Category: Communications

Perplexity AI is in early talks to raise between $500 million and $1 billion in funding at an $18 billion post-money valuation.

The new funding would double the artificial intelligence startup’s most recent valuation. Perplexity has just under $100 million in annual recurring revenue, or ARR, according to the source, who asked to remain anonymous due to the confidential nature of the talks.

The AI search engine company competes against the likes of Google and Microsoft-backed OpenAI. Its valuation in December was $9 billion, triple its $3 billion valuation in June 2024.

Perplexity has been in the middle of the generative AI boom that began in late 2022 with the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, but it faces increasing competition in the AI search market.

Earlier on Thursday, Anthropic launched its web search product, allowing its chatbot Claude to display real-time search results to a subset of users. Last fall, OpenAI launched a search feature within ChatGPT, its viral chatbot, that positioned it to better compete with Perplexity, as well as leading search engines such as Google and Microsoft’s Bing. Google has released AI Overviews within its search product as well, though it sparked controversy over high-profile errors soon after its release.

Bloomberg was first to report on Perplexity’s funding talks.

CNBC reported last month that Perplexity was close to raising a $50 million venture fund focused on early-stage AI startups. The company will be an anchor investor in the fund, but most of the capital is coming from outside limited partners, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke with CNBC at the time.

Perplexity sees a potential investing advantage when it comes to startups because roughly 80,000 developers are plugged into its network, the person told CNBC at the time. That gives the startup visibility into who is using its application programming interface, or API, and who is most active in their consumption. Perplexity’s founders and investors are putting money into the fund, and some of the company’s commitment is in the form of stock, the source said.

The startup also made a bid in January to merge with TikTok as the social media platform’s future in the U.S. remains in limbo.

Despite the AI boom, Perplexity has been embroiled in controversy due to accusations of plagiarizing content from media outlets. Perplexity debuted a revenue-sharing model for publishers in July. Any time a user asks a question and Perplexity generates ad revenue from citing an article in its answer, Perplexity will share a percentage of that revenue with the publisher, the company said at the time. CNBC

Conditions improved in the second half, but overall, it was a challenging year for the telecom suppliers. Preliminary findings suggest that worldwide telecom equipment revenues across the six telecom programs tracked at Dell’Oro Group—Broadband Access, Microwave & Optical Transport, Mobile Core Network (MCN), Radio Access Network (RAN), and SP Router & Switch—declined 11% year-over-year (YoY) in 2024, recording the steepest annual decline in more than 20 years (decline was >20% in 2002), propelling total equipment revenue to fall by 14% over the past two years. This remarkable output deceleration was broad-based across the telecom segments and driven by multiple factors, including excess inventory, challenging macro environment, and difficult 5G comparisons.

In 4Q24, stabilization was driven by growth in North America and EMEA, which nearly offset constrained demand in Asia Pacific (including China).

The full-year decline was uneven across the six telecom programs. Optical Transport, SP Routers, and RAN saw double-digit contractions, collectively shrinking by 14% in 2024. Microwave Transport and MCN experienced a more moderate combined decline in the low single digits, while Broadband Access revenues were fairly stable.

Similarly, regional developments were mixed in 2024. While the slowdown was felt across the five regions — North America, EMEA, Asia Pacific, China, and CALA — the deceleration was more pronounced in the broader Asia Pacific region, reflecting challenging conditions in China and Asia Pacific outside of China.

Supplier rankings were mostly unchanged globally, while revenue shares shifted slightly as both Huawei and Ericsson positions improved. Overall market concentration was stable with the 8 suppliers comprising around ~80% of the worldwide market in 2024.

Rankings changed outside of China. Initial estimates suggest Huawei passed Nokia to become the #1 supplier, followed by Nokia and Ericsson. Huawei’s revenue share outside of China was up 2 to 3 percentage points in 2024, relative to 2021, while Ericsson is down roughly two percentage points over the same period/region.

Market conditions are expected to stabilize in 2025 on an aggregated basis, though it will still be a challenging year. The analyst team is collectively forecasting global telecom equipment revenues across the six programs to stay flat. Dell’Oro

Elon Musk’s Starlink has obtained a no-objection certificate (NOC) to launch its services in Pakistan.

Following clearance by the govt, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is expected to issue licenses to Starlink within the next two weeks, local broadcaster ARY News reported. Starlink has already submitted its application for a license to the PTA.

ARY News further reported that Starlink has completed three registration phases and now, the final stage is left that is the issuance of a license by the PTA.

Interestingly, Elon Musk-owned X (formerly Twitter) is banned in Pakistan.

Recently, Starlink has entered into a partnership with Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio to enter the Indian telecom market but a govt approval is still pending for the same.

“This partnership will deliver reliable broadband services across the country, including in the most remote and rural regions,” Jio stated in its announcement.

Notably, Starlink is a satellite internet constellation developed by SpaceX, a private aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company. Business Standard

In a strategic move to establish Odisha as a global digital hub, the state government’s Electronics and IT department has initiated plans to set up a Cable Landing Station (CLS) in Puri.

Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja on Wednesday reviewed the progress of the detailed project report (DPR), being jointly prepared by RailTel and Deloitte.

According to an official release, the initiative will strengthen the state’s digital infrastructure, catalyse investments in data centres, attract top-tier technology players and generate jobs.

Ahuja emphasised the need for consultations with hyperscalers and key ecosystem players to ensure a comprehensive and future-ready implementation.

He directed early submission of the DPR for approval with a focus on completion of the project within three years, it stated.

The Odisha Cable Landing Station is a flagship initiative of the state government, designed with a strategic vision for scalability and ecosystem development. The government remains committed to making the state a magnet for digital investments, unlocking immense opportunities for businesses, technology companies, and the workforce, the release stated.

Puri was identified as the ideal location for the cable landing station due to its strategic geographic position, suitable coastline, scalability potential and robust infrastructure.

The facility will provide direct international fibre connectivity, reducing latency, improving internet speed, and positioning Odisha as a prime destination for hyperscalers, Global Capability Centres (GCCs), and enterprises, it added.

Once implemented, the state will become a key node in the global digital network, further strengthening India’s role in the data-driven economy, it said.

A Cable Landing Station (CLS), also known as a submarine cable landing station, is a coastal facility where undersea fiber optic cables carrying international telecommunications and internet traffic connect to land-based networks.

Cable landing station is also known as a submarine cable landing station. It is a facility located on the coast where undersea fibre optic cables carrying international telecommunications and internet traffic connect to terrestrial networks. PTI

Global virtual reality (VR) headset shipments fell 12% YoY in 2024, the market’s third consecutive year of declines, according to the latest update from Counterpoint’s Global XR (AR/VR) Headset Model Tracker. In Q4 2024, the shipments fell 5% YoY. Hardware limitations, lack of compelling VR content and usage scenarios, and decreased consumer engagement continued to impact the market. However, demand from the enterprise market, though relatively limited in size, remained more resilient, particularly in large-scale immersive Location-Based Entertainment (LBE), education, healthcare and military.

Meta continued to dominate the global VR headset market in 2024 with a share of 77%. In Q4 2024, Meta’s market share rose to 84% primarily due to the launch of the more affordable Quest 3S headset. Sony’s PSVR2 shipment share surged to 9% in Q4 2024, fuelled by aggressive promotions and discounts during the Black Friday and Christmas sales. Apple’s Vision Pro shipments saw a steep 43% QoQ decline in Q4 2024, reflecting a slowdown after the initial market hype. In Q4, Apple expanded the Vision Pro’s availability to new markets, including South Korea, UAE and Taiwan, which helped partially offset the overall decline. The device’s enterprise sales also saw an uptick.

Chinese OEMs Pico and DPVR also benefited from the growing enterprise market demand in 2024. For Pico, shipments to the enterprise segment surpassed those to the consumer segment, while DPVR saw over 30% YoY shipment growth in 2024, driven by its strong focus on enterprise customers.

According to our projections, the global VR market’s growth will remain limited over the next two years. Despite the potential of spatial computing, significant challenges persist, including a lack of compelling content beyond entertainment, eye fatigue from prolonged use, and the ongoing trade-offs between performance, headset weight, battery life and heat dissipation. Until more substantial technological advancements are achieved, the global VR market’s growth is likely to face challenges.

The global AR smart glasses market also faced challenges in 2024, experiencing an 8% YoY decline. Birdbath-based video-watching AR smart glasses remained the dominant category, growing 27% YoY in 2024. In contrast, waveguide-based information display glasses saw a sharp 67% YoY decline, primarily due to weak INMO product sales.

However, we expect the global AR smart glasses market to rebound in 2025, achieving over 30% YoY growth through 2026, driven by the potential entry of major tech giants and the accelerating momentum of the ‘AR+AI’ trend. As generative AI technologies advance, an increasing number of companies are positioning AR smart glasses as a key platform for AI integration, driving further market expansion. Besides, Google’s introduction of Android XR OS, designed to support existing Android apps and seamlessly integrate with its suite of large AI models, is expected to unlock new use cases and further propel the growth of the AR smart glasses market. Counterpoint Research

With Indian consumers showing greater acceptance for AI-solutions, India can potentially serve as a testbed for advanced AI advertising strategies that could later be adapted for global market, a report released by the Advertising Standards Council of India’s Academy stated. The report also advocated for development of an industry-wide frameworks for the responsible use of AI in advertising where technology serves both businesses and consumers equitably.

The report highlighted that business leaders have an optimistic outlook regarding AI integration in advertising as it has the potential to drive efficiency and personalisation. “A significant finding is the understanding that AI’s true strength lies in augmenting, not replacing, human creativity, enabling advertisers to craft compelling and nuanced narratives,” ASCI noted in a statement.

Digital-native industries are seen embedding AI more seamlessly into their core operations compared to legacy sectors, which are finding creative ways to integrate AI through customer-centric applications.

Greater acceptance and trust
“Unlike many global markets, Indian consumers show greater acceptance and trust towards AI-powered solutions. This receptiveness places India in a unique position—potentially serving as a testbed for advanced AI advertising strategies that could later be adapted for global markets,” the report added. However, the report also noted that it is critical to ensure responsible adoption frameworks for deployment of AI in advertising.

“AI-driven advertising should aim to be socially beneficial. In India, this means ensuring that advertising content does not promote harmful stereotypes, misinformation, or products that could negatively impact public health or social well-being. AI should be used to create ads that are relevant and useful to users, rather than be manipulative or deceptive,” it added.

Manisha Kapoor, CEO & Secretary General, ASCI, said, “The advent of AI presents an unprecedented opportunity for the advertising industry in India to innovate and connect with consumers in more meaningful ways. However, this power must be wielded responsibly, with a focus on transparency, responsibility, and building lasting trust with consumers.” The Hindu BusinessLine

Average 5G data consumption in India has peaked to 40 GB per user per month and its total subscriber base is expected to grow by 2.65 times to around 770 million in the next three years, telecom gear firm Nokia said on Thursday.

The mix of data consumption across 4G, 5G etc has increased by compounded annual growth rate of 19.5 per cent over five years to 27.5 GB in 2024, Nokia’s annual mobile broadband index (MBiT) report said.

According to the report, there was a remarkable three-fold year-on-year surge in 5G data traffic across India in 2024.

“Average 5G data consumption in India per user was recorded at 40 GB in December 2024. We expect the 5G user base to grow to around 770 million by 2028 from 290 million in 2024,” Nokia India, Head of Technology and Solutions (Mobile Networks), Sandeep Saxena said during the report launch.

According to the report, the continued rise of 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is driving increased data usage, with FWA users now consuming over 12 times more data than the average mobile data user, driven by new services in both residential and business settings.

“The 5G device ecosystem in India continues to evolve rapidly, with the number of active 5G devices doubling year-on-year to reach 271 million in 2024. This trend is expected to accelerate, with nearly 90 per cent of smartphones to be replaced in 2025 are expected to be 5G-capable,” Saxena said. PTI

U.S. Commerce department bureaus informed staffers in recent weeks that Chinese artificial intelligence model DeepSeek is banned on their government devices, according to a message seen by Reuters and two people familiar with the matter.

“To help keep Department of Commerce information systems safe, access to the new Chinese based AI DeepSeek is broadly prohibited on all GFE,” said one mass email to staffers about their government-furnished equipment.

“Do not download, view, access any applications, desktop apps or websites related to DeepSeek.”

DeepSeek’s low-cost AI models sparked a major selloff in global equity markets in January, as investors worried about the threat to the United States’ lead in AI.

U.S. officials and members of Congress have expressed concerns about the threat of DeepSeek to data privacy and sensitive government information.

Congressmen Josh Gottheimer and Darin LaHood, members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, in February introduced legislation to ban DeepSeek on government devices. Earlier this month, they sent letters to U.S. governors urging them to ban the Chinese AI app on government-issued equipment.

“By using DeepSeek, users are unknowingly sharing highly sensitive, proprietary information with the CCP — such as contracts, documents, and financial records,” the lawmakers wrote in a March 3 letter, referring to the Chinese Communist Party. “In the wrong hands, this data is an enormous asset to the CCP, a known foreign adversary.”

Numerous states have banned the model from government devices, including Virginia, Texas and New York, and a coalition of 21 state attorneys general has urged Congress to pass legislation. Reuters

A total of 2,603 villages in 167 blocks of Odisha do not have any mobile network, while 10 panchayats lack broadband connectivity, a state minister said.

He said in the assembly that 375 villages in Kandhamal district have no mobile network services, followed by Rayagada (274), Gajapati (241), Koraput (223), Malkangiri (216), Kalahandi (203) and Nayagarh (184).

Electronics & Information Technology Minister Mukesh Mahaling was replying to a query by BJD MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo in the House.

In terms of mobile connectivity, the top three districts are Balasore (only one village without mobile network), Jagatsinghpur (two) and Puri (three).

Mahaling said installation of new mobile towers is underway under the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) telecom project, which is likely to be completed by June.

The 10 panchayats that lack broadband connectivity are likely to get the services through satellite, he added. PTI

The International Data Corporation (IDC) released its latest forecast for Worldwide Edge Computing Spending Guide, featuring a new enterprise industry taxonomy. The newly added structure now includes 27 industries, providing a more detailed and nuanced segmentation by region and country across key manufacturing sectors such as automotive, industrial, consumer packaged goods, life sciences, high-tech and electronics, and aerospace. According to IDC, global spending on edge computing solutions accounts for nearly $261 Billion in 2025 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.8%, reaching $380 Billion by 2028.

“Most industries benefit from the ability to process data closer to the source, leading to faster decision-making, improved security, and cost savings. Retail, industrial manufacturing, utilities, high-tech and electronics, healthcare, and life sciences are among the industries that require a particular understanding of their processes and investment behavior,” said Alexandra Rotaru, data & analytics manager at IDC’s Data & Analytics Group. A granular view into these industries will support technology vendors better tailoring their solutions to meet the specific needs and challenges of each industry. This targeted approach enables the delivery of more relevant and effective solutions, ultimately driving growth and innovation in the edge computing landscape.”

IDC segments edge spending for more than 1000 named enterprise use cases related to six enterprise domains: AI, IoT, AR, VR, Drones, and Robotics, unlocking significant opportunities across various industries. Augmented Reality, followed by Artificial Intelligence, are the fastest growing segments over the forecast period, driving increased investments in key sectors.

In 2025, Retail & Services sector accounts for the largest share of investments in edge solutions, representing nearly 28% of total global spending. In this sector, use cases such as video analytics, dynamic real-time carrier performance and optimized operations account for the biggest spending. The Manufacturing & Resources sector follows as the second largest, collectively making up a quarter of worldwide spending. Additionally, financial services are projected to experience the fastest growth in spending over the next five years, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) exceeding 15%, driven by spending related to Augmented Fraud Analysis and Investigation use case in the AI domain.

The Edge Spending Guide also forecasts infrastructure investments made by Service Providers to deliver services to enterprises in the form of multi-access edge computing (MEC), content delivery networks, and virtual network functions, and are forecasted to reach almost $100 billion by 2028.

“Edge computing is poised to redefine how businesses leverage real-time data, and its future hinges on tailored, industry-specific solutions that address unique operational demands,” said Dave McCarthy, research vice president, Cloud and Edge Services at IDC. “We’re seeing service providers double down on investments—building out low-latency networks, enhancing AI-driven edge analytics, and forging partnerships to deliver scalable, secure infrastructure. These efforts are critical to realizing the full potential of edge computing, enabling everything from smarter manufacturing floors to responsive healthcare systems, and ultimately driving a new wave of innovation across verticals.”

Regarding technology spending, Hardware is the most significant investment at the beginning of the forecast, driven by the rapidly deploying AI accelerated processors. This evolution is fueled by the increasing demand for real-time data processing and the proliferation of intelligent end points that increasingly require edge-based compute, storage and network capabilities such as those supporting agentic AI capabilities. However, aggregate Services segments (includes Provisioned and Professional Services) are estimated to surpass the hardware share by 2028, posting a five-year CAGR of more than 18%. Within Provisioned Services, infrastructure as a service (IaaS) remains the fastest-growing category driven by the need for scalable, flexible, and cost-effective solutions that can handle the growing computational demands of AI workloads. IDC