Eurobites: GSMA, ESA combine for communications convergence

The GSMA has formed a partnership with the European Space Agency with the intention of bringing the mobile and satellite communications industries closer together to collaborate on innovative satellite and terrestrial networks technologies. As part of the agreement, the two organizations are hoping to share knowledge and outcomes of trials to help better integrate 5G and future 6G communications with non-terrestrial networks. To this end, the GSMA's Foundry innovation accelerator will work closely with the ESA's 5G/6G Hub based at the ESA's European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications in Harwell, Oxfordshire.

Austria's A1 Group has raised its outlook for 2023 on the strength of its second-quarter results, which saw its EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) rise 6% year-over-year, to €486 million (US$535 million), on revenues that were up 7.5%, to €1.29 billion ($1.42 billion). Strong growth in its machine-to-machine (M2M) business helped push up its mobile subscriber numbers by 5.2%. Belarus proved a struggle though, with the exchange rate of the Belarusian ruble against the euro negatively impacting the numbers, while the country's price regulations limited A1's ability to adjust its prices to take account of higher operating costs.

Orange has launched 5G in Jordan, with services offered in parts of Amman and Irbid. Orange Jordan first piloted 5G in November of last year, and is only the second Orange unit in the company's Middle East & Africa region to launch commercial services. Orange Jordan also offers fixed broadband services via fiber and ADSL.

Amazon, the very large online platform, has challenged its classification as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) by the EU in the context of its Digital Services Act, which came into force last year. Under the terms of the Act, companies are classed as VLOPs and subject to the regulation if they have more than 45 million users but, according to a Reuters report, Amazon's argument is that it is not the largest online retailer in any of the EU countries in which it operates and that its bigger rivals in these countries have not been classed as VLOPs.

Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, has put out a call for evidence to help it set out guidance for companies on how to comply with the UK government's forthcoming online safety laws, which will require certain online services to identify risks to users and have measures in place for protecting them from harm. (See EE wants the UK's Online Safety Bill to at least mention women and girls.)

UK altnet CityFibre has begun digging up the roads in South Tyneside for the latest installment of its fiber rollout. Work on the £42 million ($54 million) project is starting in the Laygate area and, once complete, the network will be used by Vodafone, TalkTalk, Zen and others to provide broadband services.

— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading