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

Verizon will maintain controversial surcharge despite lawsuit

Verizon customers may soon receive payments up to $100 each as part of a $100 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit over its monthly "Administrative and Telco Recovery Charge." However, Verizon plans to continue charging the fee and may raise it further.

The settlement comes after a lawsuit alleged Verizon failed to properly disclose the nature and basis of the administrative surcharge, which helps fund regulatory compliance, taxes, and network operation costs. The fee...

16 January 2024 | Operators

BT misses Huawei equipment ban deadline

The deadline set by the UK government for telecoms operators to remove Huawei equipment from their core networks has elapsed, with BT falling a bit short.

In November 2022, the government issued formal legal notices to telecoms operators – including BT – outlining their obligations to eliminate Huawei kit due to security concerns. 

The initial deadline of 28 January 2023 was later extended to 31 December 2023 as several operators expressed difficulties in...

2 January 2024 | 5G

Prosecutors charge six individuals for operating large DDoS services

Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles and Alaska have charged six individuals for operating “leading DDoS-for-hire services”.

48 internet domains were seized as part of the operation. The FBI is currently seizing websites that allowed users to pay for DDoS services.

Some of the services were disguised as “stresser” services that authorised white hats could use for legitimate network testing against malicious attacks.

However, the FBI determined that...

15 December 2022 | Legislation & Government

UK sends legal documents mandating Huawei kit removal

The UK Government has sent legal documents to operators mandating the removal of Huawei equipment from national telecoms networks.

In 2020, the UK Government announced that Huawei’s kit must be removed from the country’s 5G networks by 2027. Operators were banned from purchasing Huawei’s equipment from 31 December 2020.

"This has not been an easy decision, but it is the right one for the UK telecoms networks, for our national security and our economy, both now and...

13 October 2022 | 5G

European operators want platforms to contribute towards infrastructure

A number of large European operators are calling for content platforms to contribute towards the cost of infrastructure.

In a joint statement, the CEOs of Vodafone, Telefónica, Deutsche Telekom, and Orange have expressed their opinion that content platforms should contribute towards building the connectivity infrastructure they rely on.

“The current situation is simply not sustainable. The investment burden must be shared in a more proportionate way,” claim the...

15 February 2022 | 5G

Ericsson and Samsung resolve global patent dispute with multi-year agreement

Ericsson and Samsung have resolved their high-profile global patent disputes with a multi-year agreement.

The two companies have a history of butting heads over patents. The most recent dispute began in December 2020, while the previous was in 2012 and dragged on for two years.

Lawsuits were launched by Ericsson and Samsung in several countries over the most recent dispute. The agreement today ends those complaints.

Christina Petersson, Chief Intellectual...

7 May 2021 | Telecoms

UK security bill sets out penalties if telcos use Huawei equipment

The UK has set out the security legislation that will enforce the ban on Huawei’s telecoms equipment, and it features some hefty penalties.

The Telecommunications Security Bill bans telcos from purchasing Huawei’s equipment from 2021. Huawei’s existing gear must be removed entirely from British networks by 2027.

Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden said:

“We are investing billions to roll out 5G and gigabit broadband across the country, but the benefits can...

24 November 2020 | Legislation & Government

Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou requests stay of extradition case, lawyers claim US misled Canada

Meng Wanzhou has requested a stay of proceedings in her extradition case while lawyers for the Huawei CFO claim the US misled Canada.

Following Meng's arrest, President Trump said: “If I think it’s good for what will be certainly the largest trade deal ever made – which is a very important thing – what’s good for national security, I would certainly intervene if I thought it was necessary.”

Meng's lawyers have pointed to Trump's comments as destructing the...

27 July 2020 | Legislation & Government