UK govt to ban AI-enabled nudification apps to protect women, girls
UNITED KINGDOM 19 DEC

UK govt to ban AI-enabled nudification apps to protect women, girls

The UK government is planning new laws to band AI-enabled nudification tools to protect women and girls from deepfake abuse. These tools use GenAI to turn images of real people into fake nude videos/pictures without their consent. The new laws are part of the government's strategy to combat violence against women and girls (VAWG). 

Open Fiber launches FTTH in nine L'Aquila localities
ITALY 19 DEC

Open Fiber launches FTTH in nine L'Aquila localities

Italian wholesale-only operator Open Fiber said it has completed the cabling of its FTTH infrastructure in several new localities in the central L'Aquila region. Over 5,500 homes, commercial premises and offices in Acciano, Castel di Ieri, Fagnano Alto, Fontecchio, Gagliano Aterno, Goriano Sicoli, Molina Aterno, Secinaro, and Tione degli Abruzzi have been connected to the fibre network, allowing residents and businesses to access the internet at speeds of up to 2.5 Gbps via operator partners.

Bechtle strikes cloud partnerships with Deutsche Telekom, Arvato
GERMANY 19 DEC

Bechtle strikes cloud partnerships with Deutsche Telekom, Arvato

German IT services provider Bechtle signed two new partnership agreements with Deutsche Telekom and Arvato Systems to further expand its multi-cloud portfolio. Under the agreement, Bechtle will provide to customers Telekom's public cloud platform Open Telekom Cloud. Bechtle has also added the Arvato Systems Private Cloud to its offering, designed for organisations with strict data protection and compliance requirements.

Telegram, Twitch, Pinterest, TikTok find in Russia for violating social media content rules
RUSSIAN FEDERATION 19 DEC

Telegram, Twitch, Pinterest, TikTok find in Russia for violating social media content rules

A court of the Taganka municipal district in the city of Moscow fined Telegram, Twitch and Pinterest RUB 6 million each, reports Interfax and Tass. The court also imposed a RUB 4 million fine on TikTok. The companies were fined for not complying with requirements from the federal telecommunications regulator Roskomadzor for social media to monitor content posted by their users against local legal requirements and to promptly remove illegal content. If the violations continue, the regulator may consider bann

DHH completes EUR 8 mln capital hike
ITALY 19 DEC

DHH completes EUR 8 mln capital hike

Milan-based data centre services provider DHH International said it has successfully completed an accelerated bookbuilding procedure involving a total of 354,916 shares, of which 324,916 were newly issued, for a total value of EUR 8.16 million. The price incorporates a premium of around 11 percent compared to the weighted average of the official prices recorded in the 30 days prior to the start date of the procedure.

AOI launches 400 milliwatt pump laser targeting silicon photonics and CPO
GLOBAL 19 DEC

AOI launches 400 milliwatt pump laser targeting silicon photonics and CPO

Applied Optoelectronics (AOI) has introduced a 400 milliwatt narrow-linewidth pump laser for silicon photonic applications and co-packaged optics in AI data centres. The pump laser is designed to drive optical power budgets in 800G and 1.6 Tbps data centre systems, while averting signal losses and staying within thermal limits associated with nearby silicon circuits in switch devices. AOI's product maintains 400 mW optical power at up to 50 degrees Celsius. It is currently sampling with select customers ahe

Comarch signs new BSS proof of concept pact with Hatif for fibre broadband
LIBYA 19 DEC

Comarch signs new BSS proof of concept pact with Hatif for fibre broadband

Comarch, Hatif Libya and Makman Technology Consulting have signed a Proof of Concept (PoC) agreement in Tripoli focused on validating selected Business Support System (BSS) capabilities supporting fibre-based broadband services. The new PoC follows an OSS pilot project contract signed earlier in 2025.

Airtel Zambia donates 26 internet routers to public libraries
ZAMBIA 19 DEC

Airtel Zambia donates 26 internet routers to public libraries

Airtel Africa Foundation, through Airtel Zambia has donated 26 internet routers to the ministry of education and the ministry of local government to enhance digital connectivity in public libraries across the country, reinforcing Government's efforts to improve access to information and digital learning.

Ethio Telecom connects 67 hospitals with 200 more to come
ETHIOPIA 19 DEC

Ethio Telecom connects 67 hospitals with 200 more to come

Ethio Telecom has connected 67 major hospitals to a centralised digital platform in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Ethio News Agency reported. Enterprise products chief officer Yohannes Getahun said the operator plans to expand telemedicine and telehealth services to another 200 hospitals, which is expected to reduce patient costs significantly while enhancing the quality of medical treatment.

Telehouse Canada, Megaport offer advanced cloud connectivity
CANADA 19 DEC

Telehouse Canada, Megaport offer advanced cloud connectivity

Telehouse Canada has partnered with global network-as-a-service (NaaS) provider Megaport to deliver advanced cloud connectivity solutions. This partnership will boost cross-border collaboration and unlock new connectivity capabilities for companies at Telehouse Canada data centres. 

Dhiraagu introduces NetProtect to tackle online scams
MALDIVES 19 DEC

Dhiraagu introduces NetProtect to tackle online scams

Maldivian operator Dhiraagu has introduced Dhiraagu NetProtect, a security service to safeguard users from suspicious SMS links, social media links and phishing websites. It costs MVR 35 monthly for Dhiraagu mobile customers and MVR 50 for fixed broadband customers. Subscribers receive an alert if a link or website is potentially unsafe before access is granted. Dhiraagu NetProtect blocked over 9 million security threats in November alone.

Quickline provides free fibre broadband to 50 community hubs
UNITED KINGDOM 19 DEC

Quickline provides free fibre broadband to 50 community hubs

Quickline Communications, UK rural broadband provider, has reached the milestone of providing free full-fibre broadband to 50 community hubs across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. The 50th community hub to benefit from this digital inclusion scheme is the Scotton Digital Hub, which was installed in October with support from Community First Yorkshire. Amelia Williamson, Quickline's Social Values Executive, said the milestone reflected the company's long-term commitment to closing the digital divide. 

ITALY 19 DEC

FiberCop tests Italy's first 400 Gbps fibre link

Italian wholesale operator FiberCop said it has carried out the country's first 400 Gbps fibre access test in collaboration with the Politecnico di Torino. The trial, conducted in Turin, marks the first successful use of coherent transmission on a point-to-multipoint optical network over a single fibre while maintaining coexistence with current GPON and XGS-PON technologies used by residential customers.

AUSTRIA 19 DEC

Austrian Supreme Court rules against Meta over personalised ads and personal data use

The Austrian Supreme Court has ruled against Meta, saying that the tech giant is prohibited from using personalised ads and personal data from social media plug-ins without consent. According to the court, Meta must not use the user's personal data either to personalise advertising or for aggregation and analysis for advertising purposes. The US tech giant is also prohibited from processing personal data obtained through "social plug-ins," unless data is processed solely for the technical purpose of display

GLOBAL 19 DEC

HPE to sell telco products segment to HCLTech for up to USD 160 mln

India-based HCLTech has struck a deal to acquire Hewlett Packard Enterprise's (HPE's) telco products unit. The deal is expected to close in June 2026 subject to terms and regulatory clearance. According to reports, the all-cash deal implies HCLTech could pay as much as USD 160 million, though USD 15 million is contingent on FY25 performance incentives.

GERMANY 19 DEC

DAZN secures rights to broadcast Euro, World Cup matches in DACH region

DAZN said it has secured the broadcasting rights for the UEFA Nations League, including the Nations League Finals, and qualifier matches for the Euro 2028 men's football competition in the UK and Ireland, as well as the men's World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico, and selected international friendly matches. The sports streaming service will broadcast the matches in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. DAZN is extending its current contract to broadcast football matches from major international competitions f

SOUTH AFRICA 19 DEC

Frogfoot set to increase fibre prices in February

South African fibre network operator (FNO) Frogfoot will increase its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) pricing on 01 February 2026, MyBroadband reported citing a notice from Vox Telecom sent to its fibre customers on Frogfoot's network. One customer told the news portal that their mid-range fibre package was going up by 12.65 percent. The notice says that Vox's general terms and conditions allows Vox to lift its charges for the affected service in proportion to the rise in cost.

UNITED STATES 19 DEC

ByteDance signs off on new US shareholders for TikTok

TikTok has agreed to a new joint venture for its US business, with the investors Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX. The deal, designed to ensure compliance with a US law requiring local ownership, is expected to close on 22 January, according to an internal memo seen by The Associated Press and other US media. In the communication, CEO Shou Zi Chew confirmed to employees that TikTok and its parent ByteDance signed the binding agreements with the consortium.

JAPAN 19 DEC

NTT East demonstrates automated optical path switching for disaster recovery

NTT East, working with NTT and the National Institute of Informatics (NII), has successfully demonstrated a technology that automatically reconfigures optical transmission paths in response to network conditions, enabling traffic to be rerouted within 10 minutes during major disasters. The organisations said the trial is the first to show automated route switching and on-demand addition of optical wavelength paths, including wavelength conversion, based on real-time communication conditions.

AUSTRALIA 19 DEC

Aussie Broadband warns of earnings impact after regulated rate decrease

Aussie Broadband has raised concerns about the financial and investment implications of new regulated voice interconnection prices, following the release of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) final determination. The operator said the decision would reduce wholesale revenue from its fixed voice networks, NetSIP and Symbio, from the 2026–27 financial year onwards. While acknowledging the delayed start date of the new regime, Aussie Broadband said it was disappointed that the regulato

UNITED STATES 19 DEC

Ares expands Northern Virginia data centre footprint

Ares Management Corporation has announced two data centre investments in Northern Virginia, adding both development and operational assets as it expands its exposure to digital infrastructure in the United States. Through its digital infrastructure business, an Ares fund has secured a 314-acre data centre development site in Spotsylvania County, located along the I-95 South data centre corridor. The site is expected to be developed, delivered and operated by Ada Infrastructure, Ares' vertically integrated d

GLOBAL 19 DEC

Hyperscalers driving 'dramatic' data centre capacity growth - Synergy

The number of large data centres operated by hyperscale providers has climbed to 1,297 worldwide, nearly tripling since early 2018, according to the latest research from Synergy Research Group. Over the same period, total operational capacity has increased more than fourfold as average data centre size continues to rise. The hyperscaler growth has accelerated since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022.

JAPAN 19 DEC

BBIX and BBSakura add SIM Option Feature to Open Connectivity eXchange

BBSakura Networks and SoftBank-owned IX provider BBIX said their private cloud service Open Connectivity eXchange (OCX) will support SIM Option Feature, which includes Data Usage Monitor, SIM Speed Control  and IMEI Lock. This SIM Option Feature can be enabled individually for each SIM within OCX Mobile Access. By using these features, customers can implement finely tuned, circuit-by-circuit configuration tailored to their specific usage requirements and operational policies.

GLOBAL 18 DEC

Cloudflare picks 2025 internet trends as Google, Facebook top traffic rankings

Cloudflare has published its annual roundup of key internet trends and its ranking of high-traffic web services. In the trends report, it picked out accelerated AI web crawling activity as an indicator of competition between major tech firms, including search providers and generative AI platforms, with Google's crawling bot leading competitors as the single biggest source of automated internet traffic. 

Just In

19 DEC 16:42

SLT-Mobitel launches 5G network in Sri Lanka

19 DEC 16:19

Dialog Axiata launches 5G network, connects 1.5 million subscribers

19 DEC 15:56

UK govt to ban AI-enabled nudification apps to protect women, girls

19 DEC 15:42

3 UK launches last-minute Christmas sale

Commentary

13:56

Video market set for slower growth ahead

11:38

Netflix buys Warner Bros to deepen content catalogue

11:11

KPN's mixed performance in Q3 raises questions for strategy day

15:26

Stock markets breaking records but what happened to Odido's IPO plans?

Background

01:04

The week in telecom: Wi-Fi bolt-ons take off to boost broadband growth, video market works on consolidation

01:39

The week in telecom: Netflix wins bidding for Warner Bros, Apple poaches new execs, Samsung debuts trifold

13:51

Proximus vs. Telenet: Proximus performs better in Q3 while Telenet uses up cash

14:16

Proximus Domestic still struggling with low margins