en.Wedoany.com Reported - EE, the flagship consumer brand of UK operator BT, has launched its "Advanced Full Fibre" broadband service in and around Guildford and Woking in southern England. The service, based on XGS-PON technology, offers download speeds of up to 8 Gbit/s for £74.99 per month (approximately $100). EE said this is the first service of its kind among major UK providers, with the network supplied by Openreach, BT's network access division.
Belgian operator Proximus reported a 4.2% year-on-year decline in group EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) to €470 million ($540.5 million) in the second quarter, with revenue down 0.9% to €1.53 billion ($1.75 billion). International division Proximus Global continued to weigh on overall results, with EBITDA down 34.9% to €29 million ($33.3 million), although CEO Stijn Bijnens said the performance was broadly in line with company expectations. In the domestic business, underlying revenue grew 1.1% to €1.19 billion ($1.36 billion).
Spanish tower operator Cellnex recorded solid organic growth in the first half of 2026, with organic revenue up 5% year-on-year to €1.99 billion ($2.28 billion). The core tower business remained the primary growth driver, contributing €1.62 billion ($1.86 billion) in revenue, up 5.2% organically. In response to questions about whether direct-to-device satellite services would pose a serious threat to terrestrial infrastructure, Cellnex said no, adding that while satellites can extend coverage to remote areas, they "cannot match the speed, capacity, indoor coverage, and reliability of terrestrial infrastructure, which will remain the primary capacity layer for future traffic growth."
Vodafone has completed the acquisition of CK Hutchison's 49% stake in joint venture VodafoneThree for £4.3 billion ($5.7 billion). Following the transaction, Vodafone now fully owns the UK's largest mobile operator. The merger of Vodafone and Three was announced in June 2023 and was finally completed last May, having faced opposition from multiple parties including the Unite union along the way.
The EU has launched the tender process for "AI superfactories," with plans to create up to seven across Europe. The tender, originally scheduled for last December, now falls within the EU's framework to accelerate European technological sovereignty. Under EU plans, AI superfactories will combine advanced AI processors, software, and cloud technology, along with high-speed connectivity and energy-efficient data centres. Companies including Orange and Telefónica have already expressed interest in the project.
Openreach has warned UK businesses that only six months remain until the public switched telephone network (PSTN) is switched off. An estimated 1.5 million lines are still using the legacy copper-based telephone network, with around 350,000 commercial premises relying on PSTN-connected services, including payment terminals, lift alarms, security systems, and other operational technology. Openreach said that once the legacy network is withdrawn, such services may stop working unless they are upgraded or replaced with digital alternatives. In 2005, Openreach parent company BT launched the 21CN network project, its first attempt to move away from PSTN technology.
