Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: du, Software AG collaborate on IoT; Deutsche Telekom researches drones; Merthyr Tydfil gets a gig.

Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe

August 19, 2020

3 Min Read
Eurobites: Nokia patent injunction stops Daimler in its tracks

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: du, Software AG collaborate on IoT; Deutsche Telekom researches drones; Merthyr Tydfil gets a gig.

  • Nokia has persuaded a court in Germany to issue an injunction on carmaker Daimler to stop it from using the Finnish vendor's cellular technology without the necessary authorization. Nokia has several patent infringement actions pending against Daimler, but yesterday's injunction was obtained in relation to patent EP 2 981 103, which enables the car or "other end user devices" to communicate more efficiently with LTE networks. Nokia has an established licensing program and many automotive brands already license its standard-essential patents for their connected vehicles, including Audi, Bentley, BMW, Mini, Porsche, Rolls Royce, Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen.

    • Middle Eastern operator du is collaborating with Germany's Software AG on a subscription-based licensing model for Internet of Things (IoT) services aimed at du's business customers in the UAE. According to the companies, the partnership will make it easier for customers in markets such as healthcare, utilities and manufacturing to design, build and deploy IoT applications.

    • Deutsche Telekom is to become a partner in an ongoing research project looking into the potential of drones for use in medical logistics applications. The operator is providing the necessary mobile communications infrastructure for a campus network that enables the drones to be remotely controlled out of the pilot's visual range, allowing them to fly back and forth in urban airspace carrying medical supplies between two hospitals in the German city of Siegen.

    • Merthyr Tydfil, a post-industrial town in Wales, is beset by economic deprivation and predicted to see further decline over the next two decades, but maybe it will get a bit of a boost from the arrival of Openreach's full-fiber gigabit broadband. Assuming, that is, anyone there can afford it… Figure 1: Merthyr Tydfil: Not many jobs, but plenty of bandwidth. (Source: Caradog Llywelyn on Creative Commons) Merthyr Tydfil: Not many jobs, but plenty of bandwidth.
      (Source: Caradog Llywelyn on Creative Commons)

    • Hands-free driving is currently illegal on Britain's roads – but it might not be by spring 2021. According to a BBC report, the UK government's Department for Transport has issued a call for evidence into the potential of automated lane keeping systems (ALKS), which can control a car's movements and keep it in the right lane position for "extended periods." Drivers, however, have to be ready to take back control, so anyone hoping to flick the full-seat-recline lever and hit the cocktails to help while away the hours of a long road trip will be disappointed. ALKS are currently featured on some premium vehicles from Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, General Motors and Tesla.

    • It's official: You're still young when you're 30. That, at least is the suggestion from Swisscom, which is tweaking its postpaid offerings to reflect what it sees as the changing needs of its non-wrinkly customers, increasing their inclusive data volumes and surfing speeds. To find out what they're offering, click here.

    • Virgin Media, the UK cable operator that is part of the Liberty Global empire, is allowing its customers to watch this coming weekend's UEFA Champions League and Europa League soccer finals for "free." However, the move is unlikely to set Virgin subscribers' pulses racing because both finals are being shown by BT Sport for free on YouTube anyway.

      — 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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