EE, the mobile operator that inhabits another corner of the BT empire, has teamed up with Hiya to use its AI-powered software to help protect its customers "at a network level" from scam calls. The Hiya Protect service will launch later this year and beefs up existing nuisance-call blocking that was launched in August 2022.

Elisa, the forward-thinking Finnish operator, managed to withstand the twin threats of geopolitical challenges and soaring energy costs to turn in a strong-looking set of FY 2022 results thanks in large part to growth in mobile and digital services. EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) was up 5.1% year-over-year to €733 million (US$798 million) on revenue that increased 6.6% to €2.13 billion ($2.32 billion). Guiding for 2023, Elisa says revenue is estimated to be at the same level or slightly higher than in 2022. (See Finland's Elisa bucks trend of telco decline and The Zero-Person Network Operations Center Is Here (in Finland).)

Following a bit of a talking-to from bigwigs at the European Commission, Google has committed to a greater degree of transparency in the way it transacts business with EU consumers in areas such as booking flights and hotels. The search giant will, for example, have to make it clear to consumers whether they are contracting directly with Google or whether it is simply acting as an intermediary.

UK altnet CityFibre added more than 1 million "ready for service" (RFS) homes in 2022, taking its RFS premises total to 2.2 million. This, the company says, represents a 40% improvement on its rollout performance in 2021. CityFibre uses the term RFS to describe those homes where Internet service providers can deliver broadband to new customers immediately. Overall, CityFibre's full-fiber network passes more than 2.5 million premises.

— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading