Today’s telecom news includes announcements on MOSAIC-5G, Bluebird Fiber, Mobily Red Sea Cable, and others.
Bluebird Fiber Selects Ekinops for 400G Upgrade Across 36,000-Mile US Network
Bluebird Fiber has signed a multi-year agreement with Ekinops to upgrade and expand its optical network across the US Midwest. Bluebird operates more than 36,000 route miles of fiber across 12 states, connecting over 450 points of presence and more than 750,000 on-net and near-net buildings. The operator will deploy Ekinops DWDM optical equipment and coherent technology to introduce 100G to 400G wavelength services across its network. The upgrade is designed to increase core-backbone capacity and provide larger wavelength connections for data centers, hyperscalers, carriers and wholesale customers. The multi-year programme expands an existing relationship and positions Ekinops as a strategic optical-network supplier as Bluebird increases capacity across its regional fiber footprint.
Mobily Plans 140 Tbps Red Sea Subsea Cable Between Saudi Arabia and Egypt
Mobily is developing the Mobily Red Sea Cable to add approximately 140 Tbps of submarine capacity between Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The wholly Saudi-owned system is planned to connect Duba in Saudi Arabia with Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, creating another high-capacity route toward Europe for telecom operators, hyperscalers and content providers. Mobily already operates four submarine gateways across Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea and Gulf coasts, connecting into international systems including AAE-1, TGN-EA, SEACOM and TGN-Gulf. The new system would strengthen route diversity across the strategically important Red Sea corridor while providing additional international capacity as Saudi Arabia expands cloud, AI, data-center and digital infrastructure requiring substantially larger international fiber connections.
MOSAIC-5G Launches £4.3 mn UK Programme to Accelerate Private 5G Deployment
MOSAIC-5G, a new UK consortium involving Aerix, Antevia Networks, Spry Fox Networks, Noema Signal Labs, AttoCore, RANsemi, Liverpool 5G and Bath & North East Somerset Council, has launched a £4.3 million programme to simplify commercial deployment of UK-developed 5G technology. The project will integrate Antevia’s 5G SHIFT private network, AttoCore’s 5G core and Aerix’s management platform into an interoperable 5G Standalone private network designed for deployment in hours rather than weeks. Noema Signal Labs’ technology targets 100%+ gains in spectral efficiency and support for 300%+ more connected devices at equivalent service quality. The 18-month programme, backed by more than £3.1 million in Innovate UK funding, will conduct trials in Bath and London and create eight high-skilled jobs. It runs from August 2026 to January 2028.
