IBM News | TelcoTitans

The oft-criticised Emergency Services Network is now expected to go ‘live’ in mid-2028, with a mass transition not set to complete until 2030 — more than a decade behind schedule. EE and IBM claim significant progress, however, and Home Office assures latest dates are within reason…

Network & Infra
Quantum leap: tracking telco deployments
New research from STL Partners has identified 106 quantum announcements involving 35 telcos, putting operators at the forefront of quantum future…
Suppliers & SCM
Telcos untouched as key vendors hit by global stock selloff
In depth: US and EMEA telco majors ride out this week’s software tech storm as investors are spooked by advanced AI developments, leaving some of the industry’s most prominent software providers in freefall…
Network & Infra
EE closes in on Emergency Services Network coverage target
EE’s ESN delivery lead Tomas Vanderick tees up imminent network rollout milestone, and charts a course to full service ready launch via capacity and resilience stress tests. With indoor rollout beginning this year, and capacity testing at major events, the long-delayed programme is finally approaching operational readiness, but risks remain…
Analyst Briefing
Deutsche Telekomwatch Analyst Briefing: overcoming the ‘overbuilders’
The latest developments from around DT, as Telekom Deutschland refreshes its commercial strategy in a bid to hit back at altnet competitors, and the Group sends another emissary to the States to oversee T-Mobile’s push into fibre. Read more…
Partnerships & Alliances
Vi strengthens IBM ties with AI Innovation Hub launch
Indian operator to collaborate with longstanding It partner on developing new AI-based solutions. Accelerating time-to-market and giving its operations teams new tools are among Vi’s goals with the new Hub…
Network & Infra
‘Fabulous’ ESN ‘back in delivery’, ticks off first milestones with EE, IBM leading the charge
CCW 2025: Home Office’s John Black, EE’s David Salam, and IBM’s Andy Doggett share a progress report on the UK’s Emergency Services Network, with optimism the prevailing mood. Early milestones checked off, infrastructure in progress, and EE looking for partners and suppliers…
Analyst Briefing
BTwatch Weekly: BT’s branding u-turn; EE leads renewed ESN charge
Latest from BT and its ecosystem, including a reversal of BT’s consumer branding strategy; new timelines for the Emergency Services Network migration; and next phase of MAUD testing lined up…
Suppliers & SCM
EE, IBM assemble ecosystem to rescue UK’s emergency services network
BAPCO Annual Event: Emergency Services Network contract holders EE and IBM build out programme supply chain, with calibre of partners adding confidence in the Home Office that ESN will deliver.
Analyst Briefing
UK Infrawatch Weekly: Netomnia goes mobile; ESN mobilises; Freedom Fibre walks
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, including altnet strategies on uptake acceleration; Project Gigabit and SRN updates; altnet and data centre investment plans; people moves, and plenty more…
Network & Infra
ESN: UK mission-critical comms network has a new (potential) launch date
BAPCO Annual Event: Home Office programme lead lays out new, heavily-caveated Emergency Services Network milestones, with early integration testing this year building towards a late-2029 Airwave closure. Ifs and buts remain, and ‘race still needs to be run’…
Suppliers & SCM
T-Mobile US grabs Red Hat for telco cloud journey
Operator adopts vendor’s OpenShift Platform Plus solution as foundation for core and edge infrastructure revamp.
Analyst Briefing
UK Infrawatch Briefing: data centre AI plans; Zzoomming up altnet tables; Freshwave deals
Latest from the digital infra scene in the UK, including the latest on sector mergers; power challenges accompanying the government’s AI power play; people moves, and plenty more…
Analyst Briefing
BTwatch Weekly: healthtech flatlines; real-world network slicing
Latest from BT and its ecosystem as Etc. shutters healthtech and resets EV charging; BT’s Division X marks network slicing milestone; 2G closure prep work begins; and EE learns its ESN vendor peers…
B2B
BT set to miss out on £895m ESN services deal — report
IBM–Samsung bid expected to be preferred over BT–Leonardo for Emergency Services Network IT services contract. Public sector remains BT Business’s biggest earner, but management notes impact of new government…
Analyst Briefing
The Deutsche Telekomwatch Briefing: no macro alarms, yet
Reporting Q3 numbers, DT execs delight in strong performance of Europe-side businesses and calm concerns over any bumps from political and economic developments in Germany and the USA.
Peoplewatch
BT Peoplewatch: high-profile exits at Group, Openreach, amidst digital imports
20+ senior and strategic changes at BT, including a transformation guru brought in from KPN to lead Business recovery; policy and regulation in focus at Group level; IT architecture swaps at Digital; and convergence expertise imported to support EE ambitions…
Partnerships & Alliances
Telefónica Tech, IBM launch fresh B2B toolkit for AI acceleration
Operator works with longstanding partner to deploy new SHARK.X platform, uniting multiple analytics and data management tools to help enterprise customers accelerate AI rollout.
Products & Services
Vodafone’s TOBi chatbot gets a generative AI makeover from Microsoft
Vodafone reveals early progress with applying GenAI to advance customer experience transformation as part of strategic tie-up with Microsoft.
Suppliers & SCM
Telefónica to ‘drastically’ cut IT suppliers from 40 to four or five
Report says operator is close to finalising new IT contracts worth up to €500m.
Premium
Elsewhere in Telefónica Group: Operators continue to bang ‘fair share’ drum
Operators continue to bang ‘fair share’ drum.
Innovation
DT beefs up quantum research to protect networks from qubit-computer attacks
“Quantum Lab” opened in Berlin, overseen by Deutsche Telekom’s research arm T-Labs; various partners from academia and business involved.