Eurobites: EU taps Eutelsat and friends for IRIS2 satellite system

The European Commission has selected the SpaceRISE consortium – which consists of Eutelsat, Hispasat and SES – to design, deliver and operate the EU's multi-orbit connectivity system IRIS2. The project aims to become a communications backbone aligned with the EU's priorities and is set for completion in the early 2030s. It is expected to bolster the union's resilience and digital sovereignty, and help bridge the digital divide. Subcontractors for the project include Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Airbus Defence and Space, and Thales Alenia Space.

Nokia and Hrvatski Telekom are collaborating on API pilot projects based on the Finnish vendor's Network as Code platform and developer portal. The goal is to allow developers (and presumably the operator) to monetize Hrvatski Telekom's 5G network, giving rise to new applications for its customers in Croatia, and elsewhere. Hrvatski Telekom is a Deutsche Telekom subsidiary. 

VEON, an operator group active in markets from Ukraine to Bangladesh, has launched AI-powered "super app" Hambi in Uzbekistan. The app, named after the Uzbek expression Hammasi Bitta, which means all-in-one, integrates products and services including e-health consultations, car insurance, travel, entertainment, TV fintech and gaming functionalities. VEON plans to add AI features allowing users to personalize the app.

CityFibre has sold the consumer Internet service provider (ISP) part of Lit Fibre back to its co-founders, Tom Williams and Ben Bresler. The ISP is active in six counties in southern England. The sale, CityFibre said, is in line with its strategy to remain a wholesale player and comes after the ISP was fully incorporated into the wholesaler's national infrastructure platform. Having acquired Lit Fibre in May, CityFibre is expecting to complete the work on integrating its XGS PON network infrastructure by the year's end.

French institutions have upheld a €26 million (US$28.3 million) fine imposed on Orange by the regulator Arcep for not fulfilling its fiber rollout commitments. The operator failed to connect lower-density areas covered by a government FTTP initiative within the expected time frame.