Gather round. It's a new month and we have new content recommendations.
At the top of our list is a conversation led by the team at ThousandEyes featuring our own Alan Mauldin. The group gets to talking about the COVID-19 impact on cable operations and project roll-outs. Keep scrolling to listen to their chat.
You can also read about coronavirus-related trends in international voice, the latest in the saga of Google Meet vs. Zoom, and a review of SIM registration practices around the world.
Podcast: Outages Become a Night Owl’s Nuisance, and the COVID-19 Impact on Submarine Cables
When lockdowns began there was concern about cables staying in service and being deployed/upgraded around the world.
The real challenge proved to be travel restrictions and quarantines—the ability to move people on and off ships, keep them healthy, etc. Then there was the challenge to have people in a factory working closely together to make a cable.
Listen to this conversation from the team at ThousandEyes on submarine cables, terrestrial networks, and international internet infrastructure in the wake of COVID-19.
International Voice Traffic Spikes 20% During Pandemic
This Mobile Europe post has more on international voice trends.
"Analysts have predicted a mixed outlook for telecoms in the wake of the pandemic, although the sector is more resilient than others. Spikes in demand and usage are being tempered by an expected downturn in consumer spending."
Google Meet Takes on Zoom with AI-Powered Noise Cancellation
With a surge in demand for video conferencing, Google is looking to become more competitive in the video messaging space.
Google Meet's latest feature is "noise cancellation for video conferencing, which can cut out a lot of the annoying background noises you would normally encounter in video calls."
Read more about the pending video wars in the Ars Technica piece.
Liberty vs Security: The Battle Over SIM Registration
Would you be happy to have your fingerprints taken or get a facial scan to access phone services? Or would you consider it intrusive?
A recent study found that more than 150 nations now require mobile phone customers to register for a pre-paid SIM card. Our own Pete Bell looked closer.
Think you've got something that should be on our monthly reading list? Tweet it to us @TeleGeography.
