Briefing Desk
Latest Briefings
Concise reporting on the developments shaping internet governance and infrastructure. Browse each area for recent news, context and watchpoints.
Spanish Telcos explore shared mobile network
Spanish telcos explore a mobile network joint venture to improve capital efficiency and reduce costs in a challenging telecom environment.
Singapore shifts AI towards public research infrastructure
Singapore will invest over S$1 billion in public AI research shifting national strategy towards foundational research and talent development.
Texas restricts Chinese tech use on state devices
Texas bans state employees from using Alibaba, Temu, Shein and other Chinese tech products on government devices to protect data privacy.
Nvidia and CoreWeave deepen partnership to expand AI infrastructure
Nvidia invests $2 billion in CoreWeave to accelerate AI data center buildouts, raising concerns over cloud infrastructure concentration.
Riyadh Air accelerates in-flight satellite internet deployment
Riyadh Air partners with Neo Space Group to bring high-speed satellite internet to its Airbus A321 fleet, enhancing passenger experience.
Google settles $68m voice assistant privacy case
Google settles a $68 million lawsuit over claims its voice assistant recorded private conversations without consent.
Nvidia’s AI cuts through the clouds
Nvidia unveils open-source AI weather models promising faster and cheaper forecasts with industry impact.
Nokia Chooses Pure Storage to Power Next-Gen Red Hat Telco Cloud
Nokia selects Pure Storage to support its Red Hat telco cloud strategy
VinFast partners with Autobrains on affordable self‑driving tech
VinFast teams up with Autobrains to develop low‑cost autonomous driving systems, testing camera‑based technology on VF 8 and VF 9 models.
Europe and the US redefine a fraught digital partnership
Europe seeks a recalibrated partnership with the US as digital and trade tensions shape telecom policy in early 2026.
GlobalConnect triples Nordic network capacity with upgrade
GlobalConnect launches a major upgrade to triple its Nordic network capacity and improve connectivity with new subsea cables.
Fidelity ends legal fight over Broadcom software
Fidelity settles a lawsuit with Broadcom to maintain access to business-critical VMware software used across its IT systems.
Intel shares fall 13% amid AI data centre demand concerns
Intel shares fall 13% after the chipmaker warns it is struggling to meet AI data centre demand and forecasts lower revenue.
Ericsson beats Q4 expectations as EMEA growth lifts sales
Ericsson ends 2025 on a stronger footing after EMEA growth drives better-than-expected fourth-quarter sales and improves margins.
Ericsson ends 2025 on steadier footing
Ericsson says a steadier networks business helped deliver a solid end to 2025 after a volatile investment cycle
Open Cosmos launches twin LEO satellites
Open Cosmos has launched two LEO satellites, marking a step towards commercial-scale operations in Europe’s space sector.
Telefónica Tech drives IoT smart water roll-out for Aguas de Cádiz
Telefónica Tech deploys NB-IoT smart water meters in Cádiz, enabling remote data, predictive analytics and stable utility revenues.
UK regulator opens probe into Meta’s WhatsApp data compliance
UK regulator Ofcom investigates whether Meta provided complete and accurate data on WhatsApp during a review of the bulk SMS market.
Nvidia boss visits china amid regulatory headwinds and AI demand
Nvidia CEO visits China amid regulatory scrutiny as the company waits on Beijing’s decision over H200 AI chip sales to a major AI market.
Scale matters more as UK fibre market consolidates
UK broadband market shifts as CityFibre’s consolidation emphasises coverage and scale over pure build-out for competitive advantage.
Telefónica’s Chile fibre deal reshapes takeover calculus
A fibre carve-out in Chile shows how infrastructure separation is reshaping telecom consolidation strategies.
Saudi sovereign capital pushes Middle East into AI compute spotlight
Saudi Arabia backs AI data centres with sovereign capital, signalling the Middle East’s rise as a new global compute hub.
How Enterprises Monetize Excess IP Assets
Explore strategies and case studies showing how companies sell or lease surplus IPv4 addresses for financial gain.
Intel’s forecast highlights struggle to meet AI data‑center demand
Intel forecasts Q1 results below estimates as it struggles to meet AI data center chip demand, triggering a sharp share price drop.
Amazon plans thousands more corporate job cuts amid restructuring
Amazon plans another round of corporate job cuts next week to streamline operations and reshape its white‑collar workforce.
CityFibre profit rises as connections near one million
CityFibre nears one million customer fibre connections as usage and profits climb, highlighting strong UK broadband demand.
Verizon Expands US Fibre Footprint with Frontier Acquisition
Verizon finalises its $20B acquisition of Frontier, expanding its fibre network to 30 million US homes and boosting broadband reach.
Tecto Expands in Southern Brazil with Malbec Subsea Cable Link
ecto Data Centers invests R$200M in Porto Alegre facility, linking it to V.tal’s Malbec subsea cable to boost regional connectivity.
Telefónica chief warns Europe on cyber autonomy at Davos
Telefónica CEO warns at Davos that Europe must build cyber autonomy amid geopolitical tensions and tech reliance concerns.
Nokia and Hypertec deploy AI-powered supercomputer in Canada
Nokia and Hypertec deploy the Nibi supercomputer at the University of Waterloo to expand AI and HPC research capacity across disciplines.
Telenor marks end of Thai telecom chapter with True sale
Telenor exits Thailand after 25 years, selling its stake in True Corporation for NOK 39 billion as part of a strategic Asia retreat.
French telecom operators renew talks to buy SFR from Altice
French operators Bouygues, Free and Orange confirm renewed talks to acquire SFR from Altice, a move that could reshape telecom competition.
Microsoft 365 services disrupted users
Microsoft 365 services experienced a major outage for thousands of users, highlighting risks of cloud reliance and online service continuity.
Spotify’s AI ‘Prompted Playlist’: A New Way to Curate Music – But Does It Deliver?
Spotify is testing an AI “Prompted Playlist” tool for Premium users in the U.S. and Canada, letting listeners create playlists with text prompts.
UK Cyber Firm Unveils Unified OT Monitoring to Tackle Industrial Threats
e2e-assure has launched a UK-focused unified IT/OT cyber monitoring service to boost visibility and threat detection across industrial networks.
CityFibre expands full‑fiber availability for small businesses
CityFibre expands FTTP broadband to 4.5 million small businesses and home workers, emphasising fibre’s role in UK digital competitiveness.
AI hiring firm Eightfold sued over secret candidate scoring
AI faces a lawsuit over alleged secret scoring of job applicants, intensifying scrutiny of transparency and accountability in hiring.
Intel results test turnaround amid AI demand
Intel earnings spotlight AI-driven data center growth while investors weigh execution challenges and competition.
US backs India–Singapore submarine cable study
Study will evaluate technical and commercial viability of a subsea route through Southeast Asia to support AI and data demand.
US House advances bill on AI chip exports
US lawmakers advance legislation giving Congress greater oversight of AI chip exports amid security and trade concerns.
US fibre industry sees rising build costs in 2026
US fibre build costs rose in 2025 and are set to increase further in 2026, impacting broadband rollout and network budgets.
GSMA warns Europe’s Digital Networks Act may hamper telecom investment
Europe’s mobile industry criticises the Digital Networks Act proposal, saying it fails to simplify rules and support network investment.
Cyber attacks would wipe out over 10% of UK businesses – Vodafone
Vodafone warns that a major cyber attack could wipe out over 10% of UK businesses, exposing weak cyber resilience and training gaps.
UK reviews options to regulate children’s social media use
The UK government launches a consultation on children’s social media use amid a broader online safety debate.
ChatGPT Starts Predicting User Age to Shield Teens Ahead of “Adult Mode” Launch
OpenAI is rolling out an age-prediction system in ChatGPT to protect teens, as it prepares an adult mode and tighter content controls.
Drones pose new cyber risk to critical infrastructure
Researchers warn drones could be used as vectors for cyber attacks on critical infrastructure in emerging threat landscape.
Canadian court lets Tiktok keep operating amid security concerns
Canada’s court paused TikTok shutdown amid security concerns, highlighting global tensions between national security and platform freedoms.
US IT Hardware Stocks Slide as Morgan Stanley Turns Cautious
U.S. IT hardware stocks slid after Morgan Stanley took a more cautious view, citing weak corporate spending and rising costs.
V.tal unveils Synapse US–Brazil submarine cable Scheme
V.tal unveils Synapse, a 9,700 km submarine cable to link the US and Brazil, boosting cloud and AI data flows.
EU’s Cybersecurity Shake-Up: A Ban in All But Name?
The EU unveiled cybersecurity proposals that could phase out high-risk telecoms suppliers from critical networks.