Nations demand tech firms tackle scammers

Governments from around the world have called on telcos and tech giants to strengthen their efforts in combating fraud conducted over their networks and platforms.

The calls were made at the inaugural Global Fraud Summit held at Lancaster House in London this week. Ministers and representatives from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, the UK, and the US attended the summit.

UK Home Secretary James Cleverly said:...

14 March 2024 | Legislation & Government

SpaceX probed over Russia’s alleged Starlink use

Democratic lawmakers are investigating SpaceX over reports that Russia is using the company's Starlink satellite internet service in occupied areas of Ukraine, raising concerns about potential violations of US sanctions and export controls.

In a letter sent Wednesday to SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell, Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Robert Garcia of California cited intelligence from Ukraine indicating Russian forces have illegally deployed and activated Starlink terminals in...

8 March 2024 | Networks

Widespread cellular outage hits the US

A cellular outage has swept across large portions of the US, causing disruptions in services provided by major telecom companies including AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

Data collected from outage tracking website Downdetector revealed that more than 32,000 incidents were reported with AT&T's service around 4:30am Eastern Time. The outage affected cities including San Francisco, Houston, and Chicago, according to information displayed on the website.

Users of...

22 February 2024 | 5G

FCC rejects Starlink’s bid for $886M in subsidies

The FCC has denied Elon Musk's Starlink a hefty $886 million subsidy from the Universal Service Fund, allocated for expanding broadband services in rural areas.

The rejected bid, originally intended for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) program, faced criticism as the FCC deemed Starlink incapable of proving its ability to deliver the promised broadband service.

This decision echoes a similar move by the FCC last year, prompting an appeal from SpaceX, Musk's...

13 December 2023 | Legislation & Government

AT&T plans most wireless traffic to flow across Open RAN by 2026

AT&T has unveiled plans to transition 70 percent of its wireless network traffic to open-capable platforms by late 2026.

The telecoms giant aims to fully integrate Open RAN sites in collaboration with industry leaders Ericsson and Fujitsu, starting as early as 2024. This departure from closed proprietary interfaces signifies a pivotal shift towards rapid scaling and effective management of diverse hardware suppliers at each cell site.

AT&T's timeline includes...

5 December 2023 | 5G

Google will help deliver two new transpacific subsea cables

In a bid to bolster digital connectivity and enhance the resilience of Pacific networks, Google has unveiled its ambitious South Pacific Connect initiative.

The project aims to lay down two groundbreaking transpacific subsea cables – Honomoana and Tabua – facilitating digital communications between the US, Australia, Fiji, and French Polynesia.

This venture – a collaboration with partners including Fiji International Telecommunications, Office of Posts and...

26 October 2023 | Broadband

UK joins leading nations to strengthen telecoms security and innovation

The UK has teamed up with key global players – including Australia, Canada, Japan, and the US – to enhance telecom security, resilience, and innovation.

The initiative, named the Global Coalition on Telecommunications, was officially launched today. The collaboration aims to safeguard critical communications networks in the face of challenges such as supply chain disruptions and cyberattacks.

Michelle Donelan, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and...

5 October 2023 | 6G

Surveillance balloons spotted over the US and Canada

High-altitude surveillance balloons have been spotted by US and Canadian authorities over their respective territories.

The first balloon was spotted in the US over sensitive American national security installations, including the Malmstrom Air Force Base. 150 nuclear-armed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles are located at the base.

The Pentagon claims the balloon belongs to China. Beijing has not taken responsibility but says that it’s looking into the...

3 February 2023 | Legislation & Government

Verizon finally shutters its 3G network

Verizon has switched off its 3G network following years of warnings to holdouts still relying on the legacy network.

Any customer using a 3G CDMA device that does not support newer technologies “will be suspended without billing and will lose the ability to call, text, or use data.”

The operator is the last of the US big three carriers to switch off its 3G network. The spectrum used for the network will be repurposed for newer technologies.

Customers have...

3 January 2023 | Networks

AT&T achieves 20Gbps speeds on a production fibre network

AT&T has achieved 20Gbps symmetric speeds on a production fibre network, an industry-first.

The operator’s Hyper-Gig service is already the fastest in the US, offering 5Gbps symmetric speeds to consumers and businesses.

AT&T has been working to further increase its speeds to ensure its network is prepared for whatever future applications are thrown at it. Earlier this year, the operator announced that it had achieved 10Gbps speeds in its labs.

Lab...

10 June 2022 | AT&T