Indian telecom operator Vodafone Idea Limited, doing business as Vi, is engaging with private equity giants TPG Global, Apollo Global, and Carlyle Group to sell You Broadband along with fibre and data centre assets to raise US$1 billion.

Grain Management, a private equity firm focused on digital infrastructure, has acquired Conexao Group, a Brazilian alternative high-speed internet service provider (ISP) operating in the Northeast and Southeast regions of Brazil, from ACON Investments, a private equity firm.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued new regulatory guidelines aimed at encouraging national roaming.

Within the first half of 2021, Cambodia’s Smart Axiata has deployed over 300 new base stations to extend its 4G coverage across nine provinces.

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) has launched a plan to build a network of large-scale data centres across the kingdom. The aim is to attract $18 billion worth of investment by 2030 as part of a drive to transform Saudi Arabia into the main data centre hub for the region.

Pan-African data centre developer and operator Raxio Group is establishing a carrier-neutral data centre in Mozambique.

The Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) is forecasted to have 62 million 5G mobile subscriptions by the end of 2026, representing about 73% of all mobile connections, the second-highest in the world after North America where the adoption rate will be 84%, said a study.

Dr. Ashwini Vaishnaw, a Rajya Sabha (upper house of Parliament of India) Member of Parliament (MP) from the state of Odisha, and former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer has been allocated with three portfolios - Telecom, Electronics and Information Technology, and Railways.

Orange Poland (Orange Polska) has transferred to its joint venture Swiatlowod Inwesticje (Fibre-Optic Investments) fibre connections covering around 672,000 households, as the new company starts operations.

Zain Bahrain, the Mobile Broadband network operator in the kingdom, has selected Ericsson to expand its 4G and 5G coverage as well as introduce 5G low-band (sub-6GHz FDD) and mid-band (sub-6GHz TDD) carrier aggregation.

Smart Communications, a leading mobile services provider in the Philippines, and AST SpaceMobile, which is building a space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by mobile phones, have signed a memorandum of understanding.

The Telecommunications Agency of Guyana has confirmed plans to issue three 700MHz spectrum licences this month.

Cash-strapped Indian telco Vodafone Idea, rebranded as Vi, is planning to ease its financial woes by selling its fixed-line broadband subsidiary, optic fibre unit, and data centres business.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) announced that the new Mandatory Standards for Quality of Service (MSQoS) will be effective on Aug 1, 2021.

Russia’s largest wireless carrier Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) has bought GDTs Energy Group for RUB 5.2 billion (USD 71 million), including net debt.

Following hard on the heels of its launch of Hype – the in-browser chat service for Opera Mini users – in a number of African countries, global internet brand Opera has now added interest-based social clubs to the fast-growing chat service.

CETIN, a wholesale provider of fixed and mobile telecommunications infrastructure, and NEC Europe Ltd have announced the signing of a large network security project relevant to a number of countries in Eastern Europe.

According to a recent announcement from the country’s telecoms regulator, Subtel, Chile will be the first country in Latin America to be served by Starlink, a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet constellation described (on its website) as ideally suited for areas of the globe where connectivity has typically been a challenge.

Thailand’s Supreme Administrative Court ruled that market leader AIS is not required to pay any additional compensation to state provider CAT Telecom.

Vanuatu’s Telecommunications Radiocommunications and Broadcasting Regulator (TRBR) has confirmed that Digicel Vanuatu, Vodafone Vanuatu and WanTok Network will participate in the second stage rollout of its Universal Access Policy (UAP).

Nepal’s regulator the National Telecommunications Authority (NTA) has confirmed plans to refarm the 900MHz spectrum band for 4G use.

India's Telecom Secretary Anshu Prakash said that the Digital Communications Commission (DCC), formerly the Telecom Commission, approved backhaul satellite connectivity via VSAT for telecom services.

Telecommunications company Telefonica, whose operations in Brazil are branded as ‘Vivo’, has announced that the neutral fibre network operator FiBrasil has officially started operating in the country.

As 5G customers are on the rise on the back of continuing efforts to make the technology more available and accessible in the Philippines, Globe Telecom said it expects a faster rollout of fifth-generation technology in the country.

Singapore’s Ascendas Property Fund Trustee Pte. Ltd, the trustee-manager of Ascendas India Trust (a-iTrust), will build data centres in India and invest around INR 1,200 crore (USD 161 million) to develop phase one of its first data centre campus in the country.

In a move that reverses plans announced a year ago, two Saudi operators have apparently decided to abandon a mooted tower merger.

An interesting, and apparently continent-wide, communications deal has been announced involving the Pan African Postal Union (PAPU) and Spanish technology services company Lleida.net.

A reminder of the growing importance of smart mobile devices to African broadcasters has come with the announcement by streaming giant Netflix of a new mobile-only subscription plan for its mobile device-using audience in sub-Saharan Africa.

Sri Lankan operator Dialog Axiata has switched on its 4000th LTE network tower as it takes strides towards boosting rural connectivity nationwide.

Achieving mass production of 14nm chips will secure China’s place as a domestic chip producer at scale, says the deputy head of the country’s leading technology research centre.