Eurobites: Swisscom, Ericsson combine on private 5G

Swisscom and Ericsson have together launched MPN Private, a 5G mobile private network offering in Switzerland. The service is based on Ericsson's dual-mode core technology, which provides both 4G and 5G connectivity simultaneously, enabling a range of applications for indoor and outdoor environments. Those opting for the service will use their own Ericsson Private 5G core on the company premises.

Ericsson has also been helping UAE operator e& expand its 5G network, providing its dual-band massive MIMO radio, the AIR 3229, to enable e& to deliver 5G services simultaneously on both the 2600MHz and 3500MHz spectrum bands using a single unit. The deployment, says Ericsson, also reduces power consumption by 20%.

Telenor has unveiled its new AI Factory platform, which is intended to encourage AI adoption both internally and for external customers. Hive Autonomy, a Norwegian company specializing in remote-controlled logistics operations, has become the first customer to use the Nvidia-powered platform.

Deutsche Telekom saw its third-quarter adjusted EBITDAaL (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, after leases) grow by 8% year-over-year in its European markets, to €1.2 billion (US$1.26 billion), on revenue that increased by 4.2%, to €3.1 billion ($3.26 billion). The number of European broadband customers increased by 47,000 during the period, and the number of TV customers by 41,000. Greece was the biggest contributor to the latter, with 24,000 TV net adds, thanks in part to the allure of some additional sports broadcasting rights. Full-year EBITDAaL guidance for the whole Deutsche Telekom group was raised to around €43.0 billion ($45.2 billion).

Which?, the influential UK consumer group, has attacked Apple for what it sees as the tech giant's "abuse of dominance" in relation to iCloud storage charges, launching a class action that could see around 40 million UK iPhone and iPad iOS users receiving their share of a £3 billion ($3.8 billion) claim. Which? believes that Apple has breached competition law by failing to provide a choice of cloud storage providers, and manhandling customers towards its iCloud service by not clearly informing them of alternatives.

Revenues in the first nine months of 2024 are up 9% year-over-year at Three UK, to £2.03 billion ($2.5 billion), but the mobile operator – desperate that its proposed merger with larger rival Vodafone goes ahead – still insists that its glass is less than half full. In a prepared earnings statement, CEO Robert Finnegan laments: "The UK ranks a lowly 22nd out of 25 European countries for 5G speeds and availability and we simply cannot, as a standalone company, generate the returns to justify the levels of investment required to change this. We have given cast-iron commitments to the CMA [Competition and Markets Authority] to enable our merger with Vodafone unlocking £11bn of private investment that will transform UK 5G and deliver a world class network for consumers and businesses." (See Vodafone and Three to get merger blessing with poisonous remedies.)

Eutelsat has signed new multi-year agreement with Q-KON to expand low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite broadband services across sub-Saharan Africa, bringing the possibility of more reliable connectivity to previously underserved regions.

Seven UK government-funded 4G mobile network upgrades have been switched on in Wales this week as part of the Shared Rural Network program, which is aiming to address the coverage gap in the more remote corners of the country. Twenty-six masts have now been upgraded as part of the initiative.

Telecom Italia (TIM) saw group EBITDA climb 7.6% year-over-year in the third quarter, to €1.1 billion ($1.15 billion), on revenues that were up 3.2%, to €3.6 billion ($3.8 billion). During the quarter, TIM finalized the sale of its fixed-line network, NetCo, to US investment firm KKR, mercifully drawing a line under a long-running M&A saga.

UK mobile operator O2 has unleashed what it calls an "AI granny" to frustrate would-be phone scammers. The granny in question, christened Daisy, is basically a bot that specializes in keeping scammers on the line, deliberately programmed to engage in stereotypically meandering granny conversations that get nowhere fast. Daisy combines various AI models which listen to the caller and provide appropriately grannyesque responses through a custom-built large language model complete with a character "personality" layer. Daisy has been answering calls from scammers for several weeks: it almost makes you feel sorry for them. Almost.

The item on Three UK's earnings was amended to clarify that the figures cited are nine-month earnings, rather than third-quarter earnings.