Networking and communication

EE network sees fivefold leap in Zoom users, 45% increase in voice calls, apps since lockdown

Research from mobile operator highlights changing habits of UK citizens during lockdown, with video conferencing seeing massive leap Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Huawei hits out at fresh UK network probe

UK cyber security agency confirms it will conduct a new investigation into the security-worthiness of Huawei’s 5G technology Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Ericsson enables commercial 5G network for Telia in Stockholm

Swedish operator lays the foundations for the next phase of digital transformation with 5G network designed to open up new user experiences and accelerated innovation in areas such as entertainment, healthcare, manufacturing and transport Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Nokia joins the Open RAN Policy Coalition

Finish comms tech provider reinforces its commitment to the development of future secure mobile radio technologies for 5G by joining open and software-defined network technology consortium Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Lack of clarity around 5G fuels misconceptions about next-generation networks

Revolutionary potential of next-generation 5G network is huge, but research suggests key messages are not hitting home with businesses or consumers Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Thailand gears up for 5G

Thai government forms 26-member committee to develop a roadmap for 5G adoption and address roadblocks related to the recall of unused spectrum from state agencies Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Small firms seize digital lifeline to get back to business

Research shows Covid-19 crisis has kick-started a small business digital revolution to power recovery, with over a quarter of firms responding to running their businesses remotely with videoconferencing Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Rancho Water turns tap on Extreme connectivity for critical water delivery

US public utility uses secure and resilient wired and wireless network systems to power 45,000 service connections across 100,000 acres Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Global consortium launches ‘transformative’ subsea cable for African connectivity

2Africa, one of the world’s largest subsea projects, will connect 23 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Europe Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Hancock to Harman: No contact-tracing privacy law

Health secretary claims existing data protection law is good enough to guarantee the security of contact-tracing data Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK workers struggle to unplug from ‘new normal’ at home

As the country enters month three of enforced working from home, research reveals that as personal devices and app overload blurs home-work life, concerns arise over productivity and the mental state of the workforce Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

CW Nordics: Startups face tough decisions as coronavirus hits

Tech startups based in the Nordic region face difficult decisions as the Covid-19 pandemic leads to falling sales and investment. Also read why Swedbank is rebuilding its anti-money laundering systems, and how Nordic fintechs are developing apps to prevent more adults getting into financial difficulty. Continue Reading

Openreach taps Nokia to extend full-fibre network capacity

Deal covers essential equipment to extend Gigabit fibre access network across UK Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Coronavirus: How MyIX is keeping Malaysians connected

Malaysia’s MyIX internet exchange has been classed as critical national infrastructure, with member telcos adding more capacity to meet the surge in demand for internet services Continue Reading

By

• Avanti Kumar

UK contact-tracing app set to miss official launch date as Google, Apple release API

Government ministers aim to shore up contact-tracing strategy after junior minister concedes much-publicised app set miss-stated start date and Silicon Valley giants officially launch API for apps that follow different route than NHS Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Coronavirus: Dutch work on XR technology shows promise in pandemic scenario

Netherlands leads the way in the development of extended reality technology, which could prove its value in a crisis such as Covid-19 Continue Reading

Nokia, KDDI trial fully virtualised 5G cloud RAN

Finnish comms tech supplier Nokia adds to portfolio of customers trailing its cloud RAN solutions in deal with leading Japanese operator KDDI, including Nokia AirScale Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Microsoft Build 2020: Nadella praises developers for their work during pandemic

IT has played a key role in supporting people and businesses during the coronavirus lockdown Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

NCSC discloses multiple vulnerabilities in contact-tracing app

National Cyber Security Centre has received mountains of feedback on the security of the government’s Covid-19 contact-tracing app, and has now taken the step of making multiple disclosures Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nearly two-thirds of US small businesses to continue with remote working post-pandemic

Survey reveals small businesses are having a big rethink on remote working as a fundamental business practice when the coronavirus pandemic has passed Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Coronavirus: How CIOs can prepare for business recovery

Economic recovery will require business to work differently. CIOs may be asked to automate more and support high levels of remote working Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Ericsson extends 5G reach with China Telecom, China Unicom

Leading Chinese operators tap Swedish comms tech giant for 5G core portfolio systems, including cloud packet, NFVI, dynamic orchestration and spectrum sharing Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Doubts mount over effectiveness of UK contact-tracing app

Studies from BCS and Anomali reveal that a significant proportion of the UK population is not prepared to download the Covid-19 contact-tracing app Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Multiple network outages costing enterprise businesses millions of pounds a year

More than half of IT decision-makers and network managers globally say they have had four or more network outages lasting more than 30 minutes, costing between £250,000 and £5m in downtime Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

European network traffic volumes stabilising

The updated summary report from body of European regulators for electronic communications on how network operators can cope with increased demand for network capacity finds that, by mid-May 2020, all is well Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Huawei: US using technological strengths to ‘crush’ companies outside its own borders

Chinese tech giant hits back at White House decision to extend technology ban and says it will ultimately be self-harming Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

How to build a network monitoring business case

As network teams construct a business case for a new network monitoring tool, they should include a cost comparison of alternative tools and a strong defense for the selected tool. Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Froehlich, West Gate Networks

Unified communications: The key to prospering in the new working reality of Covid-19

Covid-19 lockdowns are causing a collective rethink in the way companies operate, with unified communications transformed from a nice-to-have to a business essential as remote working becomes the new normal. Continue Reading

2B or not 2C? That is the question for 5G

A flurry of 5G network launches in all major markets in Asia, North America and Europe, focused on consumer applications and services. This looks set to change in 2020 as the operators get down to business Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Worldwide comms services industry projected to take limited hit from Covid-19

Coronavirus pandemic has changed some trends in the global telecom services market, but operators have adapted quickly and temporarily pushed aside some earlier priorities, says IDC Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

BT reported to be in talks to sell off Openreach to fund full-fibre roll-out

Report suggests Openreach sale could raise £20bn as BT announces £12bn build programme to extend FTTP network Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Covid-19: NHS reveals comms network strain as virus spread

Patients hit the web and phone lines for coronavirus assessments, with demand peaking as lockdown was announced, says health service Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Rolls-Royce uses digital twins in Power Systems Customer 4.0 strategy

The Power Systems unit has begun using technology from Iotics to collect data points for engines in the field and build digital simulation models Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

CW APAC: Trend Watch – business response to coronavirus

With countries the world over reeling from the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, which has meant sweeping changes both economically and socially, Computer Weekly looks at how firms in the Asia-Pacific region have adapted to what has so quickly become the new normal. Continue Reading

US maintains ban on Chinese tech firms as Huawei, ZTE make 5G leaps

White House extends executive order that effectively bans US companies from using comms equipment made by firms posing a national security risk, while Huawei and ZTE reveal new 5G advances Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Vodafone aids Covid-19 fight with added capacity for NHS Scotland, and introduces IoT thermal camera

Comms tech to the fore in assisting key workers at temporary coronavirus facility in Glasgow, while heat detection camera combining thermal imaging and IoT capability will help facilitate people’s return to work Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

UK’s contact-tracing app targeted by scammers

Even though it is only operational on the Isle of Wight as a beta test, the UK government’s coronavirus contact-tracing app has already attracted the attention of cyber criminals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Having it all: Customer contact trends for the 2020s

This is a guest post by Nicola Millard, principal innovation partner, BT The future isn’t at all what we expected. Ten years ago, we might easily have imagined the contact centre of 2020 as an ... Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

SK Telecom brings quantum security to the masses

The South Korean telco is readying the world’s first 5G smartphone equipped with a quantum random number generator chipset Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Telcos’ enterprise ambitions at risk from private network operators, private spectrum

Research finds a rising number of spectrum initiatives underpinning strong momentum for private cellular networks within enterprises Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Comms tech firms eye partnership opportunities with provider community

In latest example of growing trend, Virgin Media Business signs strategic partnership with integrated cloud communications platform to extend voice and unified communications portfolio Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

European comms bodies set up standards group, call for vigilance on contact-tracing apps

New ETSI group will develop standardisation framework for secure smartphone-based proximity tracing systems, helping to break Covid-19 transmission chains Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Coronavirus: APAC organisations find scalability with cloud

Australia’s NSW Health and Indonesia’s HaloDoc are among a growing crop of Asia-Pacific organisations that are relying on cloud scalability to extend digital services to more users and customers Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Draft Covid-19 contact tracing legislation proposes formal oversight

Human Rights Committee chair Harriet Harman has outlined a proposed bill to guarantee the security and privacy of data generated by the UK’s Covid-19 contact tracing app Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

MPs take part in first live test of remote voting during Covid-19 debate

MPs will use phones and computers to vote from their homes in a House of Commons debate today in the biggest change in parliamentary procedure for 150 years Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Vodafone shrugs Virgin move as it posts steady financial year

UK operator claims to have defied the odds and bucked the market in last financial year but warns of impact of Covid-19 on business Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Details released of second UK contact-tracing app development

Contractual documents show Zuhlke Engineering receiving an official start date of 6 May to supply a managed delivery team to support and run proximity mobile application and services for the UK Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

What are the 5 different types of network management?

Security policies, optimal service levels, configuration changes and even cost control measures all encompass the different types of network management. Continue Reading

By

• Amy Larsen DeCarlo, GlobalData

Ericsson bullish on 5G despite Covid-19

Comms tech company’s chief highlights the importance of connectivity during times of crisis and unprecedented surge in network traffic Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Contact-tracing app hits teething troubles as minister confirms changes could be made

UK contact-tracing saga continues as UK government releases details of impact assessment on the app and admits that adaptations and even total change in form are not off the table Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Coronavirus: SMEs in the UAE forced to digitally transform

The UAE, like the rest of the world, continues to be heavily impacted by the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, and technology is helping to lead the fight Continue Reading

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• Alicia Buller

Who will fund Full-fibre roll out after Covid?

The time has come for Ofcom to regulate on price, quality of service (including the resilience required of a critical infrastructure utility) and behaviour and stop trying to predict costs and ... Continue Reading

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

UK said to be on verge of major technology shift for Covid-19 contact-tracing app

Technology community awash with reports of potential sea change in much-publicised and much-criticised app away from controversial centralised database Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Zoom buys secure messaging service Keybase

Unified comms platform Zoom says the acquisition of Keybase will finally let it bring end-to-end encryption to the table Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

BT claims positives amid challenging fiscal year

BT reports tough 2019/20, leading to major restructuring plan to go forward to meet major fibre-to-the-premises targets Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Contact-tracing app fails to protect privacy and human rights

Reassurances over the security and human rights implications of NHSX’s approach to developing its Covid-19 contact-tracing app are insufficient, says the cross-bench Human Rights Committee Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

FBI search warrants reveal Trump aide’s messages to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

FBI search warrants reveal Trump campaigner Roger Stone sent private messages to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after the site published thousands of documents that damaged Hillary Clinton’s election campaign Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Next round of Zoom updates targets consumer security

Casual consumer users of Zoom will get additional protections in an update to be released over the long weekend Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK comms market set for shake-up as O2 and Virgin Media confirm merger

Coming-together of leading fixed-mobile provider and cable network provider will create genuine competition to BT/EE Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Brits expected to call time on office life after lockdown

O2 Business study reveals currently displaced workers see a permanent change to their company’s approach to flexible working Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Industry 4.0 transformation reaches communications inflection point

Survey finds huge potential for investment in advance 4G and 5G technology among industrial organisations Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

UK comms experts continue to question contact-tracing app

Academics and comms industry experts challenge UK government scientists on their defence of NHS contact-tracing app, in particular the issue of centralised data gathering Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Telcos lose out in early enterprise 5G business

Research reveals that industries and enterprises are ready to reap the benefits of 5G, but warns that service providers need to learn how to satisfy this demand Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Singapore to test 5G in Industry 4.0 trial

Trial, spearheaded by IMDA, IBM, Samsung and M1, will test the use of 5G, along with AI and IoT technologies, in manufacturing Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How sharp is your hyper-converged edge computing acumen?

It isn't uncommon for hyper-convergence and the edge to intersect nowadays. How much do you know about why hyper-converged deployment at the network periphery is growing? Continue Reading

By

• James Alan Miller, Senior Executive Editor

T-Mobile US claims ‘significant’ 5G standalone architecture firsts

US operator partners with comms technology leaders to achieve world’s first milestones for standalone architecture 5G Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Contact tracing: The privacy vs protection debate

The Covid-19 pandemic has necessitated extreme measures not seen in peacetime for over 100 years. Contact-tracing apps are being developed as a tool for managing the pandemic, but are they a step too far? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Homeworking - the new norm - is there any other option...

In the last blog, I touched on the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; the obvious fallout here is the massive increase in home/remote working, something I’ve been practicing since 1989 – ... Continue Reading

By

• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

SD-WAN; One Way To Partly Consolidate The Complex Puzzle That Is Contemporary IT

I was recently sent an article by my PR mate Hannah from one of their clients, Versa – a company I’ve met up with and they talk a lot of common sense, far more than their er, so-called president… ... Continue Reading

By

• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

UK contact-tracing app developers hit back at effectiveness and privacy doubts

Pre-eminent scientists continue to defend NHS contact-tracing app from criticism of its effectiveness and the use of centralised data gathering Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Building security and privacy into contact-tracing apps

Governance and data decentralisation are among measures that organisations can take to allay security and privacy concerns over contact-tracing apps, according to RSA Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

SK Telecom, Deutsche Telekom form joint venture to combat coronavirus

Telecoms giants extend working relationship to expand global 5G ecosystem by accelerating 5G deployment in Europe and exchange their respective technological expertise once the situation with Covid-19 improves Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

No silver bullets and ‘bumps in the road’ likely but UK contact-tracing app development gathers pace

UK scientific experts address doubts on contact-tracing app’s effectiveness, particular regarding data privacy, but admit that its nature may have to evolve as the roll-out scales up Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

The true cost of network downtime for your business

Network brownouts could be the biggest under-the-radar threat to your network. Calculate the potential costs of downtime to save your organization's productivity and money. Continue Reading

By

• Michaela Goss, Senior Site Editor

UK transport research body calls for safer in-vehicle technologies

Voice-controlled systems are the future of autonomous, according to TRL, whose recommendations follow a report into Apple CarPlay and Android Auto demanding improved standards in voice-activated infotainment systems Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Research institutes warn of necessity for UK contact-tracing app to link to testing

BCS and Cass Business School call for proposed UK contact-tracing app not to be launched without alignment to testing and warns that without this link, NHS will not be able to “big data” its way out of “no data” situation Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

5G on the ropes as Covid-19 set to land $51bn blow on global mobile services industry

Research predicts mobile revenue will drop 4.1% worldwide because of pandemic, with European operators taking a particular heavy hit Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Why you should think before you Zoom

Feel free to use Zoom during the coronavirus lockdown, but think before you discuss anything confidential Continue Reading

By

• Dai Davis, Percy Crow Davis & Co

Global contact-tracing apps take divergent routes to beat Covid-19

Telecoms will play a key role in controlling the coronavirus through contact-tracing apps that can mitigate its spread. But that will only be the case if population masses actually use the apps – and that’s not guaranteed for a variety of reasons Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Pre-owned device values stay strong amidst coronavirus pandemic

More than half a billion dollars returned to US consumers in Q1 2020 as used and new mobile device markets stabilise after Covid-19 disruption Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Unified communications: The key to prospering in the new working reality of Covid-19

Covid-19 lockdowns are causing a collective rethink in the way companies operate, with unified communications transformed from a nice-to-have to a business essential as remote working becomes the new normal Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Benefits of branching out into SD-WAN

 Continue Reading

Stark digital divide in US internet speed amid Covid-19 crisis

Over a fifth of connections in lower income brackets in the US do not have ‘acceptable’ internet performance for work and school during the coronavirus lockdown, but ISPs’ expansion of available bandwidth for these communities noticeably improves online speed Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Moogsoft widens AIOps to build the ‘virtual NOC’

Artificial Intelligence IT Operations (AIOps) company Moogsoft has come forward with version 8.0 of its Moogsoft Enterprise product. This is software designed to serve IT Ops and DevOps teams as ... Continue Reading

By

• Adrian Bridgwater

Coronavirus: Young employees struggle with remote working

Communications tools identified as key pain point and hindering productivity for young UK workers Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Infovista claims SD-WAN implementation game changer with transparent hybrid technology

Application-aware SD-WAN technology provider introduces additional capabilities to ‘dramatically’ simplify migration and hasten transition to software-defined networking Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

IMDA to issue 5G spectrum to Singtel and StarHub-M1 venture

Singapore’s telco regulator will award 5G spectrum to major operators whose proposals have exceeded its requirements in some cases Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

IT Priorities 2020: SD-WAN soars as collaboration and communications no longer on back burner

At the start of the year, networking professionals looked likely to invest in monitoring, converged architectures and WAN technologies, while unified communications was in decline and collaboration of minimal interest Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Nokia closes capacity and customer experience tech deal with Bharti Airtel

Third-largest telco in the world’s second-largest telecoms market takes up Nokia Single Radio Access Network to enhance capacity and improve 5G readiness Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Zoom chooses Oracle IaaS as core cloud infrastructure provider

Zoom has chosen Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to deliver its online video meetings service as usage has spiked due to the Covid-19 coronavirus public health crisis Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Ericsson scores further 5G RAN win with True Corporation Thailand

Thai comms operator engages the Swedish technology provider to enable smooth, fast and cost-effective 5G network evolution in three regions Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Under the spotlight, video apps rush to strengthen security

Most popular videoconferencing applications now meet Mozilla’s minimum security standards, with fierce competition and public pressure driving rapid improvement Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Adtran initiates software-defined access network project, advances the smart home experience

Partnerships with Orange and Plume will evaluate and test SDN-based programming for next-gen fibre access networks, and boost customer experience management of Wi-Fi-enabled services Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

APAC edge computing market set to grow

China and Japan will account for the lion’s share of Asia-Pacific’s edge computing market as more organisations in the region look to streamline processes and improve productivity Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

ISPs rely on capacity for COVID-19 internet traffic spikes

As COVID-19 causes surges in internet traffic, internet and network providers have responded by increasing capacity and installing more fiber. So far, it's worked. Continue Reading

By

• Jennifer English, Executive Editor

Microsoft patches .gif file vulnerability in Teams

Vulnerability could have enabled cyber criminals to use a malicious .gif file to scrape user data and take over Teams accounts Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Potential near £70bn boost to British economy from gigabit broadband

Research shows that delivering ‘Gigabit Britain’ could provide over £50bn gross value added to the economy in five years, growing to £68.8bn in 2030, but suppliers warn that more must be done to turn broadband ambition into reality Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

How Vonage is riding the e-commerce wave in Asia

The surge in online sales across Asia has boosted demand for cloud-based communications services as more e-commerce players look to integrate text messaging, voice and video into customer engagement platforms Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Australia’s CovidSafe app debuts, source codes to follow

Australia’s contact tracing app has been downloaded more than 1.1 million times, even as privacy concerns linger on Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

Wireless stakeholders cheer ‘historic’ FCC Wi-Fi 6GHz spectrum allocation decision

US broadcast and telecoms regulator confirms proposal lauded as a milestone moment that will no less than supercharge connectivity Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly