What’s up with… Vodafone, Telstra, JT Group

• Vodafone and Nokia trial AWS-based IoT services
• Telstra teams up with Ericsson on 6G R&D
• JT Group closes Manx Telecom acquisition

In today’s industry news roundup: Vodafone has shown it can scale up demand for IoT services using Nokia core systems running on AWS cloud infrastructure; Telstra and Ericsson are working closely on 6G developments, including 3GPP standards evolution; JT Group and its infrastructure fund partner CVC DIF have completed their joint £500m acquisition of Manx Telecom; and much more!

Vodafone says it has successfully run key internet of things (IoT) voice and data network applications on Nokia core systems hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud infrastructure as part of a trial that shows it can add extra capacity within days to scale up to meet user demand. In phase one of the trial, Vodafone, Nokia and AWS “deployed a proof of concept of Nokia’s mobile data core and voice core on AWS cloud infrastructure in Frankfurt, Germany, integrating with network components in Vodafone datacentres across several European countries,” the operator noted in this announcement. The trial included support for IoT services on Nokia’s IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) for voice applications, such as emergency calling in vehicles and elevators, and on Nokia’s packet core for data services, such as smart metering for utilities. The next phase of the trial will “address security and sovereignty ahead of commercial trials later this year,” added Vodafone. Marco Zangani, director of network strategy and architecture at Vodafone, said: “Our multi-cloud strategy gives Vodafone greater agility to capitalise on advances in technology like the rise of agentic AI to enhance the customer experience. By validating AWS as an effective infrastructure option for network functions, we can introduce services faster, leaving more time for experimentation and innovation.”

Telstra is to collaborate with Ericsson on 6G, with the two companies (which already work together on many matters) set to engage on joint 6G R&D and trials “to drive momentum towards the launch of 6G, including collaboration on 3GPP standards evolution and access to Ericsson’s 6G testbed capabilities.” As part of the process, Telstra is to test new concepts and technologies at its the vendor’s 6G testbed in Sweden, while some lucky Ericsson folks get to “spend time at Telstra’s Innovation Centre on the Gold Coast, Australia, to test how 6G operates in different geographic conditions as part of a reciprocal exchange of ideas and capabilities.” Shailin Sehgal, Telstra group executive of global networks and technology, noted in this announcement that the agreement “demonstrates how we’re delivering on our Connected Future 30 strategy by continuing to build the technology momentum that will underpin 6G. Mobile connectivity has been one of the most powerful economic engines of modern Australia. As the first G which is AI-native, 6G will be the most intelligent network yet – capable of advanced network connectivity, and new network-as-a-product innovations, such as the ability to sense the environment around the network. The latter opens the potential for new use cases for public safety, agriculture, weather detection and more. Our focus is making sure Australia remains at the forefront of digital innovation, with connectivity that helps people, businesses and communities thrive.”

Jersey, Channel Islands-based state-owned operator JT Group and infrastructure fund CVC DIF have completed their joint acquisition of Isle of Man telco Manx Telecom, a deal that was first announced in October last year. The small, island-based operators, which both have international aspirations, did not disclose any financial information, but the deal is reportedly valued at £500m, with JT Group taking a 45% stake in Manx and running the operator, while CVC DIF will hold a 55% stake in Manx Telecom. Daragh McDermott, CEO of JT Group, stated: “We are delighted to complete this important acquisition. Together with Manx Telecom and our strategic partner CVC DIF, we are building a more scalable, resilient and globally competitive platform. This partnership strengthens our ability to accelerate growth across IoT, cloud, managed services and connectivity solutions in the UK, Europe, the US and Asia.”

Telefónica has partnered with Sony to carry out a mmWave real-time transmission trial at the Movistar Arena in Madrid. The pilot project leveraged Telefonica’s 26 GHz band spectrum to validate the real-time transmission of 4K audiovisual signals using 5G production technology. Using Sony’s CBK-RPU7 remote production equipment and high-definition images captured on the tech company’s cameras, the partners tested the use of a heavy uplink configuration to reach upload speeds of over 1.8 Gbit/s, what the partners claim is the highest speed to be demonstrated on a commercial network in Spain. Leonor Ostos, director of product and service development at Telefónica Spain, said the installation in the 26 GHz 5G band at the Movistar Arena “demonstrates our commitment to next-generation networks”.

Elon Musk has lost his landmark legal case against OpenAI after a US jury ruled his complaint, which claimed the ChatGPT-maker had strayed from its original mission to benefit humanity, was without merit due to a technicality. After less than two hours of deliberations, the jury in the US District Court in Oakland, California, gave a unanimous verdict that Musk’s complaint had exceeded the statute of limitations. The decision paves the way for OpenAI to launch a massive initial public offering (IPO) either later this year or in 2027. SpaceX and Tesla founder Musk – who was an early investor in OpenAI – had accused its CEO Sam Altman of betraying the company’s founding purpose by breaching a non-profit contract in shifting the ChatGPT-maker to a for-profit company. OpenAI is one of the world’s biggest AI companies and has struck partnerships with a number of telcos.

– The staff, TelecomTV