subsea cables and semiconductors
Home Office lambasted over Emergency Services Network delays
Ofcom probes VMO2 as customers complain about contract cancellation

Network operator nexfibre, which is working with broadband ISP Virgin Media (VMO2) – at wholesale – to deploy a new 10Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network across up to 7 million extra UK premises, has today secured an additional £250 million debt investment from the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB). Just to recap. VMO2 largely completed their […]

Press Release

From the dining hall to the virtual lecture hall, the students, faculty and staff at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill. can experience the power of 5G, thanks to a new agreement between Bradley and T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS). The university will utilize a 5G Hybrid Mobile Network from T-Mobile as part of its mission to deliver innovative learning experiences for students and improve operational efficiencies through its Digitally Connected Campus initiative. Additionally, it will provide iPad (10th generation) with 5G-connectivity to students, faculty, and certain student-facing staff.

More than half of college students nationwide experience problems from unreliable connectivity. To help bridge the digital divide and create equitable opportunities in education, the university will begin to distribute iPad, along with a keyboard case and an unlimited data plan that includes 5G connectivity, during the fall 2023 semester. This means that students — even those who are virtual or living off-campus — can experience the 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display and the power and performance of the A14 Bionic chip, allowing students to access lectures, materials and app-based learning opportunities from virtually anywhere on the nation’s largest 5G network.

“Partnering with T-Mobile will help us provide Bradley’s students with the ability to learn in the same mobile-first environment that is increasingly prevalent in the professional world,” said Christopher Jones, PhD, Vice President for Strategy and Innovation at Bradley University. “Bringing 5G to our students and campus allows us to advance a digitally equitable learning environment and a holistically connected campus.”

“We are thrilled to embark on this transformative partnership with T-Mobile, bringing cutting-edge technology to Bradley University, and revolutionizing the way our students learn, collaborate, and thrive in the digital age,” added Bradley University President Steve Standifird.

On campus, the 5G Hybrid Network’s fast speeds, low latency and reliable connectivity open the door for more immersive classroom experiences, preparing students to be part of the 5G workforce by:

Creating mixed reality classroom experiences such as virtualization of complex machinery to teach learners how it operates
Preparing students for a future in the medical field via lessons on real-world telehealth technologies

Utilizing digital learning tools such as AI-powered note taking and other classroom interaction software
Adopting powerful graphics-intensive video game development software to continue the innovation at the university’s award-winning game design program.

Bradley also plans to explore how the 5G Hybrid Network could increase operational efficiencies on-campus. For example, Bradley could use sensor-based data analysis to get automatic updates on information such as water quality, leak detection or refrigeration issues and use that data to automatically address any malfunctions.

“Bradley University is a shining example of how the education industry can embrace 5G to drive innovation and improve students’ lives,” said Callie Field, President, T-Mobile Business Group. “Bradley has already identified more than 20 unique use cases that could have an impact both on students’ learning experiences and the university’s operations in the future. And we’re thrilled to help them bring these innovations to life.”

As part of Bradley’s Digitally Connected Campus initiative, the rollout of iPad will begin during the 2023-2024 academic year, starting with full-time Bradley faculty and “discovery cohorts” of students that will represent approximately 25% of the student body. There will then be a full launch in Fall 2024 to include students, full-time faculty, and many student-facing staff members.

What impact is 5G having on the world of education? Join the discussion of all things digital at Connected America 2024 live in Dallas, Texas

Also in the news:
EU and Japan sign deals for subsea cables and semiconductors
Home Office lambasted over Emergency Services Network delays
Ofcom probes VMO2 as customers complain about contract cancellation

As predicted last month (here), the Stelios-linked easy® family of brands (i.e. easyJet, easyMoney, easyCar) has this week launched a new UK mobile operator service called easySim.global, which is focused on giving people low cost travel data (mobile broadband) to use all around the world via eSIM. Prices tend to start from £3.50 for 1GB […]

Network operator CityFibre has apologised to their business connectivity users in Leeds (South Yorkshire, England) after their attempt to replace an old 288f fibre joint cable, which was due to be upgraded to 432f, resulted in a “significant number” of customers (e.g. Dark Fibre and Ethernet services) being hit by connectivity problems. The problems, which […]

Broadband ISP Wessex Internet, which is deploying a new Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network across rural parts of Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Somerset in England, has announced that they’ve begun upgrading their network with 10Gbps capable XGS-PON tech from Nokia and DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing). At present WI’s existing network footprint is only vaguely said to […]