China President Xi Jinping (pictured) set out his vision for the country to assume a leadership role in AI, calling for increased international cooperation and promotion of open-source technology while taking aim at the US over attempts to govern the sector.

Xi made the comments in a speech at the World AI Conference in Shanghai, where it was announced China, Brazil, Russia and Indonesia are among 30 countries to have joined the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation.

Chinese state media describe the new group as an intergovernmental organisation headquartered in Shanghai to promote global AI governance.

Of the new group, Xi said AI should not be a “solo performance by one country, but rather a symphony of global cooperation”.

He said the initiative is a response to the call of the Global South to unite the international community in promoting development and governance of AI, “and it will become a major milestone in the history of artificial intelligence development”.

To further support this, Xi said China will provide 5,000 training opportunities in AI-related fields for developing countries, in addition to establishing AI application cooperation centres.  

In his speech, Xi noted that as AI continues to develop at “staggering speed”, there was a greater need for positive direction.

“We must more precisely grasp the scale of oversight and governance, and more promptly refine measures to forestall loss of control.”

Overstretch
While not naming the US directly, Xi said countries should oppose “overstretching the national security concept in the field of AI, or placing one country’s security over that of others”.

The US has notably placed several restrictions on China, impacting companies in the country from accessing high-end technology.

XI continued to state he was committed to promoting cooperation, bridging the digital divide, promoting sustainable development and avoiding “creating new historical injustices in the field of artificial intelligence”.

Finally, he called on the countries to “seize this rare historical opportunity, encourage open source and open collaboration”, in turn upgrading traditional industries and ensure AI can “empower all sectors”.

The post President Xi makes pitch for China to lead global AI race appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The European Commission (EC) ordered Google to ensure rival AI platforms can compete better with the company’s own services on Android and laid out data sharing requirements for its search engine.

The EC stated the measures fall under its Digital Markets Act and are the result of a six-month probe against the company to ensure compliance with the legislation.

In the field of AI, the EC noted competing AI assistants currently have only restricted access to key functions on the current Android OS. This means systems including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude “are not competing on an equal footing” with Google’s own services such as Gemini which have full access.

As a result, third party AI assistants are 60% less attractive to EU users who have an Android device, the EC stated.

The EC stated the measure means users would be able to activate their preferred AI assistant through voice commands.

Third-party users would also be able to employ AI assistants to perform actions in apps on their behalf.

The EC also included safeguards to ensure privacy, device integrity and security.

In total, it will open 11 features on Android to rival AI companies.

Google is also required to share data it collects from its search services with rivals including OpenAI, allowing “for the development and optimisation of third-party search engines”.

The EC stated the move would create a more level playing field with Google Search, although it will be allowed to assess whether rivals pose cybersecurity and data protection risks before opening data to them. The EC stated the measure provides “a fair formula to calculate the price of the shared data”.

Google is required to begin implementing the search measures by January 2027 and the changes to Android from July 2027.

The post EC calls on Google to level up AI playing field appeared first on Mobile World Live.

TSMC raised its investment budget in the US by a further $100 billion, driven by strong demand for AI technology through to 2030.

In an announcement tied to its quarterly results, the Taiwanese chipmaker revealed it would spend the sum in the US state of Arizona, adding to an investment of $165 billion which it has already committed.

TSMC has pledged to build eight manufacturing sites in Arizona, and with the additional investment, could now set up another four focused on manufacturing advanced 2nm chips, in addition to facilities for advanced packaging.

CEO CC Wei stated its raised outlook was based on demand mainly from cloud service providers, which provide a “strong signal and positive outlook”.

“Thus, our conviction in the multi-year AI mega-trend remains very high.”

He added the investment “will help further foster the development of the US semiconductor ecosystem, strengthen the supply chain and support an increasing number of high-tech, high-paying jobs” in the country.

In Q2 2026 the company reported a year-on-year revenue increase of 36% to TWD1.3 trillion ($40.4 billion), with net income increasing 77% to TWD706.6 billion.

The post TSMC ups US investment on AI mega-trend appeared first on Mobile World Live.

India committed to spend an additional INR1.9 trillion ($19.7 billion) on boosting chip and smartphone production in the country, accelerating an initiative first laid out five years ago.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has allocated around INR1.3 trillion to provide state aid for semiconductors and a INR625 billion outlay on smartphones.

The latest investment builds on the Semicon 1.0 initiative outlined in 2021 to invest around INR1 trillion on starting and establishing the country’s semiconductor sector.

In a statement, Ashwini Vaishnaw, minister for Electronics and Information Technology, explained under the refreshed Semicon 2.0, the nation would focus on ensuring chips are being designed in India that can meet all its needs, and by the end of the programme, “we will be 100% self-reliant”.

He added every major industry leader wants to establish a presence in the country “given the growing interest in India’s semiconductor programme”, pointing to partnerships already established with the US, Japan, the European Union (EU), Netherlands, Singapore and Germany.

The minister added the investment and incentives will be aimed at projects around chip design, fabrication of machinery, R&D and talent creation.

Under the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme, Vaishnaw said it would create around 60,000 direct jobs, while it will look to incentivise domestic companies with Chinese suppliers currently dominating the market.

India’s semiconductor advancement adds to similar moves in the US, which has a funding programme in place worth $52 billion. The EU recently unveiled a revamp to its own Chips Act.

The post India to pump $20B into chip, phone manufacturing appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The US government launched a cybersecurity coordination group allowing AI developers and service providers a formal way to work together to respond to threats emerging from the technology.

The White House stated it, along with the Department of the Treasury, Homeland Security, Department of War and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency worked closely with industry partners to detect threats faster and develop a rapid and prioritised response to cyber vulnerabilities across critical infrastructure sectors.

The group, called Gold Eagle, has been spearheaded by President Donald Trump as part of his vision to secure and accelerate American AI innovation.

It was first revealed as part of Trump’s executive order in June to promote advanced AI innovation and security, which includes plans for the release of a new operational model for cyber defence.

The model aims to tap into frontier AI capabilities to continue advancing faster than adversaries, reduce duplicative scanning efforts and “deliver prioritised and actionable threat and remediation information to defenders” across the government and private sector.

The White House statement explained Gold Eagle will help government and industry collectively identify risks, prioritise action and strengthen the resilience of systems that power the economy, national security and daily life.

Companies involved in the coordination group were not disclosed.

Trump’s administration has taken a hands-on approach to AI regulation.

In May it unveiled a legislative framework to create uniform security and safety guardrails. This followed another executive order at the end of 2025 to secure control of AI regulation away from individual states.

The post Trump sets up AI threat coordination group appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The European Commission (EC) approved €659 million in German state aid to finance four new semiconductor facilities, in line with the bloc’s Chips 2.0 Act.

Europe’s executive arm stated the measures would contribute to strengthening the European Union’s (EU) position and autonomy in the semiconductor value chain by supporting “the construction of first-of-a-kind facilities”.

Germany will provide direct grants of €353 million, €214 million, €74.4 million and €17.9 million, respectively, to build the four semiconductor facilities.

The biggest sum will be invested in Baesweiler in North Rhine-Westphalia, on a site to manufacture silicon carbide epi-wafers. The EC explained this new type of semiconductor is expected to be used in various sectors including automotive, industrial, telecoms and energy, enabling improvements in the manufacturing process.

Positive effect
All beneficiaries of the investments have agreed to ensure the broader impact of the projects have positive effects on the EU semiconductor value chain, and strengthens collaboration with universities and research institutions. They also pledged to fulfil orders on a priority basis, develop specialised training programmes and share project-related profits with Germany.

The EC explained an assessment of the plan indicated the measures would promote development of economic activities by creating capacity in Europe, had limited impact on competition and trade in the EU, and had a positive effect on the region’s semiconductor sector.

It stated the awards are the 15^th to 18^th under its Chips Act 2.0 adopted last month and the original Chips Act.

Under the initiatives, it has provided cumulative aid of around €14.2 billion.

The post EC approves €660M German chip investment plan appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Outgoing Ericsson CEO Borje Ekholm (pictured) warned higher component costs would impact profitability from its Networks business, as the vendor reported drops across its top line in Q2.

Ekholm highlighted Ericsson took action to mitigate component cost inflation and pledged the company would “continue to pursue internal measures and pricing action to help offset the effect” of likely continued increases in the coming quarters.

“We also expect some pressure on Networks adjusted gross margin in Q3 due to higher volumes of network rollout projects.”

Revenue declined 6% year-on-year to SEK52.7 billion ($5.4 billion) and net income 12% to SEK4 billion. The company attributed the decreases to lower IPR licensing revenue, reflecting a non-recurring benefit from a partial settlement in the comparable period of 2025.

Sales from Networks fell 8% to SEK33 billion due to negative currency impacts and declines in Europe and the Americas.

Its Enterprise division recorded a 19% sales drop.

The picture was brighter in Cloud Software and Services, with sales growing 3% to SEK14.7 billion.

Strength
The Q2 earnings report is the last to be overseen by Ekholm, who is due to leave at the end of September. His successor Per Narvinger will present Q3 figures.  

Ekholm signed-off by stating Ericsson enters the next phase of facing pressures “from a position of strength”.

“Over recent years, we have strengthened our portfolio to capture the next wave of AI-driven connectivity. Building on our technology leadership in mobile networks, we have expanded into attractive growth areas, positioning Ericsson to capitalise as AI increasingly moves into the physical world,” he said.

The post Ericsson cautions on rising component costs appeared first on Mobile World Live.

SK Hynix outlined plans to go public in the US to raise KRW45.5 trillion ($29.4 billion), which would be the second-biggest IPO in history after SpaceX’s listing earlier this month.

The South Korean high bandwidth memory (HBM) chip company filed for the proposed IPO with the Securities and Exchange Commission to list American Depositary Receipts on the Nasdaq.

In total it plans to issue 17.79 million new shares to raise more than $29 billion, giving it a company valuation of $1.2 trillion. It expects to start trading on 10 July.

It will use the cash to fund the buildout of chip factories in South Korea and acquire chipmaking equipment including extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) scanners. It already has an order in place with ASML worth KRW12 trillion.

A supplier to Nvidia and Google, SK Hynix has been a big winner of the AI boom, with its shares quadrupling in value this year. It competes in the HBM segment with Samsung Electronics and US-based Micron.

Indrani De, global head of investment research at financial company FTSE Russell, told Bloomberg SK Hynix’s outperformance reflects its early move in HBM and strong demand for its chip.

“Supply shortages in HBM where Korean firms dominate with 80% market share are expected to last for years,” she said.

The size of the proposed IPO would see SK Hynix surpass Saudi company Aramco’s IPO in 2019, when it raised $25.6 billion, which is currently the second largest behind SpaceX’s $75 billion.  

The post SK Hynix seeks to raise $29B from US listing appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Meta Platforms deepened its smart glasses push with the launch of a set of lower-priced models under its own brand name for the first time.

Called Meta Glasses, the company stated it is introducing three styles in partnership with manufacturer EssilorLuxottica, at a starting price of $299.

At the lower end of the price point are the Meta Adventurer and Meta Fury options, while a fashion-inspired variant designed in collaboration with celebrity Kylie Jenner costs $399.

The moves marks a change from Meta’s strategy which has made the company a leading smart glasses provider, with it previously launching eyewear in partnership with well-known brands in the segment such as Ray-Ban and Oakley.

Recent Ray-Ban and Oakley ranges had starting prices of $799 and $499 respectively when they were launched in September 2025.

Competition
Meta stated is offering 26 styles through the new line-up, and like with all the glasses in its portfolio they offer a range of AI features, open ear speakers, an advanced multi-mic array, over 8 hours of battery life and advanced privacy settings.

It also highlighted compatibility with Muse Spark, its first model from Meta Superintelligence Labs built specifically for its products, powering the Meta AI platform.

Competition is ramping up in the smart glasses sector, with Apple reportedly due to launch its own offering later this year, as is Google and Samsung Electronics.

The post Meta unveils low-end, own-brand smart glasses appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The Five Eyes intelligence agency called for urgent action to respond to the evolving AI landscape, warning while the technology would help improve defences over time, it also accelerates the speed, scale and sophistication of attacks.

Five Eyes is a global intelligence-sharing alliance between the UK, Canada, US, Australia and New Zealand: it stated frontier models are expected to exceed current industry expectations, transforming offensive and defensive cyber capabilities.

The timeline for this “is not years, it is months”, meaning action must be swift “to remain ahead”.

“In this environment, cyber resilience is integral to advancing business continuity, market confidence and long-term value,” it stated.

As part of a number of recommendations, the alliance urged leaders to understand and assess, risk, readiness and accountability; prioritise foundational cybersecurity practices and controls; empower cyber leaders with authority and resources; and actively engage as threats evolve.

“Success will come from getting the basics right, acting quickly and integrating cybersecurity into core business strategy. Those that do not will face growing operational and strategic disadvantage.”

It emphasised cyber risk cannot be treated purely as a technical issue, but rather a core business risk, arguing ensuring systems are secure by design should become standard industry practice, resilience should depend on a single solution or technology and there must be an understanding fresh vulnerabilities would emerge as AI systems evolve.

Five Eyes also called for better processes to swiftly patch faulty software, address legacy systems, and limit unnecessary system access and external connectivity.

On the flip side, the alliance stated AI should be used to bolster defences, explaining organisations integrating AI tools into security operations can detect vulnerabilities faster, improve quality, monitor unusual behaviour and respond to threats swiftly.

The post Five Eyes sounds alarm on AI cyber threat appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Reliance Industries-owned Jio Platforms filed for an IPO in Mumbai, reportedly with intentions of raising around INR360 billion ($3.8 billion) to pay down debt in its telecoms business.

Billionaire owner Mukesh Ambani (pictured) said at Reliance Industries’ annual shareholder meeting its board had approved a prospectus, which has now been filed with Indian regulators.

Th prospectus did not reveal the size of the listing or a fundraising target, but Reuters reported the sum it is looking for, noting this would be equal to 2.9% of its equity and value the entire business at around INR12.3 trillion.

The previous largest IPO amount raised was the INR278.7 billion generated by Hyundai Motor in a listing in 2024.

Jio Platforms includes the company’s Jio Infocomm telecoms arm and houses its AI, cloud and enterprise network offerings.

Reuters stated around INR275 billion of any sum raised would go towards repaying Jio Infocomm debt.

Ambani said the proposed listing “will demonstrate to the world that India can build technology companies of global scale, global capability and global value”.

Jio entered the Indian market in 2016 and shook up the competitive landscape with low-cost data plans, which attracted millions of users.

In its prospectus, the company stated it had 524.4 million subscribers at end-March, including 268.5 million 5G customers.

The company previously attracted funding from global investors including Meta Platforms, Google and private equity players.

Should the IPO size prove correct, the target is lower than previously mooted: in 2025, Bloomberg reported it was looking to list 5% of its mobile unit, to raise around $6 billion.

Starlink rival.
Also at the shareholder meeting, Jio Platforms revealed it is exploring building its own satellite constellation, a move which would directly rival SpaceX’s Starlink.

Bloomberg reported Jio Platforms’ MD Akash Ambani said it is considering deploying a low Earth orbit satellite network along with exploring partnerships to lease capacity from global providers to “accelerate service availability while building our own long-term sovereign capability”.

The approach would allow Jio to lay the foundation for a satellite broadband play, while working to build ground stations to support the network.

Starlink has partnered with Jio, but is yet to launch services in India due to regulatory roadblocks.

The post Jio Platforms targets record-breaking Indian IPO appeared first on Mobile World Live.

SpaceX reportedly hit out at a European Commission (EC) plan for distributing satellite spectrum across the bloc, warning current proposals could directly impact connectivity with mobile devices.

Bloomberg reported it had seen a statement from Elon Musk’s rocket company which takes aim at an EC plan to offer only a third of its 2GHz frequency band to companies outside the European Union (EU), keeping the remaining amount for those based in the bloc.

The outlet said the proposal effectively excludes foreign companies, like SpaceX, from offering satellite services to governments and will directly impact the expansion of its Starlink connectivity play.

SpaceX has established a presence in Europe, striking partnerships with European operators including Deutsche Telekom and Orange to offer Starlink D2D services to customers.

However, SpaceX said the EC’s plans will split spectrum “in virtually unusable sub-divided parts”.

It apparently added intentions are inconsistent with international regulations and do not adhere to “Europe’s international obligations and economic reality”.

Ukraine concern
Another bone of contention is an EC aim to reserve airwaves for the Europe IRIS2 constellation, with SpaceX arguing this could risk poorer connectivity in Ukraine where Starlink has been used during the country’s war with Russia.

“The proposal creates a significant likelihood that Europeans will be left without direct-to-device satellite services or that new European operations will create global interference problems, including to emergency services like those in Ukraine,” read the statement.

When outlining the plans, EC EVP Henna Virkkunen said earmarking allocations to local operators would encourage diversification of suppliers and incentivise entry into the market.

She also said the 2GHz band was vital for boosting Europe’s competitiveness, security, and fits in with an ongoing drive around technology sovereignty.

The post SpaceX slams Europe satellite spectrum plan appeared first on Mobile World Live.

China’s commerce ministry is reportedly targeting broader use of AI across the country’s consumer economy, unveiling 17 policy measures intended to push the technology beyond industrial applications.

State broadcaster CCTV reported the ministry will use the measures to embed AI into households and businesses, viewing the technology as a lever for economic stimulus.

As part of the plan, it is apparently looking at a fundamental shift in how consumer electronics are designed and sold.

The way devices operate is also a target, moving from functional tools towards AI-integrated systems.

Advancing humanoid robotics in the home is high on the agenda, and the sector has already gained government and private investment.

Chinese players including Unitree and Ubtech were cited as front-runners in the market. They are vying to establish themselves commercially in industrial and consumer spaces.

Structural issues
On the services side, China wants to expand AI’s presence in retail services to public and personal areas.

CCTV cited comments from Lin Jian, deputy director of the international trade cooperation institute at the ministry of commerce, who said the measures are designed to solve structural issues within the country’s services sector.

These include addressing challenges around high labour costs and poor standardisation in service consumption, added Lin.

Beijing is stepping up its AI plans, with Bloomberg reporting earlier this month the government is planning to invest $295 billion over the next five years to build out data centres in the country.

The post China unveils plan to embed AI across society appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Ericsson named David Hammarwall, an executive within its Americas division, to lead its Business Area Networks division, succeeding Per Narvinger, who is lined up to replace Borje Ekholm as CEO.

Hammarwall is currently head of Customer Unit T-Mobile in Market Area Americas, a position he has held since 2023. He joined Ericsson in 2007 and worked in various roles including as the heads of Product Area Networks, Product Line Radio and Product Line 5G RAN.

The appointment is due to take effect on 1 October, when current Networks chief Narvinger steps into the role of CEO. Hammarwall will also join Ericsson’s executive team.

Narvinger said Hammarwall had been a key leader in driving Ericsson’s technology.

Hammarwall added he takes on leadership of the networks unit at an interesting time, “where Ericsson is truly setting a new standard for network intelligence with AI in RAN by bringing powerful AI capabilities to service providers”.

“I’m very much looking forward to working with all the talented Network employees and to meet customers and partners to create outstanding value.”

The post Ericsson names next Networks chief appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Social media company Snap officially unveiled its new AR glasses priced at $2,195, the company’s latest push into the segment.

A decade in the making, Snap stated the AR glasses developed by its dedicated Specs subsidiary would bring AI assistance, work tools, entertainment and shared experiences “into the world around us”.

The device is scheduled to ship later this year, initially in the US, UK and France.

Specs are priced at more than 15-times the price of Snap’s original $130 camera-only Spectacles, which debuted in 2016 and struggled to gain traction.

Snap emphasised main selling points of Specs as being fully standalone, made from Swiss TR90 polymer and available in two sizes.

A 47mm model weighs 132 grams and a 52mm version 136 grams.

Snap argued current smart glasses are lightweight but limited in what they can do, while headsets “are powerful but can feel isolating and cumbersome”.

Specs are designed to address those drawbacks. The display system is powered by Snap’s proprietary liquid crystal on silicon technology, delivering a 51-degree field of view and 16 million colours. It claimed the display “feels like a 24-inch monitor” while working, or a 115-inch home cinema screen placed 10 feet away when watching a movie.

Other highlights include up to four hours of mixed battery life spanning audio and video playback, AI assistance for services including maps and general queries, and the ability to cast a screen and stream content wherever the user is.

Specs run two Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, with one dedicated to computer vision and the other running developer tool Lenses.

Lenses enables the glasses to access interactive features including academic and music educational tools.

Qualcomm struck a multi-year platform deal with the Specs subsidiary in April.

The post Snap sets out vision for $2,000 smart glasses appeared first on Mobile World Live.

AT&T named former McAfee executive Jennifer Biry as its next CFO, replacing Pascal Desroches who is set to retire at the end of the year.

In a regulatory filing, AT&T explained Biry will first take the position of deputy CFO, effective 6 July 2026, before assuming the role as senior EVP and CFO from 1 January 2027.

Biry has served as CFO and COO of security company McAfee since October 2023. Before that, she had a long career at AT&T spanning 22 years in numerous positions across sales, finance and strategy.

As part of this tenure, Biry had an 18-month stint as CFO of WarnerMedia when it was owned by AT&T.

Desroches has been CFO of the US operator for five years, taking on the position in 2021. Before this, he held positions across the WarnerMedia group.

During his time as AT&T’s finance chief Desroches has led a cost cutting drive and moved to simplify the operator’s balance sheet, while taking on major investment in 5G and fibre.

The post AT&T appoints new CFO appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The French government outlined a major sovereign AI push, declaring its intelligence agency would stop working with US company Palantir in favour of a local alternative alongside a pledge to invest €655 million in the technology through to 2030.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced the plans in a video on X as the country advances its sovereign technology ambitions and a desire to reduce dependence on US offerings.

The debate around sovereignty continues to heat up: the US recently hit the brakes on a couple of Anthropic models due to national security concerns.

Prime Minister Lecornu pointed to the issue in announcing the decision to cut ties with Palantir, stating “France must have its own tools”.

“We cannot rely on the goodwill of certain partners who, as we have seen in recent days, are capable of cutting off access to the Anthropic model.”

Intelligence agency DGSI is to replace Palantir’s data tools with an alternative made by privately-controlled French company ChapsVision.

Palantir had worked with the agency for around a decade and announced a three-year renewal in December 2025.

Concerns have been raised about Palantir due to ambitions in Europe to reduce the amount of sensitive data processed by US-based companies.  

The company was co-founded by billionaire Peter Thiel, who has strong links to the US government.

Revolution
The prime minister said the €655 million investment would go towards infrastructure, computing capacity, research, business and industrial sectors.

As part of the plans, the government aims to provide all civil servants with a conversational assistant from domestic company Mistral AI, in addition to a public health assistant by the end of the year.

“We can undergo this revolution. Or we can lead it. France has chosen. It will rise to the challenge of this revolution and intends to claim its full place in it,” Prime Minister Lecornu said.

The post France ends Palantir AI deal in sovereign push appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Italy’s antitrust regulator opened an investigation into Apple over alleged violations of the European Commission’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), centred around third-party interoperability policies with its operating systems and iCloud service.

The competition watchdog stated under DMA rules Apple must ensure third-party cloud providers are granted free and effective interoperability with iOS and iPadOS, as well as access under equal conditions to the same hardware and software features as those available to Apple iCloud.

The authority stated it had indications third-party providers “may not be placed on an equal footing” as Apple’s iCloud, pointing to the fact they appear to lack access to the same features used or made available to the in-house service.

For example, Italy’s regulator stated it appears Apple does not allow alternative cloud storage services to use iOS and iPad features enabling end users to fully backup data.

It will now conduct a deeper investigation into potential violations, before sending findings to the European Commission.

It is the first time the Italian authority has launched a probe under the DMA, which allows national authorities to launch initial investigations.

Apple has been a vocal critic of the EC regulation, which came into force in 2022 with the goal of curbing big tech dominance in favour of smaller players.

In September 2025, the iPhone giant demanded the European Union abandon the legislation, arguing it was making it harder for technology companies to do business, reduced consumer choice and created an unfair competitive landscape.

The post Italy launches Apple cloud probe under DMA appeared first on Mobile World Live.

US communications company Comtech Telecommunications entered into a definitive agreement to sell the bulk of its satellite and space operations to Israeli company Gilat Satellite Networks in a $157.5 million deal.

Under the agreement, Gilat will pay $10 million of the sum up front, taking control of Comtech’s ground infrastructure systems, large antennas, modems, communications equipment, and network control and management systems for different types of satellites including low Earth orbit (LEO) offerings.

The deal is a significant about-turn for Gilat, which agreed to be bought by Comtech for around $580 million in 2020 in a deal which ultimately collapsed.

Gilat specialises in creating equipment for satellite communications including stations, modems, amplifiers and antennas.

The acquisition is expected to beef up Gilat’s presence in the defence market since Comtech is a big supplier for the US military.

Gilat CEO Adi Sfadia said it was impressed with the successful progress of Comtech and the segment is an “excellent strategic fit”.

Comtech will retain some cybersecurity assets and rights to certain accounts in line with a shift towards public safety operations being driven by its Allerium business unit.

“The sale of most of the satellite and space segment, together with the agreements we have reached with our lenders and preferred stockholders, represent a significant milestone in Comtech’s transformation and reflect the successful execution of our strategy,” CEO Ken Traub said.

The deal requires regulatory approval and is expected to close by the end of the year.

The post Gilat snaps up Comtech satellite, space business appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The European Union (EU) signed a digital partnership with Brazil, strengthening ties on shared technology priorities, including data governance, AI, digital infrastructure, connectivity and online platforms.

The EU’s Digital Partnerships initiative is described by the body as a “core instrument” of its external digital policy, enabling cooperation with like-minded countries on shared priorities.

The agreement was signed in Brazil by Henna Virkkunen, EVP at the European Commission and Brazil’s Secretary for Technology, Alex Giacomelli da Silva.

According to comments cited by Reuters, Virkkunen said the bloc’s push to secure more digital cooperation deals is centred on a desire to reduce reliance on US technology.

“Brazil is a country which shares very much the same value[s] as the EU. So Brazil is committed to open markets, to secure technologies, also to a rules-based order.”

She added the EU is looking to build partnerships because it cannot stay competitive alone, while working to reduce dependence on other nations for services including chip manufacturing and cloud.

Brazil becomes the fifth country to partner with the EU on digital initiatives, joining Canada, Japan, South Korea and Singapore.

Data exchange
Through the partnership. The EU and Brazil pledged to step-up joint efforts to promote resilient global supply chains, contributing to an inclusive, rules-based system of global digital governance.

It builds on an agreement struck in January to collaborate on data sharing after finding their protection levels were similar. This agreement allowed businesses, public authorities and researchers to freely exchange data between Brazil and the EU without additional requirements.

The Digital Partnership will now be implemented through dedicated technical workstreams and “high-level exchanges”. A meeting of the Digital Partnership Council will be held in the next 12 months, providing a strategic direction and joint roadmap for the partnership to move forward.

The post EU adds to digital tie-ups with Brazil deal appeared first on Mobile World Live.