Airtel hits 650 million customers milestone, ranks second globally
Indian operator Bharti Airtel reports it has topped 650 million customers. According to GSMA Intelligence, Bharti Airtel is ranked second globally by mobile customer base, following China Mobile. Airtel's operations span India and Africa.
Airtel hits 650 million customers milestone, ranks second globally
Indian operator Bharti Airtel reports it has topped 650 million customers. According to GSMA Intelligence, Bharti Airtel is ranked second globally by mobile customer base, following China Mobile. Airtel's operations span India and Africa.
France closes 2025 with 2.4 mln SIMs in 2G devices
The number of SIM cards in 2G devices decreased to 2.4 million in Q4 2025, down from 2.8 million in Q2 2025, according to telecom regulator Arcep. This represented 1.8 percent of all active SIMs across devices dedicated to voice/text/data services, and 3.9 percent of the M2M installed base. Over the same period, SIMs in 2G-only and 3G/2G-only devices fell from 5.9 to 5.2 million.
France closes 2025 with 2.4 mln SIMs in 2G devices
The number of SIM cards in 2G devices decreased to 2.4 million in Q4 2025, down from 2.8 million in Q2 2025, according to telecom regulator Arcep. This represented 1.8 percent of all active SIMs across devices dedicated to voice/text/data services, and 3.9 percent of the M2M installed base. Over the same period, SIMs in 2G-only and 3G/2G-only devices fell from 5.9 to 5.2 million.
German government offers over EUR 1 bln in fibre subsidies and cuts bureaucracy
The German Federal Minister for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation (BMDS) announced over EUR 1 billion in subsidies for the expansion of fibre-optic networks in the latest new call for proposals. Changes under the third amendment to the Gigabit Directive 2.0 aim to cut bureaucracy and speed up processes, the ministry says. In future, market research procedures will be shortened to the minimum required under EU law to accelerate expansion, especially in areas where companies are unwilling to
German government offers over EUR 1 bln in fibre subsidies and cuts bureaucracy
Amazon in talks to buy Globalstar to strengthen satellite business - report
Amazon.com is in talks to acquire satellite telecommunications group Globalstar, as part of efforts to strengthen its LEO satellite business. The two sides were still negotiating details of a deal after lengthy talks, people familiar with the matter told the Financial Times. Apple is part of the discussions, due to its 20 percent stake in Globalstar.
Amazon in talks to buy Globalstar to strengthen satellite business - report
SpaceX makes confidential filing for IPO - report
The rocket company and Starlink owner SpaceX has filed for an initial public offering of its shares in the US. The confidential filing was made with the US Securities and Exchange Commission in the past week, people familiar with the matter told the Financial Times, Bloomberg and other publications. The share sale is expected to be one of the largest on record and take place in June.
SpaceX makes confidential filing for IPO - report
NTT Docomo to launch direct-to-smartphone satellite service using Starlink
NTT Docomo will launch a satellite-to-smartphone communication service, branded 'docomo Starlink Direct', on 27 April, enabling connectivity in areas without terrestrial network coverage. The service uses SpaceX's Starlink satellite network to support text messaging and limited data communication via compatible applications. It is designed for use in locations like mountainous regions, remote islands and at sea, as well as during disasters where ground infrastructure is unavailable.
NTT Docomo to launch direct-to-smartphone satellite service using Starlink
NTT Docomo completes full virtualisation of mobile core network
NTT Docomo said it has completed the full virtualisation of its mobile core network, following infrastructure migration and the shutdown of its 3G services at the end of March 2026. The move transitions the operator's core network from dedicated hardware-based systems to a software-based architecture running on general-purpose servers. The core network supports mobile voice and data services for more than 90 million users.
NTT Docomo completes full virtualisation of mobile core network
European Commission clears Romania's fixed wholesale regulation plan after in-depth review
Following an extensive in-depth investigation, the European Commission has officially withdrawn its serious doubts regarding Romania's proposal to reintroduce regulation within the wholesale local access market at fixed locations. Back in January 2025, Romanian telecoms regulator ANCOM proposed to reintroduce regulation on this market to prevent price increases and protect consumer choice, identifying Digi Romania as having significant market power.
European Commission clears Romania's fixed wholesale regulation plan after in-depth review
French spectrum agency names Michel Combot as deputy CEO
Michel Combot has joined French spectrum agency ANFR as deputy CEO, after serving in equivalent roles at telecom regulator Arcep between June 2010 and December 2011, and broadcast authority CSA (now Arcom) between January 2012 and May 2016. Combot spent seven years at French telecom federation FFTelecoms as managing director between mid-2016 and mid-2023, before taking the helm of digital trade association Numeum. He was most recently chief technology, innovation and AI officer at French data protection wat
French spectrum agency names Michel Combot as deputy CEO
Cetin Group revenues up 6% in 2025, EBITDA grows 11%
Revenues of Czech wholesale operator Cetin Group totaled EUR 696 million in 2025, up by 6.3 percent year-on-year. EBITDA reached EUR 474 million, up by 11 percent excluding gains on the sale of investments in subsidiaries, and the capital investment increased almost 10 percent to EUR 306 million. Cetin Group divested its non-Czech operations in October 2024, and the results of these businesses, which were reported as discontinued operations in 2024, are excluded from the year-on-year comparison.
Cetin Group revenues up 6% in 2025, EBITDA grows 11%
Gen Mobile increases data on prepaid bundles
Echostar's prepaid service Gen Mobile has refreshed offer with more data on its monthly bundles. The USD 10 plan doubles to 2 GB, the USD 20 plan rises from 5 to 8 GB, the USD 30 plan goes from 11 to 15 GB, and the USD 40 plan comes with 25 GB instead of 17 GB. All plans include 5G access and unlimited calls to over 100 countries, with no minimum contract or credit check.
