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Responding to the potential for AI to interfere with elections

Kevin McTiernan
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Responding to the potential for AI to interfere with elections

Partner content: The political and economic stakes of elections make them a particular target for interference using AI-powered manipulation

The core value proposition of AI is the potential to help people make better use of data, including from information that is far too large for humans to parse, generating insights from it much faster than would otherwise be possible. The power of those capabilities inevitably brings the potential for undesirable outcomes, as well. Bad actors may use AI deceptively, to manipulate how information creates public opinion and guides behavior.

The political and economic stakes of elections make them a particular target for interference using AI-powered manipulation. In the US, for example, a threat assessment by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) finds that state actors continue to exert malign influence over US elections. The rapid development of generative AI since the 2022 midterm election creates the potential for these activities to be more sophisticated and damaging in 2024.

China reportedly used TikTok accounts to target candidates with propaganda in 2022, and the report suggests that covert activity may persist and intensify in 2024. Russia has covertly influenced US elections for decades, and the wish to disrupt Western support for the war in Ukraine may escalate those efforts. Iran and others have also conducted influence operations in past US elections and may do so again, with refined techniques that could potentially be augmented using AI.

Key aspects of AI election influence

The influence that AI can exert on elections ranges from legitimate or even inadvertent effects to nefarious misinformation programs. For example, by establishing profiles for targeted voters, political campaigns can identify what those individuals care most about, to personalize targeted advertising messages about their candidate. AI clearly extends the value of this apparently innocuous use case, while its potential for criminality is attested to by the Cambridge Analytica data scandal during the 2016 election.

Many users increasingly use generative AI tools such as ChatGPT as research engines to gather information, which carries its own potential for misinforming them. For example, AI models based on static sets of outdated information are unable to generate fresh insights, and they may misrepresent candidates’ actions and platform positions. The specific data these models draw on (and what they leave out) are critical to accuracy, and people can be misinformed simply through this technology limitation.

Intentional misinformation is likewise a concern, adding new dimensions to the long history of smear campaigns. For example, AI deepfake images, audio, or video could falsely claim to depict a candidate or their allies, to demean them, create doubt among their followers, or reduce voter turnout. Automated bots can identify opportunities in social media and other internet content to amplify certain messages and counter others with comments or other content.

The complexity of interpreting these actions includes the fact that even where they are objectionable, they may not actually break the law. In many cases, investigators may be limited in response to such measures as imploring social media companies to suspend or discontinue offending accounts. Many will refuse to do so, whether to protect free speech, maintain subscriber goodwill, or advance their own political interests. The result can be illicit influence over elections, damaged reputations, and potential violence.

Measures to protect election integrity

AI involvement in election interference is largely a matter of scale, emulating what human operators might do but at much greater volume. This is particularly the case with propaganda operations by state actors, which tend to be extensive in scope. This outsized influence makes it desirable for law enforcement to develop strategies and techniques to detect and assess AI-based election interference.

Research is helping shed light on AI-generated misinformation, revealing ways to detect it. One such method is to find instances where generative AI error messages such as “I’m sorry, I cannot generate …” are published along with the main content. With the caveat that this approach might reveal only a small proportion of AI-generated posts and be overcome by sophisticated actors, it can sometimes reveal automated misinformation campaigns, providing a point of entry for investigating them.

The SS8 platform helps identify the clues that suggest illicit AI involvement, based on monitoring traffic to identify content of interest, those responsible, and patterns and connections to other content and people. Drawing on digital context such as open source and location intelligence, SS8 software can help law enforcement and intelligence agencies discern election interference and respond appropriately.

Acceleration of AI development into the frontiers of possibility is inevitable (and even desirable); an important caveat to the effort to control it is that regulation must not dilute US leadership. Long-term strategic interests require the economic and technological benefits that AI increasingly delivers, while at the same time protecting society from its potential ill effects. SS8 contributes to that balance by helping authorities understand how and where AI is being used, to help gauge and guide its impact.

About the author

Kevin McTiernan has over 20 years of extensive experience in the telecommunications and network security industries. At SS8, Kevin is the VP of Government Solutions and is responsible for leading the vision, design, and delivery of SS8’s government solutions, including the Xcipio® compliance portfolio. You can learn more about Kevin on his LinkedIn profile by clicking here.

About SS8 Networks

As a leader in Lawful and Location Intelligence, SS8 helps make societies safer. Our commitment is to extract, analyze, and visualize the critical intelligence that gives law enforcement, intelligence agencies, and emergency services the real-time insights that help save lives. Our high performance, flexible, and future-proof solutions also enable mobile network operators to achieve regulatory compliance with minimum disruption, time, and cost. SS8 is trusted by the largest government agencies, communications providers, and systems integrators globally.

Intellego® XT monitoring and data analytics portfolio is optimized for Law Enforcement Agencies to capture, analyze, and visualize complex data sets for real-time investigative intelligence.

LocationWise delivers the highest audited network location accuracy worldwide, providing active and passive location intelligence for emergency services, law enforcement, and mobile network operators.

Xcipio® mediation platform meets the demands of lawful intercept in any network type and provides the ability to transcode (convert) between lawful intercept handover versions and standard families.

To learn more, contact us at info@ss8.com.

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$250bn on table for telcos using AI responsibly claims McKinsey

Annie Turner
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$250bn on table for telcos using AI responsibly claims McKinsey

Its analysis suggests that telcos implementing the most advanced RAI practices could capture up to $250 billion in value worldwide by 2040

A new report from McKinsey says AI gives telcos another chance to reinvent themselves by becoming AI-native organisations, embedding AI into every aspect of their businesses. However, they must focus on being responsible with their use of it to ensure their use of it is “ethical, safe, transparent, and compliant with regulations”. McKinsey calls this responsible AI or RAI.

McKinsey writes, “In the highly regulated telecom industry, RAI frameworks that govern accountability and transparency are critical to gaining consumer trust, protecting sensitive data, and safeguarding against security threats. All this makes RAI more than just an ethical exercise for telcos. It is also a business imperative.”

RAI conducted an analysis of 100 critical AI use cases that telcos could develop. For each use case, it indicated the optimal level of RAI maturity, considering inherent risks. For example, an advanced level of RAI would support a use case that manages customers’ personal information.

The analysis suggests that telcos implementing the most advanced RAI practices could deploy use cases that collectively capture up to $250 billion in value worldwide by 2040, 44% of the full industry-wide value created by AI during that period – see the graph above.

The brighter among them has figured this out all on their own. For example, Orange set up a Data and AI Ethics Council all the way back in March 2021, and adopted a Data and AI Ethical Charter with those goals in mind in November 2022. In March this year, it launched two trusted, end-to-end offers leveraging GenAI for French customers.

Last week SK Telecom, whose aim is to become a global AI leader, set out its AI Code of Conduct as it strives to put in place its AI Pyramid strategy announced in September 2023.

McKinsey also states that telcos “can lead the way in deploying both generative AI (GenAI) to improve the customer experience and cut costs and analytical AI to optimise their back-end operations and infrastructure. McKinsey research shows that GenAI could drive considerable [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation] gains for telcos, with returns on incremental margins increasing three to four percentage points in two years, and as much as eight to 10 percentage points in five years.”

Storm clouds gathering at Sky at losses exceed £750m

Annie Turner
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Storm clouds gathering at Sky at losses exceed £750m

A strangely familiar tale of betting on football proving more costly than expected, among other woes?

The UK’s media and telecoms provider Sky has reported a £750 million loss. Sky, which is owned by the US telecoms and media conglomerate Comcast, wrote down £1.2 billion on its operations in sub in Germany and Italy.

Also, the football World Cup, controversially held in Qatar, proved expensive for Sky to broadcast because it was held in winter 2022 (as opposed to summer) so more Premier League Games that are broadcast by Sky were pushed into 2023.

In 2023, it paid more than £5 billion to acquire the broadcasting rights to four out of five available ‘packages’ of Premier League games. It will broadcast an unprecedented number of matches, at least 215 a season, from 2025. Sky is looking to Premier League Football as a bulwark against Sky content streaming firms like Netflix, Amazon and Disney.

However, its deal with HBO expires next year, having been extended in 2019. Through this, Sky screened shows like Game of Thrones and Succession. But HBO relaunched its own streaming service in the US and parts of Europe, and could decide to offer a streaming service in the UK, cutting Sky out.

There are other storm clouds too. In September, Sky accused Warner Bros Discovery of breaking an agreement that gives it the right to co-produce shows with its Max streaming service, including a new Harry Potter series. Sky’s co-production deal dates back to 2019, when the Warner Bros studio was owned by AT&T. WBD said it would defend itself against the suit.

Sky has been hedging its bets by investing its own original programming with shows like Brassic which it syndicated to Netflix, and a drama about a serial killer, Sweetpea.

Since it was acquired by Comcast, it has been shifting from transmitting its services via satellite to streaming. The US conglomerate paid $39 billion (£30 billion) for Sky which had been listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2018. It triumphed over beating 21st Century Fox, which is now owned by Disney, at auction. Comcast wrote down the value of the business by $8.6 billion in 2022.

Sky’s revenues were up a little, at £10.2 billion, due in part to it charging more for its TV, broadband and mobile services, which offset some lost revenues, including from advertising and its Sky Q satellite box.

The cost of using telcos’ broadband and mobile infrastructure rose slightly and so did the fees it pays for rights to broadcast football. As a result, Sky’s operating losses went up from £111 million in 2022 to £224 million last year.

Intelsat 33e satellite outage affects Europe, Africa and parts of Asia-Pac

Annie Turner
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Intelsat 33e satellite outage affects Europe, Africa and parts of Asia-Pac

The satellite has lost power and is probably not recoverable – and maybe neither is Boeing’s space business

Intelsat announced a service outage on the Intelsat 33e satellite, which is in geostationary orbit. The outage is affecting customers in Europe, Africa and parts of the Asia-Pacific region.

The satellite experienced an anomaly on October 19, resulting in a loss of power and service to customers. Intelsat says, “We are working closely with Boeing, the satellite manufacturer, to address the situation. Based on the information available to us, we believe it is unlikely that the satellite will be recoverable.

“While we assess our fleet’s capacity as well as working with 3rd party providers to mitigate service interruptions, Intelsat representatives are in direct communication with all affected customers.

IS-33e was designed and manufactured by Boeing Space Systems and is located at 60 degrees East.. It was launched in August 2016 and entered service in January 2017. Originally the satellite was expected to have a 15-year lifespan. However, launch was three months later than planned due to an issue with the primary thruster. It then suffered a second problem during in-orbit tests which it was estimated would shorten its life by three and a half years.

Still, it did better than its predecessor. Intelsat 33e is the second in Intelsat’s EpicNG (for next-generation) series of high-throughput satellites. The first, the Intelsat-29e, was written off after three years in orbit. It was also made by Boeing.

Boeing’s future in space is increasingly in doubt, which is extraordinary for a company which has been involved in Nasa’s space programme since the 1960s. In September it stranded two astronauts at the International Space Station. They are to be rescued by a SpaceX spacecraft next year. SpaceX is owned by Elon Musk and is in the throes of creating its low-Earth orbit constellation, Starlink.

Boeing is also under huge pressure in its commercial airline business, which is its main area of activity, after a design flaw on on the 727 Max caused fatal crashes in 2018 and the 2019. In January a door blew off one of its aircraft during a flight, leading to increased scrutiny by legislators and regulators of the manufacturer’s manufacturing and quality control.

Nokia targets datacentres as telecoms market continues decline

Annie Turner
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Nokia targets datacentres as telecoms market continues decline

The Finnish vendor’s earning report was worse than expected, but not as bad as last time as it gears up for other sectors

For Q3, Nokia reported a 9% rise in its Q3 operating profit, although this was in part due to cutting costs to the tune of about €500 million gross. Its net sales were below expectations by 8%, falling to €4.27 billion in the quarter. Market expectations for the quarter were €4.76 billion.

Nokia’s CEO, Pekka Lundmark, had forecast “meaningful improvement” in sales in the second half of the year. He acknowledged that growth was slower than anticipated, but Q3 figures are better than Q2 which saw sales drop 18% year-on-year and operating profit fall 32%.

Like its rival and fellow-Nordic Ericsson, whose earnings were also announced this week and not exactly cheery either – it is looking outside telecoms for growth. Ericsson via its Vonage platform is nailing its colours to an API marketplace. Nokia’s CEO said his company is looking the datacentre sector for new revenues, which is booming due to the soaring demand for compute power for AI.

Lundmark said, “There will be others as well, but that will be the number one”. Nokia openly acknowledging it cannot make a living from telecoms feels like a pivotal moment.

However, Nokia has been ramping up its AI/datacentre activities of late, such as its September deal with AI hyperscaler Coreweave. Nokia will deploy its IP routing and optical transport equipment globally as part of its backbone construction, which will begin immediately for Coreweave’s datacentres in the US and Europe. Lundmark noted, “They have now taken pretty much our entire portfolio, both on the IP side and optical side. And as we know, AI is driving new business models, and one of the business models is clearly GPU-as-a-service.”

He highlighted the fact that T-Mobile mentioned GPU-as-a-Service at Deutsche Telekom’s Capital Markets Day last week and pointed to opportunties with hyperscaler and smaller datacentres.

Nokia expects to close its $2.3 billion purchase of optical vendor Infinera in the first half of 2025. After it is finalised, the vendor promises a Capital Markets day in which it will outlines it plans for growth in sectors outside telecoms.

Lundmark said that Nokia already has considerable experience with datacentres IP-wise and the Infinera deal will increase exposure on the optical front as although datacentres rely on GPUs, the also depend on optical networks to support AI workloads. He elaborated that optical networks increasingly will not only provide links within datacentre links but also between them, in “extremely high volumes”.

Today Nokia and Polish telco Netia announced a successful proof of concept of quantum key distribution technologies between datacentres in Warsaw and Jawczyce. The encryption ran on Nokia’s commercial DWDM PSS1830 system.

$6 billion private 4G, 5G sector brightens the wireless gloom

Annie Turner
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$6 billion private 4G, 5G sector brightens the wireless gloom

A comprehensive report by SNS Telecom & IT about the global market explores private networks’ enormous variety and their advantages

A new report by SNS Telecom & IT predicts the private LTE and 5G network market will be worth $6 billion by the end of 2027. The report estimates that global spending on private LTE and 5G network infrastructure for vertical industries will grow at a CAGR of about 20% between 2024 and 2027, accounting for more than $6 billion (€5.533 billion) by the end of 2027.

This unprecedented level of growth is likely to transform private LTE and 5G networks into an equipment ecosystem that is almost equal to public mobile operator infrastructure by market size by the late 2020s. By 2030, private networks could account for as much as a fifth of all mobile network infrastructure spending.

5G Core infrastructure for standalone 5G connectivity services has been deployed by less than a tenth of the world’s 800 or so public mobile operators. It is making much faster progress in the relatively smaller but burgeoning private cellular segment where its performance and system efficiency advantages compared to non-standalone 5G networks are more easily consumable in the short term.

Almost 60% of NPN investments, about $3.5 billion, to the end of 2027 will the building of standalone, private 5G networks. Eventually this will become the predominant wireless communications tech to support Industry 4.0 revolution for the digitalisation and automation of manufacturing and process industries.

The report examines the current situation and potential for NPNs in agriculture, aviation, broadcasting, construction, education, forestry, healthcare, manufacturing, military, mining, oil & gas, ports and maritime transport, public safety, railways, utilities and warehousing, among other smaller verticals.

The report says that although this is regarded as a niche segment, referred to as non-public networks (NPNs) by 3GPP, these networks have rapidly gained popularity due to their advantages regarding privacy, security, reliability and performance over public mobile networks and competing wireless technologies.

End-user organisations have credited private cellular network installations with productivity and efficiency gains for specific manufacturing, quality control and intra-logistics processes in the range of 20 to 90%, cost savings as high as 40% and an uplift of up to 80% in worker safety and accident reduction.

SNS Telecom & IT reckons they have the potential to replace hardwired connections with non-obstructive wireless links. Previously these sectors have been dominated by Land Mobile Radio (LMR), Wi-Fi, industrial Ethernet, fibre and other disparate networks.

NPNs have gained recognition as an all-inclusive connectivity platform for critical communications, Industry 4.0 and enterprise transformation-related applications. The 3GPP has led the standardisation of features such as: Mission-Critical PTT, Video & Data (MCX); Ultra-Reliable, Low-Latency Communications (URLLC); time-sensitive communications; Reduced Capability (RedCap) for Industrial IoT); Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) connectivity; Standalone NPNs (SNPNs); Public Network-Integrated NPNs (PNI-NPNs) and network slicing.

Liberalisation of spectrum is also accelerating the adoption of private LTE and 5G networks as a number of national regulators worldwide have released or are in the process of granting access to shared and local area licensed spectrum.

Examples in Europe include:

• the availability in Germany of 3.7-3.8 GHz and 28 GHz licences for 5G campus networks;

• the shared and local access licensing model in the UK;

• Ireland’s planned licensing regime for local area Wireless Broadband systems; • France’s vertical spectrum and sub-letting arrangements,

• Spain’s reservation of the 26GHz band for self-provisioned local networks,

• Netherlands’ 3.5 GHz licences for plot-based networks,

• Switzerland’s NPN spectrum assignment in the 3.4-3.5 GHz band,

• Finland’s 2.3 GHz and 26 GHz licenses for local 4G/5G networks,

• Sweden’s 3.7 GHz and 26 GHz permits,

• Norway’s regulation of local networks in the 3.8-4.2 GHz band,

• Poland’s spectrum assignment for local government units and enterprises.

In the Middle East, Bahrain offers private 5G network licences.

What is a private mobile network?

Equipment suppliers, system integrators, private network specialists, mobile operators and other ecosystem players have slightly different perceptions as to what exactly constitutes a private cellular network. SNS Telecom & IT says that LTE and 5G-based private cellular networks come in many shapes and sizes:

• isolated end-to-end NPNs in industrial and enterprise settings

• local RAN equipment for targeted cellular coverage

• dedicated on-premise core network functions

• virtual sliced private networks,

• secure MVNO platforms for critical communications and

• wide area networks for application scenarios such as PPDR (Public Protection & Disaster Relief) broadband, smart utility grids, railway communications and A2G (Air-to-Ground) connectivity.

There is a consensus that private LTE and 5G networks refer to purpose-built cellular communications systems intended for the exclusive use of vertical industries and enterprises, some parties extend this definition to include other market segments. For example, 3GPP-based community and residential broadband networks deployed by non-traditional service providers. Another closely related segment is neutral host infrastructure for shared or multi-operator coverage enhancement in indoor environments or underserved outdoor areas.

Despite the somewhat differing views on market definition, one thing is clear – private LTE and 5G networks are continuing their upward trajectory with deployments targeting a multitude of use cases across various industries. They comprise localised wireless systems for dedicated connectivity in factories, warehouses, mines, power plants, substations, offshore wind farms, oil and gas facilities, construction sites, maritime ports, airports, hospitals, stadia, office buildings and university campuses.

They also cover regional and nationwide sub-1 GHz private wireless broadband networks for utilities, networks that are ready for Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS), that is, train-to-ground communications and hybrid government-commercial public safety LTE networks.

Custom-built cellular networks have also been implemented in locations as remote as Antarctica, and there are even plans for installations on the moon’s surface and outer space.

Netia and Nokia test QKD security between data centres 

Simon Dux
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Netia and Nokia test QKD security between data centres 

The operator’s tests have successfully verified the possibility of commercial use of quantum key distribution with its current setup

Polish operator Netia and Nokia have successfully completed proof of concept tests of the use of the latest encryption technologies using quantum physics using the vendor’s commercial DWDM PSS1830 system between data centres located in Warsaw and Jawczyce. The operator claimed this is the first project of this type in Poland.

In the face of growing cyber threats, using quantum physics is becoming a key element of data protection. Quantum security come in two flavours: technologies that use new algorithms that run on conventional hardware and protect data from future quantum attacks, and technologies that use quantum communications to make it impossible to crack encryption keys exchanged over networks.

Nokia and Nokia Bell Labs focus on two quantum security areas. The first, quantum-resistant cryptography is a new generation of encryption could protect today’s data from a quantum computer-initiated attack. Some technologies like symmetric keys are already widely available. But post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is now emerging and some operators like South Korea’s SK Telecom, are already making strides with it. Nokia is a member of SKT’s quantum alliance. PQC algorithms use our understanding of quantum computing to create encryption keys that will be extremely difficult for even a quantum computer to crack.

The other area Nokia [and others] is looking at is quantum key distribution (QKD): Thanks to the principle of quantum entanglement, it is possible to detect whether an eavesdropper tries to intercept any information transmitted in a quantum state. QKD takes advantage of this principle to securely exchange encryption key material over a quantum channel or network.

Real world 

In the Netia trial, Nokia deployed QKD – which enables the generation and exchange of encryption keys with absolute certainty of their confidentiality – using the principles of quantum mechanics. The Nokia DWDM system used in Netia’s network integrates this technology into its DWDM PSS1830 system, which allows for an increased level of security.

The tests, conducted in cooperation with Nokia, covered a variety of operational scenarios, including real-world data transmission, real-time key management, cyberattack simulations, and digital channel failure. All tests were successful, confirming that the integration of QKD and NDQ Evolution with the PSS1830 DWDM system provides the expected performance and reliability parameters. 

The NDQ Evolution platform developed by Nokia manages dynamic encryption key distribution and network performance optimisation. Netia said its implementation in the PSS1830 system allows for dynamic encryption key management, throughput optimisation and latency minimisation, which is crucial for today’s applications requiring the highest reliability.

The test results confirmed the system’s ability to provide the highest level of data transmission security in next-generation telecommunications networks. The solution also guarantees – already today on the cusp of the quantum computer era – resistance to attacks using the computing power of future quantum machines.

Currently, Netia’s network uses a commercial system that enables the sale of encrypted links with a throughput of up to 100Gbps using key distribution generated based on the principles of classical physics. Tests have verified the possibility of commercial use of quantum key distribution using Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology managed by NDQ Evolution and 1830SMS.

Nokia jumps in

Nokia jumped into this space because once quantum computers advance far enough, they will be capable of cracking data encryption deemed unbreakable with classical computers today. According to Nokia’s head of Quantum-Safe Networks Martin Charbonneau, the day this Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computer (CRQC) comes online is the day that all classical data encryption becomes exposed to attack.

“It is not a question of if, but when, Q-Day arrives. And when it does, quantum computing will render most current encryption schemes obsolete and threaten the integrity of digital infrastructures and economies. Not only do we need to be prepared for that moment, but we need to begin those preparations now to minimise our risk exposure,” he wrote in August. 

Last week, Nokia used its 1830-PSI platforms and its 1830 Secure Management Server to act in the role of key management and orchestrator in a test of quantum cryptography systems for data networks using low latency fibres, in collaboration with lyntia, LuxQuanta, ID Quantique, evolutionQ, OFS | Furukawa Solutions and Digital Realty. During its test, two versions of QKD technology from LuxQuanta (CV-QKD) and ID Quantique (DV-QKD), along with a Quantum Key Management System (QKMS) from evolutionQ, were used to protect data centre access connections – all over low latency hollow core fibre.   

EXA enters Finland, opens transatlantic route avoiding FLAP

Annie Turner
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EXA enters Finland, opens transatlantic route avoiding FLAP

Integration with the Havfrue Transatlantic system offers direct route to the US avoiding the datacentre clusters around Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam and Paris

EXA Infrastructure has extended its DWDM backbone into Finland, connecting Helsinki to Stockholm. EXA describes itself as “Europe’s largest dedicated digital infrastructure platform”. It connects North America and Asia via the Middle East, and now has a direct presence in 37 countries in Europe and North America.

This expansion offers EXA’s customer base greater cover but it also intends to foster competition in the Finnish market. Finland’s market demand is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32% over the next five years, according to Telegeography.

The growth will be driven, in part, by the use of AI technologies as Finland has the largest concentration of datacentre capacity in the Nordics, at almost 240MW. Most are located in Helsinki.

Avoid the FLAP

Earlier this year, EXA Infrastructure entered a strategic partnership with Bulk Infrastructure on the Havfrue Transatlantic system, which connects the US to Norway and Denmark. The new expansion into Finland also extends the Havfrue system’s integration into EXA’s backbone and provides direct connection between the US and Finland, avoiding the so-called FLAP countries, that is Europe’s primary datacentre clusters around Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam and Paris.

Steve Roberts, Senior Vice President of Strategic Investments at EXA Infrastructure, commented, “This investment opens Finland as a new market for EXA, aligning with our vision of connecting more strategic locations to our network. Finland is emerging as a key hub for subsea cable systems and hyperscale data centres, and we are proud to contribute to the country’s infrastructure development with our advanced network.”

Attractive green policies

Jim Fagan, CEO of EXA Infrastructure, added: “the Nordic countries are rapidly emerging as Europe’s new digital infrastructure hub, driven by the availability of abundant green energy. The region is attracting major investments from global cloud hyperscalers and multi-tenant datacenter providers. This is driving an incredible demand for resilient, scalable and diverse connectivity infrastructure to fuel the growth of this dynamic ecosystem.”

e& signs $1+ bn contract with AWS for cloud services

Annie Turner
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0
e& signs $1+ bn contract with AWS for cloud services

The plan is to speed digital transformation in the Middle East including through faster deployment of AI

The operator group e&, which has headquarters in the United Arab Emirates, and AWS will collaborate on cloud services in the Middle East. Their intention is to speed up the deployment of AI and digital transformation in the region.

They announced the contract alongside the Gitex Global 2024 event in Dubai, describing it as a ‘$1bn-plus’ investment agreement to pool resources over the next six years.  The partner are to prioritise “core cloud services” which covers storage, computing, networking, cybersecurity, and AI including machine learning.

They will combine AWS’s cloud infrastructure and solutions with e&’s network capabilities to “address the most stringent customer requirements” across the public sector in the Middle East. They also said they would target “regulated industries”, including healthcare, finance, and oil and gas, as well as SMEs.

The deal will give e& access to AWS’ portfolio of more than 200 services. e& is to improve platforms like Starzplay Arabia and Careem, and expand AI and Smart Home services for customers across the region.

e& customers will also be able to earn Smiles points when shopping on Amazon: small to medium-sized businesses supported by e& will gain access to the AWS Marketplace.

The companies will integrate AWS’ Amazon Bedrock generative AI into services. Bedrock enables the use of AI models via one API to help companies build scalable AI applications to boost productivity and customer experiences.

Extra capacity

PwC reckons 70% of Middle Eastern companies plan to migrate most of their operations to the cloud within two years. The companies must also adhere to data sovereignty laws in the region that stipulate that sensitive data (such as personal, governmental, financial or medical) can only be stored and processed within the country of origin.

AWS is no stranger to the region. It set up its AWS Middle East (UAE) Region in 2022, promising to invest $5 billion in the area by 2036. It also has a ‘region’ in Bahrain.

e& group’s CEO, Hatem Dowidar, stated, “This agreement with AWS demonstrates our shared long-term strategic goal to create an ecosystem that supports today’s digital needs and lays the foundation for future growth. We are enabling businesses across the region to lead in an AI-powered, data-driven economy.”  

Tanuja Randery, VP of AWS’ operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), said, “Our partnership with e& underscores AWS’ deep commitment to both the UAE and the wider Middle East, particularly in fast-tracking UAE Vision 2031.

“Our security infrastructure and expertise in AI and ML empowers public sector organisations, regulated industries, and enterprises with the tools they need to innovate securely and drive progress across the region.”

Omdia says revenues from network APIs to hit $8.7bn in 2029

Annie Turner
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0
Omdia says revenues from network APIs to hit $8.7bn in 2029

The main driver will be subscribers’ identity APIs, and especially Number Verification and SIM Swap APIs

New research from Omdia predicts a surge in revenues from network API, with global revenue projected to rise from $161 million (€148 million) in 2023 to $8.7 billion in 2029. The main driver will be subscribers’ identity APIs, and especially Number Verification and SIM Swap APIs.

The intention is they will reduce fraud and secure digital transactions. Omdia says Number Verification APIs “offer a faster, more secure alternative to traditional SMS verification”.

Already SIM swap APIs are used in the banking sector. Their use will expand rapidly, from $33 million in 2023 to $700 million in 2029.

Omdia’s Senior Analyst for Service Provider Strategies, Adam Mackenzie said, “Network APIs not only provide new revenue directly but can also drive further revenue through connectivity and newly enabled services.

“Telecom operators have taken an inclusive approach as they recognize that each party in the ecosystem adds to the business case: hyperscale operators, aggregators, equipment vendors and telecom operators are working together to improve security and quality of applications and customer experience.”

Omdia’s forecast includes qualitative analysis and quantitative segmentation of 5 network API categories, including 17 network APIs, 11 API-specific forecasts, and 4 regions. 

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