Normal view

Telefonica, Halotech push IoT safety potential

10 June 2026 at 11:59

Telefonica Tech targeted a bump to its IoT business in the US by providing the connectivity for a range of protective equipment produced by industrial health and safety product maker Halotech Digital Services.

An arrangement was made involving Telefonica Tech’s managed IoT connectivity with a Halotech Software-as-a-Service platform which uses AI to provide real-time information relating to worker safety in industrial settings.

Telefonica Tech country manager for the US Luis Lepe Marquez said the combination would help customers “transform workers’ day-to-day activities”, providing clear “actionable intelligence to improve safety”.

The operator unit explained Halotech AI integrates with various namesake protective helmets developed for “complex industrial settings” including mines and oil rigs.

Telefonica Tech is providing the connectivity to collect, transmit and process information from the safety wear to produce insights to improve staff procedures and help predict potential dangers. It listed automatic fall detection, emergency alerts, provision of location information and environmental monitoring among the capabilities on offer.

Real-time decision-making capabilities can reduce “workplace incidents by up to 60%”, Telefonica Tech stated.

Halotech CEO Manuel Marin said companies are changing their approach to safety by seeking systems which can help predict incidents instead of reacting to them.

The companies have history, having developed post-quantum encryption for various industries in 2024.

The post Telefonica, Halotech push IoT safety potential appeared first on Mobile World Live.

GSMA, partners target drone airspace safety

10 June 2026 at 11:52

GSMA and a group of aviation, security and connectivity companies called for industry alignment on drone identification, tracking and connection in a bid to build safer airspaces.

In a Joint Requirements Statement developed through the GSMA’s Fusion initiative, contributors including Ericsson, Nokia, Viasat, NextNav and the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre set out the role of mobile networks in supporting drone operations. The organisations urged operators, regulators, aviation stakeholders and governments to integrate telecom capabilities in future drone and airspace policy.

The group said mobile networks could support drone identity, authentication, geolocation, real-time telemetry assurance, prioritised connectivity and cross-border interoperability. It also pointed to Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) as a key resilience tool for drone operations, especially in areas beyond traditional coverage for remote, maritime, disaster recovery and national security related missions.

Programmable network capabilities and APIs, including GSMA Open Gateway and CAMARA-aligned frameworks, were also tipped as tools to support aviation safety, security and efficiency requirements.

The statement emphasised the importance of electronic conspicuity, the identification and visibility of drones and aircraft to airspace users and authorities through real-time data sharing. Indeed, the group highlighted the growing importance of drone tracking as governments and regulators step up the deployment of flights beyond the visual line of sight, drone first responder programmes and autonomous aircraft.

A lack of early coordination could leave the sector with fragmented national approaches before global drone frameworks are established, the group warned.

Barney Stinton, GSMA Fusion market development lead for aviation, said the drone market is “scaling far faster than many of today’s airspace and identification frameworks were originally designed for”, adding the statement is “an important signal from industry that mobile networks have a major role to play in supporting safe, trusted and interoperable drone operations at scale”.

He explained the goal is “not to replace existing aviation systems but to bring together aviation, government and telecom industries early enough to avoid fragmentation”.

The post GSMA, partners target drone airspace safety appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Meta taps Reliance for India AI data centre

10 June 2026 at 11:48

Meta Platforms expanded its partnership with Reliance Industries, agreeing to lease its first AI-enabled data centre in India as part of ambitions to grow its presence in the country.

Meta stated Reliance will build the facility in the Indian state of Gujarat with 168MW of capacity which Meta will use to “scale its AI infrastructure”.

The Facebook-owner explained it is investing aggressively to expand its capacity footprint, and India’s “tech-forward digital economy”, massive user base and the strength of its partnership with Reliance makes it the ideal location.

Reliance has identified Jamnagar, Gujarat as a strategic location, building out one of the largest data centre campuses in the world there, with access to the significant energy resources needed to power AI-enabled infrastructure.

The facility’s first phase will be to deliver 168MW of capacity, with options to scale.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the facility will help the company scale its AI infrastructure globally, “while deepening our long-term investment in India’s economy”.

Chairman and managing director of Reliance, Mukesh Ambani, added that building India’s first built-to-suit AI data centre for a company of Meta’s scale “demonstrates India’s readiness to be at the forefront of the global AI revolution”.

The collaboration builds on a long-standing partnership between the pair, with Meta investing $5.7 billion in Jio Platforms in 2020.

Clean energy
The site will be powered by renewable energy and cooled with desalinated seawater. Meta is set to cover the full cost of supporting the facility.

It has struck a deal for around 1GW of new clean and renewable energy, partnering with domestic companies CleanMax and Fourth Partner Energy.

The post Meta taps Reliance for India AI data centre appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Asia heavyweights partner on $500M AI fund

10 June 2026 at 11:34

SK Group, NTT and Chunghwa Telecom were among the parties to form an AI investment fund expected to reach $500 million, with the aim of backing companies working on technology related to optical and wireless networking.

The IOWN AI Fund has been established alongside Catalight Capital, a company set-up to manage the project from offices in Japan and the US.  

Other current financiers are Development Bank of Japan, and Young Sohn, an entrepreneur who is founding managing partner of VC company Walden Catalyst Ventures and former chief strategy officer of Samsung Electronics.

In a joint statement, the companies and Sohn revealed more than 20 parties around the globe had expressed an interest in contributing to the fund, which is expected to reach $500 million in size.

Businesses apparently mulling the opportunity include KDDI, NEC, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Sony, Fujitsu and various VC companies.

Catalight Capital will be charged with hunting down promising start-ups for investment. Targets will be in technologies related to the Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) ecosystem.

It intends to invest in companies working in areas including: photonics; AI processors and advanced packaging; light source and modulators; management technology for distributed AI infrastructure; software; AI models and inference; and applications and services.

Global push
SK Group chair Chey Tae-won stated he hoped the fund would: “play a key role in identifying and fostering AI start-ups not only across Asia but around the world”, noting “to emerge as a competitive AI nation, proactive and large-scale investment in AI infrastructure is essential, and trust-based global cooperation is equally important”.

NTT President and CEO Akira Shimada added “to realise AI-native infrastructure, it is essential to combine the optical and networking technologies that NTT has cultivated with advanced technologies and the strengths of partners”.

“Through the IOWN AI Fund, we will promote business collaboration with promising startups, work together with our global partners to build the IOWN ecosystem, and contribute to the creation of a new industrial foundation”.

IOWN is a vision initially pushed by NTT to drive next generation ICT infrastructure which uses optical networking technology to vastly cut electricity use while delivering high performance. The associated IOWN Global Forum has 170 member organisations.

The post Asia heavyweights partner on $500M AI fund appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Vodafone explores Greek FTTH JV

10 June 2026 at 10:45

Vodafone Greece commenced early-stage talks about going Dutch on a fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) venture with utility PPC Group, a combination with the potential to pass almost 2.5 million homes.

The head of terms discussion over the 50:50 joint venture also involves the companies’ respective wholesale fibre operations. Vodafone explained any combined business would provide open access to ISPs.

PPC stated the FTTH network of the subsidiary in line for the combination currently passes 1.9 million households and Vodafone’s 550,000.

Alexandros Paterakis, vice chair of the PPC FiberGrid unit and deputy CEO for digital services at the group, said any tie-up would create a “leading digital network infrastructure in Greece”, along with advancing various of the company’s strategic goals.

For Vodafone, any agreement would “substantially accelerate the development of our fibre network” CEO Achilleas Kanaris said.

He added Greece is strategically important to Vodafone Group as a whole and explained the unit is focused on expanding its footprint, shifting from “copper to fibre” and contributing to “national digital coverage objectives”.

The companies emphasised no binding commitments had been made and they are yet to embark on due diligence processes, though indicated intentions to do so with a view to signing binding agreements.

The post Vodafone explores Greek FTTH JV appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Orange finalise le rachat de MasOrange

9 June 2026 at 10:09

Orange signe deux acquisitions majeures en deux jours, en finalisant le rachat de son partenaire dans la coentreprise espagnole MasOrange.

Le groupe français a annoncé la finalisation de l’opération le 8 juin au soir, soit deux jours après avoir conclu un accord portant sur les actifs de son concurrent national SFR.

Orange a entamé dès octobre 2025 le rachat des 50 % de MasOrange détenus par son partenaire Lorca. Le processus s’est déroulé sans encombre majeur : un accord définitif a été conclu deux mois plus tard, les autorisations réglementaires obtenues plus tôt dans l’année.

« La pleine acquisition de MasOrange est une étape stratégique de notre plan Trust the future et renforce la position d’Orange en Espagne, notre deuxième marché en Europe ,commente Christel Heydemann, directrice générale d’Orange. Elle ouvre la voie à des synergies industrielles, opérationnelles et commerciales accélérées, favorisant une création de valeur plus importante. »

Meinrad Spenger, directeur général de MasOrange, rejoint le Comité exécutif du groupe Orange. Il souligne que ce rachat confère à l’opérateur un socle renforcé pour sa croissance future : « En devenant pleinement partie intégrante du groupe Orange, MasOrange dispose d’un socle encore plus solide pour sa croissance future, appuyé par une plus grande capacité d’investissement et d’innovation ainsi qu’une expertise mondiale ».

Orange prévoit de refinancer « progressivement »la dette de MasOrange. Le groupe met en avant cette acquisition comme un élément clé de sa stratégie actuelle axée sur la confiance, tout en consolidant ses positions en Espagne, son deuxième marché européen.

The post Orange finalise le rachat de MasOrange appeared first on Mobile World Live.

OpenAI s’apprête à entrer en Bourse

9 June 2026 at 10:02

OpenAI a déposé un dossier confidentiel d’introduction en Bourse aux États-Unis, rejoignant ainsi la course aux marchés financiers que se livrent les poids lourds du secteur de l’IA.

Le créateur de ChatGPT a indiqué avoir soumis une déclaration d’enregistrement préliminaire à la Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) américaine. « Nous supposions que cela finirait par fuiter, alors nous l’annonçons nous-mêmes », a fanfaronné la direction.

OpenAI n’a pas divulgué le montant, le prix ni le calendrier de l’opération, et a précisé qu’une première cotation n’était pas forcément imminente. « Nous n’avons pas encore tranché sur le calendrier ; ce pourrait être dans un moment, car certaines choses que nous souhaitons entreprendre sont probablement plus simples à conduire en tant que société privée », a indiqué la direction.

OpenAI a ajouté que la décision implique « un ensemble complexe de compromis », mais que ce dépôt lui donne « la possibilité d’entrer en Bourse plus tôt si cela s’avère la meilleure option ».

OpenAI viserait selon Reutersune valorisation allant jusqu’à 1 000 milliards de dollars, avec une première cotation possible dès septembre. Ce niveau la placerait au coude-à-coude avec son concurrent Anthropic, qui a déposé confidentiellement son propre dossier d’IPO la semaine dernière. SpaceX, de son côté, devrait lancer son IPO cette semaine, pour une valorisation annoncée de 1 750 milliards de dollars.

Les trois sociétés ont toutes « un immense besoin de liquidités », commente Sunil Krishnan, responsable des multi-actifs chez Aviva Investors, à la BBC, ajoutant que « personne ne veut être le dernier » dans la course à l’IPO. Il a expliqué que les lourds investissements des entreprises dans l’infrastructure IA – processeurs et entraînement des modèles – ont un coût considérable.

Ce dépôt intervient dans une période de croissance rapide. La semaine dernière, la société d’études Sensor Tower a estimé que ChatGPT avait franchi le cap du milliard d’utilisateurs actifs mensuels sur son application, devenant ainsi la plus rapide de l’histoire à atteindre ce seuil.

Le parcours d’OpenAI vers l’IPO a également été compliqué par ses origines associatives et ses efforts de restructuration. En mai, un jury américain a donné tort à Elon Musk dans le procès l’accusant d’avoir détourné OpenAI de sa mission fondatrice, levant ainsi un obstacle juridique majeur à l’horizon d’une éventuelle introduction en Bourse.

The post OpenAI s’apprête à entrer en Bourse appeared first on Mobile World Live.

SK Telecom décroche un financement européen pour la cryptographie quantique

9 June 2026 at 09:59

SK Telecom revendique le titre de première entreprise privée asiatique sélectionnée pour contribuer aux travaux de l’Union européenne sur le développement de la cryptographie quantique de prochaine génération.

L’opérateur sud-coréen a été retenu pour participer au développement d’un système de distribution de clés quantiques (QKD) intégrant des circuits photoniques intégrés quantiques et l’IA, dans le cadre du programme Horizon Europe, doté d’un budget de 95,5 milliards d’euros.

Les équipes de SKT travailleront avec des chercheurs en Grèce, en Autriche et en Allemagne pour réduire l’encombrement, le poids et le coût des équipements QKD.

Les travaux visent à rendre les systèmes QKD plus accessibles en facilitant leur déploiement. SKT note que les systèmes actuels sont volumineux car leurs « composants optiques de précision doivent être assemblés et alignés individuellement sous forme d’équipements distincts ».

SKT est convaincu qu’il est possible d’intégrer les éléments optiques dans un processeur unique grâce à la technologie de circuit intégré photonique semi-conducteur – une approche comparable à la fabrication des modules d’appareil photo pour smartphones.

L’opérateur mise également sur l’embarquement de l’IA dans le système pour permettre un étalonnage optique en temps réel et améliorer la « stabilité globale du système QKD ».

La coordination du projet est confiée au Centre national de recherche scientifique Demokritos en Grèce, également en charge du développement de l’IA. L’Institut autrichien des technologies développera le système de gestion des clés, tandis que la start-up allemande Synogate s’occupera de la logique fonctionnelle.

SKT ajoute avoir reçu une mission secondaire visant à harmoniser les normes européennes et sud-coréennes en matière de cryptographie quantique, en identifiant les différences entre les approches actuelles des deux régions. Ces travaux pourraient in fine contribuer à l’émergence d’une approche mondiale commune.

The post SK Telecom décroche un financement européen pour la cryptographie quantique appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Anthropic launches Claude Fable 5 with guardrails

10 June 2026 at 09:29

Anthropic launched a public version of its Mythos AI model, but with guardrails in place to block its use in sensitive areas such as cybersecurity.

The AI player stated its Claude Fable 5 model is its most powerful to date on its launch yesterday (9 June), which is two months after Anthropic first unveiled its Mythos-class model.

The limited Mythos preview sent shockwaves through the industry after the model uncovered thousands of software vulnerabilities.

Last week Anthropic expanded the reach of its Mythos AI model to an additional 150 companies across more than 15 countries.

The startup describes Fable 5 as state-of-the-art on nearly all tested benchmarks of AI capability, claiming exceptional performance across software engineering, knowledge work, vision and scientific research. The longer and more complex the task, Anthropic stated, the larger Fable 5’s lead over its other models.

Anthropic stated it has done extensive testing to ensure users cannot manipulate Fable 5 into bypassing its guidelines. Queries on restricted topics will instead receive a response from the company’s Claude Opus 4.8 model.

The AI player acknowledged the safeguards are tuned conservatively and will sometimes catch harmless requests but said they trigger on average in fewer than 5% of sessions.

“With more capable models arriving in the coming months, we’re working to improve our safeguards and reduce false positives as quickly as we can,” Anthropic stated.

For a smaller group of cyber defenders and infrastructure providers, Anthropic is simultaneously launching Claude Mythos 5, which is the same underlying model as Fable 5 but with safeguards lifted in some areas.

Mythos 5 will initially be deployed through Project Glasswing in collaboration with the US government. It carries what Anthropic described as the strongest cybersecurity capabilities of any model in the world.

Users who had access to the Claude Mythos Preview will be able to upgrade to Mythos 5, with broader access planned through an expanded trusted-access programme.

Fable 5 and Mythos 5 are priced at $10 per million input tokens and $50 per million output tokens, less than half the price of Claude Mythos Preview.

The rollout comes as Anthropic, now valued at $965 billion, looks to extend the momentum which has pushed its valuation above rival OpenAI, with both startups racing toward public listings.

The post Anthropic launches Claude Fable 5 with guardrails appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Axon buys Greenwave Systems to boost autonomous networking

10 June 2026 at 09:25

Axon Networks acquired Greenwave Systems, combining two companies with shared roots to create a more unified, AI-powered network orchestration platform.

The US-based company stated the deal strengthens its cloud-agnostic Axon Maestro platform, purpose-built for telecom operators, institutions and enterprise service providers.

Greenwave’s software-defined mobile network services, including its network-as-a-service orchestration portfolio, will be added to Axon Maestro.

Greenwave’s technology will be folded into the Maestro platform as dedicated modules, with its engineering team shifting focus to OSS/BSS product development with expanded support for mobile connectivity.

Financial terms are not available.

At the heart of the integration is Axon’s real-time digital twin technology, which the company said will serve as the foundation for next-generation network inventory management.

Axon CEO Martin Manniche, who co-founded Greenwave in 2008 alongside other current Axon executives, stated operators are too often constrained by legacy operational support systems which require heavy customisation and slow down innovation.

“This limits their agility and effectiveness, delaying innovation and time-to-market for new services,” he said.

The deal also positions Axon to capitalise on growing operator interest in fixed wireless access and low earth orbit satellite connectivity.

As those technologies gain traction in access networks, the company argues end-to-end orchestration from the mobile core to in-home devices will become increasingly critical for delivering a consistent subscriber experience.

The post Axon buys Greenwave Systems to boost autonomous networking appeared first on Mobile World Live.

AST SpaceMobile confie ses lancements à SpaceX

9 June 2026 at 09:53

AST SpaceMobile escompte effacer le mauvais souvenir de son dernier lancement en programmant la mise sur orbite de ses trois prochains satellites à bord d’une fusée Falcon 9 de SpaceX.

L’opérateur spatial escompte placer ses satellites BlueBird 8, 9 et 10 en orbite basse (LEO) le 17 juin. Comme à l’accoutumée, la date reste indicative et pourra évoluer en fonction des conditions météorologiques et d’autres facteurs.

AST SpaceMobile affirme que ces nouveaux satellites offriront des débits pratiquement deux fois supérieurs à ceux de ses premiers modèles BlueBird, qui ont récemment atteint 98,9 Mb/s en liaison descendante.

Pour Scott Wisniewski, président d’AST SpaceMobile, la portée symbolique de ces satellites dépasse le simple élargissement de la constellation : ils incarnent l’aboutissement d’une stratégie de fabrication en interne et confortent la prétention de l’opérateur à mettre en oeuvre les plus grandes antennes à réseau phasé jamais déployées en LEO.

Le trio de satellites est déjà assemblé selon une architecture propriétaire et prêt à être placé dans la coiffe de la fusée SpaceX.

Ce lancement constitue également la réponse d’AST SpaceMobile aux sceptiques qui s’interrogeaient sur l’impact d’un récent échec de la fusée New Glenn de Blue Origin sur le programme de lancements réguliers prévu tout au long de 2026.

The post AST SpaceMobile confie ses lancements à SpaceX appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Samsung apuesta por la IA para transformar su organización interna

9 June 2026 at 08:44

El grupo Samsung ha desvelado sus planes para una reforma en profundidad de sus negocios mediante la incorporación de la IA en todas sus empresas, desde el marketing hasta la fabricación.

El conglomerado cree que la adopción generalizada de esta tecnología entre sus filiales —Samsung Electronics incluida— transformará de raíz la forma de trabajar y la cultura corporativa del grupo.

La empresa ha subrayado que ya fue pionera en el uso de la IA en dispositivos de consumo y que ahora quiere «aplicarla con determinación» en ocho procesos de negocio clave: desarrollo, compras, fabricación, logística, marketing, ventas, servicio y apoyo a la gestión.

«Para reforzar la competitividad en un entorno que cambia con rapidez, Samsung tiene previsto incorporar oficialmente en junio servicios externos de IA generativa como Gemini, ChatGPT y Claude en todas sus filiales», ha comunicado la firma.

Entre los objetivos concretos figuran mejorar la productividad en software y marketing, e impulsar la «innovación operativa» en la fabricación.

La empresa ha subrayado que la IA no es «simplemente una nueva tecnología o una herramienta para mejorar las operaciones, sino una técnica innovadora que desencadena cambios de fondo en la gestión, y que debe utilizarse activamente como punto de partida para abrir nuevas vías de crecimiento».

Para dar impulso a la iniciativa, todos los directivos participarán en un curso de formación antes de que concluya 2026, y los 50 directores generales del grupo lo completarán este mismo mes.

La capacitación se extenderá progresivamente a toda la plantilla, y se crearán equipos especializados en inteligencia artificial en todas las áreas de negocio.

Con información de Chris Donkin.

The post Samsung apuesta por la IA para transformar su organización interna appeared first on Mobile World Live.

La brecha del wifi: España y América Latina rezagadas en conectividad de nueva generación

9 June 2026 at 08:36

Un informe reciente de Ookla, empresa de análisis de redes propiedad de Accenture, revela que la adopción de las tecnologías WiFi 6E y WiFi 7 avanza a un ritmo muy desigual a escala global.

Mientras países como Singapur o Estados Unidos lideran la transición hacia la banda de 6 GHz, España y la práctica totalidad de América Latina se enfrentan a barreras regulatorias y comerciales que frenan la modernización de las redes domésticas.

España: la paradoja de la fibra y el wifi obsoleto

El estudio vuelve a poner de manifiesto lo que Ookla ya denominó hace un año como “la paradoja de la conectividad en España”: encabezar el despliegue europeo de fibra óptica pero seguir navegando con wifi anticuado. Según los datos actualizados al primer trimestre de 2026, España continúa mostrando un uso de la banda de 6 GHz notablemente inferior al de países vecinos como Francia (8,6%) o Noruega (6,5%).

Esta situación se debe a que el despliegue masivo de fibra se realizó con equipos CPE diseñados para estándares anteriores. El router HGU de Telefónica, todavía presente en millones de hogares, utiliza WiFi 5.

Aunque operadores como DIGI y Orange han tomado la iniciativa ofreciendo WiFi 6 o WiFi 7 como estándar, otras compañías como Movistar o Vodafone han tratado con frecuencia estos equipos como productos de gama alta o con costes adicionales, lo que ha limitado su penetración. A finales de 2024, las velocidades con WiFi 7 en España ya duplicaban las del WiFi 5, pero la adopción sigue siendo insuficiente para cerrar la brecha.

América Latina: anclada en el WiFi 5 y la incertidumbre espectral

La situación en América Latina es aún más preocupante. El WiFi 5 sigue siendo la tecnología predominante, con una cuota del 52%, mientras que el uso efectivo de la banda de 6 GHz es prácticamente inexistente (0,1%). Según Mark Giles, director de investigación de Ookla, esta lentitud responde a un “marco espectral fragmentado”.

El principal obstáculo en la región es la disputa política por la banda de 6 GHz. Aunque en un primer momento países como Brasil o México apostaron por el uso no licenciado —destinado al wifi—, han dado marcha atrás reservando la parte superior de la banda para servicios móviles (5G/6G).

Esta ambigüedad, sumada al encarecimiento de los componentes por la demanda de infraestructuras de inteligencia artificial, desincentiva a los proveedores de internet a invertir en routers de gama alta. Solo Puerto Rico (1,1%) y Costa Rica (0,5%) muestran indicios de adopción temprana.

El 6 GHz: clave del futuro y motivo de discordia

La evolución hacia el WiFi 7 depende directamente de la disponibilidad de la banda de 6 GHz, que permite canales de hasta 320 MHz y velocidades teóricas de 46 Gbps. Además, incorpora la operación multienlace (MLO), que permite conectarse a varias bandas de forma simultánea para evitar interferencias.

Sin embargo, las políticas de espectro divergen según la región. América del Norte ha apostado por liberar los 1.200 MHz completos de la banda de 6 GHz, lo que ha llevado a Estados Unidos y Canadá a situarse entre los líderes de adopción mundial, con un 13,8%. En Europa, la Unión Europea solo ha armonizado la parte baja de la banda (500 MHz), mientras que la parte superior sigue siendo objeto de disputa entre los operadores móviles y la industria del wifi.

En Asia-Pacífico, Singapur ocupa la primera posición mundial en WiFi 7 (25%), gracias a una política pública orientada a promover conexiones residenciales de 10 Gbps y a fomentar entre los consumidores la renovación de los routers.

Ookla concluye que la tecnología ya está disponible, pero que el futuro de la conectividad inalámbrica en España y América Latina depende de las decisiones regulatorias que se tomen y de la disposición de los operadores a renovar los equipos de sus clientes.

The post La brecha del wifi: España y América Latina rezagadas en conectividad de nueva generación appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Apple presenta la nueva Siri con IA en la WWDC y Cook se despide

9 June 2026 at 08:32

Tras dos años de promesas sin cumplir, Apple ha presentado una versión renovada de Siri con nuevas funcionalidades, una aplicación propia y un motor basado en la IA Gemini de Google.

El pasado enero, Apple y Google suscribieron un acuerdo por el que la firma californiana ha obtenido la licencia de un modelo Gemini personalizado, desarrollado específicamente para Siri y Apple Intelligence, y de mayor envergadura que los modelos en la nube que Apple utilizaba hasta ahora.

En el evento, la empresa ha confirmado que, por primera vez, Siri cuenta con su propia aplicación, con una interfaz de tipo chatbot, en un intento de recortar distancias con los dispositivos de Samsung y Google en el terreno de la inteligencia artificial.

La nueva IA de Siri puede ver lo que hay en la pantalla del usuario, realizar búsquedas en la web en tiempo real, recuperar el hilo de conversaciones anteriores y rescatar datos como la dirección de un contacto mencionada en un mensaje antiguo.

«Creemos que una IA verdaderamente útil debe centrarse en ti y en tus necesidades», ha declarado Craig Federighi, vicepresidente sénior de software de Apple, quien ha defendido una filosofía basada en la privacidad, el contexto personal y la integración profunda con las aplicaciones del día a día.

Siri AI se convierte así en un asistente más conversacional, capaz de entender el contexto, encadenar tareas de varios pasos e interactuar con mayor naturalidad entre aplicaciones y servicios. También es compatible con la Inteligencia Visual y funciona con las apps existentes.

Al deslizar el dedo hacia abajo desde la parte superior central de la pantalla se abre un panel de búsqueda y consultas que permite buscar en la web a través del buscador web con IA de Apple, abrir aplicaciones, enviar mensajes, crear eventos en el calendario, buscar notas y mucho más.

La empresa también tiene previsto incorporar un agente de IA en la App Store que permitirá a los usuarios delegar tareas como hacer reservas, gestionar encargos cotidianos, editar documentos o controlar dispositivos domóticos.

En el apartado de cámara, la sección de Inteligencia Visual incorpora un modo Siri junto a los modos Foto, Vídeo, Retrato y Panorámica; utiliza Google Imágenes para identificar los objetos que el usuario enfoca.

La IA de Siri se integra directamente en Dynamic Island y se activa deslizando el dedo hacia abajo, pulsando el botón lateral o diciendo «Oye Siri», momento en el que aparece una animación característica en esa zona de la pantalla.

La función llegará primero en inglés y más adelante en otros idiomas. Exige iOS 27, cuya versión beta para desarrolladores se lanzó el 8 de junio, al día siguiente de la presentación.
La beta pública está prevista para julio, y la versión definitiva llegará en septiembre junto con la línea iPhone 18.

Federighi ha precisado que la IA de Siri no estará disponible inicialmente en la Unión Europea para iOS y iPadOS.

«En China, Siri AI y las demás novedades de Apple Intelligence tampoco estarán disponibles mientras resolvemos los requisitos regulatorios», ha añadido.

Los analistas opinan

Ben Wood, analista jefe de CCS Insight, ha señalado que buena parte de las funciones de Apple Intelligence ya resultan conocidas para quienes llevan un tiempo usando un smartphone Android y que, en algunos casos, los propios usuarios de Apple ya pueden acceder a ellas a través de aplicaciones de IA de terceros como ChatGPT.

«Aunque llega tarde, la empresa tiene un historial de coger tecnología existente y aplicarla de una forma más intuitiva, de modo que los usuarios la descubran con facilidad en el uso diario», ha apuntado. «El ejemplo más claro es la integración de Siri en la Dynamic Island».

Seguridad infantil

Los nuevos controles parentales permitirán, por defecto, que los menores accedan únicamente a las aplicaciones aprobadas por sus padres, pasando de un modelo de restricción basado en el consentimiento explícito a otro de permiso también por consentimiento explícito. La función «Solicitar permiso para navegar» obliga a los niños a pedir autorización antes de visitar cualquier sitio web nuevo, y no solo los señalados expresamente.

En materia de contenidos, Apple amplía sus herramientas de detección de desnudez con el difuminado automático de imágenes violentas en las aplicaciones de mensajería y alertas para los padres cuando se detectan. La medida se suma a las funciones previas que ya ocultaban la desnudez por defecto.

Wood ha valorado positivamente la iniciativa, en un momento en que la preocupación por los smartphones y sus efectos entre los menores crece tanto entre los padres como entre los reguladores.

A su juicio, los controles parentales, las herramientas y las API para desarrolladores son avances en la dirección correcta, pero insuficientes por sí solos.

«Hacen falta medidas de seguridad más amplias e intersectoriales integradas en los sistemas operativos a un nivel de plataforma más profundo, que protejan al menor no solo en las aplicaciones nativas, sino en cada interacción con el dispositivo», ha sostenido. «Apple está en una posición privilegiada para encabezar ese cambio».

La despedida de Cook

El consejero delegado saliente, Tim Cook, ha abierto y cerrado la presentación, en lo que muchos aguardan como su última aparición en ese rol antes de pasar a presidente ejecutivo el 1 de septiembre, fecha en la que John Ternus, vicepresidente sénior de ingeniería de hardware, tomará las riendas como CEO.

«La última presentación de Tim Cook en la WWDC como consejero delegado de Apple puede ser la más importante de su etapa, y ha reflejado con claridad su estilo de liderazgo: metódico, centrado en el ecosistema, con la privacidad como eje y orientado a que la tecnología sea útil a escala masiva», ha valorado Francisco Jerónimo, vicepresidente de dispositivos para clientes de IDC.

Cook ha cerrado el acto afirmando que desarrollar los mejores productos del mundo para enriquecer la vida de las personas ha sido siempre la prioridad de Apple.

«Ha sido un honor inmenso contribuir a esa misión junto a equipos cuya creatividad, dedicación y convicción siguen dejando una huella duradera en la vida de las personas», ha concluido.

Con información de Michael Robuck.

The post Apple presenta la nueva Siri con IA en la WWDC y Cook se despide appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Spark NZ lights early forest fire warning system

9 June 2026 at 17:03

Spark New Zealand added heat to rural IoT connectivity competition, working with natural resource protection company Dryad Networks and a local authority to provide advanced warning of wildfires in a major forest.

The set-up in the Waitangi Endowment Forest uses Dryad Networks sensors equipped with AI to detect fires at an early stage and inform the Far North District Council (FNDC) and woodland authorities.

A team of engineers install a pole featuring a hexagonal antenna and solar panel in a forest as part of a fire warning system

Spark stated the sensors are capable of detecting smouldering, meaning alerts can be generated even when there are no visible signs of smoke or flames to provide early warning and give fire fighters more time to respond, along with enabling swifter evacuation of the forest.

The system is being configured and connected to the internet by Spark company Adroit, with FNDC installing the sensors. The authority is also to match funding for the project provided in a recent round of investment by New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

A total of 250 sensors are to be deployed, providing full coverage of Waitangi Endowment Forest. The system is to be in place for 15 years.

FNDC group manager for Corporate Services Charlie Billington said the project is an opportunity to train AI for the setting, localising the technology and making it more accurate.

Further fine-tuning is scheduled for February 2027, when forest managers and owners, iwi and business representatives are set to trek the ground to explain the system and tweak it for specific smoke signatures.

Spark stated there is a broader goal to integrate the set-up with systems used by Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

The post Spark NZ lights early forest fire warning system appeared first on Mobile World Live.

China Unicom warns US crackdown may cause global disruption

9 June 2026 at 16:07

China Unicom’s US division warned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) a Trump administration proposal to bar US operators from interconnecting with Chinese telecoms firms deemed national security risks could severely disrupt global communications.

In a filing, the subsidiary stated the FCC’s proposal will “harm US companies with significant business and supply chain interests in China”.

It explained global communications infrastructure is built on a complex web of interconnection agreements between carriers across national borders, and Chinese-funded operators collectivity serve as the primary gateways for traffic flowing between the world’s two largest economies, the US and China.

“A blanket prohibition on interconnection with these entities would fundamentally fracture a critical segment of the global communications network,” the filing read.

As a solution, the unit suggested taking a more narrowly tailored approach that addresses national security risks, “while preserving an open and dependable interconnected global network would better serve the public interest and support the US government’s economic policies”.

In April, FCC commissioners voted unanimously to advance a sweeping notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) which would bar China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom from operating data centres and PoPs in the US.

The NPRM also seeks to prohibit US operators from interconnecting with entities on the national security covered list, including facilities such as data centres, gateways and internet exchange points owned by those entities.

China Unicom filed right at the FCC’s comments deadline which were due 8 June, 2026, with reply comments due 60 days after on 7 July.

The post China Unicom warns US crackdown may cause global disruption appeared first on Mobile World Live.

China sets out $295B AI investment plan

9 June 2026 at 15:53

China is reportedly plotting an outlay of around CNY2 trillion ($295 billion) over the next five years to build out data centres across the country, with state-owned telecoms operators tasked with managing the sites and vendor Huawei providing the bulk of the technology.

Bloomberg sources claim government agencies including the National Development and Reform Commission are drafting up plans to construct a network of “inter-connected computing hubs”, as part of a government initiative to boost domestic AI and increase competition with the US.

Operators China Mobile and China Telecom are named as being tasked with operating and connecting the bulk of the data centres, while suppliers including Huawei will be charged with providing at least 80% of the technology including AI chips.

The plan is in line with steps taken in recent years by the state to pump resources into domestic heavyweights like Huawei, effectively squeezing out US competitors such as Nvidia and AMD.

Funding for the plan will mainly come from sovereign debt including long-term special government bonds with more than a 10 year tenure and state funds for investment in strategic industries, added the sources.

In addition to the AI facilities, which will include data centres and faster mobile infrastructure, China also apparently plans to integrate the power grid to the project.

The planned investment figure does not include separate outlays planned by the country’s technology heavyweights including Alibaba and Tencent, added the sources.

Nvidia locked out
Notably, US AI companies are also planning for major AI investment. Meta Platform has set capex guidance of $125 billion to $145 billion for 2026, while Microsoft has committed to a $190 billion spend over the same period.

Robert Lea, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence said the big winner of China’s plan will be the nation’s economy, rather than private sector companies like Alibaba and Baidu.

“Domestic infrastructure suppliers including Huawei stand to benefit most, with Nvidia unlikely to get a look in,” he added.

The post China sets out $295B AI investment plan appeared first on Mobile World Live.

TIM flags surge in AI-driven cyberattacks

9 June 2026 at 15:51

Telecom Italia warned ransomware attacks surged in 2025 as cybercriminals used AI and automation to scale campaigns, cautioning that rapidly evolving technology and geopolitical tensions are reshaping digital risk.

In the second edition of its Cyber Security Report produced alongside Italy-based non-profit Cyber Security Foundation, TIM said ransomware claims topped 7,400 globally in 2025, up 42% compared to 2024.

The report pointed to malware campaigns affecting entities in around 200 countries and a 20% rise in known vulnerabilities. It highlighted zero-day flaws as a growing concern because they can be exploited before vendors issue patches.

The study also flagged: promptware, a form of cyberattack designed to manipulate generative AI (genAI) and LLMs; and quishing, a scam using compromised QR codes, smart devices and satellite network security as emerging risk areas. It argued cyber resilience is now tied to service continuity, industrial competitiveness and overall national security.

In contrast, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) incidents, which are attacks designed to overwhelm websites, apps or networks by flooding them with traffic, fell 36% partly due to preventive measures. Yet, the report warned this decline did not mean the threat was easing. Attacks became more focused, persistent and aimed at strategic targets including governments, telecoms and transport systems, while average exposure times rose 19%.

TIM attributed the ransomware surge to the continued industrialisation of cybercrime, with attackers benefiting from both geopolitical instability and AI-powered automation.

Indeed, the study presented AI as a double-edged sword, noting that while it acts as a “threat multiplier” used to automate malicious code and accelerate fraud, phishing and abuse, it has also strengthened attack prevention, analysis and response capabilities.

Alessandra Michelini, CEO and chairwoman of TIM Group’s cybersecurity arm Telsy, said the threat response cannot be limited to emergency management, calling for active investment in “digital sovereignty, skills development and secure technologies”.

Marco Proietti, founder and president of the Cyber Security Foundation, added cybersecurity must become “a widespread culture”, as “a more digitally aware country is, first and foremost, a safer country”.

The post TIM flags surge in AI-driven cyberattacks appeared first on Mobile World Live.

MTN bolsters mobile finance play with Ant deal

9 June 2026 at 15:29

MTN Group Fintech signed a deal with Ant International to collaborate on a so-called super-app platform covering a range of lifestyle and commerce services based around the operator’s mobile money platform.

The MTN unit hailed the agreement with the financial technology specialist as a major step in its attempts to build a more resilient and future-ready digital ecosystem across its markets.

Nigeria will be first country to see the results of the pact with a “super-app” platform set to be launched there in Q3 intended to deepen digital inclusion and provide the basis for a range of mobile money-linked services.

It is expected to significantly enhance MTN customers’ mobile money experience in Nigeria, delivering faster transactions, improving reliability, and providing greater integration with other financial and commerce services.

The operator unit explained using Ant’s technology provides the means for it to evolve its product by means including fraud prevention measures and “richer engagement features for consumers and merchants”.

MTN Group president and CEO Ralph Mupita (pictured) said the “partnership aligns” with the company’s “ambition of leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress by leveraging scale, technology and strong global partnerships”.

He added it aims to deliver a “more seamless, secure and intuitive MoMo platform that advances digital inclusion and expands economic participation”.

The post MTN bolsters mobile finance play with Ant deal appeared first on Mobile World Live.

AST SpaceMobile turns to SpaceX for next launches

9 June 2026 at 14:53

AST SpaceMobile decoupled from recent launch disappointments by scheduling the orbital deployment of its next three satellites on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

The space-based mobile network company hopes to blast its BlueBird 8, 9 and 10 satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO) on 17 June. As ever, launches are dependent on various environmental and other factors, so precise timing is fluid.

AST SpaceMobile expects the latest satellites to deliver almost twice the data rates of its initial BlueBird models, which it noted recently hit 98.9Mb/s in the downlink.

Company president Scott Wisniewski said the significance of the satellites goes beyond expanding its constellation and coverage: they represent the culmination of an in-house manufacturing drive and bolster claims to having birds with the largest phase-arrayed antennas at LEO heights.

AST SpaceMobile stated the trio of satellites are already stacked using a proprietary architecture and ready to be integrated with the SpaceX rocket.

The scheduled launch is something of a firing back by AST SpaceMobile at commentators who questioned whether a recent failure of a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket during a test would impact a plan to conduct regular launches throughout 2026.

The post AST SpaceMobile turns to SpaceX for next launches appeared first on Mobile World Live.

❌