The alliance forms part of the 5-Year Integrated Strategic Business Plan of Telecom Namibia’ which is aimed at fostering sustainable growth, boosting market share and improving the customer experience via strategic partnerships as well as innovative solutions.

It is well to be noted that the agreement is based on an open-access infrastructure model, enabling Telecom Namibia to connect to the fibre network from Lightstruck to provide high-speed internet services to both residential as well as business customers. This is consistent with the goals outlined in the 2025/26 Annual Operating Plan – AOP by Telecom Namibia that is designed to fast-track fibre rollout and accelerate digital transformation throughout the country.

Lightstruck is a network facilities licensee, authorised by the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia – CRAN as an open-access infrastructure provider liable for the installation, upkeep, and operation of fibre networks. The partnership will enable Telecom Namibia to take advantage of the infrastructure of Lightstruck to deliver IP-based services across its end-users, guaranteeing superior quality and dependable connectivity.

This collaboration that fast-tracks fibre links is also of critical importance to address the persistent problem of copper theft and network vandalism. Telecom Namibia is stepping up the move from copper-based infrastructure to fibre, which will lower its reliance on theft-prone assets, especially in high-risk areas. Fibre networks are not only quicker and more reliable; they are less susceptible and hence offer a more stable network and a more consistent and safe service for customers.

The partnership is built on a completely managed OPEX-based model which allows Telecom Namibia to efficiently grow the footprint of its services while upholding high service standards. Services will be delivered and operated via the service portal from Lightstruck, delivering a streamlined operation and better customer experience.

According to Dr Stanley Shanapinda, the Chief Executive Officer of Telecom Namibia, “The signing of this partnership with Lightstruck marks another key milestone in our fibre expansion journey. It reflects our commitment to leveraging open-access networks to accelerate connectivity, enhance customer choice, and deliver innovative, high-quality digital services. Through this collaboration, we are embracing infrastructure sharing as a strategic approach to avoid duplication of efforts, fast-track network deployment, and improve overall efficiency in the sector. At a time when copper theft remains a daily occurrence and continues to disrupt services, the transition to fibre strengthens the resilience and reliability of our network infrastructure. We are confident that this partnership will significantly strengthen our ability to provide reliable broadband solutions and contribute meaningfully to Namibia’s digital transformation.”

Says Director at Lightstruck, Mr Szacky Nujoma, “We are proud to partner with Telecom Namibia in advancing fibre connectivity across Namibia through an open-access model. As a neutral infrastructure provider, our focus is on enabling service providers to deliver high-quality services over a reliable network. This collaboration underscores the value of shared infrastructure in driving competition, efficiency, and improved access to next-generation connectivity. We are particularly encouraged by the strong commitment from shareholders, who are prepared to invest the necessary capital, and therefore do not foresee any funding constraints. We are excited about this partnership and the meaningful impact it will have in accelerating Namibia’s digital transformation.”

As part of the deal

• Lightstruck’s open access network is to be used by Telecom Namibia so as to provide services to end-users.
• Lightstruck deploys and maintains fibre infrastructure and networks.
• Provisioning and managing services via Lightstruck’s service portal.

Interestingly, Lightstruck’s network has gone live in Rocky Crest, Osona Village, Khomasdal, Dorado Park, and Rehoboth, enabling Telecom Namibia customers in these areas to immediately access fibre services via this partnership. Both organisations are well placed to use current fibre infrastructure so as to speed up fibre take-up and enhance broadband accessibility in these areas. The partnership also provides a migration path for present Telecom Namibia customers to fibre-based services, in which coverage is accessible, allowing them to access faster, more dependable connectivity.

The partnership that fast-tracks fibre links brings together broad customer base and service capabilities from Telecom Namibia with the growing open-access fibre network Lightstruck as the demand for rapid, reliable and dependable internet continues to rise. The partnership is anticipated to improve customer engagement and drive the broader digital evolution of communities and businesses throughout Namibia.

The CEO of Algeria Telecom, Abdelghani Aït Saïd, presented the project on May 12, 2026, during a government meeting dedicated to the modernisation of telecom infrastructure and the substitution of copper networks which are ageing with fibre optic systems.

The telecommunications minister of Algeria, Sid Ali Zerrouki, has ordered officials to introduce 5G fixed wireless access, or 5G FWA, by the start of 2027 at the latest.

Faster Internet & Improved Network Efficiency

The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications says that the move from 4G LTE to 5G FWA and hence adopting 5G Wireless Home Internet Service in Algeria will do more than just boost broadband speeds.

The technology also ought to lower delay, increase stability of networks, and enhance the overall quality of connections nationwide, officials say.

5G FWA takes advantage of an innovative network structure designed to process more data with greater efficiency than older 4G systems developed for lower internet usage.

The authorities said the system should work more effectively in high-traffic areas, where current networks typically slow down when many individuals are connected at the same time.

The technology is expected to meet rising demand from households, companies, and public services that increasingly rely on internet-based platforms, remote work, streaming services, and digital communication tools.

Algeria promotes broadband development

The 5G rollout is incorporated in an overall national broadband strategy.

This year the government declared faster internet speed for fixed broadband subscribers and said it would phase out the usage of copper infrastructure by 2027 end.

Authorities intend to boost the international internet capacity of Algeria with two more submarine cables, such as the Medusa cable project anticipated by late 2026.

The country already has five undersea cables offering international connectivity.

Internet prices are still more than the affordability goal

But even with the anticipated upgrades, the cost of the internet continues to be an issue for certain users.

In 2025, the price of 5 gigabytes of fixed internet service in Algeria was 2.59% of gross national income per capita, as determined by data from the International Telecommunication Union.

This is still lower as compared to the African average of 15.1% but higher than the ITU affordability goal of 2%.

Algeria had 6.82 million fixed internet subscribers at the September 2025 end, as per data from the telecom regulator of the country.

Fibre subscriptions covered 37.6% of subscriptions, ahead of ADSL at 32.3% and fixed LTE at 30%, with fibre still being the most rapidly expanding segment of the market.

The advent of silk into strong plastic-like materials with 6G potential is also lightweight but more potent than many metal alloys and traditional plastics made from fossil fuels. Their mechanical characteristics could make them suitable for sports equipment, shipping containers and certain specialised packaging. In ballistic testing, the new materials were resilient to puncture, as carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers are utilised in the bodies of aeroplanes and automobile chassis. And the material degrades gradually when implanted in mice, which makes it potentially useful for temporary medical implants.

The scientists are especially excited about the way the material can twist, or polarise, terahertz frequencies of light. The 6G band extends to terahertz frequencies and can carry data much faster than 5G networks, hence making it especially appealing for high-speed internet in rural areas. Another way to encode the data is with a standard polarisation, and it might open up more channels, but the elliptical polarisations observed with the silk material are by no means usually so simple. By altering the temperature and pressure at which they pushed the silk into the plastic-like material, the team could optimise the amount of twist.

Says Nick Kotov, the Irving Langmuir Distinguished University Professor of Chemical Sciences and Engineering at U-M and a co-corresponding author of the study published in Nature Sustainability, “It’s difficult to engineer a material with terahertz optical activity that can rotate light while also being nearly transparent. This composite is unique in that it can do it for the frequencies that are essential for multiple future technologies. Typically, such bio-derived materials absorb terahertz light very strongly, so you get very little light out.”

Keeping the best elements of silk

It is well to be noted that the properties of the materials arise from the chemical structure of the silk. There are alternate areas of order and disorder. The fibers consist of long chains of a variety of amino acids. In some parts of the chain the amino acid sequence is random and goes on to form a distorted tangle. The amino acids in other parts of the chain also link in a pattern that repeats, and the chain folds neatly into twisted, crystalline sheets. Silk is durable and flexible, a blend of crystalline and unruly features.

According to Chunmei Li, a research assistant professor in biomedical engineering at Tufts University and a co-corresponding author of the study, “It’s surprisingly strong for something so flexible. By processing it, we can go beyond the capabilities of many other biomaterials.”

Heating the fibers to between 257 and 419 degrees Fahrenheit and 1900 and 9800 atmospheres of pressure goes on to evaporate water from the silk and fuses the tangled regions together in a single sheet without destroying the clean folds that occur inside the fibers.

Opines associate professor in multifunctional and sustainable polymer composites at Imperial College London and a lead author of the study, Emiliano Bilotti, silk has very interesting properties due to its hierarchical microstructure, with crystalline domains embedded in a complex multiscale architecture. We wanted to save as many of the pristine fibers as possible.”

In contrast to that, earlier attempts to make plastic-like materials derived from silk required dissolving the silk in a chemical solvent and processing it into a powder. Heating and pressing the powder generates materials more durable than traditional plastics, but much of the crystal structure is eliminated.

Minimizing waste in chemical and textile industries 

One of the reasons the team is working on this is to help cut waste within the fashion and textile industry.

“If you can retrieve very long threads, you can weave again, but when the fibers get shorter and shorter, there is no other way to recycle them than to dissolve them into a powder,” says Bilotti. He adds that “I never believed that was a sustainable solution.”

The new method does not need huge quantities of chemical solvents, salt and water, but just the boiling of the silk to eliminate the natural protein, known as sericin, that binds the fibers into threads. Even small fibers may be pressed into plates.

Says Li, “It can be a very simple, one-step process.”

The team is now looking into how to grow their production procedure to larger, more intricate shapes and lifecycle evaluations in order to measure the full environmental advantages. The researchers are also looking at how to include the fused silk into sensors and various other applications, while they are also seeking industrial and commercial partners in order to assist in scaling up the process and bringing the materials to market.

This research was backed by the U-M Center for Complex Particle Systems – COMPASS, a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center, as well as the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and also Tufts Launchpad Accelerator funding.

• The EU is investing €389 million via CEF Digital funding to advance 56 digital infrastructure projects across Europe.
  
• Funding covers backbone cables, 5G transport-corridor pilots, Smart Communities deployments and EuroQCI quantum links.
• Several projects will integrate SMART cable-monitoring technologies, adding early-warning systems designed to detect potential threats to critical networks.

The European Commission has approved 56 digital infrastructure projects for €389 million in CEF Digital funding, accelerating next-generation connectivity deployment across the EU and its wider transport and communications networks.

The selected initiatives represent a major round of public investment meant to shore up Europe’s high-capacity backbone networks, extend 5G testing across key transport routes, and move quantum-secure communications forward. Taken together, the package reflects the EU’s push to create a stronger and more resilient connectivity base for companies, public services and cross-border digital activity.

The funding comes from the fourth round of calls under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital programme. It supports a mix of terrestrial and submarine cable systems, 5G corridor pilots, Smart Communities deployments, and quantum-secure communication links. These projects are intended to bolster safe and resilient infrastructure across Member States, outermost regions, and overseas countries and territories.A major share of the programme focuses on backbone connectivity for Digital Global Gateways. New cable projects, both within the EU and linking to third countries, will incorporate SMART monitoring technologies to support the EU Action Plan on Cable Security.These systems are designed to provide early-warning capabilities for potential threats, aligning infrastructure upgrades with emerging resilience and prevention requirements.

The 5G large-scale pilots will equip cross-border motorway and railway segments of the TEN-T transport corridors with standalone 5G networks. In parallel, Smart Communities projects will deploy 5G and edge cloud capabilities across sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, tourism, port and airport logistics, and manufacturing. These deployments are intended to test operational models and strengthen service continuity across Europe’s mobility and industrial landscapes.

Projects under the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI) include cross-border fibre links connecting national quantum networks, as well as satellite ground stations designed to integrate terrestrial systems with the IRIS2 pan-European space constellation. Together, these efforts support the development of a secure quantum layer for Europe’s digital ecosystem.

The EU’s financial contribution will take the form of grants with co-financing levels ranging from 30% to 75% of each project’s total cost. CEF Digital funding will support both feasibility studies and deployment-ready initiatives. Under the 2021–2027 budget, the CEF-Digital Programme has allocated €1.5 billion for projects that strengthen Europe’s digital capabilities, complementing CEF’s wider Energy and Transport funding streams.

The Commission noted that further CEF Digital calls will be issued over the next two years, aligned with policy initiatives such as the Recommendation on the Security and Resilience of Submarine Cable Infrastructures and the EU Action Plan on Cable Security. These future cycles are expected to continue prioritising secure connectivity, robust cross-border capacity, and strategic digital autonomy.

Following the Commission’s formal selection decision on November 3rd, 2025, the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) will now move ahead with signing grant agreements and initiating pre-financing for the approved applicants.

Right now, the Submarine Cable Map shows only one cable crossing the entire Black Sea, connecting Georgia and Bulgaria. There are a few other cables in the region, but they mostly link neighboring countries, like Russia to Georgia or Bulgaria to Turkey. The Kardesa cable system will integrate Georgia, Turkey, and Bulgaria before crossing the sea to Ukraine, creating a new route between Europe and Asia that bypasses the Mediterranean.

The expansion comes at a time when both governments and private actors recognize the fragility of global undersea networks. Only last month, a number of cables in the Red Sea were disrupted, affecting connections between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. By having multiple routes across different regions, internet traffic can be rerouted if a cable fails or comes under attack, which helps make the global network more resilient. Meta has also revealed plans for a 50,000-km global cable linking the U.S., Brazil, Africa, India, and Australia. The route is designed to steer clear of geopolitically sensitive areas like Northern Europe, the Middle East, and the Malacca Strait.

Despite these precautions, avoiding all threats is not always feasible for nations within a region. As a result, both companies and governments are taking steps to protect undersea infrastructure. German company AP Sensing has rolled out Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing technology, using sonar to spot possible sabotage on cables. NATO has begun sending drones to help safeguard undersea networks, and Taiwan has stepped up patrols along its 24 submarine cables.

Broadening its ability to address data center connectivity needs by enhancing scale, capacity, and density to support expanding AI-related workloads is one among other reasons for Ciena to acquire Nubis Communications. Nubis’ technologies will strengthen Ciena’s high-speed interconnect portfolio, particularly through two solutions. 

First, its Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) and Near Packaged Optics (NPO) modules provide ultra-fast data transfer with bandwidth up to 6.4 Tb/s full-duplex. Optimized for low-latency and low-power operation, these modules, when combined with Ciena’s high-speed SerDes, enable advanced CPO solutions suited for AI system scaling. 

Second, Nubis’ Electrical ACC technology leverages advanced analog electronics to enable Active Copper Cables supporting 200 Gb/s per lane for distances up to 4 meters. This approach offers low-power, low-latency connectivity across racks, helping customers link AI accelerators without the restrictions of traditional copper or DSP-based alternatives.

“The acquisition of Nubis represents a significant step forward in Ciena’s strategy to address the rapidly growing demand for scalable, high-performance connectivity inside the data center, driven by the explosive growth of  AI-related traffic,”said David Rothenstein, Chief Strategy Officer at Ciena. “With  ownership of these key technologies for a wider range of use cases inside the  data center, we are expanding our competitive advantage by advancing  development of differentiated solutions, reducing development costs, and  driving long-term efficiency and profitability.”

Dan Harding, CEO of Nubis, added: “The Nubis team is thrilled to join Ciena and enhance its industry-leading portfolio with our breakthrough interconnect technologies,” He further sad, “Together, we will advance Ciena’s data center strategy by delivering reliable, high-quality, and high-performance interconnect solutions to support the next generation of AI workloads.”

On the Egyptian side, Coral Bridge is the first subsea telecommunications system to land at Telecom Egypt’s newly developed cable landing station in Taba, which is part of the company’s broader international digital infrastructure in the Sinai Peninsula. In Jordan, the cable system landed at ADH’s Tier III carrier-neutral facility in Aqaba, supporting redundancy and recovery frameworks for enterprises and hyperscalers hosted within the data center.

By leveraging the strategic locations of both nations and Telecom Egypt’s large subsea ecosystem, the Coral Bridge subsea cable provides seamless onward connectivity across Asia, Africa and Europe. The 15-kilometer cable, with 48 pairs of fibers, has the ability to carry over 1 Petabit of data traffic to address increasing demands for data-intensive applications like cloud computing and artificial intelligence. It also ensures shorter duration comparatively, thus minimizing latency as well as costs. 

Engineered to the highest technical and international standards, Coral Bridge has been built with resilience and sustainability in the long term. The project reflects a balanced approach to environmental responsibility, capacity, and performance. The collaboration between NaiTel/ADH and Telecom Egypt demonstrates how regional partnerships can unlock substantial value while laying the groundwork for future cross-border digital infrastructure across the Middle East and beyond.

Eyad Abu Khorma, Founder and CEO of Aqaba Digital Hub (ADH), stated: “Coral Bridge is more than just a cable—it’s a strategic asset for the entire region. It lands at ADH’s carrier-neutral facility in Jordan, enhances regional market access, featuring one of MENA’s largest data centers. By enabling a direct digital bridge between Aqaba-Jordan and Sinai Peninsula-Egypt, we are strengthening regional resilience and opening new opportunities for high-performance infrastructure and sovereign connectivity.”

Mohamed Nasr, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at Telecom Egypt, added: “The strategic proximity between Taba and Aqaba creates a vital opportunity to establish a robust corridor for data connectivity across the Middle East and Europe. Through our collaboration with NaiTel, leveraging their carrier-neutral ecosystem in Aqaba via the Aqaba Digital Hub, the Coral Bridge subsea cable system will aggregate substantial regional traffic and channel it through Egypt’s diverse terrestrial routes to the Mediterranean Sea. This critical infrastructure is key to meeting the region’s growing data demands, supporting data center expansion, and enhancing the resilience of subsea cable networks in the region.”

Central Amsterdam has already seen the initial wave of this deployment, becoming the first large-scale 1.8 GHz broadband technology deployment in Europe in anticipation of DOCSIS 4.0. The high-frequency technology sets new benchmarks for internet speed and stability, allowing users to enjoy seamless streaming, online gaming, and other bandwidth-consuming applications without interruptions.

“This partnership marks an important next step in our renewed strategy, focused on improving the customer experience, delivering fast and reliable internet across the Netherlands, and making targeted investments in our network and core activities. We continue to develop to ensure our customers enjoy stable WiFi throughout their homes and simplified internet services,” stated Thomas Helbo, Chief Technology Officer at VodafoneZiggo.

Competition among broadband service providers is moving fast to encompass better service quality and reliability as subscriber expectations evolve. Teleste’s 1.8 GHz intelligent amplifiers, with advanced telemetry features, enable VodafoneZiggo to identify and troubleshoot network problems in real time. This provides seamless, high-quality service to end users on its network.

“VodafoneZiggo’s investment in DOCSIS 4.0 technology, with its 10G promise, exemplifies how cable infrastructure will remain competitive for the next 10+ years. This agreement demonstrates our leadership in 1.8 GHz broadband technology and our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of the market,” said Ulf Andersson, Head of Teleste’s Broadband Networks business. “We look forward to working closely with VodafoneZiggo to upgrade their network infrastructure and deliver superior connectivity experiences to subscribers.”

This partnership is a landmark moment in the deployment of 1.8 GHz broadband technology in Europe. The two operators are presently leading the pack in terms of broadband infrastructure technology. Their move should compel other European service providers to take similar steps with DOCSIS 4.0-ready solutions, accelerating the shift to a high-performance and reliable era of connectivity.

These factors drove Charter Communications’ $21.9 billion acquisition of Cox Communications on Friday. It is a partnership between two powerful companies with a long family history who are attempting to protect their cable broadband industry from growing pressure from cellphone providers encroaching on their domain. 

A decade ago, broadband providers sought large acquisitions to safeguard their failing television operations. The biggest concern at the moment is that the internet, which served as these multibillion-dollar companies’ final moat, is being attacked.

Once a dependable source of explosive growth that brought in millions of new customers annually, cable internet service is now a chore for the two heavyweights of the sector, Comcast and Charter. Their primary source of income from the internet economy, which includes gaming and streaming, is still selling broadband connections, but this growth engine is faltering.

The threat has increased as a result of domestic broadband service being beamed over the air by telecom companies like Verizon and T-Mobile. With their offers, which leverage 5G technology to deliver internet speeds competing with fixed cable lines at lower pricing, wireless carriers have amassed millions of consumers.

The strains of this new environment have become more apparent in recent months: rival Comcast reported an increase in broadband customer losses, while Charter lost 60,000 internet users in the March quarter.

“We have AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile in 100% of our footprint. We have satellite everywhere we operate,” Charter chief Chris Winfrey said. “It’s significant.”

The agreement with Cox provides the merged company more leverage when it comes to negotiating with programmers, investing in networks, and vying for clients. Additionally, it broadens the enterprise offerings of the combined business.

Cox’s 6.3 million consumers and Charter’s 31.4 million customers are combined. On Friday, Charter’s stock increased by almost 2%.

With customers in major expanding markets like Phoenix, Las Vegas, and portions of Southern California, Cox—the longest running cable company in the United States—would strengthen Charter’s position. Within three years of the deal completing, the firms anticipate cost savings of $500 million annually.

“You really do need scale in this business,” said Andrew Cole, executive chairman of Glow Services, a telecom-focused software company, and board member of European cable company Liberty Global. Liberty Global, like Charter, is part of cable mogul John Malone’s communications empire.

“The coming-together of cable in its entirety over time will happen because that’s the only way they can compete against these giants, which are the telcos,” Cole said.

About 23% of the merged business will be held by the family-run Cox Enterprises, which will also assume Cox’s about $12 billion in outstanding debt. Charter announced on Friday that Cox will essentially replace Liberty as the source of long-term finance.

The combined business, which will have its headquarters in Stamford, Conn., intends to rebrand as Cox Communications within a year after the Charter-Cox closes. The brand that will interact with consumers will be Spectrum.

Malone, who transformed Charter from a minor cable operator into one of the biggest in the country about ten years ago by acquiring Time Warner Cable, is making another significant wager. The future of television was then his biggest concern. The biggest challenge is the future of broadband to safeguard the cable broadband industry.

Over the past few years, Malone, who is approaching his 80s, has been trying to solidify his legacy by streamlining his extensive telecom and media holdings. In an effort to streamline its ownership structure, Charter decided to purchase Malone’s Liberty Broadband, its largest shareholder, last year. On Friday, Charter executives said that the move will conclude concurrently with the Cox deal.

Malone is prepared to hand the reins over to a new partner, at least in the cable industry, as seen by Charter’s choice to take on the Cox name.

Despite being a significant player in the pay-TV and internet markets, Cox is still outsized by Comcast and Charter. While rival cable and telecom businesses grew through ever-larger acquisitions, the family-run business in Atlanta has chosen to remain private for the past two decades.

The Trump administration postponed its predecessor’s $42.5 billion government broadband-construction initiative, which further increased the short-term uncertainty for the cable broadband industry and internet service providers like Charter at large. While it examines the program’s requirements, the Commerce Department has suspended funds to state authorities that were scheduled to begin awarding contracts this year.

Additionally, streaming is still affecting cable companies’ video divisions.

Instead of watching MTV these days, customers stream Netflix. By expanding into live sports, which were once a staple of pay-TV packages, streamers—some of which are owned by tech giants like Amazon and Apple—have further weakened cable’s hold on video consumers.