Greek operator Cosmote has completed a field trial of Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. 's "Super Dual Band" microwave technology for multi-gigabit backhaul. The technology combines "traditional" microwave frequencies (6-42GHz) with so-called E-band ones (71-86GHz), offering, claims Huawei, the long-distance benefits of traditional frequencies with the capacity advantage of the E-band.

Following the much publicized cyber attack on its customers last year, UK broadband provider TalkTalk is having a major rethink over how it goes about its business, reports the Financial Times (subscription required). "The business needs to mature in the way it operates. We are running a much bigger, established business," says CEO Dido Harding, who says she personally received a "chilling" ransom demand from those behind the attack. (See Eurobites: TalkTalk Counts Cost of Cyber Attack.)

Virgin Media Business Ltd. has landed a significant connectivity contract with the Met Office, the UK's weather-forecasting agency. Virgin will supply two optical circuits to transport large amounts of meteorological data between Met Office headquarters in the city of Exeter and a building about a mile away that will house the agency's new supercomputer.

— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading