Business

New Zealand operator, Chorus has reached 500,000 ultra-fast broadband connections on its network. As part of the announcement the company also revealed that it plans to reduce the wholesale price of its premium fibre product.

European Parliament has voted in favour of establishing a European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) and a body of European regulators for electronic communications.

Cosemi Technologies has acquired South Korea-based optical connectivity provider for long-reach optical interconnect applications, Optella.

US optoelectronic component manufacturer II-VI has announced that it will acquire optical communications firm Finisar for $3.2 billion

UK communications regulator, Ofcom has revealed new proposals, alongside a consultation on its Business Connectivity Market Review (BCMR), to revisit allowing companies laying high-speed fibre cables – used by large businesses, mobile operators and broadband providers – unrestricted access to Openreach’s ducts and poles.

Infinera has partnered with Telia Carrier to demonstrate what the companies say is the first real-time transmission of 600Gb/s wavelengths in a live production network.

Under the measures announced in the 2018 UK Budget, chancellor of the exchequer Philip Hammond revealed that a digital services tax (DST) is to be introduced in 2020. The new tax will force larger digital businesses such as Google, Facebook and Amazon to pay tax on UK-generated sales.

The move is designed as an interim measure, pending global reform, to make sure that the corporate tax system is ‘sustainable and fair across different types of businesses’. It is predicted that the tax could raise £1.5 billion over four years.

Wandsworth Council has enabled 50 per cent of its council owned properties access to full fibre broadband via its partnership with Community Fibre.

Angola Cables has entered into a strategic business partnership with Silica Networks in Argentina and Chile to connect their terrestrial fibre networks to the recently commissioned South Atlantic Cable System (SACS).

The Welsh government has outlined the next steps in its campaign to bring fast, reliable broadband to the remaining premises in Wales under the Superfast Cymru programme.