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MEF BUSINESS NEWS 19 JUN 2025 Oil prices are swinging as markets brace for a potential U.S. strike on Iran—an escalation that could trigger global supply shocks and drive prices higher, in particular if the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted. The key waterway handles 20% of the world’s oil, and any conflict could sharply tighten supplies. Brent crude hovered near $77, WTI above $75, as volatility spiked and traders priced in a $10 geopolitical risk premium. Donald Trump, after meeting top advisers, hinted at possible military action but gave no clear signal. According to the Wall Street Journal, he has privately approved of attack plans but has withheld the final order. And as if that wasn’t enough, pushing up the price of oil, there are also worrying data about the stocks. Crude inventories also dropped by 11.5 million barrels last week. ——————————- Stocks slid worldwide as markets brace for higher inflation and delayed rate cuts, fueled by rising Middle East tensions and a hawkish tone from the Fed. Analysts warn that a U.S. strike on Iran could worsen global inflation, and complicate central bank easing. —————————— The Federal Reserve has held interest rates steady at 4.25% to 4.5% amid signs of slowing growth and higher consumer prices, driven by the Trump administration’s tariffs and the geopolitical tensions. While the Fed still sees two rate cuts before year-end, policymakers are increasingly divided—10 expect cuts, 7 foresee none. The split reflects deep uncertainty over how tariffs will impact prices and the broader economy. Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed will wait for clearer data before adjusting policy. New forecasts show inflation rising to 3%, growth slowing to 1.4%, and unemployment ticking up to 4.5%, in the U.S. ———————- Italy’s bank merger wave is stalling, threatening to derail broader European consolidation and weaken investor confidence in politically sensitive markets — Bloomberg reports. Political pushback, legal uncertainty, and shareholder clashes have frozen most major deals, with only one takeover finalized so far. Mediobanca postponed a key vote on its Banca Generali bid, while UniCredit’s attempted takeover of Banco BPM faces government-imposed restrictions and legal hurdles. Even state-backed mergers like Monte Paschi’s push for Mediobanca face resistance. With ECB decisions pending and Rome still holding key stakes, Italy’s banking future remains gridlocked. —————————- HSBC may soon mandate all staff to return to the office at least three days a week, aligning its global workforce under one policy. Currently, rules vary by business line, but CEO Georges Elhedery is pushing for consistency as managers express frustration over low in-office attendance. The move would follow UK peers like Barclays, though stop short of Wall Street’s five-day demands. The shift complicates HSBC’s downsizing plans after leaving Canary Wharf for smaller offices near St. Paul’s. With thousands of desks now needed, HSBC may rent space again — despite its earlier exit from the area. —— —— MEF MOBILE NEWS 19 JUN 2025 Malaysia has filed its first civil lawsuit against Telegram, targeting two channels—“Edisi Siasat” and “Edisi Khas”—for spreading harmful, unverified content that threatens public trust in institutions. Despite repeated warnings, Telegram, led by CEO Pavel Durov, failed to act, prompting the Malaysian court to issue an interim injunction blocking the channels. The move reflects growing global pressure on Telegram over weak content moderation, as regulators struggle to balance free speech and public safety on encrypted messaging apps. Similar legal challenges in France underscore the rising tension. Malaysia’s case could set a precedent, signaling tougher regulation ahead for mobile messaging platforms worldwide. —————————— Meta’s $14.3 billion investment in data-labeling startup Scale AI is shaking up the AI training ecosystem. The deal has triggered a surge in demand for rival services like Snorkel AI, Labelbox, and Turing, as companies seek to diversify and protect their AI data from Meta’s growing influence. OpenAI, for example, is phasing out its work with Scale, turning to other providers for more specialized data to support advanced AI models. Scale, led by CEO Alexandr Wang, generated $870 million in revenue last year but now faces increased competition and scrutiny. The shift signals a broader change in AI development, highlighting the rising value—and complexity—of data-labeling services critical to building next-gen AI on mobile and beyond. ———————— Vodafone has named Microsoft executive Pilar López as its next Chief Financial Officer. She’ll join in October as CFO designate before officially taking over in December, replacing Luka Mucic, who is leaving to lead Germany’s largest landlord, Vonovia. López brings experience from senior roles at Microsoft, including COO for Western Europe. Her appointment marks another leadership move as Vodafone continues a major turnaround under CEO Margherita Della Valle, following recent divestments and the UK merger with Three. —————————— The GSMA’s chief, Vivek Badrinath, is urging mobile operators to finish what they started with 5G before chasing 6G dreams. Speaking at MWC Shanghai, he emphasized that fully deploying standalone 5G—especially its programmable, low-latency capabilities—is key to unlocking real growth, particularly as AI places mounting demands on mobile networks. China leads this charge: China Mobile’s 5G-Advanced network now spans 300 cities, while China Unicom and China Telecom are driving industrial AI gains. Badrinath also spotlighted the GSMA’s Open Gateway API push, now backed by carriers covering nearly 80% of global connections—aimed at opening networks and accelerating cross-sector innovation. ————————— And in Shanghai, Honor CEO James Li called for a global open AI alliance to break silos and accelerate progress toward smarter devices. Arguing that no company can tackle AI’s challenges alone, Li urged the industry to follow the GSMA Open Gateway model—standardizing APIs and forming an end-to-end ecosystem. He said this is key to adapting to fast-changing user demands. Honor’s AI platform already connects across Huawei, Apple, and other brands, using intelligent transfer tools. But to reach the next AI level—and eventually artificial general intelligence—Li says industry-wide collaboration is essential to unlock seamless, everyday AI on mobile. —————————— The mobile industry is cutting emissions even as usage soars—but not fast enough. According to the GSMA’s latest Mobile Net Zero report, operational emissions dropped 8% from 2019 to 2023, despite a 9% rise in mobile connections and quadrupled data traffic. China alone saw a 4% emissions drop in 2024, thanks to a surge in renewables—crucial progress from the world’s largest mobile market. Still, the industry must double its pace to cut emissions 7.5% yearly through 2030 to stay on track for net zero by 2050. Operators are greening networks, but Scope 3 supply chain emissions—and circularity—are now key to sustainable mobile growth. —— —— MEF TECH NEWS 19 JUN 2025 Microsoft plans to cut thousands of jobs, primarily in sales, as part of ongoing cost control efforts amid heavy investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure —- Bloomberg reports citing people familiar with the matter. The layoffs are expected to be announced in early July, following the close of its fiscal year. While sales roles will be most affected, other departments may see reductions as well. These cuts follow a previous round in May that eliminated 6,000 positions, mostly from product and engineering. In April, Microsoft indicated it would shift more SMB software sales to third-party firms, signaling a broader restructuring of customer-facing functions. As the company allocates tens of billions toward AI, including data centers and servers, leadership has emphasized the need to maintain financial discipline in other areas. Microsoft had 228,000 employees at the end of June 2024, including 45,000 in sales and marketing. ——————— Eutelsat has secured a 10-year agreement with the French government to provide satellite servfor the country’s military, a deal worth up to €1 billion. The contract grants the French Armed Forces priority access to Eutelsat’s OneWeb low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation and includes ongoing operational, security, and upgrade support to ensure military-grade reliability. This development significantly strengthens Eutelsat’s position as Europe’s key alternative to Elon Musk’s Starlink, especially amid growing political tensions and concerns about dependence on US-controlled space infrastructure. The deal also bolsters Eutelsat’s efforts to raise funding to sustain and expand the OneWeb constellation, which it acquired for $3.4 billion in 2023. Eutelsat’s CEO, Jean-François Fallacher, is now racing to secure further investments to help OneWeb close the gap with Starlink’s rapid expansion. France and other European nations are expected to support Eutelsat as it becomes strategically vital to the continent’s sovereign space and defense ambitions. ———————————- Alibaba will open a second data center in South Korea by the end of June, deepening its investment in artificial intelligence and cloud computing. The expansion is part of a previously announced ¥380 billion ($52.9 billion) commitment to AI and cloud infrastructure. The company cited strong demand from South Korean businesses for cloud and AI services as the driving force behind the new facility. Since entering the South Korean market in 2022 with a data center in Seoul, Alibaba Cloud has served clients such as Univa and Snow, a Naver subsidiary, who use its foundational AI models. With 87 availability zones in 29 regions, Alibaba remains China’s largest cloud provider. The move comes as it intensifies efforts to compete in the global AI race, launching multiple large language models under its Qwen3 line and identifying AI as a core business focus. Meanwhile, global competitors are also ramping up in South Korea. SK Telecom and AWS are set to begin construction in August on a 103-megawatt AI data center in Ulsan, designed to house 60,000 GPUs, aiming to become the country’s largest AI-specific facility. —————————- White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks warned China is just two years behind the U.S. in chip design and is effectively bypassing export controls. He cited China’s DeepSeek AI model as proof of rapid progress and urged a more balanced U.S. approach to chip restrictions. Sacks cautioned that overregulation could help Huawei gain global dominance. He also welcomed Senate approval of stablecoin legislation, saying it would boost confidence and adoption in digital finance.
MEF BUSINESS NEWS 19 JUN 2025 Oil prices are swinging as markets brace for a potential U.S. strike on Iran—an escalation that could trigger global supply shocks and drive prices higher, in particular if the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted. The key waterway handles 20% of the world’s oil, and any conflict could sharply tighten supplies. Brent crude hovered near $77, WTI above $75, as volatility spiked and traders priced in a $10 geopolitical risk premium. Donald Trump, after meeting top advisers, hinted at possible military action but gave no clear signal. According to the Wall Street Journal, he has privately approved of attack plans but has withheld the final order. And as if that wasn’t enough, pushing up the price of oil, there are also worrying data about the stocks. Crude inventories also dropped by 11.5 million barrels last week. ——————————- Stocks slid worldwide as markets brace for higher inflation and delayed rate cuts, fueled by rising Middle East tensions and a hawkish tone from the Fed. Analysts warn that a U.S. strike on Iran could worsen global inflation, and complicate central bank easing. —————————— The Federal Reserve has held interest rates steady at 4.25% to 4.5% amid signs of slowing growth and higher consumer prices, driven by the Trump administration’s tariffs and the geopolitical tensions. While the Fed still sees two rate cuts before year-end, policymakers are increasingly divided—10 expect cuts, 7 foresee none. The split reflects deep uncertainty over how tariffs will impact prices and the broader economy. Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed will wait for clearer data before adjusting policy. New forecasts show inflation rising to 3%, growth slowing to 1.4%, and unemployment ticking up to 4.5%, in the U.S. ———————- Italy’s bank merger wave is stalling, threatening to derail broader European consolidation and weaken investor confidence in politically sensitive markets — Bloomberg reports. Political pushback, legal uncertainty, and shareholder clashes have frozen most major deals, with only one takeover finalized so far. Mediobanca postponed a key vote on its Banca Generali bid, while UniCredit’s attempted takeover of Banco BPM faces government-imposed restrictions and legal hurdles. Even state-backed mergers like Monte Paschi’s push for Mediobanca face resistance. With ECB decisions pending and Rome still holding key stakes, Italy’s banking future remains gridlocked. —————————- HSBC may soon mandate all staff to return to the office at least three days a week, aligning its global workforce under one policy. Currently, rules vary by business line, but CEO Georges Elhedery is pushing for consistency as managers express frustration over low in-office attendance. The move would follow UK peers like Barclays, though stop short of Wall Street’s five-day demands. The shift complicates HSBC’s downsizing plans after leaving Canary Wharf for smaller offices near St. Paul’s. With thousands of desks now needed, HSBC may rent space again — despite its earlier exit from the area. —— —— MEF MOBILE NEWS 19 JUN 2025 Malaysia has filed its first civil lawsuit against Telegram, targeting two channels—“Edisi Siasat” and “Edisi Khas”—for spreading harmful, unverified content that threatens public trust in institutions. Despite repeated warnings, Telegram, led by CEO Pavel Durov, failed to act, prompting the Malaysian court to issue an interim injunction blocking the channels. The move reflects growing global pressure on Telegram over weak content moderation, as regulators struggle to balance free speech and public safety on encrypted messaging apps. Similar legal challenges in France underscore the rising tension. Malaysia’s case could set a precedent, signaling tougher regulation ahead for mobile messaging platforms worldwide. —————————— Meta’s $14.3 billion investment in data-labeling startup Scale AI is shaking up the AI training ecosystem. The deal has triggered a surge in demand for rival services like Snorkel AI, Labelbox, and Turing, as companies seek to diversify and protect their AI data from Meta’s growing influence. OpenAI, for example, is phasing out its work with Scale, turning to other providers for more specialized data to support advanced AI models. Scale, led by CEO Alexandr Wang, generated $870 million in revenue last year but now faces increased competition and scrutiny. The shift signals a broader change in AI development, highlighting the rising value—and complexity—of data-labeling services critical to building next-gen AI on mobile and beyond. ———————— Vodafone has named Microsoft executive Pilar López as its next Chief Financial Officer. She’ll join in October as CFO designate before officially taking over in December, replacing Luka Mucic, who is leaving to lead Germany’s largest landlord, Vonovia. López brings experience from senior roles at Microsoft, including COO for Western Europe. Her appointment marks another leadership move as Vodafone continues a major turnaround under CEO Margherita Della Valle, following recent divestments and the UK merger with Three. —————————— The GSMA’s chief, Vivek Badrinath, is urging mobile operators to finish what they started with 5G before chasing 6G dreams. Speaking at MWC Shanghai, he emphasized that fully deploying standalone 5G—especially its programmable, low-latency capabilities—is key to unlocking real growth, particularly as AI places mounting demands on mobile networks. China leads this charge: China Mobile’s 5G-Advanced network now spans 300 cities, while China Unicom and China Telecom are driving industrial AI gains. Badrinath also spotlighted the GSMA’s Open Gateway API push, now backed by carriers covering nearly 80% of global connections—aimed at opening networks and accelerating cross-sector innovation. ————————— And in Shanghai, Honor CEO James Li called for a global open AI alliance to break silos and accelerate progress toward smarter devices. Arguing that no company can tackle AI’s challenges alone, Li urged the industry to follow the GSMA Open Gateway model—standardizing APIs and forming an end-to-end ecosystem. He said this is key to adapting to fast-changing user demands. Honor’s AI platform already connects across Huawei, Apple, and other brands, using intelligent transfer tools. But to reach the next AI level—and eventually artificial general intelligence—Li says industry-wide collaboration is essential to unlock seamless, everyday AI on mobile. —————————— The mobile industry is cutting emissions even as usage soars—but not fast enough. According to the GSMA’s latest Mobile Net Zero report, operational emissions dropped 8% from 2019 to 2023, despite a 9% rise in mobile connections and quadrupled data traffic. China alone saw a 4% emissions drop in 2024, thanks to a surge in renewables—crucial progress from the world’s largest mobile market. Still, the industry must double its pace to cut emissions 7.5% yearly through 2030 to stay on track for net zero by 2050. Operators are greening networks, but Scope 3 supply chain emissions—and circularity—are now key to sustainable mobile growth. —— —— MEF TECH NEWS 19 JUN 2025 Microsoft plans to cut thousands of jobs, primarily in sales, as part of ongoing cost control efforts amid heavy investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure —- Bloomberg reports citing people familiar with the matter. The layoffs are expected to be announced in early July, following the close of its fiscal year. While sales roles will be most affected, other departments may see reductions as well. These cuts follow a previous round in May that eliminated 6,000 positions, mostly from product and engineering. In April, Microsoft indicated it would shift more SMB software sales to third-party firms, signaling a broader restructuring of customer-facing functions. As the company allocates tens of billions toward AI, including data centers and servers, leadership has emphasized the need to maintain financial discipline in other areas. Microsoft had 228,000 employees at the end of June 2024, including 45,000 in sales and marketing. ——————— Eutelsat has secured a 10-year agreement with the French government to provide satellite servfor the country’s military, a deal worth up to €1 billion. The contract grants the French Armed Forces priority access to Eutelsat’s OneWeb low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation and includes ongoing operational, security, and upgrade support to ensure military-grade reliability. This development significantly strengthens Eutelsat’s position as Europe’s key alternative to Elon Musk’s Starlink, especially amid growing political tensions and concerns about dependence on US-controlled space infrastructure. The deal also bolsters Eutelsat’s efforts to raise funding to sustain and expand the OneWeb constellation, which it acquired for $3.4 billion in 2023. Eutelsat’s CEO, Jean-François Fallacher, is now racing to secure further investments to help OneWeb close the gap with Starlink’s rapid expansion. France and other European nations are expected to support Eutelsat as it becomes strategically vital to the continent’s sovereign space and defense ambitions. ———————————- Alibaba will open a second data center in South Korea by the end of June, deepening its investment in artificial intelligence and cloud computing. The expansion is part of a previously announced ¥380 billion ($52.9 billion) commitment to AI and cloud infrastructure. The company cited strong demand from South Korean businesses for cloud and AI services as the driving force behind the new facility. Since entering the South Korean market in 2022 with a data center in Seoul, Alibaba Cloud has served clients such as Univa and Snow, a Naver subsidiary, who use its foundational AI models. With 87 availability zones in 29 regions, Alibaba remains China’s largest cloud provider. The move comes as it intensifies efforts to compete in the global AI race, launching multiple large language models under its Qwen3 line and identifying AI as a core business focus. Meanwhile, global competitors are also ramping up in South Korea. SK Telecom and AWS are set to begin construction in August on a 103-megawatt AI data center in Ulsan, designed to house 60,000 GPUs, aiming to become the country’s largest AI-specific facility. —————————- White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks warned China is just two years behind the U.S. in chip design and is effectively bypassing export controls. He cited China’s DeepSeek AI model as proof of rapid progress and urged a more balanced U.S. approach to chip restrictions. Sacks cautioned that overregulation could help Huawei gain global dominance. He also welcomed Senate approval of stablecoin legislation, saying it would boost confidence and adoption in digital finance.

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Sophisticated Schemes Call For Sophisticated Services: How Real-Time Data is Taking a Bite Out of Crime

| Anti-fraud, MEF Webinars & Workshops, Messaging Channels | No Comments
In a recent MEF webinar Nicholas Rossman, MEF Director of Programmes was joined by Bradley Greer, Vice President, Data Solutions & Product Marketing at netnumber, who shed light on the power of harnessing next-generation insights at the phone number level to circumvent fraudulent activities and establish trust with phone numbers…

Webinar: The Future of Wholesale Messaging: Trends, Challenges & Innovations

| Connectivity & Wholesale, MEF Webinars & Workshops | No Comments
MEF's Isabelle Paradis is joined by Evgeniya Pikina, VP Business Development at Mitto, to discuss the evolving A2P messaging landscape, the enduring value of SMS, the role of AI in fraud prevention, and why trusted partnerships and service quality are key to long-term success in enterprise communications. In the shifting…

Webinar: Containers to Connectivity; The Ripple Effect of Tariffs on Telecoms

| Anti-fraud, MEF Webinars & Workshops | No Comments
MEF Advisor and telecom strategy consultant Paul Ruppert is joined by Ambassador Frank Lavin, former U.S. Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade and Ambassador to Singapore, for a high-stakes conversation on how new U.S. tariffs are reshaping global telecommunications—from infrastructure to innovation. This webinar explores the second-order impacts beyond ports…

The Conversational Commerce Shift: Ushering in a New Messaging Era

| Event Roundup, MEF Webinars & Workshops, MEFTV, Messaging Channels | No Comments
Caitlin Long, Senior Director for Product Management & Strategy at Bandwidth, shares an overview of their session from MEF Global Forum 2025 in Barcelona, where she and Stephanie Lashley explored the shift towards "conversational" commerce and how you can best prepare for and embrace this new era in business messaging.…

Perspectives in Mobile – Signal Scandal Human Flaw, Quantum Tech Will Defy Crypto

| Interviews, Messaging Channels, Podcasts | No Comments
Listen to the latest Perspectives in Mobile podcast as MEF’s Riccardo Amati speaks with CCS Insight’s Chief Analyst Ben Wood about security, trust, and the impact of emerging technologies on encryption standards. A recent mistake where a journalist was accidentally added to a private Signal chat has raised fresh concerns…

Perspectives in Mobile: AI Meta-Surfaces to transform sensing in mobile

| Interviews, Messaging Channels, Podcasts | No Comments
Listen to the latest Perspectives in Mobile podcast – in this special episode, recorded at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Metalenz CEO Rob Devlin discusses how their breakthrough technology could reshape the industry. Metalenz is on a mission to revolutionize mobile devices with its cutting-edge metasurface technology. The company’s…

Perspectives in Mobile – The Battle for Connectivity: Satellite, Cellular to Converge

| Interviews, Messaging Channels, Podcasts | No Comments
Listen to the latest Perspectives in Mobile podcast. Satellite and cellular networks are shifting from competition to convergence, promising lower costs and seamless connectivity in the next 2–3 years.In this episode of MEF podcast Perspectives, mobile satellite service specialist Iridium CEO Matt Desch ...

Perspectives in Mobile: GenAI Continues to Revolutionise Interactive Advertising

| Interviews, Messaging Channels, Podcasts | No Comments
Generative AI is reshaping industries, unlocking unprecedented opportunities in interactive advertising and customer engagement. In this insightful interview, Marina Petrova, Head of Generative AI at GMS, highlights the transformative potential for telcos, digital agencies, and key sectors such as travel and retail.

5 minutes with… Infobip

| 5 minutes with, Interviews, Messaging Channels | No Comments
In our 5 minutes with profiles, MEF members talk about their business, their aspirations for the future and the wider mobile industry. This week, Matija Ražem, Chief Commercial Telecom Officer talks about his business, a venerable 20 year old veteran of the industry and MEF Member of 10 years this…

The Conversational Commerce Shift: Ushering in a New Messaging Era

| Event Roundup, MEF Webinars & Workshops, MEFTV, Messaging Channels | No Comments
Caitlin Long, Senior Director for Product Management & Strategy at Bandwidth, shares an overview of their session from MEF Global Forum 2025 in Barcelona, where she and Stephanie Lashley explored the shift towards "conversational" commerce and how you can best prepare for and embrace this new era in business messaging.…

Unlocking value with RCS for Business: Insights from Sinch, Google, and WeCredit

| Event Roundup, MEF Webinars & Workshops, MEFTV | No Comments
At The Future of Mobile 2025 event during MWC in March 2025, industry leaders from Sinch, Google, and WeCredit took the stage to discuss why businesses should be paying attention to RCS as a business messaging solution – below, Sinch share an overview from the session. For more than two…

Perspectives in Mobile – Signal Scandal Human Flaw, Quantum Tech Will Defy Crypto

| Interviews, Messaging Channels, Podcasts | No Comments
Listen to the latest Perspectives in Mobile podcast as MEF’s Riccardo Amati speaks with CCS Insight’s Chief Analyst Ben Wood about security, trust, and the impact of emerging technologies on encryption standards. A recent mistake where a journalist was accidentally added to a private Signal chat has raised fresh concerns…

Telco Investments in the 2020s: Why Mobile Identity Should Be on Your Radar

| ID & Data | No Comments
As user expectations shift and SMS OTPs face growing scrutiny, telcos are at a crossroads in the mobile identity space. The time has come to move beyond legacy authentication and embrace seamless, secure alternatives. In this post, Harry Cheung, Founder & CEO of IPification explores why telcos must evolve -…

Apple has just made a big move into mobile ID. What does it mean?

| ID & Data | No Comments
Apple’s WWDC 2025 announcement could be a turning point for digital identity. With iOS 26, users will be able to store government passports in Apple Wallet-unlocking a new era of on-device, privacy-preserving ID. This raises major opportunities, and questions, for carriers, enterprises, and digital identity providers. Tim Green, MEF Programme…

EU Age Verification App: A Privacy-First Milestone for Child Safety

| Content & Advertising, ID & Data | No Comments
The European Commission’s upcoming age verification app, launching by July 2025, marks a major step toward safeguarding minors online. Built on privacy-preserving technology, it aligns with the Digital Services Act to help platforms comply with age restrictions while protecting user data. Dario Betti discusses the innovation and explores the potential…

MEF Connects: ID & Wallets: looking forward to EUDI, AI agents and network APIs

| ID & Data | No Comments
At MEF Connects: ID & Wallets in London last week, industry experts explored the future of trust, regulation, and authentication. From EU digital wallets to biometrics and network APIs, the event highlighted both the challenges and the innovations reshaping how we verify people – and machines – in an increasingly…

A2P Messaging Security and Fraud Prevention in India

| Anti-fraud, Messaging Channels | No Comments
Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging is a vital channel for business communication in India, yet it faces growing challenges from sophisticated fraud. In this post, Chris Almeida, Chief Strategy Officer at Globe Teleservices explores the current security landscape, examining India’s regulatory framework, including the Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) system, the prevalent fraud…

Spain Takes action Against Phone Scams, new rules coming into force

| Anti-fraud, Messaging Channels | No Comments
Spain is stepping up its fight against phone and SMS fraud with new rules which came into effect from June 7. In this post, Stefano Nicoletti, Head of MEF’s Sender ID Registry outlines how the latest measures fit into a growing European effort to curb identity theft and digital scams.…

Sophisticated Schemes Call For Sophisticated Services: How Real-Time Data is Taking a Bite Out of Crime

| Anti-fraud, MEF Webinars & Workshops, Messaging Channels | No Comments
In a recent MEF webinar Nicholas Rossman, MEF Director of Programmes was joined by Bradley Greer, Vice President, Data Solutions & Product Marketing at netnumber, who shed light on the power of harnessing next-generation insights at the phone number level to circumvent fraudulent activities and establish trust with phone numbers…

UK Home Office Adopts MEF Business SMS Code of Conduct as Foundation for Telecom Fraud Charter

| Anti-fraud, Messaging Channels | No Comments
In a landmark move demonstrating alignment between public policy and industry standards, the UK Home Office has confirmed that its forthcoming 2nd UK Telecom Fraud Charter will be based on the MEF Business SMS Code of Conduct for its A2P Messaging part. This decision marks a major step in the…

Mexico’s Telecom Reform: The Crossroads of Digital Transformation and Trade Commitments

| Connectivity & Wholesale | No Comments
Mexico’s sweeping telecom reform proposal has sparked controversy at home and abroad. Aimed at centralizing digital oversight and boosting sovereignty, it also threatens to dismantle independent regulation, breach USMCA commitments, and shake investor confidence. Dario Betti unpacks the reform’s key provisions, trade implications, and the far-reaching consequences for the mobile…

Satellite-To-Mobile: Redefining The Boundaries Of Wholesale Telecom

| Connectivity & Wholesale | No Comments
Unlock the Future of Connectivity: Download Our Exclusive Satellite-to-Mobile Report The telecommunications landscape is undergoing a seismic shift, and the rise of Satellite-to-Mobile (Sat-to-Mobile) technology is at the epicenter. This isn't just about closing coverage gaps; it's a fundamental change that challenges traditional wholesale telecom models. Our in-depth report, "Satellite-to-Mobile:…

Webinar: The Future of Wholesale Messaging: Trends, Challenges & Innovations

| Connectivity & Wholesale, MEF Webinars & Workshops | No Comments
MEF's Isabelle Paradis is joined by Evgeniya Pikina, VP Business Development at Mitto, to discuss the evolving A2P messaging landscape, the enduring value of SMS, the role of AI in fraud prevention, and why trusted partnerships and service quality are key to long-term success in enterprise communications. In the shifting…

MEF’s Basic RCS Positioning Paper

| Connectivity & Wholesale | No Comments
Unpack the future of business messaging with MEF's "Basic RCS Positioning Paper." This essential guide delves into the evolution of SMS, introducing Basic RCS as a powerful tool for brands seeking verified, secure, and engaging communication. Explore the key benefits, including brand recognition, enhanced customer insights, and reduced fraud, all…

5 minutes with… Infobip

| 5 minutes with, Interviews, Messaging Channels | No Comments
In our 5 minutes with profiles, MEF members talk about their business, their aspirations for the future and the wider mobile industry. This week, Matija Ražem, Chief Commercial Telecom Officer talks about his business, a venerable 20 year old veteran of the industry and MEF Member of 10 years this…

5 minutes with… Gamma

| 5 minutes with, Interviews, Messaging Channels | No Comments
In our 5 minutes with profiles, MEF members talk about their business, their aspirations for the future and the wider mobile industry. This week, Business Director Mike Mills introduces unified communication specialists Gamma. Gamma works to simplify complex communication challenges. Our mission to make communication more human means businesses, no…

5 minutes with… TeleSystems

| 5 minutes with, Interviews, Messaging Channels | No Comments
about their business, their aspirations for the future and the wider mobile industry. This week, Chief Business Development Officer Ivan Mihaljevic introduces Telesytstems. TeleSystems is a Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) provider, offering a proprietary end-to-end solution for business messaging. Our OMNI-channel platform enables companies to seamlessly communicate with…

5 minutes with… MediaXO

| 5 minutes with, Interviews, Messaging Channels | No Comments
In our 5 minutes with profiles, MEF members talk about their business, their aspirations for the future and the wider mobile industry. This week, Nir Weissman, Business Development Director introduces MediaXO.MediaXO specialises in the development of cutting-edge digital products with a strong focus on mobile value-added services (VAS). We are…

RCS momentum and omnichannel innovation

| Guest blog, Messaging Channels | No Comments
In her session at the recent MEF Leadership Forum Americas 2025, Sinch’s Lodema Steinbach explored the evolution of enterprise omnichannel communications. With customer expectations rising, she emphasized that seamless, multi-channel engagement – powered by AI and enriched by interactive messaging like RCS and WhatsApp – is no longer optional. In…

The $1.03 Trillion Problem – Today’s Sophisticated Fraud Environment

| Anti-fraud, Guest blog, MEF Webinars & Workshops | No Comments
MEF Member netnumber share an overview of their keynote presentation at the recent MEF Leadership Forum Americas 2025, where Catalin Badea, VP of Product Management, unveiled key strategies for combating phone number fraud – including discussing a recently launched innovation as well as a long-time industry staple – that strategically…

MEF Leadership Forum Americas 2025 – Aduna and Connecting Networks

| Guest blog, MEF Webinars & Workshops, Messaging Channels | No Comments
Kicking off the show Aduna CEO Anthony Bartolo delivered a visionary keynote that positioned the newly formed venture as “the connector of networks” poised to transform the telecommunications industry. Bartolo outlined how Aduna will simplify the complex ecosystem of network APIs by creating a unified global platform that enables seamless…

Will 2025 be the year of RCS?

| Guest blog, Messaging Channels | No Comments
Dave Boddington, Group Product Manager at Infobip shares an overview of their session at MEF CONNECTS Omnichannel where he was joined by Upland Software’s Rew Golding to discuss where we are as an industry with RCS and whether 2025 will be the year it becomes the new standard. Some of…
InterviewsMEF Data

The top five EU countries for starting an mHealth business

As the mobile ecosystem continues to expand to include more and more vertical sectors, healthcare, perhaps more than any other, is emerging as an area that has the potential to deliver the most striking benefits to consumers. Recent research conducted by research2guidance in collaboration with health and IT body HIMSS…
Sam Hill
June 4, 2015
Event Roundup

MEF Connects Thailand in Pictures

MEF Asia recently hosted the second MEF Connects Thailand, sponsored by Telenor and supported by Mono Group & TIMWE. MEF Asia General Manager Linda Ruck shares her account of the evening. With a population of more than 68 million, Thailand has more than 100 million mobile phone subscribers and is a country mad…
Sam Hill
June 3, 2015
News Roundup

Global Mobile News Round-up – Week 25th May

Android Pay unveiled plus all the news from Google I/O, Swatch to Launch Smartwatch with payments, 5 things we got totally wrong about FinTech, OTT threat to India voice revenues and more... Each week the MEF team curates mobile stories from around the world. Essential news you may have missed, the latest market insight…
Sam Hill
May 29, 2015
Uncategorized

The Business of Privacy

MEF’s 4th Annual Consumer Trust Summit, supported by F-Secure and AVG, takes place in New York City on 24 June, co-located with the 2nd Annual Privacy, Policy & Technology Summit. Where most conferences deal in the potential risks to businesses of getting privacy wrong, this event focuses on the opportunities it presents.…
Sam Hill
May 28, 2015
Guest blog

What is Two-Factor Authentication? – Mblox

The widespread distribution of the internet and mobile devices means that more and more consumers are able to perform transactions, interact with their banks or simply book a holiday online, wherever they are, whenever they want.  As consumers we expect this spontaneity. Simple transactional processes are played out on every…
Sam Hill
May 26, 2015
News Roundup

Global Mobile News Round-up

Apple music streaming service launch, Spotify & Starbucks team up and mobile ad-blocking woes - plus all the weekly mobile news from around the world... Each week the MEF team curates mobile stories from around the world. Essential news you may have missed, the latest market insight & data nuggets, the…
Sam Hill
May 22, 2015
Uncategorized

5 mobile start-ups in Thailand’s growing ecosystem

Last week in Bangkok MEF hosted MEF Connects Thailand, sponsored by Telenor and supported by Mono Group & TIMWE. Amongst the packed agenda the evening showcased some of the brightest  start-ups that are participating in Thailand’s Dtac Accelerate programme. Here, Andrew Kvalseth, Head of Strategy and Innovation for Dtac introduces us to the startups and explains why…
Sam Hill
May 21, 2015
MEF