China Mobile International (CMI) and Companhia de Telecomunicações de Macau, S.A.R.L. (CTM) announced a strategic cooperation framework on digital content delivery.

Ibrahim Gedeon, chief technology officer of TELUS, discussed with Telecom Review about their new graduate program that enables future-proofing technology talent pools while nurturing the innovators of the future.

To help narrow the digital divide, and with support from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Verizon Public Sector announced a new program to provide access to wireless broadband data and voice services to underserved communities in Massachusetts and eight neighboring states plus the District of Columbia. Verizon will provide turnkey connectivity, devices and other solutions available to eligible families who lack access to the internet.

The communications industry is undergoing a multi-year transformation to dynamic, secure, and certified services across a global federation of automated networks, as envisioned in the MEF 3.0 Framework. Service providers worldwide are not only becoming more automated internally to deliver solutions with user- and application-directed control over service capabilities. Many also are collaborating to build an emerging business ecosystem of automated networks that will support rapid delivery “Standardized APIs for interoperability of business applications will vastly improve the customer experience through faster cycle times and resolving service delivery issues earlier, offering automated near real-time availability and pricing information.

With the dust still settling from the massive data breach of T-Mobile, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey have initiated investigations concerning the alarming incident.

Cincinnati Bell Inc.  announced the completion of its acquisition by Macquarie Infrastructure Partners V (“MIP”), an Americas-focused unlisted infrastructure fund managed by Macquarie Asset Management (“MAM”). The $2.9 billion transaction will accelerate Cincinnati Bell’s fiber build across its operating footprint, and support strategic investments in the company’s IT Services businesses throughout North America.

Verizon began the availability of an on-premises, private edge compute solution that builds upon the collaboration formed last year. Verizon 5G Edge with Microsoft Azure Stack Edge is a cloud computing platform that brings compute and storage services to the edge of the network at the customer premises providing enterprises with increased efficiencies, higher levels of security, and the low lag and high bandwidth needed for applications involving computer vision, augmented and virtual reality, and machine learning.

Masayoshi Son’s SoftBank Group Corp is entering into a partnership and equity swap arrangement with German group Deutsche Telekom (DT), as it seeks to minimize its exposure risk on the European continent. Under the plan, SoftBank will receive 225 million new shares in DT in exchange for roughly 45 million shares held in T-Mobile US. Further, the German group will look to buy an additional 20 million or so shares in the US wireless operator from SoftBank by re-investing USD2.4 billion of expected disposal proceeds from the sale of T-Mobile Netherlands. As a result of these transactions – the equity share swap and the re-investment of proceeds – Son’s group will hold a 4.5% stake in DT, making it the second largest private shareholder in the German giant.

General Motors (GM) Canada and TELUS are working together to connect next-generation vehicles to TELUS’ 5G network. This is the first time that GM has selected a domestic communications company to provide connected-vehicle services for Canadian customers.

Verizon is testing how a Quantum Safe Virtual Private Network (VPN) can enhance protection of data today in order to thwart hackers in the future. As quantum computers become more advanced, they will have the potential to break today’s public key encryption ciphers. Theoretically, hackers could capture data riding on networks today and store it until quantum computers have the power to break the encryption. It’s a little like stealing a bank safe today and holding on to it until someone discovers how to pick the lock. Verizon, and others, believe the key to safeguarding information will be a Quantum Safe VPN. This technology uses session key exchange security mechanisms or cryptographic ciphers that can provide a higher level of protection. Essentially, it’s a solution that enhances encryption methodologies today in order to make them even more difficult to hack tomorrow.