Nokia revealed on Wednesday that Indonesian digital infrastructure provider Solusi Sinergi Digital (a.k.a. Surge) has deployed its subsea optical solution in a new subsea fibre network connecting Jakarta and Singapore.

Thai telco True Corp said on Tuesday it has begun implementing dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) technology on the 2600-MHz band that it says will improve the performance and efficiency of its 4G and 5G services.

Private network development is, arguably, one of the few successful applications of 5G technology so far. Indeed, Eviden, a specialist in advanced computing, cybersecurity products, mission-critical systems and vision AI (and a brand of the digital transformation-focused Atos Group), has just announced that it has been awarded a strategic contract to deploy a 5G mobile private network at the Port of Ploče in Croatia.

India’s Birla Cable, a fibre optic cable manufacturer, and Nedia Fiber, a US-based optical fibre cable supplier, have formed a strategic alliance to accelerate the delivery of high-performance fibre optic solutions across the Americas.

Two banks with a strong Latin American focus, development bank IDB Invest and multinational bank Bladex, have joined forces to provide a financing package to Millicom-owned operator Telemovil El Salvador – aka Tigo – of up to US$205 million.

Morocco’s telecommunications regulator, the ANRT, has awarded 5G licences to the country’s three main operators - Maroc Telecom, Inwi, and Orange Morocco - raising MAD2.1 billion (US$210 million) for state coffers and marking a major step forward in the country’s national digital transformation agenda.

Thailand’s telecoms regulator has reportedly instructed Advanced Info Service (AIS) and True Corp to submit detailed plans to shut down their 2G and 3G networks by the third quarter of 2026, ostensibly as part of an anti-fraud strategy.

PLDT’s wireless unit Smart Communications announced on Tuesday that it has conducted a successful lab test of optical transport network disaggregation technology that it hopes to use to make its transport network more open, agile, efficient and flexible.

Nokia announced on Monday that it is supplying its subsea optical solutions for the Medusa Submarine Cable System owned by AFR-IX Telecom that aims to connect North Africa and Europe when it goes live later this year.

Nxtra by Airtel, a data centre-focused subsidiary of Indian technology giant Bharti Airtel Limited, and Indian renewable energy transition company AMPIN Energy Transition say they have strengthened their partnership.

Orange Money Group has expanded its mobile money offering by introducing small loans, following a new partnership with financial services platform Jumo.

Provider of integrated information and communication technology solutions ZTE Corporation has announced the successful completion of what it calls a landmark nationwide deployment in collaboration with Pakistan-based digital operator Jazz.

India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has set up ambitious targets to achieve 100% population coverage with 4G and 90% coverage with 5G, according to a draft of the country’s National Telecom Policy 2025, now being circulated for public consultation.

Orange has continued its senior leadership overhaul with the appointment of Brelotte Ba (pictured), Deputy CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa (MEA), as the new Director General of its Senegalese subsidiary, Sonatel.

The Sudanese authorities’ decision to block voice and video calls on WhatsApp for an unspecified period came into effect on Friday 25 July. It seems that text messaging and group chats remain unaffected.

Oman Investment and Finance Company (OIFC), a.k.a. Khedmah, announced on Sunday it has launched an international mobile recharge service in collaboration with Prepay Nation that allows mobile customers to top up their prepaid mobile accounts in 16 countries.

Malaysian telco CelcomDigi launched a new range of AI-driven cyber security solutions on Friday that it said will give large enterprises higher resilience against evolving digital threats with real-time threat prediction, detection, response, and recovery.

Saudi Arabia-based Etihad Salam Telecom Company announced on Friday it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Syria’s Ministry of Communications and Technology to develop and expand access to digital infrastructure in Syria.

Philippines-based challenger operator Dito Telecommunity has reached 15 million mobile subscribers, four years after launching commercial services.

Ethio Telecom has reported a significant jump in annual pre-tax profit, attributing the performance to strong subscriber growth and an aggressive network expansion strategy.

Saudi Electric Company – National Grid, the entity responsible for the transmission of power to different categories of customers in all locations in Saudi Arabia, has awarded Wipro, an AI-powered technology services and consulting company, a multi-year strategic contract involving smart metering.

Malaysian telco Maxis said on Thursday it has entered a partnership with Aduna – the open network API JV led by Ericsson – to help drive adoption of standardised network APIs in Malaysia and accelerate digital innovation for businesses.

China is reportedly planning to build a network to connect thousands of new data centres in the country with the aim of selling the excess compute power and alleviating a capacity glut.

Algerian operator Algerie Telecom, which offers a wide range of fixed-line, internet and enterprise solutions and Sparkle, an Italian international service provider, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the development of a new subsea cable linking Italy and Algeria.

Vodacom Group reported an 11.4% year-on-year revenue increase in Q1, driven by strong performance in its Egypt unit and growing adoption of financial services.

International network services provider RETN announced on Tuesday it has upgraded its Lithuanian fibre network ring connecting Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai and Panevėžys to support growing data traffic demand in the Baltic region.

Digital infrastructure provider WIOCC said on Wednesday it has signed a framework agreement with Mozambique’s national telco Tmcel to collaborate on high-capacity connectivity solutions across Mozambique and the Southern African region.

Scala Data Centres, which describes itself as Latin America’s leading platform for sustainable digital infrastructure serving the hyperscale market, says it has secured its first international project finance transaction: US$254 million in long-term funding to support the construction of three hyperscale data centres and a major power substation in Chile.

Satellite operator SES announced on Tuesday it has launched its latest pair of O3b mPOWER satellites, bringing its next-gen constellation to ten MEO satellites providing global coverage.

UAE-based satellite company Space42 announced on Wednesday that it has signed a US$695.5 million Export Credit Agency (ECA)-backed financing facility to fund the development of its next-generation geostationary satellites, Al Yah 4 and Al Yah 5.

Indonesian mobile operator Telkomsel says it has expanded its 5G coverage in the Greater Bandung area of West Java, with 72 active 5G base stations now in operation in the area.

Satellite networking technology, solutions and services company Gilat Satellite Networks has announced today that its Peruvian subsidiary, Gilat Perú, has been awarded approximately $60 million in orders from Pronatel (Programa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones), Peru’s national telecommunications programme.

Global digital service provider Hayo says it has expanded its African footprint with new offices in Gaborone in Botswana, Monrovia in Liberia and Lilongwe in Malawi, a strategic expansion that is described as part of Hayo’s continued investment in emerging markets to support local digital economies with digital solutions, telecoms services and on-the-ground expertise.