The latest telecom news includes announcements on Jisc, Neos Networks, Comcast, Wire 3, NTT DOCOMO, and others.
Jisc Awards Neos Networks 10-Year UK Research and Education Fiber Infrastructure Contract
Jisc has extended its partnership with Neos Networks through a 10-year agreement supporting the Janet national research and education network. Announced on October 22, the contract will provide high-capacity fiber infrastructure connecting universities, colleges, research institutions and computing facilities across the United Kingdom. The network must accommodate increasing traffic from AI research, scientific computing and international collaboration. One major application involves the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, where approximately 25 percent of generated data is expected to be managed by UK institutions. The agreement provides long-term infrastructure capacity and resilience. Financial terms, additional fiber kilometers and contracted transmission capacity were not disclosed.
Comcast Completes Texas Broadband Network Expansion Covering 16,000 Homes and Businesses
Comcast has completed its network expansion in Willis, Texas, extending symmetrical multi-gigabit broadband availability to more than 16,000 homes and businesses. The deployment is part of a larger southeast Texas infrastructure program. Comcast has also completed connectivity for more than 1,600 locations in Morgan Cemetery. Construction in Navasota is more than 90 percent complete, targeting over 3,500 locations by year-end. In Wharton and Hungerford, more than 2,500 premises are already connected, with the project approximately 70 percent complete. That expansion will ultimately reach over 6,000 locations, with completion expected in early 2027. Comcast has not disclosed the combined investment value or additional fiber-route length.
Wire 3 Starts $19 Million South Carolina Fiber Network Construction for 18,000 Locations
Wire 3 has started construction of a $19 million FTTH network in Easley, South Carolina. Announced on October 20, the fully funded project will extend fiber connectivity to more than 18,000 homes and businesses across the Pickens and Anderson County area. The company expects initial customer connections during the coming winter. The Easley project forms part of Wire 3’s broader $147 million South Carolina investment program, covering several communities. Construction is also progressing in Anderson, with additional expansion planned in Central, Clemson, Travelers Rest and Pendleton. Wire 3’s infrastructure supports symmetrical multi-gigabit connectivity, with service capabilities reaching 10 Gbps. The company has not disclosed Easley’s installed fiber length or final completion date.
NTT DOCOMO and NTT Begin AI-Based Radio Network Workload and Energy Optimization Trial NTT DOCOMO and NTT have developed technology that coordinates mobile base-station processing workloads with distributed energy resources, including solar generation and battery storage. The companies announced the initiative on October 20, with a demonstration beginning the same day. The system uses AI to shift communications-processing workloads while managing electricity availability and consumption. The trial will evaluate renewable-energy utilization, demand-response capabilities and network continuity during power disruptions. Conventional base-station systems generally manage communications equipment and energy resources independently. The new architecture aims to optimize both functions together. The companies have not disclosed participating base-station numbers, expected electricity savings, processing-capacity improvements or commercial deployment dates.