What’s up with… StratoWeave, Airties, Telefónica

• LFN tackles network automation with StratoWeave project
• Managed Wi-Fi specialist Airties to acquire Aprecomm
• Telefónica and Thales team up on eSIM solution

In today’s industry news roundup: LF Networking’s new network automation project is based on code contributed by Deutsche Telekom; managed Wi-Fi specialist Airties is expanding its portfolio and reach with the acquisition of India-based Aprecomm; Telefónica believes its tie-up with Thales will give it an advantage in the IoT services sector; and much more!

Open-source networking organisation LF Networking (LFN) has announced a new “candidate” (early stage) project that aims to automate the configuration and management of large-scale, complex networks and services. StratoWeave, an open-source software platform with contributions to LFN from Deutsche Telekom, aims to tackle some very familiar challenges: “As network architectures become more distributed, cloud native and AI enabled, communications service providers (CSPs) face growing pressure to simplify operations, accelerate service delivery and reduce dependence on proprietary automation platforms,” noted LFN in this announcement. “StratoWeave addresses these challenges by providing a vendor-agnostic, open-source alternative for service and device orchestration, giving operators more control over their automation roadmap and the flexibility to adapt as network requirements evolve,” it added. Ian Farrer, senior architect of group technology at Deutsche Telekom, stated: “StratoWeave was created to make robust network automation more accessible, more transparent and more adaptable for operators. Joining LF Networking gives the project a neutral, collaborative home where we can work with a broader community to mature the platform, expand integrations and help CSPs build automation systems that can evolve with their networks.”

Airties, the French company that has developed an AI-enabled managed Wi-Fi platform that is used by dozens of ISPs, is acquiring Bengaluru, India-based Aprecomm, which has developed complementary software that monitors and automatically manages and fixes in-building broadband connections. Financial terms were not disclosed. Airties, which counts the likes of AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, Telia, Telstra, T-Mobile US and Vodafone among its 50-plus customers, believes the acquisition will not only enhance its product portfolio and capabilities but will also help it expand into developing markets, for which Aprecomm has tailored its software suite. “Aprecomm is very well positioned in growth markets like India and South-east Asia, so we now have an unmatched foundation to accelerate our expansion further across Asia Pacific and into South America, two markets where demand for intelligent connectivity is growing at extraordinary speed,” stated Metin Taskin, CEO and co-founder of Airties, in this announcement. “In addition, the acquisition is aligned with our vision of helping ISPs move to agentic AI platforms for the connected home, where the network autonomously anticipates, adapts and acts to provide the best broadband connectivity experience, lower churn and unlock new revenue for ISPs,” added the CEO.

Telefónica’s B2B division Telefónica Tech has teamed up with cybersecurity and digital identity giant Thales to develop an eSIM solution based on the GSMA SGP.32 standard that allows organisations to use a single card with profiles from multiple operators, a move that will make a big difference in the internet of things (IoT) services sector. Thales’s new eSIM solution “integrates natively with Kite, Telefónica’s managed IoT connectivity platform, enabling customers to centrally select the active operator in a given geographic area, manage subscriptions in a unified way and gain a complete view of their global connectivity,” noted Telefónica in this announcement. “Kite can integrate operators from both the Telefónica Group and third parties, consolidating information into a single environment and supporting large-scale operations. Telefónica is, therefore, strengthening its position not only as a connectivity provider but also as an orchestrator, since the solution allows operator profiles to be downloaded quickly and without prior integrations between the different operators involved, thanks to Thales’s technology and expertise in the remote management of these profiles,” the operator added. 

euNetworks has launched a new terrestrial route linking Paris to Milan, which it claims is the shortest direct route between two of Europe’s busiest datacentre hubs. The 1,057km terrestrial route differs from many connections between the cities which follow the coast through Lyon and Marseille, passing through the Alps instead. It also links into the telco’s recently launched route linking Milan to Frankfurt via Zurich. euNetworks owns metro networks in Paris, including 38 on-net datacentres, and Milan, which includes 18 on-net datacentres, as well as onward connectivity to more than 600 facilities across Europe.

Here’s a statistic to keep an eye on as companies, datacentre operators and infrastructure investors pump hundreds of billions of dollars into AI infrastructure in the coming years… The Republic of Ireland’s Central Statistics Office (CSO) has published a report, which shows that the percentage share of total metered electricity consumption used by datacentres in the country reached 23% in 2025, up from 5% in 2015. And it’s growing quickly. “Metered electricity consumption by datacentres increased by 10% in a single year, rising from 6,973 gigawatt hours (GWh) in 2024 to 7,663 GWh in 2025. Consumption by all other users, including residential and other business customers, went up by 2% over the same period,” noted the CSO. As you might expect, there are concerns over the impact this is having on resources and the environment, especially as Ireland’s state-owned power grid operator, EirGrid, expects the percentage used by datacentres to increase to 30% by 2030.  

Ericsson and Chinese smartphone maker Transsion have settled their dispute over a multi-year, global patent cross-licence agreement,” the Swedish vendor announced. “As part of the settlement, all ongoing lawsuits and administrative proceedings filed by either company across multiple jurisdictions will be withdrawn. The financial benefit for Ericsson from the settlement is expected to be reflected beginning in Q3 2026,” it added in this announcement.  

– The staff, TelecomTV