Eurobites: Cellnex targets automotive market with Segula tie-up

US-based Lumen Technologies has become the latest big tech firm to pull out of Russia in the wake of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. As Reuters reports, Lumen "decided to disconnect the network due to increased security risk inside Russia."

Vodafone is adding the HBO Max video streaming service to its TV line-up in four additional countries, namely Portugal, Hungary, Romania and the Czech Republic. HBO Max made its European debut for Vodafone in Spain in October. (See HBO Max prepares to go big in Europe.)

Telefónica Tech, Telefónica's digital business unit, is teaming up with cloud security outfit Zscaler for a new "security edge" offering powered by the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange, a cloud-based security platform that is distributed across 150 data centers worldwide.

South Africa's MTN Group saw EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) grow by 23.7% in 2021, to 80.8 billion South African rand (US$5.32 billion), on service revenue that rose 18.3%, to R171.8 billion ($11.32 billion). The results were achieved, says MTN, despite a slowdown in subscriber additions related to the introduction of stricter regulations in Nigeria relating to SIM card registration.

Proximus, Belgium's incumbent operator, deserves a special mention for its efforts on behalf of Ukrainian refugees who have pitched up on its home turf. Among other measures, the operator has removed the Wi-Fi data limit on homes that have taken in refugees and made certain buildings it owns – former caretakers' houses among them – available to accommodate Ukrainian families. Bravo.

UK altnet CityFibre has deployed its 100th fiber exchange, in the Scottish city of Glasgow. Roughly the size of a shipping container, these units are able to serve symmetrical gigabit-speed connection to up to 60,000 premises at full capacity.

The UK government is adding a new legal duty to its Online Safety Bill requiring social media companies and search engines to prevent paid-for fraudulent adverts appearing on their platforms. The proposed change, says the government, will improve protections for Internet users from the potentially devastating impact of fake ads, including those where criminals impersonate celebrities or companies to steal people's personal data and/or money.

Telecom Italia (TIM) has developed a training program for Italian high schools that aims to help students address the increasingly ubiquitous issue of so-called "fake news." The program will draw on the expertise of TIM's Data Room unit, which uses data analysis techniques to illustrate what can happen online when distorted or plain false information is disseminated.

— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading