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Virgin Media O2 is rolling out 2Gbit/s services over its DOCSIS-based hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) network for the first time, bringing them within reach of an additional 3 million homes across England, from Newcastle in the north to Portsmouth in the south. The upgrade, said VMO2, required no trench-digging. "Gig2" services, as the operator calls them, are available from £49.99 (US$66.62) per month. Virgin Media, as it was then known, first trialed Gig2 services back in 2020 over DOCSIS 3.1 technology, succeeding in "fattening" the signal by activating a second OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) block. (See With 'Gig 2,' Virgin Media sees way to double broadband speeds.)
UK minister frets about failing telcos
A UK minister has expressed concern over the "financial fragility" of the telecom sector, saying that the government should give itself more powers to intervene when operators appear to be on the brink of failure. As the Financial Times reports (paywall may apply), Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy made the remarks in the wake of the virtual collapse of fixed-line provider TalkTalk, which has been taken over by BT, much to the chagrin of some of BT's rivals, who feel that the presentation of the proposed deal as a sort of humanitarian rescue is flattering, to say the least. (See Eurobites: Opus questions fate of TalkTalk's consumer unit.)
Canal+ extends satellite deal with SES
French media giant Canal+ has extended its long-running partnership with SES through to 2040 to drive forward its plans for satellite-powered expansion. Under the renewed agreement, Canal+ will use SES's satellite infrastructure across several orbital positions to deliver video and pay-TV services to its global subscriber base.
Deutsche Telekom invests in AI-for-healthcare outfit
Deutsche Telekom is plowing money into Swedish AI-for-healthcare company Tandem Health via its T.Capital investment arm. Tandem Health has developed an AI-powered medical assistant that offers clinical documentation, coding and decision support on a single platform. The platform is already in use at more than 10,000 healthcare facilities across 14 European countries, claims Deutsche Telekom. (See Deutsche Telekom boss's 'AI optimism' isn't shared and Deutsche Telekom sharpens AI gigafactory focus with Schwarz – report.)
Sparkle wins gong for subsea innovation
Sparkle, which for now at least remains the international services arm of Telecom Italia, has won an award for its subsea sensing technology at the Global Connectivity Awards in London. Announcing the winner of the Best Subsea Innovation prize, the awards jury said it recognized Sparkle's pioneering work in transforming subsea fiber-optic cables into intelligent sensing infrastructures capable of detecting seismic activity, monitoring environmental changes and helping protect networks. (See Elisa gives its subsea cable ears and Eurobites: TIM's Sparkle sale signed and sealed.)
Hayo enters Tanzania
Hayo, which designs and builds critical digital infrastructure mainly for the public sector, is expanding into Tanzania with a new office in Dar Es Salaam. The company already has a presence in several other African countries, Rwanda and Senegal among them.
About the Author
Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading
Paul is based on the Isle of Wight, a rocky outcrop off the English coast that is home only to a colony of technology journalists and several thousand puffins.
He has worked as a writer and copy editor since the age of William Caxton, covering the design industry, D-list celebs, tourism and much, much more.
During the noughties Paul took time out from his page proofs and marker pens to run a small hotel with his other half in the wilds of Exmoor. There he developed a range of skills including carrying cooked breakfasts, lying to unwanted guests and stopping leaks with old towels.
Now back, slightly befuddled, in the world of online journalism, Paul is thoroughly engaged with the modern world, regularly firing up his VHS video recorder and accidentally sending text messages to strangers using a chipped Nokia feature phone.