One week after launching 5G across Uzbekistan, state-owned telco Uzbektelecom JSC, which operates as Uztelecom, made good on its promise to launch 5G-Advanced (a.k.a. 5.5G) this week, albeit only for testing.
Data Infrastructure Trust (DIT) sealed the acquisition of American Tower-owned ATC India for INR210 billion (US$2.5 billion), making it the largest towerco in the nation, surpassing rival Indus Towers.
State-owned telco Uzbektelecom, which operates as Uztelecom, announced on Thursday that it has launched its non-standalone (NSA) 5G network in all regional centres of Uzbekistan, and has teased plans to move ahead with 5G-Advanced technology soon.
The Bangladesh Private Cable System (BPCS) consortium is ready to start work on building the country’s first privately-owned subsea cable, according to subsea cable consulting and project management company Pioneer Consulting, who is advising the project.
Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) says that Mastercard has partnered with its fintech subsidiary U Microfinance Bank (UBank) to issue a new physical and virtual debit card for its mobile financial services platform UPaisa.
The GSMA revealed former Vodafone executive Vivek Badrinath (pictured) will take the hot seat as director-general of the GSMA from Mats Granryd who will depart at the end of March 2025 after MWC Barcelona.
Open RAN has long been billed as an appealing option for vendors in emerging markets but numerous factors have stalled adoption. The cost of ownership is relatively high, and a core part of the appeal – the freedom to choose equipment from different suppliers – is somewhat undermined as many operators in these regions preferred the simplicity of a sole supplier able to provide support.
Nokia is expanding its Fixed Networks R&D facility in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Tech Mahindra announced a strategic partnership with Google Cloud to tap into the technology giant’s generative AI products to digitally transform its parent company’s various industrial units.
Internet shutdowns are described as a “common tactic” used by government to supress dissent, according to the World Economic Forum. This is increasingly an unacceptable reality given that connectivity is now so ingrained in the majority of economies that any such disruption can have a massive impact to GDP and society as a whole.
Bhutan Telecom is deploying Ciena’s coherent routing solutions to support booming data traffic demands in the Kingdom of Bhutan.
Bangladesh telcos Grameenphone and Robi Axiata have reportedly secured another 20 MHz of spectrum each in the 2.6 GHz band, after two years of haggling over the price per MHz.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) said on Tuesday it has officially issued a telecoms licence to SpaceX’s LEO satellite broadband operator Starlink to offer services in the country.
Last month’s internet blackouts in Bangladesh during student protests that led to the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina were ordered by the government and not the result of data centre fires, according to an independent probe.
Grameen Telecom founder Muhammad Yunus has been named chief adviser of Bangladesh's interim government following the resignation and flight of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Incumbent Maldives telco Dhiraagu said it has inaugurated the official landing of the SEA-ME-WE 6 subsea cable in the Maldives, although the cable is still almost two years away from activation.
All broadband services in Bangladesh were restored on Monday following a complete shutdown ordered by the government on Sunday – the second in less than a month – as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country.
UPDATE: Bangladesh's Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman has confirmed that he has assumed power following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has now fled the country. At the time of writing, data from NetBlocks indicates that internet connectivity has been restored and remains available in Bangladesh.
The Indian smartphone market declined by 2% YoY in the second quarter of 2024, but 5G smartphones saw their highest market share growth so far.
Mobile internet services in Bangladesh were restored on Sunday after being down for 12 days. However, access to social media and messaging apps reportedly remains blocked pending a meeting with social media reps and government officials later this week.
Fixed broadband in Bangladesh was reportedly set to be completely restored on Wednesday night, but the government said that mobile internet access will remain offline until at least Sunday or Monday, which means most people will remain unconnected.
Fixed line broadband internet connectivity in Bangladesh has been partially restored in select areas and for certain business sectors after a five-day blackout that has reportedly wreaked havoc on almost every aspect of life in the country.
Veon subsidiary Jazz secured a PKR75 billion (US$270 million) loan to finance plans to expand infrastructure across Pakistan, and aid plans to transition from a telco to a technology services company.
Beeline Uzbekistan launched 60 new base stations in 20 locations in the Khorezm region to boost internet speed by almost double, a move to fulfil rising demand in the location.
China Mobile Pakistan (CMPak), which operates under the Zong 4G brand, says it has expanded its network in the first half of 2024, as well as completed an extensive network modernisation project to address capacity challenges.
Bangladesh’s internet has been mostly shut down since Thursday amid an outbreak of violence between demonstrators and police, but the government has denied responsibility for the blackout, despite the country’s recent history of internet-related shutdowns during political unrest.
Nokia reported a 32% plunge in operating profit in Q2 blaming low demand for 5G telecoms equipment.
The Indian smartphone market was flat with a growth rate of only 1% in the second quarter of 2024 due to subdued seasonal demand.
The Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF) announced on Wednesday the launch of its second competitive funding round for enterprises to develop and scale solutions that can narrow the gender digital divide in developing countries.
Nepalese telco Ncell says it is collaborating with Meta to allow mobile subscribers to access Facebook Basic Mode and text-only web browsing even if they used up their data balance or don’t subscribe to a data package at all.
The GSMA announced a global coalition with major telecom players, the ITU and World Bank to improve the access of affordable handsets and connect three billion people that are not online.
The Sri Lankan government will vote this week to change a law that will pave the way for SpaceX’s Starlink satellite connectivity service to deploy on the island, reported ET Telecom.
Türkiye’s sovereign wealth fund was reportedly mulling the sale of its 26.2% shares in state-owned operator Turkcell.
Bangladesh’s telecoms minister reportedly warned the country’s telcos on Sunday that they will be forced to compensate for mobile call drops, while the country’s regulator is turning to AI to deal with complaints.
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