This month in technology: Apple’s value hits $2trn and the UK’s first carbon neutral mobile network

BlackBerry back from the brink

BlackBerry is set to make a comeback after securing an agreement with mobile phone developer OnwardMobility.

OnwardMobility has been granted the rights to develop, engineer and launch a new BlackBerry 5G mobile device.

The new product is set to launch, with its iconic physical keyboard, in H1 2021 in North America and Europe.

The phone will be developed by OnwardMobility in partnership with Chinese firm FIH Mobile, who will eventually manufacture the product.

John Chen, BlackBerry CEO, said: “BlackBerry is thrilled OnwardMobility will deliver a BlackBerry 5G smartphone device with a physical keyboard leveraging our high standards of trust and security synonymous with our brand.”

Peter Franklin, OnwardMobility CEO, added: “Enterprise professionals are eager for secure 5G devices that enable productivity, without sacrificing UX. BlackBerry smartphones are known for protecting communications, privacy, and data. This is an incredible opportunity for OnwardMobility to bring next-generation 5G devices to market with the backing of BlackBerry and FIH Mobile.”

Apple hits $2trn value in US first

Apple has become the first US company to be valued at $2trn on the stock market, just two years after becoming the world’s first trillion-dollar firm.

The tech giant saw its share price hit $467.77 earlier this month which pushed its value over the $2trn benchmark.

The Saudi Arabian state-backed oil group Saudi Aramco become the first company to reach the $2trn valuation but has since slipped back to $1.8trn.

Apple’s shares have jumped more than 50% this year despite the global financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Fellow US firms Amazon ($1.7trn), Microsoft ($1.6trn) and Alphabet ($1trn) are Apple’s closest challengers to being the most-valued US company.

Speaking to the BBC, PP Foresight’s Paolo Pescatore said: “The last few months have underlined the importance of users and households alike to own better quality devices, connections and services and with Apple’s strong broad portfolio of devices and a growing services offering, there are plentiful opportunities for future growth.”

UK Treasury denies plans to drop ‘Facebook tax’

The UK government has denied reports that it is set to drop the 2% digital services tax over fears it could jeopardise a post-Brexit trade deal with the US.

The so-called ‘Facebook tax’ was devised by former Chancellor Phillip Hammond in a move to force big multinational companies to pay more tax on revenue they make in Britain. The tax only applies to companies with revenues of more than £25m.

The Mail on Sunday reported that current Chancellor Rishi Sunak is prepared to drop the tax, which is worth a reported £500m per year to the Treasury, over fears it would complicate a future trade deal with the US.

However, in a statement provided to the Guardian, the UK Treasury poured cold water on claims the tax will be dropped imminently.

A Treasury spokesperson said: “We’ve been clear it’s a temporary tax that will be removed once an appropriate global solution is in place – and we continue to work with our international partners to reach that goal.”

Sunak has since written a joint letter, with his French, Italian and Spanish counterparts, to the US Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, which called for firms to pay their fair share.

The letter, obtained by the BBC, read: “The current Covid-19 crisis has confirmed the need to deliver a fair and consistent allocation of profit made by multinationals operating without – or with little – physical taxable presence.”

Honest Mobile become first carbon neutral UK mobile network

Honest Mobile has become the first mobile network in the UK to become fully carbon neutral.

The Grantham-based firm has achieved this feat by partnering with not-for-profit organisation On a Mission to offset its emissions in line with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

The company is also a member of the 1% For the Planet project, which sees 1% of all revenue donated toward reforestation projects across the world.

Honest Mobile customers can track trees that have been planted via a dedicated app.

The company has beaten the likes of O2 and Vodafone in becoming the first UK networks to achieve carbon neutral status.

O2 has pledged to hit the goal by 2025, while Vodafone is aiming for 2050. The likes of EE and Three both have set out to reduce their carbon emissions but have yet to set a definitive date.

UK military to ramp up virtual reality training

The UK military is set on fast-tracking a virtual reality technology that will replicate the environment of countries to prepare for future pandemics and potential wars.

As reported by the Financial Times, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has already spent £25m on contracts with software developer Improbable to investigate the practical uses of creating ‘twin’ virtual locations.

The Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Dominic Cummings and senior Conservative politicians Michael Gove and Mark Sedwill are fans of the technology and are pushing to roll it out to the defence forces.

By layering maps of geographical terrain and infrastructure, as well as tapping into individuals’ locations based on phone signals, Improbable aims to develop these duplicate environments which can then be studied by the military.

Joe Robinson, Improbable CEO of defence, said: “What we’re aiming for in the longer term is . . . to enable governments to test ideas and test choices of action in a virtual world before implementing them in the real world.”

An MoD spokesperson added: “[We are] working closely with private sector partners to ensure our armed forces benefit from the latest technology as we respond to the threats brought by a rapidly changing world.”