Italy industrial output falls 0.3% in May
ITALY 11:43

Italy industrial output falls 0.3% in May

Italy's industrial production declined 0.3 percent in May compared to the previous month, the first fall since January, according to the latest data from national statistics agency Istat. The largest declines were seen in the textile, clothing, leather and accessories industries (-6.6%) and in other manufacturing industries, repair and installation of machinery and equipment (-3.8%).

Ofcom publishes proposals to tackle scam adverts and improve user-to-user platform safety
UNITED KINGDOM 11:29

Ofcom publishes proposals to tackle scam adverts and improve user-to-user platform safety

UK communications regulator Ofcom is seeking feedback by 02 October on proposals to force major technology companies to tackle paid-for scam advertisements. Enforcement action will include fines of up to GBP 18 million or 10 percent of global revenue, whichever is greater. Ofcom has also published draft rules under the Online Safety Act to make 'Category 1 services' such as social networks Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat more accountable and give users more control over their online usage.

Zoom brings out standalone virtual receptionist based on AI
GLOBAL 10:44

Zoom brings out standalone virtual receptionist based on AI

Zoom Communications has announced the launch of Zoom Virtual Agent (ZVA) Receptionist on a standalone basis, letting companies add an AI-powered front desk to their existing phone system without requiring Zoom Phone. A free trial programme is open to current and new customers. Regular prices start at USD 29.99 per month/100 minutes, or USD 24.99 monthly under annual billing.

EU tells Meta to end addictive Instagram, Facebook features
EUROPE 10:38

EU tells Meta to end addictive Instagram, Facebook features

Meta needs to end addictive features on Instagram and Facebook or face potential fines and sanctions from the European Union. The EU's executive body, the European Commission found that the addictive features of the social networks, such as autoplay and infinite scroll, are violating the EU's Digital Services Act and the requirement for large online platforms to assess the risks to physical and mental well-being of their products. Meta will have a chance to respond to the preliminary charges before the EU d

Telia Sweden adds AI section to children's 'Mobile Driving Licence'
SWEDEN 10:23

Telia Sweden adds AI section to children's 'Mobile Driving Licence'

Telia Sweden said it and children's rights organisation Bris are updating the Mobile Driving Licence by adding a section concerning artificial intelligence. The two brought out the licence as a public education service in 2020 to guide minors and guardians to use mobile phones safely. It is available to anyone free of charge at mobilkorkortet.se.

Kontron picked to modernise Portuguese railway core network
PORTUGAL 10:15

Kontron picked to modernise Portuguese railway core network

Kontron Transportation has been selected by Infraestruturas de Portugal to upgrade the Portuguese railway's communications core network. This significant contract win establishes Kontron as the new radio infrastructure provider, marking a key step in Portugal's transition toward the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS). Kontron's responsibilities will span the entire project lifecycle, from supply and installation to integration, testing, and long-term operational support. To ensure a smooth a

Keysight launches APS-ONE-400 cybersecurity tester
GLOBAL 10:15

Keysight launches APS-ONE-400 cybersecurity tester

Keysight Technologies has introduced a modular, data centre-targeted cybersecurity test device with four 100 Gbps Ethernet ports. The single rack unit (1-RU) APS-ONE-400 tester pumps out synthetic Layer 4-7 traffic to probe security protocols including Transport Layer Security (TLS) and TLS-targeted post-quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithms.

Videotron picks Vecima's Entra vCMTS to fuel Docsis upgrades
CANADA 10:13

Videotron picks Vecima's Entra vCMTS to fuel Docsis upgrades

Canada's Videotron has signed a deal with Vecima Networks to procure the latter's Entra virtualised cable modem termination system (vCMTS) for upgades in its Docsis cable architecture. The contract also encompasses the EN9000 Generic Access Platform (GAP) and ERM3 series Remote PHY Devices. Entra's cloud-native vCMTS is expected to support Videotron in upgrading its cable infrastructure to next-generation Docsis standards, providing flexibility across Docsis 3.1+, Unified Doscis, and Docsis 4.0 deployments.

Vodafone Albania and Nokia launch AI-driven network slicing
ALBANIA 10:12

Vodafone Albania and Nokia launch AI-driven network slicing

Vodafone Albania, in collaboration with Nokia, unveiled AI-powered Network Slicing. Developed by Vodafone Group and implemented on Vodafone's 5G standalone network, this innovation uses AI to analyse real-time conditions and autonomously reallocate network resources. This move enables smarter, more secure, and highly reliable connectivity tailored to specific business and public needs, the operator said.

Orange Spain awarded school training deals in Valencia and Andalucia
SPAIN 10:11

Orange Spain awarded school training deals in Valencia and Andalucia

Orange Spain (MasOrange) said it has been selected to take part in two regional initiatives to promote educational robotics, programming and computational thinking in public schools in the Valencian Community and Andalucia. The projects are designed to expand access to advanced teaching tools and methodologies from an early age, while also providing ongoing pedagogical and technical support to teachers.

Bouygues Telecom, SFR secure regulatory approval for amendments to 'Crozon' agreement
FRANCE 10:11

Bouygues Telecom, SFR secure regulatory approval for amendments to 'Crozon' agreement

France's telecom authority Arcep said that it has raised no objections to a number of amendments submitted by Bouygues Telecom and SFR with regard to their so-called 'Crozon' network sharing agreement, originally signed in 2014. The changes in question concern technical and operational processes, including the planned integration of new QoS (Quality of Service) indicators. The network sharing elements of the agreement remain the same.

ITU sets up focus group for trust, identity and agentic AI behaviour
GLOBAL 10:10

ITU sets up focus group for trust, identity and agentic AI behaviour

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has announced the establishment of the ITU Focus Group on Trust and Identity for Humans and Agentic AI the 'AI for Good Global' summit. It will develop frameworks for trusted digital identity and ensure that the behaviour of artificial intelligence agents remains trustworthy and accountable throughout their lifecycle. It holds its first meeting in Paris in November 2026 and its second in Geneva in January 2027

UNITED KINGDOM 09:47

Four arrested in UK illegal streaming crackdown

Four men were arrested in Merseyside following a two-day police operation targeting the suspected supply of illegal streaming services to thousands of customers, the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) said. Six search warrants were executed across Birkenhead and Prenton on 25-26 June, leading to the arrests of men aged 41, 47, 49 and 56. The investigation, supported by intelligence sharing between FACT and Merseyside Police, focused on services offering unauthorised access to premium TV, films and li

EUROPE 09:23

European digital advertising market grows over 10% in 2025

Online video has grown to over half of the display advertising market in Europe, according to a report from industry group IAB Europe. The total digital advertising spend in Europe grew by 10.5 percent in 2025 to EUR 131 billion, and display advertising increased by 12.5 percent. Online video ads grew at nearly twice that rate, rising 19.6 percent to EUR 34.0 billion.

SPAIN 09:21

Jazztel gifts 50GB in summer promo

Spanish operator Jazztel, a MasOrange brand, has announced that all new and existing subscribers with a mobile plan will be able to access a one-off 50GB data bundle to be used throughout the summer. Under the tagline "Mas Datos. Mas Verano. Mas Disfrute" ("More Data. More Summer. More Enjoyment"), the operator is inviting customers to activate the bonus data by 31 August via the Jazztel app, desktop area or WhatsApp.

FRANCE 09:17

France launches call for projects to support 6G standardisation

The French government has announced that the 'France 2030' multi-billion euro investment programme will provide funding for projects that can strengthen the country's participation in international efforts towards 6G standardisation. This latest call for projects, managed by French state-owned bank Bpifrance, will close on 15 January 2027, with interim deadlines during the last four months of the current year.

SAUDI ARABIA 09:14

Zain deploys Saudi Arabia's first commercial full duplex microwave link

Zain KSA has deployed the country's first commercial full duplex E-band microwave link, achieving a record-breaking throughput of up to 50 Gbps. Zain KSA chief technology officer Mohammed Abdulaziz AlNujaidi said that the successful deployment is a milestone in its mission to power next-generation services such as 5G-Advanced, AI services and enterprise connectivity. The operator aims to accommodate demand for high-capacity digital services.​

UGANDA 09:08

Uganda's new ICT minister pays first visit to UCC

Uganda's new ICT minister Justine Kasule Lumumba used her first visit to the UCC this week to urge faster digital transformation, robust consumer protection safeguards and stronger public education about regulatory services. These were her first major policy meetings since her appointment to the ICT portfolio in May. Lumumba commended UCC for its significant contribution to the growth and regulation of Uganda's communications sector.

UNITED STATES 09:05

Disney+ president takes over as FuboTV CEO

Veteran media executive Alisa Bowen is taking over as chief executive officer of FuboTV from 10 July, replacing co-founder David Gandler who is leaving the company. Most recently president of Disney+, Bowen will help the streaming company integrate with its new controlling shareholder, The Walt Disney Company. Prior to joining Disney, Bowen held leadership positions at News Corp, Dow Jones and Reuters.

GLOBAL 08:56

Ekinops sales rise 6% in Q2

Ekinops has reported second quarter consolidated turnover of EUR 30.6 million, an increase of about 6 percent year-on-year. Revenues from January to June rose 2 percent in cash terms to EUR 58.2 million. Ekinops has now achieved sequential sales growth in each of the last three quarters, including an 11 percent rise in the most recent period.

PERU 08:53

Peru launches Huanuco fibre network build

Peru's transport and communications ministry (MTC) has announced the launch of a project to expand internet access in the central Huanuco region. The rollout includes 1,430 km of fibre optic cable designed to deliver high-capacity connectivity to 516 public entities across 348 localities in 79 districts.

TANZANIA, UNITED REPUBLIC OF 08:49

Yas Tanzania runs app sign-up campaign with ZTE A35 as prize

Yas Tanzania has launched its 'Register, Login and Win' campaign to encourage customers to use the Yas App. It was unveiled at the 50th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (SabaSaba) which runs until 13 July. The 90-day campaign offers visitors to the Yas exhibition booth an automated entry into a weekly prize draw upon app registration. Tour winners will be selected each week to receive a ZTE A35 smartphone.

UNITED KINGDOM 08:49

Ofcom fines another porn site for not applying age checks

UK regulator Ofcom has issued another fine for failure to conduct age checks on a pornography website. Fapello.com was fined GBP 600,000 for violating the requirement and another GBP 30,000 for failure to respond to an information request from the regulator. Since the action, the site is geo-blocked for users in the UK. Additionally, Ofcom has opened an investigation into Bit Hive, the provider of the site eporner.com, to assess its compliance with age-check rules under the Online Safety Act. 

PORTUGAL 08:43

Microsoft Portugal CEO Andres Ortola steps down

Andres Ortola has announced his departure from the role of CEO of Microsoft Portugal after four-and-a-half years at the helm, according to Jornal de Negocios. Sharing the news on LinkedIn, the Argentine executive stated it was "the right time to make room for new leadership". During his tenure, which began in early 2022 when he succeeded Paula Panarra, Microsoft's Portuguese operations shifted to become part of the newly formed Southern Europe cluster.

Just In

11:43

Italy industrial output falls 0.3% in May

11:29

Ofcom publishes proposals to tackle scam adverts and improve user-to-user platform safety

10:44

Zoom brings out standalone virtual receptionist based on AI

10:38

EU tells Meta to end addictive Instagram, Facebook features

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Background

5 JUL 23:03

The week in telecom: Comcast gives up on vertical integration, BT and Verizon agree global alliance

3 JUL 07:46

TP:Talks - Billogram cuts customer service billing tickets by 40 percent with automated invoicing

28 JUN 23:51

The week in telecoms: Apple raises prices, Qualcomm tries server market and Jio going public

21 JUN 22:52

The week in telecom: sovereignty debate comes to VivaTech, Ericsson succession and Fox buys Roku