MTN Group Fintech, described as Africa’s leading mobile financial services provider, has appointed Network International, an enabler of digital commerce across the Middle East and Africa (MEA), as its partner for Payment Processor – Issuing.

It’s being widely reported that Apple should be able to sell its iPhone 16 phones in Indonesia soon. Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita suggested this week that the long-running issue, centring around local manufacture – or the lack of it – could be close to being resolved.

The African smartphone market grew 9% to 74.7 million units in 2024, as easing inflation across the continent boosted consumer purchasing power.

UAE-based telco e& announced on Wednesday that it is exiting Khazna Data Centres – its joint venture with AI and cloud firm Group 42 – and will sell its 40% stake to G42 for US$2.2 billion.

Indian telco Bharti Airtel said on Tuesday it has signed a deal to deploy 5G core network solutions from Ericsson as part of its plan to transition to a 5G standalone (SA) network.

The Latin American smartphone market surged by 15% in 2024 to 137 million units, with Korean vendor Samsung maintaining its position as the market leader by shipments.

The government of Bolivia has officially opened a new US$52 million data centre in the city of El Alto owned by national operator Entel. Entel has also announced ambitious plans for fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) growth in the country.

Operator Ooredoo Qatar and tech giant Ericsson say they have further strengthened their partnership with the integration of Ericsson Mediation into Ooredoo Qatar’s network.

From the legendary Maasai warriors to the annual great migration of wildebeest and zebra, Kenya has no lack of cultural and natural wonders. One thing the country does lack, however, is the application of digital technologies. According to data from the Communications Authority of Kenya, just 58% of Kenyans were connected to the Internet in 2024.

Nokia announced on Monday that ACES-NH – a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Advanced Communication and Electronics Systems (ACES) – has deployed the country’s first 25GPON neutral host network.

Satellite operator Eutelsat Group announced on Monday it has conducted what it says is world’s first successful trial of 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN) technology over its Eutelsat OneWeb LEO satellites.

Malaysian telco YTL Communications and telecoms infrastructure firm Bullish Aim Group announced on Monday they have formed a joint venture to develop fibre infrastructure to support the growth of data centres in Johor.

Algeria Telecom, the largest telecommunications operator in Algeria, and tech giant Huawei have jointly announced the official launch of the national 400G WDM (wavelength division multiplexing) project, building an all-optical premium transmission foundation covering the whole country.

Colombia’s Ministry of ICT, the European Union and CAF, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, have signed a cooperation agreement to strengthen connectivity in Colombia and promote development in its territories, especially in rural and remote areas.

Kyivstar, the leading Ukrainian digital operator and part of Veon Group, a global digital operator, has selected Mavenir, a cloud-native network infrastructure provider, to deliver enhanced enterprise fixed and mobile connectivity for the operator’s B2B customers.

Philippine telco Globe Telecom announced on Monday that it’s collaborating with Nokia to expose its network APIs to provide banks and other enterprises with enhanced security.

PLDT announced on Friday it has successfully completed its two subsea cable branches connecting the Philippines to the intra-Asian Apricot cable system that will run between Japan and Singapore.

A delegation from SpaceX and its LEO satellite unit Starlink has wrapped up a series of meetings with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and other top officials to discuss expanding its investment in the country.

Telefónica has announced it will integrate Generative AI into its digital workplace management software to enhance operations at security firm Prosegur across the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America.

Movistar, Telefónica’s mobile carrier in Mexico, and Helium, a pioneer in decentralised wireless communications, are beginning to roll out the Helium Network, with plans to activate service to over two million Movistar subscribers across Mexico. We asked Mario Di Dio, General Manager of Network at Helium, to tell us a bit more about the technology and the business model it enables.

Indian media have reported that SpaceX’s Starlink will imminently receive clearance from the country’s authorities to launch satellite broadband services.

Indian billionaire and Bharti Enterprises chairperson Sunil Mittal (pictured) has sold US$976 million worth of Bharti Airtel shares as he looks to secure funds for other ventures.

The chairman of Hungarian operator 4iG, Gellért Jászai, has revealed that he met with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to explore a potential deal involving Starlink and space technologies.

Saudi digital infrastructure firm DataVolt said on Thursday it has signed a deal with the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON) to lease land to develop an AI-ready data centre in Riyadh.

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has reportedly limited bandwidth imports from India to 50% of Bangladesh’s total international capacity, and plans to lower that percentage even further in favour of subsea cables and satellite.

Chinese maritime and marine technology company Highlander has reportedly added a new module to its underwater data centre in Lingshui, off the coast of Hainan island, to support demand for AI workloads.

Apple has launched its latest AI-powered smartphone, the iPhone 16e, in a bid to gain market share in emerging markets such as India, where it has been ramping up its focus.

The role of satellite communications in keeping aircraft connected just keeps on growing. Satcoms specialist Viasat has announced that it is expanding its long-standing relationship with Aeromexico, Mexico’s global airline.

Oman has announced plans to start an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor chip manufacturing project in Salalah Free Zone, Dhofar, in the south of the country, following a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on Monday.

Intracom Telecom, a global technology systems and solutions provider, is once again participating in Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, taking place on March 3-6, 2025.