Verizon’s 4,800 job cuts will cost over $1.9 billion
News More than half of these jobs will be cut this month, with the full total to be cut by March next year, according to the operator Back in June, Verizon announced its intention to cut around 4,800 jobs as part of wider restructuring. This “voluntary separation program” would impact US-based management positions and see the company’s 105,400-strong workforce reduced by around 4.5%. This week, the initial cost of the job cutting measures has been revealed, with Verizon facing a $1.9 billion...
Meta resumes use of UK user posts to train its AI models
News The company initially received backlash back in June before an intervention from the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Meta has announced that it will begin training its AI models using public content shared by users on Facebook and Instagram in the UK, having paused the training in June due to regulatory clashes. The company intends to start this process in the coming months, with customers of their platforms to be informed via in-app notification. Meta argues that the...
Gateley Global appointed by WMCA to run a High Growth Accelerator programme for 5G adoption players
The HGAP programme allows businesses to access free support from Gateley Global to overcome their barriers to growth and manage it sustainably. Those businesses that meet the eligibility criteria will be appointed a Key Account Manager (KAM) that will work with them to agree a growth ambition, baseline their current position, identify key challenges, and implement and monitor a plan for growth. The KAM from the HGAP will provide ongoing, intensive support to implement the agreed growth...
Sparkle Signs an Agreement with Nexim for the Provision of Global Internet Connectivity
Rome, 13 September 2024 Sparkle, the first international service provider in Italy and among the top global operators, announces a new agreement with Nexim Global, Italo-American telecommunication operator, for the provision of International IP Transit and other IP services. The agreement was signed in Amsterdam during the IBC2024 event that draws together the global media, entertainment, and technology industry to share insights and expertise and create business opportunities. Nexim Global...
NetIX Adds Five DE-CIX Exchanges to its Platform
Sofia, Bulgaria – 12th September 2024: NetIX, the leading global distributed platform for award-winning connectivity and peering solutions, is proud to announce the expansion of its long-standing partnership with DE-CIX by adding five of their exchanges. The addition of these five new DE-CIX Internet Exchanges in Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Munich, Marseille, and New York to NetIX’s global peering platform further enhances the company’s presence across key global markets boosting its customers’...
LightSpeed Broadband Open UK FTTP Network to Wholesale
Network operator and UK ISP LightSpeed Broadband, which claims to have already built their gigabit-capable broadband (FTTP) network to cover 250,000 premises in the East of England and West Midlands, has today opened their network up for use by rival ISPs and businesses via a new wholesale division – LightSpeed Networks. The provider, which was last year acquired by Kompass Kapital (here) after suffering job cuts and a build slowdown in the East of England (here), currently claims to have...
UK govt to class data centres as critical national infrastructure
News The announcement follows Sir Chris Bryant, Minister for Data Protection and Telecoms, gaving a speech on the importance of digital infrastructure at Connected Britain 2024 The UK government has officially classified data centres as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), aiming to enhance their protection against cyber threats, IT outages, and environmental risks. The decision, announced by Technology Secretary Peter Kyle, focuses on safeguarding important data such as NHS records,...
CMA questions Vodafone–Three merger after second probe
News The regulator will come to a final decision on the merger in December this year The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has released its provisional findings on the proposed merger between Vodafone and Three, once again raising concerns that the deal could lead to higher prices and reduced service quality for millions of UK mobile customers. “We’ve carefully examined the potential effects of this merger. While it could improve network quality, the potential cost to customers and...
Openreach Spreads FTTP Broadband Across Perth in Scotland
Network access provider Openreach (BT) has today announced that the first 5,000 premises (homes and businesses) across Perth in Scotland can now access their new 1.8Gbps capable full fibre broadband ISP network. But thousands more are planned in the city and across more rural parts of the county over the next 12 months. In case anybody has forgotten, Perth was only added to Openreach’s UK rollout plan in September 2023 (here) and the operator has since been busy expanding their network to...
Full Fibre UK ISP Zzoomm Replaces 150Mbps Package with 200Mbps
Alternative full fibre operator Zzoomm, which has built a 2Gbps speed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network to cover 202,000 premises (RFS) in England, has today launched a new 200Mbps (symmetric) service that appears to replace their previous entry-level 150Mbps package. But the new entry-level tier is more expensive. The new “200 Full Fibre” service is priced at £32.95 per month on a 12-month minimum term and comes with a £100 Amazon voucher for new customers (compared to £29.95 for...