# Eurobites: Nokia X-rays Orange France's network > Source: > Published: 2026-09-10 12:37:45+00:00 Featured Story ## Nokia plans sweeping Bell Labs cuts to alarm of ex-president Former Bell Labs boss Marcus Weldon weighs in with new harsh criticism of Nokia leadership as the famous research unit falls victim to more cuts. Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Eutelsat hooks up with Skynopy for data download; Telenor's KNL lands Danish defense contract; EU wants to get competitive. Nokia has completed a live trial of something it's calling "network tomography" with Orange France, a technology it likens to a medical scan for optical networks. According to the Finnish vendor, network tomography offers operators a clearer view of what is happening across fiber links and wavelengths, without the need to install intrusive probes across the network. It uses algorithms developed by Nokia Bell Labs to process data sourced from coherent optical transmissions to gain near-real-time insight into the condition of the overall network. Also being trumpeted by Nokia is a new AI and edge platform for mission-critical communications in sectors such as mining, public safety and defense. Called [Cognitive Operations](https://www.nokia.com/ip-networks/cognitive-operations/), the platform combines AI, 3D digital twins, video analytics, predictive maintenance and hybrid connectivity to improve visibility and generally keep things running smoothly in harsh environments. Nokia's [Cognitive Edge Node](https://www.nokia.com/ip-networks/cognitive-edge-node/), featuring on-device GPU-accelerated computing, sits at the edge of the new platform to increase "intelligence" in field-deployed vehicles and remote locations. Eutelsat has teamed up with Paris-based Skynopy to offer Global Akar, a data download ground service for low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. The partnership combines Eutelsat's global ground infrastructure with Skynopy's software-defined orchestration technologies to offer what they claim is the largest such service available anywhere. The partnership plans to deploy more than 100 operational antennas at select sites by the end of 2029, enabling a near-real-time service at a very high throughput for the LEO services market. (See [Eurobites: Eutelsat beams up €1B for more LEO satellites](/satellite/eurobites-eutelsat-beams-up-1b-for-more-leo-satellites).) Telenor subsidiary KNL has landed a high-frequency communications contract with the Danish Armed Forces, following similar deals with Sweden and Finland. Together, the three orders are worth around €23.5 million (US$26.7 million). KNL has developed high-frequency communications services that operate independently of external infrastructure, such as satcom and GNSS systems. The European Commission is proposing to introduce a [European Innovation Act](https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/document/download/961e80de-b6a0-4c34-9b2f-b66ea0bb7ee1_en) intended to help EU tech companies grow across borders and compete globally. Among other measures, the Act would establish a common procedure for R&D procurement, helping technologies reach the market faster. The proposal comes in the context of what the Commission acknowledges is the EU's failure to keep up with the likes of the US and China, which it blames largely on weaker productivity growth in the EU. Deutsche Telekom has introduced a new installment plan for smartphone purchase based on the projected residual value of the phone at the end of the contract term. For those intending to hang on to their phone at the end of the contract, the final payment, which reflects the phone's residual value, is included when calculating the monthly installments. If the customer decides instead to return the phone (it has to have suffered only what is deemed "normal" wear and tear), the final installment is waived – the upshot of this being that the monthly installments are lower than they would be under the terms of a traditional contract, according to the operator. Read more about: