Eurobites: ASML shares slide after China export license revocation

ASML, the Dutch company specializing in advanced lithography systems used to etch high-performance microchips, suffered a 2.5% slump in its shares yesterday (Tuesday) after the Dutch government partially revoked an export license for the shipment of its NXT:2050i and NXT:2100i lithography systems to China. As Reuters reports, the Chinese authorities were not impressed, its foreign ministry spokesman urging the Dutch government to "respect market principles and the law." Export controls on such equipment were first introduced back in October 2022 by the Biden administration, with a view to checking China's advances in AI, 6G and high-performance computing as well as potential military uses. (See Tough US export controls could soon extend to ASML gear – report and ASML risks being sucked into US chips war on China.)

Deutsche Telekom has introduced a new service which it says helps its business customers guard against cyber attacks on their employees' smartphones and tablets. The Appvisory Secure App Check service is (of course) powered by artificial intelligence and, as its name suggests, automatically scans apps for vulnerabilities before and after installation.

Swiss operator Salt says that people in hard-to-reach parts of Switzerland should, by the end of the year, be able to enjoy satellite-based connectivity (though only via SMS) thanks to the launch of SpaceX satellites with direct-to-cell capabilities. The service will expand to include voice and data coverage in 2025 and will be free for business and residential customers on Salt's premium tariffs, says the operator.

New research from Lyca Mobile, the UK-based mobile virtual network operator, has found that more than a third of mobile customers feel that their provider is "taking them for granted." The widespread disgruntlement arises largely from the mid-contract price rises imposed by most of the major mobile providers, says the research, which was carried out in December. (See UK operators cannot clearly explain inflation-plus-3.9% price rises and Eurobites: Ofcom scrutinizes mid-contract price rises.)

ITVX, the streaming service offered by UK broadcaster ITV, broke its own record on New Year's Day, seeing 8 million streams across the platform. This was up 44% on the previous year. Since its launch in December 2022, ITVX has served more than 3 billion streams.