• Iliad’s Scaleway joins sovereign cloud-native video initiative
• MásOrange claims wireless backhaul tech breakthrough
• Telefónica brings backhaul operator back under its wing

In today’s industry news roundup: Iliad’s cloud division, Scaleway, is part of an initiative that aims to develop a sovereign European media distribution service; Spanish telco MásOrange says four years of R&D effort on improving wireless backhaul efficiency have paid off; Telefónica buys back a backhaul network operation it sold six years ago; and more!

Scaleway, the cloud division of pan-European telco Iliad Group, has teamed up with Ateme, a French video compression, delivery and streaming solutions specialist, and the Broadcasting Center Europe (BCE) to “deliver a fully sovereign, cloud‑based media supply chain, covering the entire content lifecycle from ingest to monetised streaming… Together, the three companies provide broadcasters, content owners and service providers with a production-ready, cloud-native media solution designed and operated entirely in Europe.” The trio says that by combining BCE’s expertise in media workflows, systems integration and managed services, Scaleway’s high-performance, Europe‑based sovereign cloud infrastructure, and Ateme’s compression, streaming and monetisation technologies, “the partnership delivers a fully integrated, revenue‑generating media platform, designed to help customers maximise the value of their content”. Scaleway’s CEO Damien Lucas stated: “Until now, European media companies looking to modernise their workflows had very few truly European options capable of covering the full chain, from ingest to monetisation. This is what makes this partnership so important. By combining Scaleway’s 100% European cloud and AI capabilities, Ateme’s leading video technologies and BCE’s operational expertise, we are creating a complete, production-ready alternative for broadcasters and content owners who want performance, control and technological independence without relying on non-European platforms.”

Following four years of R&D effort and trials, MásOrange, the Spanish operator that will soon be 100% owned by Orange, says it has “developed an innovative radio link design methodology” for backhaul networks called BTA (Backhaul Traffic Availability) “that will mark a turning point in the telecom sector. This solution allows the use of smaller, lighter and more efficient antennas, while maintaining, and even improving, the capacity and range of wireless connections,” noted the operator in this announcement (in Spanish). The operator notes that in wireless backhaul transport networks, “antenna size has been the determining factor in guaranteeing transmission distance and capacity,” but that its “new methodology… breaks with this paradigm” thanks to “a redesign based on real traffic behavior and weather conditions” that makes it possible to “size radio links more precisely, avoiding oversizing and optimising resources.”

Still in Spain’s backhaul transport sector… Telefónica has agreed to acquire LineoX, a rural backhaul network operator, for an estimated €90m from Asterion Industrial Partners’ portfolio company Axion/LineoX, six years after it sold the operation to Asterion. “LineoX operates one of Spain’s leading rural microwave radio link networks, providing critical backhauling infrastructure for mobile connectivity, particularly in rural and less densely populated areas,” noted Telefónica. Borja Ochoa, CEO of Telefónica España, stated: “This transaction is fully aligned with Telefónica’s strategy. Our focus is to rigorously strengthen control over the capabilities that are critical to our network, our resilience and our long-term leadership, so that we can provide more and better services to our customers. LineoX is a highly relevant platform for rural connectivity in Spain, and its integration will reinforce our ability to continue investing in the quality, reliability and future evolution of our infrastructure.”

Still with Telefónica… The Spanish telco has been awarded the highest rating (A) in the Supplier Engagement Assessment (SEA) by CDP, “which recognises global leaders in the sustainable management of their supply chains and their commitment to working with suppliers to expand measures against climate change”. CDP is a non-profit organisation that manages the global environmental disclosure system for companies, cities, states and regions, notes the telco. The rating award, which Telefónica has received for seven consecutive years, “highlights Telefónica’s responsible management of its supply chain, a key aspect of its decarbonisation strategy. Beyond its own operations, Scope 3 covers the entire value chain, from the impact of manufacturing the goods and services the company purchases to their use by customers,” which are “assessing Telefónica through CDP for its climate change performance”. Telefónica notes that it has “managed to reduce its total emissions by 49% over the last decade, including its value chain, and has consolidated its position as one of the sector’s leading companies in decarbonisation. During this period, the operator has achieved a 91% reduction in its operational emissions (Scopes 1 and 2) since 2015 – exceeding the 90% target set for 2025 – and a 34% reduction in Scope 3 emissions since 2016.”

T-Mobile US is opening a new R&D facility in Hyderabad, India, that will employ 1,000 staff – focused on software engineering, data analytics, cybersecurity and more – by 2027. The 2,500-square feet Global Technology Centre was inaugurated on 4 June by the IT minister of the southern Indian state of ​Telangana, D Sridhar Babu, reports Telangana Today. The city is a popular location for US telco tech hub facilities, as Verizon has had an R&D operation in Hyderabad for years, as has AT&T. 

Rouen University Hospital (CHU de Rouen), which supports a network of public hospitals in the Normandy region of France, has selected Live Intelligence, a range of “plug-and-play” generative AI (GenAI) solutions for businesses and local authorities launched by Orange Business in 2024, to provide staff with an “accessible and secure GenAI platform tailored to the sovereignty needs of nine entities within the group,” according to the enterprise service provider division of Orange. Stéphanie Decoopman, CEO of the Rouen University Hospital, stated: “Our goal is to leverage a trusted framework to develop use cases that benefit all job roles, from doctors and care teams to administrative and technical staff, in their daily work.”

– The staff, TelecomTV