Eurobites: Germany Offers Hope to Huawei

Exponential-e, which provides connectivity, data center, security and cloud networking services to enterprises, has launched what it calls its Software Defined Digital Platform (SD-DP), an integrated platform comprising core and edge compute, SD-WAN connectivity and management tools designed to underpin enterprise digital transformation efforts. CEO Lee Wade, who updated Light Reading on the network operator's strategy late last year, believes Exponential-e Ltd. can take care of the underlying, but very important, communications and networking capabilities and help enterprises focus on their areas of expertise and the cultural and operational changes that need to be addressed during digital transformations. "[Customer] concerns around cloud complexity, business continuity and security can be consigned to the past, along with fretting about fixing their legacy systems. We take care of that," he noted in the operator's press release. (See Exponential-e Unveils Software Defined Digital Platform and Exponential-e CEO on Cloud, Security & Coffee.)

Dutch incumbent KPN Telecom NV (NYSE: KPN) has sold data services firm iBasis to Tofane Global for an undisclosed sum. According to the operator, the deal is part of its renewed "focus on the execution of its successful strategy in The Netherlands."

Deutsche Telekom AG (NYSE: DT)'s network upgrade juggernaut trundles on: In the last four weeks, 821,000 German lines have been souped up to connection speeds of "up to" 250 Mbit/s, bringing the number of lines in this category to nearly 17 million. (See DT to Ramp Up FTTH Capex Starting in 2019.)

Telecom Italia Sparkle is teaming up with Internet.ONE, an Italian/Swiss broadband and cloud services provider, to help bring live motor-racing footage to petrolheads across Europe. The coverage uses technology that allows dozens of cars or motorcycles on the track to be filmed at the same time from different angles, all of which can be streamed in quality up to 8K -- which is where Sparkle and its bandwidth comes in.

EE , the UK mobile operator that is part of BT Group plc (NYSE: BT; London: BTA), has come in for some flak for failing to engage with a customer who was stalked by an ex-partner. The miscreant in question worked for EE and was able to access her personal data without her permission. As the BBC reports, Francesca Bonafede's ex managed to switch her account to a new handset under his ownership, thus receiving all the texts and calls that were meant for her. A spokesman for EE admitted that its internal policies had not been followed in this case. You don't say.

— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading