NEWS
Water and energy networks could be used to
deliver nationwide gigabit broadband
The UK government’s Digital
Infrastructure Minister, Matt Warman,
is seeking views on changing regulations
to make infrastructure sharing easier for
broadband companies. This would open up
access for broadband network operators
to house their equipment on ‘passive’
infrastructure owned and used by other
telecoms companies. Passive infrastructure
includes utility ducts, poles, masts, pipes,
inspection chambers, manholes, cabinets
and antenna installations.
The government will also explore making
it easier for these firms to run high-speed
broadband cables through the electricity,
gas, water and sewer networks that span the
UK. Steve Beeching, Managing Director at
Viasat UK, said: “The last few months have
made crystal clear just how vital broadband
connectivity is to the UK.
“While this announcement shows a welcome
willingness to explore new ways to expand
connectivity, it seems we’re still stuck in a
mindset of taking 19th century approaches
to a 21st century issue.
“We need broadband services in every inch
of the country to prevent a stark digital
divide and even with the best will in the
world, pipes and cables cannot reach
everybody. By fixating on fibre broadband,
we are at risk of missing the fact that any
true national broadband programme
needs to use multiple technologies – from
fibre to 5G to satellite – to give everyone
from consumers to emergency services the
connectivity they need, when they need it.”
ALE and Hudini collaborate on eConcierge solution
Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, headquartered in Colombes, France
and recognised as a global leader in business communications
and collaboration solutions, partnering with Hudini, the Digital
Transformation platform that connects all three stages of the
hospitality guest journey, has announced the integration of the
Hudini Guest Engagement Suite with the Alcatel-Lucent Hospitality
Guest Services solution and digital guestroom phones. The aim
is to provide hotels with a new omnichannel and digital guest
engagement solution for all guest and hotel devices.
The newly integrated hospitality telephony solution gives guests and
hotel staff the freedom to access hotel information and services. It
also allows them to make calls, at any time from any location, using
their own or hotel devices, such as tablets, smartphones and digital
room phones.
On top of enhancing the digital guest experience and improving
communication access for all hotel employees, the two companies
aim to simplify hoteliers’ purchasing process by offering a single
application for eConcierge and telephony services for multiple inroom
and mobile guest devices.
The Hospitality Guest Services solution, the newly launched
voice service API for hotel guests by Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise,
enables high-quality voice services to Hudini’s multi-device Guest
Engagement Services platform. The solution allows providers of
mobile guest or eConcierge apps to enrich them with enterprisegrade
voice capabilities and link these services to the guest room.
This integration turns a guest’s own mobile device into an extension
of their in-room phone. Consequently, in addition to accessing hotel
services via the mobile app, guests and staff can also make internal
and external phone calls from their own devices and hotel tablets,
passing through the hotel’s telephony systems, instead of operator
or roaming services.
14 INTELLIGENTCIO www.intelligentcio.com