Telecoms

Critics fear the European Commission’s upcoming digital omnibus will relax AI and GDPR rules to placate big tech companies and Washington.

The European Commission is preparing to ease some of its most stringent digital and AI regulations, with critics blasting the commission of sacrificing privacy to secure big tech investment.

Revenues from telecoms and pay TV services will come in at north of US$1.5 trillion this year with growth exceeding expectations, but telcos will still need to look to AI to help them cut costs and maintain margins.

The UK's alternative network operators have hit out at incumbent Openreach for threatening to curtail its fibre rollout plans if upcoming regulatory changes do not meet with its satisfaction.

British Airways has signed a deal with Starlink which will see it provide “every customer in every cabin” free Wi-Fi.

The airline will start its Starlink rollout in 2026, and once it has it will be available on all BA mainline and Euroflyer flights.

• These two industry-leading research institutions are expanding their collaboration efforts to advance 6G technologies, setting the foundation for transformative connectivity solutions.
• The research collaboration will enable the commercialization of 6G networks that prioritize energy efficiency and resiliency

The Immigration White Paper (2025) increased the minimum occupation education level threshold for Skilled Worker Visa from A-level (RQF 3) to degree level (RQF 6) and introduced a Temporary Shortage List, which allows some ‘medium-skilled’ (RQF3-5) occupations to use the skilled visa route.​

• Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile select Germany for Satellite Operations Centre to further strengthen Europe’s digital sovereignty.
• Move follows establishment of Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile Luxembourg-headquartered satellite joint venture, SatCo.
• Planned EU constellation to be equipped

The Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA) and the Wi-Fi Alliance have stepped up their efforts to convince European lawmakers to reserve the upper 6 GHz band for unlicensed use.

Telco regulators from the Five Eyes intelligence alliance have pledged to work more closely with one another to counter cyberattacks targeting telco infrastructure.

BT has revealed a notable loss of broadband customers to rivals, as it navigates a "competitive" market.

A global surge in demand for AI computing capacity is placing unprecedented pressure on data centre supply chains and power infrastructure, according to Turner & Townsend’s latest Data Centre Construction Cost Index 2025-2026.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is inviting feedback from across the Advanced Connectivity Technology (ACT) ecosystem on proposals for the UK’s future ACT R&D Programme, which will focus on secure and resilient connectivity in addition to sustainable, energy-efficient networks.

Vodafone IoT announced a new partnership with Iridium Communications Inc., a leading provider of global voice, data, and PNT (positioning, navigatio

• The AI voice service sector is set for explosive growth
• Voice isn’t discussed much in telco circles any more, according to the Unthinkable analyst team
• But this is an area where digital service providers could develop AI-driven revenue streams, they suggest 

Digital Catapult has welcomed six international Open RAN (Radio Access Network) vendors to its advanced connectivity programme, driving the development, deployment and diversification of data-driven and open future networks in the UK.

ETSI's Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) Industry Specification Group is pleased to announce the release of a comprehensive set of specifications for its Phase 4 work, accompanied by a White Paper developed in collaboration with the Linu

• Up to 10,000 NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs will power a 0.5-EFLOPS supercomputer, delivering around 50 percent more AI computing power for Germany 
• Sovereign Deutschland-Stack: SAP solutions will provide the technology platform for easy integration of AI solutions
• From idea to launch in six months 
• Strengthens sove

• AI-powered receiver technology using machine learning can greatly enhance future 6G coverage, creating cost savings and accelerating time to market.
• The AI technology identifies and compensates for distortion in wireless signals, leading to substantial improvements in 6G uplink coverage.
• Nokia and Rohde & Schwarz will de

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced Fastnet, a new transatlantic subsea fibre-optic cable system linking Maryland, USA, and County Cork, Ireland.

Fastnet, which is expected to be operational in 2028, has been designed to improve network resilience by adding a new, independent data route across the Atlantic.

The Joint Open Infrastructure for Networks Research (JOINER), a UK-wide experimentation platform created to accelerate future communications and networks research, exploitation and adoption, has announced that its first international connection is live at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, opening up new potential for collaboration and innovation.

According to the latest Omdia numbers, the global smartphone market shipped 320.1 million units in Q3 2025, representing a 3% year-on-year hike.

Virgin Media O2 has signed a deal with Starlink that will see it bring direct-to-cell services to the UK in the first half of next year.

Cisco becomes the first partner to offer a NVIDIA Cloud Partner compliant reference architecture with new data center switching solutions. Together, Cisco and NVIDIA provide customers ultimate flexibility as they build critical AI infrastructure. 

News Summary:

ETSI is pleased to announce the appointment of the new leadership team for the Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC) Industry Specification Group (ISG) for its second two-year release, commencing 17 November 2025.