Eurobites: UK government whips out its digital walletEurobites: UK government whips out its digital wallet

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Arcep sets its ambitions; new president for Nokia Technologies; VMO2 extends fiber reach in Northallerton.

Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe

January 22, 2025

2 Min Read
Man taking wallet out of his back pocket
(Source: Zoonar GmbH/Alamy Stock Photo)

The British government is responding to the preferences of the smartphone era with the introduction of the GOV.UK digital wallet, in which citizens can store digital versions of important government-issued documents, such as driving licenses. Indeed, a mobile driver's license will be one of the first such documents to appear in the GOV.UK wallet later this year. Significantly, this license will ultimately allow people to prove their age from their smartphone, whether face to face or online – so it could be seen by twitchy small-government types as the introduction of identity cards by the back door. The wallet will be backed by technology that makes use of security features that are embedded in today's smartphones, including facial recognition. By the end of 2027 it is envisaged that every credential issued by the government will be available in the digital wallet – though traditional physical documents will remain available to those who prefer them. The GOV.UK wallet plan forms part of a wider blueprint for digital government.

Arcep outlines grand projet

French communications regulator Arcep has set out its Ambition 2030 program, complete with its nine "strategic objectives" it would like to see nailed before the decade's out. These include the general availability of high-speed broadband, improvement in the resilience of the communications infrastructure and the development of true choice in cloud services. There is a sustainability strand too – Arcep says that it will "also contribute to setting the trajectory for digital sustainability, ensuring that digital development continues to align with the critical objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement."

Nokia Technologies welcomes new president (no, not that one)

Nokia has appointed Patrik Hammarén as president of its Technologies unit, which is responsible for managing and monetizing Nokia's intellectual property, including its patent portfolio. Hammarén joined Nokia in 2007 and has been acting president of Nokia Technologies since October 2024. He will be based in Finland and report to Pekka Lundmark, Nokia's president and CEO.

VMO2 extends reach in Sunak Country

Virgin Media O2's gigabit network has extended its reach in the northern England market town of Northallerton, represented in the UK parliament by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, with 8,000 more residential and business premises now able to sign up to its full-fiber offering, should they so choose. The network has been built on behalf of Nexfibre, the joint venture partner of VMO2, which is investing £4.5 billion (US$5.5 billion) to deliver fiber-to-the-home connections to 5 million homes across the UK by 2026. (See Virgin Media O2 fuels UK fiber M&A chatter with NetCo plan.)

Intracom upgrades unpronounceable platform

Greece's Intracom Telecom has upgraded its network lifecycle automation and management platform, uni|MS, with a new release that boosts its capacity to provision and manage up to 1 million fixed wireless access (FWA) devices. The improved performance, says the company, stems from a redesign of the way consumer premises equipment (CPE) entries are handled by the uni|MS database.

Read more about:

Europe

About the Author

Paul Rainford

Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading

Paul is based on the Isle of Wight, a rocky outcrop off the English coast that is home only to a colony of technology journalists and several thousand puffins.

He has worked as a writer and copy editor since the age of William Caxton, covering the design industry, D-list celebs, tourism and much, much more.

During the noughties Paul took time out from his page proofs and marker pens to run a small hotel with his other half in the wilds of Exmoor. There he developed a range of skills including carrying cooked breakfasts, lying to unwanted guests and stopping leaks with old towels.

Now back, slightly befuddled, in the world of online journalism, Paul is thoroughly engaged with the modern world, regularly firing up his VHS video recorder and accidentally sending text messages to strangers using a chipped Nokia feature phone.

Subscribe and receive the latest news from the industry.
Join 62,000+ members. Yes it's completely free.

You May Also Like