Ayar Labs raises USD 500 mln Series E to scale co-packaged optics production
UNITED STATES 01:06

Ayar Labs raises USD 500 mln Series E to scale co-packaged optics production

US-based optical interconnect company Ayar Labs has closed a USD 500 million Series E funding round to expand high-volume production and testing capacity for its co-packaged optics (CPO) technology, bringing total funding to USD 870 million and valuing the company at $3.75 billion. The round was led by Neuberger Berman, with participation from institutional investors including ARK Invest, Insight Partners, Qatar Investment Authority, Sequoia Global Equities and 1789 Capital. 

NTT completes IOWN-based immersive live viewing trial
JAPAN 01:05

NTT completes IOWN-based immersive live viewing trial

NTT Docomo Solutions has completed a proof of concept for an immersive live viewing service using IOWN and AI technologies, enabling simultaneous real-time delivery of 3D and augmented reality (AR) video from remote locations. The operator said the February 2026 trial combined its IOWN All-Photonics Network (APN) with AI-based video analysis to stream multiple immersive feeds without requiring advanced ICT equipment at the capture site.

Adtran upgrades broadband network for Jackson County REMC
UNITED STATES 3 MAR

Adtran upgrades broadband network for Jackson County REMC

Jackson County REMC, member-owned rural utility services co-operative, has selected Adtran to upgrade its broadband network to deliver faster connectivity to customers across southern Indiana. Adtran has deployed an integrated solution combining fibre access, the AI-powered Mosaic One SaaS platform and Intellifi managed Wi-Fi. This delivers cost savings of 20-30 percent, as well as reducing the number of truck rolls - helping to deliver an enhanced experienced for more than 13,500 broadband customers across

Vyve Broadband upgrades network infrastructure with Harmonic platform
UNITED STATES 3 MAR

Vyve Broadband upgrades network infrastructure with Harmonic platform

US-based Vyve Broadband will deploy the Harmonic cOS virtualised broadband platform to upgrade its network infrastructure. Migrating to a cloud-native, virtualised broadband platform will allow Vyve to simplify operations, expand capacity and enhance service performance. Harmonic's cOS platform combines DOCSIS and fibre operations into a single, unified platform. 

DSI Data to raise internet speeds from April
SLOVAKIA 3 MAR

DSI Data to raise internet speeds from April

Slovak operator DSI Data said that it will raise fixed broadband speeds under its Flexi tariff line in all locations where possible, reports Zive. New speeds will be offered from 01 April, while prices will remain unchanged. Downloads at up to 800 Mbps will be available for subscribers of the Wireless Pro+ tariff, and uploads will amount to 140 Mbps. That's up from the current 700 Mbps and 70 Mbps, respectively.

Imagine signs network access agreement with Eir
IRELAND 3 MAR

Imagine signs network access agreement with Eir

Irish broadband provider Imagine Communications has signed an agreement to use the Open Eir network, reports RTE News. The 3-year, multi-million-euro deal gives Imagine access to the Eir fibre network, mobile network and over 170 PoPs. The two companies will also co-operate on mobile broadband services, with a trial now live delivering 5G services to over 4,000 home broadband devices using Eir's mobile network.

Beskid Media offers broadband at 8 Gbps
POLAND 3 MAR

Beskid Media offers broadband at 8 Gbps

Polish ISP Beskid Media, working in the Lesser Poland and Silesia regions, has introduced to its customers an opportunity to access broadband services at up to 8 Gbps speed. The service is available for a monthly rate of a broadband tariff at up to 1 Mbps speed for twelve months under the promotion. The monthly rate will amount to PLN 95 during the promotional period, it will grow to PLN 155 starting from the 13th month.

AT&T to preview new AWS Interconnect offering in Q2
UNITED STATES 3 MAR

AT&T to preview new AWS Interconnect offering in Q2

AT&T has partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to provide scalable last-mile connectivity for business AI workloads. The new AWS Interconnect service brings AT&T fibre and fixed wireless connectivity directly into AWS environments, with a preview available to qualifying customers in select areas in Q2 2026. Availability will be extended after the preview phase, which will be used to validate the end-to-end customer experience.

AT&T to expand fibre coverage with 4 mln addresses in 2026
UNITED STATES 3 MAR

AT&T to expand fibre coverage with 4 mln addresses in 2026

AT&T expects to reach over 40 million addresses covered with FTTH by the end of this year, an increase of around 8 million from the end of 2025. Around half the growth comes from its acquisition of Lumen's fibre business earlier this year and the remainder from organic construction. The company said this puts it on track to reach its goal of over 60 million premises covered with fibre by 2030.

Uniti forecasts higher results in 2026 following Windstream merger
UNITED STATES 3 MAR

Uniti forecasts higher results in 2026 following Windstream merger

US operator Uniti reported slightly better-than-expected adjusted EBITDA for 2025, following the integration of the former Windstream business. The figures reached USD 1.17 billion, compared to an outlook for USD 1.11-1.16 billion, on annual revenues of USD 2.23 billion, in line with the forecast. For FY26, Uniti forecast a strong increase in results thanks to a full year of the acquisition, with revenues of USD 3.605-3.655 billion and adjusted EBITDA of USD 1.425-1.475 billion.

Optus completes 800GE Sydney-Perth trial with dual-path failover
AUSTRALIA 3 MAR

Optus completes 800GE Sydney-Perth trial with dual-path failover

Optus has completed a trial of 800 Gigabit Ethernet optical transport services between Sydney and Perth, combining subsea and terrestrial routes with automatic failover across its production network. The trial used the Nokia 1830 Photonic Service Switch platform with the PSE-6 optical engine to deliver 800GE transmission over approximately 4,700 kilometres. Traffic was configured to fail over automatically between the Indigo Central subsea cable and a terrestrial fibre route, creating a dual-path architectu

UfiSpace partners Arrcus on AI networking, unveils 1.6T portfolio
GLOBAL 3 MAR

UfiSpace partners Arrcus on AI networking, unveils 1.6T portfolio

Hyperscale software developer Arrcus and open disaggregated networking hardware provider UfiSpace have announced a collaboration to deliver AI-optimised networking platforms for service provider, data centre, edge and cloud environments, as UfiSpace separately introduced a new 1.6T open networking portfolio at Mobile World Congress 2026. The partnership integrates Arrcus's ArcOS network operating system with UfiSpace's routing and switching platforms, including systems based on Broadcom silicon such as the

UNITED STATES 3 MAR

Nvidia to invest USD 4 bln in Lumentum and Coherent for advanced optics

Nvidia announced multiyear strategic partnerships with Lumentum and Coherent to develop advanced optics technologies for next-generation AI data centre infrastructure. Under non-exclusive agreements, Nvidia has made multibillion-dollar purchase commitments for advanced laser and optical networking products and will invest a total of USD 4 billion, split 50:50, in the two companies to support research and development, expand manufacturing capacity, and fund US-based operations, including new fabrication faci

NIGERIA 2 MAR

Dimension Data secures NGN 20 bln bond funding to advance digital infrastructure

Dimension Data Nigeria has formally executed its NGN 20 billion (EUR 12.5 million) bond programme under Dimension Data SPV Funding, following approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Vanguard reported. It aims to address gaps in fibre coverage, limited enterprise connectivity and increasing demand for cloud, fintech, digital services, and Artificial Intelligence. DiData said the capital will be used to fund long-term investments in expanding network capacity, enhancing resilience, and sup

MEXICO 2 MAR

Televisa Q4 revenue down 4.5% to MXN 14.5 bln, cancels dividend

Mexican broadcaster and telecommunications operator Grupo Televisa reported revenues of MXN 14.5 billion in the final quarter of 2025, down 4.5 percent year on year due mainly to steep subscriber losses at its Sky-branded satellite TV unit, which posted a 16.8 percent slump in revenues. Fourth-quarter operating income increased by 6.1 percent year on year to MXN 5.9 billion, with a 40.9 percent margin, thanks to efficiency measures and Opex reductions.

GLOBAL 2 MAR

Qualcomm debuts Wi-Fi 8 range at MWC

Qualcomm is debuting at Mobile World Congress a full range of chips for Wi-Fi 8 devices. Its native Wi-Fi 8 system, the Fastconnect 8800, promises up to twice the performance of its previous Wi-Fi 7 chips and up to three times the range for gigabit speeds thanks to a 4x4 radio configuration. In addition, through Bluetooth High Data Throughput (HDT), Bluetooth speeds are greatly increased, from 2 Mbps to 7.5 Mbps.

SPAIN 2 MAR

Telefonica to showcase 5G and AI-backed emergency response system at MWC

Telefonica said intends to demonstrate at Mobile World Congress how 5G and artificial intelligence can combine to guarantee emergency medical care during major events. The test will use its new Titan Connect platform, launched in Spain in January, which integrates 5G SA, fibre, satellite and cloud technologies to ensure secure, uninterrupted connectivity in critical situations.

ITALY 2 MAR

Fastweb to raise price of more fixed line rates by up to EUR 3/mth next month

Fastweb (Fastweb+Vodafone) has announced on its website that over a dozen fixed line plans in its portfolio will be subject to a price increase of up to EUR 3 a month starting on 01 April 2026. The unilateral price hikes range from EUR 1 to EUR 3 a month and are due to the need to continue guaranteeing the best network quality and offer services to meet customer needs, said the operator.

FINLAND 2 MAR

Telia raises stake in Valokuitunen to 49% as CapMan Infra divests to Brookfield

Telia Company said it has agreed to raise its stake in Finnish fibre joint venture Valokuitunen from 40 percent to 49 percent for approximately EUR 30 million in cash, with completion due in Q2. At the same time, Brookfield Infrastructure Structured Solutions (BISS) has agreed to acquire the other 51 percent of Valokuitunen from CapMan Infra. Valokuitunen was formed in 2020 and reaches more than 400,000 homes in over 100 municipalities and hosts various service providers, including Telia, via open access.

UNITED STATES 27 FEB

T-Mobile, Eastex, BTel join USTelecom association

USTelecom, The Broadband Association, has added three new association community members - T-Mobile, Eastex Telephone Cooperative (Henderson, Texas) and BTel (Brazoria, Texas). USTelecom president and CEO Johnathan Spalter said the new members bring "decades of experience in leadership, investment and innovation". 

LITHUANIA 27 FEB

Lithuania plans broadband deregulation in 24 municipalities

Lithuanian telecommunications regulator RRT has decided to reduce regulation in the wholesale fixed internet market on fibre-optic networks. This follows a market analysis indicating that competition is sufficient in 24 municipalities across the country. Nevertheless, the regulation will remain in place in the majority of the country's area, in 36 municipalities. 

RUSSIAN FEDERATION 27 FEB

MTS tests 50G PON in Moscow

MTS has tested 50G PON technology, a first in Russia, according to the operator. The tests achieved peaks speeds of 38 Gbps download and 21 Gbps upload. The tests were carried out in the city of Moscow, with the OLT on MTS's network and an ONT at the customer's side.

NETHERLANDS 27 FEB

Dutch FTTH Networks 2025

The report Dutch FTTH Networks 2025 describes the state of the Dutch fiber to the home market as per 31 December 2025, and provides figures on market indicators such as Homes Passed, Homes Connected and Homes Activated and network duplication, profiles and analyzes developments at key market players and looks at the market issues which marked the period and set the stage for future development. It also includes our expectations for 2026 and beyond. For this annual FTTH report, we conducted interviews with various market participants. Several major and new players are presented and there are brief discussions on a number of hot issues in the broadband and FTTH market.

UNITED KINGDOM 27 FEB

PXC upgrades 1Portal wholesale connectivity platform

Platform X Communications (PXC), previously TalkTalk Wholesale Services, has upgraded the 1Portal wholesale connectivity platform. The upgrades make it easier for partners to order and manage broadband and single line voice solutions - adding to the range of voice, cloud, security Ethernet services already available on the platform. 

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Background

1 MAR 13:21

The week in telecoms: Paramount tops bidding for WBD, Samsung S26 kicks off MWC showcase

23 FEB 00:28

The week in telecoms: Liberty Global tackles cable vs fibre question, Orange promises dividends and MEA market goes wholesale

16 FEB 00:17

The week in telecoms: Cisco rides AI investment wave and European telcos invest in South America

9 FEB 01:54

The week in telecoms: hyperscalers vie for capex crown, Telenor and Vodafone profit from smaller footprints