Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: TIM gives cloud support to Salesforce; Telefónica Tech adds Netskope security; Yandex boss steps down.

Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe

June 7, 2022

2 Min Read
Eurobites: Orange extends Nokia's networks contract in Poland

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: TIM gives cloud support to Salesforce; Telefónica Tech adds Netskope security; Yandex boss steps down.

  • Nokia has landed a ten-year extension to its existing contract with Orange Polska, taking it through to 2036. The new deal covers half of Orange's network in northern Poland and commits Nokia to upgrading the operator's radio network infrastructure, phasing out its 3G network and reallocating frequencies to improve its 4G coverage. Nokia will also supply equipment supporting 5G-friendly C-Band spectrum when it is made available in Poland.

    • Telecom Italia (TIM) has hooked up with Salesforce to, in the words of TIM's press release, "support the digital transformation processes of companies and public administrations to make them more efficient and competitive." Specifically, the deal involves TIM's cloud-focused unit, Noovle, which will be providing one of the cloud-based platforms upon which Salesforce's customer relationship management software rides.

    • Also getting it on in the "digital transformation" sphere are Telefónica Tech and Netskope, the latter a specialist in "security service edge" and "zero trust" software. The plan is that Netskope's security offerings will be integrated into Telefónica Tech’s Security Edge service, supporting large and midsized companies in their transformation journey.

    • Elsewhere in Telefónicaland, the Spanish giant's investment fund, Wayra X, has announced its participation in the $3 million round of Gimme Radio, a New York-based "social audio" startup. Gimme Radio provides a platform on which musicians can create engaging listening experiences for fans, while making money through digital and physical subscriptions, virtual tips, e-commerce and ticket sales.

    • The tech fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues: Reuters reports that Arkady Volozh has stepped down as CEO of Yandex, the Russian Internet company, after he was included on the European Union's list of sanctioned individuals. Volozh co-founded the Yandex search engine in 1997.

    • Africa Data Centres is bolstering its presence on the western side of the continent with the opening of a 30MW facility in Accra, Ghana. The company, which already has data centers in Nigeria and Togo, is hoping to attract "hyper-scalers" to the region.

    • Wi-Fi problems are causing Internet users in the UK and Ireland "significant connectivity issues" despite increases in the speed of their connections, according to analysis of live data carried out by Canada-based Wi-Fi company RouteThis. Commenting on the analysis, RouteThis CEO Jason Moore said: "UK ISPs have by and large put fantastic CPEs into their customer homes, but challenges remain around educating customers on Wi-Fi, and this remains one of the biggest drivers of expensive support calls and unnecessary technician visits."

      — Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading

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About the Author(s)

Paul Rainford

Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading

Paul is based on the Isle of Wight, a rocky outcrop off the English coast that is home only to a colony of technology journalists and several thousand puffins.

He has worked as a writer and copy editor since the age of William Caxton, covering the design industry, D-list celebs, tourism and much, much more.

During the noughties Paul took time out from his page proofs and marker pens to run a small hotel with his other half in the wilds of Exmoor. There he developed a range of skills including carrying cooked breakfasts, lying to unwanted guests and stopping leaks with old towels.

Now back, slightly befuddled, in the world of online journalism, Paul is thoroughly engaged with the modern world, regularly firing up his VHS video recorder and accidentally sending text messages to strangers using a chipped Nokia feature phone.

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