Online Safety Bill now ready to become law
The UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has announced the controversial Online Safety Bill has been signed off by the Houses of Parliament and will become law soon.
Telecoms.com
Category: Policy and Regulation
Germany set impose stronger restriction on Chinese telecoms kit
A leaked strategy paper written by the German government suggests fresh restrictions are on the way for Huawei and ZTE within the country’s telecoms networks.
Union issues national security warning over Vodafone Three deal
Unite the Union has sounded the alarm over Vodafone and Three’s proposed merger, claiming that it risks giving China access to sensitive UK government data.
The Telecoms.com Podcast: Apple, China and Open RAN
Despite an early start Scott still managed a cheeky PR lunch before this pod. No guest this week and the lads start by reflecting on the latest Apple launches, including the now customary four iPhones. Spoiler alert: nobody was impressed. That topic naturally leads on to the matter of China, which is rumoured to be placing restrictions on iPhone use, and which apparently continues to find ways around the US tech embargos. They conclude with a look at the latest effort by the UK state to restore some momentum to Open RAN.
US accuses China of ‘inappropriate retaliation’ over possible Apple ban
Following reports that China is banning the use of iPhones in government agencies, the US government suggested such behaviour is wrong.
The Telecoms.com Podcast: Huawei, Open RAN and Europe
The lads have finally stopped mucking about in other countries so the pod returns after its summer break. And who better to welcome them back than the pod’s most frequent guest – telecoms and tech exec Mary Clark? Pausing only to sample some weapon’s grade pale ale Mary brought over from the States, they start by examining the significance of Huawei’s latest smartphone launches. They then move on to ponder the fortunes of the Open RAN market before concluding with a quick analysis of potential leadership changes at the European Commission.
Spain mulls block on STC’s Telefonica buy
The Spanish government is at sixes and sevens over Saudi Telecom’s proposed acquisition of a 9.9% stake in Telefonica.
US Senate confirms Anna Gomez as fifth FCC commissioner
Anna Gomez has been appointed as the fifth commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, a role that has been vacant for the entire Biden administration.
Online censorship pressure mounts ahead of 2024 election season
Recent developments in the EU, US and UK all contribute to a sense of increasing pressure to shape and constrain the digital public square.
Vestager leaves EU competition job as M&A decision looms
The European Union’s competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager is taking a temporary leave of absence to pursue a top position at the European Investment Bank at a time when telecoms M&A is hoting up again.
EU names big tech firms it has in its DMA sights
Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta, Microsoft are all now officially designated ‘gatekeepers’ by the EU, meaning they have six months to comply with a list of new regulatory demands.
Huawei Mate 60 Pro confirmed to use Chinese made chips
A teardown of Huawei’s furtively launched new flagship smartphone appears to confirm greater domestic chipmaking capability than previously thought.
UK signs contract with IBM to provide police with facial recognition tech – report
An investigation claims IBM has signed a contract with the UK government to provide facial recognition tech, despite vowing not to do so previously.
Operator lobbying ramps ahead of European ‘fair contribution’ decision
The European Commission is expected to detail the results of its consultation on whether big content providers should pay for network use.
UK reconsiders Microsoft Activision deal after cloud gaming concessions
After it’s initial plan to purchase gaming giant Activision Blizzard was blocked by the CMA, Microsoft has submitted an amended deal it hopes will appease the UK’s regulator’s concerns.
US and Germany warn of Chinese espionage threat
Various US security agencies have warned of foreign threats to its space sector, while the German government has increased pressure on its telcos to ditch Huawei.
The Telecoms.com Podcast: Rakuten, BT and US vs China
The lads manage to squeeze in a pod between their various summer holidays, principally to enable Scott to document his tan. They start with a look at the state of Japanese internet and telecoms giant Rakuten, which recently lost one of its most important execs. BT, meanwhile, has wasted little time in appointing a new CEO, so they move on to discuss that, before concluding with a look at America’s increasingly self-harming attempts to stop China developing technology.
US declares Chinese tech development a national emergency
The US attempt to put the Chinese genie back in its bottle has escalated further with an executive order prohibiting US investment in a bunch of Chinese industries.
Three UK uses SRN milestone to push Vodafone merger
Three UK has rolled out mobile coverage to 100 sites under the government’s shared rural network programme, shoehorning a quick mention of the benefits of its proposed merger with Vodafone into the announcement.
TalkTalk and BT top Ofcom’s most complained-about providers
In a quarterly report covering January to March 2023, Ofcom has published data on customer complaints about telecom and Pay-TV services, stating a slight quarterly increase overall.
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