A letter from the GSM Association (GSMA), apparently sent to India’s secretary for telecommunications in September but only being widely reported recently, revisits the ongoing challenges in rolling out telecommunications infrastructure in India.

Zain Group will transfer management of state-owned operator Touch to the Lebanese government by the end of this month, reported Lebanon’s official National News Agency.

Comtech EF Data Corp, a supplier of communications equipment with a focus on satellite bandwidth efficiency and link optimisation, has announced that it has received a $1 million order for satellite ground station equipment from what it describes as the largest telecommunications company in Africa.

Telecom Vanuatu Limited (TVL), a provider of landline, GSM, internet, and 4G+ to the island country of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean, has begun modernising its network using solutions by digital enablement firm Alepo.

Pakistan’s telecom market has had to transition from a regulated state-owned monopoly to a deregulated competitive structure. The transition, and the development of the telecom sector generally, has been greatly aided by foreign investment.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) restored social media app TikTok, 10 days after the authority banned the app for what it deemed as “unlawful” content, however, it warned the app could be banned permanently if guidelines are not followed.

Global cloud communications company Infobip has been appointed by Ubongo, a leading African edutainment company, to implement a WhatsApp channel with its latest offering Answers.

The debate over India’s 5G future continues. India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has reportedly asked the government to free up 3000 MHz in the 26GHz-28GHz band for 5G. Meanwhile, operator Reliance Jio has indicated its support for a home-grown 5G standard.

Philippines operator Globe Telecom made good on a pledge to upgrade its broadband network, stating 40% of targeted customers have been migrated to higher speed networks for free.

Global mobile satellite communications company Inmarsat and radio and satellite communications solutions provider Cobham SATCOM have been awarded a contract to connect 732 fishing vessels active in the Maldives Economic Exclusion Zone to Inmarsat’s Fleet One maritime broadband services.

Following a referendum, oil-rich South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011 and became an independent nation. Having been deprived of investment for decades, it inherited one of the least developed telecommunications and internet markets in the world, while other infrastructure is also lamentably poor.

Malaysian operator Digi Telecommunications announced it chose ZTE to supply equipment for its nationwide network modernisation project, as part of plans to prepare for a commercial 5G launch.

Madagascar is the latest African country to join the trend towards offering free internet access to its people. The government-supported rollout of Wi-Fi terminals across Madagascar has now begun.

Vodacom KwaZulu Natal Region pledged to invest over ZAR320 million ($19.3 million) for infrastructure in the South African region, with a major focus on building new LTE base stations.

Vodafone Hungary is boosting its 5G network in Budapest with the addition of around 200 new base stations.

Sierra Leone has enjoyed sustained political stability in recent years, following a decade of civil war. The departure of the UN’s local mission in March 2014 marked the end of more than 15 years of international peacekeeping operations in the country.

The South African unit of food delivery service Uber Eats has launched an app-based over-the-counter-medicines service.

Vodacom Tanzania, the country’s leading cellular network company, and Oryx Oil Tanzania, a market leader in fuels, LPG and lubricants distribution, have entered a new partnership which brings the payment service M-Pesa to fuel stations.

The Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA) reportedly fined Econet Telecom Lesotho LSL1.5 million ($89,932) for submitting its operator licence renewal application late.

Roke Telkom, which describes itself as a Ugandan public service provider for voice and data communications services, has announced a partnership with global social networking giant Facebook.

The data centre market continues to be a busy place – as indicated by recent news from both Poland and Croatia.

Nigeria has one of the largest telecom markets in Africa, supported by the second largest economy on the continent after South Africa. The economy’s recovery from a recent recession, helped the telecom sector attract foreign investment, particularly from China, while government infrastructure programs also stimulate investment.

Liquid Telecom South Africa announced the appointment of Deon Geyser (pictured) as its new CEO effective from next year, as part of plans to reposition the company as a leading digital services provider.

MTN and Airtel’s Ugandan units announced mobile money services between the two networks have resumed after a major hack impacted transactions in the country.

MTN Ghana withdrew its case against regulator the National Communication Authority (NCA), which previously deemed the operator as a dominant operator in Ghana putting a strain on competition in the country.

The reopening of the Indian economy and of some physical retail outlets seems to have had a positive effect on mobile subscriber numbers, which saw a rise of 3.5 million during July. This makes up, in part, for the loss of 3.2 million subscribers in June. The overall base is now 1.144 billion.

Nextel Brazil has been rebranded as Claro-nxt after being acquired by America Movil in December last year.

Hughes India has said that it has been selected by infrastructure provider Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) and Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd (TCIL) to provide high-speed satellite connectivity to 5,000 remote Indian gram panchayats (roughly translated as village councils).