The U.K. Office of Communications (Ofcom) on Tuesday banned the leasing of special types of phone numbers called "Global Titles," which could jeopardize the privacy and security of mobile phone users, it said.
Vodafone and A1 Group, with support from Ericsson, announced what they say is the first 5G stand-alone international roaming connection between two providers. “The connection, between Vodafone in Germany and A1 Bulgaria, aims to enhance the responsiveness and reliability of roaming services for customers, particularly businesses with operations in multiple markets,” the companies said Monday. The providers “were able to seamlessly support the data connectivity of a mobile subscriber from A1 Bulgaria, roaming on Vodafone Germany’s 5G [stand-alone] network using a standard device, and supported by generally available core network software using the latest [3rd Generation Partnership Project] industry standards.”
Ottawa, Ontario-based Mitel Networks said Thursday that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas approved its reorganization plan. Mitel filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month. “Completion of the Company’s restructuring process is expected within the current calendar quarter, resulting in significantly less debt, and a stronger capital structure that will support future growth,” it said. The plan was “designed to position the Company to address the growing market demand for hybrid communications solutions and ensure continued support for Mitel’s more than 70 million users across over 100 countries.”
The State Department will hold a public meeting May 14 to brief the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy’s International Information and Communications Policy division “stakeholders” on “past and upcoming international engagements.” Among the areas listed are engagements with the ITU. The briefing will start at 1 p.m. ET and take place on Webex, said a notice for Friday’s Federal Register.
Turkcell hosted an in-person meeting in Istanbul of a new ITU focus group on AI-native networks, the Turkish carrier said Monday. The group was established to look at how AI “can be embedded into the very core of telecom infrastructure -- shifting from traditional automation to intelligent, self-optimizing systems,” said a news release. “AI-powered networks, equipped with autonomous decision-making and ultra-low latency, will soon become the backbone of next-generation communication,” Turkcell CEO Ali Taha Koc said. Quantum technology will also “be a key enabler of the future of secure communication.”
Despite U.S. sanctions, China’s Huawei had $118.6 billion in revenue last year, up 22.4%, the company said in its annual report released this week. Profit declined 28% to $62.6 billion. “In 2024, the global economy and international trade remained sluggish,” it said. “The rise of protectionism and trade barriers continued to disrupt the global trade order and undermine the stability of global value and supply chains.” But Huawei also saw positive signs for the global economy. “In 2024, overall global trade increased slightly, and the global economy remained resilient,” the report said.
Peru joined the list of nations where SpaceX has obtained the regulatory approvals needed to start supplemental coverage from space service. It said Wednesday in docket 23-135 that Peruvian authorities gave it and mobile service partner Entel Peru the green light. SpaceX also received authorizations from nations including Chile (see 2501070018), Australia (see 2412200045) and New Zealand (see 2412120021).
GSMA and Qatar announced on Tuesday the first Mobile World Congress in that nation will take place this year, Nov. 25-26. “Our vision is for MWC Doha to become integral to Qatar’s emerging role as a global hub for digital innovation, showcasing the Middle East’s digital transformation across AI, advanced 5G and smart mobility,” GSMA said.
AST SpaceMobile and Vodafone have inked a deal to create a jointly owned European satellite service business that would serve European mobile network operators. They said Monday that the venture would look to provide 100% geographic coverage of Europe, allowing satellite-delivered broadband connectivity to consumers and businesses via their mobile carrier. It will build ground stations to provide backhaul services between the European network operators and AST's low earth orbit constellation.
The Australian government is mandating universal outdoor mobile coverage for voice and SMS texting across the nation, with direct-to-device satellite connectivity to be a huge part of the coverage. Announcing the goal this week, Australia set an implementation deadline of late 2027. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the country's universal outdoor mobile obligation "will improve public safety, increase resilience during natural disasters, and provide an extra layer of coverage in areas previously thought too difficult or costly to reach. The experience will be different to land mobile networks, but the benefits transformative, particularly for a large continent such as ours."