Eurobites: Orange recycles Olympics networking gear with La PosteEurobites: Orange recycles Olympics networking gear with La Poste

Several thousand Wi-Fi terminals and other pieces of network gear deployed by Orange for the Olympic and Paralympic sites in Paris this year are to be reused at locations belonging to the French postal service, La Poste, in a move that Orange describes as a key aspect of the Paris 2024 games legacy. One such location will be La Poste's Maison de l'Innovation in Nantes, which is due to house more than 800 IT professionals from the postal service. Orange and La Poste share the goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 – this project also helps keep that ambition on track for both companies. (See Orange hails Olympics success, looks to Africa for future growth.)

Ericsson's Croatian research and development unit, Ericsson Nikola Tesla, is taking part in a project investigating the use of extended reality (XR) applications over 5G networks. Through the project, called Digiphy, prototype XR applications will be created for two use cases that will be tested and validated in the 5G network. Among the aspects being explored are ways of synchronizing digital twins with the physical world and how ethical principles can be incorporated into the design of the technology. The EU is co-financing the project to the tune of €1.5 million (US$1.58 million). (See Mobile networks face harsh reality of delivering the metaverse.)

Which?, the high-profile UK consumer rights organization, is clearly unimpressed by the green-lighting of the Vodafone-Three merger by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). In a statement, Which?'s director of policy and advocacy, Rocio Concha, said: "The two companies are currently close competitors so the merger is likely to reduce competitive pressure in the market which could lead to higher prices and lower quality for consumers, at least in the short term … The CMA has taken a gamble with the package of remedies it has settled on. For this merger to work for consumers, the CMA and Ofcom must rigorously monitor whether the merged company sticks to its commitments and be prepared to act decisively if it does not." (See Vodafone and Three merger is blessed, but much could go wrong.)

Saudi Arabia is to get its first brick-and-mortar Apple Stores – though not until 2026. One of them is being planned for Diriyah, the UNESCO World Heritage site considered to be the birthplace of the country. Next year will see the launch of a dedicated Saudi online Apple Store, which promises to offer support directly from Apple in Arabic for the first time.