The parent companies of Indonesian telcos XL Axiata and Smartfren have reportedly asked permission from telecoms regulator KemKominfo to carry out a long-planned merger of the two companies – and seem likely to get it.

Data centre provider Princeton Digital Group (PDG), says it has has secured its first US$280 million 'green loan' for its 150MW AI-ready JH1 data centre campus in Sedenak Tech Park (STeP) in Johor, Malaysia.

El Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones (IFT), the Mexican telecommunications regulator, has announced plans to put out to tender 6,158 spectrum blocks for wireless access services.

The planned introduction of a new levy on electronic banking transactions in Nigeria is facing a backlash.

Pakistan’s antitrust regulator warned Pakistan Telecommunication Company’s (PTCL) acquisition of Telenor’s local unit will substantially reduce competition in the mobile market.

A US-based technology startup called Iozera, in collaboration with the government of Morocco, has announced an initiative that it says is set to transform the artificial intelligence (AI) industry: the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of a “pioneering” 386MW data centre and AI hub in Tetouan, Morocco.

Cairo-based AI developer WideBot announced on Tuesday that state-owned Libyan telco Almadar Aljadid will adopt its Arabic conversational AI chatbot platform to improve customer service.

South Africa-based CMC Networks announced on Tuesday it has launched a new infrastructure as a service (IaaS) solution that offers edge computing cloud services to enterprises across Africa.

Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) has reportedly launched a plan to tidy up the infamous urban tangle of telecoms cables hanging all over Bangkok.

State-owned Indian service provider BSNL has confirmed plans to start rolling out 4G services across the country from August.

Repair work to three damaged subsea cables off the coast of Yemen was delayed due to access disputes in the Red Sea, stemming from the ongoing civil war in the country. 

Philippines-based service provider PLDT is widely reported to be in talks to sell just under 50% of its data centre business to Japanese telecommunications company NTT.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) announced it is in discussion to loan Airtel Africa US$200 million, to fill the operator's coffers to fund network expansion in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Kenya. 

Ericsson announced on Monday it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Jordanian telco Umniah to expand its 3G and 4G network in major cities across the country.

Colombian connectivity service provider INRED and satellite operator SES announced their latest collaboration on Monday, with this one using SES’ medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites to provide internet connectivity in the department (administrative division) of Amazonas.

Chinese vendor ZTE announced on Monday that it has signed a strategic agreement with Veon’s Bangladesh operator Banglalink to enhance their existing collaboration to modernise and improve its 4G network infrastructure.

SpaceX should be able to launch its Starlink LEO satellite broadband service in Indonesia in the next two weeks, a government minister reportedly said on Friday.

Nepal suffered an internet outage lasting five hours on Thursday after Indian telco Bharti Airtel reportedly cut off upstream links into the country because Nepal’s private ISPs are behind on their payments.

Telecom Argentina and OSS vendor Intraway have announced plans to establish a joint digital company to create a platform that allows regional CSPs to monetise their networks using Open APIs under the GSMA Open Gateway initiative.

Malaysia’s special purpose company for 5G deployment Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) partnered with Ericsson to boost digitalisation in the country, with microchip giant Intel also involved. 

UAE-based operator e& denied a Bloomberg report claiming the company was in discussions to buy United Group.

Telkom Indonesia announced on Thursday that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with cybersecurity firm F5 to collaborate on cybersecurity services and strengthen Telkom’s own security capabilities.

Hot on the heels of similar announcements in Indonesia and Thailand, Microsoft announced an even bigger deal in Malaysia on Thursday, pledging to invest US$2.2 billion over the next four years in new cloud and AI infrastructure in the country.

Alibaba, a Chinese multinational technology company specialising in e-commerce, retail, internet, and technology, reportedly plans to build a data centre in Vietnam.

Industry organisations Fibre Connect Council MENA (FCC MENA) and the FTTH Council Europe have inked what is described as a significant agreement aimed at fostering collaboration and synergy between the two organisations.

Hormuud Telecom employees were killed in a roadside bomb attack on the outskirts of the Somali capital of Mogadishu. 

Philippines-based operator Globe Telecom sold off more towers in a deal sealed back in 2022, raising PHP13.5 billion (US$234 million) to support future capex plans and pay down debts.

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH) reported profits surging in its Q1 results supported by revenue growth across its units, and cutting down costs.

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has demanded that the government crack down on sales of Wi-Fi 6E routers that use the 6 GHz spectrum band, which has not yet been officially designated an unlicenced band.

Telecom Fiji said on Wednesday it has officially commenced Phase 2 of its Fibre Optics Northern Project to expand its underground fibre optic cables between Seaqaqa and Savusavu on the northern island of Vanua Levu.

Microsoft’s charm offensive in Southeast Asia this week has yielded two major commitments to build new cloud and AI infrastructure in Indonesia and Thailand, with the latter including its first data centre region in the country.

NuRAN Wireless, a leading rural telecommunications company that meets the growing demand for wireless network coverage in remote and rural regions around the globe, has announced the execution of a two-year term loan facility agreement relating to its businesses in Cameroon and DRC.

Operator Claro Costa Rica has started providing 5G services on what is described as a trial basis. Speeds of up to 1.7Gbps and the lower latency that 5G promises are part of the package.