Today’s telecom news includes announcements from Spirent Communications, European Space Agency, Pilot Fiber, among others.
North American Telecom & Media Go All-In on Cloud and AI Revolution
Telecom operators and media and entertainment companies across North America are modernizing by adopting cloud‑native architectures and AI‑enabled workflows, according to a new report from Information Services Group (ISG). Legacy, fragmented systems are being replaced with unified, cloud‑based models to boost competitiveness and operational agility. Carriers are focusing on transforming their core support systems and combining on‑premises infrastructure with public cloud platforms to enhance flexibility and reduce risk. Meanwhile, media firms are moving content workflows to scalable cloud environments to support growth in streaming and global distribution. AI integration such as AIOps for network management is reshaping operations and customer experiences in both industries.
Spirent and ESA Team Up to Fortify UK’s Critical Infrastructure Against GNSS Disruptions
Spirent Communications, now part of Keysight Technologies, has partnered with the European Space Agency (ESA) to lead a new initiative to strengthen the resilience of Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) systems vital to the United Kingdom’s Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). Supported by ESA’s NAVISP program, the project will create a comprehensive test framework to assess and benchmark PNT equipment and services, helping ensure reliability against disruptions like GNSS outages, which could cost the UK economy billions. The initiative includes three core components: the Spirent PNT Alliance to unite industry and research partners, a PNT Shopfront to showcase resilience solutions, and PNT Resiliency Health Checks for independent system evaluation.
Pilot Fiber Supercharges Network with Extenet Enterprise Fiber Buy
Pilot Fiber, a New York‑area enterprise connectivity provider, announced it will acquire the enterprise fiber business of Extenet Systems, a deal expected to close in the second quarter of 2026 pending customary approvals. The transaction will extend Pilot’s owned fiber footprint into New Jersey and add more than 20 data centers to its network, enhancing its ability to serve enterprise, carrier, wholesale, financial services, and healthcare customers. Extenet’s assets include high‑capacity fiber connecting Manhattan to key New Jersey data center corridors, derived from prior acquisitions like Hudson Fiber Network and Axiom Fiber Network. Pilot plans to integrate roughly 200 existing Extenet enterprise and carrier customers while accelerating network growth.
SHAFANA FAZAL
