The UK has the skills and regulatory momentum to lead. What’s needed now is urgency from government, operators, and industry to strengthen resilience across essential industries and infrastructure, the very risks clearly set out in the Strategic Defence Review.

Yet we continue to experience outages, patchy coverage, and rising threats from cyberattacks, extreme weather, and infrastructure strain. When networks fail, lives and livelihoods are disrupted.

The solution increasingly lies in direct-to-device (D2D) satellite technology,  the ability for ordinary smartphones to connect directly to satellites when terrestrial coverage is lost. It’s a breakthrough that transforms resilience. It requires no specialist handsets, no bulky gear,  just seamless backup when it matters most.

Who provides this safety net, and on what terms, is not just a commercial issue. It’s a strategic question for Britain and Europe.

Deploying Aggressively

Satellite communications are moving from niche to mainstream. Regulators such as Ofcom have already begun paving the way for D2D services in the UK. Operators see value in offering resilience and new revenue streams. Consumers and enterprises want peace of mind that they can stay connected wherever they are.

Global giants are moving fast. Starlink is deploying aggressively, strengthened by its recent $17 billion acquisition of Echostar’s S-band spectrum. AST SpaceMobile has secured high-profile partnerships. Both have enormous financial firepower and ambitious global goals.

But under Ofcom’s emerging framework, D2D services must be delivered in partnership with a licensed, in-country mobile network operator. That means the real question is not whether operators are involved, but what kind of partnership they want.

D2D will soon be part of the mobile landscape. The question is who shapes it, and how. Will it be dominated by a handful of global mega-constellations? Or will we support a more balanced ecosystem where national innovators provide choice and resilience?

Smaller Innovators Matter

Britain has a history of competing with ingenuity rather than size. From early computing to fintech, British companies have thrived by being faster, more focused, and more collaborative than their larger rivals.

D2D offers the same opportunity. Instead of relying on overseas monopolies, we can build a diverse ecosystem of solutions that are operator-friendly and integrated into existing mobile networks rather than competing with them. These solutions can be low-risk — requiring no spectrum surrender or massive up-front investment from operators — and focused on coverage and resilience, not scale for its own sake.

This is where UK innovators can play a defining role. The UK already has one of the world’s most dynamic space economies, contributing more than £16 billion a year and delivering returns of £5 to £6 for every £1 invested. The Government has reinforced its intent by bringing the UK Space Agency under direct ministerial control, with a clear ambition to make Britain a major player in space.

That ambition must extend beyond rockets and satellites. It should include the communications layer that keeps people connected on Earth. Every region of the UK should have a communications resilience plan — and D2D must be central to it.

Call to Action

Satellite connectivity strengthens, rather than threatens, mobile networks  and will help shape the framework for future European legislation. If we back our innovators, we’ll ensure value, jobs, and expertise remain here rather than flowing overseas.

Mobile connectivity is too important to leave vulnerable. The next crisis,  whether cyber, environmental, or infrastructure-related,  could strike at any time. D2D satellite connectivity ensures we can still talk to each other when it does.

Britain can lead this resilience. Ofcom has set the direction by requiring operator partnerships. We must now back open-standards innovation that keeps operators and consumers in control.

Editor’s note: RCD Bullitt is a new company that acquired the Bullitt name and satellite-related intellectual property out of administration. It has no legal or financial connection with the former Bullitt Group and now operates the Bullitt Satellite Messenger service while investing in R&D to develop a non-terrestrial network platform-as-a-service.

Marketing is crucial for mobile operators to stand out and capture potential customers’ attention. These campaigns require significant investment but deliver personalised, relevant experiences.

Fighting fraud must be a top priority for operators aiming to grow subscribers and boost revenue. Understanding fraud tactics and gaining traffic transparency are two of the most effective defences.

Fake traffic often blends with legitimate traffic and can fool older detection tools, but it leaves clues for experienced analysts. For example, sudden traffic spikes with few conversions can signal fraud.

Operators should audit analytics to identify traffic sources. Large volumes from low-quality or unfamiliar sources may indicate fake traffic. Why do they go to such lengths? Sometimes it’s to fraudulently claim performance incentive, sell fake traffic or sabotage competitors by draining their ad budgets. This fraud is organised, deliberate, and financially motivated.

Strengthening identity verification at signup helps prevent fraudsters from creating multiple fake profiles.

Operators can also set custom verification rules that limit how often a user can interact with a paid ad. Bots will be blocked once they reach this limit, preventing click spam.

Advanced fraud detection tools can identify legitimate versus fraudulent traffic at the first click, filling gaps in security. For example, a Middle East operator struggling with costly brand search campaigns and high IVT saw a 20% cost reduction, a 27% drop in invalid traffic, and a 13x ROI increase after deploying such tools.

Competition for new subscribers shows no sign of slowing. Mobile operators must optimize campaigns and combat growing ad fraud. Fortunately, fraudsters aren’t as invisible as they think.

In the telecom sector ad spending projected to increase by 8.3 per cent, according to Dentsu. Telecoms is one of the fastest-growing sectors for digital advertising. But as spending surges, so does ad fraud bad actors see telecom operators as prime targets especially since many mobile security systems lack defences against ad fraud.

Fraudsters use various tactics behind the scenes, powered by AI bots that generate fake clicks on campaigns. While a single fake click may seem insignificant, collectively they rapidly raise cost-per-clicl rates. Operators end up paying for clicks that don’t convert, stunting revenue growth. These bots are getting harder to detect as they mimic human behaviours—scrolling, responding to CAPTCHAs, and more.

Bots

Fraudsters use AI-driven bots, to sabotage operators’ campaigns. These fake clicks and other deceptive tactics distort campaign metrics, driving up customer acquisition costs and reducing return on investment To grow their subscriber base without interference, mobile operators must strengthen their defences and confront fraud directly.

Not all invalid traffic is malicious. Some of it happens unintentionally. Users experiencing network problems may repeatedly click on paid search links to reload a page. Loyal customers might use branded ads as shortcuts to log in, especially if the app is slow or buried in search results. These actions aren’t harmful, but they still increase cost-per-click and they waste budget.

To maximize ad value and ROI, operators must closely monitor campaign performance. While this may seem straightforward, ad fraud increasingly throws campaign results off track.

Operators also face “app install attribution stealing.  This is where networks of devices or collaborators create fake profiles that install an operator’s app and then quickly uninstall it, creating the illusion of genuine downloads, tricking operators into paying for fake installs.

Additionally, bad actors may hijack credit for installs earned by legitimate publishers. By installing malware on users’ devices, fraudsters learn when an app is being installed and “inject” a fake click during download. This falsely attributes the install to the fraudster, depriving real publishers of deserved credit.

Impact 

Ad fraud not only drains budgets during attacks but also complicates accurate campaign measurement. Floods of fake clicks inflate metrics, making campaigns appear successful when they’re not. Operators may then invest in similar campaigns unknowingly wasting spend, while fraudsters continue attacking behind the scenes—leaving revenues drained.

With practical, data-driven strategies, like regular traffic audits and advanced detectionoperators can ensure their ad budgets reach real users, not fraudsters.

Mobile “snatch thefts” have become endemic on UK streets, particularly in London, which accounted for 74 per cent of reported incidents in the year ending March 2023.

This is where advanced device locking technology comes into play, offering a more comprehensive approach to risk mitigation. Acting as a ‘kill switch’” it is nearly impossible to bypass, even for sophisticated criminal gangs. This technology integrates with a device’s operating system at a fundamental level, ensuring that even a factory reset won’t disable the lock. By rendering stolen devices worthless, it effectively removes the incentive for theft.

Unlike traditional security measures, which rely on users to set them up, advanced device locking works out-of-the-box. From the moment a phone is turned on, it is fully protected. While conventional security features remain important, advanced locking solutions are emerging as the most effective defense against street theft.

Unfortunately, the smartphone industry has been slow to embrace this transformative technology. Carriers and retailers owe it to themselves—and their customers—to explore the benefits of device locking. This technology holds the key to dismantling the global crime networks that fuel device theft.

Means, Motive, and Opportunity

Street theft poses a significant and growing threat to consumers. But what factors are driving its rise?  First, the ever-increasing cost of smartphones creates a lucrative incentive for theft, with high-end devices commanding premium prices on the black market. This trend is fuelled by the strong growth of premium smartphones, which are increasingly viewed as status symbols. As a result, thieves are operating in a target-rich environment where motivation and opportunity abound.

To make matters worse, law enforcement resources are woefully inadequate to address the issue effectively. Less than one per cent of phone thefts lead to a prosecution, and even when they do, theft is often treated as a minor crime, with offenders receiving little more than a slap on the wrist. This combination of high rewards and minimal consequences emboldens criminals to continue their activities.

The Limitations of Current Anti-Theft Measures

Efforts are being made to combat mobile theft and disrupt the criminal networks that profit from it, primarily through technological measures. Most modern phones come equipped with security features built into their core design. However, these require users to activate them, and many consumers either aren’t aware of these features or fail to set them up correctly.

The cost of these solutions varies depending on the use case and scale of deployment. However, the return on investment for retailers, carriers, and financiers is significant. For example:

Retailers: Millions in stolen goods no longer need to be written off.

Device Financing: Funds previously reserved for bad debt can be reallocated to lower credit thresholds, enabling more customers to access financing options.

Society at Large: Reducing street crime improves public safety and lowers the costs associated with replacing stolen devices.

Even when biometric authentication or “Find My Phone” features are enabled, sophisticated criminals often possess the tools and skills to bypass these safeguards.

The GSMA Device Registry (IMEI blacklist) was designed to block stolen handsets on a carrier’s network, theoretically reducing their resale value and deterring theft. However, this approach is fundamentally flawed.

 Limited Scope: The registry only blocks cellular network access, leaving stolen devices usable on Wi-Fi or offline.

Incomplete Adoption:Out of more than 800 carriers worldwide, only 130 participate in the registry, creating significant loopholes. Stolen phones are often shipped overseas, where they can be sold in markets not covered by the registry.

Optional Participation: The registry is a chargeable service rather than a mandatory requirement for carriers, and many operators may not even be aware of its existence.

Device locking also serves a range of functions, including protecting device subsidies and financing schemes, safeguarding supply chains and preventing forward and reverse logistics scams.

For instance, in supply chain protection, devices are shipped in a locked state and only unlocked upon arrival at their destination. In forward logistics, devices are shipped unlocked but can be remotely locked if theft or fraud is reported.

Advanced device locking platforms are designed to manage these varied use cases seamlessly, offering a unified solution for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Google. Devices are shipped from the factory with the locking solution pre-installed. Upon first use, the relevant use case is enabled over-the-air (OTA), enrolling the device into the platform provider’s system.

]]> https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/analysis/article/advanced-device-locking-gamechanger-combating-phone-theft/feed/ 0 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/new-chair-5g-innovation-research-company-wm5g/ https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/new-chair-5g-innovation-research-company-wm5g/#respond Tue, 12 Mar 2024 15:17:42 +0000 https://mncwp.tailrd.cloud/new-chair-5g-innovation-research-company-wm5g/ Tracy Westall, chair of Curium Solutions, Department for Transport non-executive director and former TechUK non-executive director is the new chair of digital connectivity and innovation company West Midlands. She takes over from former Giffgaff chairman and co-founder Mark Stansfeld who leaves after four years in the role. West Midlands 5G (WM5G) was the UK’s first

Tracy Westall, chair of Curium Solutions, Department for Transport non-executive director and former TechUK non-executive director is the new chair of digital connectivity and innovation company West Midlands.

She takes over from former Giffgaff chairman and co-founder Mark Stansfeld who leaves after four years in the role.

West Midlands 5G (WM5G) was the UK’s first region-wide 5G innovation company and is part of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports, 5G Tests and Trials programme.?

It was set up in 2018, WM5G has helped the West Midlands become the best-connected region in the UK for 5G. The organisation tests 5G services and has UK’s largest 5G test beds and has trialled in key sectors including health, manufacturing and transport; as well as helping over 700 SMEs accelerate their adoption of 5G.

Over the last two years WM5G has transitioned into a commercial entity, and had £20m of additional funding to accelerate uptake of 5G, Internet of Things and data/AI. It is involved in programmes, including the UK Telecoms Innovation Network (UKTIN), 5G Innovation Regions (5GIR) and the Levelling Up Smart City Region programme.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority region, said: “I’d like thank Mark for his outstanding work leading WM5G His understanding of the telecommunications sector have been key to helping us achieve our goals, putting the region at the forefront of 5G rollout, innovation and adoption”,

Stansfeld, said: “It’s been a pleasure Chairing WM5G over the last four years. Wwe’ve taken the business from a start-up with some challenging targets to a credible scale-up business with a leading position accelerating connectivity, innovation and adoption. It’s always difficult stepping down from a company that’s making a difference but after two successful terms it’s the right thing to do and I’d like to congratulate Tracy on her appointment.”

 Westall, added: “As a director since 2019 I’ve seen the company go from strength to strength under Mark’s leadership. The business faces important opportunities and challenges to scale the benefits of connectivity to everyone in the region”.

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Demand for refurbished mobile phones is up 36 per cent since 2021 according to analysis of GfK UK’s Tech360 survey

While the vast majority of consumers chose a new handset, the UK’s used handset market is on the rise. Most used handset buyers cite finance as the primary motivation for their choice,. Around half of over 35s are more likely to state this as a key consideration. Price is important for buyers under 35 years old but they are more likely to mention the impact on the environment as a reason to buy a refurbished phone.

Longer replacement cycles for new mobile phones are also contributing to the rise in used sales,.

Last year was the first time that the largest share (35 per cent) of new buyers had smartphones that were two to three years old. In 2022, buyers with devices that were one to two years old were still dominant.  

GfK UK Director for Telco at  Lizzie Bailey says: “GfK’s long-term sales and consumer behaviour tracking shows that consumers will pay more for advanced features. But if the innovation leap is not far enough, they will wait for something new before buying their next device. This helps to explain the rise in demand for secondhand and refurbed phones.”

The most common reason someone buys a new mobile handset was they felt it was time for an upgrade.

GfK says in 2023, when it was time to upgrade their phone, roughly 32 per cent of buyers chose a brand new model. Twenty five per cent chose refurbished, and just over 15 per cent opted for a second-hand device.

GfK’.s analysis is that UK’s used mobile phone market is split into second-hand and refurbished. The refurbished market is aimed at buyers wanting to upgrade their phone to one with newer features but for less than the cost of a new handset. Buyers of these devices tend to be affluent, and younger and shop online at specialist retailers who offer warranties.

“With a cost of living crisis, new mobile phone buying patterns are emerging. In 2022 we reported that smartphone contracts were seeing a comeback as subscribers committed to longer terms to manage rising prices and lock in the best tariffs”, says Bailey.

“Now we’re tracking rising demand for used handsets, whether refurbished as a way of upgrading to a superior model for less or picking second-hand devices to keep costs down. They say ‘necessity is the mother of invention’, and with mobile phones so vital today, canny consumers are finding cost-effective ways to upgrade and replace their devices. Manufacturers, operators, and retailers need to stay ahead of these behaviours and respond to the opportunities they present.”

Last year, the global smartphone market was fairly stable, with a slight increase in revenue of 0.1 per cent versus 2022. By the end of the year, the market began to recover, with revenues in the second half of the year up 4.2 per cent year-on-year

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Considering that mobile phones are the go-to device for most cashless/contactless payment systems it is ironic that the biggest stumbling block to the reliable functionality of these next-generation payment systems is poor to non-existent mobile coverage in car parks in the first place. But if these systems are not working, drivers face the risk of being fined.

Cash payment systems in carp parks will soon be history. The demise of cash is generating exciting new opportunities but most cashless payment technologies are unfit for purpose without a reliable mobile phone signal. This must be factored into their deployment from the outset. Mobile coverage isn’t just the enabler to cashless payments it’s integral to wider smart building technologies. This in turn is empowering car park providers to differentiate themselves by offering a range of value-added services over and above parking.

“Cashless payment technologies are unfit for purpose without a reliable mobile phone signal”

Parking provision has historically been a low-margin business. However, as the world becomes increasingly digital and EV rollouts gain traction, conventional facilities are being given a new lease of life by becoming increasingly important revenue generators for property managers/owners in busy urban areas.

Into the dead zone

The biggest problem with the zero converge dilemma in car parks is their location. In busy urban areas, these facilities are either below street level or in large multistorey buildings constructed out of iron, steel, glass, and concrete.

Location aside, the building materials used and multiple ventilation points and ducts, reduce the penetration of mobile phone signals, particularly 4G and 5G ones. Thus most car parks have mobile dead zones. Ensuring reliable mobile coverage above ground is difficult enough because of physical obstructions, line of sight challenges, network capacity and weather conditions. These all impact the mobile signal strength. So providing reliable mobile coverage below ground takes these challenges to an entirely different level, yet this is where most cashless payment systems are located.

Consumer and business car parks can help drive economic growth. More importantly, they are integral to general wellbeing because ensuring parking permit holders have access to dedicated parking spaces at home, at work or simply out and about reduces unnecessary stress and frustration. The (perceived) drawback is that regular car park providers are having to overhaul their long-standing business models, swapping out coin machines for cashless alternatives to survive.

In tandem, as fossil fuel vehicles are being replaced by EV alternatives and IoT gains traction, these very same carp arks are becoming the go-to destination for EV charging, parcel pickup points or simply to catch up with emails.

These changing trends are also creating lucrative business opportunities. Parking management firm Apoca Parking AG is conducting trials in the UK to provide drivers with cubicles to work in whilst their cars are charging (along with pop-up shops, cafes, and office spaces for start-ups) Payments to book a space and access the different facilities are made via a mobile App or a vehicle’s infotainment system The purpose of these high-tech car parks is to deliver heightened QoS to existing and new customers and empower parking providers to develop additional revenue streams through the provision of value-added services 

Cash payments are no longer an option 

Cashless payment systems are the way forward in a tech-driven world because they’re convenient, secure and generate a full audit trail. Integral to their functionality, however, is an uninterrupted mobile phone signal. Not only does this provide the high-speed internet access needed to support in-app transactions, but all one-time authorisation codes (OTAC), a fundamental requirement to all “customer not present” transactions for validation and authentication purposes, are delivered via text message and not Wi-Fi as many would think. What’s more, the security associated with these transactions has been further heightened, with consumers required to approve payments in-app or via one-time passcodes delivered via text. 

The outside network must be taken indoors or below ground

The only way to guarantee the levels of coverage needed for cashless payment transactions is by taking the outdoor network inside using third-party equipment. The end system will depend on building type, services needed and budgets available.

Central to the success of any installed solution is understanding the mobile coverage situation at street level. The only way to effectively achieve this is to carry out a detailed mobile site survey, There are ways to do this. 

Tools are readily but most do not provide a hierarchical view of the coverage situation. Moreover, they’re only able to provide information at the network level. Mobile coverage at the device level must also be considered if cashless payment systems are to perform optimally and deliver a positive end-user experience.

Repeat business 

The most straightforward way to improve mobile coverage is to install a mobile repeater system. Unlike other mobile coverage systems (DAS, PICO CELL etc.), mobile repeaters are carrier-agnostic. They will be able to improve mobile coverage conditions regardless of the provider.

Since the regulators changed the rules regarding their usage, the deployment of repeaters is no longer the arduous task it once was. Installations can be up and running in just a few hours as long as the chosen system meets the required specifications.

The current gold standard is to automate the survey process using self-service tools and remotely analyse the different mobile networks and the different locations for service assurance and to keep costs down. 

Mobile coverage conditions are constantly changing with factors including weather, capacity, total number of users etc. These all impact signal strength. If these considerations weren’t enough to contend with, car park providers have no control over their customers’ chosen provider and so must cater for all bases. 

]]> https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/features/article/mobile-coverage-cashless-payments-odds/feed/ 0 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/analysis/article/telecos-care-eu-recommendations-use-surveillance-spyware/ https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/analysis/article/telecos-care-eu-recommendations-use-surveillance-spyware/#respond Tue, 25 Jul 2023 13:38:41 +0000 https://mncwp.tailrd.cloud/telecos-care-eu-recommendations-use-surveillance-spyware/ The European Parliament has adopted the final report of the PEGA Committee of Inquiry which included eight recommendations on telecom networks to address the growing threat of unauthorised intrusions and surveillance campaigns wrtes Rowland Corr, VP of Government relations at international telecoms security firm, Enea The move is a much-needed broadening of scope recognising a wider

The European Parliament has adopted the final report of the PEGA Committee of Inquiry which included eight recommendations on telecom networks to address the growing threat of unauthorised intrusions and surveillance campaigns wrtes Rowland Corr, VP of Government relations at international telecoms security firm, Enea

The move is a much-needed broadening of scope recognising a wider surveillance threat implicating the security of EU mobile telecom infrastructure, subscriber privacy, and democracy itself. 

The unfortunate truth is that EU-based communications infrastructure is perhaps more vulnerable than ever to unauthorised access by malicious actors, which possess sophisticated capabilities distinct but not discrete from the use of surveillance tools such as Pegasus. More specifically, complex attacks that exploit vulnerabilities in signalling infrastructure allow attackers to weaponise the functioning of the network itself, putting both mobile subscribers and network operators at risk. 

Capabilities over compliance

Make no mistake, the need to protect critical infrastructure and promote mobile network cybersecurity has never been more interwoven with broader efforts toward national and international security. To understand the vital importance of proactivity when it comes operator oversight and network security, one needs only to reflect on exhaustive Ukrainian efforts to safeguard mobile communications as a core element of Ukraine’s ongoing defence against Russia’s invasion.

EU-based communications infrastructure is perhaps more vulnerable than ever to unauthorised access

Fortunately, the significance of this has not been lost on the Committee, and among the most notable of its recommendations “calls on competent national authorities to actively promote strengthening providers’ capabilities” to identify and report illegal targeting, and to mitigate security gaps exploited by malicious actors.

This emphasis on capabilities over mere compliance is a significant step in the right direction as the Member States work to address this as-yet underserved area of threat detection in mobile telecoms and bring it into necessary alignment with wider coordinated efforts towards collective resilience.

For network operators, the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations can be viewed not only as an imperative, but as an opportunity to underpin conventional cybersecurity measures with defence against deliberate intrusions over signalling as well as non-malicious data leakage that put operators and subscribers at heightened risk of targeting. It is also an opportunity to move in lockstep with national stakeholders in cybersecurity, particularly as security threats increasingly involve the manipulation of national mobile network infrastructure.

‘Firm and demonstrable action’

Following the Committee’s adoption of these recommendations, network operators will need to quickly improve their ability to defend against this insidious surveillance threat, especially considering the call for telecom providers “to take firm and demonstrable action” to mitigate “the manipulation of the normal operations of mobile network elements and infrastructure for surveillance purposes by malicious actors”.

Even for those familiar with the fact that signalling protocols are vulnerable to manipulation for surveillance purposes, the fact that threat actors continue to innovate new attack methods and combine them across protocols can come as a surprise.

Signalling-borne threats to mobile security have become increasingly sophisticated, having grown in scale and complexity to levels scarcely imagined even when Karsten Nohl hacked the cell phone of U.S. Congressman Ted Lieu (with the latter’s permission to make the attempt, and prove that it was possible) in 2016.

The call for capabilities is also a call for a change in mindset. For operators, signalling vulnerability must be approached as a network security problem, not simply a signalling problem. It is important for operators to view signalling threats not as the exploitation of generic weaknesses of protocols – but as the exploitation of the weaknesses in their network security.

SS7, Diameter, and GTP-C protocols are tools for threat actors to identify and exploit the individual weaknesses of operators’ security policies and protection levels.

Put simply, in the absence of fit-for-purpose protection against signalling threats, mobile operators risk a multitude of harms, putting their subscriber’s privacy and access to critical services at the mercy of malicious actors.

Current threats will not merely subside on their own, to say nothing of the prospect of signalling-related security vulnerabilities already discovered in respect of 5G protocols. Such risks are even more acute amid a fraught geopolitical climate.

The immediate steps to take following the PEGA Committee’s adoption of security recommendations is the urgent implementation of effective safeguards alongside intelligent, forward-looking strategies among enterprises and operators. 

In the case of signalling network security, the foundation for providers is the deployment of appropriate firewalls. However, as the GSMA have highlighted in their Security Landscape report for 2023, it is vital that signalling firewalls are correctly configured if they are to be effective. The ability to generate threat intelligence to ensure any emergent threats, technical gaps, and network exploits are detected and mitigated in a timely fashion is key.

By leveraging threat detection systems powered by machine-learning and backed up by both advanced signalling security policies, technical support, and expertise, providers can greatly enhance not only their ability to single out vulnerabilities, but to establish processes to ensure “firm and demonstrable action” in response to a breach.

A broader takeaway from the Committee’s urgent recommendations is that change will need to be implemented as holistically as possible across mobile networks and should address all potential security risks at the infrastructure level.

Above all, operators should view the European Parliament’s adoption of the PEGA report for what it is: a watershed moment in EU strategic risk recognition, and a clarion call for the defence of mobile networks against unauthorised state-level intrusions. 

]]> https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/analysis/article/telecos-care-eu-recommendations-use-surveillance-spyware/feed/ 0 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/analysis/article/gareth-turpin-important-consumers-clear-transparent-information-roaming/ https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/analysis/article/gareth-turpin-important-consumers-clear-transparent-information-roaming/#respond Fri, 21 Jul 2023 10:13:21 +0000 https://mncwp.tailrd.cloud/gareth-turpin-important-consumers-clear-transparent-information-roaming/ Worrying about whether you can afford to use a phone while away is ‘bonkers’ writes Virgin Media O2 COO Gareth Turpin A year and a half ago Virgin Media O2 proudly became the odd one out by not following the other major mobile networks in reintroducing EU roaming fees All O2 and Virgin Mobile customers

]]> Worrying about whether you can afford to use a phone while away is ‘bonkers’ writes Virgin Media O2 COO Gareth Turpin

A year and a half ago Virgin Media O2 proudly became the odd one out by not following the other major mobile networks in reintroducing EU roaming fees

All O2 and Virgin Mobile customers travelling to Europe have continued, and will continue, to roam like home regardless of weather rules and laws have changed post-Brexit.

In the current economic climate and with summer holiday season upon us, many families will be flocking to popular European destinations for a well-earned break.  Worrying about whether you can afford to use a phone while away is bonkers, and our research has shown that a quarter of Brits don’t realise they may need to pay additional mobile charges while roaming in Europe. To ease some of this pain, last year we helped save our customers an estimated £3 million per week in EU roaming charges.

Yesterday, Ofcom proposed new rules to ensure any applicable roaming charges are made clear to consumers when they head abroad. We believe that it’s important for consumers to have clear and transparent information about roaming and will continue to send alerts to our customers when they first touchdown in another country, at multiple points when they near their airtime limit and again when they reach it.  

Some commentators have pointed out that we have a data ‘fair usage’ cap on roaming. We do, and we’ve never hidden this. This is the case with all operators, and it’s designed to stop abuse of roaming by a tiny minority who might be living abroad for an extended period. The key difference with Virgin Media O2 is that any of our customers visiting Europe won’t be charged a thing up to their standard UK data limit, or the 25GB cap if their data plan is higher than that – no other mobile network can say the same.

Now I realise this is an industry full of jargon, so understandably some people will worry about hitting that 25GB limit. Let me break it down. This is a hefty amount of data. It’s equivalent to 595 hours of WhatsApp voice calls, streaming more than 6,000 songs or using Google Maps while driving for 208 days straight.

I know a mobile phone is an essential item when at home or abroad, but the reality is 99 per cent of people will never get close to that 25GB limit. And for those that do, they will receive a clear message before they get to that point outlining their options and any charges that could apply.

Beyond Europe, we have O2 Travel Inclusive Zone included at no extra cost in all Plus Plans and Volt bundles which allows millions of our customers to enjoy unlimited data, texts and calls in 27 international destinations as well as in Europe. A full list of international destinations can be found here. For those without this included in their plan, we offer an O2 Travel Bolt On for £6 a day, providing unlimited services in 63 destinations across the globe. The countries included are listed here.

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Vodafone and Three have agreed their marriage. But they still require regulatory approval and there is already precedent for the authorities rejecting such massive consolidation.

In 2016 The European Commission blocked the proposed acquisition of O2 by Hutchison under the EU Merger Regulation. The EC had strong concerns that UK mobile customers would have had less choice and paid higher prices as a result of the takeover, and that the deal would have harmed innovation in the mobile sector.

However the launch of 5G does mean regulators are mindful that carriers lack the scale to generate sufficient returns on their capital. However there is also government pushback against any ownership of telecoms infrastructure by Chinese companies. The National Security and Investment Act, gives the state the authority to intervene and reject the deal

CCS Insights Kester Mann says the deal is “poised on a knife edge and is too difficult to call either way”

“It’s a huge decision for Sarah Cardell, the CMA’s new CEO, who in a recent speech rejected the idea that her body has been overly interventionist in blocking deals”

Erhan Gurses Equity Research Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, said: “The push for consolidation is seen as positive for the broader industry, although the question remains whether it will receive antitrust approval. The odds of approval have improved. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) may also consider striking a delicate balance between the sector’s investment requirements for 5G roll-outs and consumer welfare. It is worth noting that mobile prices in the UK have remained relatively low compared to other major European markets like Spain or Germany.

But PP Insight analyst Paolo Pescatore believes the deal will “be a hard sale given that both companies have been outperforming the market for the last year or so

“Let’s see if the authorities have a change of heart. Both parties need to demonstrate that this is genuinely in the interest of UK plc, the economy, and consumers for it to have a chance of getting over the line. Ofcom recognises the challenges of the UK mobile market and the need for scale. Convincing the CMA will be the real test. Current investment levels are not sustainable in the longer term.”

“Vodafone and Three may have shot themselves in the foot by recently hiking tariffs by up to 14.4 per cent but the deal should be approved. It is better to have three strong providers than two that are dominant and two that are sub-scale. Blocking it could thwart the long-term development of the UK’s telecoms infrastructure.”

CCS Insight’s Kester Mann believes getting approval will be a challenge.

““This represents the biggest shake-up in the UK mobile market for over a decade. The deal makes plenty of sense as both providers are sub-scale. As separate entities, it would have been near impossible for either to grow enough organically to come close to challenging BT or Virgin Media O2 for size. Inevitably however, there will be widespread fears over job cuts..

“An £11 billion network investment plan will seek to allay regulatory concerns. But this deal will still face a major challenge to win approval. At this stage, I believe it is too difficult to call either way.

“The prospect the deal leads to higher prices will be a major concern for the CMA. Vodafone and Three may have shot themselves in the foot by recently hiking tariffs by up to 14.4 per cent . The deal should be approved. It is better to have three strong providers than two that are dominant and two that are sub-scale. Blocking it could thwart the long-term development of the UK’s telecoms infrastructure.”

“The recent appointment of Margherita Della Valle as Vodafone group CEO will give added impetus to the deal. She has shown clear intent to make changes at Vodafone as she bids to turn the embattled company’s performance around. Securing approval for a tie-up with Three would be a major boost to her early tenure.”

Pescatore thinks the security issues regarding China will be dealt with and overcome .

“Hutchison already has an extensive presence in the UK, but this should be seen as a gradual exit from the telco market. Having the current Vodafone UK CEO heading up the new operation is a testament to this belief. His considered approach will resonate with key stakeholders and improve any chance of getting the deal over the line.”

Dan Ridsdale, Director of Technology Media and Telecoms, at Edison Group, said Vodafone’s statement g read like an overt pitch to convince the CMA, Ofcom, press etc that there would be benefits for customers, country and competition, before looking at deal synergies.

“Management will have a good level of insight into the opinions of key investors regarding the deal, whereas regulators play their cards much closer to their chest. For the CMA, the equation is likely to come down to how much they take into account the consumer benefits from the promised acceleration to the roll out of 5G, gained through economies of scale versus the competitive risks from concentrating market power.

“They will almost certainly consult Ofcom as part of the process who have already highlighted that Vodafone and Three’s poor return on capital under the current market structure presented a risk to future investment in the UK’s networks.”

]]> https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/analysis/article/vodafone-three-deal-poised-knife-edge-analyst/feed/ 0 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/hacking-attacks-made-million-insecure-iot-devices-says-nokia/ https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/hacking-attacks-made-million-insecure-iot-devices-says-nokia/#respond Wed, 07 Jun 2023 11:01:16 +0000 https://mncwp.tailrd.cloud/hacking-attacks-made-million-insecure-iot-devices-says-nokia/ Even smart fridges now used as gateways to launch malicious activity

Even smart fridges now used as gateways to launch malicious activity

Profit-driven hacking groups are behind a 500 per cent in botnet-driven denial of service attacks against networks in the last year according to Nokia;s Threat Intelligence team.

The attacks were made through a million insecure IoT devices inclding iunsecured smart refrigerators and medical sensors, and were intended to disrupt telecom networks, said Nokia.

Bot malware scans billions of IoT devices worldwide for vulnerable IoT devices including smart refrigerators and medical sensors which may lack adequate security measures.

The initial surge occurring when the Russia-Ukraine conflict started and the trend has now spread globally to various critical infrastructure sectors said Nokia.

The number of IoT devices involved in these attacks is believed to have has risen from 200,000 to approximately 1 million although Nokias findings based on data collected from over 200 million devices worldwide that use Nokia’s NetGuard Endpoint Security product which monitors consumer, enterprise, and critical infrastructure network traffic for malware and attack activity.

The hacking was discovered by various Nokia centres specialising in threat intelligence and cybersecurity.

The Nokia report r the number of trojans (malicious software that masquerades as safe applications) targeting personal banking information on mobile devices has doubled, putting millions of users at risk of financial and credit card information theft. 

Fortunately, malware infections in home networks have decreased from the peak of three per cent during the COVID-19 pandemic to 1.5 per cent, and are nearly back to the the pre-pandemic level of once per cent. Nokia says this decline is due to a decrease in malware campaigns targeting remote workers as more people returned to their offices.

Nokia senior vice president Hamdy Farid emphasised the need for stronger security measures in 5G networks. This includes implementing threat detection and response systems specific to telecom providers, as well as promoting robust security practices and awareness across all levels of organizations involved in the industry.

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