With a wealth of experience in enterprise telecommunications and managing the complexities of vulnerable networks, Vladislav Zaimov offers a sharp perspective on the forces shaping Europe’s digital landscape. We sat down with him to discuss the evolving dynamics of the industry, exploring how major acquisitions are reshaping the IoT market and how new satellite technologies are poised to connect the previously unconnected. Our conversation also touched on the strategic consolidation happening in the UK’s fixed-line market, the regulatory tightrope of balancing fiber investment with security mandates, and the technological leaps enabling multi-gigabit wireless access and supercomputer-driven healthcare.
Netmore’s acquisition of Actility combines Massive IoT with established LoRaWAN expertise. How will this specifically impact verticals like utilities and asset tracking, and what are the key technical challenges in integrating their platforms for a Tier 1 operator? Please elaborate on the expected outcomes.
This is a very strategic move that creates a powerhouse in the European IoT space. For verticals like utilities, the impact will be immediate and profound. Think about smart metering for water or gas; you suddenly have Netmore’s massive connectivity ambition paired with Actility’s battle-tested experience from thousands of LoRaWAN deployments in over 100 countries. This combination means a utility company can deploy sensors with confidence, knowing the network is scalable and backed by a deep well of operational knowledge. For asset tracking, it means more robust, cross-border solutions. The key technical challenge, especially for a Tier 1 operator customer, is seamless platform integration. You’re merging two different network architectures and management philosophies. The real work is in creating a unified, single-pane-of-glass management portal that doesn’t feel patched together. The expected outcome is a much more compelling, end-to-end service offering that can truly deliver on the promise of “Massive IoT” reliably and at scale.
Open Cosmos and Sahra Space are integrating IoT gateways directly into their new satellite constellation. What are the primary advantages of this approach for massive machine-type communications compared to traditional methods, and what specific new applications might this enable? Please provide a step-by-step example.
Integrating the IoT gateway directly into the satellite is a game-changer for massive machine-type communications, or mMTC. The primary advantage is the radical simplification of the ground segment. Traditionally, you’d have a sensor that talks to a local terrestrial gateway, which then backhauls the data, often via satellite link. This new approach eliminates the middleman. A sensor in a remote farm field or on a shipping container in the middle of the ocean can now communicate directly with the satellite. This drastically reduces power consumption for the sensor, lowers infrastructure costs, and extends coverage to virtually anywhere on the planet. For a step-by-step example, consider precision agriculture. Step one: A farmer deploys low-cost soil moisture sensors across a vast, remote field with no cellular coverage. Step two: Each sensor, on a pre-set schedule, sends a tiny packet of data—just a few bytes—directly to one of the 16 passing satellites. Step three: The satellite’s integrated gateway processes this signal and relays it to a cloud platform. Step four: The farmer receives a real-time, color-coded map on their tablet showing which specific areas of the field need irrigation, optimizing water usage and crop yield. This was simply not economically or technically feasible before.
The potential sale of TalkTalk’s divisions to a major player like Vodafone or Virgin Media O2 points to further UK market consolidation. What are the potential consequences for wholesale competition and consumer pricing, and what regulatory hurdles might such a large-scale deal typically face?
This move signals a significant tightening of the UK market. If a giant like Vodafone or Virgin Media O2 acquires TalkTalk’s assets, the most immediate consequence is a reduction in wholesale competition. Smaller internet service providers who rely on TalkTalk’s wholesale network to offer services will suddenly find themselves dealing with a much larger, more powerful, and potentially less flexible partner. This could squeeze their margins and limit their ability to innovate. For consumers, the short-term effects might be masked by promotional offers, but in the long run, less competition almost invariably leads to higher prices and reduced choice. A deal of this magnitude would face intense scrutiny from regulators. They would be laser-focused on market dominance, especially in the wholesale sector, and would likely demand significant concessions, such as mandated access rates for smaller players or even the divestment of certain network assets, to ensure a semblance of a competitive landscape remains.
As the EU pushes to phase out copper networks, fiber groups express concern over unfunded security mandates. How can regulators balance the need for secure, resilient infrastructure with the need to incentivize private investment, and what specific frameworks would foster fair competition effectively?
This is the central tension in European telecom policy right now. Regulators can strike a balance by treating security not as an unfunded mandate but as a shared responsibility. The Digital Networks Act’s provisions for security are critical, but as the FTTH Council rightly points out, you cannot expect private companies that are already investing heavily to meet Digital Decade targets to also foot the entire bill for national security obligations. A fair framework would involve co-funding mechanisms where national and EU resources, perhaps from the Multiannual Financial Framework, support the implementation of these security upgrades. This approach recognizes fiber as critical national infrastructure. To foster competition, regulators should ensure that any security requirements are standardized and don’t create an excessive burden that only the largest incumbents can afford, effectively locking out smaller, innovative fiber providers.
New fixed wireless access platforms are using licensed mmWave spectrum for multi-gigabit performance. How does this technology provide superior capacity and range compared to other FWA solutions, and what are the primary deployment challenges for connecting homes in dense urban areas? Please share some performance anecdotes.
The use of licensed mmWave spectrum is what truly elevates modern FWA. Unlike the crowded, lower-frequency bands used by many other wireless solutions, mmWave offers vast, clean channels of spectrum. This is what allows a platform like CBNG’s VectaStar NR to deliver multi-gigabit speeds. Think of it as moving from a congested two-lane road to a brand-new, sixteen-lane superhighway; the capacity is just fundamentally greater. The point-to-multipoint architecture also allows a single hub to serve a large number of homes, making it economically efficient. From what I’ve seen in early deployments, the performance is stunning—we’re talking fiber-like speeds delivered over the air. The primary challenge in dense urban areas, however, is line-of-sight. mmWave signals don’t penetrate buildings or even dense foliage well. This means deployment requires careful planning, placing hubs on tall buildings or lampposts to ensure a clear path to each connected home, which can be logistically complex.
A six-fold increase in the DAWN supercomputer’s capacity is intended to improve medical diagnostics. Can you detail the specific computational tasks this enables for spotting diseases earlier, and how this enhanced power translates into more accurate, actionable tools for doctors in a clinical setting?
A six-fold increase in computing capacity is a quantum leap, not just an incremental improvement. For medical diagnostics, this enables immensely complex computational tasks that were previously impossible. For instance, an AI model can now be trained on millions of high-resolution medical images—MRIs, CT scans, retinal scans—instead of thousands. This allows it to learn to spot the most subtle, almost imperceptible patterns that precede a disease, like the earliest signs of cancerous tissue or diabetic retinopathy. With this £36 million investment, DAWN can run vastly more complex simulations of protein folding or drug interactions, accelerating the development of new treatments. For a doctor, this translates into tools that are not just faster but fundamentally more accurate. Instead of just flagging an anomaly, the AI can provide a probability score, highlight the specific pixels of concern, and even cross-reference the patient’s genetic data to suggest the most likely diagnosis, turning raw data into actionable clinical intelligence.
Major soccer stadiums are now deploying multi-operator core technology. What are the technical steps involved in merging separate carrier networks in such a dense environment, and what key performance indicators are used to measure a genuinely improved connectivity experience for thousands of fans during a game?
Deploying multi-operator core technology in a stadium like Stamford Bridge is a highly complex feat of network engineering. The first technical step is installing a shared Distributed Antenna System, or DAS, throughout the venue—a network of small antennas that ensures physical signal coverage everywhere. The next, more crucial step is integrating the core networks of, in this case, Vodafone and Three. This involves connecting their baseband units to the shared DAS and implementing software that allows for neutral-host roaming and seamless handoffs between the two networks. It’s about making two separate brains control one shared body. Key performance indicators go far beyond just “having bars.” We measure things like connection success rate, latency, and, most importantly, uplink and downlink throughput during peak usage—like halftime or after a goal when thousands of people are trying to upload videos simultaneously. A genuinely improved experience means a fan on either network can stream a high-definition video replay or make a video call without buffering, right from their seat. That’s the real test.
What is your forecast for the convergence of satellite and terrestrial IoT networks over the next five years?
My forecast is that the line between satellite and terrestrial IoT will become almost invisible to the end user and the application. Over the next five years, we will see the rise of hybrid devices with chipsets capable of seamlessly switching between LoRaWAN, 5G, and direct-to-satellite links based on availability and cost. This convergence will be driven by projects like the one from Open Cosmos and strategic acquisitions like Netmore’s purchase of Actility. The result will be true, ubiquitous connectivity. An asset tracker on a shipping container will use a low-cost terrestrial network while in port, then automatically switch to a satellite link once at sea, without any human intervention. This will unlock massive new markets in logistics, agriculture, and environmental monitoring that have been hampered by the patchwork of today’s connectivity. The future isn’t satellite versus terrestrial; it’s a unified, intelligent network fabric that covers the entire globe.
