US telecom giant AT&T and Finnish network equipment maker Nokia have signed a multi-year agreement to upgrade AT&T’s voice services and 5G network automation. This deal comes after Nokia lost a significant contract to Swedish rival Ericsson in 2023, which led to Ericsson securing a $14 billion deal to build a network for AT&T covering 70% of its US wireless traffic by 2026. Nokia, however, remains involved with AT&T through a smaller agreement for fibre network development and a new contract focused on cloud-based voice applications and network automation.
The deal will enhance AT&T’s core network, enabling new voice services, including the integration of AI and machine learning. Although the financial details of the agreement were not disclosed, Nokia’s involvement is seen as crucial in bolstering its long-standing relationship with AT&T. Nokia’s president of Cloud and Network Services, Raghav Sahgal, emphasised that this agreement will allow for the deployment of new 5G functionalities.
Nokia recently reported stronger-than-expected earnings, driven by higher demand for telecoms equipment, particularly in North America and India. The company remains optimistic about its prospects in 2025, especially with plans to capitalise on the AI boom. Last year, Nokia also agreed to acquire Infinera for $2.3 billion to strengthen its position in the growing data centre and AI markets.
Waabi, a self-driving technology company, announced a partnership with Volvo’s driverless systems unit on Tuesday to develop autonomous big rigs. The collaboration aims to integrate Waabi’s virtual driver system, sensors, and computing into Volvo’s VNL Autonomous truck, which will be produced at Volvo’s New River Valley factory in Virginia.
The partnership comes as truck manufacturers and fleets look for ways to address driver shortages and reduce operational costs. Waabi, backed by Nvidia and Uber, uses its digital simulator, Waabi World, for testing and validation, with plans to launch commercial pilots in Texas within four years.
Unlike Tesla, which relies on a vision-only approach for its self-driving technology, Waabi uses a unique system to simulate real-world driving situations. The company also indicated that the deal with Volvo is not exclusive and they aim to integrate their technology with other truck manufacturers.
Volvo’s venture capital arm invested in Waabi in 2023, joining other backers such as Khosla Ventures and Porsche Automobil Holding. Waabi’s CEO Raquel Urtasun said trucking was a natural starting point for their technology, with plans to expand into areas like robotaxis and humanoid robots in the future.
Chinese internet users have been captivated by the DeepSeek AI app, which has gained immense popularity since its launch during the Lunar New Year holiday. Users have explored its predictive and analytical capabilities, with some posing questions on politics, economics, and even personal matters. For example, law professor Wang Jiangyu asked how China should respond to US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, receiving a comprehensive seven-point answer that included potential new tariffs on US industries and other strategic moves. The model’s detailed responses have impressed users, though it censors certain politically sensitive topics, such as questions about Xi Jinping or the Tiananmen Square protests.
DeepSeek’s low-cost yet powerful AI has made waves in the tech sector, surpassing ChatGPT in downloads on the Apple App Store. The Hangzhou-based startup has become a source of national pride, with users sharing personal experiences, such as using the app to predict their fortunes or interpret dreams. This surge in popularity has drawn attention to the company’s rapid growth, and its founder, Liang Wengfeng, has emerged as a pop culture figure.
Despite its success, DeepSeek’s claims about the minimal cost of training its latest AI model—less than $6 million in computing power—have raised scepticism among some experts. Nevertheless, the platform’s effectiveness has prompted comparisons to the billions invested by US tech giants in AI development. The app’s rapid rise has also led to investigations by authorities in several countries, including Japan, South Korea, and several European nations, over concerns about its handling of personal data.
SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son announced on Monday that he has agreed with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to establish a joint venture in Japan, called SB OpenAI Japan, to offer AI services to corporate clients. This venture will be jointly owned by OpenAI and a company set up by SoftBank and its telecoms arm. In addition, SoftBank will pay $3 billion annually to integrate OpenAI’s technology across its group companies.
Son’s involvement with OpenAI is deepening, with reports indicating that SoftBank plans to invest between $15 billion and $25 billion in the company. SoftBank is also committing $15 billion to Stargate, a joint venture with OpenAI and Oracle to build AI capacity in the US. Son’s support for OpenAI follows a period of retrenchment for the investment giant, but he is reasserting his influence in the tech sector after setbacks in SoftBank’s tech portfolio.
In the context of rising competition, China’s DeepSeek has prompted some investors to question the immense funds being poured into US-based AI companies. However, Altman believes global demand for AI computing power will continue to surge. Son and Altman also met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Monday to discuss further developments.
EssilorLuxottica announced on Monday that it has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Nuance audio glasses, a groundbreaking product that combines hearing solutions with prescription eyewear. Nuance will be available in the US and Italy in the first quarter of this year, with a planned launch in France, Germany, and the UK by mid-2025.
Chairman and CEO Francesco Milleri described the Nuance glasses as more than just a combination of two medical devices, calling them “entirely new smart glasses” that are both innovative and accessible. The company aims to provide this life-changing technology to the 1.25 billion people worldwide who suffer from mild to moderate hearing loss.
This launch marks a significant step for EssilorLuxottica as it expands its offerings beyond traditional eyewear, seeking to improve the lives of those with hearing impairments by making hearing solutions more readily available and convenient.
DeepSeek, a Chinese AI company, is shaking up the ΑΙ landscape by offering technology at a significantly lower cost compared to US competitors like OpenAI. Hemanth Mandapati, CEO of German startup Novo AI, recently switched to DeepSeek’s chatbot services, noting that the transition was quick and easy, and the cost savings were substantial. Mandapati reported that DeepSeek’s pricing was five times lower than what he was paying, with no noticeable difference in user performance. Analysts estimate that DeepSeek’s prices are 20 to 40 times cheaper than OpenAI’s, making it an attractive option for many startups.
The rise of DeepSeek is seen as a potential game-changer, particularly in Europe, where tech startups have struggled to compete with their US counterparts due to limited funding. Some believe DeepSeek’s low-cost offerings could democratise AI and help level the playing field with major tech companies. However, concerns about DeepSeek’s data practices, particularly regarding the potential copying of OpenAI’s data or censorship of Chinese content, have raised regulatory questions across Europe.
Despite scepticism around the actual cost of DeepSeek’s training and data usage, the company has garnered significant attention, especially after its model topped the productivity app rankings on the Apple App Store. Industry leaders argue that this shift in pricing could spark a broader movement in AI, with smaller companies gaining more access to advanced technologies without needing large budgets. This could foster innovation across the sector, although major corporations remain cautious due to security and integration concerns.
As the cost of AI continues to fall, competition is intensifying. For example, Microsoft recently made OpenAI’s reasoning model available for free to users of its Copilot platform. While price is becoming a dominant factor in AI adoption, industry experts suggest that trust and security certifications will still play a critical role for larger businesses when choosing their AI partners.
Alphabet’s self-driving unit, Waymo, has announced plans to expand testing of its autonomous driving technology into over 10 new cities by 2025. The company highlighted successful adaptation of its Waymo Driver system in diverse environments, encouraging this expansion. Current test sites include destinations such as Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Tokyo, with new testing set to include San Diego and Las Vegas, among other yet-to-be-revealed locations.
The testing process will begin with manual driving through high-traffic and complex areas, including city centres and freeways. Trained human specialists will oversee the vehicles during this phase. Each city will host fewer than 10 vehicles for several months to collect data and refine the technology. Waymo previously expanded its autonomous ride-hailing service to Miami, Florida, as part of its broader strategy to capture market share in the competitive autonomous vehicle industry.
Waymo’s growth comes as the firm faces heightened scrutiny from regulators following incidents involving autonomous driving systems. In October, the company secured $5.6 billion in funding led by parent company Alphabet, aimed at bolstering its technological advancements and operational expansion.
The US Commerce Department is investigating whether DeepSeek, the Chinese AI company that recently launched a high-performing assistant, has been using US chips in violation of export restrictions. These chips are prohibited from being shipped to China, raising concerns about DeepSeek’s rapid rise in the AI sector. Within days of launching, its app became the most downloaded on Apple’s App Store, contributing to a significant drop in US tech stocks, which lost around $1 trillion in value.
The US has imposed strict limits on the export of advanced AI chips to China, particularly those made by Nvidia. These restrictions aim to prevent China from accessing the most sophisticated AI processors. However, reports suggest that AI chip smuggling from countries like Malaysia, Singapore, and the UAE may be circumventing these measures. DeepSeek has admitted to using Nvidia’s H800 chips, which were legally purchased in 2023, but it is unclear whether it has used other restricted components.
The controversy deepened when Anthropic’s CEO Dario Amodei commented that DeepSeek’s AI chip fleet likely includes both legal and smuggled chips, some of which were shipped before restrictions were fully enforced. While DeepSeek has claimed to use only the less powerful H20 chips, which are still permitted to be sold to China, the investigation continues whether these practices undermine US efforts to limit China’s access to cutting-edge AI technologies.
Chinese state-backed social media accounts played a key role in amplifying the launch of DeepSeek’s AI models last week, according to an analysis by the firm Graphika. These accounts, including those of Chinese diplomats and media outlets, used platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and Weibo to highlight DeepSeek’s challenge to US dominance in the AI sector. This online activity coincided with a significant drop in US tech stocks, including a record one-day loss for Nvidia, shedding $593 billion in market value.
Graphika’s report suggested that this was part of a broader strategy by China to use AI to enhance its global influence and counter American leadership in critical technological fields. The surge in online discussion about DeepSeek’s AI capabilities was noticeable, especially on X, where it surpassed US rival ChatGPT in downloads from Apple’s app store shortly after its release. DeepSeek’s AI assistant also claimed to have been developed at a much lower cost than US competitors, raising concerns about a potential price war in the sector.
While China celebrates DeepSeek’s advancements as a victory over US efforts to limit its tech growth, the US has raised suspicions about whether the company improperly accessed American technology. The Commerce Department is investigating whether DeepSeek used banned US chips in its models, further intensifying tensions between the two countries over AI and tech competition. Meanwhile, major US companies like Microsoft and Meta continue their AI investments despite the challenges.
The Nigerian Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy signed a $10 million MoU with WIOCC to launch fibre-to-home internet connectivity targeting three million homes in the first phase of the project with plans to expand as the rollout progresses.
The government, led by Dr Bosun Tijani, emphasises the importance of digital technology in driving productivity and economic growth, with a goal of building a $1 trillion economy. However, balancing sustainable investment by telecom providers with affordable services for citizens remains a challenge, as highlighted by the recent approval of a tariff hike.
Currently, most Nigerians rely on mobile internet, which lacks the speed and reliability of true high-speed broadband. The fibre-to-home project seeks to address this gap, creating a more connected environment that supports individuals, businesses, and institutions. By improving internet infrastructure nationwide, the initiative aims to foster a more inclusive digital economy, ensuring that more Nigerians benefit from the opportunities offered by high-speed internet.
Why does it matter?
In the long term, the project is designed to scale up, with additional capital being raised and invested to connect more people across Nigeria. As the initiative evolves, it will re-evaluate its targets and expand its reach, ensuring that high-speed broadband becomes accessible to a larger portion of the population.
That effort aligns with the government’s vision of making connectivity a cornerstone of economic development, supporting small businesses and enabling Nigerians to stay connected both at home and on the go. Through this partnership, Nigeria is taking a critical step toward transforming its digital landscape and achieving its economic goals.
