Following the recent announcement of its data centre plans for Africa, beginning with a 36MW data centre in Lagos, Bharti Airtel’s African unit has confirmed that it will develop a data centre in Nairobi.

The workers union of state-owned Indian operator BSNL said the operator is “sinking” into “crisis”, after claiming equipment from Tata Consultancy Services needed for its long-delayed 4G launch will take a year to be ready for commercial use.

UAE-based satellite operator Yahsat has announced the launch of what it calls an ambitious direct-to-device (D2D) strategy to elevate global connectivity by directly enabling smartphone users and IoT devices across the world to leverage the power of space tech, regardless of location.

The Santiago-headquartered Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC – or CEPAL in Spanish), one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations, and founded with the purpose of contributing to the economic development of Latin America, has unveiled what it calls its Digital Development Observatory (DDO).

Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang has reportedly approved the country’s national data strategy up to 2030, which includes a plan to establish a national data services market.

India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI) has made its official debut in Sri Lanka and Mauritius, with Nepal reportedly next on the list as India’s real-time payments system continues its international expansion.

There’s a new name in e-commerce in Africa – and, having set up last month in Kenya and Nigeria, pan-African business-to-business marketplace Zandaux.com this week announced its launch in South Africa at an event held in Johannesburg.

Ericsson announced new and upgraded software and hardware products that will be showcased at Mobile World Congress Barcelona later this month. 

Telkom Indonesia announced on Thursday that its subsidiary Telkomsat will launch its 11th satellite – and the first in its fleet to feature High Throughput Satellite (HTS) technology – around the middle of next week.

Telekom Malaysia (TM) and Maybank Islamic announced on Thursday that they have partnered to create what they’re billing as Malaysia’s first Islamic banking-as-a-service (BaaS) solution powered by 5G.

An intervention by the employees union of Indian state-owned operator BSNL, suggesting that BSNL should engage in a limited network sharing deal with private operator Vodafone Idea, has highlighted concerns about the speed – or otherwise – of BSNL’s 4G rollout.

Bahrain service provider Batelco and state-owned UAE telecommunications company e& (Etisalat and) have signed an MoU for the landing of the Al Khaleej Cable in the United Arab Emirates.

The Israeli government revealed it approved the use of Starlink satellites in a field hospital in the war-torn Gaza Strip and in Israel for the first time, Reuters reported.

South Africa-based service provider CMC Networks announced it has partnered with diagnostic services provider Cerba Lancet Africa to drive innovations in digital health and boost healthcare across the continent.

Sri Lankan telco Dialog Axiata says it has released a new mobile app that serves as a single remote control point for its suite of smart-home devices.

Philippine telco Globe Telecom has announced that a segment of its US$150 million Philippine Domestic Submarine Cable Network (PDSCN) from Luzon to Mindanao is now live.

IDC reported the Indian smartphone market was flat with a 1% uptick in shipments totalling 146 million units in 2023. 

Nokia and Chinese smartphone manufacturer Oppo reached a resolution and threw out their lawsuits from the Indian high court which was originally filed by the Finnish company. 

Indian data centre company Nxtra by Airtel has announced an agreement with renewable energy specialist Ampln and leading distributed energy company Amplus Energy to procure an additional 140,208 MWh of renewable energy.

Test and measurement company Rohde & Schwarz will showcase its next-generation deep packet inspection (DPI) technology at Mobile World Congress Barcelona, which it claims will enhance networking and cybersecurity. 

American Samoa operator Bluesky celebrated its 25^th anniversary on Tuesday by launching the island’s first 5G service alongside its supplier partner Ericsson.

Guam telecoms and digital infrastructure provider GTA announced on Tuesday that Philippines-based carrier PLDT Global has established a PoP in its GTA GNC iX Data Centre.

Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) has reportedly finalised its proposal to deploy a cell broadcast emergency warning system later this year to be used during disasters, terrorist attacks or civil unrest.

Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) has unveiled what it calls  a pioneering initiative aimed at facilitating global access to cutting-edge technology solutions: the ATRC Global Tech R&D Platform.

Only days after Movistar’s request to suspend the process was turned down by the Court for the Defence of Free Competition (TDLC), Chilean telecommunications services regulator Subtel has again adjusted the calendar for the next 5G spectrum auction, which will award frequencies in the 3.5GHz band.

Hard on the heels of similar recent agreements in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, Synspective, a Japanese synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite data and analytics solution provider, has announced  a deal to aid disaster prevention in Vietnam.

IHS Cameroon launched the ‘Tower Kiosk’ initiative in the Northwest and Southwest of Cameroon, a move to provide connectivity and digital services to communities in rural areas. 

Vodafone Romania said on Monday it has signed a six-year partnership agreement with Ericsson to upgrade its RANs to standalone 5G and develop 5G services for consumers and enterprises.

Ciena announced on Monday that Telia Lithuania is using its coherent optics gear to launch the first 800G wavelength service between major cities in the country as part of a nationwide upgrade of its fibre-optic network.

Qatar Satellite Company, aka Es’hailsat, and Egyptian Satellites Company, better known as Nilesat, have announced that they have signed a cooperation agreement and a strategic partnership.