Nokia and Telefónica Spain have been trialing 25G PON technology, demonstrating that current GPON and XGS-PON broadband technologies can co-exist on the same fiber with the 25G variety and reaching symmetric speeds of 20 Gbit/s. Nokia has conducted similar trials with Dutch operator KPN and BT's network access arm, Openreach, over the last couple of years. (See Nokia and KPN successfully trial 25G PON in Rotterdam animal hospital and Eurobites: Nokia and Openreach test 25G PON broadband tech.)

Vodafone UK has extended its existing, exclusive in-store deal with electronics retailer Currys for a few more years, expressing the hope that the arrangement – which sees Vodafone remain as Currys' exclusive mobile network partner – will help the two companies reach beyond mobile to home broadband and related, connected devices. Currys has a separate telecom partnership with Three UK, through which Three targets the business connectivity market.

The UK's National Grid has chosen network monitoring technology from Canadian software firm EXFO for a year-long pilot scheme. National Grid deploys an overhead fiber-optic operational telecom network across its electricity infrastructure for the transmission of critical information and it is banking on EXFO's technology to help it assess the condition of the network and identify potential points of failure.

Sky, the UK-based purveyor of pay-TV and more, is throwing in "free" access to the Discovery+ streaming service for some of its higher-spending customers, theoretically saving them £6.99 (US$8.57) a month. This will allow them to watch, amongst other things, the Australian Open tennis grand slam, which kicked off on Monday in Melbourne. Those signed up for Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky Stream are eligible for the offer.

Spanish towers company Cellnex is providing indoor mobile coverage through its distributed antenna system for two locations that form part of The Social Hub, a pan-European chain that offers student accommodation and related facilities. The deal was done partly to address the problem of poor indoor coverage caused by insulation materials that are currently being retrofitted to The Social Hub's sites. Delft and Vienna are the first two locations to receive the Cellnex treatment.

Italtel, the Italian systems integrator, is launching a new managed services offer which will be delivered via a team of around 200 experts working at operations centers in Milan, Ciudad Real in Spain and Sao Paolo in Brazil.

Raxio is to establish what it says is Angola's first carrier-neutral Tier III data center. Set to be commissioned in February 2024, Raxio Angola, located in the Cacuaco district on the outskirts of Luanda, will be the seventh data center in the company's African portfolio.

— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading