Telecommunications infrastructure

FCC to enhance security on foreign communications equipment

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has implemented new policies aimed at strengthening the security of the United States’ communications infrastructure against foreign threats. These policies expand the FCC’s authority to prohibit the authorisation of communications equipment from companies identified as national security risks, including Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision, and Dahua.

Additionally, the FCC now has the power to revoke previously granted equipment authorisations if a company is later added to the ‘covered list.’ The scope of these regulations has also broadened to cover not only core network infrastructure but also a wide range of devices such as routers, switches, and consumer electronics, thereby reducing vulnerabilities and protecting against foreign interference.

US telecom companies must comply by replacing equipment from covered vendors, which may involve significant costs. While this transition poses challenges, the FCC stresses minimal short-term impact on consumers and highlights the long-term security benefits.

The agency also has enforcement powers, including fines, to ensure compliance. Going forward, the FCC will keep monitoring threats and update its policies as needed.

It will also work with government and international partners to strengthen cybersecurity efforts, showing its commitment to protecting critical communications infrastructure.

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Chad aims to strengthen digital independence through regional connectivity reforms

Chadian authorities have unveiled a set of strategic policies aimed at strengthening the country’s digital infrastructure and reducing its dependence on Cameroon for international internet connectivity. Central to these reforms is the establishment of Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) in major cities to enhance local traffic handling and reduce latency.

Additionally, the government plans to create redundant international links with neighbouring countries such as Libya, Algeria, and Nigeria. These policies are designed to diversify connectivity routes, bolster digital resilience, and support Chad’s long-term goal of achieving greater digital sovereignty.

These initiatives come in response to persistent vulnerabilities in the country’s current connectivity framework. Chad, being landlocked, lacks direct access to submarine cables and relies heavily on a single route through Cameroon.

The dependence has led to frequent service disruptions, including a major 24-hour outage in October and a recent suspension of connectivity due to unpaid dues. The country also faces challenges such as uneven fibre optic coverage, high access costs, and limited interconnection between networks, all of which have negatively impacted the quality and reliability of internet services.

By pursuing these reforms, Chadian authorities aim not only to stabilise and modernise the national digital infrastructure but also to integrate more effectively into regional projects like the Trans-Saharan Optical Fibre Backbone, which includes Algeria and Nigeria.

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Nigeria to strengthen telecom infrastructure protection

The Nigerian government has taken decisive action to address the persistent problem of vandalism and theft of telecom infrastructure by declaring telecom infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII). That designation aims to provide stronger legal protection and prioritise the security of telecom assets, which are vital to the country’s information and communication networks.

Building on this policy framework, IHS Nigeria has formed a strategic partnership with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to operationalise these protections and enhance the security of telecom infrastructure nationwide. Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), both organisations will collaborate to develop and implement strategies designed to safeguard IHS Nigeria’s extensive assets, including over 16,000 telecom towers and more than 15,000 kilometres of fibre optic cables.

Under the partnership, the NSCDC will provide support in areas such as site surveillance, emergency response, incident reporting, and assistance with tower decommissioning. The agency will also take on responsibilities to investigate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals involved in vandalism or theft of telecom infrastructure.

The collaboration is expected to create a safer environment for telecom operations, ultimately improving the resilience, reliability, and quality of connectivity services across Nigeria. Despite these efforts, vandalism remains a major challenge.

Airtel Nigeria and MTN Nigeria report 40 to 43 daily fibre cuts, many caused by theft and sabotage. The IHS Nigeria–NSCDC partnership is a crucial step to reduce these disruptions and protect critical telecom infrastructure.

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Uganda to launch ‘Tokigeza’ campaign against Telecom vandalism

The Ugandan Communications Commission (UCC), together with major telecom operators including MTN Uganda, Airtel Uganda, and ATC Uganda, has launched a national anti-vandalism campaign named ‘Tokigeza’ (meaning ‘Do not do it’) to combat the rising problem of telecom infrastructure vandalism. The three-month initiative aims to raise public awareness and mobilise communities to protect vital telecom assets.

The campaign employs a multi-channel approach involving radio, television, and digital media outreach, as well as grassroots engagement through schools, local meetings, landowners, law enforcement, and boda-boda (motorcycle taxi) drivers. Alongside the campaign, stakeholders call for stronger laws and better enforcement to combat vandalism.

Proposed measures include tougher penalties, tighter scrap metal trade controls, and linking telecom surveillance with national police monitoring. A cross-agency task force is also proposed.

The government supports these moves, with Ugandan President backing the classification of telecom towers as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) and pushing for harsher penalties by treating vandalism as economic sabotage. The Ministry of ICT stresses the need for public-private cooperation to protect ICT infrastructure as Uganda’s digital network grows.

Despite these efforts, no formal timeline exists for legal reforms, and there are doubts about whether CNI status alone will stop vandalism. Nigeria’s experience shows that even with such classification, sabotage, especially of fibre optic cables, continues. Uganda will need sustained and coordinated action to protect its telecom infrastructure effectively.

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Meta and PayPal users targeted in new phishing scam

Cybersecurity experts are warning of a rapid and highly advanced phishing campaign that targets Meta and PayPal users with instant account takeovers. The attack exploits Google’s AppSheet platform to send emails from a legitimate domain, bypassing standard security checks.

Victims are tricked into entering login details and two-factor authentication codes, which are then harvested in real time. Emails used in the campaign pose as urgent security alerts from Meta or PayPal, urging recipients to click a fake appeal link.

A double-prompt technique falsely claims an initial login attempt failed, increasing the likelihood of accurate information being submitted. KnowBe4 reports that 98% of detected threats impersonated Meta, with the remaining targeting PayPal.

Google confirmed it has taken steps to reduce the campaign’s impact by improving AppSheet security and deploying advanced Gmail protections. The company advised users to stay alert and consult their guide to spotting scams. Meta and PayPal have not yet commented on the situation.

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Meta aims to boost Llama adoption among startups

Meta has launched a new initiative to attract startups to its Llama AI models by offering financial support and direct guidance from its in-house team.

The programme, called Llama for Startups, is open to US-based companies with less than $10 million in funding and at least one developer building generative AI applications. Eligible firms can apply by 30 May.

Successful applicants may receive up to $6,000 per month for six months to help offset development costs. Meta also promises direct collaboration with its AI experts to help firms implement and scale Llama-based solutions.

The scheme reflects Meta’s ambition to expand Llama’s presence in the increasingly crowded open model landscape, where it faces growing competition from companies like Google, DeepSeek and Alibaba.

Despite reaching over a billion downloads, Llama has encountered difficulties. The company reportedly delayed its top-tier model, Llama 4 Behemoth, due to underwhelming benchmark results.

Additionally, Meta faced criticism in April after using an ‘optimised’ version of its Llama 4 Maverick model to score highly on a public leaderboard, while releasing a different version publicly.

Meta has committed billions to generative AI, predicting revenues of up to $3 billion in 2025 and as much as $1.4 trillion by 2035.

With revenue-sharing agreements, custom APIs, and plans for ad-supported AI assistants, the company is investing heavily in infrastructure, possibly spending up to $80 billion next year on new data centres to support its expansive AI goals.

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UK research body hit by 5 million cyber attacks

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the country’s national funding body for science and research, has reported a staggering 5.4 million cyber attacks this year — a sixfold increase compared to the previous year.

According to data obtained through freedom of information requests, the majority of these threats were phishing attempts, with 236,400 designed to trick employees into revealing sensitive data. A further 11,200 were malware-based attacks, while the rest were identified as spam or malicious emails.

The scale of these incidents highlights the growing threat faced by both public and private sector institutions. Experts believe the rise of AI has enabled cybercriminals to launch more frequent and sophisticated attacks.

Rick Boyce, chief for technology at AND Digital, warned that the emergence of AI has introduced threats ‘at a pace we’ve never seen before’, calling for a move beyond traditional defences to stay ahead of evolving risks.

UKRI, which is sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, manages an annual budget of £8 billion, much of it invested in cutting-edge research.

A budget like this makes it an attractive target for cybercriminals and state-sponsored actors alike, particularly those looking to steal intellectual property or sabotage infrastructure. Security experts suggest the scale and nature of the attacks point to involvement from hostile nation states, with Russia a likely culprit.

Though UKRI cautioned that differing reporting periods may affect the accuracy of year-on-year comparisons, there is little doubt about the severity of the threat.

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has previously warned of Russia’s Unit 29155 targeting British government bodies and infrastructure for espionage and disruption.

With other notorious groups such as Fancy Bear and Sandworm also active, the cybersecurity landscape is becoming increasingly fraught.

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Google unveils Veo 3 with audio capabilities

Google has introduced Veo 3, its most advanced video-generating AI model to date, capable of producing sound effects, ambient noise and dialogue to accompany the footage it creates.

Announced at the Google I/O 2025 developer conference, Veo 3 is available through the Gemini chatbot for those subscribed to the $249.99-per-month AI Ultra plan. The model accepts both text and image prompts, allowing users to generate audiovisual scenes rather than silent clips.

Unlike other AI tools, Veo 3 can analyse raw video pixels to synchronise audio automatically, offering a notable edge in an increasingly crowded field of video-generation platforms. While sound-generating AI isn’t new, Google claims Veo 3’s ability to match audio precisely with visual content sets it apart.

The progress builds on DeepMind’s earlier work in ‘video-to-audio’ AI and may rely on training data from YouTube, though Google hasn’t confirmed this.

To help prevent misuse, such as the creation of deepfakes, Google says Veo 3 includes SynthID, its proprietary watermarking technology that embeds invisible markers in every generated frame. Despite these safeguards, concerns remain within the creative industry.

Artists fear tools like Veo 3 could replace thousands of jobs, with a recent study predicting over 100,000 roles in film and animation could be affected by AI before 2026.

Alongside Veo 3, Google has also updated Veo 2. The earlier model now allows users to edit videos more precisely, adding or removing elements and adjusting camera movements. These features are expected to become available soon on Google’s Vertex AI API platform.

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Half of young people would prefer life without the internet

Nearly half of UK youths aged 16 to 21 say they would prefer to grow up without the internet, a new survey reveals. The British Standards Institution found that 68% feel worse after using social media and half would support a digital curfew past 10 p.m.

These findings come as the government considers app usage limits for platforms like TikTok and Instagram. The study also showed that many UK young people feel compelled to hide their online behaviour: 42% admitted lying to parents, and a similar number have fake or burner accounts.

More worryingly, 27% said they have shared their location with strangers, while others admitted pretending to be someone else entirely. Experts argue that digital curfews alone won’t reduce exposure to online harms without broader safeguards in place.

Campaigners and charities are calling for urgent legislation that puts children’s safety before tech profits. The Molly Rose Foundation stressed the danger of algorithms pushing harmful content, while the NSPCC urged a shift towards less addictive and safer online spaces.

The majority of young people surveyed want more protection online and clearer action from tech firms and policymakers.

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Microsoft confirms BitLocker issues after update

Microsoft has confirmed that the May 2025 Windows 10 update is causing issues on systems with certain Intel processors. Affected users have reported unexpected BitLocker recovery screens and repeated repair loops after installing the update.

Microsoft has traced the issue to Intel Trusted Execution Technology on 10th generation or newer vPro chips. When the update is installed, the system process lsass.exe may crash, triggering Automatic Repair and prompting BitLocker recovery key entry.

Some devices repeatedly attempt to install the update, fail, and then roll back, while others enter an error loop requiring manual intervention.

Microsoft has acknowledged the issue on its Windows Release Health page and is urgently working on a fix, though no timeframe has been given.

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