Category: Communications

OpenAI countersued Elon Musk, citing a pattern of harassment by Musk and asking a federal judge to stop him from any “further unlawful and unfair action” against OpenAI, in a court case over the future structure of the firm that helped launch the AI revolution.

Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman co-founded OpenAI in 2015, but Musk left before the company became a technology star. Recently Musk, who went on to create his own AI firm, xAI, in 2023, has tried to prevent the ChatGPT maker from transitioning to a for-profit model, culminating in the current court case. In order for OpenAI to secure the entire $40 billion of its current fundraising round, the company must complete its transition by the end of the year.

“Through press attacks, malicious campaigns broadcast to Musk’s more than 200 million followers on the social media platform he controls, a pretextual demand for corporate records, harassing legal claims and a sham bid for OpenAI’s assets, Musk has tried every tool available to harm OpenAI,” the company wrote in a filing in Musk’s existing lawsuit against OpenAI in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.

OpenAI asked the judge to stop Musk from any further attacks, as well as that Musk be “held responsible for the damage he has already caused.”

The two parties are set to begin a jury trial in spring next year.

In response, Musk’s legal team referred to a $97.4 billion unsolicited takeover bid earlier this year from a Musk-led consortium, which OpenAI rejected. “Had OpenAI’s board genuinely considered the bid as they were obligated to do, they would have seen how serious it was. It’s telling that having to pay fair market value for OpenAI’s assets allegedly ‘interferes’ with their business plans,” Musk’s lawyer Marc Toberoff said in a statement provided to Reuters. CNN

German unicorn 1Komma5 Grad has joined Sweden’s Klarna in reassessing plans for a U.S. float as President Trump’s renewable energy and trade policies have roiled markets.

The energy startup, which uses AI to provide solar power, energy storage and e-mobility solutions, says after recent fundraising it is valued at just over $1 billion to join a select club of unicorn status companies in Germany. It was aiming for an initial public offering on NASDAQ in 2025.

“Due to recent tariffs and market reaction we have postponed IPO plans to review the timeline,” the company’s founder and CEO Philipp Schroeder told Reuters.

As a potential global tariff war has disrupted markets in recent days, tech firm Swedish fintech Klarna has also put its U.S. listing on hold, while other companies are freezing dealmaking.

Klarna’s listing could have valued it at over $15 billion, Reuters reported, and was seen as a potential catalyst for others to follow.

On Wednesday, the head of pan-European stock exchange operator Euronext said that volatility and uncertainty brought about by Trump’s policies make the U.S. look like an emerging market more than a developed country.

Emerging markets often use tariffs to protect their industries while they try to develop.

European tech startups have looked to the U.S. to attract more liquidity, expand faster and face less regulatory hurdles than in their home markets.

“When we started and actually reached unicorn status already in ’23, the overall environment for clean tech and technology companies out of Europe to actually still be listed at NASDAQ was an option that was suitable”, 1Komma5 Grad’s Schroeder said.

But recent shocks have made that market less appealing, he said.

Given uncertainty in U.S. markets in recent weeks, other European tech companies may consider other listing venues.

The “U.S. is no longer the only place to look for a tech IPO,” said Gianni Cuozzo, chief executive of Italian tech startup Exein, which had previously said it was considering a U.S. listing in the 2027-2030 period. Cuozzo said the company had not yet decided what it would do.

Exein, which provides embedded cybersecurity, said it is valued at around 500 million euros ($545 million).

While the postponement of IPOs can be blamed on stock market volatility, some experts say that the appeal of a U.S. listing and the liquidity of those markets might have been exaggerated.

Last month, the London Stock Exchange issued a “mythbusting” note to warn British companies and advisers that inclusion in the S&P 500 index, which includes companies listed on the NASDAQ and the New York Stock Exchange, can be “extremely challenging” for non-US companies.

Out of 20 British companies which listed in the U.S. since 2014 and raised at least $100 million, nine of them have delisted and seven are trading down 85% on average, while only four are trading up, the note said. Reuters

The imposition of steep US tariffs on imports is expected to weigh on household consumption and economic growth in the near-term, while offering limited relief to select domestic industries such as steel, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData’s Macroeconomic Outlook reveals that the US GDP growth is forecast to slow to 2.0% in 2025 and further to 1.9% in 2026, compared to 2.8% in 2024. Real household consumption expenditure is projected to grow at a slower pace of 2.2% in 2025, reflecting increased economic uncertainty and the inflationary impact of tariffs on consumer goods, particularly imported automobiles.

Gayatri Ganpule, Economic Research Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The new tariffs introduced in early April 2025 have triggered a wave of market volatility and investor concern. The S&P 500 fell by 4.8% following the announcement, while the US dollar weakened. Although the tariffs aim to protect domestic manufacturing and reduce trade imbalances, they are likely to fuel inflation by increasing the cost of imported goods, notably vehicles and auto parts, which are essential household expenses.”

The 25% tariff on foreign-manufactured automobiles is expected to directly contribute to a rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which could constrain the Federal Reserve’s ability to ease interest rates. This may result in prolonged higher borrowing costs, further pressuring consumer confidence and investment momentum. However, certain industries have seen positive impacts.

The domestic steel sector, for example, has experienced a surge in benchmark hot-rolled coil prices, up more than 30% since January 2025, leading to stronger performance for firms like Nucor and Steel Dynamics. Moreover, the Congressional Budget Office anticipates $800 billion in customs revenue over the next decade.

Ganpule concludes: “While the broad-based tariffs present significant economic risks, targeted measures have provided a lifeline to struggling industries. Striking the right balance between domestic industry protection and inflation management will be critical for sustaining long-term economic stability in the US. GlobalData

In a statement, BSNL Madurai General Manager P. Loganathan said the campaign was aimed at improving customer satisfaction and quality of service and to gain the confidence of users. BSNL was committed to “on the spot” redressal of grievances of customers and was conducting camps at various customer service centres. Long-pending grievances and satisfactory services would be key focus at the camps. The Hindu

China began censoring some tariff-related content on social media on Wednesday after US “reciprocal” tariffs on dozens of countries took effect, including massive 104% duties on Chinese goods, while posts criticising the US were top hits.

Hashtags and searches for “tariff” or “104” were mostly blocked on social media platform Weibo, with pages showing an error message.

The U.S. is “waving the tariff stick in a high profile manner, imposing tariffs on EU steel and aluminium products… but also writing letters to European countries in a low voice, urgently asking for eggs,” CCTV said in a post on Weibo.

The censorship also extended to WeChat, where a wide range of posts from Chinese companies that highlighted the negative impact of Trump’s tariffs were taken down by the platform.

The censored posts were all marked by the same label stating the “content was suspected of violating relevant laws, regulations, and policies”.
Beijing announced counter-tariffs on the U.S. last week and has vowed to fight what it views as blackmail.

Internet censors have also allowed mocking U.S. comments to proliferate on Chinese social media, depicting the United States as a globally irresponsible trading partner, as China prepares the stage for a wider trade fight with the world’s biggest economy.

China controls the internet through a system known as the “Great Firewall” and social media posts are routinely censored when deemed detrimental to national interests. Foreign social media networks such as Instagram and X are blocked, a system that has created a captive market for domestic alternatives.

Beijing lawyer Pang Jiulin, who has more than 10.5 million followers on his Weibo account, said China’s share of exports to the US would quickly be replaced by countries such as Vietnam and India, and Chinese companies would lose the opportunity to continue exporting to the US.

In the face of US economic aggression, China has no way out but to “fight to the end” he said.

“If China also increases tariffs to 104%, the prices of American goods including Apple and Tesla will soar, and Chinese will pay a greater price for their favourite American goods.”

Hitting back with its own tariffs and export controls may not be very effective, given China ships to the U.S. about three times as many goods than the around $160 billion it imports. But it may be the only option if Beijing believes it has a higher pain threshold than Washington has.

Chinese stocks tumbled on Monday with the Shanghai Composite Index down 7% in its worst day in five years, but they closed higher on Wednesday, buoyed by state pledges to support local markets.

Prominent Chinese commentator Hu Xijin said on Wednesday that Trump’s team was “really delusional”. Reuters

Villagers faced problems due to lack of coverage of telecom networks at Dounellli village and its two hamlets in Kuntala mandal on Tuesday.

Residents of the village, Mahadev Thanda and Gamampur Thanda said that they were struggling to stay connected with their relatives and friends following lack of the coverage of a telecom provider. They stated that they were forced to climb trees and trek up hillocks to catch signals of a network. They requested the officials of BSNL to install a tower to end their woes.

The villagers further said that they accepted a resolution to give a piece of land for the tower. They recalled that the officials of the public sector telecom network visited the village several times, but the problem was not addressed so far. They urged the officials concerned to take steps to provide services of a telecom operator. Telangana Today

China said that any deal for TikTok had to comply with Chinese law, reiterating an earlier stance when asked about US President Donald Trump’s move to extend the deadline for the TikTok sale by 75 days.

Trump extended the deadline last week after sources said a deal to spin off the U.S. assets of TikTok was put on hold.

China had indicated that it would not approve the deal after Trump’s tariffs announcement, they said.

Asked about the deadline extension, China “opposes practices that ignore the laws of the market economy, plunder by force, and damage the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises,” a spokesperson for China’s commerce ministry said according to a statement posted on its website.

“The specific business arrangements must comply with Chinese law, including the export of technology, which must be approved by the Chinese government.”

The algorithm TikTok relies on for its operations are deemed core to ByteDance’s overall operations but any export of the algorithm is subject to Chinese government approval, according to a law Beijing rolled out in 2020. Reuters

Under the agreement, Emitel, which intends to fund the project from free cash flow, will construct hundreds of new telecommunications towers for Orange over the next few years.

Ac an anchor tenant, Orange will commit pay a recurring fee under a long-term contract for each site built based on industry-standard terms, according to Emitel.

The agreement also allows Emitel to sell remaining space on each tower to other MNOs to increase the profitability of each site.

At the end of 2024, Emitel operated 762 communications towers, with all four of Poland’s major MNOs as tenants.

The company expects the new deal with Orange and others will enable it to expand its nationwide tower portfolio to well over 1,000 sites.

According to Emitel, Poland, the sixth largest EU economy, was a strong performer in Europe in 2024, recording GDP growth of 2.9%, and economists expect even higher growth in 2025.

“We are pleased that Orange Polska has once again entrusted us to implement a significant infrastructure project,” Maciej Pilipczuk, CEO of Emitel, said.

“As an experienced technology partner, we guarantee the highest execution standards and efficiency in delivering even the most demanding investments for them.

“Our many years of experience in building and managing telecommunication infrastructure enable us to support the expansion of the mobile network in Poland, meeting the growing needs of operators and users.”

Steven Marshall, co-founder of Cordiant Digital Infrastructure, said the company is delighted with the contract win by Emitel with a blue-chip customer.

“As a result, the company will play a key part in expanding Poland’s 5G telecommunications network and expects to earn incremental revenues for the duration of the project,” Marshall said.

“Wins such as this validate our Buy, Build & Grow model and create real value for our shareholders.” ITWire

According to a new report from global technology intelligence firm ABI Research, the total number of active LEO (including VLEO) satellites in operational orbit will increase from 7,473 in 2023 to approximately 42,600 by 2032. As China and Europe intensify their efforts and make significant investments in the LEO satellite market, there is a growing emphasis on space technologies for both national and commercial strategies. With more companies entering this sector, there are vast opportunities to expand across various industry verticals to capture the potential the space domain offers.

“As we observe more competitors innovating their technologies and upgrading their satellite constellations to stay ahead in the space race, we anticipate a surge in commercial investment in satellite services and applications, including the Internet of Things (IoT), remote sensing, and global satellite communications. Additionally, advancements in real-time data processing and analysis, coupled with growing competition in value-added services such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and edge processing, will spur increased applications in the Earth observation industry. These factors are expected to drive significant growth in the LEO satellite market in the coming decade,” explains Rachel Kong, Research Analyst at ABI Research.

Many satellite network operators are seizing this opportunity to invest in their networks or collaborate with technology companies. In the AI and edge processing space, companies like AWS, Spire Global, Telesat Lightspeed, D-Orbit, Anduril, and Ubotica are exploring new opportunities to deliver advanced systems that integrate these technologies into satellite networks.

Chinese operators such as Spacesail, China Satellite Network Group, and Shanghai Landspace Technology are also accelerating the development of their satellite constellations to strengthen national defense and security systems. This includes their ambition to become global leaders in communications and other key space capabilities.

“To capitalize on the growing opportunity in the satellite market, it is essential for ecosystem players to recognize the potential in emerging markets such as Asia-Pacific, Southeast Asia, and Africa,” adds Kong. “These regions offer vast untapped opportunities, though a lack of investment and regulatory barriers currently limits them. Moving forward, it will be crucial to collaborate with local governments and ecosystem players to align regulatory policies, expand broadband access, and strengthen digital infrastructure.” ABI Research

The White House said it is ordering federal agencies to name chief AI officers and develop strategies for an expansion of the government’s use of artificial intelligence, rescinding Biden-era orders intended to place safeguards on the technology.

The Office of Management and Budget directed government agencies to implement minimum-risk management practices for high-impact uses of AI and develop a generative AI policy in the coming months.

“Agencies must adopt a forward-leaning and pro-innovation approach that takes advantage of this technology to help shape the future of government operations,” the memo said.

The memo rescinds two orders issued under the former administration of President Joe Biden. One of those had ordered agencies to adopt safeguards to protect people’s rights and ensure transparency and the other had sought to place restrictions on AI acquisitions.
Biden’s order had also called on agencies to name chief AI officers.

President Donald Trump has already revoked a 2023 executive order signed by Biden that sought to reduce AI risks by requiring developers to share data.

Monday’s memo directs agencies within six months to “develop an AI strategy for identifying and removing barriers to their responsible use of AI and for achieving enterprise-wide improvements in the maturity of their applications.”

The White House said it will no longer impose “unnecessary bureaucratic restrictions on the use of innovative American AI in the executive branch.”

A separate directive said the White House wanted to drive “efficient acquisition of artificial intelligence in government,” ordering agencies to focus on interoperability.

Agencies must “maximize the use of American-made AI,” it added.

The White House said the new approach removed burdensome reporting requirements and optimized the acquisition process, while continuing to protect privacy.

Many government agencies have been touting the use of AI to address various issues. The Federal Aviation Administration, for instance, has been using machine learning and language modeling to scan incident reports and mine multiple data sources to uncover themes of aviation risk. Reuters