Intel intros facial authentication solution

Intel introduced an on-device, facial authentication solution that combines an active depth sensor with a specialized neural network. The technology could be used for smart locks, access control, point-of-sale, ATMs, kiosks, etc.

Intel said its RealSense ID technology integrates anti-spoofing features and can adapt to users over time as they change physical features, such as facial hair and glasses. 

"Intel RealSense ID combines purpose-built hardware and software with a dedicated neural network designed to deliver a secure facial authentication platform that users can trust," said Sagi Ben Moshe, Intel corporate vice president and general manager of Emerging Growth and Incubation.

https://newsroom.intel.com/news/introducing-intel-realsense-id-facial-authentication

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T-Mobile US cites progress with 5G rollout

T-Mobile US reported its highest postpaid net additions in company history at 5.5 million for the full-year 2020. 

“Our focus on bringing unmatched value and experience to customers while building and delivering the nation’s best 5G network paid off with record-breaking results in 2020 (5.5 million new postpaid customers!) – and we continue to be the growth leader in wireless,” said Mike Sievert, T-Mobile CEO. “Our 5G leadership position is getting stronger every day. We set some huge goals in 2020 that some thought were impossible, but we smashed them. Today, T-Mobile’s high speed Ultra Capacity 5G covers over 50 times more people than Verizon and it’s growing. We continue to demonstrate that we are way ahead of the competition on 5G and poised to become the country's overall network leader. The network performance we’re delivering right here, right now, is setting the stage for what’s next. This is what leadership looks like!”

Preliminary Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2020 Customer Results

• Total net customer additions were 1.7 million in Q4 2020 and 5.6 million for the full-year 2020, the highest annual number in four years. The total customer count increased to a record-high of 102.1 million.
• Postpaid net customer additions were 1.6 million in Q4 2020 and 5.5 million for the full-year 2020, the highest annual number in company history.
• Postpaid phone net customer additions were 824,000 in Q4 2020 and 2.2 million for the full-year 2020. Postpaid phone churn was 1.03% in Q4 2020 and 0.90% for the full-year 2020.
• Postpaid other net customer additions were 794,000 in Q4 2020 and 3.3 million for the full-year 2020, the highest annual number in company history.
• Prepaid net customer additions were 84,000 in Q4 2020 and 145,000 for the full-year 2020. Prepaid churn was 2.92% in Q4 2020 and 3.03% for the full-year 2020.

T-Mobile provided the following 5G network update: the 5G footprint now reaches 280 million people and covers 106 million people with mid-band (2.5 GHz) and millimeter wave spectrum. The 106 million surpassed the company’s aggressive goal to cover 100 million Americans by the end of 2020 and compared to an estimated 2 million people covered by Verizon’s Ultra Wideband 5G, showcasing T-Mobile’s dramatic lead in the 5G race.

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Fiber Broadband Association elects 2021 Board of Directors

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) announced its 2021 Board of Directors:

• Chair: Katie Espeseth, Vice President of New Products, EPB
• Vice Chair: Kevin Morgan, Chief Marketing Officer, Clearfield
• Secretary: Gregg Logan, Vice President of Engineering, C Spire
• Treasurer: Joe Jensen, Director, Americas Market Development, Corning
• Joseph “JJ” Jones, Executive Vice President, On Trac, Inc.
• Teles Fremin, Chief Communications Engineer, LUS
• Joanne Hovis, President, CTC Technology & Energy
• Mark Boxer, Technical Manager – Solutions and Applications Engineering, OFS
• Craig Stein, Vice President of Americas and Head of Global Business Development, ADTRAN

“2020 created many new challenges for everyone, but it also created enormous opportunities for broadband. Our Board of Directors plays a critical role in guiding our industry to address the rapidly evolving needs for fiber broadband connectivity—whether it be for remote work, education, or healthcare,” said Gary Bolton, President and CEO of FBA. “FBA is fortunate to welcome our 2021 Board of Directors and have Katie’s leadership for a second term. Each Board member brings extensive and unique experience to our organization that we’ll leverage to identify the right path to speed the deployment of fiber-based networks in every corner of the Americas for a true broadband experience.”

http://fiberbroadband.org

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Zain to deploy 60,000 Nokia 5G FWA gateways across Saudi Arabia

 Zain KSA will deploy 60,000 of Nokia's FastMile 5G Gateways across Saudi Arabia over the next 12 months. The 5G fixed wireless access gateways incorporate eSIMS (embedded SIM), aligning with Zain KSA’s digital transformation strategy to enhance the customer experience

FastMile 5G gateways connect homes and businesses with fixed 5G technology and offer support Wi-Fi 6.                

Nokia FastMile 5G gateways take advantage of the company’s self-optimizing mesh Wi-Fi 6 solution for real time Wi-Fi performance optimization. The gateways ensure a much quicker and easier account setup by using the latest eSIM technology that allows users to avoid the process of acquiring and installing a physical SIM card. This deployment is the first time eSIM has been used in a 5G fixed wireless access solution.                                  

Eng. AbdulRahman bin Hamad AlMufadda, Chief Technology Officer at Zain KSA, said: “Rolling out our new 5G fixed wireless access routers comes in line with our digital transformation and 5G expansion strategy reiterating our role in serving the Kingdom’s society. Our mission from the start was to strengthen the 5G experience in the Kingdom into two levels: horizontally, concerned with spreading the 5G network across the largest possible geographical scale. Vertically, through 5G fixed wireless access solutions to enable homes and offices with the best and most reliable broadband experience available. In alignment with Saudi Vision 2030 we will continue to invest further to enable the digital sector and the national digital transformation namely through: cloud computing, IoT, and AI; while simultaneously aiming to become the digital service provider of choice in the Kingdom.”

Sandra Motley, President of Fixed Networks Division at Nokia, said: “We are happy to support Zain KSA connect more people, and revolutionize the way people live and work in the Kingdom. Zain KSA is joining the leading operators around the world, in providing the 5G fixed wireless access to deliver a gigabit experience to consumers and businesses alike. The combination of FastMile 5G Gateways and self-optimizing mesh Wi-Fi 6 technology means that Zain KSA is delivering a new and unmatched 5G experience to everyone, at every corner in homes and offices.”

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NYSE reverses its reversal and will delist Chinese operators

The New York Stock Exchange reversed its earlier reversal and once again now intends to begin delisting procedures for China Telecom Corporation Limited, China Telecom Corporation Limited, China Telecom Corporation Limited. 

In late December, the NYSE announced the delisting plans in order to be  in compliance with President Trump's Executive Order 13959, which was issued on November 12,2020 and which targets Chinese companies with ties to the PRC's military and which are seeking investments through public listings on U.S. financial exchanges.

On January 4th, the NYSE reversed its decision saying it no longer would proceed with the delisting of the three Chinese telecom operators.

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Infinite Electronics acquires NavePoint

Infinite Electronics, a leading global supplier of electronic components, has acquired NavePoint, an online provider of networking equipment and services.

Founded in 2008, NavePoint is based in Libertyville, Illinois and employs approximately 25 team members.

NavePoint will continue to operate as an independent brand within the overall Infinite family of brands. The company’s president, Evan Schoenberg, will join the Infinite leadership team and will continue to lead NavePoint’s day-to-day operations.

“We are very excited to welcome NavePoint and the team to Infinite Electronics and our portfolio of high-performing brands. The addition of NavePoint is a nice compliment to our existing networking product offering and provides a unique opportunity to expand our technical reach to data center customers, corporate office buildings and other industries.  NavePoint products expand Infinite’s current portfolio in high-quality racks and cabinets, rack shelving, accessories and more. As we integrate the brand and the team we see great opportunities ahead while we remain focused on delivering outstanding service and support to the customers we collectively serve,” said Penny Cotner, President and Chief Executive Officer of Infinite Electronics.

http://www.infiniteelectronics.com 

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Dremio raises $135 million for data lake service

Dremio, a start-up based in Santa Clara, California, raised $135 million in Series D funding for its data lake service.

Dremio eliminates the need to copy and move data to proprietary data warehouses or create cubes, aggregation tables and BI extracts. 

“There is a challenging story before the story when it comes to data warehouses, and that is the process of copying, moving and synchronizing data,” said Billy Bosworth, CEO of Dremio. “Dremio’s technology fundamentally simplifies workflows, allowing analytics directly on your full data set, stored in industry-standard open formats, residing in native cloud storage. We are pleased to have Sapphire Ventures on the investor team to help make that possible.”

The new fundraising round is led by Sapphire Ventures with participation from existing Dremio investors: Insight Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, Redpoint Ventures, and Cisco Investments. The investment will help Dremio expand its engineering centers of excellence around the globe, grow its customer-facing organization, contribute to open-source initiatives, and invest heavily in educating and enabling a growing community of data lake practitioners. The new fundraising occurred just nine months after a $70 million round led by Insight Partners in March 2020.

http://www.dremio.com

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