Briefing Desk
Latest Briefings
Concise reporting on the developments shaping internet governance and infrastructure. Browse each area for recent news, context and watchpoints.
SoftBank plans to raise $4.9B by selling T-Mobile shares
What happened: SoftBank targets $4.9 billion with T-Mobile share sale to enhance financial stability SoftBank is in the news because it plans to raise $4.9 billion by selling its shares in T-Mobile. The company wants to strengthen its financial position due to changes in the market. SoftBank will se…
Amazon invests in Aussie data centres
What happened: Amazon boosts cloud reach as BT reviews AI impact on staff Amazon Web Services (AWS) plans to invest $13 billion in new data centres across Australia by 2027. This supports the growing need for cloud computing and artificial intelligence services in the country. The new data centres w…
BT’s CEO Allison Kirkby warns AI may cut more jobs
What happened: BT CEO says AI may drive deeper cuts BT Group’s CEO, Allison Kirkby, said AI might lead to more job losses than earlier planned. BT had aimed to cut 40,000 to 55,000 jobs by 2030 to save costs. Kirkby noted that AI’s full effects were not included in these plans. The company already
Meta signs 20-year nuclear deal to fuel AI data centre growth
What happened: Meta secures nuclear power to fuel AI growth Meta has struck a 20-year agreement with Constellation Energy to supply 1,121 megawatts of nuclear power starting in 2027. The power will come from the Clinton Clean Energy Centre in Illinois, a plant once scheduled for closure in 2017. Met…
Cargill Asia Pacific: Driving Agri-Food Innovation
Cargill uses Singapore to drive food innovation, develop digital tools, and meet growing demand across Asia.
WeWork Singapore: Cuts back but keeps key sites for big clients
WeWork Singapore downsizes to 12 locations, focusing on flexible office demand from large, enterprise-level clients.
Trump steps in as FCC pressure mounts on EchoStar
Trump urges FCC and EchoStar to resolve spectrum licence dispute as regulatory pressure threatens company’s future.
Spyware from Paragon hits Italian journalist’s iPhone
What happened: Paragon spyware targets journalist’s iPhone Cyber watchdogs Access Now and the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto have confirmed that an Italian journalist’s iPhone was infected with Paragon spyware. The surveillance was discovered in early 2024 after the journalist voluntarily …
Trump reports $57M crypto windfall from World Liberty Financial
What happened: Trump discloses $57M crypto earnings Trump’s public financial disclosure, filed on 13 June 2025 with the Office of Government Ethics, lists a $57,437,927 income attributed to his involvement with World Liberty Financial — a decentralized finance (DeFi) project in which he, alongside s…
Taiwan puts Huawei and SMIC on export control list
What happened: Taipei tightens scrutiny on Chinese tech giants Huawei and SMIC Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs has added Chinese chipmakers Huawei Technologies and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) to its export control list, a significant policy shift that requires …
AsiaNext: Unveils cross‑exchange collateralisation for institutional trading
AsiaNext adds cross‑exchange collateralisation for institutional digital asset trading amid growing regulatory demands.
Capacity Eurasia 2025 set to unite connectivity leaders in Istanbul
What happened: Connectivity leaders to gather in Istanbul for Capacity Eurasia 2025 Capacity Eurasia 2025 will take place on 1–2 July at the InterContinental Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey. Now in its latest edition, the event gathers over 500 decision-makers from 40+ countries across Central and Eastern…
MWPS 2025 explores spectrum sharing and wireless power in Minnesota
MWPS 2025 in Saint Paul explores wireless power and shared spectrum for future telecom systems and RF innovation.
Nokia and Elisa upgrade core network for future 5G use cases
Nokia helps Elisa complete cloud-based 5G core network upgrade across Finland to support automation and digital services.
Deutsche Telekom and Nvidia plan German industrial AI cloud
Deutsche Telekom and Nvidia plan a German industrial AI cloud with up to 10,000 Nvidia GPUs, targeting manufacturers that need local compute for simulation, robotics and AI workloads.
LACNIC works to grow internet resources in Latin America
What happened: LACNIC launches R&D Ambassadors Program to boost local internet leadership LACNIC has initiated its Research and Development (R&D) Ambassadors Program to address internet infrastructure issues in Latin America and the Caribbean. This initiative aims to identify and support emerging te…
Google Cloud outage disrupts over 50 services
Google Cloud outage on 12 June disrupts over 50 services worldwide for 7+ hours due to misconfiguration issue.
Smart Broadband’s digital blueprint for the nation
Smart Broadband’s 5G expansion Smart Broadband, Inc. operates as the broadband division of Smart Communications, Inc., itself a wholly owned subsidiary of PLDT Inc., the Philippines’ largest integrated telecommunications provider. Through a combined 4G/LTE and rapidly expanding 5G network, the compa…
Whalet and TerraPay forge strategic alliance
Whalet partnered with TerraPay to transform SME Cross-Border payments Whalet, a Singapore-based digital payment provider, has teamed up with TerraPay, a global money movement company, to enhance cross-border payout solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Announced on 11 June 2025, t…
WeWork Singapore: Rebuilding in the Asia’s coworking market
WeWork Singapore streamlines operations, focuses on design and services to stay competitive in Asia’s coworking market.
Proximus wins case over Digi’s fibre rollout
Brussels court sides with Proximus, ruling Digi violated fibre rollout rules and must halt unauthorised installation work.
CityFibre boosts Ethernet services for UK businesses
CityFibre expands business Ethernet to 260,000 UK sites, offering faster installs, lower prices, and broader coverage.
Hudson River Trading: Training tomorrow’s quant innovators
HRT’s AI Lab gives interns hands-on experience in solving real-world trading challenges with deep learning and AI.
Who is Philippine Communications Satellite Corp
Philippine Communications Satellite Corp: Bridging the islands with satellite The Philippine Communications Satellite Corporation (Philcomsat) is one of the country’s oldest satellite services providers. It started in 1967. Since then, it has expanded to offer secure broadband, managed services, and…
Home Credit Philippines brings digital loans to more Filipinos
Home Credit Philippines: Expanding access to credit Home Credit Philippines offers simple and fast financing. It supports consumers who want to buy gadgets, home goods, or need small loans. Customers can use the app or visit one of 15,000 partner stores. The company started in 2013. It is part of Ho…
Vodafone and Three explore new subsea cable to Shetlands
What happened: Feasibility study launched for Shetland–mainland fibre link amid connectivity concerns Vodafone and Three UK, operating under their merged entity, have announced a new feasibility study exploring the potential for a subsea fibre-optic cable connecting the Shetland Islands with the Sco…
Ericsson and Google Cloud launch AI-driven 5G core as a service
What happened: Ericsson and Google Cloud launch AI-powered 5G Core as a Service for telecom modernization Ericsson and Google Cloud have unveiled a joint initiative offering 5G Core as a Service, combining Ericsson’s telecom expertise with Google Cloud’s infrastructure and AI capabilities. The partn…
Openreach moves businesses off PSTN to avoid future disruption
What happened: Openreach urges UK businesses to upgrade from PSTN ahead of 2025 switch-off Openreach, a division of BT Group, has launched a national push urging UK businesses to move away from the ageing Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) before its full retirement in December 2025. As noted …
LARUS capitalises on IP leasing momentum at MYNOG‑12
What happened: LARUS explores IPv4 leasing opportunities at MYNOG‑12 in Malaysia The 12th Malaysia Network Operators Group meeting (MYNOG‑12), held on 24 June in Kuala Lumpur, attracted network professionals, ISPs and tech providers across Southeast Asia. The agenda featured discussions on routing s…
AMD unveils MI350 & Roadmap for AI infrastructure
What happened: AMD outlines AI chip roadmap and Helios rack system At the “Advancing AI” event on 12 June 2025 in San Jose, AMD launched its Instinct MI350 series, including MI350X and MI355X. These chips offer four‑times over the MI300X for training and inference. AMD highlighted up to 40% more tok…
VodafoneThree drives broadband expansion with FWA
VodafoneThree is targeting broadband growth through convergence VodafoneThree, the freshly formed joint venture between Vodafone UK (51%) and Three UK (49%), is expanding its fixed-broadband strategy beyond spectrum sharing. The company struck a partnership with London-based Community Fibre to add f…
EU pushes data centre energy reforms amid rising power concerns
EU proposes new energy rules for data centres to cut emissions, balancing digital growth with climate targets.
Vocus appoints Zayo veteran Andrés Irlando as CEO to drive next phase
Vocus names former Zayo executive Andrés Irlando as new CEO to lead fibre growth and enterprise telecom strategy.
Ericsson offers 5G core as a service through Google Cloud
What happened: Ericsson launches 5G SaaS via Google Cloud Ericsson, in partnership with Google Cloud, has introduced Ericsson On-Demand, a cloud-native 5G core delivered as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform. This offering allows mobile operators—especially smaller ones—to deploy 5G standalone …
Deutsche Telekom and Unikie test 5G vehicle logistics system
What happened: Deutsche Telekom and Unikie partner on automated vehicle logistics Deutsche Telekom has joined forces with Finnish software specialist Unikie to advance automated vehicle logistics, starting with a partnership at Volkswagen’s AutoLog terminal in Emden, Germany. Unikie’s Marshalling So…
Ericsson and Supermicro boost Edge AI with 5G
Ericsson and Supermicro partner to deliver 5G-enabled Edge AI solutions, simplifying deployment for various industries.
Vectra sells fibre unit to Open Fiber in Polish market shift
What happened Polish telecommunications company Vectra has signed an agreement to sell its Fiber optic infrastructure business to Open Fiber, which is a wholesale supplier operating in Poland. The transaction includes over 15,000 kilometers of fiber-optic network assets spanning multiple Polish citi…
AMD acquires Untether AI team to bolster chip design talent
What happened AMD has taken in the engineering team of Untether AI. Untether AI is a Canadian startup that works on AI chips for inference tasks. This deal helps AMD grow its custom chip design skills and adds more expert workers to its team. AMD confirmed the move, and Verdict also reported the sto…
Schroders: Global heritage and expertise in asset management
Schroders: A legacy built on trust and expertise Schroders, founded in 1804, is one of the world’s oldest and most respected investment firms. Headquartered in London, it now manages approximately £778.7 billion in assets and employs around 6,000 people across 38 global offices. As a FTSE 100 compan…
Chime’s IPO tests wall street’s appetite for fintech
Chime’s IPO, priced lower than its 2021 valuation, could influence the fintech sector’s future market entries.
Hyperoptic changes strategy with Openreach deal
Hyperoptic partners with Openreach to expand broadband services, shifting from its previous self-build strategy.
BT weighs TalkTalk takeover to expand broadband market share
What happened BT Group is considering a potential acquisition of TalkTalk, one of the UK’s smaller broadband providers, according to The Guardian. The move comes amid TalkTalk’s search for buyers or restructuring options, following declining profits and heightened competition. BT has reportedly held…
Khazna and Nvidia partner to bring AI infrastructure to UAE
What happened Khazna Data Centers and Nvidia have announced a collaboration to build AI-ready digital infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates. The agreement focuses on enabling high-performance computing using Nvidia’s GPU platforms, including its advanced AI hardware and software stack. The infr…
Global Agility Solutions boosts efficiency in tolling BPO
Global Agility Solutions: modernizing tolling and BPO Global Agility Solutions is a privately held BPO provider founded in 2013, with headquarters in Austin, Texas and sites in the Philippines, Vietnam and Eagle Pass . The company offers onshore, offshore and hybrid services focused on automating re…
Telefónica gears up for bold bid on Vodafone Spain
Telefónica explore a possible acquisition of Vodafone Spain Telefónica, under the leadership of its recently installed CEO Marc Murtra, has reportedly engaged investment bank AZ Capital to assess a potential takeover of Vodafone Spain . Expansion first revealed the appointment, indicating Telefónica…
Seven Seven Global: Elevating Filipino tech on the global stage
Seven Seven Global Services Inc: From legacy roots to modern IT ecosystem Seven Seven Global Services Inc (also known as 77Soft) was founded in 1996 in New Jersey and the Philippines. It is now one of the largest Filipino-owned IT-BPM firms, supporting Fortune 500 clients in financial services, insu…
BSP steers Philippines banking into digital era
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas: Central bank with a digital vision The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is the Philippines’ central bank, re-established in 1993 through the New Central Bank Act and further strengthened by Republic Act No. 11211. It maintains monetary stability, issues currency, superv…
CLDY: Earns top rating in Singapore’s internet hygiene portal
CLDY gets top CSA rating for website and email security, showing its strong focus on trusted cloud services.
AZ Communications connects Philippine via satellite broadband
AZ Communications network brings internet everywhere AZ Communications Network, Inc.—commonly known as AZCom—offers High Throughput Satellite (HTS) connectivity across the Philippines, ensuring universal access to enhanced broadband at lower cost. By teaming with Kacific, AZCom utilises Ka-band tech…
Telectronic Systems powers digital transformation in Philippine IT
Telectronic Systems: modernizing Philippine IT backbone Telectronic Systems Inc. is an established Philippine IT company offering hardware and digital services. Its focus is helping organizations improve work quality and operational systems. The firm works with telecoms, government, and enterprise c…