Wireless Networks E-Networks launches 5G VoLTE mobile network in Guyana E-Networks has tapped Mavenir to deploy Guyana’s first 5G VoLTE network.
Regulation NCC tells MTN and Airtel to reverse price hikes The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has instructed the local units of Airtel and MTN to repeal the tariff increases that they imposed last week.
Satellite Networks SES helps Claro expand coverage of the Amazon Satellite operator SES has signed a multi-year capacity renewal deal with operator Claro Brasil, through Embratel, its corporate solutions division, to enable the delivery of enhanced 4G/5G-ready services via its O3b mPOWER network, SES’s next-generation medium earth orbit (MEO) communications...
Operators SBIN’s Celtiis launches as Benin’s third mobile provider Benin’s state-owned infrastructure firm SBIN (Societe Beninoise d’Infrastructures Numeriques) has entered the country’s mobile market as its third player.
Wireless Networks Safaricom leads East Africa in commercial launch of 5G Kenyan operator Safaricom has announced the commercial availability of 5G in the country – though only in Wi-Fi form for now.
Vendors Nokia addresses network enhancement in Indonesia and Azerbaijan Two recent Nokia deals, in Indonesia and Azerbaijan, emphasise network enhancement and improved customer experience but also, the vendor says, offer the potential for cost savings for operators.
Data Centres & Networks NTT opens new data centre in Johannesburg Leading IT infrastructure and services company NTT has announced the opening of its latest data centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Vendors Ericsson deals in MEA, Brazil and Montenegro demonstrate its diversity A brief roundup of recent Ericsson news underlines the company’s diverse capabilities, encompassing cognitive software in the Middle East, uplink record-breaking in Brazil and, through an affiliate, network maintenance in Montenegro.
Optical & Fixed Networks Camtel seeks help to overcome Cameroon’s fibre connectivity issues Cameroon’s main operator Camtel has according to local media, announced plans to bring on board local companies to help operate its FTTH fibre optic networks in two major cities: Yaoundé and Douala.
Optical & Fixed Networks China's State Grid selects Nokia’s Optical Transport solutions Nokia has confirmed the extension of its existing relationship with the world’s largest power utility, State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC).
Consumer Ecosystems Roll up, roll up: MTN announces an Africa-first virtual concert Earlier this year we reported on the launch of Africa’s first metaverse and plans to commercialise a 3D virtual reality...
Data Centres & Networks IP Infusion supports India’s largest internet exchange operator IP Infusion, a provider of open network software solutions for wireline and mobile network operators, has announced a deal with Extreme Labs, an internet exchange point (IXP) focused on internet optimization that operates the largest internet exchange in India.
Investment Saudi wealth fund eyes majority stake in STC’s tower unit Saudi Arabia’s sovereign Public Investment Fund (PIF) has made a non-binding offer of nearly US$6 billion to acquire 51% of STC’s towers unit TAWAL.
Mobile Finance New app slashes Ugandans’ remittance costs A new app called PostalPay will, it is claimed, slash the cost of sending money from parts of Europe to Uganda.
Regulation Malcel and Starlink receive operating licences for Malawi The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has issued new licences that will enable the market entry of a third mobile operator and a new satellite broadband provider.
Energy & Sustainability IHS Towers announces emissions targets IHS Towers, one of the largest independent owners, operators and developers of shared communications infrastructure in the world by tower count, has announced what it calls its Carbon Reduction Roadmap, with an emphasis on its African markets in particular.
Satellite Networks Gilat to support comms for Brazilian oil and gas giant Satellite networking technology company Gilat has been selected by Sencinet, an integrator of managed services and solutions, for Petrobras’ oil and gas industry satellite connectivity project.
Regulation Nigeria aims to auction remaining 3.5GHz 5G spectrum this year Regulator the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced that it is planning to auction the remaining two lots of 100MHz in the 3.5GHz spectrum band to support 5G deployment in Nigeria.
Optical & Fixed Networks Entel Chile to sell fibre optic assets but continue offering services In its second major announcement in a matter of days, Chilean telecoms giant Entel has said it plans to sell the assets of its fibre optic business but continue offering internet services.
Regulation China Unicom awarded Mexican operating licence Mexico’s IFT (Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones) has awarded China Unicom a 30-year operating licence, reports El Economista.
Cloud & Virtualisation ZainTech to acquire managed cloud provider In yet another deal underlining the importance of cloud service provision, ZainTech, the one-stop digital and ICT solutions division of Zain Group has agreed to acquire managed cloud provider BIOS Middle East.
Satellite Networks Non-Terrestrial Networks: State and Forecast Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) is a relatively new term in the communications field. Before this term was introduced, the more common term was Satellite networks, namely Geostationary Earth Orbits (GEO) satellites.
Investment Safaricom to spend US$500 million on first year in Ethiopia Safaricom Ethiopia has plans to invest around US$500 million into its operations during its first year of commercial activity.
Operators Telia Lithuania loses another court battle Telia saw its complaint thrown out by Lithuania’s Supreme Administrative Court, ruling rival Bite was not gaining an unfair advantage from acquiring state-owned broadband provider MEZON’s spectrum, CommsUpdate reported.
Regulation Iran plans drastic restrictions on internet access Iran is planning to criminalise the sale of virtual private networks (VPNs) used to bypass internet restrictions, a minister said this week.
Data Centres & Networks Equinix to build one of the largest data centres in Colombia Digital infrastructure company Equinix has announced a US$45 million investment in Colombia for the construction of BG2, a new international business exchange data centre in Bogotá, scheduled to open in the first half of 2023.
Wireless Networks Entel and Ericsson partner for private 5G in Chile In the latest 5G partnership with a focus on the potential of private networks, technological solutions provider Entel says it is set to accelerate the digital transformation of industry in Chile thanks to a new 5G standalone (SA) deal with Ericsson.
Operators Are tower sales the way to go in the Philippines? Amidst rising costs of coverage expansion to fulfil the rapidly increasing appetite for connectivity, operators globally are under more pressure to balance the books - a trend that is not limited to developed markets.
Investment Qatari wealth fund angling for Vodafone Egypt stake The Qatar Investment Authority is reportedly in advanced negotiations with the Egyptian government to acquire around US$2.5bn of state holdings in various firms, including market-leading mobile operator Vodafone Egypt.
Optical & Fixed Networks Nokia delivering neutral FTTH for American Tower in Argentina American Tower Corporation has tapped Nokia deploy a neutral fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network in Argentina.
Operators Vodafone Idea hints at new fundraising plan The board of Vodafone Idea (aka VIL) has announced plans for its board of directors to look at a new fundraising proposal at the end of this week.
Regulation Free Caraibe fined by ARCEP for failing to meet deployment deadlines Free Caraibe, which provides telecom services across the French Antilles, has been fined by French regulator ARCEP (Autorite de Regulation des Communications Electroniques et des Postes) for failing to meet deployment requirements across several of its markets.
Operators MTN Group ends Telkom takeover talks The MTN Group announcement was fairly undemonstrative. Its headline referred to a “Withdrawal of cautionary announcement”. However, the headline on the MyBroadband site was more typical of the media response to the end of talks between the two South African operators MTN and Telkom. It said:...
Customer Management Vodafone Oman extends partnership With Netcracker Vodafone Oman has added analytics, DevOps processes and an integration layer to its ongoing engagement with Netcracker. This latest expansion to the partnership will, says Netcracker, further add to the operator’s data-driven capabilities, allowing it to grow and enhance its business and...
Revenue & Billing Eswatini and Giesecke+Devrient to research digital currency The Central Bank of Eswatini is looking into the development of a digital currency option with a little help from international technology group Giesecke+Devrient.
Regulation Kenya and Ghana try to finalise SIM registration It’s not being described as an extension in either case, but both Kenya and Ghana are now offering more time for the SIM card registration process to be completed.
Optical & Fixed Networks Algar Telecom taps Infinera for subsea network overhaul Brazil’s Algar Telecom has selected Infinera to modernise and scale its subsea network infrastructure.
Regulation Mexican commission chief and regulator call for reduced spectrum costs The president of Mexico’s Communications and Transportation Commission of the Chamber of Deputies, Víctor Manuel Perez Diaz, has called for spectrum prices to be lowered to facilitate the country’s deployment of 5G.
Regulation NBTC planning tougher conditions for True-dtac merger The proposed merger of Thai operators True Corporation and DTAC (Total Access Communication) has hit yet another setback, with the board of regulator NBTC (National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission) reportedly looking to impose strict measures on the deal if it cannot block it...
Cloud & Virtualisation Africa Data Centres supports Treten’s cloud strategy Treten Networks, an ICT solutions and enterprise security services business, has partnered with Africa Data Centres. This partnership will, it says, allow Treten's customers access to the cloud and infrastructure they need to realise their digital transformation goals.
Wireless Networks Airtel addresses vehicle-based IoT opportunity in India Airtel, a global communications solutions provider and a major player among India’s mobile network operators, has announced the launch in India of what it calls an Always On IoT Connectivity solution, apparently with an eye to the vehicle tracking market.
Regulation Uganda tightens rules on internet use The uneasy relationship that many governments have with online discourse continues; a new law in Uganda has imposed restrictions on the use of the internet that some people feel could silence legitimate criticism.
Operators Guinean government claims Sotelgui will launch in H1 2023 Guinea’s telecom minister Ousmane Gaoual Diallo has affirmed the government’s commitment to re-launching state-owned Societe des Telecoms de Guinee (Sotelgui) in the first half of 2023.
Regulation Four operators bag additional spectrum in Tanzania The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has concluded a multiband spectrum auction, bringing in a total of US$187.5 million.
Data Centres & Networks 800G Pluggable MSA Announces a Demo of 800G-LR4 Transceiver Prototype The 800G Pluggable Multisource Agreement (MSA), which was established in 2019 and consists of more than 40 member companies, announces the demonstration of the industry’s first 800G-LR4 transceiver prototype with up to 10 km reach based on 200Gbps-per-wavelength PAM4 and wavelength division...
Devices & Platforms Brazil fines Apple $19m for charger-less iPhones Apple was again fined for selling iPhones without chargers in Brazil, this time by the Sao Paulo state court to the tune of BRL100 million (US$19m), reported Reuters.
Optical & Fixed Networks GBI upgrades optical network capacity with Nokia Gulf Bridge International (GBI) is increasing its international network capacity with optical upgrades from Nokia to enable high-speed connectivity between Doha, Qatar and Milan, Italy.
Business Airtel and Cellulant to expand their presence in Zambia Operator Airtel Africa and payments company Cellulant have announced deals that will help them to expand their presence in the Zambian market.
Satellite Networks e&, SES and Microsoft combine for cloud connectivity in UAE – and beyond The Carrier and Wholesale Services division of e& (formerly the Etisalat Group) has announced a partnership with technology giant Microsoft and satellite operator SES to host the co-located SES O3b mPOWER and Microsoft ground station at Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE.
Wireless Networks MTN builds on relationship with NuRAN in Cote d’Ivoire MTN Cote d’Ivoire is set to boost its rural coverage via a new agreement with NuRAN Wireless.
