Denis O’Brien, founder and Chairman of Digicel, an operator present in about 25 markets across the Caribbean and Central America, is reportedly asking for extra time for the company to make debt repayments.

Operator Ooredoo Qatar has selected the ASSET 5G planning solution from TEOCO, a provider of analytics, assurance, planning and optimisation solutions to over 300 operators worldwide, to optimise its 5G network.

Etisalat by e& will use Nokia’s IP solution to upgrade its IP core capacity and enable transport slicing capabilities, ensuring a superior and more resilient 5G experience for its customers.

Angolan operator and market leader Unitel saw market share decline as newcomer Africell launched services in April last year. 

Smartphone shipments in the Middle East and North Africa contracted 12.1% year-on-year (YoY) to 148 million units in 2022, the lowest shipment level since 2015 as macroeconomic factors affect consumer buying.

Brazilian regulator Anatel enabled broadband providers to tap into the 6GHz spectrum band unlicensed for the next decade via higher-powered devices, a move that will enhance WiFi broadband coverage, and deliver US$163.5 billion to the Brazilian economy, according to industry bodies Abrint and the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA).

It’s not just in India that telecoms giant Airtel is driving 5G rollout. A recent announcement from Airtel Uganda highlights plans to upgrade key infrastructure for 5G purposes.

Network software provider Mavenir has announced that it has expanded its existing partnership with global manufacturing company Jabil and commenced manufacturing massive MIMO radios at Jabil’s facility in Pune, India.

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have approved the creation of a new regulator known as ARPTIC.

Reliance Jio announced it has reached 277 cities in India with its standalone 5G network after its recent deployment in 20 locations nationwide.

ZTE, in partnership with China Mobile and Qualcomm Technologies, has successfully completed a 5G Sub-band Full-Duplex (SBFD) verification and compatibility test in its Xi'an Joint Innovation Lab.

Tanzania deactivated 970,046 SIM cards despite extending the deadline for its SIM registration law, a move to combat fraudulent activity through mobile phones.  

Ooredoo Group CEO Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo said the operator is in the last rounds of negotiations with interested parties for its portfolio of towers, with a deal it expects to be finalised this year, reported Bloomberg.

As 5G development gains momentum and 5G networks scale up, 5G technologies have been widely used, unlocking tremendous business value. In the consumer market, 5G technologies have significantly improved user experience and altered user habits.

South African regulator the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has addressed submissions relating to an earlier Draft Radio Frequency Spectrum Assignment Plan with a new round of consultation. The authority had previously highlighted ten bands for public consultation in March last year.

Yahsat, the UAE’s flagship satellite solutions provider, and GAL-AMMROC, a provider of integrated aviation services, have announced a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to expand airborne services for the UAE and regional market.

As network transmission and video communications evolve, IPTV and OTT are converging as video platforms incorporate video communication capabilities, opening new possibilities for operators.

The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) has commenced its auction process for 4G and 5G-capable spectrum in the 700MHz and 800MHz bands.

A1 Telekom Austria Group’s board agreed to a plan to spin off its passive telecoms infrastructure into a separate company.

Data centre provider Princeton Digital Group (PDG) says it has unveiled what it calls its SG+ strategy with the announcement of a 96 MW data centre campus in Batam in Indonesia.

KaiOS, a mobile operating system for smart featurephones with a focus on the developing world, says it has formed a partnership with cybersecurity technology firm Trustonic.

STC Bahrain and regional digital hub Center3 have announced plans to land the 2Africa Pearls submarine cable system in Bahrain. The companies say they have now officially completed the marine survey to bring the cable to the country.

Last week’s decision by Mexico’s regulator – the Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones (IFT) – to open only the lower portion of the 6GHz band for license-exempt applications such as Wi-Fi has been met with some disappointment – notably from the collaboration forum known as the Wi-Fi Alliance. But is this really bad news?

Ethiopia has reportedly publicised a demand of US$150 million from Safaricom for the operator to deploy its M-Pesa mobile money platform in the country, with talks to be held this week.

Following approval from Ghanaian authorities, Vodafone Group has sold off its majority 80% stake in Vodafone Ghana to Telecel Group, continuing its strategy to streamline its footprint.

The GSM Association (GSMA) is keeping up the pressure on India’s decision-making bodies to identify and support 6GHz band spectrum for 5G.