Eurobites: Telco lobby wants certainty on GIA

A gaggle of European telco lobby groups has said it wants the EU's forthcoming Gigabit Infrastructure Act (GIA) to be passed as actual legislation rather than as a (somewhat looser) Directive, claiming that legislation is "the only legislative tool fully ensuring uniformity, limiting fragmentation across EU Member States and making sure that the GIA provisions will directly and rapidly contribute to the cost-efficient and timely deployment of VHCNs [very high-capacity networks]." The GIA, which replaces the Broadband Cost Reduction Directive, is intended to stimulate the provision of such networks by promoting the joint use of physical infrastructure. This is just the first of several items on the lobby groups' long GIA wish-list: The others can be seen here. (See Eurobites: EU pokes the Big Tech bear again.)

Vodafone Germany has introduced a new service that allows reputable organizations such as banks and hospitals to inform smartphone users who is calling them, rather than coming through as one of those super-scary anonymous callers. CallerID is based on a service Vodafone used itself when contacting customers and it is now being made available to other organizations via a Vodafone network API (application programming interface). It is also a network-based service which means it does not require an additional smartphone app to process and display the information.

Vodafone is also providing 5G connectivity and a dedicated mobile private network – in partnership with Ericsson –  for a robotics exercise which will test unmanned maritime systems in the Troia Peninsula, Portugal. The exercise has been organized by the Portuguese navy and aims to test new security and defense technology in the maritime environment.

Eutelsat and OneWeb have completed their merger, 14 months after announcing they reached an agreement on the deal. The arrangement, billed as a merger of equals, sees Eutelsat completely own the new, enlarged entity, with OneWeb a subsidiary operating commercially as Eutelsat OneWeb and retaining its London headquarters. The transaction values OneWeb at $3.4 billion.

Nokia has launched a range of industrial 5G devices intended to help keep workers connected in harsh and hazardous environments. The devices, says Nokia, are suitable for all types of companies and include a "ruggedized" handheld that can support public safety teams communicating over LTE Band 68. Teams can customize keys to define a dedicated push-to-talk button, while other large buttons and optional accessories, including remote speaker microphones and earpieces enabling push-to-talk, allow workers to communicate without removing safety equipment such as helmets and gloves.

French Wi-Fi specialist AirTies is signing up to and integrating its offerings with the Prpl Foundation, an open-source community that promotes the use of open-source software and open APIs to build standardized, carrier-grade consumer premises equipment (CPE).

Tomorrow (Friday) sees the start of the Ryder Cup, the uncouth golfing jamboree that takes place every two years and pits Europe against the US. This time round, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is using the event to prove its chops in wireless connectivity, deploying an integrated private 5G and Wi-Fi network to help fans and staff at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome keep up to speed. More details to follow on this from Light Reading's temporary and frankly ill-qualified golfing correspondent, Iain Morris, who is lurking near the fairways as we speak.