Operators

Vodafone Qatar and Iraq’s state-owned Informatics and Telecom Public Company (ITPC) have signed a joint cooperation agreement to establish a framework for collaborating on telecoms and digital infrastructure.

Israeli telecoms group Bezeq has agreed to acquire mobile operator Wecom for up to NIS265 million (US$84 million), with the deal expected to generate cost savings of up to NIS100 million for the group over the longer term.

PLDT’s wireless unit Smart Communications said on Monday it has rolled out three new cell sites to connect geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA) in Cebu, Bukidnon and Cotabato.

Vodacom Group increased EBITDA by 40% to ZAR42.7 billion (US$2.6 bn) in the six months to 30 September 2026, with the consolidation of Safaricom helping to boost earnings as the operator reported stronger growth across its African markets.

MTN Group increased service revenue by 17.2% to ZAR176.2 billion (US$10.7 billion) in the first nine months of 2026, with growth accelerating through the third quarter and earnings rising faster than revenue.

PLDT’s wireless arm, Smart Communications, said on Friday it has launched a new service for premium postpaid customers that uses AI noise cancellation to filter out background noise during voice calls.

Bharti Airtel reported a 16.7% year-on-year increase in consolidated revenue to INR608.78 billion (US$6.8 billion) for the second quarter of its 2026-27 financial year, driven by growth in India and Africa.

Vietnam's mobile services revenue is forecast to grow by an average of 3.4% a year between 2026 and 2031, as rising data consumption and 5G adoption offset declining income from voice services, according to GlobalData.

Telefonica Brasil, which operates under the Vivo brand, has confirmed preliminary talks with shareholders of Brazilian fibre broadband provider Vero, as it looks to expand its fixed-line footprint amid consolidation in the country's broadband market.

Airtel Kenya has reportedly acquired 100 MHz of 5G spectrum in the 3500 MHz band for US$65 million after the Communications Authority of Kenya granted it a 25-year licence for the spectrum.

The GSMA has re-elected Bharti Airtel executive vice chairman Gopal Vittal (pictured, below) as its chair for the 2027-28 term, while MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita and Vodafone Group CEO Margherita Della Valle have retained their positions as co-deputy chairs.

Guinea has appointed Mamy Diaby as CEO of state-owned telecoms operator Areeba, as the government restructures the struggling business after a sharp decline in subscribers and revenue.

Bolivian state-owned operator Entel has begun shutting down its 3G network in the administrative capital of La Paz, reallocating spectrum in the 850 MHz band to strengthen 4G services.

Ukrainian operator Kyivstar has expanded its 5G pilot network to Kyiv, making the capital the fourth location where it is testing the technology following launches in Lviv, Borodyanka and Kharkiv.

State-owned operator Uztelecom has upgraded 1,566 base stations and launched 380 new ones across Uzbekistan as it expands mobile coverage and develops its 5G network.

India’s Jio Platforms faces questions over its debt obligations, future tax payments and valuation ahead of a proposed INR302.13 billion (US$3.2 billion), according to GlobalData.

Communications company Ooredoo and telecommunications operator Zain Group have announced the first closing of their regional tower transaction, bringing together the initial tower portfolios within a regional tower platform jointly owned by Ooredoo Group and Zain Group, each holding a 50% stake.

Papua New Guinean telco Digicel PNG announced on Tuesday it has successfully activated its network service on a Vodafone PNG tower under a tower and infrastructure sharing agreement signed by both telcos last month.

Vodacom Mpumalanga says it will invest over ZAR600 million (around US$36.6 million) in network infrastructure and technology in the coming financial year to expand broadband connectivity and support growing demand for digital services across the province.

Global digital operator Veon – which owns Beeline Uzbekistan – said on Monday it has struck a deal to buy rival telco Rubicon Wireless, which operates under the “Perfectum” brand, for US$207 million.

Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) has completed a MYR5.2 billion (US$1.3 billion) Syndicated Islamic Term Financing, which it described as one of the largest syndicated loan facilities ever arranged for an unlisted company in Malaysia.

CelcomDigi and Maxis have both accepted spectrum assignments from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), with each operator bolstering its position in the 2600MHz band.

Operator Ooredoo Qatar has announced the launch of Qatar’s first 5G+ mobile network, building on the capabilities of 5G standalone, the network Ooredoo Qatar was the first to deploy.

Philippine operator Globe Telecom's chief intelligence and trust officer Anton Reynaldo M. Bonifacio will step down on January 1, 2027, after 12 years with the company.

Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal announced on Wednesday it has earmarked ZAR1 billion (US$60.3 million) for network infrastructure investment for the 2027 financial year.

State-owned Telikom PNG announced on Thursday it has signed a tower sharing licence agreement with Digicel PNG, marking the third such deal in Papua New Guinea’s telecoms sector in the past two months.

Philippine operator Globe Telecom has called for telecommunications networks to be prioritised alongside electricity and water during disaster recovery, arguing that connectivity is essential for emergency response and relief efforts.

Telefónica and KKR have appointed JPMorgan and Scotiabank to sell OnNet Fibra, their Chilean wholesale fibre joint venture, in a deal that could value the business at up to US$2 billion.

Flow Jamaica has completed the removal of its legacy underground copper network, freeing up capacity to move more vulnerable fibre transmission routes underground and protect them from severe weather.

Vodacom is investing more than ZAR500 million (US$30m) in network infrastructure in South Africa's Western Cape during the current financial year, with spending focused on network modernisation, 5G expansion and energy resilience.

Tigo is now officially a mobile operator brand in Ecuador. On 1 October the telecommunications brand owned by Millicom replaced Movistar and Tuenti, after Tigo completed its acquisition of Telefonica's operations in the country.

Brazilian operator Claro has completed the acquisition of a 72.83% controlling stake in fibre broadband provider Desktop.

Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom has established a subsidiary in Guatemala as it expands its enterprise ICT business from North America into Latin America and the Caribbean.