Network hardware
Network hardware products such as routers, switches, hubs, appliances and gateways form the vital infrastructure for successful enterprise IT. We look at the latest trends in technologies in building LANs, WANS and Ethernet networking.
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News
20 Nov 2024
Virgin Media O2 streamlines fixed and mobile service delivery
UK operator claims major milestone in its long-term network evolution strategy by switching on Converged Interconnect Network to rationalise and enhance service delivery Continue Reading
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News
19 Nov 2024
Essential tech for optical data comms, sensing and AI hits headwinds
Paper on future of optical modulators and integrated photonics reveals research moving beyond traditional silicon platforms to thin-film LiNbO3 and III-V semiconductors for applications in artificial intelligence, quantum information processing and Lidar Continue Reading
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News
12 Mar 2021
UK government confirms financial support for Shared Rural Network programme
UK government ponies up its share of £1bn infrastructure project, designed to reduce partial not-spots in UK locations Continue Reading
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News
12 Mar 2021
Nokia, LG Uplus trial 5G business-to-business platform in Korea
Test of 5G solution designed to go beyond traditional network connectivity and deliver enhanced service quality and creation of new B2B services Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2021
Community Fibre scales up gigabit offerings for London businesses
ISP pivots from home to business to provide new features tailored to SMEs’ needs and hires new head of business and wholesale to assist post-lockdown working environment Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2021
CityFibre extends full-fibre network to Peterborough
Former leading altnet to put a further £1.5m into its high-speed broadband connectivity project Continue Reading
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News
10 Mar 2021
AT&T adds managed SASE to portfolio
Comms and IT provider AT&T teams with security specialist Fortinet to offer network solution based on SASE principles to support distributed workforces and solve associated challenges Continue Reading
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News
09 Mar 2021
Cibicom taps Nokia to supply mission-critical LTE network across Denmark
Finnish comms provider inks deal with Danish operator to roll out new 450 MHz LTE infrastructure for mass volume IoT and mission critical data coverage Continue Reading
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News
09 Mar 2021
CityFibre embarks on £34m Thames Valley full-fibre project
UK’s third-largest broadband provider announces plans to light up fibre in key area of southern England, addressing the current and future digital needs of residents and businesses in the region Continue Reading
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News
08 Mar 2021
UK government offers ‘inadequate’ response to broadband concerns
DCMS Committee takes government to task for the second time in two months for lack of response in how it will ensure communications strategy is realised Continue Reading
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News
05 Mar 2021
Connectivity the ‘unsung hero’ of the future of work
Research finds that by stripping away bureaucracy, flattening hierarchies and streamlining processes, the response to Covid-19 has given an indication as to how work could and should change for the better, but there will be losers along with the winners Continue Reading
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News
05 Mar 2021
Vodafone promises ‘unbreakable’ broadband without breaking the bank
New hybrid Pro Broadband product aims to deliver Wi-Fi in every room through hybrid router that is claimed to deliver uninterrupted wireless connectivity Continue Reading
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News
04 Mar 2021
UK network users burn through unprecedented data in lockdown 3
Coinciding with the launch of Call of Duty: Warzone update, Virgin Media records its busiest day on record, with the average user downloading more than 20GB of data Continue Reading
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News
04 Mar 2021
AI, fibre investment sees Comcast ride out massive wave of network traffic in 2020
Smart hardware and software technologies allow national US network provider to manage unprecedented traffic driven by major growth in online video and gaming Continue Reading
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Feature
03 Mar 2021
Being the brand: Virgin takes SD-WAN to the next level
Companies are increasingly turning to software-defined wide-area networks to address the needs of remote workforces Continue Reading
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News
02 Mar 2021
Openreach taps VIAVI to ensure network quality for UK full-fibre build-out
Openreach opts for optical network monitoring system to address network quality, including validating new construction, performing pre-activation checks and monitoring ongoing services Continue Reading
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News
01 Mar 2021
UK government pumps £4.5m into central Scotland gigabit connectivity plan
Key Scottish population belt identified as the first territory for investment as part of UK government’s £5bn investment in next-generation broadband Continue Reading
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News
01 Mar 2021
First Newcastle residents gain CityFibre gigabit access
UK’s third national digital infrastructure platform provider claims Tyneside digital revolution is gathering pace as the first homes are connected to next-generation full-fibre network Continue Reading
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25 Feb 2021
Community Fibre claims progress in London gigabit roll-out
ISP doubles the number of London homes enabled with its full-fibre broadband to more than 200,000 and increases its customer base by 130% in a year Continue Reading
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News
25 Feb 2021
UK 5G offers faster speeds, but availability issues persist
Research shows UK 5G speeds have increased since initial deployments and are likely to increase further, with London a particular bright spot, but availability remains an issue Continue Reading
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News
24 Feb 2021
Demand for telcos to prioritise efficiency and sustainability in 5G nets
Research reveals that embracing best practices and partnering with customers to amplify efficiency will be key for operators Continue Reading
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News
23 Feb 2021
Australia’s Macquarie Telecom debuts SD-LAN service
The software-defined local area networking service will make it easier for enterprises to manage Wi-Fi networks and regulate the density of people at a given location Continue Reading
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News
22 Feb 2021
Ericsson accelerates 5G mid-band roll-outs with mMIMO, RAN Compute lines
Swedish comms tech provider expands MIMO portfolio and radio access network solutions to enhance network performance with what it claims is optimised energy efficiency and reduced carbon footprint with new mid-band products, including 20kg flagship 64T Massive radio product Continue Reading
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22 Feb 2021
5G network densification and mMIMO to drive mobile net spend to US$191bn by 2026
Finding MIMO pivotal to driving massive uptake in cellular infrastructure expenditure over the next five years Continue Reading
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19 Feb 2021
Oracle unveils final cog in cloud strategy
Oracle’s Roving Edge Infrastructure is getting interest from mining companies in Australia and manufacturers in ASEAN that are looking to run cloud-based workloads in edge locations Continue Reading
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News
18 Feb 2021
More than two-thirds of firms would invest in dedicated remote working connectivity
Firms are faced with supporting more remote working for their businesses going forward, and a survey has shed light on what form this support will take and what firms believe they will need in the ‘new normal’ Continue Reading
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News
16 Feb 2021
CSPs overlook SMEs as major source of 5G revenue
Study finds communications service providers are failing to recognise the vast potential of the SME arena as a major source of B2B revenue, especially on 5G Continue Reading
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News
15 Feb 2021
Altran, Qualcomm collaborate for 5G NR small cell software
Altran and Qualcomm join forces to expedite development of high-speed, low-latency private and public 5G small cells Continue Reading
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News
15 Feb 2021
BT fibres up UK Covid-19 vaccination centres
As NHS announces that 15 million people have received first dose of Covid-19 vaccine across UK, BT reveals its role in helping health service to achieve milestone by connecting more than 100 vaccination centres to high-speed connectivity and Wi-Fi Continue Reading
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News
15 Feb 2021
Sun shines on first private cellular campus smart manufacturing network in Greece
Supporting the digital transformation of Greek enterprises, comms tech provider implements connectivity system based on the deployment of a private cellular campus network at solar thermal products provider Continue Reading
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News
12 Feb 2021
Nokia furthers Open RAN push with CPQD partnership
Collaboration between Nokia and CPQD set to explore Open RAN-compliant RIC platform to develop 5G use cases such as fixed wireless access smart cities and Industry 4.0 Continue Reading
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News
10 Feb 2021
Truespeed and CityFibre accelerate UK fibre roll-out
More fuel to fibre roll-out across the UK, with leading west of England ISP Truespeed propelling Bath into the gigabit era, while third national broadband provider CityFibre heads to Inverness with its gigabit net Continue Reading
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News
10 Feb 2021
Vodafone UK adds Digitalk to MVNO portfolio
UK telco taps global mobile virtual network enabler service provider, offering cloud-based real-time communications platforms, to assist in on-boarding partners to virtual network Continue Reading
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News
09 Feb 2021
BT claims £24bn value as it enables new customer experience for Walgreens Boots
As it announces role in delivering transformation for pharmacy chain, BT reveals data showing that it employs one in every 12 people in UK’s IT and communications sector Continue Reading
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News
09 Feb 2021
CityFibre lights up Yorkshire cities with gigabit connectivity
Former altnet turned UK’s third national digital infrastructure platform provider announces plan to transform two of the White Rose county’s largest conurbations into digitally connected cities Continue Reading
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08 Feb 2021
European cities hit key smart technology milestone with €250m investment
London, Lisbon, Milan, Bordeaux, Burgas and Warsaw trigger investment in smart technologies as part of Sharing Cities programme Continue Reading
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08 Feb 2021
Deutsche Telekom taps Nokia for optical transport network modernisation
Global operator signs deal to deploy optical transport portfolio to deliver more automated, higher-capacity network to meet growing demands of residential and Industry 4.0 Continue Reading
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News
05 Feb 2021
CE consortium calls on comms regulator to ignore pleas to delay 6GHz certification
As users’ reliance on wireless devices increases, the US Consumer Technology Association warns FCC to ignore lobbying to pause progress of Wi-Fi 6E equipment certification Continue Reading
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04 Feb 2021
BT counts cost of Covid-19 in third quarter
Fibre and 5G roll-outs continue apace, but trading update reveals trying times for UK incumbent telco, with falling revenues and profits Continue Reading
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News
04 Feb 2021
Ericsson: Dematerialisation is the path to profitability
Comms tech provider’s research finds so-called dematerialised enterprises expect to take advantage of cloud and mobile technology to become more productive and sustainable by 2030 Continue Reading
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03 Feb 2021
Broadband speed boost sees UK home values jump by £3,500
UK government survey quantifies added value of access to superfast broadband, which is now said to have pushed broadband speeds up a gear for 5.5 million homes across the country, creating £2.7bn of economic benefits including 17,600 jobs Continue Reading
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03 Feb 2021
EE, BT team to ‘redefine’ home broadband with BT Halo 3+
Comms provider and mobile division announce new hybrid connect device, claiming to combine full-fibre home broadband, Wi-Fi and UK’s fastest mobile network Continue Reading
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News
02 Feb 2021
Poly pivots product line to remote working
Latest Poly P Series offers pro-grade webcams, video bars, speakerphones and an all-in-one video conferencing monitor, with remote management and software services to address new normal Continue Reading
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02 Feb 2021
Latency higher priority than speed as IT leaders look to gain edge
Business leaders believe success depends on low latency, namely 10ms or less to ensure the success of their applications, with three-quarters requiring 5ms or less for edge initiatives Continue Reading
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01 Feb 2021
Enterprise 5G network slicing to carve out $20bn revenues over next five years
Research highlights dedicated network allocation technique as an enabler for new value creation as communications service providers bolster their capabilities to go beyond connectivity revenues Continue Reading
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News
01 Feb 2021
O2 and NEC claim Open RAN trial success
Leading UK mobile operator teams reveal positive results from open radio access network test with IT and network technologies provider, including virtualised RAN software and hardware from GigaTera Communications, Supermicro among others Continue Reading
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01 Feb 2021
Qualcomm ramps up 5G with French research and development centre
Brittany and Paris Region colocated R&D facility set up to boost chip giant as it embarks on next-generation network objectives Continue Reading
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01 Feb 2021
5G to the fore as Ericsson beats expectations in financial year
Strong year recorded by comms tech firm from continued high activity levels in North America, Northeast Asia and Europe, with 5G strong Continue Reading
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29 Jan 2021
Dell, SK Telecom, VMware bring 5G edge to enterprises
IT giants team with telco to collaborate on an integrated multi-access edge computing system with the aim of providing more secure and reliable access to data at edge locations Continue Reading
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29 Jan 2021
Wi-Fi Alliance advances support for Wi-Fi 6E ecosystem
Specification published defining architecture, protocols and functionality for the automated frequency coordination system-to-AFC device interface to maximise the 6 GHz spectrum opportunity and expand Wi-Fi 6E benefits Continue Reading
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29 Jan 2021
Telcos accelerate digital transformation but revenues remain store-based
Report reveals operators still rely mainly on physical channels to sell their products and services, but know the value that digital sales can create for them Continue Reading
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News
28 Jan 2021
More than one in six households struggling to afford broadband in UK
With UK lockdown persisting and education online until March at the earliest, research finds broadband customers in receipt of low-income benefits almost twice as likely to struggle to pay their bill than other customers Continue Reading
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28 Jan 2021
UK government reviews law on access to land for digital infrastructure
Reacting to reports that agreements have been slow to conclude, holding up the roll-out of better mobile and broadband connectivity, UK government consults on changes to the legal framework for agreements on access to land for digital infrastructure Continue Reading
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28 Jan 2021
Collaboration to the fore as ‘staggering’ change predicted for IT in 2021
With 2020 exposing the leaders versus the laggards in enterprise digital transformation, research shows companies intend to invest in SD-WAN and MPLS, UCaaS and CCaaS to stay competitive in 2021 Continue Reading
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27 Jan 2021
UK broadband customers count cost of quietly expired contracts
Almost three million UK high-speed broadband customers – a third of those whose deal ended in the past year – say they were not informed when their contract ended, as mandated by the UK comms regulator, costing around £90 per household Continue Reading
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26 Jan 2021
Barratt enlists UK network leaders to install full-fibre broadband across all new homes
At a time when the country has never been so dependent on fast and reliable home broadband, leading house builder has teamed with UK broadband leaders to ensure new builds are in the digital fast lane Continue Reading
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26 Jan 2021
Telia takes Ericsson 5G to transform industrial inspection as Project Reindeer runs
New partnership will benefit Swedish industry by performing livestream industrial inspections via drones, while more details are released on Ericsson’s EU-funded 6G initiative Continue Reading
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26 Jan 2021
Virgin to enter UK 5G fray but regulator delays 5G spectrum auction
UK operator marks ‘milestone’ moment in its history with 5G offer to add to gigabit broadband, but Ofcom puts on hold the process to gain mid-band frequencies Continue Reading
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22 Jan 2021
Vodafone unveils ‘instant’ Wi-Fi
Telco targets digital households and small businesses with new mobile router for use cases including support for video calling, streaming and online learning Continue Reading
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22 Jan 2021
BT connects Dutch diplomatic missions
New software-defined network services designed to enable secure collaboration and support digital transformation of network supporting Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs Continue Reading
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20 Jan 2021
Orange announces submarine cable linking US East Coast to France
Global telco claims significant reinforcement of connectivity and resilience on what it says is the most important submarine route in the world, with two next-generation transatlantic submarine cables Continue Reading
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20 Jan 2021
Hybrid working a reality but business leaders not yet giving up on the office
Research finds C-suite executives and business leaders will primarily split their workforces between on-site and remote work, with markedly small numbers looking to adopt exclusive on-site or remote working practices Continue Reading
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19 Jan 2021
AE Aerospace claims 5G landmark in transforming manufacturing productivity
Leading UK manufacturing business and partners trial 5G to pioneer productivity improvements and drive recovery in key sector hit hard by Covid Continue Reading
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18 Jan 2021
Hyperoptic offers free broadband packages for home schooling
Full-fibre broadband provider helps to address issues facing UK schoolchildren in digital poverty who lack a reliable Internet connection for home learning Continue Reading
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18 Jan 2021
Community Fibre to supply free 50Mbps broadband for vulnerable London households
Fibre altnet looks to address growing problem of the digital divide and ensure continuity of education in UK capital Continue Reading
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18 Jan 2021
Airband to supply full-fibre broadband across rural Cheshire
One of the UK’s largest UK rural connectivity providers wins £4.5m project to provide ultrafast full-fibre broadband to rural and hard-to-reach areas of Cheshire Continue Reading
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15 Jan 2021
Private LTE/5G market set to reach £4.2bn in 2024
Research firm predicts sales of private LTE/5G infrastructure to show 43% CAGR from 2019 to 2024, potentially worth an estimated $5.7bn (£4.2bn) Continue Reading
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15 Jan 2021
Google Cloud, Nokia accelerate readiness for cloud-native enterprise 5G solutions
Cloud platform provider and comms tech supplier announce plans to jointly develop cloud-native 5G core solutions for communications service providers and enterprise customers with cloud capabilities to the network edge to accelerate enterprise digital transformation Continue Reading
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15 Jan 2021
Hong Kong Airport Authority takes off with upgraded IP/MPLS network
Next-generation network to offer key regional hub migration of legacy applications to support increased passenger capacity, reliability and ease of expansion Continue Reading
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14 Jan 2021
Qualcomm announces Nuvia acquisition plan
Mobile chip giant makes strategic acquisition to augment technology roadmap to redefine compute performance for next-generation devices Continue Reading
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13 Jan 2021
BT eyes up next-gen services with digital unit
In what it says is an important statement of intent following a 2020 with a number of innovations, incumbent telco announces new division designed to deliver next-gen digital platforms and services Continue Reading
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12 Jan 2021
Community Fibre ups ante with fibre-based entertainment service
London-based fibre altnet uses growing gigabit network to offer first entertainment service based on full-fibre broadband Continue Reading
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08 Jan 2021
‘Litany’ of UK government failures in gigabit broadband roll-out
Second UK MPs’ report in matter of weeks slams government for dismal failure and lack of sufficient progress in meeting already scaled-back benchmark for gigabit-capable connectivity by 2025 Continue Reading
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08 Jan 2021
EXFO forms full-fibre testing initiative with Openreach
BT broadband provision division to deploy permanent full-fibre monitoring technology to assist in programme to deliver broadband across UK homes Continue Reading
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07 Jan 2021
Five million UK households paying £804m more than they should for broadband
Significant number of UK householders won’t switch broadband networks for fear of losing their connection or the perceived hassle of switching, but many are left paying too much, research shows Continue Reading
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07 Jan 2021
Vodafone announces free data schemes for small business
As research shows the strain on business from Covid, UK communications operator announces programme to offer free high-speed connectivity Continue Reading
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07 Jan 2021
Jeremy Darroch steps down as Sky Group chief executive
Exec who transformed former satellite TV provider into Europe’s largest multi-platform communications provider with mobile, telephony and FTTH steps down after 13 years Continue Reading
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07 Jan 2021
Iskratel top of the world with Potosí fibre-optic deployment
GPON broadband network deployed to meet the needs of thousands of residents in the highest city in the world Continue Reading
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05 Jan 2021
euNetworks rounds on The Loop Manchester
Bandwidth infrastructure company enhances footprint with unique routes, extra capacity and flexibility with dedicated high-speed fibre-optic network in northern powerhouse Continue Reading
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05 Jan 2021
Qualcomm expands 5G capabilities of Snapdragon 480 mobile devices
Enhanced mobile platform line claimed to be able to accelerate global 5G commercialisation and deliver ‘series-defying’ features to mass-volume smartphone segment Continue Reading
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04 Jan 2021
Openreach takes the strain as broadband usage more than doubles in 2020
In what it says is a year like no other, BT broadband provision division reveals added infrastructure pressures from “new normal” Continue Reading
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31 Dec 2020
Top 10 networking stories of 2020
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 networking stories of 2020 Continue Reading
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24 Dec 2020
Digital infrastructure flourishes in 2020
Study from co-operative trade association for next-generation broadband services notes increased industry investment and roll-out growth, marking a significant year for network infrastructure Continue Reading
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22 Dec 2020
UK parliamentary committee slams government broadband targets as unrealistic
Report highlights missed targets and overpromising in gigabit infrastructure roll-out and urges government and national regulator to take bolder, faster action to address the causes of costs and delays Continue Reading
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22 Dec 2020
Top 10 remote working stories of 2020
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 remote working stories of 2020 Continue Reading
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21 Dec 2020
Openreach announces massive job creation plan for gigabit network deployment
New green fleet for engineers as BT broadband provision aims to create 2,500 new roles in its own organisation and about 2,800 with partners to supporting full-fibre network build-out Continue Reading
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21 Dec 2020
Gigabit proliferates as UK’s fixed and mobile networks take the strain from Covid
The UK’s fixed and mobile networks take the strain of remote working and increased online entertainment uptake Continue Reading
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17 Dec 2020
CityFibre, PQMS expand network construction training partnership
Former altnet brings online two new training centres in Bury and Pulborough alongside existing site in Coventry Continue Reading
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17 Dec 2020
SSE strengthens Scotland’s digital infrastructure with next-generation connectivity
High-capacity 100Gbps connectivity services delivered into datacentre intended to future-proof Scotland’s businesses and public sector organisations Continue Reading
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17 Dec 2020
EY: Coordinated action vital to meet Gigabit Britain network deployment targets
With gigabit connectivity crucial to supporting the UK’s ‘levelling up’ agenda and plugging the digital divide, an EY study shows half of UK SMEs believe investment in gigabit connectivity is vital for the economic development of their region after Covid-19 Continue Reading
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16 Dec 2020
Networking infrastructure issues peg back firms adapting to Covid-19 new normal
Survey shows inadequate infrastructure is preventing businesses from meeting challenges around remote working and omni-channel customer demand and holding them back from embracing more innovative technologies Continue Reading
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16 Dec 2020
UK offering relatively poor value for broadband services
Low absolute pricing is among the region’s best, but lower average speeds compared with much of Europe makes the UK one of the continent’s laggards when it comes to broadband value for money Continue Reading
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14 Dec 2020
Standards alliance adds to membership as NEC opens new Open RAN lab
Japanese tech giant establishes Open RAN laboratory in India to complement centre of excellence in the UK, where Southampton University spin-off joins O-RAN Alliance Continue Reading
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10 Dec 2020
Deloitte: Cloud, intelligent edge and telemedicine set to accelerate in 2021
Global market for intelligent edge computing will expand to $12bn in 2021, with more than 400 million video visits to doctors worldwide across the year Continue Reading
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07 Dec 2020
Ericsson, TIM, Qualcomm, claim 5G FWA speed milestone
Although fixed wireless access has not yet gained as much publicity as other use cases for the next-generation infrastructure, its potential in connecting those in remote areas to 5G is vast and a consortium of technology vendors and leading Italian operators have established a new throughput benchmark Continue Reading
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07 Dec 2020
UK Space Agency awards £7m for space innovation projects
A range of ‘high risk, high reward’ projects have been awarded a total of £7m from the Space Agency’s National Space Innovation Programme, aiming to make the UK a world leader in space technology Continue Reading
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04 Dec 2020
FTTH Council Europe slams misleading advertising for fibre networks
Fibre broadband trade body study shows consumers are confused about marketing and performance of broadband-access technologies, recommending a ‘fibre-ready’ label should be introduced for new buildings and major renovations Continue Reading
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03 Dec 2020
Nova casts light on streaming network issues as energy demands soar
So-called industry-first solution brings new revenue opportunities, reduces churn and differentiates offer for video providers as they struggle to cope with energy surge in providing services Continue Reading
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03 Dec 2020
Openreach claims UK first as it moves from copper to full-fibre in Salisbury
Salisbury takes a step closer to becoming the UK’s first ‘fully digital’ city with full-fibre deployment Continue Reading
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03 Dec 2020
IT teams’ challenges ramp up in maintaining high-quality network video experience
Companies providing streaming services have seen huge growth in demand, which has meant providing an optimal user experience while managing surging user traffic Continue Reading
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02 Dec 2020
RingCentral notes unified communications gains with PCCW Global private network
Global infrastructure provider implements private network to enable unified collaboration and contact centre systems firm to augment and scale networks to accommodate rapid growth and spikes in demand Continue Reading
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02 Dec 2020
Three continues UK 5G roll-out
UK operator now offers 5G in 154 towns and cities serviced from over 800 sites across the UK and announces partnership with Ericsson that includes roll-out of 5G and improvements to 4G network Continue Reading