Globe Telecom partnered with satellite phone company Lynk Global to launch a pilot programme to examine the use of satellite-direct-to-phone communication services to plug coverage gaps in the Philippines.

Digital infrastructure company Equinix has announced its expansion into Chennai with what it describes as its first International Business Exchange (IBX) data centre, called CN1.

Colombian operator Claro deployed the first stage of its 5G network offering fixed wireless access (FWA) broadband with vendor partner Nokia, in only four months since securing its 5G licence.

Thai telecoms operator True Corp says that its 5G revenue is now growing at 15% per year, which it credits mainly to its strategy of targeting domestic and international tourists with 5G packages.

Globe Telecom announced on Wednesday that it has become the second Philippine telco to join the GSMA’s Open Gateway Initiative for standardised open network APIs, just after rival PLDT did the same.

Timor Leste is set to get its first-ever subsea cable connection later this year as work begins to install the Timor Leste South Submarine Cable System (TLSSC) at its landing station in Dili, according to country’s Ministry of Transport and Communication.

Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT), which owns and operates the Nigerian communications satellite systems. has announced a strategic partnership with infrastructure and technology company Infratel Africa, to provide connectivity for a major rural infrastructure project in Nigeria.

In yet another example of the continuing importance to fintechs of emerging markets, Pyypl, a fintech company in the Middle East and Africa (MEA), has announced a principal licence membership and strategic framework agreement with payment giant Visa.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA) have announced a joint declaration aimed at strengthening collaboration on ICT infrastructure mapping across West Africa.

Recently, China Broadnet started the large-scale 400G deployment on its national backbone network.

Brazil’s National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) has approved financing worth R$41 million (US$7.5 million) for Um Telecom, a B2B operator focused on Brazil's Northeast region, to deploy the first Tier III data centre in the State of Pernambuco.

Revenues from fixed communication services in Malaysia is expected to hit a compound annual growth rate of 0.7% from US$1.87 billion in 2023 to US$1.94 billion in 2028.

Globe Telecom announced more mobile site transfers to PhilTower for a capital injection to pay down debts.

Indonesian telco Telkomsel says that it has signed a MoU with Tencent Cloud and local digital infrastructure company M Cash Integrasi to explore the adoption of palm scanning technology as a biometric tool to improve customer service.

The Pacific island of Tonga is set to get a second subsea cable connection after the governments of Australia and New Zealand agreed to construct a new cable connecting it to the Hawaiki Cable.

A Vietnam News report, published late last week, has suggested that the country’s international fibre optic cable system could see the addition of at least ten new undersea cables by 2030, bringing the number of Vietnam's undersea routes to at least 15.

America Movil (AMX), a provider of telecommunications services across Latin America, and Liberty Latin America (LLA) ], a communications company with operations in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and other parts of Latin America, have announced that America Movil will be consolidating the Chilean joint venture ClaroVTR into its ongoing operations.

Orange reportedly deemed its 40% stake in Mauritius Telecom as not core to its business and is weighing up options to sell its shares.

Around 2.6 billion people are still not connected to the Internet, but artificial intelligence may be the key to changing that, according to a new report from the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development.

Plans to build a fibre-optic submarine cable connecting six members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have reportedly been moving forward this month after key meetings in Guinea-Bissau and Guinea.

Indian telco Vodafone Idea has reportedly completed the minimum rollout requirements outlined in its spectrum licences for its 5G network, although the timeline for a proper service launch remains fuzzy.

Vodacom announced it will increase investment into the Free State and Northern Cape provinces in South Africa, a move to boost capacity and resilience particularly in rural areas.

Amsterdam-headquartered operator group Veon completed upgrades to its unit Beeline Kazakhstan’s network using ZTE equipment, to support growing demand of connectivity in the country.

Mobile internet adoption in the Democratic Republic of the Congo surged 40% to 28.9 million subscribers, according to the country’s telecoms regulator.

PLDT – along with wireless subsidiary Smart Communications and B2B arm PLDT Enterprise – announced on Thursday they are joining the GSMA’s Open Gateway initiative for standardised open network APIs.

Malaysian 5G wholesale operator Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) said on Thursday that four of five telco investors have met the deadline to complete their Share Subscription Agreements (SSAs), paving the way for the launch of a second 5G operator.

Intelligent power and sensing technologies company onsemi has announced plans to establish a state-of-the-art, vertically integrated silicon carbide (SiC) manufacturing facility in the Czech Republic.

Two Cameroon utilities, Cameroon Telecommunications (Camtel) and Cameroon Water Utility Corporation (Camwater), have signed an agreement to share infrastructure.

Orange opened its IoT digital platform to energy suppliers in Africa and the Middle East that tracks payment, solar kits and smart meters in rural locations, in a bid to boost uptake of its services and electricity in emerging markets.

Chile’s Movistar Empresas, the business-focused division of operator Movistar, has announced the deployment of an LTE-M network in the country, which, it says, will allow organisations of various sizes to connect their Internet of Things (IoT) devices with greater energy efficiency.

A financing package from development finance institutions IFC  and Proparco has been announced for digital infrastructure provider WIOCC Group. WIOCC says the package will fund its expansion strategy in three African countries.

Huawei, TM Forum, and eight carriers have jointly released the New-Generation Intelligent Operations White Paper 2.0 at Digital Transformation World (DTW) 2024, in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Peru-based telecoms operator Global Fiber says it has selected Brazilian fibre-optic vendor Padtec and Peruvian telecoms firm Satelital as primary suppliers for a subsea ‘festoon’ network connecting two provincial capital cities in Brazil.