Mike Robuck
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Articles by Mike Robuck
Maestri latest Apple shift as Ternus takes over
Former Apple CFO Luca Maestri reportedly stepped down from his role overseeing corporate services, the latest departure among Tim Cook-era executives as John Ternus settles into the CEO role. Bloomberg reported Maestri left his job as a VP for corporate services in recent weeks and now has no formal responsibilities beyond teaching a well-regarded class at the Apple University internal leadership training programme.
Nokia opens Saudi Arabia R&D centre
Nokia opened a research and development centre in Riyadh, its first in Saudi Arabia, dedicated to AI network automation and orchestration software for customers in the country and globally. The facility will focus on advancing AI-driven service management and orchestration (SMO), self-organising networks (SON), Autopilot and rApps, technologies designed to help communications networks self-configure, self-heal, optimise performance and cut energy consumption.
Feature: John Deere debuts AI assistant to put farm data to work
Agricultural and heavy-equipment maker John Deere unveiled a conversational AI assistant for its operations centre, pairing the launch with a data pledge and new AI organisation aimed at turning farm data into actionable insight. The company introduced JD, a generative AI assistant which answers natural-language questions using a farmer’s own field, machine and operational data.
Rural wireless innovation zone gets FCC nod
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authorised a new R&D zone at Iowa State University, giving researchers a platform to develop wireless technologies to connect rural communities and test use cases for precision agriculture across crop and livestock farms. The agency explained the zones are designated locations where experimental licensees can test advanced wireless technologies, applications and prototype networks outside of traditional campus or lab settings.
Andreessen Horowitz unveils $1.1B fund for AI infrastructure
Venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz launched a $1.1 billion Machine Age Fund aimed at accelerating the physical infrastructure required to sustain the rapid expansion of AI. The company stated as machine intelligence transitions from simple chat interfaces to complex reasoning, coding and autonomous systems, computing demands are scaling by orders of magnitude.
Verizon adds satellite backup to island network
Verizon deployed a permanent, multi-layered network resiliency set-up on a US island to keep mobile services running for residents, visitors and first responders when the island’s fibre connection fails. The island of Ocracoke in the US state of North Carolina sits at the end of the Outer Banks, reachable only by ferry It relies on fibre running down the northern Outer Banks as its primary link to the mainland network.
OpenAI throws weight behind Thai AI start-ups
OpenAI and Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) launched an accelerator in Bangkok to help local start-ups move from working prototypes to deployable products in what is the AI player’s first public-private partnership with the Thai government focused on homegrown companies. The OpenAI x MHESI AI Accelerator brings together 10 start-ups spanning health, wellness and education.
Mavenir, Sanas add voice AI to networks
Mavenir joined forces with speech AI platform Sanas to integrate real-time voice intelligence directly into mobile operators’ network infrastructure to meet sovereign AI requirements. The partnership uses Sanas’ voice processing engine and Mavenir’s MAVcore Voice AI portfolio, enabling operators to process, enhance and secure mobile calls natively at the network level instead of relying on device-side applications.
OpenAI claims Jalapeno chip outperforms Nvidia GB300
OpenAI released benchmark data for Jalapeno, the custom inference chip it developed with Broadcom, indicating it beat Nvidia’s Blackwell Ultra-based GB300 on speed and power efficiency. It noted Jalapeno’s package power is 700 watts compared to 1,400 watts for the GB300, underscoring the efficiency gap even before performance is factored in. Jalapeno was tested against rival systems using InferenceX, a public benchmark from SemiAnalysis which measures end-to-end AI request serving.
Ciena tips AI services to boost revenue growth
A survey of service providers by technology company Ciena pointed to strong revenue potential from AI networking, though most respondents stated their networks need significant upgrades to capture the opportunity. 90% of respondents expect high-capacity AI network services linking enterprises, large and specialist cloud providers to relevant infrastructure to drive revenue growth over the next three- to five-years, with 56% expecting it to be their main source of net-new revenue.
Nvidia Groq 3 LPX enters full production
Nvidia revealed its Groq 3 LPX interactive AI inference accelerator had entered full production, an extension of its Vera Rubin platform designed to speed token generation for agentic AI systems which the company stated can generate massive volumes of tokens across hundreds or thousands of inference steps. Groq 3 LPX extends the inference performance of Nvidia’s Vera Rubin NVL72 systems to cover more responsive agentic applications operating on large amounts of context.
Xiaomi unveils new chip, taps TSMC for foldable push
Xiaomi reportedly showcased its Xring O3 smartphone processor, the latest in the company’s push to reduce its reliance on external chip suppliers and strengthen its position in the premium and foldable smartphone markets. The chip was revealed at Xiaomi’s Xring Chip Technology Communication Conference. According to EE Times China, cited by trade publication TrendForce, the 3nm processor has more than 24 billion transistors. This is a 26% increase over its predecessor.
Verizon taps Google Cloud for enterprise-wide AI push
Google Cloud unveiled a strategic partnership with Verizon centred on deploying AI across the operator’s customer experience, network operations and internal functions, with Gemini Enterprise positioned as a core pillar of the effort. Under the agreement, Verizon will use Google Cloud’s full AI stack to help modernise customer experiences, unify enterprise data and scale AI use across the company.
Nvidia in early talks with chip startup Rebellions
Nvidia is in early discussions with South Korean AI chip designer Rebellions about possible collaborations, including a technical partnership, an investment or potentially an acquisition, Bloomberg reported. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang (pictured) met with Rebellions co-founder and CEO Sunghyun Park last week at Nvidia’s headquarters in Santa Clara, California, to discuss a potential tie-up, according to the news agency.
AT&T becomes connectivity partner for US Open tennis
AT&T has been named the official connectivity partner of the US Open under a new five-year agreement with the United States Tennis Association (USTA), with the operator detailing network upgrades built to handle tens of thousands of fans streaming, scanning tickets and staying connected across the tournament grounds.
Japan consortium wins ITU-T photonic network standard
The ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) approved a framework for low-latency, energy-efficient networks designed to support the AI era, developed by seven Japanese telecoms and technology companies. KDDI, NTT, 1Finity, NEC, Rakuten Mobile, Oki Electric Industry and Sumitomo Electric Industries stated the recommendation, now designated ITU-T Y.3335, was approved on 13 August.
Charter wraps up $34.5B Cox deal, Liberty acquisition
Charter Communications completed its $34.5 billion deal for Cox Communications, consolidating two of the largest cable providers in the US, alongside a concurrent all-stock acquisition of Liberty Broadband. The sweeping multi-billion dollar deal expands the Charter Spectrum footprint across a unified 45-state territory, positioning the combined entity to directly challenge national telecommunications operators and global entertainment platforms in an increasingly competitive market.
Oura expands senior team with CIO, AI specialist
Oura appointed Sanjay Chandra as its first CIO and Han Chiu as SVP of AI and software engineering, bolstering its top team to support ambitions of expanding from a wearables maker into a longitudinal health platform. Chandra will report to CFO Sean Brecker, while Chiu will report to COO Michael Chapp. Oura stated both appointments are intended to strengthen the systems, security and governance underpinning its growth, alongside supporting continued investment in AI-related product development.
Micron to invest $10B in US memory research hub
Micron Technology unveiled Micron Research Labs, a US-based long-horizon research institution headquartered in Boise, Idaho which is backed by a planned $10 billion investment over the next decade to advance memory and compute breakthroughs for the AI era. The company stated the hub would bring together customers, academia, government, start-ups and the broader semiconductor ecosystem to pursue advances beyond current technology roadmaps.
Zayo secures Corning fibre supply for AI expansion
Zayo expanded its strategic supply agreement with Corning to secure a significant portion of the fibre optic cable it expects to need through the rest of the decade, as the digital infrastructure provider works to stay ahead of surging AI-driven demand.
T-Mobile US CIO recounts hunt for Salt Typhoon hackers
After T-Mobile US’ security team tracked down a device compromised by Chinese state-linked hackers, staff drove to the data centre which housed it and severed the connection with a pair of scissors. Jeff Simon, the operator’s CIO, recounted the November 2024 incident to Bloomberg, describing a frayed length of yellow cable now framed and on display at T-Mobile’s Bellevue, Washington headquarters as “a small little trophy and a remembrance”.
OpenAI targets enterprise data retention worries
OpenAI reportedly pledged to eliminate data retention for enterprise customers using its AI models, a policy which contrasts with rival Anthropic. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported the ChatGPT-maker believes its new technique will allow it to safely provide its most advanced models without keeping business information on its servers, directly targeting growing enterprise frustration over competing data logging practices. The position contrasts with that of fellow AI player Anthropic.
Nvidia plays matchmaker as Nordic AI deals boom
Nvidia reportedly is connecting companies seeking access to its GPUs with data centre operators across the Nordics, as the chipmaker seeks to deepen its influence across the AI infrastructure ecosystem. Two sources familiar with the matter told CNBC Nvidia has offered to introduce firms operating data centres in the Nordics, an increasingly sought-after region for AI infrastructure, to companies with GPUs looking for capacity.
Marvell hands Google right to buy $12B stake in chip deal
Marvell Technology issued Alphabet’s Google a warrant to buy a stake worth roughly $12.2 billion, as part of an expanded deal to help develop custom chips for the search giant. Marvell signed an underlying commercial agreement with Google on 29 July, before the chipmaker issued the warrant itself on 18 August, according to a regulatory filing. Google received the right to buy up to 58.97 million Marvell shares at $206.58 apiece, exercisable until August 2033.
Anthropic eyes $10B credit line ahead of IPO
Anthropic is reportedly preparing to expand a revolving credit facility beyond a roughly $10 billion target, as the AI company moves closer to one of the sector’s most closely watched initial public offerings. Bloomberg reported the Claude chatbot maker’s proposed revolver has attracted a range of banks seeking to strengthen their case for roles on the IPO, citing people familiar with the matter.
OpenAI makes safety changes following Hugging Face hack
OpenAI slowed development of its most advanced unreleased AI models and introduced tougher safeguards after a recent cybersecurity incident which indicated upcoming systems could pose greater cyber risks. In a company update yesterday (18 August), OpenAI stated it temporarily paused reinforcement learning training on its latest models intended for deployment for two weeks while it hardened research environments and broadened monitoring coverage.
IBM Consulting joins GSMA Open Gateway
IBM Consulting joined the GSMA Open Gateway initiative, adding integration and managed services expertise to help connect mobile network capabilities with enterprise applications through standardised APIs. The GSMA Open Gateway initiative allows mobile operators to expose network capabilities as developer-friendly APIs. It is underpinned by the Linux Foundation’s CAMARA project, and backed by the TM Forum and Mplify Alliance.
Apple revamps EU App Store model
Apple moved to settle its long-running battle with the European Commission over app distribution, overhauling developer terms across the European Union to charge a 5% Core Technology Commission on digital sales from outside its store. The company announced yesterday (18 August) it will eliminate its controversial per-install Core Technology Fee, which drew heavy criticism from competition regulators for hindering alternative marketplaces.
RAN market growth streak continues
Research by Dell’Oro Group found worldwide RAN revenue increased modestly year-on-year in Q2, marking a third consecutive quarter of growth following more than two years of contraction. Stefan Pongratz, VP at Dell’Oro Group, stated the results reinforced a message the firm has been communicating for some time: “the coverage-to-capacity correction is largely in the past, and the RAN market is stabilising”.
Groq valuation halves to $3.5B in new funding round
Groq raised $350 million in a funding round which values the AI inference company at $3.5 billion, roughly half the $6.9 billion valuation it commanded in 2025 before Nvidia struck a licensing deal with the start-up and hired much of its senior talent. The round was led by Dallas-based investment company Disruptive, with Nvidia also set to participate. Groq raised $750 million In September 2025, which valued it at $6.9 billion.
US probes board roles of VC company staff
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) opened an antitrust investigation into whether partners in venture capital company Andreessen Horowitz improperly hold board seats at competing AI and data companies, Bloomberg reported. Investigators are apparently focused on Databricks and Fivetran, companies which help businesses collect and handle large volumes of data. Bloomberg reported Ben Horowitz sits on Databricks’ board and partner Martin Casado on Fivetran’s.
US court rejects Verizon bid to recoup $47M FCC fine
The US Supreme Court declined to modify its 4 June ruling in a way which would have let Verizon Communications pursue recovery of a $46.9 million penalty it paid the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over location-data privacy violations, Bloomberg reported.
Ergen-owned CONX to acquire controlling stake in MobileX
Charlie Ergen reportedly reached a deal to acquire a controlling stake in MVNO MobileX through special purpose acquisition company CONX, in a deal valued at about $200 million. Ergen is co-founder and chairman of EchoStar, a holding company for his communications empire which includes Boost Mobile, Hughes Network Systems and pay-TV business Dish Network.
US FCC approves broadband progress report
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) concluded advanced telecommunications capability is being deployed to citizens in a reasonable and timely fashion in its first assessment of the market under the current presidency of Donald Trump. In its annual Section 706 Report, the FCC indicated intensifying market competition is driving service providers toward ubiquitous nationwide coverage.
Google offers option to remove visible AI watermarks
Google revealed it will allow users to disable visible watermarks on AI-generated content produced by its Gemini ecosystem, offering greater creative flexibility for professionals while preserving backend transparency. The tech giant confirmed the toggle option will apply across outputs including images, videos, and music generated by its Nano Banana, Omni, and Lyria AI models.
Apple develops Chinese AI model with Alibaba
Apple reportedly changed tack on its AI strategy, teaming with Alibaba Group to train a large language model for the Chinese market. Reuters reported the move is a departure from Apple’s earlier strategy of employing domestic partners’ models in a nation where US iterations are not available. The company’s Apple Intelligence suite of AI tools is expected to launch in China in the coming months following an update to its iOS operating system.
Feature: T-Mobile US talks SA 5G crowd connection strategy
When two million fans flooded New York City to celebrate the Knicks’ National Basketball Association championship parade, T-Mobile US’ network carried 38TB of 5G data and supported 964 first responders on its T-Priority slice simultaneously, the most the operator has ever handled at a single event. For Salim Kouidri (pictured), SVP of field engineering at T-Mobile, that kind of performance under pressure is the payoff for a bet the company made years ago on standalone (SA) 5G architecture.
Dell’Oro predicts AI-fuelled front-end network changes
Dell’Oro Group reported the rise of agentic AI and inference is reshaping network requirements compared with those used for training workloads. It stated the shift is fuelling “significant expansion of front-end networks” to meet broader AI infrastructure demands. Dell’Oro estimated AI would drive more than 50% of growth in front-end data centre switch sales in the coming years, presenting “expansion opportunities for both established vendors and new market entrants”.
OpenAI replaces revenue chief
OpenAI named Wiz executive Dali Rajic (pictured) as its new chief revenue officer, filling a key commercial position as incumbent Denise Dresser prepares to step away after less than a year in the role. The AI player stated said Dresser is leaving “to pursue other opportunities,” in an online post yesterday (13 August). It is the latest in a series of senior leadership changes at the ChatGPT parent, as it continues to scale commercial operations ahead of an anticipated initial public offering.
Apple in talks to pay for Siri AI news access
Apple is reportedly seeking multiyear deals with publishers to give its upgraded Siri AI assistant access to news and real-time information. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported the partnerships are intended to bolster Siri’s real-time accuracy and utility after years of lagging behind rival AI assistants. Rather than paying fixed, upfront licencing fees, which have been the standard approach for similar agreements in the industry, Apple is said to be proposing a variable compensation structure.
Ryanair seeks resilience in Google Cloud
European airline Ryanair struck a five-year partnership with Google Cloud to deploy data and AI tools across its operations to help achieve a goal of handling 300 million passengers annually by 2034. Ryanair plans to provide Google Workspace and Google Cloud to 35,000 employees across its network. CEO Eddie Wilson said the airline is providing redundancy with a dual-cloud approach. The passenger target means Ryanair must “ensure we have excellent infrastructure resilience”, he explained.
Apple taps airline executive for government affairs role
Apple reportedly selected Nate Gatten as its next head of government affairs, an American Airlines executive with close ties to the US Republican party. Bloomberg reported Gatten will take on the title of VP of government affairs on 31 August, citing a memo from Apple SVP and general counsel Jennifer Newstead. The news site noted the move marks an evolution in the role.
Google unveils Pixel 11 range
Google unveiled its flagship Pixel 11 series alongside expanded hardware at an annual event, introducing processor and camera upgrades along with adjusted memory configurations. The range spans the base Pixel 11 (priced at $899), Pixel 11 Pro ($1,099), Pixel 11 Pro XL ($1,299) and Pixel 11 Pro Fold ($1,899), which all run on Google’s Tensor G6 processor.
Celona unveils platform to aid enterprise AI applications
US-based vendor Celona launched Orion, a converged wireless platform combining private 5G, Wi-Fi, public cellular and satellite connectivity into what it called a single deterministic, secure fabric for enterprises deploying physical and agentic AI. The private wireless company argued traditional, siloed networks were never built to support emerging demands from the likes of autonomous robots, computer-vision systems, edge AI devices and software agents.
Lockheed Martin, Verizon tap 5G for drone detection
Aerospace company Lockheed Martin, Verizon, Nvidia and others demonstrated an AI system capable of identifying, tracking, and monitoring unmanned aerial systems (UAS) using existing 5G networks. The NetSense Airspace Awareness-as-a-Service system was tested in a high-traffic urban area in the US city of Miami, Florida last month, showcasing the components, capabilities, and real-time UAS detection and alert systems.
AT&T readies cloud-managed video service
AT&T Business unveiled a managed cloud video deployment product to help organisations update services by enabling delivery across various operating environments while reducing the complexity and infrastructure requirements. The operator stated AT&T Video Intelligence with EdgeVis Cloud supports growing demand for video-enabled operations from businesses and public sector organisations, citing uses including safety, security and near real-time situational awareness.
Anthropic adds watermarks to Claude text to meet EU rules
Anthropic will watermark text generated by its models to comply with European Union regulations, the company announced in an updated support page. The move aligns with the European Union AI Act’s Article 50(2) Code of Practice on Transparency of AI-Generated Content, which took effect on 2 August and requires AI development companies and system providers to mark AI-generated or processed content so other digital systems can identify it.
T-Mobile US completes $2.9B Grain spectrum sale
T-Mobile US completed a sale of its nationwide 800MHz spectrum portfolio to Grain Management in exchange for $2.9 billion in cash and all of the latter’s 600MHz spectrum licences more than a year after agreeing a deal in principle. At the time, T-Mobile stated the deal would let it deploy Grain Management’s 600MHz spectrum across its own network, building on gains it was making in several markets.
AST SpaceMobile revenue rockets
AST SpaceMobile booked a big year-on-year rise in revenue in Q2, driven by gateway deliveries and milestones tied to US government contracts as the direct-to-device (D2D) satellite operator continues to scale ahead of a planned beta service launch later this year. The company stated it remains on track to meet its full-year 2026 revenue guidance of $150 million to $200 million on the back of additional contract awards from the US government.
Investors put $500B into Nvidia AI infrastructure plan
Nvidia inked strategic partnerships with Apollo, BlackRock, Blackstone, Brookfield, Goldman Sachs and KKR to establish AI compute infrastructure financing platforms to mobilise more than $500 billion of third-party capital to build related infrastructure. The chipmaker stated memorandums of understanding would help create the first compute financing platforms of their kind at global scale, intended to fund frontier AI laboratories, clouds and enterprises.
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