Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg will chair the new Edison Alliance, which seeks to eliminate 'connectivity deserts' that hamper access to health, education and economic inclusion.

In 2016, AT&T announced ambitious plans to build private wireless LTE networks for utilities. But things did not go as planned. 'Changes to the market dashed these expectations,' AT&T admitted.

Apple's Tim Cook lays into Facebook for its role in the US riots, as Zuckerberg admits iOS14 and regulatory scrutiny will weigh on FB's 2021 fortunes.

It's a long-term guess, of course, but Charter's Tom Rutledge believes a targeted deployment of CBRS in high-density areas will improve the cable operator's wireless economics.

The Japanese operator takes umbrage at recent analyst criticism of its network performance and says open RAN is not at fault.

Potential to broaden the use of Charter's IP-capable device, which continues to integrate streaming services, further reduces likeliness that Charter will license Comcast's 'Flex' product.

Overall net revenue is nonetheless flat, but exceeds (slightly) analysts' expectations.

In the same quarter that Verizon ordered 15,000 small cells from Crown Castle, T-Mobile canceled an order for 5,700. On balance though, analysts remain positive about the small cell market.

Japan telcos risk race to bottom after Rakuten price cuts.

This week in our WiC roundup: Politics gets a bit more politically correct; breaking the hiring mold; how companies can actually create change; and more.

Sweden-based group aims to trim opex and attract outside investment via a new asset management unit.

The equipment maker sounds a warning about Chinese retaliation to Sweden's Huawei ban but turns in a cheery set of results.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Orange ends network-sharing talks with Free; fiber's greener than copper, say its backers; STC, Huawei combine on 5G for the oil and gas industry.

Comcast plans to resume stock buybacks, an indication it did not bid heavily on C-band licenses. That, combined with the company's new MVNO deal, likely indicates Verizon will keep its cable strategy intact.

Big Toronto-based cable and wireless provider saw overall revenues and net income fall again in the fall quarter, due largely to renewed COVID-19 lockdowns across Canada.

Hatch made a splash in 2019 with promotional offerings that tied 5G to its new cloud gaming service. The company shut down its services at the end of 2020.

The country's competition authority has said high prices will hand an advantage to the strongest operators.

Apple's 5G-packing iPhone 12 revs Cupertino to a record $111.4 billion quarter.

About a fifth of jobs at the US operators have vanished in the last five years and the layoffs will probably continue.

Meanwhile, the cable op racked up more broadband and wireless subs amid another batch of pay-TV losses in Q4 2020. NBCU's Peacock streaming service has climbed to 33 million signups.

Tough smartphone competition didn't help either, but South Korean behemoth has a positive take on H1 2021.

Wielding its own free, ad-supported streaming TV service and a platform to help partners build and monetize their own streaming channels, Navdeep Saini is trying to make a mark in a crowded market.

This week: Angela Siefer, executive director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), on how digital redlining is holding communities back.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Orange boosts LTE network with iPasolink; Colt's new veep; Telia Carrier makes its presence felt in Bilbao.

Global smartphone shipments increased year-on-year in Q4 2020 after a punishing first half, but Huawei falls out of top five in the final quarter.

Detlef Nauck, Head of AI & Data Science Research for BT's Applied Research Division, discusses how telcos use AI.

Nokia's shares doubled in value amid massive trading. However, the situation likely has nothing to do with Nokia's recent restructuring or embrace of open RAN.

BSA, CableLabs, GSMA and the Telecom Infra Project (TIP) are teaming up with the Open RAN Policy Coalition for 'responsible policy action in support of open RAN.'

Dish-owned OTT-TV service provider tries to soften the blow by expanding the amount of free cloud DVR storage from ten hours to 50 hours.

Analysts thought AT&T would report 400,000 new mobile customers in the fourth quarter. Instead, the operator netted 800,000. The figure reflects AT&T's new 'growth' mantra.

Under new deal, companies have forged a co-selling agreement for security and management products for inside and out of the home, with plans to develop a more integrated product.

The Dutch telecom incumbent has taken a heavy axe to its workforce in the last year.

Meanwhile, AT&T will stay aggressive with FTTP expansions in 2021 even as CEO John Stankey expects network neutrality rules to return under the Biden administration.

A deluge of new premium OTT video services paired with consumers staying at home during the pandemic have caused streaming subs to bounce around, TiVo finds in its latest Video Trends Report.

CBN clinches China Mobile partnership – but now the hard work begins

Microsoft sees cloud services boost its net income by a yearly 33%, up to $15.5 billion, as the Redmond tech giant now cocks an eye at telcos.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: terabit interfaces trialed; BT's recruitment drive continues; Wind Tre goes with Amdocs for 5G billing.

The startup looking to bring new cloud-like efficiency to service provider networking has raised another $208 million and is eager to grow up fast.

Three mobile network operators outline their plan to reduce 'partial not-spots' under the UK's Shared Rural Network program.

Officials in the Biden administration offered little specificity when it came to China and Huawei, but they voiced support for a cohesive 5G spectrum strategy and changes to social media oversight.

SpaceX's Elon Musk and Amazon are trading jabs at the FCC and on Twitter over Starlink's proposal to lower the orbits of a portion of its broadband satellite fleet.

Light Reading's Women in Comms caught up with Clearfield President and CEO Cheri Beranek to discuss how the pandemic has impacted broadband demand, fiber infrastructure and the industry's efforts to close the digital divide.

Verizon said it will double the number of its mmWave transmission sites this year. But the operator reported fewer new customers in 2020 than expected, and its 2021 capex is also below projections.

TeleGeography finds average international Internet traffic increased 48% in 2020 but expects a return to more typical rates of growth.

Elon Musk's aerospace company stokes further the red-hot small satellite market by ferrying government and commercial spacecraft into orbit.

The new unit is potentially worth more than Telecom Italia and on course for a doubling in sales by 2024.

CEO Hans Vestberg says Verizon's Fios pay-TV product will stay in the mix even as the company continues to steer customers to streaming options with third-party partners.

The DIY wireless Internet service is giving some residents the fastest connections they've ever had.

Designed to support 4G and 5G small cells, new device from Hitron billed as the first to bake in the DOCSIS Time Protocol.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: BICS replaces CEO; Ericsson follows REINDEER; Telefonica enters Cloud Garden 2.0 with IBM and Red Hat.

The new product offering from the Swedish equipment vendor could help service providers cater to enterprise needs.

'Verizon continues to hold a solid lead over its peers' when it comes to 5G network perception, according to Cowen analysts. Whether T-Mobile can cut into that lead remains to be seen.

More live sports could head to the NBCU's fledgling streaming service and help to fulfill its vision as a 'next-generation broadcast network' following the coming shutdown of the NBCSN sports net.

The Biden White House is aiming to build a 'comprehensive strategy' that pushes back on China's global economic influence, a stance that will keep Huawei sidelined in US 5G buildouts.

'We had thought that the launch of a 5G iPhone could be a catalyst,' wrote the analysts at Evercore. 'As it turned out, churn and upgrade activity has remained modest.'

SPONSORED: The findings from Heavy Reading's "The Carriers Speak" report show that both the key differentiators and challenges for SD-WAN managed services focus on how to meet enterprise business needs.

Facing US sanctions and chip shortages, Huawei reportedly enters talks to sell its upmarket smartphone brands, soon after exiting the budget market.

The private sector seems unconvinced by the case for open RAN investment. Europe's service providers think taxpayers should fill the void.

Analysts at Evercore ISI expect US service providers to tack on another 1.1 million broadband subs and shed 748,000 more pay-TV subs in the quarter.

GPS-enabled tractors outfitted with LTE currently help farmers plant more seeds. But 5G could offer even more tools, making it possible to increase food production around the world.

China's accelerated 5G rollout has propelled ZTE to its best result in years – preliminary full-year profit of 4.37 billion yuan on 11.7% higher sales.

French operator to sell 50% of newly created Orange Concessions fiber unit to three investors.

'I have already spoken to at least a dozen CEOs of telecoms companies. I think they are all excited to work with us,' said Sunil Bharti Mittal, an executive involved with OneWeb.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Orange teams up to create digital health ecosystem; Telecom Italia targets cloud through Noovle; Telia and Ericsson develop drones service.

What we have here is a failure to communicate.

The US government's Lifeline program collects fees from telecom companies in order to help poor Americans pay for connectivity. AT&T and Verizon are proposing sweeping changes to that setup.

TPG recently teamed with Patriot Media on the $8.1 billion sale of Astound Broadband.

In 2020, telcos rose to the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic as a force for societal good.

The chipmaker's stock fell sharply after its outgoing and incoming bosses failed to reassure analysts that manufacturing problems are entirely in the past.

Google owner Alphabet pulls the plug on its balloon Internet project Loon, citing high costs and a longer-than-expected road to commercial viability.

The merger of two Indian state-owned service providers, BSNL and MTNL, has started with BSNL taking over the latter's network in Mumbai and Delhi.

Smartphone maker wastes little time in striking new chipset deals now that US-imposed cuffs on its supply chain have been removed. CEO Zhao reiterates strategy to expand into mid- and high-tier markets.

China reports 30 5G factories as it eyes rapid growth in industrial Internet.

CableLabs president and CEO Phil McKinney and SCTE/ISBE president and CEO Mark Dzuban say the recent merger of their organizations will spur cable's progress on 10G, DOCSIS 4.0, mobile, 4K/8K and more.

As streaming penetration soars to record levels, consumers are expanding the number of OTT services they pay for rather than fleeing Netflix and other top incumbent services, MoffettNathanson study finds.

Drahi moves closer to his goal of buying out minority shareholders and taking Altice Europe private.

This week in our WiC roundup: Board diversification goal setters; Netflix releases first inclusion report; CES 2021 focuses on women in tech; and more.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Virgin/O2 merger under scrutiny; Beeline extends 4G coverage in Moscow; UK telcos' COVID-19 assistance measured.

Scott Petty will direct digital and IT as Alberto Ripepi takes charge of all things network-related in the latest shake-up.

Rakuten hoped to upend the market with cutting-edge technology and cheap services. But its customer numbers and expenses are driving speculation that the company might exit the mobile industry entirely.

Free stream of the big game to reach several online platforms, plus delivery via the paid CBS All Access service. There's no 4K stream this year, but also no dust-ups with Roku in sight ahead of Super Bowl LV.

Based on new findings from Bernstein, 4% of Chicagoans can subscribe to Verizon's 5G Home. That, they said, indicates the service poses a 'significant competitive risk to cable's broadband hegemony.'

Apple is reportedly preparing to unveil a virtual reality headset as early as next year. But the gadget shouldn't excite 5G operators just yet.

Generating profits in a busier, shrinking market for radio access network products will be difficult.

This week: Anna Read, research officer with the broadband research initiative at The Pew Charitable Trusts, discusses ongoing challenges to broadband access and how state programs and public-private partnerships are making a difference.

Professor John William Frank at University of Edinburgh says more investigation is needed into what he sees as 5G's "suspected adverse health effects." Omdia's James Crawshaw rides to 5G's defense.

Creation of the new DIV fund also paves way for further investments in Europe's digital infrastructure.

The record $81 billion raised by the FCC's C-band auction has eased tensions between SES and Intelsat. But the aviation industry has warned of potential troubles 'leading to multiple fatalities.'

The Taiwan government is ready to tip up to NT$15.5 billion ($554.5 million) into 5G to accelerate network rollout.

The Indian Government has asked the Facebook-owned messaging service WhatsApp to withdraw its yet-to-be-implemented privacy policy.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: BICS expands NB-IoT with France's SFR; Telefonica seeks 5G/edge innovation; BT connects Dutch embassies.

Deal for Optelian, the first acquisition under new DZS CEO Charlie Vogt, will add coherent optics technology to DZS's portfolio and provide it with a path to 200-Gig and 400-Gig transport capabilities.

The FCC's recent Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction came in below expectations and will provide money to fresh faces. President Biden will need to decide whether that's good or bad.

Telia spends $91 million on a 120MHz chunk of highly prized mid-band spectrum, while Net4Mobility says it has already got Huawei replacements lined up.

France's biggest operator has made a bold commitment to open RAN and predicted 'parity' with traditional kit in the next four years.

South Korean vendor could close down its smartphone unit, reports suggest.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Vodafone and MTS stay friendly; Nokia slices FWA for Saudi Arabia's Mobily; mobile sales slump at Dixons Carphone.

Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica and Vodafone have made a joint commitment they hope will accelerate ecosystem development.

Decision to drop petition at the FCC comes on eve of inauguration of President-Elect Joe Biden and recent pressure from lawmakers centered on usage-based broadband policies.

This year promises to include everything from C-band deployments to a possible reset in US-China relations by President Biden. The future of the 5G industry is at stake.

OTT giant added 8.5 million subs in Q4 2020, handily beating the 6 million adds expected in the period.

Nonprofit streamer of local TV channels continues to expand markets amid ongoing legal brawl with major broadcasters.

Brett Tarnutzer was in charge of all of the GSMA's spectrum-related regulatory activities, but is now leaving London for Washington, DC, to join SpaceX.

Telstra has thrown down the gauntlet on 5G - and NBN Co has picked it up. The operator unveiled its first 5G home service three months ago, promising to expand availability.

The German operator says European recovery funds are needed to help foster the development of a local ecosystem for the in-vogue technology.

New streaming service from ViacomCBS is also coming to the Nordics and Australia later in the year. CBS All Access in Canada to be rebranded as Paramount+ on March 4.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Ericsson helps manage Voi e-scooters; Orange's new subsea routes; Salt offers FWA in Switzerland; Telenor Norway turns to Hiya for scam-call protection.

Drawn-out $4.5 billion merger overcomes the final hurdle as China's antitrust regulator, the SAMR, approves merger on condition fair competition is protected.

CEO Mike Sievert may be less abrasive than his predecessor John Legere, but there's no sign that T-Mobile's 'Un-carrier' strategy will run out of steam this year.

Facebook, Twitter and Amazon should not be the arbiters of free speech. And that means a repeal of telecom legislation should be a priority.

India's Reliance Jio Infocomm is planning to relaunch its low-cost 4G feature phone, JioPhone, in the first half of 2021, according to media reports.

Trump's exit may force Bolsonaro to bow to local industry demand to allow Huawei to participate in 5G.

Chen Zhongyue was previously executive vice president and deputy party secretary at China Telecom.

With hours left in the White House, Donald Trump waves one last fist at China's Huawei, revoking licenses for Intel and other suppliers to sell to it.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Vodafone gets in on the drones act; BT faces class action over landline charges; Deutsche Telekom eggheads investigate quantum-assisted artificial intelligence.

In part two of this series, Navisite COO Gina Murphy shares how the company is working with customers to assist their move to the cloud and help automate their operations.

Record-setting result for coveted mid-band spectrum comes as operators around the US prepare to shore up capacity for their 5G network deployments.

Developed by former Disney and Discovery execs, Struum is set to launch a credit-based offering that will aggregate and promote dozens of smaller, more niche-focused streaming services.

British authorities are infatuated with a technology they barely understand from either a technology or market perspective.

Supreme Administrative Court calls time on Chinese supplier's 5G hopes. Spectrum auction to start next Tuesday.

Vivint Internet announced plans to shut down service to 8,500 customers just two weeks before COVID-19 rampaged across the US. This is the story of the company's collapse.

In an eleventh-hour move, the Trump administration bans US investors from owning shares in Xiaomi and other Chinese tech companies.

Operators still leaning on price to drive 5G, waiting for new apps and use cases to drive usage even in northeast Asia, with 216 million subscribers.

Lawsuit brought by Spanish firm Top Optimized Technologies (TOT) against Vodafone and Huawei began in 2016.

Some offer predictions and prognostications. Our former cloud analyst steps in with her reactions and reminds us that moving critical telco systems to the public cloud for telcos is a considerable challenge.

This week in our WiC roundup: The argument for why jobs in tech shouldn't require a diploma; a new online community for women in UX; how language in job descriptions affects applicants; and more.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Deutsche Telekom's Access 4.0 platform goes live; everyone loves Tim Hottges; CityFibre rolls into Sunderland; EE extends unlimited mobile data offer for NHS workers.

Paul Chapple is in charge of procuring phones and other devices for Dish Network's planned 5G network. 'It's really familiar territory for me,' said the former Vodafone executive.

Samsung, the world's largest smartphone vendor, released new flagship Galaxy S21 phones. The gadgets have significant implications for the 5G industry.

Canadian operator's new bundle leads to wireless net adds of 101,000 in fiscal Q1, but Shaw still lost 15,100 residential broadband subs as it continues to wrestle with the pandemic and competition from Telus.

On the first episode of 'The Divide' - a new series from the Light Reading Podcast - Ernesto Falcon, senior legislative counsel at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) talks with pod host Nicole Ferraro about the need for a commitment to fiber in the US and what's holding that up.

US supplier signs exclusive IP global licensing agreement with Netsia, giving it access to RIC technology and open RAN expertise.

Under amended deal, Cisco is set to acquire Acacia for $115 per share, or roughly $4.5 billion, a sweetened deal that handily beats an original offer of $2.6 billion.

The Indian operators are no longer loss-making, but that has come at a heavy cost for employees.

The blocking of websites by the country's service providers represents an unfortunate milestone.

The use of AI tools and techniques have helped cable ops improve and enhance their ability to monitor and optimize networks during a pandemic that's still driving usage upward.

The Internet company and the Finnish equipment vendor are teaming up to provide a range of 5G products to service providers.

Intel sacks Bob Swan as CEO after investor discontent over failed acquisitions and lost customers, tapping Pat Gelsinger for the top job.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: O2 toots 5G trumpet; BNP Paribas goes with Orange for SD-WAN; small cells help big ships.

The 'uncarrier' agrees new five-year deals to further the rollout of 5G across its spectrum assets.

Yossi Aloni has left the video software specialist to 'pursue other interests.' Robert Pons has been named executive chairman and will assume Aloni's duties as SeaChange seeks a new CEO.

Xcel Energy and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) both announced plans to deploy private wireless networks running on the 4G LTE standard.

This year is likely to bring the launch of 5G, more tie-ups between operators and startups and growing interest in satellite technology, among other developments.

Qualcomm could be eying the data center market, or leverage against Nvidia's Arm, via its Nuvia purchase. One thing is clear: There's turmoil in the silicon industry.

Brad Smith says lessons from the fictions of 'Wargames' and the realities of the recent SolarWinds cyberattack serve as an important wakeup call that must be heeded.

European Commission urgently presses for new satellite constellation to fill broadband gaps and support advanced services, such as self-driving cars.

The Spanish operator becomes the first major European telecom operator to cede control of its mobile sites.

With markets seemingly craving tech IPOs, Zoom announces a $1.5 billion secondary share sale, to take advantage of shares now 10x the platform's IPO level.

How can 5G network operators and public cloud providers work better together to improve the service experience for customers?

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Nokia connects trains in Austria; Three UK installs private network at Port of Felixstowe; Amdocs helps enforce London's clean-air zone.

eero's CEO discusses Wi-Fi 6, pandemic connectivity and how the company is courting service provider broadband partners.

CEO presents a refreshed management team as the Swedish operator enters a critical period of its transformation phase.

Andrew McCollum not overly concerned that Discovery's new premium streaming service will undercut Philo, but instead views the new entry as a complement to his entertainment-focused OTT-TV service.

Although the company declined to elaborate, Intelsat is asking the FCC for permission to transmit LTE signals from an unnamed, solar-powered aircraft operated by Airbus.

Verizon CTO Kyle Malady tells Light Reading: 'I don't see any reason why the technology can't work, but there will be things carriers need to work out if they do adopt it.'

GeoLinks' new GIGA-AIR platform, built with vendor Globtel, will use the DOCSIS 3.1 spec and the 60GHz band, and will be sold to other providers, including cable operators.

The UK incumbent is setting up a discrete unit that will be charged with making it look more fit for purpose in a hi-tech world.

Decision for the no-contract, skinny-bundle OTT-TV service follows AT&T's attempts to slow pace of pay-TV sub losses and amplify focus on AT&T TV, its new OTT-TV service, and HBO Max.

Unmoderated social network Parler, popular with Trump supporters, is suing AWS after the cloud provider said the platform's posts incited violence.

'Sports-first' OTT-TV service acquires interactive gaming company Vigtory just weeks after snapping up Balto Sports, a fantasy sports tech company.

Former employee is accused of having accessed a SoftBank server and emailed technical data to himself on his last day at the company.

France-based operator injects euro 350 million into new entity called Orange Ventures.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Nokia helps Kalmar with cargo handling; Virgin Media touts whole-home Wi-Fi offering; Colt targets Microsoft Teams with cloud-based voice offering.

The social media firm has made changes that allow it to share more user data with parent company Facebook, provoking a backlash.

Verizon's CEO dispensed with the speeds and feeds that often dominate 5G discussions. Instead, he showed off some real-world 5G services, alongside a tacit nod toward the wider American zeitgeist.

The components vendor said its business is growing thanks to bandwidth demands and it stands by its desire to call off its pending acquisition by Cisco.

Total US TV shipments will drop 8% this year, but 8K sets are expected to rise 300%, to 1.7 million units, according to the Consumer Technology Association.

Lawmakers like Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who voted against the certification of President-elect Joe Biden's election victory, won't get money from the likes of AT&T, Verizon and Comcast.

The Indian operators say the government has overestimated the amount they owe in licensing fees and related penalties.

The US military is looking for ways to 'accelerate the development of an open source 5G,' which comes as no surprise given the Pentagon's wide and growing interest in the technology.

Also in this CES news snapshot: CommScope expands Wi-Fi 6 lineup; Netgear takes flight with Wi-Fi 6E; the CBRS Alliance rebrands.

Activity in the C-band auction is slowing with $80.7 billion in gross proceeds. Already T-Mobile is looking to raise $2 billion, likely to help pay for its purchases.

German incumbent reportedly in talks with private equity investors in a deal that could be worth in excess of $6 billion.

Towers companies may struggle to justify their lofty valuations as competition grows and the telecom sector remains under pressure.

FCC chair won't pursue a rulemaking clarifying protections for social media outlets, but also declined to second-guess decisions by Twitter and Facebook to boot President Trump from their respective platforms.

The supply chain could struggle to keep pace with surging demand this year.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Deutsche Telekom, Nextcloud launch collaboration platform; Orange Ventures strikes out on its own; Airspan eyes Huawei-shaped hole in UK.

In this mentor spotlight, Gina Murphy discusses the key to completing a successful acquisition, and the importance of building a company culture that supports new ideas, new technology and diverse teams.

Latency is a key part of the user experience, which is why it is one of the pillars of the cable industry's 10G strategy.

Finnish vendor to deploy 5G standalone core network in Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

Elon Musk's Starlink has launched its satellite Internet network service in rural Britain, where it will compete with the recently bankrupt OneWeb.

A Black Sky hazard 'is a catastrophic event that severely disrupts the normal functioning of our critical infrastructures.' Worries over such events are helping to drive interest in private wireless networks.

New wide-ranging distribution deal with NBCUniversal will allow Charter to offer the ad-supported 'premium' Peacock service to video and broadband subs for no added cost... for a while.

The Pentagon is planning to increase its work within the world's leading 5G standards organization. Some analysts aren't surprised, but warn that the military may need to move carefully.

Deal for global content distribution rights to Quibi's short-form premium fare paves way for Roku to serve it up on The Roku Channel, its ad-supported content aggregation platform.

China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom Hong Kong dropped $5.6B market cap after Trump made NYSE delist them, eyeing Alibaba and Tencent next.

The UK spending watchdog slams the government's gigabit record, but does anything really need to be fixed?

A year-long investigation by the European Court of Auditors reveals different EU nations moving at different speeds on tightening up 5G security.

Acacia says China's State Administration for Market Regulation didn't approve the deal, but Cisco claims the agency has provided signoff for its purchase of Acacia.

In another sign that 2021 may not be so different from 2020, Huawei is already dominating the news cycle.

Korean car maker said to back down from an earlier statement that it was in talks with the iPhone maker over Apple car.

Ed Cholerton has been tasked with overseeing Nokia's business across the US and Canada. Here's how he's looking at topics ranging from the C-band auction to open RAN to small cells.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: UK's Public Accounts Committee fears the worst for rural broadband notspots; BT 'snubbed' over pandemic broadband offer; Nokia steers private network at Port of Seattle.

This week in our WiC roundup: Google workers start to unionize; female keynoters take over a virtual CES; 2021 tech events for women; and more.

India is moving ahead with plans for a massive auction of airwaves even though two of its three big operators are in financial difficulty.

SPONSORED: Findings from Heavy Reading's 'The Carriers Speak: The Future of Managed SD-WAN Services' report suggest that SD-WAN SPs are focused on automating processes to accelerate growth of the service and monetize it more effectively.

BitRouter's $249 ZapperBox M1 is scheduled to start shipping in Q2, supporting a next-gen standard that will pave the way for over-the-air 4K/HDR video, interactive apps and other advanced features.

It is little wonder the Swedish equipment vendor has leapt to Huawei's defense in Sweden, whatever it really thinks about its Chinese rival.

Bidding in the C-band has topped $80 billion. Operators priced out of the C-band auction could turn their attention to the 6GHz band, a possibility that has Wi-Fi advocates concerned.

CSG is the top 'challenger brand' in wireless revenue management and will back that up with big deals and potential M&A opportunities aimed at bulking up the company's product portfolio, CEO Brian Shepherd says.

BT's networks business is under pressure to build its full-fiber network as efficiently as possible. Monitoring tools from EXFO could make a difference.

WeLink described its financial agreement with Digital Alpha Advisors, which is tied to Cisco, as a 'template for the network operator of tomorrow.'

Opponents of the takeover say Nvidia would have little incentive to sell Arm's designs to its competitors.

A new white paper warns that 5G is far from complete in China and that a cross-industry ecosystem has yet to be established.

After Trump administration pressure, the New York Stock Exchange again delists telecom giants China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom Hong Kong.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Telia gets ready to Ramboll; Netflix increases its prices in UK; CityFibre breaks ground in Nottingham.

Latest offer to support businesses comes with the requirement to sign up to a 36-month contract.

T-Mobile reported that its postpaid phone churn was 1.03% in the fourth quarter of 2020, which the financial analysts at New Street Research said was 'down dramatically year-over-year.'

Only Indian suppliers have been invited to provide a core network for India's state-owned telco.

Viasat, a Starlink competitor, argues that Starlink's mega-constellation will harm the Earth's atmosphere, increase orbital debris and worsen light pollution.

After testing the service in 4G LTE during 2020, T-Mobile confirmed it is now offering 5G devices and services through its Home Internet fixed wireless offering.

Light Reading's Phil Harvey and Omdia's Dario Talmesio discuss some big topics that will shape the year ahead for communications service providers (CSPs).

Dana Strong succeeds Jeremy Darroch as Sky Group CEO. Comcast has yet to announce a replacement for Strong, who has been heading up the cable operator's consumer services.

With victims of last year's explosion needing urgent support, a software bot developed by the non-governmental organization proved critical.

Trying to bind his successor's hands, Donald Trump bans US transactions with Alipay, WeChat Pay and other Chinese payment apps.

Chinese supplier reportedly wants to start a 6G conversation with the government. Like it or not, claimed Huawei's corporate affairs guy in Australia, China will lead in 6G and - wait for it - 7G.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: UK mobile operators help out with home schooling; Iskratel is high in fiber; Kenya imposes Digital Services Tax.

Saudi operator to deploy 60,000 Nokia Fastmile 5G FWA gateways in next 12 months.

Verizon has focused much of its recent energy on small cells for its millimeter wave spectrum. That could change as it eyes CBRS and, potentially, C-band deployments.

New 'Sparklight TV' service will launch in early 2021 and support apps for Android TV, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV devices.

First Verizon planned to shutter its 3G network at the end of 2019. Then it delayed that plan to the end of 2020. Now, Verizon says 'we don't have a plan to shut it down at this time.'

Fire up your 6G console and leap from the dreary surroundings of your London flat to the foodie heaven of Barcelona.

India-based group to integrate French specialist's eSIM technology with its MOVE mobility and IoT platform.

OTT-TV company says sub base has blown past 545,000 subs, but analysts still believe the business model for virtual multichannel video programming distributors is 'broken.'

In big U-turn the New York Stock Exchange reverses its decision to delist telecoms giants China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom Hong Kong.

Five days in and already 2021 is getting weird - with Jack Ma's turn in the barrel as regulators close in on Alibaba.

Intelligent Wireless Network Steering (IWiNS) technology is designed to help mobile users optimize their connections across Wi-Fi, LTE and CBRS networks on an application-by-application basis.

US Ignite's Mari Silbey shares how her organization is partnering across the industry to address broadband access in underserved areas.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Italtel board accepts bid from PSC Partecipazioni; A1 Telekom Austria joins HERE's data exchange; Vodafone does deal with Discovery.

T-Mobile has 'succeeded in forcing competitors to pay far more than originally anticipated,' speculated the financial analysts at MoffettNathanson.

Following troubles with a large, unnamed North American customer that may be Verizon, Nokia named Ed Cholerton as its new North American chief.

Roku in 'advanced talks' to acquire a catalog of short-form premium fare could bring a batch of exclusive content to The Roku Channel, the WSJ said.

T-Mobile warned that hackers accessed 'phone number, number of lines subscribed to on your account and, in some cases, call-related information' of some customers.

They urge Comcast to yank back introduction of usage-based broadband policies in the cable operator's northeastern US region.

Predictions stories are rampant around this time of year. Here's what not to expect in 2021.

More homeworking and virtual doctor visits mean more hacking threats on your IoT devices in 2021, as installed devices double to 45.9 billion by 2025.

In the latest US blow to the China tech sector, the NYSE has announced the three state-owned operators are being delisted, and will cease trading by January 11.

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: STC tests open RAN; Inflexion takes stake in Daisy Group; Ericsson fuels 5G for DTAC in Thailand.

Dish has gathered together technology partners and experts to help with its launch of a cloud-native open RAN 5G network in 2021.