Vodafone Qatar has laid the foundations of a Smart City with a 25Gbps backbone for the Msheirab business district, the new financial centre of Qatar relatively old capital. Doha was built in 1825 but thanks in part to its high tech finance centre it is now the fastest growing metropolis in the Middle East. Further developments from engineers Nokia Bell Labs, which built the prototype, will transport intelligence between traders and fintech machines at 100Gbps in Middle East’s first Gigacity, according to a report in Gulf Times.
As Vodafone Qatar GigaHome Fibre customers will be reminded, when they receive the paperwork for the an upgrade to 1GB on their existing plans, Doha currently leads the Middle East as it has the first Gigacity in the region to deliver a 25Gb/s fibre network.
This new breakthrough is in line with Vodafone Qatar’s recent World’s Fastest Mobile Network award, according to results from consumer-initiated tests taken with Speedtest by Ookla, and reflects Vodafone’s continued investment with the goal of delivering the best in class experiences to its customers, the newspaper report said. Msheireb Smart City District stands as a reference for the urban projects of the future, according to Gulf Times, which enthuses over the highest standards of green building and smart services, with the aim to enrich people’s lives, and improve the overall quality of how they live, work and thrive.
Super fast speeds make a seamless experience and Vodafone is proud to be associated with national prestige. “Smart City Msheireb Downtown Doha will be at the forefront of technological innovations in Qatar and the Middle East,” said Ali Mohamed al-Kuwari, CEO of Msheireb Properties, who promised to continue to Vodafone’s latest data technology. “We appreciate Vodafone’s effort to offer seamless connectivity for individuals and corporates, which is in line with our vision and mission to create a more connected future.”
Toni Pellegrino, head of the Customer Business Team for Vodafone at Nokia MEA, pointed out that it is Qatar’s adoption of the passive optical networking system, 25G PON, that ennervates smart city services Msheireb. Nokia is also looking forward to selling more to its our long-term partner, Vodafone Qatar, so it can create new services for residential consumers and enterprises.
“This demonstrates our commitment to accelerating Qatar’s journey towards becoming one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world,” said Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah al-Thani, CEO at Vodafone Qatar.
Eventual plan is national roll-out that could support IoT applications across BT’s 5G network
BT has announced “a multi-million-pound investment to bring 5G and 4G mobile edge computing services” to its UK business customers in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS).
The plan is to combine AWS’ cloud with EE’s 5G and 4G infrastructure to make faster, secure bandwidth available for use cases like policing, crowd management, healthcare and security.
It will start with a new AWS Wavelength Zone in Manchester (pictured), which will service trials for eligible businesses and public sector organisations within a 100km radius including Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield and Blackpool.
BT’s ambition is to roll out AWS Wavelength to business customers across the UK more broadly “in the coming years”, which doesn’t suggest a huge sense of urgency.
On your Wavelength?
AWS Wavelength embeds AWS compute and storage services within 5G and 4G networks, providing mobile edge computing infrastructure for ultra-low-latency applications.
Hosting services directly at the edge of EE’s UK network reduces lag, as applications’ traffic can reach application servers running in the AWS Wavelength Zone without leaving BT’s network.
This, BT says, opens up mobile edge computing infrastructure for businesses to develop, deploy and scale secure mobile IoT applications over BT’s existing 5G network securely.
This includes autonomous vehicles, cameras for policing and other public services, outside broadcast, smart industrial robots and in community healthcare such as for monitoring for falls and other accidents in care homes.
Accelerate innovation
Alex Tempest, Managing Director for BT Wholesale said: “…launching the AWS Wavelength service for our business and wholesale customers is a hugely important step on our journey”.
She added, “By building cloud edge services into our 5G and 4G EE network, we can accelerate innovation across industries, and bring fast, secure data processing closer to where our customers need it most. Ultimately, we want to give businesses and public sector organisations all the power of edge computing, wherever they are.”
As the planned amalgamation of the BT Enterprise unit and BT Global arm indicates (announced last November), the former UK monopoly needs all the help it can get in the business sector.
Sponsored: Demand for mobile device management software soars with growing popularity of smart TVs worldwide
Specifically, a reliable MDM for Android TV devices is something the industry looks forward to: in a global market crowded with competing operating systems, Android TV continues as the operating system of choice.
Despite early market share leads by popular TV brands, Google’s operating system for smart TVs is quietly amassing a substantial following. The number of smart TVs that run on Android TV (including those running Google TV) increased from 80 million in May 2021 to 110 million by January 2022.
Android TV vs other smart TV OS
Android TV is a practical alternative for TV manufacturers, as they don’t have to build their own operating systems. Granted, it’s perfectly understandable why some companies prefer to do so. Many TV brands also produce other smart devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and watches. Developing their own smart TV OS means better integration with their other smart products and services. It also means full control of what applications and programs end up in the smart TV menu.
Of course, there are downsides to building your own smart TV OS. It’s expensive to maintain an operating system and ensure its compatibility with all of its apps. This is the main reason many smart TV brands with unique operating systems sporadically perform updates.
Many manufacturers let Google run the show. In exchange for a standard licensing fee, Google’s Android TV can take over the smart TV’s entire operations. Android TV’s main claim to fame is its heavy integration with the wildly successful Android OS for smartphones and tablets.
Operating system requirements
This means that most applications found on Google’s Play Store will run on Android TV-powered smart TV sets as well. The convenience and cost-effectiveness of not having to devote substantial resources further motivate TV manufacturers to choose Android TV. This is precisely why TV brands and telco operators are happily letting Google handle their operating system requirements.
Hoping to capitalize on the growing market of video-on-demand services, telco operators are bundling smart TVs or set-top boxes to their broadband services. Consumers with popular but data-hungry apps on their smart TVs, such as Netflix and YouTube, use more internet.
Operators hope that easier access to streaming apps will make customers want to upgrade their internet accounts to accommodate the increased demand. After all, smart TVs are the best way to enjoy streaming services like Netflix, HBO, or Disney+.
More and more subscribers
As more and more subscribers sign up for bundled services, telco operators and TV manufacturers will begin amassing larger fleets of Android TVs. Consequently, these operators will need reliable MDM software to keep all devices running smoothly.
Relying on older or default device management software can prove inadequate for today’s fleet maintenance demands. With hundreds, thousands, or even millions of subscribers, telcos can no longer afford to dispatch field service technicians to perform critical updates or installations.
They also can’t afford to provide over-the-air updates with older, outdated protocols that take days or weeks to complete. A faster time-to-market turnaround for critical updates and installations reduces the downtimes of fleet devices.
Given their large subscriber base, telcos need a smart and efficient way to perform updates on scattered devices. They need a reliable mobile device management (MDM) software that supports the following features:
Cloud-based for remote services
At the minimum, telcos need a cloud-based system that can perform low-level device management and ad-hoc support. To ensure speed, security, and reliability, the MDM software must run on cloud platforms, like Amazon Web Services (AWS). AWS offers reduced latency, redundancy, and end-to-end security and encryption.
A cloud-based system gives the MDM software full remote capabilities when managing and maintaining all fleet devices. It also means that system administrators and IT teams can service the devices remotely, reducing or eliminating the need for support calls and in-person intervention.
Assignable access levels
The ideal MDM system can also assign different access levels for various stakeholders within the organization. System administrators issue permissions for IT support teams to access the software system and make changes to the settings.
Sales, marketing, and executive teams can receive access to device usage data and customer profiles to gather insights and form strategies for the next sales cycle. Subscribers get user access permissions, granting them commercial use of the device for the duration of their subscription.
Robust security
The ideal MDM software should also provide excellent security services to prevent the fleet device from unauthorized use, theft, or data breach. Expired subscriptions can trigger accounts teams to disable the device until they are renewed. Geolocation and tagging services ensure that each device is exactly where it’s supposed to be.
Any unauthorized changes in location can result in the security team freezing or disabling the device. In case of unauthorized access or repeated unsuccessful attempts to log in, security can disable the device and wipe its data to prevent data theft.
The benefits of a dedicated mobile device management software for Android TV device fleets are undeniable. They can admirably perform routine management, maintenance, and security services for entire fleets—remotely, quickly, and efficiently.
Remote capabilities mean a reduced need for IT teams to travel to subscribers’ individual locations for routine updates. In addition, low-level device management via cloud systems means telcos can perform updates to individual units, groups, or the entire fleet at once.
Improve your work environment
The right MDM for Android TV devices can vastly improve your support team’s performance. Even as your telco business continues to grow, the resources required to support, manage and maintain fleet devices remain low. Consider upgrading your software solutions with the new generation of MDM for Android TV devices today! www.radix-int.com
About Radix:
Since 2014, Radix has been a leading provider of cutting-edge device management solutions, consolidating all the organization devices, related work processes and stakeholders in one easy-to-use management platform.
Our solutions are trusted by leading global device manufacturers and vendors and are implemented in millions of devices worldwide, helping to increase performance and stability while minimizing downtime, serving a wide range of clients: Telcos, SMBs, enterprises, governmental organizations, security services, financial institutions, universities and education centres.
About the Author:
Nadav Avni is the Chief Marketing officer for Radix an experienced professional with vast marketing experience from technology and advertising companies. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business from IDC and he is a Certified Mediator.
Nadav is a loving husband (married to Shelly, an Art Therapist) and a proud father of a daughter. In his free time, he likes to spend time with his family, read and take a ski mini-break whenever he can.
Adds to the rising tide of attempts at consolidation in Europe
Telenor is reported by the Financial Times [subscription needed] to be in talks with Hong Kong-based CKHutchison about the possible merger of the companies’ operations in Sweden and Denmark. CK Hutchison operates under the Three brand in Europe.
It is thought that the talks are in the very early stages and neither party has commented on the report.
In consolidation mode
CK Hutchison is in the throes of consolidating and monetising its European operations. In the UK, it wants to merge with Vodafone UK and the details of the deal are expected by the end of this month.
CK Hutchison’s Nordic operation, Hi3G Access, goes under the Tre Skandinavien brand and coversSweden and Denmark. It is 60% owned by CK Hutchison and 40% by Sweden’s Investor.
It has 2.4 million active customers in Sweden and 1.5 million in Denmark. Telenor’s operators in Sweden and Denmark have almost 3 million and 1.6 million mobile customers, respectively.
In the lap of the competition gods
Whether they will receive approval from European authorities for the deals to go ahead remains to be seen. Although it seemed for a time that the European Commission was more open to consolidation within markets, the proposed merger of Orange and MÁSMÓVIL is about to undergo a protracted investigation about the potential impact of fewer competitors in Spain.
Global carrier BICS and MTN GlobalConnect have formed a pact that promises to put Africa’s mobile and digital services on a par with the rest of the world. Galvanising African productivity, through services like roaming, cloud comms and IoT connections, could be a huge multiplier for growth and raise prosperity among the many developing economies across a vast underperforming continent.
The mobile phone, according to the world Bank, was the single biggest factor in lifting the unbanked out pf poverty and the partners are hoping to achieve a similar galvanising effect on African GDP as a whole.
According to trade body GSMA there will be 340 million 5G connections in Africa by 2030. MTN has 289 million subscribers in 17 countries and is aiming to expand its fibre coverage to 135,000km in the next three years.
Half the world’s roaming
Since BICS carries half the world’s roaming traffic and recently set up the first intercontinental 5G Standalone service, a pact between the two could underpin the construction of a new level of international comms. MTN GlobalConnect was created in 2018 as an operating company in the MTN Group, tact as a Pan-African digital wholesale and infrastructure services company.
BIS said it solves the problems of today’s device-hungry consumer, such as the need for global mobile connectivity, seamless roaming, fraud prevention and authentication, global messaging and the in IoT. With its HQ in Brussels, BICS claims to have a strong presence in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Middle East.
“The connectivity relationship between MTN GlobalConnect and BICS will evolve to support the growth of digital services in Africa and allow our business to continue to invest in cutting edge technologies such as 5G,” said Frédéric Schepens, CEO of MTN GlobalConnect (pictured above right).
Connecting a continent’s communities will create huge opportunities, according to Matteo Gatta, CEO, BICS (pictured above, left), “Over the next few years, MTN GlobalConnect and its partners will actively contribute to the expansion of connectivity that will drive digital services across Africa.
“Through this partnership, people, communities, and enterprises from throughout the continent will have access to the power of communications to realise their full potential.”
Ofcom extends probe into Openreach’s proposed wholesale discounts after BT’s CEO causes huge backlash
Virgin Media O2 is exploring a takeover bid for challenger broadband provider Cityfibre that could be worth up to £3 billion, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph.
Apparently initial talks have taken place between Mike Fries, CEO of Virgin Media O2’s parent company Liberty Global, and Cityfibre’s CEO, Greg Mesch.
Cityfibre is the largest alt-net fibre providers: it has passed around 2 million homes and intends to pass 8 million properties in 2025 – but is running at a loss.
What’s the thinking?
An acquisition or merger would help Virgin Media O2 expand its network and upgrade its entire network to full fibre, replacing the cable infrastructure. It is estimated that about 50% of Cityfibre’s all-fibre network overlaps with that of Virgin Media O2, which might ring alarm bells with competition watchdogs whose approval will be required if the talks progress.
Virgin Media O2 is a 50:50 joint venture between Liberty Global and Telefonica, which was formed on 1 June 2021. It is thought to be working with US-based LionTree about possible acquisitions of other, smaller alt nets.
Rethinking competition?
Jefferies, the US investment banking and capital markets firm, says in research note: “Cityfibre is pivotal to the policy goal of network competition. Ofcom’s regulatory framework is seeking to establish alt-nets as enduring competitors against Openreach and VMO2. Ofcom says that an endgame of three competing networks across one-third of UK premises would be acceptable.”
It adds, “A 13 Mar[ch] study by thinkbroadband (The State of Broadband Report) verified FTTP availability from Cityfibre across 2.2 m[illion] premises, and found that the next 8 largest alt-nets (excl. VMO2) were available across 3.4m premises in aggregate. Accordingly, a VMO2-Cityfibre combination would eliminate 40% of today’s alt-net presence (excluding the minor players). That would be a serious matter for Ofcom.”
Ofcom might need to rethink its ideal competitive situatiion, giving the huge shift in macroeconomics since the framework was conceived.
Under pressure
The alt-nets are facing pressure on a number of fronts. The era of access to ‘cheap money’ has ended with rising inflation, making the funds required to build out networks even more expensive.
In February Cityfibre announced it would reduce its workforce by about 20% to cut costs: it lost nearly £50 million in 2021. On the upside, it secured £4.9 billion in debt financing last summer and has a strong presence in the market, providing services to Vodafone and TalkTalk, among others.
Second, BT’s access arm, Openreach, resisted building out all-fibre broadband in favour of FTTC that made use of its copper infrastructure, the former monopoly has been building out full-fibre a more rapid pace than its rivals expected.
Is Equinox 2 equitable?
Third, Openreach’s Equinox 1 pricing deal, which lowered its wholesale prices to service providers, making the alt-nets a less attractive proposition was approved by Ofcom and Equinox 2 is in the offing.
Cityfibre’s legal challenge to Equinox 1 was not successful and Equinox 2 is in the offing, but BT’s CEO, Philip Jansen, appears to have unwittingly done Openreach’s rivals a favour. In early February he was quoted by the Financial Times[subscription needed] describing BT as “an unstoppable machine” whose progress with all-fibre broadband would “end in tears” for its smaller rivals.
He went on to say, “There is only going to be one national network. Why do you need multiple providers?”
Last Friday Ofcom decided to extend its consultation on Equinox 2 by two months over concerns raised by the FT article, which had triggered a severe backlash from the alt-nets, although Jansen insisted he’d been quoted out of context.
To become apparent…
The head of Ofcom, Melanie Dawes, wrote in a letter to Jansen, “Were it to become apparent that BT is able…to distort competition in the market, we would not hesitate to take regulatory action to address it”.
It’s hard to see why it is not obvious to anyone, much less a regulator charged with levelling the playing field, that the former incumbent is in a position to distort competition.
The Telegraph article cites an unnamed source claiming that Cityfibre, which is backed by Goldman Sachs, could be worth more than £3 billion. Liberty Global is known to have cash reserves of $3.5 billion (about £2.9 billion).
Nokia has broken new ground in the radio access network (RAN) field, after becoming the first major radio access equipment maker to run applications under the auspices of the instant RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) and E2 interface. This accord between machines means the RAN can run applications with native Open RAN compliance. This in turn means operators can use AI to micro-manage a network to within a millisecond of its best possible performance.
The vendor’s engineers have toiled tirelessly with their peers from US telco AT&T to create a working model. In March they triumphed with a trial run that validated the promise of the ‘near real-time RIC’ and ‘xApp approach’ for advanced 5G use cases. “This adds a new intelligence layer to the radio network,” said Mark Atkinson, Head of Radio Access Networks at Nokia.
The breakthrough was made using Nokia’s commercial near instant intelligent controller of RANs, AKA RIC, running on Nokia AirScale base stations on AT&T’s network. In this trial, ‘near real-time xApps’ used E2SM Policy Services to ‘dynamically’ get the best possible outcome out of all the many variable that comprise the radio access network, at any particular microsecond. Near real-time RIC is discriminating and can finesse the service offered to specific User Groups, Frequencies or any other of the quality of service (QoS) class Identifiers inherent in 5G networks. In the interests of continuity, Nokia’s near real-time RIC system and xApps use existing interfaces to fine tune RAN the use cases according to the operator’s network choices.
As mobile connections proliferate operators must engineer more efficient radio network performance, said Nokia, and near real-time RIC gives ‘xApps’ the option of using artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms that constantly push RAN performance. Nokia’s Advanced Traffic Steering xApp, for example, spreads mobile traffic across different frequency layers, freeing up bandwidth for mobile users. Meanwhile the Anomaly Detection xApp uses machine learning to spot irregular behaviour patterns in the RAN.
The trial proved that the E2 interface can update RAN policies many times quicker than through the old OAM interfaces, according to Robert Soni, an AT&T VP for RAN Technology. This “unlocks new methods for RAN optimisation,” said Soni.
Near real-time RIC has the potential to become a key enabler for RAN programmability, according to Nokia’s Mark Atkinson, “Open collaboration drives innovation across the telecom industry and harnesses the true power of 5G.” Read more about Nokia’s Service Enablement Platform
Telecoms companies are increasingly being targeted by cyber-attacks because they’re old and vulnerable, according to intelligence specialist Cyberint Technologies, an Israeli security start up that operates in the dark web. Telecoms companies have been identified as ‘marks’ because of their legacy systems, silos of high value personal data and a growing reputation for being good for a shakedown. Now the Abu Dhabi-based Etisalat Group (AKA etisalat by e&) has appointed Cyberint to take the fight to criminals by scouring the dark web to spy on bad actors and gather intelligence on their plans. The Israeli cyber-intelligence firm will use a new approach to protect the telco’s infrastructure from cybercriminals.
The extraordinary partnership comes after the UAE and Israel signed a normalisation agreement in 2020 as part of the US-backed Abraham Accords, which paved the way for companies to openly forge cooperation ties that already existed but were kept under wraps due to political sensitivities. In April last year, Israel and the UAE signed a free trade agreement. In December, the heads of the cyber agencies from Morocco, Bahrain, the UAE and Israel gathered in Bahrain for the first time to discuss the establishment of a joint cyber defence platform to share and conduct regional investigations amid increased threats from Iranian hackers. Gabi Portnoy, director general of Israel’s National Cyber Directorate, presented an Israeli initiative to create a national cyber dome aimed at strengthening the cyber defence of the entire economy.
Cyberint’s intelligence platform gives instant responses to cyberattack attempts coming from beyond the traditional security perimeters to fix them before they become a crisis, according to Sharon Wrobel, in The Times of Israel. Cyberint tracks cyber-mercenaries and threat actors, then alerts telcos of their imminent criminal intentions. A multi-million shekel three-year agreement will see e& use Cyberint’s instant intelligence and attack surface management system to protect itself from ransomware, leaked credentials and fraud. This will put etisalat by e& through proactive paces against targeted attacks or campaigns, neutralising them before they occur.
No enterprise should wait until its data is compromised or its service taken down, but many do, according to Cyberint CEO Yochai Corem. “Forward-looking companies, in critical verticals like telecom are taking action and turning the tables on cybercriminals.” Cyberint’s Argos digital risk protection platform creates instant threat intelligence by constantly analysing of hundreds of millions of data points and monitoring of external risk exposure. The platform tracks cybercriminals in the dark and deep web, criminal forums, market places, social media platforms, instant messaging, file sharing repositories and anywhere criminals gather. Cyberint’s brief is to protect businesses from fraud, phishing, malware, data leakage, vulnerabilities, brand and social media risks.
Cyber threats to the telecom industry are rapidly increasing because telcos have legacy technology, large attack surfaces and valuable information, according to a Cyberint statement. High-profile attacks that netted sensitive personal data have encouraged others. “This underscored the dangers faced by the telecom industry,” it said. Etisalat by e&’s senior vice president of cybersecurity Ayman A AlShehi said the Cyberint pact is critical to the telco. “Cutting-edge detection methods will help us stay ahead of emerging threats and keep our systems and data secure,” said AlShehi.
Abu Dhabi-based etisalat by e&, AKA Etisalat Group, was established four decades ago as UAE’s first telecom service provider. It now has 155.4 million subscribers in 16 countries across the Middle East, Asia and Africa, including mobile, TV and Internet subscribers, as well as hundreds of thousands of businesses who use their digital, cloud and communication services. Tel Aviv-based Cyberint raised $40 million in a Series C round in June, backed by Clal Insurance, Menora and Bank Hapoalim; Neva SGR, part of Intesa Sanpaolo Group; and Viola Growth.
Two satellite comms services went on markedly different trajectories this week. Sateliot has adopted standards that will expedite the creation of internet of things that will rejuvenate industries such as agriculture, logistics and energy. Virgin Orbit, however has suffered possibly fatal loss of confidence.
Virgin Orbit (VO) is turning to mothball technology for now, after parent company had invested $1billion in the project and injected another $60m in November. The symptoms are not good for the ailing company, according to a report in Telecom TV, which noted that all VO staff have been put on a paid furlough “with immediate effect and company has delayed the date for paying their salaries by seven days.
An update on its “operational pause” has been promised for Wednesday “or Thursday” next week and it’s thought the company is desperately protecting its funds from anxious creditors. The last financial update for Q3 2022, issued last November, said it had $71.2m in cash and an adjusted EBITDA loss of $42.9m. The $60m it raised in November 2022, however, represents debt from its parent Virgin Group which, according to TelecomTV’s analysis, now has priority on Virgin Orbit’s assets should it fall into receivership. The Virgin Orbit share price has also crashed to earth, plunging from $10 in December 2021, to a reading of $0.68 now. Its fourth-quarter results are overdue and unpublished.
The problem was not helped by January’s failed launch of a satellite above the UK’s west country which saved money by using a modified Virgin Airlines Boeing 747 jumbo jet. The Cosmic Girl rose from Newquay airport in Cornwall carrying the rocket underwing. Once in the air the rocket motor fired but a fuel pump filter malfunctioned and the stage two engine overheated. The rocket and its satellite payload fell into the Atlantic Ocean and the debris was unrecoverable.
Correction: A spokeswoman for Virgin Orbit has pointed out that Virgin Orbit has so far made four successful launches. Prior to the Start Me Up mission, every customer satellite launched by Virgin Orbit had reached its desired orbit.
Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart has told staff that the temporary closure will provide breathing space and allow time for management to come up with a rescue package. A news release promised an update on “go-forward operations” in weeks to come. Rumours of Virgin Orbit’s demise were fuelled on Tuesday when Hart failed to appear as planned on a panel discussion at the Satellite 2023 conference in Washington DC.
In other satellite comms news, Sateliot has become the industry’s first satellite operator to become a member of the Global Certification Forum (GCF). Sateliot’s low earth orbital (LEO) constellation beams narrowband comms signals for the Internet of Things (NB-IoT) from space under the 3GPP standard.
This is a powerful boost for Sateliot as the agreement aligns and hastens the delivery of standard IoT chipsets and modules. These bear the reassuring hallmark of being 3GPP Rel-17 NTN LEO-supported. The GCF certification programme is a guarantee of device-network interoperability, which obviates the time and money involved in testing. Ultimately, it should get products to market quicker and attract partners that have confidence in working with them. A massive contrast to Virgin Orbit.
There are sectors like agriculture, transport and logistics desperate to be mobilised by NB-IoT, according to Gianluca Redolfi, Sateliot’s CCO. “This sends a clear message that soon IoT devices will work under standard protocols as they do on terrestrial comms.”
Now that Sateliot is the first operator join the forum there will be an influx of other players said Lars Nielsen, GCF’s CEO Forum. “We anticipate other satellite operators and manufacturers will follow, making interoperable, standards a reality soon,” said Nielson. The first outcomes of this interoperability between satellite and cellular are expected by the end of 2023, allowing single devices to access two different connectivity modes (terrestrial and non-terrestrial).
Belgian telco Proximus is working with Luxembourg state-owned data centre LuxConnect to give the local and international governing organisations and businesses a cloud service that respects local data governance regulations, AKA a Sovereign Cloud. The pact is a way of ring fencing the data so that it cannot escape by accident or design into foreign territory and be pored over by teams of marketeers and privacy ransackers. The power of Proximus’ experienced teams created a uniquely secure offering in this region, according to Paul Konsbruck, CEO of LuxConnect, “This agreement combines the strengths of both partners.”
The partners are pioneering the delivery of Google Distributed Cloud Hosted, described as a disconnected sovereign cloud, which respects the sovereignty of data used by governments, regulated enterprises and international organisations in Europe. Proximus and Google Cloud, have announced a five-year agreement to deliver sovereign cloud services in Belgium and Luxembourg. Sensitive, vital work will come under the latest ‘digital sovereignty controls’ imposed by Google.
Google Distributed Cloud Hosted does not require connectivity to Google Cloud to manage infrastructure, services, application programming interfaces or tools. Google Cloud’s sovereignty is, apparently, designed for customer control and transparency you can see your sensitive data moving to the cloud.
“Data sovereignty is vital to European and international organisations as they digitise their operations and deploy the latest cloud innovations,” said Adair Fox-Martin, president of Google Cloud ‘go to market’ and the head of Google Ireland, “these sovereign cloud systems will help ensure that public and private-sector organisations can advance their digital transformation agendas using the latest technologies without compromising on the security and sovereignty of their data and systems.”
Sovereign cloud has been on Luxembourg’s digital agenda for many years, according to Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel. “This will fill an important gap in our strategy to become a trusted digital hub from which we serve the most demanding public and private clients.”
Guillaume Boutin, CEO of the Proximus Group, said it is a major milestone for Proximus to guarantee full operational sovereignty for its clients – on EU’s terms. “Proximus will use its vast cloud services experience in order to bring these disconnected cloud services to the Belgian and Luxembourg markets,” said Boutin.
