French telco SFR has been the victim of a cybersecurity attack that exposed customer data to the hackers, reports The Local newspaper. Attackers appear to have exploited vulnerabilities in the tool used for managing fiber connections and were able to obtain details of postal addresses, email addresses and phone numbers for some broadband customers. The French operator, owned by Altice, originally confirmed the breach to AFP. While it has not said how many subscribers were affected, it insists access to affected systems was immediately suspended and claims it has now put new security measures in place.
Comsol has a 5G plan
Previously known for activities in fixed wireless connectivity and the private networks market, South Africa’s Comsol has secured funding to roll out a wholesale 5G network of 2,000 basestations that will be made available to service providers targeting South African homes. Funding comes from new investors Platform Investment Partners and Wimsey Capital as well as some of Comsol’s existing backers. The company sees an opportunity to serve areas outside cities that have been largely ignored by fiber network operators because the civil-engineering costs would be uneconomical. It claims to have already covered about 1 million homes in Gauteng and is targeting full coverage of that region by March 2027 before it turns attention to the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and major regional centers.
Turkcell shows off 6G prowess
Turkcell this week announced its involvement in six new European research-and-development (R&D) projects linked to the emerging 6G standard, according to Daily Sabah. The initiatives form part of the European Union’s Horizon program and cover the use of AI in 6G as well as topics such as emergency communications and sustainable tech, according to the report. Among other things, the Turkish operator is said to be developing a large language model tailored to the requirements of telcos. The apparent goal is to improve the automation of various network and service management processes.
Telefónica gets into surveillance
Spain’s Telefónica has been chosen to provide video surveillance technology for the Guadalajara Provincial Council, said the operator in a press release. Civil liberty campaigners may be fidgeting already, but the system comprises 4G- and 5G-connected cameras that will be able to read vehicle license plates at about 350 points across the Spanish province. Spanish law-enforcement agencies will have access to cameras and image-storage systems for checking the movements of vehicles that may have been involved in criminal activity, said the telco, as the ghost of George Orwell shed tears (or would have done if ghosts could cry).
Subex expands in Europe
Indian software company Subex says it has landed a new deal with a “major European open access fiber operator.” While unnamed, the telco is apparently to make use of Subex’s partner ecosystem management software under a three-year contract covering operations, professional services and support. The idea is to help it manage “complex settlement processes without maintaining internal systems,” said Subex in a press release.
Digi Slovakia prepares to go offline
Digi Slovakia warned customers on its website that they will no longer be able to place new orders for Internet connectivity along with services including cable, Internet and satellite TV. The withdrawal is linked to the imminent phasing out of the Digi brand by parent company Slovak Telekom, a subsidiary of German incumbent Deutsche Telekom, which is executing a merger of internal operations to simplify its approach.
