Eurobites: Proximus hops on sailboat as part of emissions journeyEurobites: Proximus hops on sailboat as part of emissions journey

Belgian operator Proximus has teamed up with Sagemcom to trial deliveries by sailboat as part of a wider plan to reduce emissions in its supply chain. The first delivery, bearing a job lot of Proximus' Wi-Fi boosters, was carried out by wind-powered cargo transport specialist TOWT and arrived this week in the French port of Le Havre. Driven by a desire to achieve net zero emissions across its entire supply chain by 2040, the operator has also been looking at the use of "high cube" shipping containers, which maximize shipment volumes and reduce the number of trips required.

Nokia and UAE operator e& have been demonstrating what they claim is the world's first fixed end-to-end network slicing offering specifically intended for gaming applications. During the trial, network slices were created across the in-home Wi-Fi network and the fiber access network. The slicing software, which includes Altiplano, Corteca and NSP domain controllers, allows operators to create a cross-domain network slice with standards-based specifications to deliver high-end connectivity to users. (See 2025 preview: Network slicing gets real and Is network slicing toast?)

Elsewhere in Nokialand, a software developer at the Finnish vendor has been handed down a six-month conditional prison sentence and ordered to pay €15,000 (US$15,610) in legal costs after he deliberately pulled out a mains plug powering network equipment and caused a global outage in 2019. As Finnish website YLE reports, the incident took place during a strike, the (unnamed) employee announcing before the strike began that he planned to power down the equipment that he managed, though in his defense he said he was trying to protect it.

Telecom Italia (TIM) has received a binding offer from Italy's Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and Retelit for its Sparkle subsea unit. The bid values Sparkle at €700 million ($728 million) and will be effective until January 27, 2025. The proposed deal is part of TIM's convoluted plan to rid itself of its fixed-network assets to reduce its debts. Sparkle was not included in the "NetCo" deal that saw US investment firm KKR buy TIM's fixed-network assets for around $22 billion. (See Italy to take up to 20% stake in TIM's fixed assets.)

As if its imminent ban in the US wasn't enough to deal with, the European Commission has opened formal proceedings against TikTok for a suspected breach of the Digital Services Act. The investigation relates to TikTok's perceived failings on election integrity, notably in relation to the Romanian presidential elections last month. In a statement, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: "Following serious indications that foreign actors interfered in the Romanian presidential elections by using TikTok, we are now thoroughly investigating whether TikTok has violated the Digital Services Act by failing to tackle such risks. It should be crystal clear that in the EU, all online platforms, including TikTok, must be held accountable."

Ericsson has teamed up with Axian Telecom on a digital training program for young people in Africa. In each country where this partnership will be active, the two companies will collaborate with local partners to develop strategies tailored to the needs of young people in each market.

The BBC, the UK's best known public broadcaster, has launched a dedicated in-car version of Sounds, its audio streaming app. Previously, listeners needed a smartphone to access Sounds in a car through Android Auto or Apple CarPlay; now they can access the content directly from the car's display screen. Initially, the new app will be available in certain models of BMW and Mini cars equipped with BMW Operating System 9 or Mini Operating System 9.