By John BIERS NEW YORK, Feb 22, 2024 (AFP) – Thousands of AT&T customers in the United States lost cell phone service for hours Thursday, with US officials saying there was no immediate indication of any cybersecurity attack. AT&T had succeeded by midday in winnowing the number of affected customers to a few thousand from a peak of 75,000. A few hours later near mid-afternoon, the company said it had fully restored all service. “We […]
Tag: telecommunication
Nokia signals lower customer spending after mixed results
HELSINKI, Finland (AFP) — Finnish telecom giant Nokia reported Thursday a lower-than-expected rise in earnings in the first quarter as economic headwinds affect spending by its customers. The telecommunications equipment maker, which is locked in a battle for 5G networks with Swedish rival Ericsson and China’s Huawei, said its net profit jumped 32 percent to 289 million euros ($317 million). But its earnings per share amounted to six cents, weaker than the seven cents expected […]
Apple devices getting beefed-up defense against spyware
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Apple on Wednesday unveiled a new way for activists, journalists and other targets of state-sponsored espionage to protect themselves from spyware. A Lockdown Mode being added to iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers is intended to counter threats from a thriving industry that provides sophisticated espionage tools to governments. “While the vast majority of users will never be the victims of highly targeted cyberattacks, we will work tirelessly to protect […]
YouTube Shorts touts 1.5 bn users, taking on TikTok
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — YouTube on Wednesday said that more than 1.5 billion people monthly tune into its Shorts video service, which competes with global sensation TikTok. Alphabet-owned YouTube and Facebook-parent Meta both added short-form video sharing formats to their services after TikTok — which late last year said it topped a billion users — became the rage. YouTube Shorts went live less than two years ago, adding videos of no longer than […]
Canada bans Huawei and ZTE from 5G networks
by Michel COMTE Canada will ban Chinese telecommunications giants Huawei and ZTE from its 5G wireless networks due to national security concerns, officials said Thursday. The long-awaited move follows the United States and other key allies, and comes on the heels of a diplomatic row between Ottawa and Beijing over the detention of a senior Huawei executive on a US warrant, which has now been resolved. The United States has warned of the security implications […]
Brazil Supreme Court judge lifts ban on messaging app Telegram
Brasília, Brazil (AFP) – The Supreme Court judge who had ordered messaging app Telegram blocked in Brazil reversed the ruling Sunday, after the tech company complied with an earlier decree to make changes to the platform. “Considering that the (court’s requested changes) were fully attended to, I revoke the decision to fully and completely suspend the operation of Telegram in Brazil,” Judge Alexandre de Moraes wrote in a document released by the court. Citing what he […]
Nokia expects strong 2022 as supply crunch eases
HELSINKI, Finland (AFP) — Finnish telecoms giant Nokia performed better than expected last year and foresees further growth in 2022 as a supply chain crunch and inflation are set to ease, the network equipment maker said Tuesday. The announcement follows a string of quarterly earnings surprises for the network equipment maker, which last October managed to boost its third quarter profits despite a worldwide shortage of computer chips. The group largely met expectations with 22.2 […]
Apple to start letting people fix their own iPhones
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Apple on Wednesday said it will begin allowing people to fix gadgets they buy from the Silicon Valley giant in a concession seen as a victory for “right-to-repair” advocates. The iPhone and Mac computer maker has long restricted repairs to technicians at “Genius bars” in its shops or at authorized service centers, where device owners often meet with lengthy waits and costly tabs. “We never thought we’d see the […]
Nokia doubles Q3 net profit and pledges ‘to win’ at 5G
HELSINKI, Finland (AFP) — Equipment maker Nokia more than doubled its net profits in the third quarter as the firm’s new CEO promised on Thursday to do “whatever it takes” to become the 5G market leader. On his first results day since taking the reins of the Finnish networks giant in August, Pekka Lundmark announced a move to a more focused approach as the company vies for 5G market share against competitors Ericsson and Huawei. […]
Nokia and NASA to install 4G on the Moon
HELSINKI, Finland (AFP) — With competition among Earth’s telecoms providers as fierce as ever, equipment maker Nokia announced its expansion into a new market on Monday, winning a deal to install the first cellular network on the Moon. The Finnish equipment manufacturer said it was selected by NASA to deploy an “ultra-compact, low-power, space-hardened” wireless 4G network on the lunar surface, as part of the US space agency’s plan to establish a long-term human presence […]
Ariane rocket puts telecom satellites into orbit
PARIS, France (AFP) — A rocket that blasted off from French Guiana successfully placed two communications satellites into orbit Saturday, launch firm Arianespace said. The Ariane 5 rocket took off at 2204 GMT from Kourou, the European Space Agency’s space centre in the South American territory, the company said in a statement. Two satellites on board — belonging to the intergovernmental provider Intelsat and Japan’s Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation — were later successfully placed into […]
Google turning smartphones into earthquake detectors
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Google added an earthquake alert system in California on Tuesday, saying it is working on letting Android-powered smartphones double as tremor detectors. Android phones will receive warnings triggered by a “ShakeAlert” earthquake early-warning system implemented on the West Coast by the US Geological Survey and partners. ShakeAlert uses signals from hundreds of seismometers across the state to trigger warning messages that “an earthquake has begun and shaking is imminent,” […]





