KDDI and Broadcom test co-packaged optics for AI data centre networks
JAPAN 06:31

KDDI and Broadcom test co-packaged optics for AI data centre networks

KDDI and Broadcom have entered a technology partnership to develop lower-power network infrastructure for AI, beginning with joint testing of co-packaged optics (CPO) for GPU networks in AI data centres. The companies will install a CPO switch in a KDDI AI data centre, using Broadcom's Tomahawk 6 Ethernet switching chip and Davisson optical engine modules. Tomahawk 6 has a switching capacity of 102.4 Tbps. Testing will assess power consumption alongside network performance, including packet loss, congestion

Meta ordered to pay USD 25 bln to New Mexico for Facebook privacy violations
UNITED STATES 06:13

Meta ordered to pay USD 25 bln to New Mexico for Facebook privacy violations

Meta must pay the US state of New Mexico USD 25 billion after a jury found the company liable for deceiving users about privacy on Facebook. Facebook's deception was intentional and executives consistently misled users about how the platform worked, according to the ruling issued by state district court judge reported by AP. 

Apple ordered to open iOS to rival app stores in Australia
AUSTRALIA 06:02

Apple ordered to open iOS to rival app stores in Australia

Apple must allow rival app distribution channels and alternative in-app payment systems on iOS devices in Australia after the Federal Court ordered changes to its App Store rules, following findings that the company misused its market power. Most of the changes are due to take effect on 1 March 2027, although Apple can seek an extension to 3 May.

Millions of South Korean mobile customers remain without SIM replacements - report
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:44

Millions of South Korean mobile customers remain without SIM replacements - report

Around 8.86 million SK Telecom (SKT) customers have yet to replace or reset their SIM cards following last year's data breach, while 1.57 million have neither replaced their SIMs nor subscribed to the operator's SIM protection service, according to Newsis, citing government briefings. Data submitted to South Korea's ministry of science and ICT by Lee Joo-hee, a Democratic Party lawmaker on the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Communications Committee, showed that 38 percent of the 23

Naver Cloud launches free security self-assessment covering AI-related risks
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:41

Naver Cloud launches free security self-assessment covering AI-related risks

Naver Cloud has launched a free online security self-assessment service to help businesses identify potential weaknesses in their security practices, including risks arising from the use of AI systems. The Naver Cloud Security Self-Assessment site uses a 21-question survey covering seven areas, including network security, access control, and data protection and encryption. A dedicated section examines security in AI environments, extending the assessment beyond traditional infrastructure and data protection

NTT launches group-wide internal job-matching platform for 100,000 employees
JAPAN 05:39

NTT launches group-wide internal job-matching platform for 100,000 employees

NTT Group will launch an internal recruitment platform in October that allows its companies and business units to make direct job offers to employees based on their skills, experience and career interests. The new system, called NTT Group Job Scout, will cover 66 group companies and approximately 100,000 employees, including NTT Docomo, NTT Data, NTT East and NTT West.

LG Uplus and Ericsson test fronthaul tech to triple base station distances
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:37

LG Uplus and Ericsson test fronthaul tech to triple base station distances

LG Uplus has worked with Ericsson to validate fronthaul technology that can extend the connection distance between base station equipment by up to three times while maintaining stable communications quality. The trial used Ericsson's fronthaul equipment and network automation functions to test longer-distance connections and compatibility with LG Uplus's existing base station equipment. Fronthaul links radio units (RUs), which handle antenna functions, with distributed units (DUs) that process data, and is

KDDI adds ChatGPT 5.5 models and image generation to free povo AI service
JAPAN 05:34

KDDI adds ChatGPT 5.5 models and image generation to free povo AI service

KDDI, Okinawa Cellular and KDDI Digital Life have added three ChatGPT models and image-generation capabilities to povo AI, a free service available through the povo2.0 mobile app in Japan. From 22 October, povo2.0 subscribers can use ChatGPT 5.5, ChatGPT 5.5 Pro and ChatGPT 5.5 Thinking without additional charges. The service also adds Google's Nano Banana 2 image-generation model, allowing users to generate up to three images per day.

NTT Docomo selects Kong API for customer platform serving 90 million contracts
JAPAN 05:33

NTT Docomo selects Kong API for customer platform serving 90 million contracts

NTT Docomo has selected Kong's API gateway technology for its LAMP customer-facing platform, which supports online services and retail operations serving more than 90 million subscriber contracts. LAMP, launched commercially in March 2024, separates customer-facing systems from Docomo's legacy ALADIN customer relationship management system, which manages more than 90 million contracts. The platform runs on Amazon Web Services' Elastic Container Service (ECS) and uses a microservices architecture.

SKT launches roaming controls to block connections in unauthorised countries
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:31

SKT launches roaming controls to block connections in unauthorised countries

SK Telecom (SKT) has launched a free service that allows customers to restrict international roaming to approved countries, aiming to reduce unintended roaming charges and the risk of fraudulent use. The T Roaming Safe Countries service checks whether roaming is permitted in a country when a customer first attempts to connect to a foreign mobile network. Connections are blocked if the country has not been authorised under the service's rules.

Extreme plans on-prem AI platform using existing network infrastructure
GLOBAL 05:30

Extreme plans on-prem AI platform using existing network infrastructure

Extreme Networks plans to launch an on-premises enterprise AI platform in the first half of 2027, enabling organisations to run AI applications at branch offices and other distributed sites using local servers and spare computing capacity in existing network equipment. The company's planned Extreme Exchange zones will combine an Extreme Universal Compute Platform or a qualifying customer-owned server with spare capacity from deployed access points and switches. Workloads will be allocated according to custo

Optus switches on 1,000th upgraded regional 5G site
AUSTRALIA 05:27

Optus switches on 1,000th upgraded regional 5G site

Optus has activated its 1,000th upgraded regional 5G site in Gympie, Queensland, as part of a programme targeting 1,500 upgraded sites by the end of 2028 and 2,444 by December 2030. The operator said the number of upgraded regional 5G sites had more than doubled over the previous 18 months. It plans to upgrade more than 320 additional sites over the next 18 months, covering 177 communities and approximately 1.97 million customers.

JAPAN 05:26

Rakuten Mobile and IIJmio announce Nothing Phone (4b) launch offers

Rakuten Mobile has opened pre-orders for the Nothing Phone (4b), a 5G smartphone from UK-based technology company Nothing, ahead of its Japanese launch on 27 October. Rakuten Mobile is offering an exclusive blue colour alongside black and white models. The handset costs JPY 58,900 through Rakuten Mobile. Customers switching from another operator and signing up for an eligible Rakuten mobile plan for the first time can receive up to JPY 16,000 in Rakuten points, bringing the effective price to JPY 42,900, su

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:23

Apple to launch updated Siri AI in Korean this month

Apple plans to launch an updated version of its Siri AI assistant in Korean through a software update as early as 26 October, adding contextual understanding and personalised responses based on information stored on users' devices, according to Chosun, citing company sources. The Korean release follows the launch of an English beta version in September and will coincide with the expansion of language support to Japanese.

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:20

Korea plans sovereign wealth fund investment in digital infrastructure

South Korea plans to use its proposed sovereign wealth fund to provide long-term capital for digital infrastructure projects and attract further investment from private and international investors, according to Yonhap citing government sources. Second vice finance minister Huh Chang outlined the plan at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) finance ministers' meeting in Hong Kong.

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:16

LG and K-water plan AI transformation of Sihwa tidal power plant

LG Electronics has signed an MoU with South Korea's K-water to develop AI-based operations at the Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Plant, applying digital twins, AI agents and robotics to the facility. The agreement will combine K-water's power plant operating experience and data with LG Electronics' smart factory technology. The partners will explore applications including AI-enabled power generation, digital transformation, research and development, and joint opportunities in overseas markets.

JAPAN 05:13

TV Asahi, KDDI test drone-based disaster reporting in Noto Peninsula

TV Asahi, KDDI and KDDI SmartDrone have tested a system for transmitting drone footage from permanent drone ports in Japan's Noto Peninsula to TV Asahi's headquarters in Tokyo, aiming to accelerate disaster reporting and provide information to residents. The trial took place across four locations in Ishikawa Prefecture: Nanao, Suzu, Noto and Shika. Simulating the immediate aftermath of a major earthquake, the system launched drones within about 15 minutes and transmitted high-resolution footage in real time

GLOBAL 05:11

Equinix opens liquid-cooling test centres in five cities

Equinix has launched a network of five innovation centres where enterprises can test and validate liquid-cooled infrastructure for high-density AI deployments in live data centre environments. The Equinix Enhanced Performance Innovation Centers (EPIC) are operating in Sydney, Frankfurt, London, Osaka and Paris, with further locations planned for 2027. The centres allow customers to trial liquid-cooled graphics processing units (GPUs) and central processing units (CPUs), and test AI training and inference wo

AUSTRALIA 05:10

NBN Co to extend fibre broadband access to 19,000 Victorian premises

Australian government-owned wholesale broadband provider NBN Co plans to expand fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband access to around 19,000 homes and businesses across 70 Victorian communities, with all selected locations expected to be ready for connection by December 2030. Construction has begun in Sebastopol and surrounding areas. The rollout is being delivered in partnership with the Victorian Government through its Connecting Victoria programme, using funding made available through reinvestment from

GLOBAL 05:08

Nvidia expands supply chain capacity to support AI growth

Nvidia has announced agreements with six manufacturing partners to expand production capacity for semiconductor substrates, advanced packaging, chip testing and optical engines, as it seeks to meet demand for AI computing infrastructure. The plans include a 2.5-fold increase in substrate capacity over the next three years, a more than 300 percent increase in interposer wafer capacity at Amkor Technology by the end of 2028, and a doubling of Nvidia's total semiconductor testing capacity between 2026 and 2027

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:06

SKT partners researchers to improve AI model's mathematical reasoning

SK Telecom (SKT) is collaborating with researchers from Seoul National University, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and other South Korean institutions to improve the mathematical reasoning capabilities of its A.X K2 foundation model and apply it to research into unsolved mathematical problems. The project will bring together specialists in areas including probability theory, statistical physics, discrete mathematics, graph theory, topology and geometric group theory. 

UNITED KINGDOM 21 OKT

Lancaster University support TechFirst Women's Programme

Lancaster University has joined the UK government's TechFirst Women's Programme to encourage 300 women into the technology industry. The scheme aims to help candidates into paid jobs in areas such as cyber security, AI, quantum technologies, semiconductors and advanced communications by March 2027.

UNITED KINGDOM 21 OKT

FourNet acquires SVL Business Solutions

Manchester, UK-based FourNet, customer experience (CX) and AI transformation specialist, has announced the acquisition of Glasgow-based SVL Business Solutions, long-term partner specialising in contact centre and CX transformation. The merger adds 41 employees and strengthens FourNet's CX transformation capabilities, especially in financial services and other regulated sectors. 

CANADA 21 OKT

Canadian govt invests CAD 15 million in Xona Space Systems

The Canadian government has announced a CAD 15 million investment in Xona Space Systems Canada, space technology company developing next-generation positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) technologies. The investment was made through the federal Strategic Response Fund, and will support the company's CAD 64.8 million project to create a missions operations and space systems development and manufacturing facility in Montreal, Quebec. 

Just In

06:31

KDDI and Broadcom test co-packaged optics for AI data centre networks

06:13

Meta ordered to pay USD 25 bln to New Mexico for Facebook privacy violations

06:02

Apple ordered to open iOS to rival app stores in Australia

05:44

Millions of South Korean mobile customers remain without SIM replacements - report

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Background

18 OKT 23:28

The week in telecom: Apple, Amazon try AI consumer device alternatives as smartphone market crashes

17 OKT 09:26

German Weekly - Week 42

11 OKT 23:39

The week in telecom: DT puts a figure on telco AI potential, SpaceX threatens mobile launch and Paramount seals WBD deal

4 OKT 23:20

The week in telecom: FTTH sparks UK competition, AI coming to telco bundles and Samsung raises prices