Russia is reportedly seeking to replace Wikipedia with a state-run online encyclopedia as it accelerates plans for a "sovereign internet".

According to a Reuters report, Russia plans to spend around $30 million setting up the Wikipedia replacement and...

A controversial law which forces new mobile subscribers in China to first provide scans of their face has now been implemented.

To sign up for a new plan, Chinese consumers will still need their national ID card but will now also be forced to supply facial scans. First announced in September, Beijing says it’s taking the step to “protect the legitimate rights and interest of citizens in cyberspace.”

The...

Following an internet shutdown, the Iranian government has sent a letter to state-run companies asking them what foreign websites they rely on.

The Iranian government cut off internet access for a week earlier this month amid protests against increasing fuel prices.

Experts believe the letter to state-run organisations suggests Tehran is planning to implement a whitelist of sites that citizens can access as part of a wider internet clampdown.

Amir Nazemi, head of Iran’s Information Technology Organisation, sent the...

The web is not in a healthy state and its creator is stepping in with a "contract” to help save it.

British pioneer Sir Tim Berners-Lee wrote his proposal for what became the World Wide Web in 1989. In a list of 80 cultural moments that shaped the world, chosen by a panel of 25 eminent scientists, academics, writers, and world leaders, the invention of the World Wide Web was ranked number one.

The entry stated, "The fastest-growing communications medium of all time, the internet has changed...

Data from the ONS shows the telecoms sector is the fastest growing R&D spender as UK businesses "shrug off" Brexit concerns.

Telecoms companies in the UK increased their spending on research and development last year by £192 million to £947 million.

With a growth of 25.4 percent, R&D spending has reached a four-year high. However, analysis by R&D tax relief...

Australian telco giant Telstra has warned that “foreign actors” are spreading misinformation about 5G health risks.

5G will unlock huge economic opportunities and countries leading in rollouts will reap the benefits of being first movers. There is, therefore, an incentive for some countries to slow the progress of others.

Though it’s not a new phenomenon, misinformation has become a hot topic in recent years due to allegations it’s been used to rig elections and sow disorder. Social...

Several figures and bodies have warned about the potential impact of Labour’s free state broadband pledge ahead of the UK general election.

For the world’s fifth-largest economy, Britain’s broadband is pitiful. Research conducted by Cable ranks the UK 34th globally with a mean download speed of 22.3Mbps. Even worse, around 10 percent of households are still unable to access fibre broadband.

With the UK’s general election looming,...

US officials have increased their criticism of allies who are “opening their arms” to 5G equipment from Chinese vendors.

On Thursday, US chief technology officer Micheal Kratsios spoke at a tech conference in Lisbon. Kratsios reiterated America’s stance that Chinese firms cannot be trusted as they’re compelled to cooperate with Beijing’s intelligence services.

Chinese telecoms vendor Huawei is one of the few suppliers used in global networks. The vendor has built a reputation for...

A German spy chief has warned about involving Huawei in 5G networks, reducing the beleaguered vendor's hopes of catching a break in Europe.

Bruno Kahl, head of Germany's foreign intelligence, made the warning to a parliamentary committee on Tuesday. “Infrastructure is not a suitable area for a group that cannot be trusted fully,” Kahl said.

Kahl does not believe Huawei should be ruled out from being involved in the 5G rollout entirely, but the vendor should be kept away from "core...

UK telecoms regulator Ofcom has detailed plans for a 5G spectrum auction next year to support the rollout of the latest generation network.

Companies will bid for the finite airwaves across two separate frequency bands. 80 MHz of spectrum will be available in the 700 MHz band, while 120 MHz of spectrum will be up-for-grabs in the 3.6–3.8 GHz band.

All four of the UK's major operators have launched 5G in some capacity this year but in limited areas of selected cities and towns. The new airwaves will...