Networking

Submarine Networks EMEA 2025 to take place in London

This year's Submarine Networks EMEA event is to take place on 18-19 February 2025 at the Business Design Centre in London. Submarine Networks EMEA is a must-attend event for network innovators, operators, and enterprises across the region. This two-day conference and exhibition will dive into the latest advancements in data centres, network architecture, cloud networking, automation, and the future of connectivity for businesses and communities alike. Why Attend? • Gain insights from 120+ global industry leaders through keynotes, panel discussions, and technical workshops• Discover the latest innovations in the exhibition hall• Network with over 1,000 senior decision-makers in networking, cloud, and IT infrastructure• Discuss strategies to drive efficiency, scalability, and security in next-generation networks You can register now by clicking here. For an exclusive 15% discount on your ticket, use the code: DCNN15. For more information, click here.

e& and DE-CIX partner to create SmartHub Internet Exchange

e& Carrier & Wholesale, a leading carrier which operates multiple geo-redundant SmartHub data centres across the Middle East - providing cutting-edge SmartHub IX services within these state-of-the-art facilities - has partnered with DE-CIX, a provider of premium interconnection services and an operator of carrier and data centre-neutral Internet Exchanges (IX). DE-CIX’s global presence spans nearly 60 locations across Europe, the Middle East, North and South America, Asia, and Africa. This collaboration will enhance the Middle East’s IX ecosystem, driving the digital economy forward by expanding SmartHub IX’s reach through direct connections to DE-CIX’s global network and international Internet Exchanges. Nabil Baccouche, Group Chief Carrier & Wholesale Officer, e&, says, “We are thrilled to partner with DE-CIX to boost the operations of SmartHub IX; this ground-breaking advancement will significantly enhance the digital landscape in the UAE and the wider region. This strategic collaboration aligns perfectly with our vision of building a dynamic and interconnected digital infrastructure. By leveraging DE-CIX’s global expertise and extensive network, we continue to deliver exceptional value to our customers and foster innovation across various industries. With low-latency connectivity, SmartHub IX will ensure that information is transmitted and processed with minimal delay, enabling a more agile and efficient digital ecosystem.” SmartHub IX has introduced a remote peering service in collaboration with multiple Internet Exchanges in the region and is working to scale it to a global level, aimed at enhancing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of network operations for businesses and service providers. This service promises to deliver substantial cost savings, expand network reach, provide scalability, improve performance, and offer greater flexibility. e&'s Remote Peering Service positions SmartHub IX as a strategic gateway to global markets, providing customers with seamless cross-border connectivity and enhanced data exchange. Ivo Ivanov, Chief Executive Officer, DE-CIX (pictured above), adds, “We are honoured to have been chosen by our valued partner, e&, to drive SmartHub IX powered by DE-CIX forward. This is an exciting day for digital infrastructure in the UAE. Our common goal is not only to provide the digital economy in the Gulf region with the infrastructure it needs to forge closer local, regional, and international ties, but also to strengthen the entire Middle Eastern interconnection ecosystem. “In addition, direct connectivity between SmartHub IX powered by DE-CIX and DE-CIX’s IXs in India unites two highly valuable markets and connects the UAE even more strongly with global interconnection ecosystems. Together with UAE-IX, also powered by DE-CIX, the Middle East will benefit from the best IX ecosystem in the area. This agreement positions the UAE as the hotspot of interconnection for the entire region, taking the Middle East to the next level.” SmartHub IX in Fujairah hosts the largest submarine cable landing station in the region, interconnecting global customers, content providers, and Internet service providers. The new locations in Dubai will keep the IX business on a steady growth trajectory. SmartHub IX offers a world-class infrastructure and environment to customers seeking to interconnect with local, regional and international networks ensuring exceptional performance and reliability. For more from DE-CIX, click here.

Palo Alto Networks partners with air transport expert

SITA, a specialist in air transport technology, has reached a significant agreement to partner with Palo Alto Networks, a global cyber security expert, to deliver comprehensive cyber security protection for mission-critical airports applications. As part of the agreement, Palo Alto Networks’ AI-powered cyber security platforms will be added into SITA’s CyberSecurity portfolio. SITA will provide the management and operation from its CyberSOC. The platform will safeguard access from remote sites, mobile workforce and airport assets such as check-in workstations, self-service kiosks, tablets, smartphones and baggage scanners, enabling smooth passenger flows whilst also avoiding downtimes and reducing turnaround times where efficiency of operations is a key priority. The partnership will focus on delivering advanced cyber security solutions (including Palo Alto Networks' Next Generation Firewalls (NGFW), Prisma SD-WAN Instant-On Network (ION) Devices, and Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access) to provide comprehensive network security, connectivity and cloud-based protection, all managed by SITA. This innovative development, called SITA Managed Security Service Edge (SSE) and consisting of Palo Alto Networks technologies, offers a complete suite of network security services (such as Secure Web Gateways, intrusion detection, threat intelligence, next generation antivirus or WildFire, DNS protection, SSL decryption and data loss prevention), all seamlessly delivered from Palo Alto Networks’ dedicated cloud platform. As a specialised subset within SITA’s Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) framework, SSE delivers robust and innovative world-leading security measures to protect digital infrastructure and implements the kind of advanced protection demanded by all CISOs and compliance authorities - including the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and ISO 27000. Martin Smillie, SITA Senior Vice President for Communications and Data Exchange (CDE), says, “The need to protect vital digital applications within the transportation industry has never been more acute, given the ever-evolving threat from cyber attacks. This agreement delivers industry-leading cyber security protection for our airport, airline and other customers, in mission critical areas of their operation. Managed by SITA CyberSOC, this combines Palo Alto Networks' best-in-class AI-powered, cloud native endpoint and application protection, all optimised and future-proofed to combat cyber threats.” Patricia Murphy, VP EMEA & LATAM Ecosystems at Palo Alto Networks, adds, “SITA has provided innovative answers for communications and data exchange to the aviation industry for the past 75 years, and is now expanding into other areas of transportation also. This partnership will begin a transformation of cyber security in the air transport industry, helping ensure that critical systems are protected with the most advanced cyber security platforms available - fostering a safer and more efficient environment for air travel worldwide.” Palo Alto Networks will help to provide the current and next generation of cyber security protection and software for SITA Secure Service Edge at mission-critical areas of aviation and other areas of transport. Palo Alto Networks leverages its Precision AI proprietary AI system to detect and outpace potential cyber threats, providing next-generation cyber security to thousands of customers globally across all industry sectors. Its platforms and services are supported by cutting-edge threat intelligence and state-of-the-art automation. For more from Palo Alto Networks, click here.

Europe’s full fibre frontrunners revealed

Portugal, Spain and Sweden are ahead of the pack when it comes to phasing out legacy copper networks in Europe, a new study from the FTTH Council Europe has revealed. Launched at the FTTH Council Europe’s Policy Dialogue event, the Copper Switch-Off Tracker has been created in cooperation with independent regulatory intelligence provider, Cullen International, to show the progress 27 EU member states (and the UK) are making toward adopting full-fibre broadband infrastructure. While the report praises operators in Portugal, Spain and Sweden, who have mostly discontinued their copper networks, the report also reveals that other member states, including Germany, Greece and Czech Republic, still rely heavily on old copper infrastructure. “We believe that fibre networks are fundamental to the digital transformation of Europe,” says FTTH Council Europe President, Roshene McCool. “Phasing out copper networks for fibre infrastructure will lower energy consumption and reduce overall operating costs, therefore making a great contribution to the achievement of the EU’s Digital Decade objectives”. FTTH Council Europe believes that the tracker and report will become a vital evidence-base for policymakers, regulators, operators and investors as they grapple with the policy and market implications of transitioning from copper to fibre. It also highlights that in only 12 countries do the incumbent operators have a plan for complete copper switch-off. In eight of these 12 countries the plans are publicly available, while in others (e.g. Portugal) the plan is confidential. “As European institutions shape their policy agenda for the 2024-2029 cycle, this new and comprehensive analysis will support the digital transformation of Europe’s economy and aid the development of an efficient and sustainable high-performance connectivity ecosystem”, notes Vincent Garnier, Director General at the FTTH Council Europe. Following a presentation from the FTTH Council Europe on the Copper Switch-Off findings, a panel discussion from Kamila Kloc (European Commission), Konstantenos Masselos (Hellenic Telecommunications & Post Commission), Timm Degenhardt (Omers Infrastructure), Francesco Nonno (Open Fiber Spa), and Pascal Rogard (Orange Group) examined the broader political, economic, and technical implications of the Copper Switch-Off, especially within the context of recent political initiatives in Europe aimed at fostering sustainable infrastructure. By providing regular updates, the Copper Switch-Off tracker will offer an up-to-date snapshot of the in-roads made by countries in their copper-to-fibre transition. The FTTH Council Europe is looking forward to monitoring this progression in aid of a future competitive European fibre market. To view the full report and accompanying one-pager by Cullen International, click here. For more from FTTH Council Europe, click here.

Google Cloud appoints new regional Vice President

Google Cloud has announced the appointment of Maureen Costello as Vice President, United Kingdom and Ireland (UKI) and Sub-Saharan Africa. In this role, Maureen will oversee the company's sales strategy and operations across both regions. Maureen brings nearly three decades of industry experience to Google Cloud, having previously served as Corporate Vice President for Industry Solutions Delivery at Microsoft. Prior to her role at Microsoft, she held several leadership positions during her 25-year tenure at Accenture, including Senior Managing Director and Resources Lead for UKI. "It’s an honour to join Google Cloud at such a pivotal time in its journey," Maureen comments. "We have a tremendous opportunity to help businesses across the UKI and Sub-Saharan Africa harness the full potential of the cloud, from AI and data analytics to cyber security and sustainability. I am eager to build on the strong foundation already in place." Maureen joins Google Cloud at a key stage in its growth trajectory. The company has recently announced major relationships in the UK with organisations including BT, John Lewis & Partners, Vodafone, and WPP. In Africa, Google Cloud opened its first region in Johannesburg, South Africa, in January 2024, and has committed $1 billion to support digital transformation initiatives across the continent. "Maureen is a proven leader with an exceptional track record of driving growth and building high-performing teams," notes Tara Brady, President, EMEA, Google Cloud. "Her deep industry expertise and understanding of the unique needs of customers will be invaluable as we continue to expand Google Cloud's presence in these key markets. We are thrilled to welcome her to the Google Cloud EMEA leadership team." Google Cloud is a new way to the cloud, providing AI, infrastructure, developer, data, security, and collaboration tools built for today and tomorrow. It offers a powerful, fully integrated and optimised AI stack with its own planet-scale infrastructure, custom-built chips, generative AI models and development platform, as well as AI-powered applications, to help organisations transform. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories use Google Cloud as their trusted technology partner. For more from Google Cloud, click here.

AWS Direct Connect Location available at Telehouse Osaka

KDDI Corporation, parent company to Telehouse, has announced today the availability of an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Direct Connect Location at its Telehouse Osaka data centre in Japan. Telehouse Osaka customers can now directly access over 240 AWS cloud services, including AWS's generative AI via AWS Direct Connect, a cloud service that links customer networks directly to AWS Regions (data centres) through a dedicated network from Telehouse Osaka. This enables low-latency and secure connections to their own cloud environments. Telehouse Osaka will reportedly be the first data centre in Japan operated by a Japanese telecommunications company to provide a dedicated connection point to AWS Direct Connect. Globally, this will be the third AWS Direct Connect site to implement the service, following Telehouse PARIS Voltaire and Telehouse London Docklands. Takeyuki Yanagisawa, General Manager, Connectivity DC Planning Department at KDDI, comments, “The AWS Direct Connect Location at Telehouse Osaka allows for the creation of a secure and private link between AWS cloud services and our customers’ IT systems within the data centre. This setup significantly enhances throughput and ensures stability of our customers’ networks.” “Additionally, by using the fibre core-based data centre interconnection service in the Osaka Business Park, customers can also access their IT infrastructure from other data centres.” For more from KDDI, click here.

Juniper Networks selected for radio astronomy project

Juniper Networks, a provider of secure, AI-native networking, has today announced a landmark project with the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, ASTRON, to upgrade its core, access, WLAN and WAN network infrastructure, supporting the development of its LOFAR 2.0 (Low Frequency Array) upgraded telescope. LOFAR is currently the largest radio telescope in the world, operating at the lowest frequencies that can be observed from Earth. LOFAR relies on a multipurpose sensor network, with an innovative computing and network infrastructure that can handle extremely large data volumes at any one time. Juniper’s networking products will upgrade the existing LOFAR telescope’s overall performance with 800G capabilities, to enable increased data processing scale, throughput speed and reliability using a robust architecture that will connect across nine of ASTRON’s operating countries, supporting research projects across these regions. The upgraded LOFAR 2.0 telescope, supported by Juniper infrastructure, will give ASTRON a factor 10 increase in the network bandwidth available at each LOFAR station. The network will enable access to all LOFAR antennae 24/7, a doubling of the simultaneous bandwidth for more efficient surveys, synchronised antennae to within nanosecond precision and an overall improvement to LOFAR’s sensitivity and accuracy. The existing LOFAR 1.0 telescope operations have led to the publication of more than 750 scientific papers to date, placing LOFAR in the top 10% of all astronomical facilities worldwide. ASTRON, an esteemed member of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) Institutes, is at the forefront of radio astronomy research globally. Its commitment to developing new technologies and operating world-class facilities has been instrumental in numerous astronomical discoveries. The institute is actively engaged in ground-breaking research, including the study of extra-solar planets, the earliest phases of galaxy evolution and monitoring space weather events. To upgrade the LOFAR infrastructure: • ASTRON is leveraging Juniper's PTX Series Packet Transport Routers, including the PTX10004 and PTX10002, to deliver ultra-high port density, unyielding throughput performance, and unmatched sustainable efficiencies to support ASTRON’s core infrastructure.• LOFAR ERIC, an organisation which oversees the development of the LOFAR telescope, provided Juniper’s PTX10004 and the Juniper ACX7024. ASTRON is responsible for the execution and development of the upgrade project. The ACX7024 is a compact and powerful router, used at the stations. The ACX7024 delivers 360 Gbps of throughput and is industrial rated for temperature resilience.• QFX Series Switches will be deployed in the data centre as part of ASTRON’s spine-and-leaf architecture offering scalability and low-latency performance, which is critical to the improved operation of the LOFAR network.• ASTRON has deployed the EX4100 Series Switches, including the EX4100-24P and EX4100-48P models. These high-performance, cloud-native switches integrate Juniper Mist AI for streamlined operations to optimise experiences. The switches also enable the simple configuration of advanced campus fabrics and deliver streaming telemetry for enhanced monitoring.• Juniper AP32 Access Points integrate Juniper Mist AI for AI capabilities to automate ASTRON’s network operation and boost Wi-Fi performance, leveraging the Marvis Virtual Network Assistant to streamline operations and optimise ASTRON’s wireless experience. Juniper's solutions are instrumental in enabling ASTRON to meet the increasing demand for bandwidth and to provide the new era of digital services within the astronomical discovery sector. Julian Kootstra, System and Network Engineer, ASTRON, comments, "ASTRON is thrilled to expand the capabilities of the LOFAR telescope with Juniper Networks. The upgrade to ASTRON’s network infrastructure will support invaluable research and significantly increase ASTRON’s operational capabilities." Steven Blees, Enterprise Sales Director, Benelux at Juniper Networks, adds, "Juniper is honoured to support ASTRON with new technological advancements in radio astronomy with the LOFAR 2.0 telescope upgrade. Juniper’s AI-native networking portfolio, offering robust and reliable solutions, was the perfect fit for ASTRON and Juniper is excited to see what ASTRON’s research institute is able to achieve through this innovative project." For more from Juniper Networks, click here.

Funding to develop next-gen wireless communications systems

Researchers from the UK and Ireland are collaborating on a new project to develop a key technology which will reportedly enable the next generation of wireless communications. Engineers from the University of Glasgow are teaming up with colleagues from the Tyndall National Institute’s Wireless Communications Laboratory (WCL) for the project, called Active intelligent Reconfigurable surfaces for 6G wireless COMmunications (or AR-COM). Together with key industry partners, they will work to improve the design of smart materials called intelligent reconfigurable surfaces (IRS), which are expected to play a key role in the ultrafast 6G wireless networks of the future. Tyndall’s WCL, based at University College Cork, was founded in 2020 by three former scientists from Nokia Bell Labs - Holger Claussen, Lester Ho and Senad Bulja - to boost Tyndall’s research activities in the communications space. AR-COM is supported by £1m in funding from UKRI’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) in addition to €500,000 (£415,000) from Research Ireland. Over the next three years, the AR-COM partners will develop new materials and methods to help IRS technologies achieve their full potential in the millimetre-wave and terahertz ranges of the communications spectrum. Intelligent reflecting surfaces are capable of intercepting weak wireless signals both indoors and outdoors to actively guide them to devices, boosting the strength of the signal in the process to maximise performance. In the future, as demand for improved indoor wireless signals increases, IRS devices could provide better mobile coverage in buildings with poor reception, enable more reliable high-speed internet connections and support new 6G applications which will require extremely reliable wireless connections. AR-COM will move through four key stages of research and development. In the first stage, the researchers will focus on creating advanced switches engineered from materials called transition metal oxides (TMOs) to enable precise and rapid control over wireless signal strength. The second stage will develop technology to control the direction of wireless signals. The researchers will study how signals move through carefully designed layers of metal and TMO materials, and find new ways for signals to be steered around obstacles in complex indoor environments. In the third stage, the team will develop miniature signal amplifiers built using devices called resonant tunnelling diodes (RTDs), which can boost weakened signals while requiring very low amounts of power to operate. Finally, the team will integrate all their newly-developed elements into a fully-functional IRS system which can effectively manipulate wireless signals with no signal loss and low latency, and maximise signal quality even in the most challenging environments. The project is the latest development in cutting-edge 6G research from the University of Glasgow’s Communications, Sensing and Imaging (CSI) hub. Professor Qammer H. Abbasi, Director of CSI Hub at the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering, is the AR-COMS’s principal investigator. He comments, "Current materials used in wireless communications face significant limitations, especially at the higher frequencies that 6G networks will require. With AR-COM, we’re building on the expertise of the University of Glasgow and the Tyndall Institute with the support of key industry partners to develop truly next-generation technologies.” Dr Senad Bulja will lead Tyndall National Institute’s contribution to AR-COM. He adds, “Resonant tunnelling diodes, which can amplify signals while using very little power, and transition metal oxides which can act as ultra-fast switches, have a great deal of potential to help overcome the bottlenecks of current generations of IRS technologies. Together, these technologies will help us create surfaces that not only redirect signals but also boost them with minimal energy consumption, which will help them find use in a wide range of devices in the years to come.” Professor Muhammad Imran, Project Co-Investigator and the head of the James Watt School of Engineering, concludes, “Intelligent reconfigurable surfaces will be key to solving the challenges of delivering robust 6G networks and enabling the next generation of wireless applications. Ultrafast, ultra-low latency wireless networks will underpin new forms of communication and sensing that will transform how we interact with each other in the years to come.”

WBA issues Wi-Fi predictions for 2025

The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), the global industry body dedicated to driving the seamless and interoperable service experience of Wi-Fi across the global wireless ecosystem, has shared 10 predictions for Wi-Fi in 2025 - laid out by its President and CEO, Tiago Rodrigues. Detailed in full in the WBA Annual Industry Report 2025, these trends reflect how Wi-Fi is evolving to meet the demands of increased connectivity, higher speeds, better security, the growing number of devices connected to the internet, and a greater focus on energy efficiency. Tiago Rodrigues, President and CEO of the Wireless Broadband Alliance, says, “The Wi-Fi industry has reached a pivotal moment. As demand for improved Wi-Fi user experience with seamless, secure, and high-performance connectivity continues to surge across homes, enterprises and cities, collaboration within our ecosystem is more critical than ever. At the WBA, we are committed to driving innovation, interoperability, and standards that empower the Wi-Fi and broadband connectivity industry to meet the needs of today while laying the foundation for tomorrow’s connected world.” Wi-Fi Predictions for 2025 and Beyond: 1. Wi-Fi 7 adoption   Early adopters of Wi-Fi 7 will include technology-driven industries, smart home enthusiasts, and enterprises needing high-density, high-speed connectivity. Large tech companies and advanced enterprises will be among the first to implement Wi-Fi 7 in their office infrastructures to support increased demands from remote collaboration tools, IoT sensors, and high-definition video conferencing. Smart cities will also lead the charge, adopting Wi-Fi 7 to enable real-time data collection from IoT devices for traffic management, public safety, and environmental monitoring. Public venues like stadiums, airports, and convention centres will adopt Wi-Fi 7 early to manage the connectivity needs of thousands of simultaneous users, providing seamless streaming and data access for fans, travellers, and attendees. Within the consumer sector, tech-savvy users and smart home aficionados will upgrade to Wi-Fi 7 routers to maximise the performance of their growing array of connected devices, such as smart appliances, security systems, and entertainment systems for 8K streaming and gaming.   2. 6 GHz expansion and AFC AFC (Automated Frequency Coordination) systems will see phased rollouts across multiple regions, particularly in the US, Canada, the EU, and parts of Asia, as regulators increasingly approve 6 GHz use for unlicensed Wi-Fi under AFC management. In the US, the FCC will lead AFC implementation for standard-power Wi-Fi operations in the 6 GHz band, with licensed database administrators managing these AFC systems. Following the US model, other countries are anticipated to adopt similar AFC frameworks, accelerating deployment in enterprise and public spaces by ensuring devices can operate at standard power levels in outdoor or high-traffic areas without compromising incumbent communications. In Canada, AFC approval by regulatory bodies will drive adoption in urban areas and suburban networks, supporting widespread use in places like shopping centres, airports, and sports venues. In Europe, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) will likely coordinate region-specific AFC guidelines, balancing connectivity needs with incumbent protections.   3. AI-driven network optimisation AI-powered routers and cloud platforms will analyse traffic patterns, adjust bandwidth allocation, and manage devices for optimal performance, particularly in smart homes and IoT-heavy environments. As hardware becomes increasingly commoditised, infrastructure vendors create their respective secret sauces to innovate and differentiate. 4. Wi-Fi and 5G convergence The convergence of 5G/6G and Wi-Fi will ensure seamless, high-quality connectivity by dynamically switching between the best available networks. In a smart city, for example, a person moving from a Wi-Fi-rich office to a 5G-powered urban area will experience uninterrupted service, thanks to technologies like OpenRoaming and Passpoint, which enable secure, automatic connections to trusted Wi-Fi networks. 5G’s network slicing further enhances this by dedicating specific network resources to applications like AR/VR and real-time gaming, which can integrate smoothly with Wi-Fi. As enterprises and industries drive this convergence, 6G will add features like terahertz frequencies for nearly instant communication over wide and local areas. Edge computing, which processes data closer to its source to reduce latency, will leverage both Wi-Fi and 5G/6G to offload tasks to the best network, optimising real-time performance. Wi-Fi will dominate high-density areas like offices, while 5G/6G will enable broad IoT deployments, paving the way for innovations like smart cities and autonomous vehicles reliant on robust, ubiquitous connectivity.   5. OpenRoaming 2025 will continue to see an acceleration for OpenRoaming as global adoption continues to grow. It will see us move forward on the vision to transform the public and guest Wi-Fi user experience, and change the way we connect to Wi-Fi, from remote communities, to universities, stadiums, retail chains, large city deployments and more. OpenRoaming capabilities are extending into the IoT space, with zero touch provisioning of IoT devices, emergency calling and response and private cellular networks. At the same time, OpenRoaming expands the opportunity for MNOs and MVNOs to incorporate Wi-Fi as part of their wireless solutions to expand capacity and/or coverage, in particular for indoor scenarios.   6. TIP OpenWiFi TIP OpenWiFi adoption is projected to continue expanding, though the pace will likely be uneven across sectors and geographies. The introduction of OpenLAN switching is expected to stimulate growth, particularly in cost-sensitive markets such as India and among managed service providers (MSPs) in the US and Europe looking for alternative, flexible networking solutions. However, TIP OpenWiFi’s success will hinge on its ability to navigate challenges in scaling deployments and building credibility against established WLAN providers, who have aggressively invested in AI-driven performance enhancements and customisable features that make their offerings more compelling for enterprise-level CIOs and CTOs. 7. Increased IoT device connectivity IoT Evolution with Wi-Fi Generations and Wi-Fi Halow: as the number of IoT devices continues to grow, Wi-Fi networks will be optimised to handle large-scale device connections. Wi-Fi 6’s and Wi-Fi 7’s ability to manage more simultaneous devices will become crucial in supporting smart homes, IoT, and smart cities. Furthermore, the Wi-Fi HaLow standard will develop as a disruptive connectivity technology for IoT, with the potential to transform the IoT landscape. With its extensive range, superior penetration, and enhanced battery life, Wi-Fi HaLow is poised to revolutionise industries, including agriculture, smart cities, and manufacturing, improving efficiency and data collection. Wi-Fi HaLow is ready for primetime in the IoT ecosystem and is a natural fit, especially for long-range, intelligent applications.   8. API First The API-first strategy has transitioned from a progressive concept to a fundamental practice. Wi-Fi vendors are now building applications with APIs as the primary focus, ensuring that integration, scalability, and future growth are baked into the DNA of their digital solutions. This approach highlights the critical role of APIs in creating flexible, adaptable, and robust digital architectures. While using APIs provides a log of great flexibility and potential, every API integration project is inherently unique. Usually, a single integration build will take engineers at least several weeks. Once it’s built, engineers will likely need to allocate several hours per month to maintain the integration. 9. Municipalities and governments will continue to expand public Wi-Fi networks Public Wi-Fi networks will be driven by smart city initiatives, offering free or low-cost connectivity in urban areas. These networks will support everything from smart transportation systems to energy management and public safety. OpenRoaming is set to play a pivotal role in the expansion of public and Smart City Wi-Fi networks. For Smart Cities like Tokyo, Barcelona and others, this seamless transition between networks enables reliable, continuous connectivity for citizens and devices alike, supporting applications like real-time traffic monitoring, public safety systems, and IoT-based services. Municipalities and public Wi-Fi providers will likely prioritise OpenRoaming to enhance user experience, simplify network management, and foster more data-rich urban environments.   10. Greater focus on energy efficiency Wi-Fi networks will prioritise energy efficiency, particularly for IoT devices requiring long battery life. Technologies such as Target Wake Time (TWT) will become more prevalent, reducing power consumption in connected devices by allowing them to schedule check-ins with the network. For more from Wireless Broadband Alliance, click here.

Alibaba named 'leader' in Public Cloud Platforms report

Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, has been named a 'Leader' in The Forrester Wave: Public Cloud Platforms Q4 2024 report. Alibaba Cloud believes this designation recognises its depth of its cloud and AI offerings and strategy, its significant global presence, as well as the ability to provide its global customers with a wide range of products and services. This is the first time Alibaba Cloud has been recognised as a Leader among other significant public cloud platform providers in this report. Alibaba Cloud is named one of four leaders among nine global vendors evaluated in Forrester’s report, with the second highest scores in the current offering and strategy categories. The report states that Alibaba Cloud showed its capacity for AI innovation with homegrown AI models, breadth of foundation model choices and model-as-a-service (MaaS) innovation. The report also states that the core infrastructure and model-as-a-service capabilities enable Alibaba Cloud to provide a major model repository for AI across China. “Alibaba has upped the ante on serverless beyond AI, packaging its powerful cloud-native infrastructure into more accessible offerings for both developers and operators, with data and analytics as a stand out,” Forrester notes in the report. “Alibaba is a good fit for Chinese-based enterprises or international corporations requiring cloud scale across APAC and parts of Africa, Europe, and Latin America.” The Forrester report is a 30-criterion evaluation of the nine most significant public cloud platform providers. Each provider is evaluated on the strengths of their current offerings, strategy and market presence. Alibaba Cloud has achieved the highest possible assessment score (5.0 out of 5.0) in 17 criteria, including database, data integration and governance services, container and Kubernetes services, serverless/FaaS services, compute, IoT, storage services, as well as AI development services. Jingren Zhou, Chief Technology Officer of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, comments, “Expanding our cloud-native infrastructure and AI capabilities in the public cloud space to better support our clients is a top priority. We are honoured to be recognised by Forrester for our efforts in this critical area. To address the increasing demands of AI, we are dedicated to continuously enhancing our ability to provide accessible, scalable, and reliable cloud products and AI applications to our customers.” At Apsara Conference 2024, Alibaba Cloud’s annual flagship event hosted in September, Alibaba Cloud unveiled a revamped full-stack infrastructure designed to meet the growing demands for robust AI computing. It also released over 100 of its newly-launched large language models, Qwen 2.5, to the global open-source community. Qwen, Alibaba Cloud’s proprietary large language model, has seen significant adoption since its introduction in April 2023. The Qwen models have been downloaded over 40 million times on open-source platforms such as Hugging Face and ModelScope, and have inspired the creation of more than 78,000 derivative models. As a creator of the MaaS concept and an advocate of open source, Alibaba Cloud also built ModelScope, China’s biggest AI model community. It hosts over 10,000 models and serves more than 8 million developers. Alibaba Cloud continues to expand its global reach, currently operating 85 data centres in 28 regions globally. In May 2024, Alibaba Cloud announced plans to launch its first cloud region in Mexico, and to establish additional data centres in its key markets including Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and South Korea in the next three years. For more from Alibaba Cloud, click here.