M&A opportunities have been few and far between, but Charter has reportedly struck a deal to acquire Bee Line Cable, a family-owned operator serving parts of central Maine.

The Universal Service Fund, or USF, survived the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, but its future is still uncertain.

Longtime Internet of Things (IoT) player KORE announced that it will acquire Twilio's IoT business. The transaction shines more light on the tumult enveloping the IoT space.

The UK telecom incumbent is reportedly searching for a new boss, but it will have trouble finding one who can do any better.

Signaling a new attack on cable's broadband/pay-TV bundle, Frontier is now offering its own broadband service and YouTube TV on the same bill. YouTube TV is now Frontier's primary video offering for new customers.

Key findings from Heavy Reading's Open RAN Platforms and Architectures Operator Survey Report indicate that the ecosystem is continuing to develop and that a very significant number of service providers expect to complete first installations within two years.

US government pressure forced Chinese vendor HMN Technologies out of the 19,000-km Sea-Me-We 6 (SMW6) subsea cable in favor of New Jersey-based SubCom, it's been reported.

The European Union seems to be approaching the subject the way Boris Johnson approached Brexit.

Glance has not yet launched its services in the US. That's noteworthy considering reports last year indicated the startup's US launch was imminent.

Airtel's data center arm, Nxtra, will come up with seven new data centers to double capacity as competition heats up and the stage is set for consolidation.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: OneWeb completes its constellation; KPN has a management re-jig; Nokia helps CSPs save more network energy.

Familiar disagreements between Big Tech, telcos, regulators and the European Commission regarding the fairness of fair-share arguments got an airing during a Politico debate in Brussels.

The recent Cable Next-Gen event looked ahead. But it was also an opportunity to look back, when there was no DOCSIS and data was delivered over a 6MHz channel – enough to be 'wicked fast.'

Intel is exiting the market for 5G-capable laptops, a clear blow to 5G network operators. But there may still be hope in Qualcomm's 5G laptops – unless a lawsuit from ARM upsets the situation.

The editors discuss cable versus fiber, consumer broadband labels and potential roadblocks to BEAD program rollouts. They also examine why T-Mobile will need to re-think its 5G advertising strategy and whether TikTok is now cooler than ever.

This week in broadband builds: NTIA awards tribal broadband funding; altafiber to build in Warren County, Ohio; TDS grows in Wisconsin; NYC expands Big Apple Connect – and more.

'The development of the metaverse will not require telecom operators to grow capital expenditures for greater network investment,' according to Meta executives. Last year, the company offered a different story.

After a two-year surge in sales to China, US semiconductor companies stand to lose billions in revenues as export controls are tightened.

Ciena CTO Steve Alexander discusses the WaveLogic 6 announcement, the OFCnet, and reminds us of how dramatically optical networking technology has speed up and shrunk down over the years.

Elad Nafshi, Comcast's EVP and chief network officer, joined Light Reading's Jeff Baumgartner at Cable Next-Gen 2023 to expand on multiple facets of the operator's network evolution.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Truespeed turns to Adtran's XGS-PON; Cell C boss steps down; 1&1 Versatel fibers up another business park.

Kyrio, a unit of CableLabs, has notched its first reseller deal, with Sparro, for ARC Mobile, a platform that manages and optimizes multiple types of wireless connections, including Wi-Fi, cellular and satellite.

SES' chief strategy officer spoke with Light Reading at Satellite 2023 about D2D, how SES is helping bridge the digital divide using MEO and GEO, how modern satellite capabilities compare to fiber and more.

Samsung has business with Verizon, Dish Network and Comcast in the North American market, giving it a prime view into developing technologies including open RAN and cloud architecture.

At the Cable Next-Gen event, Omdia analyst Jaimie Lenderman presented fresh data on cable operators' plans for DAA, the virtual CMTS, DOCSIS 4.0 and PON, and her multi-year forecast for the cable equipment market.

Lift-off for generative AI would entail huge costs and have possible ramifications for climate change.

External review at Philippines telco found no fraud but capex accounting scandal takes its toll on bottom line.

Oxford Quantum Circuits is installing its hardware in Equinix's IBX data center in Japan. Customers will be able to access the quantum computer via Equinix Fabric beginning in the fall of 2023.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Google's cloud lands in Turin; Telefonica gets into bed with Qwilt; new brooms sweep in at Vodafone Portugal and Fastweb.

Tantra Analyst's Prakash Sangam weighs in with the best- and worst-case scenarios for Qualcomm and Arm as the companies continue to battle in court.

Fear is growing that strict 'Buy America' conditions threaten to delay BEAD rollouts. Several industry associations believe speedy and flexible waivers on those restrictions will be needed to reach deployment goals.

Joe Russo recently took over control of Verizon's networking operations. Now he's planning to release a feedback tool for customers that will allow them to point out networking troubles.

Mike Bell, Corning's SVP and GM for optical communications, talks about Corning's newest data center solution that shortens installation times for cables and connectors. As capacity is needed, vendors are tackling physical plant construction bottlenecks to speed up network expansion.

Comcast and regional sports network Altitude TV have ended their years-long court battle, but a settlement did not result in a new carriage deal for the TV home of the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche.

Heavy Reading analyst Ruth Brown caught up with Spirent Communications at MWC Barcelona recently and spoke to CEO Eric Updyke about his thoughts on the latest trends in 5G. #sponsored

State-of-the-art technologies have not lowered the considerable barriers to entry in the telecom sector.

Cloud revenue more than doubles as China business embraces digital.

NTT and Verizon are among service providers starting to narrow their focus for private 5G deployments as some enterprise verticals are easier to enter than others.

John Janka, chief officer of global government affairs and regulatory at Viasat, spoke with Light Reading at Satellite 2023 about the changing communications landscape and how satellite players and policies must evolve.

'Edge computing has started to go more mainstream,' according to Omdia analysts. As a result, many types of players are working to stamp out a competitive position.

The rivalry between Airtel and Jio is set to intensify as India's top two telcos slug it out in the 5G market.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Proximus buys EDPnet; Ooredoo's MWC deals; Nokia gets greener; ChatGPT messes with EU lawmakers' minds.

Orange Belgium is forging ahead with long-held fixed-mobile convergence ambitions, but the nation is still a laggard in 5G and fiber rollouts.

Key findings from Heavy Reading's Open RAN Platforms and Architectures Operator Survey Report indicate that improved economies of scale for generic hardware and the independent upgradability of HW/SW components are the most critical benefits of vRAN for service providers. #sponsored

Judgment comes after a jury ordered Dish to pay $469.07 million stemming from allegations by ClearPlay that Dish's 'AutoHop' feature infringed on patents tied to content filtering technology.

Arriving 11 years after a similar play, Liberty Global's 'voluntary and conditional' takeover bid for Telenet has a chance for success but could face shareholders seeking a higher price, an analyst reckons.

Paul Gaske, COO at EchoStar, spoke with Light Reading at Satellite 2023 to discuss the company's forthcoming launch of its Jupiter-3 satellite, the future of direct-to-device communications and more.

The alarm bells are starting to ring at Australia's broadband wholesaler NBN Co as it feels the heat from Starlink and 5G.

Facing so many options and trade-offs, and alert to the danger of supplier lock-in, many operators have yet to be convinced about RAN virtualization.

This week: We hear from Cisco's Gary DePreta and the city of El Paso's Nicole Ferrini on the launch of El Paso Helps, a digital portal for connecting at-risk individuals to essential services.

Several private network installations are testing MOCN, which stands for Multiple Operator Core Network, as a way to connect to a commercial mobile network.

Led by growth in passive optical networks, broadband equipment spending climbed 17% in 2022, notching a record of $19 billion, according to Dell'Oro Group.

At the end of 2022, there were 142,100 cell towers and 452,200 outdoor small cell nodes across the US, according to one new tally.

Charter has tapped Harmonic as a 'strategic technology partner' for a virtual cable modem termination system rollout. Comcast, Vodafone and GCI are among other top ops to go with Harmonic's 'CableOS' platform.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Hungarian government gets its claws into telecom; UK government tests out emergency alerts service; FibreConnect chooses EXA for Italian backbone job.

In the wake of a 'cyber-security incident' that impacted Dish service installs, bill payments and customer care capabilities for weeks, analysts expect Dish's Boost business to take the biggest hit in Q1.

The '60 Minutes' profile of Mediacom's Rocco Commisso doesn't delve into company strategy, but it does spotlight the hustle that led him to the top of US cable and, later, ownership of Italian club ACF Fiorentina.

The FCC's congressional authority to auction spectrum lapsed for the first time ever earlier this month, which is preventing the agency from authorizing T-Mobile's latest 2.5GHz purchases.

A new batch of FCC filings shows a few remaining sticking points between consumer groups and industry organizations representing ISPs on final rules for broadband labels.

Chinese AI firms are training their data sets on server clusters using high-end chips.

An Arelion report found most companies saw energy costs rise above contract terms, causing them to become a prime concern, which has pushed many to seek greater energy efficiency.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: BT hooks up with AWS for more cloud-assisted mobile-edge clout; MTN trials 5G SA core with Azure; Germany fears effects of Huawei ban.

As Ofcom weighs intervention on BT's latest pricing plans, its own data shows that BT's rivals have made scant progress in the UK's full-fiber market.

Key findings from Heavy Reading's 'Open RAN Platforms and Architectures Operator Survey Report' show that service providers are planning to support AI inference and other applications in their open RAN/far edge installations. #sponsored

The editors discuss Amazon's plan to spend $10 billion on a satellite constellation, an update on Light Reading's Cable Next-Gen event, why Casa Systems' CEO is stepping down today and more.

Vecima announced it will supply a tier 1 US operator with remote PHY nodes for an HFC network upgrade. Vecima didn't name the operator, but all clues lead to Charter Communications.

This week in broadband builds: Surf Internet starts construction in Indiana; Ziply expands in Washington; Kinetic network live in North Carolina; Glo Fiber's plans for Pennsylvania – and more.

Allowing the Vodafone and Three merger to happen will show authorities have abandoned the 'four networks good, three networks bad' credo.

Omdia's Jaimie Lenderman joins Light Reading's Mike Dano and Jeff Baumgartner to discuss the big themes at the Cable Next-Gen event, including network optionality and the rising role of PON and wireless.

The decentralized wireless space heats up as Really raises $18 million to pursue a model like Helium Mobile, and Xnet uses $1 million in seed funding to chase DeWi offload.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Inwit heads up the mountains; Telenor and Cisco extend collaboration; fraudsters impersonate MTN bigwig.

Higher speed optical links between data centers, computing clusters and servers are being pushed to the limit by the demands of AI, according to Dell'Oro's Sameh Boujelbene.

GSMA opens applications for grants backing projects that use mobile and digital technology to improve climate resilience and help with adaptation in selected regions.

Comcast is appealing recommendations from an ad watchdog urging the operator to modify or discontinue marketing claims about speed and reliability for the Xfinity Mobile service.

Startup Element8 this week scored $200 million in funding. Its first move: the purchase of Oklahoma City-based WISP AtLink Services for an undisclosed sum.

The Cable Center President and CEO Diane Christman discusses the 'Syndeo Institute,' a new operational brand that also serves as a hub for the Center's Intrapreneurship Academy and related programs and events.

The telco championing of open RAN has not been matched by support for new entrants.

CFO Darren Purkis was unable to provide details on the proposed merger with Vodafone but noted that discussions "are positive from both sides."

Andrena is working to bring affordable wireless broadband to buildings through a revenue-share model with property owners.

GCI has begun upgrading its DOCSIS 3.1 cable network to a high-split architecture with equipment from vendors including ATX and CommScope.

New figures show telco revenue is declining just as capex reaches a record high.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Iliad makes hay in Italy; UK government ministers face TikTok ban; O2 saves devices from landfill.

Ciena is the only optical vendor offering 1.6 Tbit/s optical services, although the WaveLogic 6 service won't be available until the first half of 2024.

Ofcom launches consultation on its plan to assign 26GHz and 40GHz spectrum for 5G services.

Amazon will launch its first satellites for Project Kuiper in 2024, entering the low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite space as the US goes all-in on fiber.

Europe's biggest economy has installed a huge amount of Chinese network equipment and dismantling it to address security concerns will not be easy.

According to the financial analysts at Wells Fargo, T-Mobile's $1.35 billion purchase price for Mint Mobile would value each of those customers at around $450.

With Apple starting to remove the physical SIM slot in some iPhone 14s, operators in many markets need to prepare for an emergence of the eSIM.

Casa, a supplier of cable and wireless technology, also disclosed that it will not be receiving orders from a major customer, presumed to be Charter, for its initial rollout of a cable infrastructure upgrade.

Comcast appears squarely in the FDX camp, while Charter Communications has voiced support for ESD. Cox thinks there is room for both iterations of DOCSIS technology.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Seacom goes live on Equiano subsea cable; go higher, says Telecom Italia; Open Fiber revenue up by a quarter in 2022.

Indian government hopes BharOS, developed at IIT Madras, will help build a vibrant ecosystem of indigenous technology.

Marketers have already run out of road on 5G and the next generation of mobile will not do anything radically different.

Reuters, citing an unnamed source, is reporting that Infinera is working with investment bank Centerview Partners to start the process of shopping itself to possible buyers.

According to a top company executive, Comcast has so far deployed 83,000 new nodes into its network - that represents an improvement from the 50,000 the company counted last fall.

Connecting Africa's Paula Gilbert joins the podcast to explain why the fintech sector is bringing in the most funding, which countries are leading the way for most funding and what these trends mean for the continent as a whole.

Omdia's chief analyst for broadband access discusses where passive optical network (PON) technology is going next and how service providers are succeeding with new offers like multi-gig fiber-to-the-home broadband.

Chinese demands have forced new Google and Facebook cables to re-route around the South China Sea.

The FCC is deadlocked between Republicans and Democrats and recently lost its authority to auction spectrum. In the absence of decisiveness, expect bickering.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Ofcom opens up mmWave; EU fights Qualcomm in the courts, again; how mini data centers could save Britain's pools from closure.