What's on our screens this July? Well, we've been catching up on the 23-day saga that left Somalia without internet. The business impacts alone are staggering—it's a must-read.
We've also been scoping out San Marino's 5G mobile network, as well as the UK's new 5G research initiative. Peruse all of these stories (and more) below.
Internet outage in violence-plagued Somalia is extra headache for businesses
Why it’s worth your time: When the EASSy cable went out of commission to Somalia, it cost the country the equivalent of about $10 million in economic output, according to Somalia's minister for posts and telecommunications. This piece explores what happens when the internet goes down nationwide, with reactions spanning from, "The night internet went off marked the end of my daily bread," to "Now I am happy...internet is without doubt a necessary tool of evil." (Also: the internet is back in Somalia now.)
British government pumps £16m into 5G research
Why it’s worth your time: The UK government is investing in some serious mobile research. One figure that stands out? By 2030, 5G is expected to inject up to £173 billion into the economy. Read all about the new research initiative here.
Microsoft puts up $10B to bring broadband internet to millions of rural Americans
Why it’s worth your time: Lack of access to wireless internet is not just a problem for smaller, less-connected countries. Rural Americans also struggle with proper Wi-Fi access. Turns out Microsoft is planning to invest in getting 2 million Americans broadband access by 2022.
A Timeline: How Europe's Altice Made its Mark in the U.S.
Why it’s worth your time: The sale of shares by Altice USA has brought the company into the spotlight, with the $2.15 billion deal the largest initial public offer by a U.S. telco since AT&T Wireless shares hit the market in 2000. Pete Bell goes through the timeline that led to this moment.
San Marino set to get Europe's first super-fast 5G mobile network
Why it’s worth your time: San Marino is set to become the first European country to have a 5G mobile network. (Snaps for San Marino.) It all came together when Italian fixed and mobile operator TIM signed a memorandum of understanding with the country for the development of 5G wireless technology.
European Telecoms CEOs Call for Spectrum Reform as Governments Waver
Why it’s worth your time: CEOs of Deutsche Telekom, KPN, Orange, Telecom Italia, Telefonica, Telekom Austria, Telenor, Telia Company, and Vodafone recently signed a letter expressing their concern over spectrum reform. This piece does a nice job explaining what's happening and why. (And here's some bonus coverage, which outlines the main points emphasized by signatories.)
