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EU: 700 MHz band free for mobile broadband by 2020
On 26 May 2016, the European Council stated that the 700 MHz band should be made available for mobile broadband services across the European Union. Presently, the 470-790 MHz range is used for digital television broadcasting and wireless microphones. However, its high speeds and penetration make it ideal for mobile internet services. To promote take-up of 4G and make 5G roll out easier, member countries are to reassign the 700 MHz band (694-790 MHz) to mobile broadband services by 2020.
Online video spending passes DVDs in UK
This year, consumers are expected to spend £1.31 billion on streaming and downloading, constituting 58% of the total home video spend, according to a study by Strategy Analytics. DVD sales are expected to drop 10% from 2015 to £956 million, making up 42% of the total.
Prysmian creates submarine Sicily-Calabria cable
An extra high voltage power cable linking Sicily and Calabria, developed and produced by Prysmian, has just been handed over to Terna Spa Rete Elettrica Nazionale. The double-circuit 380 kV HVAC cable system is installed along some 44 km, with 38 km under water. The project includes a permanent monitoring system, a Prysmian exclusive, using 18 Pry-Cam Grid devices all along the land route. Land cable installation was one of the most technically complex ever, featuring a 300m vertical shaft, a 12% slope and 2.8 km tunnel.
Prysmian brings broadband to Wikimania 2016
The most recent annual Wikimania conference, which celebrates Wikipedia and related knowledge projects, was held in Esine Lario, on Lake Como, Italy. Here, Prysmian Group deployed a fibre optic network to bring ultra-broadband connections. RetractaNetXS , a solution that employs retractable direct buried cable filled with small fibre modules was installed in existing public infrastructure microducts.
“We are proud to have taken part to this important project and to have contributed to the success of this event, allowing hundreds of participants to enjoy ultra-broadband connection while taking part in the conference”, said Carlo Scarlata, CCO at Prysmian Italia.
Maroc Telecom launches FTTH across Morocco
Maroc Telecom launched FTTH services in selected areas on 20 May 2014 according to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database. Following positive results from trials in Casablanca and Rabat, Maroc Telecom’s FTTH service is now available in every major city in Morocco. The company provides two packages: 50 Mb/s with unlimited data allowance and a 100 Mb/s premium subscription.
Gigaclear: Broadband for 100,000 rural premises by end 2017
UK fibre optic ISP Gigaclear have been laying cables since 2010, and the resulting network now stretches from the Scottish Highlands to the Essex countryside. The ISP is currently focusing on deploying an ultrafast GB FTTP broadband network to rural communities around the United Kingdom. The company have confirmed that they aim to cover 100,000 homes and businesses by the end of 2017.
Fibre for 10 UK communities
As part of its ‘Supercharging Local Communities’ initiative, Virgin Media will be bringing fibre to homes and businesses in ten communities, chosen by local residents. A narrow-trenching installation technique that reduces trench width from around 40 cm to 10cm is more than twice as fast as other methods, and allows engineers to cover up to 100m in a day.
WhatsApp: 100 million voice calls a day
WhatsApp calling, which allows users to place calls in addition to sending text messages, has been around for just over a year. Last February, WhatsApp announced it had one billion users worldwide, and recently the facebook-owned company stated that it is currently handling 100 million voice calls per day. That's over 1,100 calls a second.
YouTube adds live streaming to mobile app
YouTube has built live streaming directly into their mobile app, allowing people to broadcast directly from their phones whilst receiving comments on top of the video feed. The company recently launched this new capability to users at leading online video event VidCon and will soon be rolling it out more widely. According to YouTube, the new functionality will be “faster and more reliable than anything else out there.”