Video losses also climbed during the pandemic, and the company expects mobile sub volumes to slow as most retail stores remain closed.

AWS hauled in more than $76,000 of revenue per minute during the quarter ended March 31.

Microsoft spent a reported $1.35 billion to buy Affirmed Networks. Now, its plans for the company, Azure, edge computing, 5G and private wireless networks are becoming clearer.

OBS CEO Helmut Reisinger and SVP of Customer Services and Operations Aliette Mousnier Lompre discuss keeping customers connected and adapting quickly during the pandemic.

Telecom vandalism spurred by coronavirus fears just hasn't taken off in other parts of the world.

NBCU's decision to skip the theater for Trolls World Tour during the shutdown and plans to use the PVoD model going forward has lit a firestorm as theaters refuse to screen NBCU's new movies as theaters reopen.

As the pandemic set in during Q1, Comcast pulled in a record 477,000 broadband subs and 216,000 mobile customers, but saw pay-TV losses widen greatly to 409,000.

RF Connect, CommScope, Accu-Tech and Druid Software are gaining valuable CBRS experience while helping frontline workers save lives.

Software giant posts strong quarter on back of soaring cloud revenue.

The Finnish vendor has thrown in the towel after losing out in a recent round of 5G contract awards.

Singapore has awarded its two 5G licenses to incumbent local operators, including SingTel and a joint venture between StarHub and M1.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Deutsche Telekom teams up with WatchGuard for enterprise security; Sparkle PoPs up in Casablanca; why the lockdown suits Spotify.

The France-based group reports a mixed bag of results for the quarter, with revenue up strongly in Africa and the Middle East but down in Spain.

Finnish equipment maker reckons sales would have grown in the absence of the virus and makes good progress on cost-cutting activities.

Is global Internet traffic going to return to normal as the pandemic subsides? Or will it remain where it is? Corning's Wendell Weeks might have some insight here.

Qualcomm isn't changing its 5G phone shipment forecast this year. The company's positive outlook appeared to rally investors.

New York Attorney General Letitia James presses several pay-TV providers, including Comcast, Charter, Dish, AT&T and Verizon, to propose plans to reduce subscription fees temporarily until sports return.

The Wi-Fi industry is targeting areas like fixed wireless, telehealth, VR, precision manufacturing, private networks and smart cities for expansion. That could worry 5G folks.

After acquiring the QuickPlay assets from AT&T and shifting to a cloud-native architecture, the video streaming specialist will now rekindle its biz-to-biz ambitions and chase deals with pay-TV providers and pure-play OTTs.

Mojo is working on a contact lens that can display augmented reality information. 5G operators hoping for a new class of devices on their networks are undoubtedly cheering the company.

One of the pioneers of the wireless industry has turned his attention to the network edge, with the goal of combining connectivity and compute capability in a single box.

MSOs have tools that free up more upstream capacity in the near-term, but the recent spikes in peak usage have accelerated discussions about bigger upgrades that will beef up cable's upstream, CommScope exec says.

Semiconductor business looks in better shape to ride COVID-19 storm next quarter.

Supply chain constraints and weaker demand from enterprise customers will make the equipment maker increasingly reliant on its cloud business in 2020.

Facebook is investing $5.7 billion into one of India's leading mobile network operators. Could Dish Network score the same kind of agreement with an Internet company for its 5G ambitions?

The seven service providers on the leaderboard - AT&T, Hughes, Verizon, CenturyLink, Windstream, Aryaka and Comcast - each have 2% or more of installed and billable carrier-managed SD-WAN customer sites in the US as of year-end 2019.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Safaricom sees full-year revenue rise; NHS coronavirus app almost ready; Colt soups up SD-WAN platform for better videoconferencing.

Some government authorities have imposed restrictions on the delivery of new projects during the COVID-19 pandemic, with repercussions for fiber rollout targets.

Internet searches for information about the virus are not easy to sell, said Google executives.

Partnership plays into Synamedia's move to an 'as-a-service' model for OTT video services as it looks to draw in new customers and help existing ones migrate part or all of their operations to the cloud.

Some US hospitals are handling more than half of their patient encounters through the Internet. And some companies are betting such telehealth offerings are the 'new normal.'

The cable ops seek a waiver that would enable both entities to file separate applications to participate in an auction for CBRS spectrum that's set to start on July 23.

According to Japan's Nikkei, Huawei is working with chipmaker STMicroelectronics to help protect itself from a possible US blockade of its business with TSMC.

The Chinese equipment giant and the US patents owner have reached a compromise after a long-running legal battle.

Automotive chipmaker sees more tough terrain ahead in Q2.

Coronavirus, tougher competition drive down NTT DoCoMo earnings.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: trouble brews over French coronavirus app; Virgin Media suffers major outage; CityFibre breaks ground in Bury.

A deal reported to be worth about $1 billion is designed to boost capacity amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Dutch operator adopts Ericsson's dynamic spectrum sharing solution and aims for nationwide 5G coverage by the end of July.

It's bad news for equipment vendors and employees but good for automated networks and their investors.

Via the soft-focus magic of Google Hangouts, the guys once more bring you your favorite podcast, in spite of everything.

Harmonic ends Q1 with 27 commercial deployments covering 1.3 million modems for its software-powered, virtualized cable access platform, but rollout pace has decelerated during the pandemic.

Parts of CenturyLink's infrastructure 'ran hot,' but the overall network, already built to withstand failure, was able to normalize traffic surges and deal with those initial spikes, Andrew Dugan says.

AT&T's John Stankey, T-Mobile's Mike Sievert and Verizon's Hans Vestberg are the new top leaders in the US wireless industry. Each is taking a slightly different approach to 5G.

Where does China's recent award of major 5G contracts leave the Nordic equipment makers?

Between 150 and 200 employees were let go, sources say, as division grapples with eroding pay-TV market, OTT competition and the transition of service providers to lower-cost video devices.

Samsung has long worked to match its products to network operators' desires. But in 5G that strategy does not appear to have paid off.

Huawei, ZTE take their China 5G winnings to $9 billion this year.

Research firm Assembly warns the UK economy could miss out big time if measures are not in place to promote gigabit-capable broadband.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Germany changes tack on coronavirus app technology; Telxius towers deal in the offing; Parallel Wireless takes OpenRan to Ghana.

France presses ahead with centralized approach for contact-tracing app, but a decentralized option seems to be gaining favor with other countries including Germany.

The FCC wants rural Americans to have access to both gigabit Internet and 5G. One ISP in America's heartland believes fixed wireless can deliver both.

Blaming China for the spread of the deadly virus, US authorities are moving to ban Chinese service providers from the US market.

Wi-Fi 6, paired with gobs of new spectrum in the 6GHz band, will help fuel Charter's plans for wired/wireless network convergence, fit with cable's '10G' initiative and pave way for new apps and services.

Rules mean that any foreign investments by countries that share land borders with India will be heavily scrutinized.

Limelight's CFO said the company's total addressable market in edge computing is likely bigger than its current content delivery network business.

Event team is 'moving ahead to ensure everything is ready' for this year's show, set for October 13-16 in Denver, SCTE/ISBE CEO says.

Verizon's Vestberg didn't seem enthusiastic about emergency spectrum leases or purchases. Instead, he reiterated the company's 5G buildout strategy and timeline.

Chinese equipment vendor's recovery stalls in the first quarter, but the company's involvement in domestic 5G projects could provide a boost later this year.

John Stankey will rise to CEO effective July 1 and take over during a turbulent time. Current CEO Randall Stephenson is retiring but will stay on as exec chairman until January 2021.

Verizon offered some firm numbers detailing how the spread of COVID-19 has affected its business so far, and what it's expecting to happen during the rest of 2020.

Verizon expanding use of new 'Fios in a Box' model to keep new installs afloat without requiring technicians to enter customer homes.

To better understand how mobile operators are addressing the demands of 5G, Heavy Reading conducted a survey that examined three key areas: planning, optimization and operations.

Lockdown measures have an upside for the US chip giant.

China accounted for more than 90% of global NB-IoT connections at the end of 2019, but it still fell short of its own forecasts.

Stay away from 5G masts, inject yourself with Dettol and douse your cornflakes in pure alcohol. The COVID-19 madness spreads.

FTTH Council Europe and IDATE data ranks the small Benelux state as the fastest-growing market in Europe in terms of homes passed by FTTH/B networks.

This week in our WiC roundup: The salary gap in tech hasn't left the building; the glass ceiling keeps getting higher; refugees gain machine learning skills in Bulgaria; and more.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Tony Blair's think-tank thinks greater digital surveillance is a price worth paying; Proximus boosts upload speeds in Belgium; Ekinops brings 100G to local provider in France.

Dish Network agreed to purchase Sprint's Boost prepaid business for $1.4 billion under its deal with T-Mobile in 2019. This week the company reiterated its intention to follow through on that transaction.

Comcast has already expunged a relatively minor text highlighting feature on its X1 platform in the wake of a ruling handed down by an ITC administrative law judge last year.

Despite COVID-19 and the loss of one of its biggest customers, Xilinx's CEO still sees a bright future for its 5G business.

Well-funded augmented reality company reportedly has laid off about 1,000 employees, or about half its workforce, as it manages the financial impact wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The UK's superfast broadband lag could leave it in a nasty situation on the other side of the COVID-19 crisis.

Dish Network said it will use open RAN technology from Mavenir to manage its 5G antennas, but the companies did not provide the financial terms of their agreement.

After taking over an important piece of Cisco's cable network hardware business, ATX has introduced a new line of outside plant products that takes aim at DOCSIS 4.0 and, eventually, cable's 3GHz future.

Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom announce bold DSS plans to extend 5G coverage, but the tech still has something to prove when it comes to large-scale deployment.

The Light Reading crew debates which industries could experience the biggest economic benefits from 5G deployments, if 5G can be considered a 'green' technology, the connectivity challenges New York City faces in reducing the digital divide, and more.

Employees at one of the world's biggest operators are in for an especially hard time during COVID-19, but at least the bosses will be fine.

China telcos report small hits to profit and revenue as they reel from COVID-19, while also racking up nearly 50 million 5G subscribers.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: ADVA hit by Wuhan lockdown; Ericsson powers ABB; UK mobile churn down in COVID-19 time; fiber fun in Ukraine.

The operator in Spain's Basque region plans for the next stage of its growth after reporting a solid Q1.

Verizon's top networking executive said that TikTok is now the fourth most popular application on the operator's network, in terms of the traffic it generates.

Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business and the executive who oversaw the transaction, and BlueJeans CEO Quentin Gallivan discussed how Verizon will move forward with its purchase of the videoconferencing provider.

Cross-industry event focused on areas such as gaming, AI, security and healthcare was originally set for June 23-25 in Denver. CableLabs plans to give it another shot in 2021.

While cable revenues held steady in Q1, Rogers's wireless and media units suffered sizable revenue losses as wireless sub gains tailed off, customers downgraded packages and sports teams stopped action.

The Swedish equipment maker is coping with the pandemic better than some had feared.

AT&T may be waffling on its lowband 5G buildout timeline as well as its plan to spend roughly $20 billion on capital expenses this year. The pandemic, executives said, has thrown everything into doubt.

But initial sales volumes for the new AT&T TV streaming service are in line with expectations following the recent national launch, says company President and COO John Stankey.

AT&T executives said the operator will cut costs across ten broad areas. The operator has already started $1 billion worth of work in its retail and field operations.

Europe's largest chipmaker dampens forecasts as the COVID-19 outbreak affects manufacturing and distribution.

Coronavirus outbreak hurts Swedish operator's TV and Media segment, but 'limited impact' on other parts of the business (at least so far).

The social media giant has taken a sizeable stake in India's most exciting telecom operator, and the ramifications could be felt throughout the industry.

Data center firm Equinix has struck a $1 billion agreement to build three hyperscale data centers in Japan to serve global cloud players, with majority funding coming from a newly formed JV with Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC.

Network complexity at the edge and in the cloud are top concerns for IT professionals in managing the WAN; 37% said complexity is their top concern, followed by 32% focused on slow on-premises application performance.

Inquiry will check into how Charter is managing its employees during the pandemic, The New York Times says.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: thwarting the COVID-19 scammers; lockdown is key to Netflix success in UK; open source initiative in Germany tackles network management.

South Korean operators are the latest to signal interest in running 5G in millimeter wave spectrum. Is that the start of a sea change or just a ripple in the ocean of 5G deployment possibilities?

Swedish equipment vendor looks resilient in the face of COVID-19 and sticks to guidance for margin improvements.

SVoD giant's subscriber gains in period blow out original forecast as millions stay home, but warns that the growth spurt is expected to be temporary.

Moline, Illinois-based tractor company John Deere is looking toward a future that applies 5G and AI technologies to the farming and manufacturing industries.

The FCC's chairman is moving forward on a proposal that would allow utilities and others to build private wireless LTE networks in the 900MHz band.

A cell site in New Jersey appears to have been vandalized due to a belief that 5G causes COVID-19.

As a few major technology firms continue to recruit thousands of employees, more will be considering layoffs.

WarnerMedia's new supersized streaming service will boot up with 10,000 hours of content, including several original series and shows that will be available on day one.

T-Mobile first publicly introduced the concept of a 'layer cake' strategy to 5G spectrum in 2018. More than two years later – and after a major acquisition – the operator is now close to realizing it.

As consumers limit the number of SVoD services they're willing to pay for, expect them to add and subtract services more frequently as new shows come in and out of season.

Local reports suggest DT is going cold on parceling out Telekom Romania to different buyers.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: UK broadcaster slammed for 5G-causes-coronavirus cobblers; Orange wants to keep AI inclusive; Brightstar buys 'we come to you' device repair firm.

Sweden-based operator remains cautiously optimistic for the long term, but scraps 2020 financial guidance and postpones extraordinary dividend.

COVID-19 and US sanctions have led to a slowdown at the Chinese vendor, but its engine is still running.

With Red Hat, IBM has the software, expertise and corporate philosophy it can adopt and sell to telcos to make every part of the company a cloud business.

GCI said it is upgrading to 5G in a project that also involves increasing its network in Anchorage from just 15MHz to fully 60MHz.

Private networks are a promising business model for OEMs and service providers, but as this deployment illustrates, integrators will also get a large slice of the private network pie.

As Fandango looks to scale up its ability to sell and rent TV shows and movies digitally, Walmart will be exiting a business it entered into about a decade ago.

Despite an overall rise in traffic, there are indications that wireless networks aren't seeing much additional use. And that, according to some analysts, could slow wireless operators' investments.

However, Comcast's cable-fed video, broadband and commercial services units won't be completely inoculated from the detrimental business impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Competitive cable operator says Teresa Elder, who was hospitalized last month after testing positive for COVID-19, has returned to work.

The world's biggest operator proves fairly resilient to COVID-19 and manages to rack up a few million 5G customers while the pandemic rages.

France-based media giant reports strong rise in Q1 revenue owing to good performance at Universal Music Group, but it warns that smaller businesses will be affected by the coronavirus.

Omdia thinks coronavirus outbreak will not prevent China's big three operators from spending heavily on 5G infrastructure (with a little help from the government).

The government has directed the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to create a mandatory code covering the sharing of data and revenue between the digital giants and news media.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: UK boosts support for tech startups; Imagination Technologies' HQ can stay in the UK, says Canyon Bridge; O2 CTO sticks up for his engineers; Arcep joins GSA.

RINA Wireless, Chat Mobility and Inland Cellular are the first three members of Trilogy Networks' Rural Cloud Initiative, an effort designed to take edge computing to the hinterlands.

The GSMA is forced to cancel its big Asian event after Chinese authorities warn against mass gatherings.

Barry Rubens and Dan McDonough sold Elauwit Networks in 2018 to Boingo for $28M. Today they're back with a new company: Elauwit Connection.

New '#AtHome' lineup for Fire TV players amd Fire tablets highlights a blend of news, entertainment and education apps from more than 100 content partners that, the company confirmed, are not paying extra for that placement.

The Indian operator is said to be working on an app with the social media giant that could power customer growth in the future.

The UK telecom regulator fails at a well-intentioned effort to engage with lunatics. It should not have bothered.

All are benefiting as streaming penetration rises during the pandemic. Netflix has maintained its dominance, but usage on Disney+ has dropped and Apple TV+ has struggled to secure a consistent foothold, new study finds.

Ameren has been testing a private LTE network with equipment from Nokia and CommScope and spectrum from AT&T and Anterix. Now the company has indicated interest in moving forward.

Together, the videoconferencing company and the telecom operator look as incongruous as Mark Zuckerberg and a suit.

The Australian telco is strengthening its balance sheet and boosting capital expenditure while the virus rages.

France-based operator to cut 2019 dividend from euro 0.70 to euro 0.50 (US$0.76 to $0.54) and plans to review future payments.

GPU specialist reckons its $6.9 billion diversification play will now see closure this month.

The world of streaming video is more crowded and competitive than ever. Listen as Alan Breznick and Jeff Baumgartner discuss the implications for pay-TV providers and why bundling is back and better than ever.

This week in our WiC roundup: Girls in tech go online for new skills; women are more affected than men in pandemic layoffs; data gaps have serious implications; and more.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Orange charts transaction trends, offers bleedin' obvious business continuity tips; Tele2 flaunts green credentials.

Nokia declined to comment on a report that it is working to defend itself against a hostile takeover.

The FCC is moving forward on Ligado's proposal to allow 5G operations in its L-Band spectrum. But now the company will have to figure out how to actually make a business out of its ambitions.

The Swedish equipment maker will have to contend with the postponement of spectrum auctions and delays to 5G projects during its second quarter.

MediaKind says hooking its Aquila Streaming platform to Google Cloud expands its SaaS model for OTT video encoding, packaging and delivery and will accelerate service deployments for its media and service provider partners.

After the Easter weekend pause, the remote podders return to discuss conspiracy theories forming around 5G and COVID-19, assess the renewed threats to Huawei and conclude with a look at the use of smartphones for contact tracing during the pandemic.

Newly formed 'NAB Show Express' is set for May 13-14 and will feature more than 100 education sessions, including a state of industry address from NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith.

In submissions to the ACCC, Australia's biggest telco providers clash over how much mmWave spectrum should be allocated to operators.

Verizon is looking to tap into the work-from-home (WFH) trend with its BlueJeans purchase and hinted the move could also aid its 5G strategy.

Operator seems determined to keep shareholders onside by slashing expenses to meet free cash-flow target.

Spain-based operator said the increase in Internet traffic in one month exceeded the entire growth registered in 2019.

As operators face dwindling sales, a surge in network traffic and supply chain disruption, circumstances look auspicious for dealers in used parts.

The network and software provider sees demand and market conditions calling for a big eSIM business expansion.

Analysys Mason predicts that telecom revenue in developed markets will fall by 3.4% in 2020, compared to pre-crisis forecast of a 0.7% increase.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Deutsche Telekom signs NB-IoT roaming deals; A1 Austria helps with coronavirus testing; how Internet traffic data proves we're all baking now.

Charter is first major US cable operator to ink a deal to offer HBO Max ahead of its debut next month.

Charter generated 119,000 new Internet accounts in March via a 60-day free service offer to students and educators, but noted that total new broadband connects were also up that month compared to year-ago totals.

Sport is something you do, but no longer something you watch. That has nasty implications for service providers.

SD-WAN will continue to be a vital service delivery platform and automation in a security context will be valuable on many levels, writes Heavy Reading's Jim Hodges.

Masergy's new SD-WAN security feature aims to provide increased security visibility, improved identity verification, more visibility into cloud applications and more granular control of security policies and data traffic.

Proximus switches off next-gen tech in Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve due to radiation fears.

Struggling telco says it embarks on restructuring plan with approval from more than 75% of its bondholders and $1.1 billion in liquidity.

In an unusual move for an operator, China Mobile has laid out $179 million for a stake in Beijing-based telecom software firm AsiaInfo.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Nuage Networks combines with Asavie on SD-WAN; Orange cable ship ups anchor; Turkcell gets Affirmed.

Germany's three network operators are given until the end of 2020 to meet targets set at the 2015 spectrum auction in full.

Move will ensure BT's compliance with tough new government restrictions on Chinese vendors and could set Ericsson up for a more lucrative role in the radio access network.

The state-owned operator has issued a tender for a major 4G deployment, but its private-sector rivals are preparing for a possible 5G launch later this year.

The Khan brothers are launching the new startup Alkira, which they claim delivers the first on-demand, multicloud network that can be deployed in under an hour.

Canadian cable op and mobile services provider says temporary cut back largely affects workers in sales and retail roles.

Concerns are mounting that Dish Network won't be able to raise the billions of dollars it will need to finance the construction of its planned 5G network.

Cisco said it will provide up to $2.5 billion in financing for enterprises that want to delay their payments until next year.

An early preview of the ad-based premium tier of Peacock debuts tomorrow for no added cost on Comcast's X1 and Xfinity Flex platforms. Peacock's pair of premium tiers and a free, ad-based version to launch nationally on July 15.

A dim-witted British TV presenter has hindered recent efforts to quash the barmy notion that 5G is responsible for the current pandemic.

The FCC's chairman may soon approve Ligado's L-Band proposal for 5G, but in doing so he would move against recommendations from officials in the NTIA and US military.

Vision Fund operating losses go into nosedive since December, but the pandemic doesn't tell whole story.

A ZTE board member has resigned after being accused of multiple sexual assaults on a teenage girl.

Suspicion about Chinese motives during the pandemic will drive European governments and companies to reconsider their affairs with the Asian superpower.

But the Chinese equipment giant is anticipating a decline for the first half before conditions improve in the second.

Mobile tower company to gain additional 2,000 sites and agrees to build another 400 sites over six years.

Lessons from the recent past involving component shortages and a trade war have helped the supplier of gateways and set-tops brace for and handle today's much more problematic predicament.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Imagination Technologies faces questions; now it's Dutch dingbats attacking mobile masts; UK's National Health Service in talks with Apple and Google over coronavirus app.

There may be valid reasons for banning the Chinese operator from the US, but they aren't detailed in the latest government report.

The FCC plans to allocate up to $20.4 billion to operators building telecom networks in rural areas. But the agency doesn't want to provide any funding to fixed wireless operators providing 1Gbit/s speeds.

Stay-at-home orders 'didn't hurt us at all,' CEO Meg Whitman says. Quibi, meanwhile, is accelerating a plan that will enable viewers to cast its short-form fare to TVs.

Dan Hodges describes US-based COMSovereign as the 'nightmare scenario' for foreign 5G suppliers like Nokia and Ericsson, because 'anybody that says the US is way behind, technically, is smoking crack.'

Edgewater makes its own silicon and access points, but the company is also looking to license its technology to suppliers seeking to differentiate their Wi-Fi products, says president and CEO Andrew Skafel.

This tiny wireless network operator in Kansas and Colorado is closely following on the heels of behemoths like T-Mobile and AT&T into lowband 5G, regardless of COVID-19.

Recent moves by many companies to encourage, and in some cases mandate, remote working could create big headaches for corporate IT managers

Network slicing promises to create a wide range of new business models. But the complexity around the technology also makes network security more difficult.

5G's various use cases will require more bits to be pumped out at much lower costs, company EVP and CTO Morgan Kurk says in an online keynote.

Light Reading's Phil Harvey is joined by Omdia Senior Analyst Ramona Zhao, who provides some highlights from her recent report recapping South Korea's first year in 5G.

Cuts primarily linked to the economic impact of COVID-19, but also come about as Dish's pay-TV base erodes and the company repositions itself to become the US's fourth facilities-based wireless carrier.

Around 50 US tower companies said they have pulled at least one tower crew from the field due to the new coronavirus.

Test and measurement company EXFO said that its most recent quarter was affected by both the coronavirus and a computer virus.

This week in our WiC roundup: 'Zoombombers' attack video conferencing app; building a networking group is worth the effort; wearable tech moves to undergarments; and more.

As the growth of coronavirus Internet traffic begins to taper off, network operators are now looking at what that growth might mean in terms of both threats and investments.

Several government agencies ask the FCC to 'revoke and terminate' China Telecom's licenses in the US, citing foreign ownership and imminent security threats.

Huawei has donated personal protective equipment (PPE) to healthcare workers in New York City and Washington, DC, on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Critics of the company claim it's a political tactic.

The pandemic has come two or three years too early for the hyped mobile technology, and companies depending on 5G for growth may suffer badly.

But even as a 'pure play' cable operator, Charter won't come out of this crisis completely unscathed as broadband subscriber growth slows and cord-cutting likely goes from bad to worse.

Now that T-Mobile has finally closed its merger with Sprint, the company is expected to purchase Shentel's wireless business across parts of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Excluding Hong Kong from a trans-Pacific cable is bad news for the city, according to a key industry figure.

Australian cable TV provider Foxtel cuts staff and warns of an uncertain future as it struggles from the impact of COVID-19.

Canada's 'big three' service providers cut thousands of jobs last year while boosting executive pay. At least one company boss has realized that's a problem.

Finnish vendor is late to DSS party, but better later than never for the tech's enthusiasts.

Italian operator's CEO said revenue will suffer even as demand for communication and entertainment services booms.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Turkey tracks the virus carriers; BT reveals pressure on emergency lines; KPN feels confident, despite everything.

Surge in Disney+ subscribers follows international market launches. The service debuted in the US late last year and had 28.6 million subs by early February.

Without a better system than IP, future 5G applications may simply not be feasible. But the industry is torn over the answer.

Offer for a free year of the premium service also arrives ahead of the debut of HBO Max and AT&T's plan to migrate legacy HBO customers to its new super-sized SVoD service.

In an online press conference, China's big three telcos jointly shared plans to climb aboard the RCS bandwagon with rich 5G messaging.

Rakuten Mobile explodes onto Japan's 4G scene and carriers around the world are watching.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Synamedia lands Vodafone TV gig; the march of the altnets; Deutsche Telekom gets on board with Azure.

Software company spots an opportunity for the underwhelming technology to redeem itself.

The semiconductor company admits that its first-quarter performance will be worse than expected due to the spread of the coronavirus.

The Chinese vendors have cut hundreds of jobs, Light Reading has learned, in the troubled Indian market.

Although cable companies commanded close to a third of all postpaid wireless customer additions last year, the spread of the new coronavirus could stymie their mobile momentum in 2020.

Wi-Fi has long been a 'critical missing strategic element in our portfolio,' MaxLinear CEO says. On the cable end, the deal will ensure that cable operators still have a critical second source for DOCSIS silicon.

T-Mobile has long employed a noisy, over-the-top approach to marketing its brand. And though the company has remained relatively quiet during the pandemic, that might change in July.

It's week three of the lockdown pod, and the regular crew looks at how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting China's relationship with the rest of the world.

While the spreading coronavirus disrupts daily life around the world, AT&T told investors its financial situation, and its supply chain, remain stable.

Kazu Gomi discusses why NTT Research was formed, what it's working on and the ambitious goals of its IOWN initiative with Intel and Sony.

Moves to cut Huawei off from one of its largest suppliers could result in 'catastrophic destruction' on a global scale.

Quibi's mobile-focused video service debuts amid a COVID-19 crisis, causing millions to stream from home and threatening to slow the production of new content during a critical time for the streaming startup.

This latest investment brings total funding for Cato to over $200 million since its inception in 2016.

Australia's NBN claims it is meeting increased demand during the pandemic, but some are calling on the network to cut wholesale prices.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Arcep investigates environmental impact of telecom; European distribution deal for Versa Network's SD-WAN tech; hard times at Net Insight.

The letter comes on the heels of Nokia's failure to win a single share of China Mobile's 5G tender, which was awarded primarily to Chinese vendors last week.

Only matter of time before pandemic hits sales, although memory chip business might provide some profit-margin protection.

Cisco said it will acquire Fluidmesh Networks in a move the company said will boost its ability to keep industrial objects reliably connected, whether that's a high-speed train or a shipping container.

MaxLinear aims to beef up its cable product portfolio and be ready for the Wi-Fi 6 era as it deals for a unit of Intel that makes chips for Wi-Fi access points and broadband gateways.

Although many expect the 3GPP to issue 'Release 16' of the 5G specification shortly, it's unclear how COVID-19 and new legislation in the US might affect Release 17 and beyond.

Thanks to an ancient FCC rule on the use of digital TV spectrum for subscription services, a new pay-TV offering to be delivered via ATSC 3.0 signals will be subject to a fee totaling 5% of gross revenues.

French telecom regulator reports that Q4 2019 revenue grew after almost two years of contraction, supported by mobile services growth.

In giving up his pay, the boss of the UK's biggest operator has set an example that other CEOs should follow.

Samsung was a 5G supplier to Sprint, and also supplies 5G equipment to AT&T and Verizon. But the company has not been mentioned among the vendors for T-Mobile following the Sprint merger.

The move marks Huawei's latest attempt to strengthen domestic sourcing in the face of US sanctions.

As the world moves to contain the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, home containment has been our biggest weapon to 'flatten the curve.'

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Open Fiber resumes work on FTTH network in Italian coronavirus hotspot; Orange/Free Mobile roaming agreement extended; Deutsche Telekom's security unit teams up with Palo Alto Networks.

Reduced costs high on agenda, but drone tech might also mitigate COVID-19 risks for field engineers.

The pitchfork-wielding lynch mobs of the Middle Ages have their equivalent in the technophobic arsonists burning 5G equipment.

Company is instead pushing the sale of AT&T TV, a new contract-based, big-bundle streaming service that runs on an operator-supplied Android TV box.

Says 'significant under-investment' in fiber has played role in putting Frontier in this tenuous position as company outlines plan to reorg, invest in fiber and manage the decline of 'non-core' products and customers.

The Nordic firm has been cutting its workforce as it tries to protect margins, while its Chinese rival just keeps getting bigger.

But startup's broader play is to stitch together a global content delivery network footprint and a growing edge cloud that can run a wide range of bandwidth- and latency-sensitive services.

Subdued interest in Samsung's latest (and expensive) 5G smartphone is bad news for South Korea's big three operators.

TeleGeography's Paul Brodsky joins Light Reading's Phil Harvey to talk about international voice traffic and how the mix of traffic on carrier networks has changed over the years.

China Broadcast gets 700MHz, but not a partner.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Telia helps Finnish government fight COVID-19; new voice and messaging service for African diaspora; Vodafone positions itself for public sector procurement in Scotland.

Asian countries have used smartphone apps to help stop the spread. Can the US and Europe do the same?

This week in our WiC roundup: Geochicas take to the streets; high schoolers as role models; how pandemics affect feminism; and more.

Italian operator signals acceleration of agreement to light up dark fiber installed by Infratel Italia in 600 municipalities.

AT&T said traffic to its VPN has risen 700% during the past few weeks - demand it was able to match thanks to its virtualized network services and white box gateway.

Mavenir and Parallel Wireless are optimistic that radios can be made in the US at a competitive cost.

T-Mobile's lawyers may not be done quite yet. California's telecom agency said the company can't begin merging with Sprint until officials there sign off on the transaction.

800G single wavelength coherent is a significant development that will help meet demand for higher bandwidths from users working from home and businesses delivering services remotely.

According to Nokia, COVID-19 Internet traffic is beginning to plateau. Meantime, CenturyLink reported 35% growth in its traffic. And vendors including Ciena and Juniper could eventually benefit.

Communications group continues its acquisition drive with acquisition of NOS International Carrier Services from the Portuguese operator.

Japanese operators team up as operators in other markets have already done to build a joint 5G network in rural areas.

New offering from startup Edge Networks will launch in Boise this summer on the next-gen broadcast standard and feature more than 80 channels for less than $50 per month.

With investors that include Charlie Ergen and Greg Wyler, Tarana Wireless is hoping to break into the fixed wireless industry with technology that can support up to 1Gbit/s connections.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Slovakia presses on with 5G auction plans; O2 cuts ties with Dixons Carphone; Telecom Italia sets up new supervisory body; optical equipment makers to feel Europe's 5G pain.

T-Mobile didn't reveal any new plans for its home TV service after locking up Sprint, but a source says the company is working with MobiTV on an updated platform that will succeed the one it acquired from Layer3 TV.

The FCC's chairman is proposing a 5G Fund that would total $9 billion. However, he's also suggesting that the 6GHz band be used only by unlicensed operations.

John Legere will leave the company early. The Sprint brand isn't going anywhere, at least not yet. And T-Mobile has already started work on its post-merger 5G network.

Kilar, who also led a short-lived YouTube competitor called Vessel, will start on May 1 and succeed John Stankey as WarnerMedia nears the launch of HBO Max.

We're moving the entry deadline for this year's Leading Lights awards to Friday, May 1.

On this Light Reading podcast, Haugh provides an update on the evolution of enterprise network automation and how Gluware uses software-defined networking concepts to 'treat the underlying network infrastructure as code and then interact with it programmatically.'

Sprint and T-Mobile finalize a merger that the new company says will unleash a $40 billion investment in its network and business over the next three years.

Thanks to the close of the T-Mobile and Sprint merger, Dish Network is now on the hook to be an MVNO while starting construction on a 5G network. But the company isn't saying much about its plans just yet.

Service providers are offering free talk time and an extension of service validity during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The pandemic will spur layoffs within the telecom sector, driving companies to automate activities where employees pose a risk.

Chinese smartphone and IoT manufacturer optimistic about domestic market, but less sure of near-term prospects abroad.

European operators impatiently waiting to get their hands on 5G-enabling spectrum will have to wait a bit longer as auctions are postponed in multiple markets.

A new system for the Internet is a far greater threat to the West than Huawei's role in 5G networks.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Telia given green light for Finnish fiber JV; who's up and who's down in European telco brands; Sequans revises guidance down for first quarter.