All Howard Watson articles – Page 2
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Network & Infrastructure
25G/50G slow-go: Openreach may hold out till 2030s on next-gen fibre tech
In depth report — two of the UK’s biggest fibre wholesalers have dampened expectations of imminent 25G and 50G PON upgrades, despite prep-work. Virgin Media O2-backed nexfibre sees no “imminent” case for commercial launch. Openreach also wants greater energy efficiency and to maximise older-gen GPON value extraction, with point-to-point eyed for enterprise. Read more…
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People
BT’s Howard Watson dedicates lifetime achievement award to Networks ‘obsession’
FutureNet World: BT Chief Security & Networks Officer Howard Watson thanks 7,300 BT Networks staff for contribution to BT prowess as he was named Technology Leader of the Year. Other award winners include Amdocs, Celfocus, Netcracker, Nokia, Huawei, Vodafone, more…
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Network & Infrastructure
BT, Vodafone seek fast cash and stricter discipline as sector adjusts to new digital reality
FutureNet World: Vodafone’s Andrea Donà and BT’s Howard Watson issue a call for more cash, patient investors, and industry collaboration as network technologies evolve and a light emerges at the end of the investments tunnel. Watson heralds success of fixed, but wants the next mobile ‘G’ to be held back…
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Weekly Briefings
BTwatch Weekly: Etc. makes a Tap to Pay play; Tech Fellowship recognises top talent; new ads amplify B2B identity
In-house innovation from incubation arm and distinguished tech leaders in the spotlight this week.
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Network & Infrastructure
BT calls for more public funding to connect UK’s most remote homes
BT shares broadband policy wish list as UK government ponders intervention for 100,000 ultra-rural premises not covered by commercial or public-funded programmes.
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Weekly Briefings
BTwatch Weekly: Adastral refocused as Networks domain; One Touch Switch Glitch; Biz boosters…
Latest from BT ecosystem: reassurance that R&D hub remains critical to Group operations; slammed again over One Touch Switch delays; Broadpeak, Sprinklr join roster; Business boasts renewal; and much more…
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Strategy & Change
Adastral Park: BT R&D hub shifts leadership, strategy as Networks takes precedence
Suffolk network, technology, and research campus being moved under wing of lead tenant Networks, said to reflect evolving strategy under CSNO Howard Watson and CNO Greg McCall. Adastral has been undergoing changes, but BT assures it remains ‘critical’…
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Content & TV
BT teams with Broadpeak to bring MAUD to life
France-based Broadpeak provides tech components that will underpin BT’s live video streaming network architecture.
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Network & Infrastructure
UK gov pledges satcomms R&D investment for ultra-rural homes
Spring Budget adds £160m to LEO connectivity funding pot days after warnings that UK SatCos require fresh funding to stay afloat. BT, Vodafone, VM O2 have named their partners, and early trials are beginning to emerge…
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Weekly Briefings
BTwatch Weekly: BT plays long game on 5G SA, enterprise multi-cloud ramps up
Latest from BT and its ecosystem, including an exclusive interview with Business CTO Colin Bannon as the division sets about promoting its multi-cloud Global Fabric platform; Group CTSO Howard Watson tempers 5G SA expectations but sets vague timeframe; more from Openreach, Consumer, elsewhere…
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Network & Infrastructure
BT’s Watson teases 5G SA ‘this year’, but willing to wait to get it right
MWC: Chief Security & Networks Officer Howard Watson is eyeing a 5G SA launch later in 2024, as the “green shoots” of enterprise use-cases begin to emerge. Meanwhile Watson set out the final steps to take on the Huawei replacement programme…
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Weekly Briefings
BTwatch Weekly: UK fibre competitors hit out with renewed vigour; what was in Allera’s CEO pitch?
Latest from BT and its ecosystem as competitors ramp up ambitions and investment challenge to Openreach fibre incumbency pretensions; Consumer boss Marc Allera backs Kirkby mandate (but what would he do “really quite interesting” if made CEO?); more…
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Weekly Briefings
Vodafonewatch Weekly: another week, another M&A headache
20-plus key updates from around Vodafone and its ecosystem, including: e& stake under scrutiny; Nowo no-go makes for M&A stumble; SpaceMobile gets Vodafone financial boost; Indus points finger at Vi as payments fail to materialise; plus much more in Europe, Africa, further afield…
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Premium
Elsewhere in BT Group: State supply chain strategy welcomed
State supply chain strategy welcomed
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Weekly Briefings
BTwatch Weekly: Jansen tenure closes out with network wins, pricing changes
Latest around BT and its ecosystem, with new CEO Allison Kirkby in the wings and Starlink in constellation test-mode, plus: quantum radio ambitions; CWU scrutinising BT Fleet TUPE obligations; Better Workplace in final phase; and more…
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Innovation (R&D)
BT’s quantum radio tech is up to five years out from market readiness
BT considers scientific proof-of-concept to be “in place” following RF to optical quantum radio technology demo, but commercialisation remains up to five years away.
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Network & Infrastructure
It’s crunch time for BT’s Huawei core swap out
Will BT start 2024 nursing a Huawei hangover?
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Network & Infrastructure
BT targets quantum threat with partner-led ‘quantum-safe tunnels’
Arqit and Fortinet join BT to launch commercial quantum-protected VPN service for UK and EU customers.
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Content & TV
Meet MAUD: BT’s peak traffic cleaver to debut in 2024
BT-developed on-net solution can slash peak live and on-demand traffic by 50%, seamlessly for end-users. Potential “global solution” once productised, with vCDNs also on the agenda…
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Strategy & Change
BT quashes talk of Openreach split
Connected Britain 2023: Howard Watson and Clive Selley say structural separation is not on the agenda; BT focused squarely on driving full-fibre deployment.