News in Networking: Verizon-Disney Rumors, ‘Most Promising’ 5G Operators, and UN List of Security Gaps

This week’s top story picks from the Kentik team.

Verizon’s deal with Yahoo may still be on the minds of many, but Disney is rumored to be Verizon’s new big brand-of-interest. Also on the acquisitions front, Forrester’s CEO says Apple should buy IBM. Meanwhile, Juniper Research released a list of the most promising 5G operators in Asia, and the UN released a list ranking countries based on cybersecurity hygiene.

Here are those headlines and more:

• Verizon-Disney Rumor Dismissed by Analysts (Light Reading) It was only a few weeks ago when Verizon closed its acquisition of Yahoo. However, rumors are swirling that it could be eyeing another big deal. Although analysts say it won’t happen, a new report claims Verizon has Disney on its M&A shortlist. Why? Light Reading reports that the brand could help with targeting millennials.
• Apple Should Buy IBM (Forrester) Forrester CEO George Colony is making the case for Apple to buy IBM. Why? According to Colony, “By buying IBM, Apple would get the world-class machine learning platform.” He adds, “Apple could write the check tomorrow — it has $268 billion of cash reserves, and IBM’s purchase price would be in the $200-$250 billion range.”
• HTTP and DNS in a 5G World (Network World) HTTP and DNS may be “household name protocols,” according to Network World contributor and wireless wiz Alan Carlton, but NFV and MEC could change that. Carlton notes, “HTTP will need to become more streamlined and lightweight to meet the high throughput and strict delay requirements of 5G.” As for DNS, he advises that IoT devices with 5G connectivity could create “whole new requirements for discovery and addressing of these devices.”
• SK Telecom, NTT DoCoMo Beat AT&T in ‘Most Promising’ 5G Operator List (SDxCentral) Juniper Research just released a list ranking the “most promising” Asian operators in the 5G space. Interestingly, it put SK Telecom, NTT DoCoMo, KT, and China Mobile higher on the list than AT&T. According to SDxCentral, Juniper said it based its rankings “on the operators’ time in development; the breadth and value of the operators’ 5G partnerships; and their progress in 5G network testing.”
• UN Survey Finds Security Gaps Everywhere Except Singapore (Reuters) If you’re looking for a country with good cybersecurity hygiene, head to Singapore. According to a new survey from the United Nation’s International Telecommunication Union, Singapore tops the list based on “countries’ legal, technical, and organizational institutions, their educational and research capabilities, and their cooperation in information-sharing networks.” It’s followed by the U.S. and Malaysia.
• 50M US Homes Have Only One 25Mbps Internet provider or None at All (Ars Technica) A group of researchers just released findings on home internet access via data they pulled from the FCC. According to Ars Technica, the research shows, “More than 10.6 million U.S. households have no access to wired Internet service with download speeds of at least 25Mbps, and an additional 46.1 million households live in areas with just one provider offering those speeds. That means more than 56 million homes in the U.S. do not have access to high-speed broadband connections.

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