Networking and communication

New entrants, established players spur spike in UK gigabit broadband availability

UK comms regulator’s latest investigation of connectivity across the country finds that as of January 2023, gigabit broadband is now available to almost 22 million homes Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

‘Dramatic’ shift in global broadband usage trends

Quarterly survey from network improvement services provider unearths broadband first: usage-based consumption on par with flat-rate use Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

IBM aims to enable multicloud infrastructure control with Hybrid Cloud Mesh

IT giant intros application-centric connectivity solution designed to allow business operations in a hybrid cloud environments to gain the ability to provide secured, dynamic access to workloads and services while maintaining granular visibility and control Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Mass job cuts planned for BT by 2030

UK telco ends a year in which it said it was clear that customers love full-fibre, as it continues to build and connect ‘like fury’ and sets out plan to rationalise business to hit profit targets for end of decade Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Citymesh deploys Nokia turnkey 5G-connected drone platform for emergency services

Comms tech provider’s drone platform to offer secure 5G-connected drone services across Belgium, with remotely managed, real-time aerial data collection to allow emergency services to make informed responses Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

PTC stitches the digital thread for tomorrow’s Industry 4.0 digital transformation

With the software-as-a-service genie well and truly out of the bottle, leading engineering design and manufacturing company outlines roadmap for next generation of digital transformation providing a more agile and collaborative environment of creativity Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

wave number

A wave number, or wavenumber, refers to the spatial frequency of a wave over a specific unit distance. Continue Reading

By

• Robert Sheldon

Altnets claim vital role in bringing competition to UK digital transformation

Study by trade association for UK’s independent broadband suppliers shows further rapid progress in rolling out full-fibre networks, prompting calls to UK comms regulator to change national service pricing structures Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Connexin makes key step in fulfilling full-fibre build plan for 2023

IoT and digital Infrastructure specialist reveals onboarding of Tier 1 contractors to accelerate increasing full-fibre network expansion Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Vodafone to axe 11,000 jobs in Europe after ‘not good enough’ financial year

Axe set to swing on Vodafone staff after fiscal year 2023 shows performance slowdown, with turnaround strategy to be based on customers, simplicity and growth Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF)

The Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF) is an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) network management protocol that provides a secure mechanism for installing, manipulating and deleting the configuration data on a network device such as a firewall, router or switch. Continue Reading

By

• Robert Sheldon

geo-blocking

Geo-blocking is blocking something based on its location. Continue Reading

By

• John Burke, Nemertes Research

Executive interview: DNS designer David Holtzman discusses net security

How is it possible for criminals to lure people onto fake websites? Holtzman says it’s because DNS is fundamentally insecure Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

12 common network protocols and their functions explained

Networking makes the internet work, but neither can succeed without protocols. Common network protocols and their functions are key for communication and connection across the internet. Continue Reading

By

• Michaela Goss, Senior Site Editor

Why we need a secure side door for encrypted apps, not a back door  

Splitting a decryption key into multiple fragments held by 'guardians', including privacy rights group, may be an answer to policing encrypted messages Continue Reading

By

• Andersen Cheng

Virgin Media O2’s Shared Rural Network roll-out reaches 50th site

As part of its commitment to the £1bn programme designed to bring significant improvement to UK mobile coverage in non-metro areas, leading UK operator rolls out reliable 4G coverage across 50 rural sites in area covering almost 2,200km2 Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

APAC digital leaders score wins in innovation awards

The region’s top industry innovators were recognised for their digital transformation efforts at the Computer Weekly Innovation Awards APAC 2023 Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

CW Innovation Awards: Transdev Sydney Ferries taps 5G to improve public safety

Moving to a 5G network has significantly improved video quality and reduced the time needed to scour hours of footage, enabling the ferry operator to quickly investigate customer cases Continue Reading

CW Innovation Awards: SensorFlow reaps returns with re-architecture

Smart building management specialist SensorFlow re-architected its entire platform to reduce cost, complexity and implement a real-time business intelligence dashboard for its customers Continue Reading

By

• Edwin Yapp

RS-232C

RS-232C is one of the earlier versions of the long-established standard RS-232, which defines a physical interface for relatively low-speed serial data communication between computers and related devices. Continue Reading

By

• Robert Sheldon

frequency band

In telecommunications, a frequency band -- sometimes called a band -- refers to a specific range of frequencies in the electromagnetic frequency spectrum assigned to certain applications. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati
• Alexander S. Gillis, Technical Writer and Editor

ServiceNow looks to transform retail IoT and beyond with G2K acquisition

Digital workflow company to add AI-based smart IoT technology provider to its portfolio to enable businesses to use digital and in-store data with enterprise-grade business processes Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Intelsat expands Hispasat partnership to boost in-flight connectivity

Global provider of broadband connectivity products and services for aviation inks deal with LATAM and European satellite operator Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

DE-CIX teams with Connected Nation, Newby Ventures to close digital divide in US

Strategic partnership with non-profit organisations designed to enable operator of internet exchanges in smaller cities and rural areas to significantly improve regional online performance Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Consumers, operators and governments drive Fixed Wireless Access market

Analyst predicts rosy future ahead for Fixed Wireless Access as 5G flourishes on a global basis, becoming a major source of revenue for operators globally over the next seven years Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

operational support system (OSS)

An operational support system (OSS) is a set of programs that helps a communications service provider monitor, control, analyze and manage a telephone or computer network. Continue Reading

By

• Paul Kirvan

Cisco accelerates observability strategy with customer digital experience monitoring

Bi-directional integration between network giant’s AppDynamics solution and network intelligence provider aims to close network observability gaps with rapid actionable recommendations and insights Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Python interpreter vs. IDE: What network engineers should know

When using Python for network automation, network engineers often work with interpreters and integrated development environment tools to test modules and debug code. Continue Reading

By

• Verlaine Muhungu

IT leaders missing vital connection between enterprise network and employee experience

Survey reveals that despite the rise of hybrid and remote working, and as digitisation demands increase, companies are struggling to connect their employees to the enterprise network Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

BT unveils secure networking service for UK business customers

UK’s leading telco teams with US cyber security company to launch secure software-defined networking service for business customers available on a managed services basis Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Solid Q2 sees Amdocs make acquisition, drive international partnerships

Communications software and services provider announces record second quarter revenues with high rate of successful project deployment Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Microsoft, Singtel debut Azure public MEC in Singapore

Azure public multi-access edge compute service will let enterprises deploy low-latency workloads and leverage public cloud services in edge locations Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Investigatory Powers Tribunal finds NCA EncroChat hacking warrants were lawful

Investigatory Powers Tribunal refers questions over whether messages obtained from the EncroChat encrypted phone network are legally admissible back to the criminal court Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Webex and Google drive improved collaboration capabilities

Collaboration arm of networking giant reveals enhanced relationship with IT behemoth centred on creating faster synergy offering seamless way to connect through meetings and messaging and to improve automotive meeting experiences Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

ThinkWiFi launches first Kenyan commercial outdoor deployment of TIP OpenWiFi

Kenya’s largest ISP dedicated exclusively to rural and peri-urban markets teams with free, uncapped internet operator to provide disaggregated, open-source Wi-Fi network funded through digital advertising monetisation model Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Aqua Comms unveils 400GE transatlantic service for Energy Sciences Network

Anticipating a flood of data beneath the waves, Dublin-based subsea connectivity provider provides London to New York infrastructure for high-performance network built to support scientific research Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

CW EMEA: The future of work

In this month’s CW EMEA, we look at the future of work in Europe after the pandemic forced a change in entrenched human behaviour. For years, people talked about flexible working being the way forward, but scepticism within the management of large companies held it back. This all changed when Covid-19 began to spread out of control and governments and businesses quickly told people to work from home where possible. We also look at the increasing problem of IT failures in Dutch hospitals and how they are affecting patient care, highlighting the need to improve IT security in hospitals. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Telia taps Ericsson to switch on private 5G network

Ericsson and Telia launch the Baltic region’s first enterprise 5G private network in Estonia to enable smart factory transformation Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

UK full-fibre furthers pace of roll-out in first quarter of 2023

Quarterly assessment of UK fixed broadband industry shows full-fibre rolls across UK at a fast clip over the first three months of 2023, but local authorities in remote and rural areas still lack access to gigabit Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

MPLS and SD-WAN fail to meet needs of modern enterprise

Study from network architect argues modern uses cases have broken the network edge, with both traditional topology and much-touted software-defined replacement not cutting it Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Qualcomm hits accelerator on connected vehicles with Autotalks acquisition plan

Adding mileage to its strategy to go up a gear with its automotive offers, mobile platform provider announces intention to buy specialist vehicle-to-everything fabless semiconductor company Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

IT Priorities 2023: security dominates IoT investment plans 

With increased devices and sensors collecting data, there is more rich information for businesses to use as analysis and in training – but security still tops wallet share, says report Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Reliable connectivity key to smooth business running for UK SMEs

Study from Sky Business shows that in today’s uncertain economic climate, UK SMEs are under pressure to cut costs while maintaining quality services, with the impact of energy prices cited as a major concern Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

IT Priorities 2023: Collaboration technologies to benefit from future of work investment drive

Research finds that as businesses settle into hybrid work, UCaaS and other collaboration technologies are regarded by IT professionals as crucial tool for driving employee productivity and workflow optimisation Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Chat control: EU lawyers warn plans to scan encrypted messages for child abuse may be unlawful

Leaked legal advice warns that European ‘chat control’ proposals to require tech companies to scan private and encrypted messages for child abuse are likely to breach EU law Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

7 factors to consider in network redundancy design

Network pros should consider multiple factors when adding redundancy to network design, including network equipment, protocols, backup, processing and subnet connections. Continue Reading

By

• David Jacobs, The Jacobs Group

IT Priorities 2023: Distributed IT and hybrid work drive adoption of new networks

Research shows security continues to dominate networking needs, along with the need to support users wherever they are, with firms more than ready to invest in future of work initiatives Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

serial communications interface (SCI)

A serial communications interface (SCI) is a device that enables the serial exchange of data -- that is, one bit at a time -- between a microprocessor and peripherals, such as printers, external drives, scanners and mice. Continue Reading

By

• Paul Kirvan

Welsh Water turns on CPaaS tap for enhanced customer experiences

Not-for-profit water company deploys CPaaS-based video comms services to optimise operations, budget control and solve customer issues more quickly Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Sateliot joins GSMA, inks standard roaming agreements

Global trade association for mobile comms industry welcomes provider of satellite-based 5G IoT services as an operator member, signing contracts for standard roaming with more than 100 operators Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

differentiated services (DiffServ or DS)

Differentiated services, often shortened to DiffServ or DS, is a class of service (CoS) model to specify and control IP network traffic by class. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati

Vodafone enables ITN Coronation TV coverage with 5G network slice

Coronation broadcast first in UK to be enabled by a public 5G standalone network, with leading news provider using mobile network for swift and secure transfer of coverage from remote sites to newsroom Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Maritime bandwidth capacity demand set to increase 20-fold by 2032

Research finds maritime connectivity market showing high-bandwidth prices adhered to expected downward trends as non-geostationary orbit constellations take to the sea to meet rising demand for satellite bandwidth Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Wi-Fi, existing network functions critical to successful private enterprise 5G

Research paper highlights the needs and use cases for Wi-Fi 6 and private 5G as a fundamental part of converged, access-agnostic connectivity portfolios rather than using parallel infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

European space and comms firms eye up IRIS² constellation opportunity

After signing off on its Galileo and Copernicus constellations, EC tenders for supply of new secure and resilient connectivity infrastructure for European governments, businesses and citizens Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

UK full-fibre boost as Openreach expands, Gigaclear claims rural altnet leadership

Operators at both ends of the corporate scale make notable advances in their respective roll-outs of gigabit connectivity in the UK Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Scottish residents and businesses in £75m 4G investment boost

First UK government-funded phone mast upgrade activated in Scottish borders to give major 4G mobile coverage boost to community Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Nokia claims first CE-certified 5G automated drone-in-a-box service

Comms tech giant declares first-mover status with CE-certified turnkey drone-in-a-box offering, designed to meet the needs of public safety agencies, smart cities, construction, energy and defence organisations Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

SES, Viasat hail successful satellite launches

European operator’s second-generation medium earth orbit system said to be just one launch away from providing global connectivity services backed by service level agreements Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

The creeping threat and challenges of multivendor SD-WAN

Geographic considerations are often a key reason why organizations adopt multivendor SD-WAN. But these network environments have significant disadvantages. Continue Reading

By

• Shamus McGillicuddy, Enterprise Management Associates

fax

A fax -- short for 'facsimile' and sometimes called 'telecopying' -- is the telephonic transmission of scanned-in printed material, including text or images. Continue Reading

By

• Paul Kirvan

Clos network

A Clos network is a type of nonblocking, multistage switching network used today in large-scale data center switching fabrics. Continue Reading

By

• Robert Sheldon
• Jessica Scarpati
• Tom Nolle, Andover Intel

6 steps for rapid geographic network segmentation

When segmenting network operations in certain parts of the world, modular network design and geographic domain definition are two vital elements to consider. Continue Reading

By

• Johna Till Johnson, Nemertes Research

Microsoft fails to get CMA thumbs-up on Activision deal

The UK Competition and Markets Authority has decided that Microsoft‘s proposed $68.7bn acquisition of Activision would damage the cloud gaming market Continue Reading

M1 doubles down on maritime 5G

Seafarers will be able to access telemedicine services while out at sea, among other maritime 5G applications M1 is rolling out in Singapore’s waters Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

The benefits of digital twin networks

Digital twin networks use historical and real-time data to simulate a network. That data results in benefits around network visibility, training, security and compliance. Continue Reading

By

• Jennifer English, Executive Editor

Data a driving force at Aston Martin Formula One

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we speak to Aston Martin Formula One’s Clare Lansley to find out how digital transformation helps the team to move further up the F1 grid. We explore how automation and AI is helping businesses tackle rising costs and also look into the maturity of Industry 4.0 initiatives. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

collision in networking

In a half-duplex Ethernet network, a collision is the result of two devices on the same Ethernet network attempting to transmit data at the same time. Continue Reading

By

• Paul Kirvan

Most IT staff uncomfortable deploying surveillance tech at work

The IT teams responsible for deploying and running digital surveillance in workplaces say they are uncomfortable with “extremely common” practice of spying on colleagues, research finds Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Emergency alert test review confirmed after ‘small number’ of mobile users excluded

In wake of emergency alert test on 23 April, government confirms review into why some 4G and 5G mobile phones were excluded Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Amazon Web Services selects 14 startups for space accelerator

The cohort of startups will use AWS and its resources to accelerate the research and development of their technologies and boost their growth Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

baseband

Baseband in the transmission of communications signals means only one path is available to send and receive digital signals between devices. Continue Reading

By

• Paul Kirvan

CyberUK 23: New advice on smart city security issued

The NCSC and key allies have drawn up new guidance to help communities balance the cyber security risks involved with creating smart cities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK Emergency Alert Test sparks cyber fraud warning

Fraudsters and scammers are likely to use the upcoming test of the UK's new mobile Emergency Alert system as bait in their attacks, while misinformation and conspiracy theories spread Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

3CX incident may be world’s first double supply chain attack

It’s supply chain attacks all the way down as Mandiant publishes information suggesting that the 3CX software supply chain compromise was initiated via a prior software supply chain compromise Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

broadband

Broadband refers to telecommunications in which a wide band of frequencies is available to transmit information. Continue Reading

By

• Paul Kirvan

Huawei: rethinking approaches to networks and computing is critical

Comms tech giant Huawei kicks off 20th Global Analyst Summit affirming commitment to connectivity, computing, storage and cloud and how strategic objectives of industry should drive digital transformation Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

EE claims ‘monster’ 4G connectivity for further 1,500 UK rural communities

BT-owned mobile operator claims milestone under government’s Shared Rural Network programme and announces expansion of 4G network to 1,500 rural communities across UK Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Halfords tools up for consistent experiences with AI-driven wired and wireless access

Motoring and cycling retailer reduces network-related trouble tickets and improves uptime in garages and stores after deploying artificial intelligence-driven network access Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Volvo gets into gear with Qualcomm to drive connectivity for EX90 Excellence

Mobile chip and platform provider’s Snapdragon Digital Chassis deployed by car giant to enable highly connected driving experiences in EX90 and EX90 Excellence vehicles Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

In WAN evolution, is software-defined now implied?

Networking trends and innovations, such as automation and network as a service, have started to ingrain software-defined principles into WAN environments. Continue Reading

By

• John Burke, Nemertes Research

Orange joins forces with industry, academia to build French quantum comms

Leading telco joins industry leaders, start-ups and academic players announce the official launch of a programme in charge of deploying Quantum secure communications networks in France. Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

traceroute

Traceroute is a command-line utility that returns information about the communication route between two nodes on an Internet Protocol (IP) network. Continue Reading

By

• Robert Sheldon

Cisco urges users to keep its network hardware up-to-date

In the wake of a campaign of threat activity targeting a six-year-old Cisco router vulnerability, the networking giant has warned users to be on high alert and update their hardware Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

2022 becomes ‘graduation year’ as 5G reaches global tipping point

Seventh annual 5G progress report from provider of network test, monitoring and assurance solutions finds 47 of world’s 70 largest economies now have active 5G networks, with diverse and widespread interest in mmWave across the globe Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Manchester encoding

In data transmission, Manchester encoding is a form of digital encoding in which a data bit's state -- 0 or 1 -- is represented by the transition from one voltage level to another. Continue Reading

By

• Robert Sheldon

Enterprise networking sees age of SASE and network as a service

Report reveals complexity of third workspace has transformed how modern IT organisations view network and security, with 98% of IT executives planning to increase investment in cloud services Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Tech companies and NGOs urge rewrite of Online Safety Bill to protect encrypted comms

The Online Safety Bill faces amendments in the House of Lords amid concerns that it could weaken the security of end-to-end encrypted communications for UK citizens Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Qualcomm unveils solutions to enable new industrial applications, scale IoT ecosystem

Chip giant’s latest IoT solutions designed to deliver superior performance, advanced connectivity and next-gen processing for a wide range of use cases for smart buildings, enterprises, retail and industrial automation Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Industry 4.0 usage matures across industrial campuses

Nokia and ABI Research announce results of study highlighting the progress and plans for enterprise infrastructure investments in several key sectors made over the past year Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Tech spending in India to grow by 9.6% in 2023

Digital initiatives in the public sector along with investments in telecoms and other areas are expected to spur technology spending in India this year Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

SD-WAN and MPLS costs more complementary than clashing

An SD-WAN vs. MPLS cost comparison is not always an either-or decision. Organizations often implement both technologies to enhance network traffic performance. Continue Reading

By

• John Burke, Nemertes Research

RWTH Aachen looks for educational edge with private 5G

Global IT infrastructure and services company announces a live private 5G installation for a leading university in Germany to support and develop research, innovation and education Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Zoom looks to bolster employee experience with Workvivo acquisition

Latest part of continued expansion of communication and engagement platform sees acquisition of employee experience company to offer hybrid workers new ways to stay connected Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Cellcom, Parallel Wireless pilot independent 5G network in Israel

Leading Israeli cellular provider and Open RAN software platform launch what they claim is a unique, first-of-its-kind experiment to deploy a standalone fifth-generation network for autonomous 5G applications Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Government launches Smart Data Council to lower utility bills

The council aims to find ways to use and encourage uptake of smart data to make it easier to switch utility providers and save money Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Valoo taps Nokia to offer multi-gig fibre broadband in Finland

As part of its mission to make Finland an information society that meets international standards, digital service provider becomes global tech firm’s first comprehensive XGS-PON solution in home territory Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Zayo expands connectivity with fastest direct network from Manchester to New York City

Future-ready network and tailored edge services provider adds to 16 fibre and route miles, marking additional transatlantic cable connection Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

San Francisco Giants hits home run for Extreme Networks with Wi-Fi 6E first

Technology implementation at the home of renowned baseball team set to improve fan experience and create operational efficiencies Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Ciena makes Wave with purpose-built router for converged metro

Networking systems provider announces debut of what it calls industry-first platform architecture optimally designed for converged metro network Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly