Global Telecom News

Improved international connectivity was front and center this month as a number of network and bandwidth initiatives were implemented worldwide.

Communications service providers worldwide are accelerating efforts to deliver gigabit internet network speed that is 159 times faster than the global average of 6.3 Mbps, which would enable consumers to download an HD movie in less than five seconds. Viavi Solutions this month released its Gigabit Monitor visual database which reveals that more than 500 gigabit internet deployments have been planned or implemented worldwide, most within the past two years.

Russian mobile network operators MTS and VimpelCom announced they will be sharing 4G spectrum space and constructing LTE networks in 30 regions across Russia to boost subscriber data transfer rates up to peak speeds of 150 Mb/s. Vologda became the first region where the two operators united their spectrums within a large-scale project to jointly construct and utilize LTE networks.

Other areas of Russia also saw connectivity improvements as Russian telecom Mobile TeleSystems PJSC (MTS) and Samsung announced this month the launch of Wi-Fi calling that enables Russian mobile users to make a voice-over-Wi-Fi call wherever there is a connection.

In nearby Croatia, Telia Carrier established a new point of presence (PoP) in Zagreb, now providing wholesale IP transit and Ethernet services for carrier’s content and cloud providers. With the fastest growing internet penetration rate in the region, Zagreb has become a conduit for connectivity as domestic operators and those in surrounding countries can now connect via the Croatian capital to bring high speed connectivity services closer to end users. Croatia is one of the biggest telecommunications markets in the region, and while local operators traditionally built out their own networks here, the recent spike in demand for services across borders has brought the need for help from international carriers.

 In Africa, wholesale carrier BICS and satellite operator Eutelsat are pooling their expertise to provide service continuity for mobile data and voice services across the continent. BICS, a global wholesale carrier for voice, mobile data and capacity services, this month announced the launch of its on-demand connectivity solution for African telecom operators, in partnership with Eutelsat. Using BICS’ RouteFlex, the joint solution allows mobile operators and service providers to raise the bar of network availability and manage surges in bandwidth needs in challenging environments. 

In Asia, McKay Brothers International (MBI) announced it has launched a hybrid microwave and fiber path between Singapore and Tokyo, providing exchanges there with data delivery less than 63 milliseconds round trip. The company is now live with its first Asia route, offering private bandwidth at the lowest known latency between Tokyo and Singapore. The route between the @Tokyo (CC2) and SGX data centers delivers data less than 63 milliseconds round trip.  MBI will also offer Asia-sourced market data on its Quincy Extreme Data (QED) service utilizing its hybrid microwave and fiber path.

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