Nokia has struck a deal with StarHub on network application programming interfaces (APIs) that will see the Singaporean operator's 4G and 5G networks connecting to Nokia's Network as Code platform to offer developers an easier route to creating new applications. The platform, says Nokia, provides developers with standardized access to network functions without having to grapple with underlying network technologies. Banking, ports and streaming are amongst the sectors being targeted. BT, Orange and Telefónica are already signed up to the Network as Code platform. (See Network APIs mission builds steam as GSMA eyes $300B in sales.)
TIM's in the money
Telecom Italia (TIM) is to receive a windfall payout of around €1 billion ($1 billion) from the Italian government in relation to a decades-old legal case, Bloomberg reports (paywall applies). The court rejected an appeal by the government against a ruling which ordered it to pay back around €530 million ($552 million) plus interest for licensing fees the company paid that were not actually due, added the report, citing people familiar with the matter.
Sparkle sale progresses
In related news, TIM has announced the "positive evolution of negotiations" with MEF and Retelit regarding the sale of Sparkle, TIM's international services unit. TIM has agreed to an extension of the original deadline until March 15 to allow for MEF and Retelit to finalize their offer. (See Telecom Italia gears up for change as NetCo sale looms.)
ZIRA promises to turn BSS data into gold
Sarajevo-based ZIRA has unveiled AI Telco Platform, a tool that, says the company, allows communications service providers to wrangle business support systems (BSS) data to generate useful insights, streamline operations and optimize pricing. ZIRA also claims that the platform can accurately forecast supplier prices up to six months in advance.
Eir offers parents guidance on kids' phones
Irish operator Eir has launched an in-store initiative intended to provide parents with tools and guidance for managing their children's smartphone use. The operator's own research showed that children in Ireland are, on average, getting their mitts on their first mobile phones at the age of nine, which is more than three years earlier than parents' "preferred age" of between 12 and 13. Following a four-week pilot in December, the Smart Start program is now rolling out across ten Eir stores in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, and Offaly.
WTF? WFH might be harder than you thought
It's bad news for residents of the Northern Irish city of Lisburn hankering after the increasingly frowned-upon WFH lifestyle: Their city is officially the worst in the UK for remote working. That is, at least according to a study carried out by email validation service Zero Bounce, which combined various factors such as broadband speeds, the cost of electricity and what it calls a "coffee score" to come up with a top ten of worst places to work remotely. And the two best places in which to spurn the allure of the office? Oxford and Cambridge, apparently.