What’s up with… Deutsche Telekom, Perplexity, Verizon

• Deutsche Telekom launches AI phone in 10 European markets
• Gen-AI specialist Perplexity grabs yet more headlines
• Verizon highlights some of AI’s shortcomings

In today’s industry news roundup: Deutsche Telekom has launched low-cost smartphone and tablet devices that integrate AI tech from Perplexity in 10 European markets; Perplexity grabs yet more headlines with a bid for Google Chrome that some believe is little more than a stunt; Verizon’s articulates what many of us already know about the current worthiness of AI in customer experience operations; and much more!

In a move that makes AI “accessible to everyone –  not just tech nerds or enthusiasts”, Deutsche Telekom has launched its AI-phone (the T Phone 3), an affordable smartphone device that integrates generative AI (GenAI) capabilities from AI tech partner Perplexity and which retails at just €149. Its companion AI-tablet device (the T Tablet 2) is available for just €199. The price includes permanent access to the Perplexity Assistant application and free access to the more advanced Perplexity Pro for 18 months from the date of purchase. The devices have also been launched in Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland and Slovakia, where Deutsche Telekom has local operations. Deutsche Telekom has been plugging these devices for more than 18 months and showed off a prototype at this year’s MWC25 event in Barcelona in March. “Together with trusted partners, we’re bringing the AI-phone to people across Europe. It takes care of everyday tasks and quickly finds reliable information, saving you time and energy. So you can focus on what truly matters – where your ideas, creativity, and personal touch make the real difference,” stated Dominique Leroy, board member for Europe at Deutsche Telekom. For more details, see this Deutsche Telekom announcement.  

The AI-phone launch will no doubt make more people aware of generative AI (GenAI)-enabled conversational search engine developer Perplexity, which is making many friends in the telecom sector. The US firm has also been making headlines this week following its audacious offer to acquire Google Chrome for $34.5bn in cash. To get the key takeaways from the reported deal, we asked the Perplexity search engine if it could confirm the reports of the offer. Here’s its response: “Perplexity AI has made an unsolicited all-cash offer of $34.5bn to acquire Google's Chrome browser. The move was announced on August 12, 2025, and is aimed at challenging Google’s dominance, especially as antitrust pressures build in the US.” It added some pertinent details: “The offer is nearly double Perplexity’s own estimated valuation and would require significant outside financing” – Reuters; “Perplexity promised to keep Chrome’s Chromium engine open source and invest an additional $3billion in its development” – Al Jazeera; “The proposed deal would retain Google as the default search engine in Chrome, addressing concerns around market competition and consumer choice” – BBC; “The initiative is partly in response to the US Department of Justice’s proposal that Google should divest Chrome following landmark antitrust rulings” – LinkedIn; “Google has not indicated any intent to sell Chrome, and analysts consider the bid a ‘long shot,’ especially as Chrome’s true value is likely higher than the bid itself” – MarketWatch. That final report also noted that analysts believe the offer is little more than a publicity stunt – well, it is the silly season, after all!

In another example of a major telecom service provider “stating the bleedin’ obvious”, as Monty Python so succinctly put it, US operator Verizon has become aware that there is an “empathy gap” between AI and its subscribers. In its CX [customer experience] Annual Insights report, the operator notes that the future of that nebulous concept isn’t just about implementing AI, but also about “strategically integrating it to amplify human connections and address core customer frustrations.” It seems that “while brands are celebrating AI-driven efficiency gains in customer CX, a significant gap exists between their internal benefits and the often underwhelming service that consumers are actually experiencing.” Thus, a balance must be struck “between AI and human-first customer experience”. Verizon noticed this need following a survey of 5,000 consumers and 500 senior executives across seven countries that reveals “a critical disconnect”. Here’s a shocker – 88% of consumers are satisfied with interactions handled mostly or fully by human agents, while only 60% feel the same about interactions driven by AI. “Thus, preference highlights a fundamental truth: AI's efficiency cannot replace the empathy and trust that a human provides.” The biggest source of exasperation is automated interactions and the inability of a customer to speak with a human agent. Those extolling the benefits of AI claim that personalisation is one of its major use cases but the reality is that subscribers just don’t like it. Indeed, 30% of respondents said AI detracts from their experience rather than improving it. They also expressed great unease about data privacy (or lack of it). Daniel Lawson, senior VP of global solutions at Verizon Business, commented, “The future of CX isn't about AI replacing humans; it's about using AI to make human interactions better.” Better get on with it then. 

The Philippines is an ‘archipelagic’ nation strung across 7641 islands in the western Pacific Ocean. They are spread over 300,000 square kilometres and include massive cities and sprawling urban areas as well as remote and underpopulated atolls. Geography makes the provision of telecom services problematic. PLDT Enterprise, the B2B division of national telco PLDT (formerly known as the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company), has become the first and only telecom company in the Philippines to do a deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX company to resell its low earth-orbit (LEO) Starlink satellite broadband service and thus ensure high-speed digital access can quickly and easily expand across the entire nation and help bridge the watery digital divide. The agreement with Starlink is part of PLDT’s overarching strategy to expand the reach and resilience of broadband connectivity where regular infrastructure is limited and will complement PLDT Enterprise’s existing connectivity offerings. In a company announcement, Nico Alcoseba, head of product management and global capacity strategy at PLDT Enterprise, stated: “Starlink adds another layer of reliability to our connectivity solutions. Since it can route traffic to other gateways found in other locations, it can keep businesses connected even during local terrestrial outages. This makes it especially valuable for customers whose uninterrupted internet connection is mission critical. PLDT Enterprise now offers a more robust suite of end-to-end connectivity solutions fit for a range of environments and operational demands. This includes transformative solutions such as Managed SD-WAN, Internet of Things (IoT), datacentres, cybersecurity, and more.” The development also aligns with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), supporting digital infrastructure, economic growth, and inclusive development. 

The value of the private 5G network sector is set to grow from less than $2bn in 2025 to be worth more than $5bn by 2028, according to research firm SNS Telecom & IT, which has just published a new report, Private 5G Market: 2025 -2030. Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts. Private LTE (4G) networks are already a very well-established market but ‘pure’ private 5G networks can meet much more demanding performance requirements than LTE systems, especially where throughput, latency, reliability, availability, and connection density are concerned. The report adds that “in particular, 5G's URLLC (Ultra-Reliable, Low-Latency Communications) and mMTC (Massive Machine-Type Communications) capabilities, along with a future-proof transition path to 6G networks in the 2030s, have positioned it as a viable alternative to physically wired connections for industrial-grade communications between machines, robots, and control systems.” To that end, the real-world impact is becoming increasingly evident as investments increase and accelerate the deployment and use of private 5G technology in autonomous transport systems, mobile robots, remote-controlled machinery, and high-definition video transmission, whilst reliance on unlicensed wireless and hard-wired connections is markedly reduced. What’s more, and despite the relatively higher cost of private 5G, its wider coverage radius per radio node, scalability, determinism, security features, and mobility support are major factors in popularising its potential as a replacement for interference-prone unlicensed wireless technologies in IIoT (Industrial IoT) environments, where the number of connected sensors and other endpoints is expected to increase massively during the next few years. As of now, and on to the foreseeable future, China is the biggest and most mature national market, mainly as a result of a myriad of state-funded directives designed to increase and accelerate adoption of 5G connectivity in industrial settings, including factories, warehouses, mines, power plants, substations, oil and gas facilities, and ports. 

DayOne, a Singapore-based datacentre developer and operator that counts the SoftBank Vision Fund among its investors, has announced a €1.2bn investment in a hyperscale datacentre facility located on a former industrial site in Lahti, Finland, which is about 100km north-east of Helsinki. The development is being undertaken in partnership with the city of Lahti and using power supplied by Lahti Energy. "Finland is an ideal strategic choice for our European growth," stated Jamie Khoo, CEO of DayOne Data Centers. "With its reliable energy infrastructure, renewable energy leadership, highly skilled workforce, and naturally favorable climate that significantly reduces energy consumption and operational costs, Finland offers unique advantages that align perfectly with our commitment to sustainable digital infrastructure. Recognised as European Green Capital 2021, Lahti is advancing towards carbon neutrality, making it a natural fit with DayOne’s sustainability goals. We are proud to invest €1.2bn on [the] Lahti project into the Finnish economy and collaborate closely with Lahti to drive local innovation and sustainability." DayOne already has datacentre developments in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong and Japan. Read more. 

– The staff, TelecomTV