Eurobites: Czech nuclear plant trials Vodafone's private 5G

Czech power conglomerate ČEZ Group claims its Temelín nuclear power plant is the first such facility in Europe to test a 5G private network, courtesy of Vodafone. The pilot phase of the project covers the power plant's outdoor space, as well as certain areas of a production unit. The hope is that the new 5G-fueled setup will allow for a move away from "walkie-talkie" style communications in the plant and usher in augmented reality glasses to support the technicians' work, among other potential benefits. The Temelín trial follows a similar project with Škoda Auto at one of the country's largest car production plants, which was launched in 2022.

Converged UK operator Virgin Media O2 is on the hunt for further investment in its newly created network company, according to a Bloomberg report citing unnamed "people with knowledge of the matter." The report says that the operator is looking to raise at least £1 billion (US$1.3 billion) by selling a minority stake of up to 40% in the new venture as soon as October.

The wine-growing regions of Lower Austria are raising a glass to improved connectivity thanks to a fiber broadband partnership between Slovenia's Kontron and Speed Connect Austria. More than 800km of fiber has been laid in Lower Austria as part of Speed Connect Austria's open access network project, with Kontron's Iskratel broadband gear – including optical line terminals and optical network terminals – being used as part of the project. One of the areas covered by the rollout, Zellendorf, has seen an almost 10% fall in population over the past two decade; the authorities hope that the cork-popping 10-gig connectivity could help stop the rot.

Xavier Niel, the billionaire founder of French operator Iliad, has joined the board of TikTok owner ByteDance. Meanwhile, Philippe Laffont, the founder of Coatue Management, has left the board.