Mira Aerospace, the high altitude platform systems (HAPS) subsidiary of Space42, the UAE-based space technology company, has announced the successful completion of the first public test flight of its advanced, solar-powered HAPS model, ApusNeo18.

Meta has completed the core build of its 2Africa subsea cable system, marking a major milestone in one of the world’s largest connectivity projects, with further expansions already underway.

Dhiraagu, the Maldives' leading telecommunications provider, has partnered with Infovista to implement comprehensive AI-powered optimisation across its generational networks from 2G to 5G.

IHS Brazil, part of the IHS Towers group, announced on Tuesday it has  expanded its distributed antenna systems (DAS) project at Afonso Pena Airport in São José dos Pinhais, Curitiba metropolitan area, in partnership with Motiva Airports.

Omantel says it has launched a new regional managed optical fibre network (MOFN) in collaboration with Zain Group and Zain Omantel International (ZOI) with optical solutions from Ciena.

IFC, a global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets, has announced a partnership with operator Orange Mali to support the company in upgrading its infrastructure, expanding broadband coverage, and ensuring equal access to telecommunications services for all communities.

Google says it plans to deploy a new trans-Indian Ocean subsea cable system that will connect Oman, the Maldives Islands in South Asia, and Christmas Island, an Australian territory. It will be called Dhivaru after the line that controls the main sail on traditional Maldivian sailing vessels.

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) is set to sell around half of its stake in Ooredoo Group in a move to raise additional capital on the Qatar Stock Exchange.

Huawei’s sixth Innovation and Intellectual Property (IP) Forum, held in Beijing this month, saw experts in innovation and intellectual property from around the world gather to explore the importance of openness and IP protection in driving innovation and social progress.

Ericsson announced on Monday it has inaugurated its new office in Lusaka, Zambia, which it said marks a significant step towards not only enhancing its local and regional presence, but also supporting Zambia’s digital transformation ambitions.

New data released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on Monday indicates that while the number of internet connections is growing, the digital divide is still deepening in other key metrics such as speed, reliability, affordability and skills.

Indian real estate developer Anant Raj, now also operating in the data centre space as Anant Raj Cloud, has reportedly signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Andhra Pradesh, a state on the east coast of southern India, for the development of new data centre facilities and an IT park.

MTN Group has announced a new collaboration with Microsoft to broaden access to AI-enabled learning and productivity tools for millions of people across Africa, marking the operator’s milestone of reaching 300 million customers.

Oman Airports has deployed Wi-Fi 7 technology, introducing next-generation connectivity at Muscat International Airport. It claims to be the first airport operator in the world to introduce the technology.

Malaysia’s second 5G wholesale operator U Mobile announced on Friday it has signed a ten-year syndicated financing deal with four Malaysian banks worth MYR4.3 billion (just over US$1 billion) to fund the capex for its 5G network rollout.

Eutelsat says it has signed a new distribution agreement with Angolan telecoms service provider MSTelcom, to deliver Eutelsat’s OneWeb LEO connectivity services across key vertical sectors such as oil & gas and maritime, as well as fixed land operations.

Telecom Fiji announced on Saturday it has officially launched the Nakorokula–Tavua Fibre Project, billed as a major upgrade that will improve connectivity for families, businesses, schools, and essential services across the Western Division of Fiji.

Indonesian telecom solutions provider Solusi Sinergi Digital (Surge) and Nokia revealed on Friday they have officially signed a multi-year partnership deal to deploy Surge’s 5G FWA network in Java, Papua, and Maluku.

The African Development Bank Group has approved a US$100 million loan to the Emerging Africa and Asia Infrastructure Fund (EAAIF), supporting efforts to scale sustainable infrastructure investment across the continent.

It’s clearly been a busy week in Cape Town, where a number of deals have been announced at the Africa Tech/ AfricaCom event, including a strategic agreement between Vanu and Amazon’s Project Kuiper.

The government of Guyana and AI infrastructure company Cerebras Systems have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to build and operate an artificial intelligence (AI) data centre of up to 100MW in Wales in the Demerara region on the country’s coast.

In today’s hyper-competitive landscape, telecom operators face constant pressure to reduce costs. The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of the required network infrastructure, data centres, dedicated IT teams and licensing models is constantly escalating – an issue that is often compounded by outdated IT architectures. These rigid systems can hinder or prevent operators from swiftly launching new services or adopting new commercial models, leading them to miss opportunities for revenue generation.

Sri Lankan telco Dialog Axiata says it has partnered with the Ministry of Environment’s Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) to launch a 5G-enabled autonomous water-surface cleaning robot.

Eutelsat and pan-African telecoms network services provider Paratus Group say they have signed a new multi-million, multi-year agreement to expand delivery of Eutelsat’s OneWeb LEO satellite connectivity services across Southern Africa.

Efforts to curb alleged misuse of pre-registered SIM cards in Nigeria are continuing. Telecommunications regulator the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced new measures aimed at eliminating the sale and use of these cards, according to local reports.

Operator MTN Zambia and tech company Huawei have jointly launched what is claimed to be the world’s first AI-powered adaptive power backup solution for emergency resilient networks.

Ericsson has strengthened its R&D presence in India with the launch of a new Radio Access Network (RAN) Software Research & Development unit in Bengaluru, focused on advancing 5G and 5G Advanced technologies.

Huawei has secured a contract worth US$70 million to upgrade the network of Ghanaian operator Telecel, as part of a nationwide modernisation effort.

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH) has teamed up with Nokia and NVIDIA to open an AI-RAN Research Center in Surabaya, Indonesia, marking a major step toward building AI-native telecom networks in the country.

Technology giant Ericsson and Egypt’s Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), to reinforce collaboration over a three-year period and support the development of Egypt’s information and communications technology (ICT) and digital services industries.

More families are streaming High-Definition (HD) movies and play cloud games. Enterprises are increasingly moving their services to the cloud and embracing remote work. AI models are processing massive amounts of data for analysis and decision-making. With all of these changes afoot, the question arises, how should Internet Service Providers (ISPs) adapt in order to better serve their customers?

Orex SAI – the Open RAN joint venture between NTT DoCoMo and NEC – announced on Wednesday its new Indonesian subsidiary has started deploying Open RAN-based 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) 1.4-GHz services across parts of the country with local network service provider Solusi Sinergi Digital (Surge).

Vodacom Group revealed on Wednesday it has signed an agreement with Starlink to leverage its LEO satellite service across Africa for enterprise connectivity and mobile backhaul, although not yet in its home base of South Africa, where Starlink has yet to receive regulatory approval.