Nothing to launch 'Essential Voice' feature for dictating messages and text
GLOBAL 13:53

Nothing to launch 'Essential Voice' feature for dictating messages and text

Nothing smartphones will soon have access to an AI voice dictation feature that automatically transcribes speech into text while removing vocal artefacts and stutters. The 'Essential Voice' feature is available for Nothing's Phone (3) handset and is expected to launch on the Phone (4a) Pro and (4a) models in the coming months. Essential Voice is activated through a long press of the Essential button on Nothing's handsets and also has a toggle icon in the on-board keyboard. This allows the transcriptions to

German public broadcaster ARD lays out new strategy to broaden reach
GERMANY 13:48

German public broadcaster ARD lays out new strategy to broaden reach

German public broadcaster ARD has laid out a new strategy to reinforce its position in a dynamic market environment. Its main goal is to establish, maintain and strengthen connections with as many groups within the population as possible. However, ARD is especially targeting younger people aged 30 to 49 years old, and occasional viewers, to expand its reach.

Viavi to present PCIe 7.0 probe at Santa Clara trade event
GLOBAL 13:38

Viavi to present PCIe 7.0 probe at Santa Clara trade event

Viavi Solutions will pitch a test and analysis product tailored to PCIe 7.0 expansion bus connectors at an industry event in May. The firm revealed it is investing in a PCIe 7.0 probe, Xgig PCIe 7.0, to get ahead of anticipated demand for the latest generation connector, which achieves a twofold increase in data throughput compared with the previous version, with rates reaching 128 gigatransfers per second.

AIS, ReelShort launch vertical short-series platform in Thailand
THAILAND 13:36

AIS, ReelShort launch vertical short-series platform in Thailand

Thai operator AIS has partnered with storytelling platform ReelShort to introduce 'Verticaltainment' short, fast-paced episodes designed specifically for smartphone viewing. The platform will offer over 4,000 professional titles designed specifically for this watch-on-the-go lifestyle.

Chinese authorities demand that Meta unwinds acquisition of Manus
CHINA 13:24

Chinese authorities demand that Meta unwinds acquisition of Manus

China's National Development and Reform Commission has banned Meta Platforms' acquisition of Artificial Intelligence start-up Manus, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal, citing the commission. The WSJ said the commission has the authority to review foreign investments and has prohibited the deal on national security grounds, ordering the USD 2.5 billion deal to be unwound. A Meta representative told the newspaper via email that the acquisition complied fully with the law.

Norwegian govt could expand use of open source code to avoid dominant players
NORWAY 12:36

Norwegian govt could expand use of open source code to avoid dominant players

Norwegian Minister of Digitisation and Public Administration Karianne Tung has established a working group to advise the government on digital policy before summer, with input from a number of private and public stakeholders. Proposals could include a strategy for state use of open source code, stricter requirements for the use of open formats in public sector IT to avoid software lock-in, and risk assessments by government agencies with a view to improving their digital leeway. Tung said Norway must be abl

Local operators file predatory pricing claim against Digi Spain
SPAIN 12:11

Local operators file predatory pricing claim against Digi Spain

Spanish industry body Acutelan (National Association of Operators, Telecommunications Infrastructures and Local Television Stations) has asked the country's competition and communications watchdog CNMC to investigate Digi Spain over alleged predatory pricing practices, highlighting concerns among local operators about competitive pressures in the market.

Dazn launches new content creators initiative for FIFA World Cup
GLOBAL 12:07

Dazn launches new content creators initiative for FIFA World Cup

Dazn has launched a new initiative called Dazn48 to create a global network of content creators for the 2026 FIF World Cup, which will feature 48 countries for the first time. The network will have one creators to represent each of the 48 qualified nations to tell the story of the tournament from the fans' perspective. Interested football creators can apply online. Quim Domenech, EVP Global Content and Editorial for Dazn, said Dazn48 would "place fans at the centre of the World Cup" to deliver authentic cre

Traficom receives 73 complaints about social networks under Digital Services Regulation in 2025
FINLAND 12:02

Traficom receives 73 complaints about social networks under Digital Services Regulation in 2025

Finnish transport and communication agency Traficom said it received 123 complaints under the Digital Services Act in 2025, many of them about international social media platforms. Facebook attracted 42 complaints, Instagram eighteen and TikTok thirteen. The remaining 50 complaints concerned other services.

Sky WNT Fund returns to support women's football players in Ireland
IRELAND 11:44

Sky WNT Fund returns to support women's football players in Ireland

Sky has announced the return of the Sky WNT Fund, extending its support to players of the Republic of Ireland Women's National Team (WNT), both on and off the field, to five years. The fund will provide bursaries to all current WNT squad players to support their professional, academic and post-football career development. It was launched in partnership with the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) in 2021. 

Finnish indoor cabling regulation takes effect on 01 May
FINLAND 11:42

Finnish indoor cabling regulation takes effect on 01 May

Finnish transport and communications agency Traficom said that an updated regulation (65 F/2026 M) on indoor networks will take force on 01 May 2026. It incorporates changes required by the EU Gigabit Infrastructure Regulation 2024/1309. Under the EU rule, internal equipment in both terraced houses and high-rise buildings must be upgraded during any major renovations, if the property does not already have an indoor fibre network.

Vodafone Spain lands Huelva smart tourism and accessibility deals
SPAIN 11:39

Vodafone Spain lands Huelva smart tourism and accessibility deals

Vodafone Spain (Zegona) and Huelva city council have signed two contracts aimed at advancing digitalisation and accessibility in the southern Spanish city's tourism sector. The projects, with a combined value of nearly EUR 390,000, are above all designed to upgrade key heritage sites and enhance visitor experiences.

UNITED KINGDOM 11:35

Vodafone UK donates SIMs to British Gas Energy Trust charity

Vodafone UK is donating 5,000 SIMs to the British Gas Energy Trust through its partnership with Centrica, parent company of British Gas. The SIMs include 40GB of mobile data and unlimited calls/texts each month, for six months. They were donated as part of Vodafone's everyone.connected programme. The British Gas Energy Trust charity works with local charity providers to provide energy advice and support to those experiencing fuel poverty. The charity has made 1,000 of these 5,000 Vodafone SIMs available at

FINLAND 11:28

Elisa ties up with Danske Bank to protect Finnish mobile transactions

Finnish operator Elisa has announced a cooperation with Danske Bank to help customers use their connected devices safely, leveraging tools and support. Elisa said outdated smartphones and operating system pose the biggest risks to digital transactions. They expose users to scams, malware and account abuse, it added.

UNITED KINGDOM 11:26

Vodafone installs temporary mobile mast at London Marathon start line

Vodafone UK is expecting a 15 percent increase in mobile data usage on its network at the 2026 London Marathon compared to the 2025 event. To help keep people connected, it has boosted network capacity by installing a temporary mobile mast, or Cell on Wheels (COWs), at the start near near Greenwich Park. The COWs have multi-operator core network technology to keep both Vodafone and 3 UK customers connected through the same infrastructure.

UNITED KINGDOM 11:19

Redsquid appoints new group chairman and managing director

Redsquid, UK managed security services provider, has announced the appointment of former Daisy Group executive Dave McGinn as chairman. He will take up his new role next week, working closely with the Redsquid leadership team and the board to drive the next phase of growth. The appointment follows the recent acquisition of Partnership Education, its largest acquisition to date.

UNITED STATES 11:17

Verizon upgrades FY outlook after positive phone customer growth in Q1

Verizon reported higher results for the first quarter, saying its new strategy was paying off in stronger customer growth. The US operator added a net 55,000 postpaid phone subscribers in the quarter, the first time this figure is positive in Q1 since 2013. Verizon now expects to achieve the high end of its forecast for 750,000 to 1 million postpaid phone net additions in FY26.

NORWAY 11:14

Telia wins contract from Norwegian Agency for Shared Services in Education and Research

Telia Norway said it has won the primary contract in a procurement round by the Norwegian Agency for Shared Services in Education and Research (SIKT). The operator will supply telephony and associated services to universities, college campuses and research institutions nationwide. The deal includes 20,000 mobile subscriptions, mobile broadband services and around 85,000 landline numbers. It has a duration of one year with a 1+1+1 year extension option.

BRAZIL 10:56

Brazil's Connectivity Index shows strong gains in 2025

Anatel, Brazil's telecommunications agency, has released its 2025 Brazilian Connectivity Index (IBC), showing a widespread improvement in connectivity across the country. The index, scored from 0 to 100, indicates that 4,614 out of 5,570 municipalities (82.8%) saw better connectivity, while only 956 (17.2%) experienced a decline.

GLOBAL 10:54

R&S partners Gatehouse Satcom to develop 5G NTN test cases

Rohde & Schwarz (R&S) is joining forces with 5G NTN software developer Gatehouse Satcom to strengthen in-lab testing of 5G NTN connectivity services. The alliance aims to satisfy customer demand as the market shifts from early specification work towards live 5G NTN services based on 3GPP criteria. The partners believe the coming phase of commercialisation will require enhanced testing to achieve service reliability, and anticipate there may also be scope to support 6G-era activity.

FINLAND 10:54

DNA enhances switchboard service DNA Vaihdepalvelua using AI and CRM integration

Telenor's Finnish arm, DNA has announced the addition of new functions to its switchboard service, DNA Vaihdepalvelua, in May. They are automatic caller identification, CRM system integration, AI-generated call summaries and voice announcements in different languages. Mari Eklund, director of communication products for DNA's corporate business, said the operator is responding to demand for better reachability and is applying Artificial Intelligence to streamline call processing.

PORTUGAL 10:53

Meo awarded for use of visual AI in customer service

Portuguese telecom operator Meo, in partnership with TechSee, has won the 'Technology of the Year (Product)' award from the Business Intelligence Group for its groundbreaking use of visual AI in customer service. Meo is the first telecom operator in Portugal to integrate end-to-end visual AI into its Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system. This innovation significantly enhances customer experience by allowing users to quickly identify and resolve technical issues. Instead of trying to explain hardware prob

MACAU 10:29

Macau telecom market contracts in March

Macau's telecommunications market experienced a contraction in both mobile and fixed-line subscribers in March, as reported by the regulator CTT. The mobile sector continued to perform negatively, with active lines dropping from 1.46 million in February to 1.45 million in March. Postpaid 5G leads the market at 895,595 users, followed by prepaid 5G with 242,711 subscribers. LTE services accounted for the remaining users, with 195,446 on postpaid and 119,661 on prepaid plans.

BRAZIL 10:27

Telebras appoints new governance director

Brazilian state-owned telecom services provider Telebras has appointed Aecio Prado Dantas as its new governance director. With over 30 years of experience as an accountant, Dantas brings extensive expertise in accounting, governance, public management, compliance, risk management, and institutional leadership. His previous roles includes president of the Federal Accounting Council from 2022 to 2025 (after serving as vice president) and chairman of the Regional Accounting Council of Sergipe. He has also part

Just In

13:53

Nothing to launch 'Essential Voice' feature for dictating messages and text

13:48

German public broadcaster ARD lays out new strategy to broaden reach

13:38

Viavi to present PCIe 7.0 probe at Santa Clara trade event

13:36

AIS, ReelShort launch vertical short-series platform in Thailand

Commentary

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2 FEB 13:49

KPN results show little bother from the competition

2 JAN 13:21

Open Dutch Fiber's new management team takes up turnaround challenge

Background

26 APR 23:04

The week in telecoms: sovereign hopes take hold in Europe and Apple confirms new CEO

19 APR 23:04

The week in telecoms: SFR takover moves ahead, Amazon bags Globalstar and Netgear in favour in US

12 APR 23:28

The week in telecoms: Samsung profits soar, Netflix targets kids and telcos build defence vertical

9 APR 15:58

Ziggo Group creation at 2026 low point sets stage for growth ahead