Today’s telecom news includes announcements MediaTek, Airoha, Plume, KKR, FiberCop, Telecom Italia, Nokia and Fibertime, among others.
Telecom Gets Smarter: MediaTek and Airoha Launch AI-Powered Fiber Gateway
MediaTek and Airoha introduced an AI-powered fiber gateway platform for telecom operators. The platform brings AI to the network edge to manage connectivity across fiber and Wi-Fi, identify traffic patterns, allocate bandwidth, reduce latency, and improve throughput. It can detect network issues and adjust without manual input, supporting real-time optimization of service delivery.
Plume Drives Telecom Innovation by Joining prpl Foundation
Plume has joined the prpl Foundation, an open-source community that develops open APIs and standards for broadband customer premise equipment. The partnership allows Plume to contribute to open-source software and infrastructure projects that support interoperability and innovation across the telecom industry. By participating in the foundation, Plume aims to help service providers deploy services faster, reduce costs, and avoid dependence on a single vendor.
Italy and KKR Clash Over Fiber Network Merger to Boost Broadband
Italy is in a dispute with U.S. investment firm KKR over FiberCop, in which KKR owns a 37.5 percent stake after a €19 billion deal with Telecom Italia (TIM) in 2024. The government is promoting a merger between FiberCop and Open Fiber, partly owned by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) and Macquarie, to streamline investments and expand ultra-fast broadband coverage, aiming to improve Italy’s broadband access relative to the EU average. KKR has raised concerns about the merger, including company valuation, antitrust reviews, and credit rating impacts. Disagreements also involve a €3.4 billion EU-funded broadband expansion plan to reach 3 million buildings, which Open Fiber has delayed, prompting government adjustments that KKR views as favoring Open Fiber. FiberCop is also hesitant to finalize a €500 million capacity purchase deal from Open Fiber in dense areas, Reuters reports.
Nokia and Fibertime Bring Affordable Fiber to 400,000 South African Homes
Nokia and Fibertime are extending fiber broadband access to 400,000 homes in South Africa’s underserved townships as part of Fibertime’s plan to connect two million homes by 2028. The project uses Nokia Lightspan access nodes, Wi-Fi 6-enabled fiber access points, and the 7750 Wireless Access Gateway to deliver internet coverage across communities. Nokia’s AI-powered network management tools, including the Altiplano Fiber Health Analyzer, detect and resolve network issues quickly. Fibertime offers uncapped fiber internet for ZAR 5 per day through a prepaid system, allowing users to access the internet without contracts or credit checks.
Shafana Fazal