Telecom news

• HS2’s longest railway tunnels reach halfway point under the Chilterns

  06-02-2023 19:00 via ianvisits.co.uk
  
  The two tunnel boring machines that set off from just inside the M25 to dig two HS2 railway tunnels have reached the halfway mark in their progress northwards.
  The two tunnel boring machines (TMBs) set off 18 months ago excavating the twin tunnels between the M25 and South Heath in Buckinghamshire and are now 5 miles into their 10 mile tunnel digging efforts.
  Chiltern tunnel curving out of sight November 2022 (c) HS2
  As well as digging and lining the tunnels, engineers have also completed the ex
  
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• Ericsson and Mobily deploy AI system which ‘redefines the very nature of network operations’

  06-02-2023 18:33
  Kit vendor Ericsson has plugged in an AI system into Saudi operator Mobily’s network, in order that it can enjoy some automated network management action.
  The firms have successfully deployed the ‘Ericsson AI-based network solution’ – which could probably do with a flashier name –  into Mobily’s network in Saudi Arabia in order to enable some ‘enhanced and smart end-user experiences.’
  More specifically, what this will do is provide 5G network
  
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• e& takes a bigger chunk of Vodafone

  06-02-2023 17:06
  e& has acquired yet more Vodafone shares, taking its stake into the troubled telco group to 13%.
  The United Arab Emirates-based operator has been buying into Vodafone for the past nine months, clearly attracted by its subdued share price.
  Naturally, it did not state what it has paid for its latest raft of shares in the brief statement it issued to the Abu Dhabi Securities Index. However, it has upped its stake by one percentage point since its last share purchase, which came as recently as m
  
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• British Library extension building gets approved

  06-02-2023 16:00 via ianvisits.co.uk
  
  A large extension to the British Library, which includes space for Crossrail 2, has secured planning approval from Camden Council.
  Extension building – Source: British Library planning application
  The development will involve extending the northern aspect of the existing British Library to provide library accommodation; commercial space designed to cater for knowledge quarter uses (including life sciences, cultural, scientific and heritage collections and data sciences); retail space; and
  
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• KKR’s TIM bid could prove to be a stalking horse

  06-02-2023 14:19
  TIM last week confirmed that it has received a new offer from KKR for its network assets, but while it has committed to examining the bid, it has made it clear that it is also open to other options.
  The Italian incumbent disclosed that it has had a non-binding offer from KKR for the purchase of a stake in an as yet to be established company that will house its fixed network assets. It didn’t have much else to say on the matter: we do not know what size of shareholding is in play – &l
  
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• India finally OKs Vodafone Idea debt-to-equity conversion

  06-02-2023 14:11
  Cash-strapped telco Vodafone Idea was finally thrown a lifeline late last week, but it comes at a high price.
  In a stock exchange filing on Friday (PDF), Vodafone Idea (Vi) confirmed it has been instructed by the government to convert into equity the INR161.3 billion ($1.95 billion) of interest it owes on spectrum and other licence fees at the pre-agreed rate of INR10 of debt per share. When the dust settles, the government will own around 33% of Vi, making it the company’s biggest single
  
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• Half of Brits apparently think European data roaming fees are unfair

  06-02-2023 14:01
  Some research by UK operator VMO2 says data roaming charges are the second most annoying travel related bill, while some don’t even know such a thing exists.
  According to some research the operator has gathered together, half of Brits think it’s unfair they have to pay additional charges for using their mobile when travelling to Europe, while a quarter of them don’t realise they may need to pay extra at all. VMO2 has extrapolated data roaming charges could cost a family of four
  
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• The Telecoms.com Podcast: Mavenir, Open RAN and telecoms policy

  06-02-2023 13:01
  The Telecoms.com Podcast · Mavenir, Open RAN and telecoms policy
  
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• Why we should be excited about the 5G-Advanced Era

  06-02-2023 13:00
  Telecoms.com periodically invites expert third parties to share their views on the industry’s most pressing issues. In this piece Ari Kynäslahti, Head of Strategy and Technology at Nokia, discusses the benefits of 5G-Advanced. 
  5G is forecasted to reach 692 million subscribers globally by the end of 2023 and currently covers a fifth of the global population. In some markets such as Hong Kong, Kuwait, South Korea and the US, 5G covers an impressive 80 per cent or more of the popul
  
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• Water-loo station’s toilets are to be refurbished

  06-02-2023 13:00 via ianvisits.co.uk
  
  The toilets at Waterloo station are to be revamped and will now include a new gender-neutral facility to improve inclusivity.
  The project will involve creating a balanced number of female and male facilities, along with extra baby changing areas and improved access will also be created to make it easier for people with reduced mobility, the elderly and people using pushchairs.
  Concept image for the gents toilets (c) Network Rail
  Cem Davis, Network Rail’s London Waterloo station manager con
  
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• STC and Telefónica pool resources to develop new tech

  06-02-2023 12:39
  Spanish operator Telefónica has signed another collaborative agreement, this time with Middle Eastern telco STC as they look to rustle up some treats in the cybersecurity, cloud, IoT and Big Data fields.
  STC and Telefónica have entered into a collaborative pact in order to ‘benefit from their joint scale, combined expertise and market presence’ – which appears to mean joint future B2B and B2C projects in areas such as cybersecurity, cloud, IoT and Big Data.
  This m
  
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• Campaign seeks to return Florence Nightingale’s customised wheelchair to the UK

  06-02-2023 09:12 via ianvisits.co.uk
  
  Florence Nightingale’s specially customised wheelchair, which has been in a US university for over a century, could go on display in London’s Florence Nightingale Museum, if the museum can raise the money to acquire it.
  When Florence Nightingale returned to Britain, following the Crimea War, she began to suffer illness, which meant that much of her writing, analysis of statistics and campaigning took place amid bouts of fever, insomnia, exhaustion and depression. The life-changing il
  
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• London’s Alleys: Magpie Alley, EC4

  06-02-2023 08:00 via ianvisits.co.uk
  
  This is a small alley just off Fleet Street in the City, but one that’s richly decorated with historic tiles telling the story of the newspaper trade that used to dominate the area.The alley passes through the long since vanished White Friars monastery that used to occupy this part of London between Fleet Street and the Thames. They were known as the White Friars after the white habit worn by the Carmelite Friars.
  Following the dissolution of the friary in November 1538, the land was sold
  
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• Telecom Italia: KKR’s €20bn offer should not be dismissed

  06-02-2023 06:00
  The Italian government may be looking at different numbers, but the proposal deserves careful consideration
  
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