South African operator MTN has announced ambitious plans to cover 25% of the country with 5G by the end of 2022. Currently, the operator has around 1,000 active 5G sites there. As part of the rollout, MTN will be opening 5G "experiential zones" in major shopping centers to demonstrate just what the technology can do in areas such as gaming and "smart home" products.

France's Ekinops is pleased with itself because its SD-WAN Xpress offering has successfully passed the certification tests to join the Microsoft 365 Networking Partner Program (NPP). Enterprise users of SD-WAN Xpress will now, says Ekinops, benefit from improved connectivity to Microsoft 365 applications

Munich-based ADVA has teamed up with US optoelectronic components firm II-VI to launch what they claim is the industry's first 100ZR pluggable coherent transceiver, aimed squarely at the optical network edge. The Coherent 100ZR enables the transport of 100Gbit/s DWDM wavelengths over links stretching up to several hundred kilometers.

Colt Group has put a big old tick in the green box by launching its first sustainability report, which is 86 pages long and examines how the UK-based company is shaping up in relation to its ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) commitments. Among the relevant facts and figures from Colt's 2021: 37,413 pieces of equipment have had their life extended through reuse; Colt is using 100% renewable energy power for operations across the UK and Europe; and 95% of Colt Group employees have permanent contracts.

When it comes to Wi-Fi, most Brits don't know their router from their elbow. That, in a nutshell, is the conclusion of new research from UK ISP Zen Internet. Zen's research found that 99% of UK adults are "unaware of all the common household items and scenarios which could potentially be interfering with their connectivity," while three quarters of them didn't know that their neighbors' router could be cramping their broadband style. Sounds like ISPs have an education job to do before they persuade customers to upgrade to the latest ultrasuperduperfast fiber connection.

— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading