Telecommunications infrastructure Archives | Page 5 of 127

HaDEA highlights EU digital projects for World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

The European Health and Digital Executive Agency has highlighted EU-funded projects supporting connectivity, AI skills, digital governance and data network innovation to mark World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.

Observed annually on 17 May, the day marks the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865 and the establishment of the International Telecommunication Union. This year’s edition focuses on connectivity, AI and digital innovation as tools for building more resilient, inclusive and sustainable societies.

HaDEA pointed to Nuanua, a CEF Digital-funded project improving connectivity and resilience in Wallis and Futuna, a French overseas territory in the South Pacific. The project will deploy ground infrastructure for Medium Earth Orbit satellites using O3b mPOWER technology to provide an alternative route to the territory’s single submarine cable connection.

The agency also highlighted EURIDICE, funded under the Digital Europe Programme, which supports advanced digital skills through interdisciplinary education combining AI, machine learning, data science, cybersecurity, law, humanities and social sciences.

Another Digital Europe project, AI4GOV-X, focuses on helping public administrations use AI and digital technologies in a trustworthy way. It provides training and capacity-building for civil servants, policymakers and digital governance professionals working on AI-driven public services.

HaDEA also cited PUNCH, funded under Horizon Europe Cluster 4, which is developing optical switching technologies to improve the performance and efficiency of data networks. The project aims to reduce congestion, power consumption and transmission costs while supporting reliable, low-latency communications in industrial 5G and data centre testbeds.

Why does it matter?

The projects show how EU digital funding is being spread across different layers of digital transformation: connectivity infrastructure, advanced skills, public-sector AI capacity and more efficient data networks. Together, they reflect the EU’s effort to link digital innovation with inclusion, resilience and sustainability rather than treating connectivity and AI as separate policy areas.

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ITU Radiocommunication Bureau outlines key aspects future connectivity

ITU Radiocommunication Bureau has highlighted the critical role of radio-frequency spectrum in ensuring digital resilience, emphasising that reliable connectivity underpins essential services such as healthcare, transport and emergency communications.

According to the Bureau, resilience begins before disruption through coordinated spectrum management, international standards and regulatory frameworks. These systems enable wireless networks and satellite services to operate reliably and avoid harmful interference.

The organisation stressed that growing demand for connectivity, including 5G, satellite broadband and AI-enabled systems, increases pressure on spectrum resources. Technical standards and global coordination are therefore essential to maintain interoperability and support innovation.

ITU also pointed to the importance of satellite systems and early warning technologies in responding to climate risks and disasters. Future decisions at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2027 in China will further shape how resilient digital infrastructure develops globally.

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Brazil tests quantum-secure communication over Recife fibre network

Researchers in Brazil have developed the Recife Quantum Network, a quantum key distribution system that uses inactive optical fibre already installed in the city’s urban infrastructure to test secure communications outside a laboratory setting.

The project, led by Professor Daniel Felinto at the Federal University of Pernambuco, connects university departments through dark fibre and uses quantum key distribution to protect information exchange.

Quantum key distribution relies on quantum properties that make interception detectable: any attempt to observe or copy the security key disrupts the quantum state, alerts the system and prevents secure key exchange.

The work has grown into a broader institutional effort through the Institute of Quantum Technologies, known as Quanta, based at the university’s ParqueTec. Researchers from the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco are also involved. The initiative received recognition through the 2025 Finep Innovation Award in the Northeast Region, in the research and development infrastructure category.

Initial tests over 7 kilometres have been completed, and the team now aims to expand the Recife quantum network to 40 kilometres with support from development institutions linked to Brazil’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. The project has also received support from the ministry through the National Education and Research Network and its Point of Presence in Pernambuco.

The initiative is presented as a step towards applying quantum key distribution-based secure communications to strategic cybersecurity needs, including defence and financial systems. Its use of existing telecommunications infrastructure is significant because it suggests that quantum-secure communication systems can be tested in urban environments without requiring entirely new fibre deployment.

Why does it matter?

Quantum key distribution is being explored as a way to protect sensitive communications against future threats, including advances in computing that could weaken current encryption methods. The Recife project is significant because it moves testing beyond laboratory conditions and into existing urban fibre infrastructure, which is a practical requirement for any wider deployment of quantum-secure networks.

For Brazil, the project also links cybersecurity with national research capacity, regional innovation and digital infrastructure development, showing how quantum technologies are beginning to move from academic experimentation towards applied communications security.

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UAE launches national AI security lab for certification and cyber resilience

The UAE Cyber Security Council, Cisco and Open Innovation AI have launched the UAE’s National AI Test and Validation Lab, creating a national platform designed to assess the security, safety and trustworthiness of AI systems.

Hosted in Abu Dhabi, the facility will evaluate AI models, autonomous agents and applications before deployment across government and private sector environments. The initiative forms part of the UAE’s wider strategy to strengthen sovereign AI capabilities and reinforce cybersecurity protections as AI adoption accelerates across critical infrastructure and public services.

According to UAE Cyber Security Council Head Dr Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, the laboratory aims to ensure AI systems deployed across the country remain aligned with national cybersecurity policies and trusted governance standards.

The facility will conduct assessments covering model robustness, prompt injection threats, jailbreak vulnerabilities, privacy risks, data leakage, supply chain integrity and autonomous agent behaviour.

Systems meeting the required standards will receive a national certification mark intended to provide assurance for regulators, businesses and citizens. Evaluations will also measure compliance against international frameworks, including ISO 42001, MITRE ATLAS, NIST AI RMF and OWASP standards for large language models and AI agents.

The lab combines Cisco AI-ready infrastructure powered by NVIDIA GPUs with Open Innovation AI orchestration and automated security testing platforms.

UAE authorities expect the centre to scale to analysing tens of thousands of AI agents annually, supporting sectors including finance, healthcare, telecommunications, energy and critical national infrastructure as the country expands its adoption of agentic AI technologies.

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Greece and the EU discuss space strategy and digital infrastructure cooperation

The Minister of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence, Dimitris Papastergiou, met European Union Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, to discuss Greece’s expanding role in space technologies, digital infrastructure and European defence cooperation.

Talks focused on national space policy, including satellite programmes, telecommunications systems and quantum communications, alongside projects funded through the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

The meeting followed Greece’s recent launch of thermal satellites, which Greek authorities said support civil protection and climate monitoring capabilities.

Greek authorities said investments in satellite applications and digital infrastructure are intended to support public services, economic growth and technological development. They added that the country’s role as a connectivity hub, particularly through submarine fibre optic cables, is a strategic advantage for Europe.

Both sides said space technologies are important for advancing AI, Earth observation and secure communications. They also underlined the need for stronger European cooperation to enhance resilience, innovation and strategic autonomy.

The meeting also aligned with preparations for the upcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU for Greece, where space policy is expected to be among the priorities.

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Canada and partners welcome EU as strategic partner in telecom coalition

The Government of Canada and its international partners have announced that the European Union has joined the Global Coalition on Telecommunications as its first strategic partner, reinforcing cooperation on secure, resilient, and trusted next-generation telecom networks.

The coalition, established in 2023, brings together governments, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia, to promote secure supply chains, interoperable standards, and telecommunications innovation. More recent expansion has also brought in Finland and Sweden, widening the coalition’s international reach and its work on future telecom technologies, including 6G.

The EU’s inclusion reflects a shared interest in closer policy coordination, technical standards development, and telecom innovation. As a strategic partner, the EU is expected to contribute to discussions, support coalition workstreams, and collaborate on initiatives aligned with the group’s broader objectives. Strategic partnerships are designed to allow flexible cooperation while leaving governance control with the coalition’s core members.

Canadian officials described the step as a significant milestone in efforts to strengthen secure and trusted telecommunications networks through joint policy, research, and innovation. In practical terms, the move points to a broader effort among like-minded partners to shape the future of telecom infrastructure through coordinated international action rather than fragmented national approaches. This final sentence is an inference grounded in the coalition’s stated purpose and the new strategic partner model.

Why does it matter?

The significance of the move lies in the way telecom policy is increasingly being treated as a strategic coordination issue rather than just a domestic infrastructure question. By bringing the EU into the coalition as its first strategic partner, the group is widening its capacity to shape standards, supply chain resilience, and future network technologies across a broader transatlantic and Indo-Pacific policy space. That matters because the contest over telecom systems is no longer only about connectivity, but also about security, industrial policy, and influence over the technologies that will underpin future digital economies.

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EU partnership with global telecom coalition targets 6G and next-generation networks

The European Commission has joined the Global Coalition on Telecommunications as its first strategic partner, marking a further step in international cooperation on next-generation telecommunications infrastructure.

GCOT operates as an informal multilateral group focused on promoting telecommunications systems built around security, resilience, and international cooperation. With participation from countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Australia, Finland, and Sweden, the coalition aims to strengthen global dialogue and align technological development across borders.

In its new role, the EU is expected to contribute expertise, participate in policy discussions, and support joint initiatives across key telecom workstreams. Strategic partnership status is designed to allow more flexible cooperation, while governance remains with the coalition’s core members.

Telecommunications remain central to European competitiveness, particularly as AI, cloud systems, sensing capabilities, and satellite networks begin to reshape the sector. The partnership is therefore likely to support the EU priorities such as supply chain diversification, infrastructure resilience, and the development of future technologies, including 6G.

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UK reviews mobile market as nationwide standalone 5G target approaches

The UK government has launched a call for evidence on the future of the mobile sector, seeking to determine whether the current regulatory and market framework can deliver nationwide standalone 5G coverage in populated areas by 2030. Led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the review focuses on how policy can better support investment, innovation, competition, resilience, and consumer outcomes in a rapidly changing telecoms market.

The exercise reflects growing concern that the economics of mobile deployment are becoming more difficult, even as expectations for connectivity continue to rise. In the call for evidence, the government notes that mobile operators are facing higher deployment costs, growing data demand, uncertain long-term returns, and pressure to modernise networks to keep pace with new technologies.

At the same time, it argues that mobile infrastructure has become essential to economic growth, public services, and digital inclusion, making the sector’s health a broader policy issue rather than a narrow industry question.

That is particularly important in the context of standalone 5G, which the UK sees as the next step beyond non-standalone deployments already in the market. The government’s wider wireless strategy, published earlier, set the ambition of nationwide standalone 5G coverage across populated areas by 2030. The new review suggests ministers are now testing whether the commercial and regulatory environment is strong enough to support that ambition over the long term.

The government also links the debate to the broader transformation of telecoms infrastructure. The call for evidence highlights trends such as software-defined networking, greater cloud integration, and the increasing role of large technology providers in network architecture and service delivery.

Those shifts may create efficiencies and new business models, but they also raise policy questions around resilience, supply chain dependence, and competition in a market where telecoms operators may become more reliant on external platforms and cloud companies.

So, the review is about more than just the 5G rollout. It is also an attempt to work out how the UK should regulate a sector in which connectivity is becoming increasingly strategic, software-based, and tightly linked to the wider digital economy.

The outcome could shape not only investment incentives for mobile operators, but also the balance the UK strikes between innovation, security, and market concentration as it prepares for future generations of wireless technology.

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EU launches Mediterranean digital programme to support governance, cybersecurity and skills

The European Commission has launched a digital transformation programme for countries in North Africa and the Middle East, marking the first digital initiative under the Pact for the Mediterranean.

EU aims to support inclusive and sustainable growth by improving access to digital services and strengthening regulatory alignment.

The initiative focuses on enhancing digital governance by aligning telecommunications regulations with the EU standards and strengthening national regulatory authorities. It also promotes regional cooperation by creating coordinated networks across participating countries.

Cybersecurity forms a central component, with measures designed to improve national frameworks and institutional capacity to prevent and respond to cyber threats.

Additionally, the programme advances digital skills development based on EU competency frameworks, supporting long-term capacity development.

Such an approach reflects a broader policy objective to foster regional digital integration, strengthen institutional resilience and promote secure and inclusive digital transformation across neighbouring regions.

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Corning and Meta start construction on North Carolina AI cable facility

Corning Incorporated and Meta Platforms have begun construction on a major expansion of Corning’s optical cable manufacturing facility in Hickory, North Carolina. The project will support advanced AI data centres using US-developed technology.

The initiative is part of a multiyear, up to $6 billion agreement between the two companies to accelerate the deployment of high-performance data centres. Under the agreement, Corning will supply Meta with new optical fibre, cable, and connectivity solutions.

Meta will act as the anchor customer for the Hickory expansion, which will produce optical cable critical for AI infrastructure. The expansion is expected to strengthen domestic manufacturing and create additional skilled jobs in North Carolina.

Corning currently employs more than 5,000 people in the state and plans to increase its workforce by 15 to 20 percent. Executives emphasised the partnership’s role in advancing US innovation and supporting the next generation of AI infrastructure.

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