Ericsson announces ‘indefinite suspension’ of its Russian business

Ericsson has announced an “indefinite suspension” of its business in Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

The uncovering of further war crimes by Russian forces in areas like Bucha and Irpin has led to additional sanctions from much of the international community. Sweden-based Ericsson says the EU’s increased sanctions played a part in its decision.

In a statement, Ericsson wrote:

“In the light of recent events and of European Union...

11 April 2022 | Networks

European operators want platforms to contribute towards infrastructure

A number of large European operators are calling for content platforms to contribute towards the cost of infrastructure.

In a joint statement, the CEOs of Vodafone, Telefónica, Deutsche Telekom, and Orange have expressed their opinion that content platforms should contribute towards building the connectivity infrastructure they rely on.

“The current situation is simply not sustainable. The investment burden must be shared in a more proportionate way,” claim the...

15 February 2022 | 5G

Virgin Media O2 humiliates rivals by not reinstating EU roaming fees

Virgin Media O2 is taking a playbook once written by rival Three and will buck the trend of reinstating EU roaming charges.

Gareth Turpin, Chief Commercial Officer of Mobile at Virgin Media O2, said:

“We’re starting the year by giving our customers some certainty: we will not be reintroducing roaming fees in Europe for customers on O2 or Virgin Mobile.

Unlike all the other major mobile networks who are bringing back roaming fees, we will not be following suit....

10 January 2022 | Networks

EU to slap large tariffs on Chinese optical fibre cables

The EU is slapping large tariffs on Chinese optical fibre cables after finding they’re being sold at artificially low prices.

On Thursday, the EU announced that it will be introducing the anti-dumping duties following a European Commission investigation. The duties are intended to remedy damage to European producers such as Prysmian, Corning, and Acome.

Major Chinese optical fibre cable manufacturers include Yangtze Optical FC, Hengtong Group, Fiberhome, and...

19 November 2021 | 5G

Opinion: EE brings back fees for EU-roaming Brits

British operator EE is planning to reintroduce fees for roaming in the EU from next year while others are lowering their existing fair use policies.

Back in 2018, I wrote an opinion piece that roaming fees were unlikely to make a return. Anti-Brexit campaigner and Labour MP Hilary Benn tweeted this week that it hasn’t aged well:

In my defence, all of the operators committed not to reintroduce roaming fees—a pledge they recommitted to as late as January...

25 June 2021 | Networks

Nokia will lead the EU’s Hexa-X 6G research project

Nokia will take the helm of the European Commission’s flagship 6G research project, Hexa-X.

Hexa-X aims to develop fundamental 6G technologies and create unique new cases where they can be applied.

Six key research challenges for 6G have been identified which Hexa-X will aim to tackle:

Connecting intelligence: AI/Machine Learning (ML) technologies need to be a vital and trusted tool for significantly improved efficiency and service experience, serving...

7 December 2020 | 6G

European Commission refers Virgin Media–O2 merger to the CMA

The European Commission has referred a proposed merger between Virgin Media and O2 to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

Virgin Media and O2 confirmed their intention to merge back in May. Naturally, the £31 billion deal is being scrutinised by regulators.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-PZkudXsWo

The CMA formally requested the case be transferred on October 8th, shortly after the European Commission launched its investigation. Today, the European...

19 November 2020 | Networks

UK pursues OneWeb stake ahead of expected ‘Five Eyes’ Galileo rival

The UK is pursuing a stake in satellite firm OneWeb as it begins establishing partners for an expected "Five Eyes" rival to the EU’s Galileo system.

OneWeb is a startup that's been building low-orbit satellites for internet connectivity. While much of the attention has been on SpaceX’s impressive Starlink system, OneWeb has flown largely under-the-radar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIrIt0R47Z8

Despite the vast potential of OneWeb, it has found out first-hand...

26 June 2020 | Legislation & Government