The 5G device market is expanding rapidly; several 5G smartphones are already available, and manufacturers are emphasizing the benefits of low latency and high download speeds. However, 5G still faces many challenges, especially regarding infrastructure.

Nokia has expanded its long-term strategic relationship with BT in the 5G arena, following its selection as the UK operator's 5G RAN supplier. As part of the agreement, which will make Nokia BT's largest equipment supplier, Nokia will provide equipment and services at BT's radio sites across the UK, helping to evolve BT's radio access network to 5G and supporting its goal of maintaining the UK's best network.

In recent months we have experienced an extraordinary situation. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a paradigm shift, forcing people to work remotely and study virtually from their homes. This has highlighted the importance of digital infrastructure, which relies on data centers and communications networks.

Agile innovation in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) environment will be key to driving digital transformation in industrial applications in 2021 and beyond. This was the message delivered today (Tuesday, September 22) by Linda Tsai, President of IIoT at Advantech, to the more than 2,000 attendees of the company's first Global IIoT Virtual Summit, in a presentation titled "Connecting Innovation to IIoT."

Following a period of consultation with the industry and considering the impact of the ongoing pandemic, Integrated Systems Events announces that ISE, originally scheduled for February 2-5, has been postponed and will now take place from June 1-4, 2021, alongside a virtual offering. In addition, ISE will launch RISE Digital, a year-round program of content and networking events that will complement the live show.

Nokia announced today that it will support Telefónica in its plan to deploy 5G services to 75% of the Spanish population by the end of the year. This decision continues Nokia's long-standing collaboration with Telefónica, with Nokia being the only manufacturer supplying 5G radio technology to all of Telefónica's 5G operations in Europe.

Competition in the antenna supplier market is heating up as 5G is deployed and market share is under intense pressure. In its recent analysis of the global 4G and 5G mobile cellular antenna market, ABI Research found that Huawei remains the market leader in the base station antenna market, maintaining its top position in both market share and supplier rankings.

Schneider Electric and Fortinet have partnered to provide cybersecurity solutions that address the unique needs of OT networks. Under the terms of the agreement, Schneider Electric will integrate Fortinet's firewalls, secure access, and other device protection solutions into its own cybersecurity solutions to help customers secure and protect their operations.

Keysight Technologies, Inc. has submitted Interoperability Development Tests (IODT) of O-RAN (O-RU) radio units in collaboration with Cambridge Industries Group (CIG), a leading original design manufacturer (ODM) based in Shanghai, China.

Vertiv has announced an agreement with Tech Data to distribute its full range of solutions in Spain and Portugal. Thanks to this agreement, Tech Data's partners will have access to a comprehensive, optimized, and user-friendly catalog based on five key pillars: uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), racks, precision cooling, rack power distribution units (rPDUs), and management and monitoring solutions that cover everything from small edge data centers to large-scale infrastructures.

The Aotecn Technology Fair, which was scheduled for next September at the Trade Fair and Congress Center (Fycma) in Malaga, has been definitively postponed and rescheduled for May 20 and 21, 2021 due to Covid-19.

Zyxel Networks has announced its partnership with Octopus WiFi and Boundless Digital to support the WiFi4EU initiative. WiFi4EU is a European Commission initiative that provides funding to municipalities to offer free WiFi coverage to citizens in public spaces across Europe, including parks, squares, libraries, and health centers.

S&T AG has signed an agreement to acquire the Iskratel Group, a leading European ICT provider for the digital transformation of the telecommunications, transportation, public safety, and energy industries. S&T AG is a provider of IT systems, services, and solutions in Central and Eastern Europe. The technology group employs approximately 4,900 people and operates in 32 countries worldwide.

A research team from Australian universities Monash, Swinburne, and RMIT has recorded what they claim is the world's fastest internet speed using a single optical chip: 44.2 Tbps. The researchers were able to perform network load tests using 76.6 km of "dark" optical fibers installed in Melbourne.

2019 proved to be a modest year for the global structured cabling market. BSRIA research shows global growth of 1.2% and a market value of $6.8 billion in 2019, following a very strong year in 2018, which saw growth of nearly 5%. The data center segment outperformed LAN, growing by almost 3% in 2019, but it's worth noting that this was half the growth rate compared to 2018.

Global research company OMDIA, formerly known as Ovum, has released the first version of its 5G Market Progress Assessment report (late 2019), which shows that Switzerland and the UK are leading the way in Europe out of the top 22 5G countries analyzed for their 5G technology rollout.

Telefónica and Siemens will offer comprehensive IT/OT cybersecurity solutions to support their clients on their digital transformation journey. This joint offering, covering the entire value chain, will provide secure solutions to the connectivity challenges inherent in digitalization, maximizing the robustness of facilities and communication networks and minimizing the impact of any potential cyberattacks.

The National Association of Local Telecommunications Operators (Aotec) and the neutral telecommunications infrastructure operator Telxius have signed a framework agreement to give SMEs in the telecommunications sector access to the company's more than 11,000 towers in Spain. The agreement between Aotec and Telxius will allow local operators to enhance their services and territorial expansion, accelerating the development of their own networks.

China Mobile International, Facebook, MTN GlobalConnect, Orange, stc, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone, and WIOCC have announced a partnership to build 2Africa, the most comprehensive submarine cable serving the African continent and the Middle East region. The parties have selected Alcatel Submarine Networks ("ASN") to construct the cable in a fully funded project that will significantly improve connectivity in Africa and the Middle East.

Researchers at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a mathematical formula that, according to computer simulations, could help 5G and other wireless networks select and share communication frequencies approximately 5,000 times more efficiently than trial-and-error methods.