After 18 years, it's time for a new adventure.

Ericsson and Nokia have set a good example by participating in a 5G cyber hackathon – now the industry needs more companies to step up with 5G network-security proof points and action plans, particularly related to the core network.

As companies wait to see what others are doing before deciding whether to still attend MWC 2020, Ericsson's bold decision to withdraw looks like it will tip many towards following suit.

We don't need no bifurcation…

The UK's decision to allow Huawei a restricted role in the country's 5G rollouts leaves only China with the upper hand.

Chinese vendor paints positive picture as it faces supply restrictions in 5G and fiber access network rollout plans, but this is bad news for the tech firm.

InterDigital's 'transparency' move highlights battle for 5G bragging rights as China's IPR claims get louder.

This is just one of the key questions the Light Reading team is pondering as we head into 2020.

Authorities once again extend the temporary trading license for US companies doing business with Huawei, leaving the Chinese vendor and its suppliers mired in business uncertainty.

Sensational media coverage of AI can make people feel nervous about their employment prospects, so a more rational view of the relationship between AI and jobs is need, notes Tractica's Mark Beccue.

One of the industry's most well known and respected figures, analyst Michael Howard, has passed away.

Various reports suggest there has been a relaxation on the trade position being taken by the US authorities with regards to Huawei, but the situation for US vendors is no clearer.

No matter what the US and China agree from now on, the dynamics of the global telecoms technology supply chain have changed forever.

The optical components specialist had its world turned upside down by the US ban on selling tech to Huawei. Can it regain its feet? Might it even get swallowed up in further components sector consolidation?

Colt, Filament, Mobileum and Synchronoss Technologies all submitted standout entries for most innovative blockchain for telecoms strategy in this year's Leading Lights contest.

The big noise in Barcelona was, of course, anything and everything to do with 5G, but in the background there were signs that some companies are embracing the potential of the public cloud as they determine their next-generation technology and services strategies.

POTUS wants 5G and 6G ASAP!!

An 'executive order' banning Chinese networking technology from US communications networks is imminent, according to Politico – such a posturing move would be bad for everyone.

Why would a private equity company buy a telecom network assurance and optimization company? Because the cloud is where the money is.

Should a telco be a bank? Should they own media companies?

There's friction and a fair amount of hot air in the open source NFV MANO world and it's not doing anyone any favors.

The challenge facing network operators with long-term 5G ambitions is enormous from a technology, skills and financial perspective – sharing the load will be essential.

Ericsson's 5G transport partnership picks are telling.

Or are we into FUD territory?

What isn't a security risk these days?

There's a helluva lot to talk about in terms of the key role that transport networks will play in a 5G world, says Heavy Reading's Sterling Perrin.

The shortlist for the Company of the Year (Public) category features eight impressive contenders.

The shortlist for the Outstanding Components Vendor category features five strong contenders.

Local branch of Australian service provider causes s**tstorm with advert stating preference for white staff.

Great coffee is essential when at Mobile World Congress and, once again, Spirent has delivered.

The European region, including Russia, has experienced two years of 20%+ growth in FTTH/B connections but many markets still haven't really woken up.

Israeli hybrid network management specialist has a new customer to go with its new strategy – now will it sink or swim?

Chinese giant was hoping to seal a smartphone distribution deal with AT&T but higher powers are still wary of Huawei, it seems.

European fiber network operator and cloud service provider is up for sale, but who's got the money and the will for such a deal? You might want to look east...

What does automation mean for the carrier community? We need to talk about this...

Following the C$562 million nuptials of Procera and Sandvine, the resulting packet inspection, analytics and policy management specialist is pitching itself to service providers as a key enabler in the shift to automated processes.

In China, consumers can now place a Kentucky Fried Phonecall.

I'm just back from a brief visit to Tel Aviv where I met a broad range of innovative teams from companies as diverse as AT&T, Sedona, Allot and Ethernity.

Time is running out to get your entries in for the industry's most prestigious awards.

The Light Reading group is now much more than the mothership website and the Heavy Reading analyst group -- the family has grown to include the Telecoms.com news site, dedicated communities and wiki-style databases.

I'm prepared for the worst that Barcelona can throw at me.

Ahead of MWC in Barcelona, talk has started to circulate that nuptials may be in line for Cisco and Ericsson.

A new analysis of the cost of taking fiber connections to each home across Europe presents a total cost that just keeps getting smaller – that's great, right?

Verizon has struck a deal to offload its enterprise cloud services business, Light Reading has learned, and IBM looks like the best fit.

Nokia has bid to acquire Comptel for €347 million and that looks like just the start of an M&A adventure, one that seems fraught with traps.

Börje Ekholm started his new job as the CEO of Ericsson today – here are 10 things I'd like to see in his first 10 weeks at the helm of the Swedish giant.

We're about to find out what the major players are planning to spend on their networks in 2017.

The first few months of 2017 are likely to feature significant developments around a number of key technologies and industry developments.

More than 10,000 industry professionals have now registered with the online database for the virtualization community.

With more than 650 companies and industry organizations signed up to the Testapedia database, the test and measurement sector is clearly thriving.

The telecoms sector has taken a hefty glancing blow in the past six months, hitting sales and confidence. And that made me think of John Chambers…

Former executive and now head of innovation at Sweden's national carrier writes a blunt open letter to the new Ericsson CEO.

The broadband world is no longer just about faster connectivity – underpinning the distributed cloud is its key role now.

Ericsson's CTO Ulf Ewaldsson adds strategy to his existing responsibility for technology at the Swedish vendor, which has yet to appoint a new permanent CEO.

Senator Ted Cruz doesn't want Obama to 'give away the Internet' – well, OK, but…

Google and Box have struck a relationship that might baffle those with a legacy view of the world.

IBC starts this week in the Netherlands, or is it Holland? It's certainly being supported by the Dutch.

The social media giant's solar-powered Aquila drone, designed to provide Internet access to remote locations, has taken to the skies – but why?

European vendor's momentum continues into 2016 as it reports impressive sales growth, only some of which comes from its Overture acquisition, but its profitability isn't keeping up.

A fiber-to-the-home broadband trial in the city of York using CityFibre's network looks likely to lead to more competitive ultra-broadband services across the UK.

The notion of 5G most commonly conjures up a vision of incredibly high-speed wireless/mobile broadband connectivity, but right now it's fixed line broadband that is key to operators' 5G plans.

The UK's decision to quit the European Union has had global reverberations but it's hard to tell exactly how bad the aftershocks will be.

CenturyLink Chairman Bill Owens believes the communications industry needs greater collaboration and, to achieve that, the US needs to lower some barriers.

The need for service provider collaboration on next-generation network security innovation is my key takeaway from a brief visit to the InfoSecurity show in London.

I've got my travel coffee-making set already packed for the long trip from London to Austin, Texas: Here's a whole host of reasons why I should see you there.

ADVA has further developed the virtual switch technology it brought on board with the acquisition of Overture and is ready to pitch it into commercial NFV environments following an independent evaluation of the technology.

A new report outlines the state of play in the network functions virtualization (NFV) world and provides an eight-step strategy for network operators based on the experiences of the early adopters.

Who deserves to be welcomed into Light Reading's Hall of Fame this year? Let's take a look – and you can vote for your favorites.

There's still time to enter this year's Leading Lights awards -- here are the details you need.

The impending arrival of 5G will create a whole new generation gap.

AT&T's John Donovan made it pretty clear this week that white box networking is going to play a massive role in the next-generation networks of telecom operators.

Caffeine, the latest virtual acronym, the Extreme Submarine and Barcelona's most atmospheric photo opp all featured on the first morning of this year's MWC.

Our latest independent test report has put Cisco's security systems through their paces.

Welcome to the wonderful world of corporate branding.

There's a skeleton in the Leading Lights closet this year…

Juniper looks like it's on the offensive and defensive with the acquisition of data center interconnect (DCI) specialist BTI Systems but will it need to do more?

Nokia's Virtualized Service Router (VSR) and Virtualized Mobile Gateway (VMG) are the latest virtual functions to get an independent evaluation.

The UK government's conclusion that there is no consensus over the need for FTTP has angered the altnet.

Alcatel-Lucent has become part of Nokia, spelling the end for two of the giant brands of the legacy telecom era.

Critical appointment for UK incumbent as it once again adds mobile to the mix and takes its first steps towards a virtualized cloud infrastructure.

Microblogging giant is taking legal action to quash a fine imposed by Turkey's communications watchdog.

Telefónica has dumped Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) as its lead virtualization partner -- so who might step into HPE's shoes? Huawei and NEC look best placed of the equipment vendors but an independent integrator might be favored.

You're not paranoid -- governments want your data.

With the Phase 1 test completed and a report published, the New IP Agency (NIA) is prepping its Phase 2 NFV test with a focus on VNF management.

If this week's coverage of 'Ciscosson' left you digitally indigested, as if you'd swallowed a John Chambers-sized meatball, then here's a tasty roundup.

If you work at a telco or a vendor that sells to traditional communications service providers, you need to watch this short video interview.

Cisco and Ericsson have been forced into each other's arms by that other courting couple, Nokia and Alcatel-Lucent.

The complete story of EANTC's independent test of Cisco's NFV infrastructure (NFVi) is now available as a PDF download.

I was at the front line of the SDN/NFV Cold War last week – it was noisy.

The G.fast chip developer is hot property and looks ripe for acquisition – for me this is a 'no brainer' for Intel.

In an independent test of its NFV infrastructure (NFVi) by respected European lab EANTC, Cisco's virtual switching and routing achieved the throughput and scalability for commercial deployment.

The Broadband Forum is adapting its focus to account for the impact that virtualization and programmable networking will have on access network topologies and operator business plans.

Light Reading recently published an exclusive interview with Huawei's deputy chairman Eric Xu in English – now that interview is available in Chinese too.

Shaygan Kheradpir left Juniper under a cloud (not THE cloud) but has reappeared as CEO of transport vendor Coriant.

Some in the broadband industry expect Google to make a gigabit move in Europe – it would be a much-needed catalyst.

How can network operators get a return in investment from gigabit broadband access network rollouts? Island state network operator JT has some answers.

Get ready for some unwelcome internecine struggles that could set back telco cloud developments...

Management shuffles and a strategic acquisition suggest upheaval in China's service provider sector.

With vendors needing to diversify, the utility sector's immediate challenges with their operational technology (OT) frameworks offer a great opportunity to win new business.

A global relationship with Telefónica helps its international cause.