3 Min Read
(Source: Andrey Suslov/Alamy Stock Vector)
At a debate this week on the future of satellite connectivity organized by Spain's Sateliot, the vice president of the European Parliament, Javi López, warned that Europe cannot afford to be a "mere observer" when it comes to space governance and security, emphasizing that "control of our space infrastructure is not a technical issue, but a strategic one."
Jaume Sanpera, CEO of Sateliot, used the event to highlight the important of public-private cooperation in the space sector, saying that the ongoing review of the 2GHz band presents a "historic opportunity" for European digital sovereignty. "Opening spectrum access through open standards like 3GPP is the pathway to fostering European industrial champions and ensuring our critical infrastructure does not depend on third countries," he said. (See Eurobites: Sateliot seeks €100M in Series C funding for space-based 5G push.)
Connexin secures smart meter financing
UK IoT company Connexin has secured £35 million (US$46 million) in financing to support the growth of its smart water meter network. The new financing, which comes mainly from Santander bank and investment firm Patrizia, will help Connexin meet the growing demand from water companies for smart metering infrastructure. The UK water industry is currently facing a lot of flak for its poor record on leakages and pollution.
Ericsson logs on to Sferical AI
Ericsson has officially logged on to Sweden's new sovereign AI supercomputer, Sferical AI, built with the help AstraZeneca, Saab, SEB, Wallenberg Investments and SKF, using technology from Nvidia. Nvidia boss Jensen Huang even showed up at the launch of Sferical AI, still sewed in to his trademark natty leather jacket. "You have done the hardest part… you have started," Huang told the assembled bigwigs. The formation of the Swedish AI supergroup that in time became Sferical was first announced in May of last year, with a stated plan to run compute-heavy AI workloads on an Nvidia-powered supercomputer to speed up processes such as the training of domain-specific AI models and large-scale "inference."
Bouygues wins Wi-Fi gong
France's Bouygues Telecom has won Best Wi-Fi Network Operator at the WBA Industry Awards, receiving particular acclaim for the large-scale deployment of its Wi-Fi 7 range and its environmental certifications.
UK minister 'minded' to look into Sky-ITV deal
The Secretary of State for the UK government's Department of Culture, Media & Sport says she is "minded" to issue a public interest intervention notice on Sky's proposed takeover of ITV's Media & Entertainment arm, amid worries about Sky owner Comcast attempting to influence Sky or ITV's editorial stance. The deal, if it survives government scrutiny, leaves ITV with just its ITV Studios arm – which is the bit that actually makes TV programs. The government statement points out that if the acquisition goes ahead just two entities (Sky/ITV and the BBC) would hold an approximate 86% share of all linear news and current affairs viewing minutes.
Finland adopts Cell Broadcast warning system
Finland is to switch on a new emergency warning system using Cell Broadcast technology. As YLE reports, the Finnish government said that the new system, called FI-Alert, will complement the country's existing emergency warnings by enabling the authorities to send alerts to phones in specific areas virtually instantly. Similar systems are already being used in a number of other European countries, including the UK.
Salesforce wants UK graduates AI-ready
US software giant Salesforce is offering free AI tools to UK undergraduates to help prepare them for the scary new era of recruitment, where fluency in the ubiquitous technology is apparently a prerequisite. According to City AM, UK graduate vacancies have sunk to their lowest level since 2020.
Six years ago today…
Eurobites reported that EU member states had managed to put their differences aside and crack out a "Joint Declaration on Cloud" in an attempt to map out the way forward for cloud-based computing within the political bloc.
About the Author
Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading
Paul is based on the Isle of Wight, a rocky outcrop off the English coast that is home only to a colony of technology journalists and several thousand puffins.
He has worked as a writer and copy editor since the age of William Caxton, covering the design industry, D-list celebs, tourism and much, much more.
During the noughties Paul took time out from his page proofs and marker pens to run a small hotel with his other half in the wilds of Exmoor. There he developed a range of skills including carrying cooked breakfasts, lying to unwanted guests and stopping leaks with old towels.
Now back, slightly befuddled, in the world of online journalism, Paul is thoroughly engaged with the modern world, regularly firing up his VHS video recorder and accidentally sending text messages to strangers using a chipped Nokia feature phone.