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

Viavi to acquire Spirent in $1.2B deal

Viavi Solutions has agreed to acquire Spirent Communications in an all-cash deal valuing Spirent at around $1.2 billion.

Under the terms of the acquisition, Spirent shareholders will receive 175 pence per share—comprising 172.5 pence in cash and a 2.5 pence special dividend. This represents a premium of 61.4 percent over Spirent's closing share price of 108.4 pence on March 4th.

The acquisition will create a combined company that aims to be a global leader in test,...

5 March 2024 | Networks

ASIO chief warns of critical infrastructure sabotage threat

Mike Burgess, Director General of Security at Australia's Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), has raised concerns over the potential for sabotage targeting critical infrastructure.

Speaking at ASIO's annual threat assessment, Burgess emphasised the persistent efforts of adversaries to exploit vulnerabilities in digital infrastructure—with a specific focus on disrupting essential services during critical moments.

"The sabotage threat has receded in recent...

29 February 2024 | Networks

Vodafone UK completes 3G shutdown to enhance 4G/5G services

Vodafone UK has followed EE's announcement this week by officially shutting down its 3G mobile network nationwide. This transition allows for the repurposing of related radio frequencies to bolster the faster 4G and 5G services.

While Vodafone claims the switch-off is complete as of this week, it slightly missed its initial target of finishing by the end of January 2024. Additionally, a "small number of locations" with "UK security significance" and some remote rural areas will...

28 February 2024 | 5G

AI-RAN Alliance aims to integrate AI into mobile networks

A new alliance announced during MWC could reshape the future of mobile networks and telecommunications by integrating AI into radio access networks (RAN).

The AI-RAN Alliance brings together tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Samsung, along with major telecom companies including Ericsson, Nokia, SoftBank, and T-Mobile.

The alliance's goals are using AI to enhance mobile network efficiency, reduce power consumption, retrofit existing infrastructure, and...

26 February 2024 | 5G

GSMA Open Gateway unlocks mobile network capabilities for developers

A new collaboration between the world's leading mobile operators will accelerate innovation across industries from finance and retail to transportation, healthcare, and beyond. The GSMA Open Gateway initiative provides developers simplified access to core network capabilities via open application programming interfaces (APIs).

Initially focused on security, new APIs for number verification and SIM swap detection are being implemented by operator groups across 42 countries so far....

23 February 2024 | 5G

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

Toshiba and Orange demo quantum-secure fibre data transmission

Toshiba and Orange have achieved significant milestones in quantum-secure data transmission. Through a meticulous series of evaluations, the two companies have showcased the practicality of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology in safeguarding data transmitted over fibre optic networks.

The evaluations, which were carried out in laboratory settings, encompassed several key achievements. 

Initially, the tests demonstrated the co-existence of QKD alongside a high...

22 February 2024 | Broadband

IBM reveals surge in cyberattacks leveraging compromised accounts

Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting valid user accounts to gain access to corporate networks, making this tactic a preferred weapon of choice for threat actors.

The findings come from IBM's 2024 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index released today. The report, based on insights from monitoring over 150 billion security events per day across more than 130 countries, reveals that cybercriminals are generating more opportunities to "log in" to enterprise systems through...

21 February 2024 | Networks

BT boosts developer productivity with Amazon’s generative AI coding assistant

BT Group's Digital unit has announced the deployment of Amazon CodeWhisperer, a generative AI coding assistant from Amazon Web Services (AWS). This marks a significant step in the company's drive for modernisation, efficiency, and improved tooling for its workforce.

CodeWhisperer provides real-time AI-powered code suggestions, from snippets to full functions, in multiple integrated development environments (IDEs). It leverages natural language comments and existing code to support...

20 February 2024 | Digital Transformation