Telefónica's cloud and security unit, Telefónica Tech, has teamed up with Quside, a manufacturer of quantum random number generators, and Qrypt, a producer of cryptographic quantum security offerings, to integrate quantum technology into the cloud service hosted in its virtual data centers. "True quantum randomness" is apparently becoming much in demand for a range of critical applications.

Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has signed a partnership deal with "digital transformation" specialist Dizmo to launch a smart-home platform for the planned Saudi city of Neom. The platform will focus on health and "wellness." STC has recently signed an agreement to operate a 5G network in Neom.

HMD Global, the Finnish company that sells smartphones bearing the Nokia brand, has released half a dozen new models. At the top of the range are the X20 and X10, which are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G Mobile Platform and run Android 11. HMD's particular schtick appears to be durability: "…we want people to keep their phones for longer," says HMD's CEO, Florian Seiche, in the press release.

DAZN, the London-based sports streaming company that has recently nabbed the rights to top-flight Italian soccer, is considering an IPO, Reuters reports. The company has had a rough time during the coronavirus pandemic as many of the sporting events it covers were cancelled, prompting customers to cancel their subscriptions in turn.

Chesterfield, a market town in the English midlands, is the latest location to play host to Virgin Media's trench-cutters, with 12,500 homes being connected to the cable operator's FTTP network and the average top speeds of 600 Mbit/s that it offers. The rollout forms part of Virgin's "Project Lightning" program.

T-Systems, the IT services bit of Deutsche Telekom, will be presenting its new AI offering for the first time at Hannover Messe, which kicks off next week in a digital-only format. AI Solution Factory is described as a modular kit of hardware, software, connectivity and security. T-Systems is currently developing a new AI application for welding robots in the automotive industry where the AI element "learns" how good the work is and predicts the quality of the joint.

Three UK is attempting to entice new smartphone customers through a choice of free gifts that includes Samsung earbuds and a Fitbit Versa 3 smartwatch. Three's stores have been closed during the UK's most recent lockdown but will reopen across England and Wales from April 12, those in Scotland a couple of weeks later.

— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading