The Challenges Telecom Needs to Tackle – Before AI
GLOBAL 14:14

The Challenges Telecom Needs to Tackle – Before AI

While the telecom industry is rightly devoting energy and resources to AI innovations, there are telecom fundamentals that need to be dealt with first, before turning to emerging technologies. That means improving OSS and BSS, optimizing cloud operations, accelerating transformations and integrating smart roaming strategies. Along with helping operators reduce costs, monetize new services, enhance customer service and strengthen security, addressing these core issues will help lay the groundwork for AI transformations.

Openreach awarded BDUK Project Gigabit contract for Peak District
UNITED KINGDOM 14:05

Openreach awarded BDUK Project Gigabit contract for Peak District

Openreach has signed a contract change with BDUK to expand an existing Project Gigabit contract covering Staffordshire to include the Derbyshire Peak District area, after a contract with FullFibre was terminated. Openreach will now work to connect Peak District premises due to be covered by this contract. 

Google Search offers agentic restaurant bookings in AI Mode in UK
UNITED KINGDOM 13:57

Google Search offers agentic restaurant bookings in AI Mode in UK

Google has announced the launch of agentic restaurant bookings in AI Mode in Search in the UK. The new agentic capabilities in AI Mode allow users to describe what they are looking for with their preferences and needs (such as number of diners, dog-friendly, vegan etc), time and date. AI Mode will search across multiple booking platforms and websites to provide real-time availability matching these options. 

UK govt amends Crime Policing Bill to tackle harmful pornography
UNITED KINGDOM 13:21

UK govt amends Crime Policing Bill to tackle harmful pornography

The UK government has tabled new amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill to better protect the public from harmful pornography. This is part of the government's work to combat violence against women and girls (VAWG). The amendment will make it illegal to publish or possess pornography showing incest or adults pretending to be children. Each new offence will be punishable by up to five years in prison for publication.

KDDI and Okinawa Cellular's au Starlink Direct now supports iPhones in US
JAPAN 13:11

KDDI and Okinawa Cellular's au Starlink Direct now supports iPhones in US

KDDI and Okinawa Cellular have announced that their au Starlink Direct service now supports certain iPhone models. The au Starlink Direct service provides direct satellite-to-smartphone communication for customers roaming internationally in the US. The service now supports 22 models of iPhone, including the iPhone 13 to iPhone 17 line-ups as well as iPhone Air.

EU Commission publishes AI Continent Action Plan progress report
EUROPE 13:00

EU Commission publishes AI Continent Action Plan progress report

The European Commission has published information about the progress of the Continent Action Plan launched a year ago to foster Artificial Intelligence innovation and acceleration. It said visible advances have been made by each of the five pillars, namely infrastructure, data, talent, adoption, and trustworthy AI. It added that the European AI Innovation month from 14 October to 17 November 2026 will showcase Europe's progress.

SoFast launches 35 channels on Whale TV+ platform
GLOBAL 12:56

SoFast launches 35 channels on Whale TV+ platform

SoFast, specialist in the creation, distribution and monetisation of FAST channels, has launched 35 FAST channels on the Whale TV+ platform, an ad-supported streaming service owned and operated by Whale TV. Whale TV+ is available on Whale TV-enabled TVs, on Fire TV, Google TV and Android TV devices, and on any web browser.

Mexico's CFE installs free internet access points in over 6,000 schools and health centres
MEXICO 12:50

Mexico's CFE installs free internet access points in over 6,000 schools and health centres

Mexico's state-owned operator CFE Telecomunicaciones e Internet para Todos (CFE-TEIT) said it has teamed up with the country's Social Security Institute (IMSS) and Ministry of Public Education (SEP) to install free internet access points (PAIG) in over 6,500 establishments. Specifically, in 2025 alone, CFE-TEIT set up some 3,180 access points in health clinics and 3,483 in tele-schools nationwide, benefiting thousands of rural communities.

Samsung starts selling Galaxy A57 5G and A37 5G in Poland with launch promotion
POLAND 12:28

Samsung starts selling Galaxy A57 5G and A37 5G in Poland with launch promotion

Samsung has started selling its Galaxy A57 5G and Galaxy A37 5G smartphones in Poland. Customers buying one of the new phones from a Samsung physical shop, its online shop or its mobile application are eligible for a discount of up to PLN 250 on the phones, up to PLN 100 off selected models of earphone until 24 April. The vendor is offering handsets with larger capacities of memory at the price of lower tier devices. 

Antel debuts premium TV service
URUGUAY 12:09

Antel debuts premium TV service

Uruguayan state-owned operator Antel has announced the launch of a premium audiovisual content service that will be available at no additional cost to customers subscribed to home broadband and mobile plans costing UYU 1,650 a month and above. The offering, dubbed Antel TV Premium, includes the signals of pay-TV channels VTV, FIX TV and Canal 4, allowing customers to view Uruguayan basketball, carnival, news and entertainment shows as well as movies and regional programming.

Motorola Solutions acquires HyperYou to expand agentic AI assistance in 911 call handling
CANADA 12:06

Motorola Solutions acquires HyperYou to expand agentic AI assistance in 911 call handling

Motorola Solutions announced that it has acquired HyperYou, a developer of agentic AI technology used to process non-urgent calls to emergency dispatch centres. The acquisition enables Motorola Solutions to expand agentic AI functionality in its emergency response control room suite, Command Center, while building on its existing Assist AI tool, which provides intelligence and administrative support for first responders and dispatchers.

Rostelecom to invest RUB 100 bln in new 100 MW data centre
RUSSIAN FEDERATION 12:02

Rostelecom to invest RUB 100 bln in new 100 MW data centre

Russian national operator Rostelecom plans to deploy a new data centre with 100 MW capacity, reports Vedomosti citing Mikhail Oseevski, the president of the company. The size of its investment will amount to RUB 100 billion. The capacity of the last data centre deployed by Rostelecom was totaled 40 MW and its investment was RUB 40 billion.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION 11:50

Russian telecom tower and antenna count rises 9% in 2025

The total number of telecommunication towers and antennas in Russia expanded by 9 percent year-on-year in Russia in 2025 from 114,400 to 125,200 units, according to a study by the agency TelecomDaily. T2's tower operator subsidiary Pilar owns 35,500 towers, New Towers follows with 35,000 towers, and MTS subsidiary BIK has 25,500 towers. Pilar's number of towers climbed by 22 percent, New Towers gained 3 percent at New Towers and BIK added 6 percent.

GLOBAL 11:39

Global cellular IoT antenna shipments to record 8% CAGR through end-2030 - Berg Insight

Annual shipments of cellular IoT antennas are predicted to reach 1.1 billion in 2030, on the back of a 7.9 percent compound growth rate (CAGR). Per the latest figures from Berg Insight, antenna shipments reached 757 million units in FY25, up 23 percent from 2024. Berg Insight's research covers internal and external antennas well as OEM automotive products.

ARGENTINA 11:32

Argentina's Enacom recovers USD 40 mln in telco debts

Argentina's telecommunications regulator Enacom said it has successfully recovered debts dating back 25 years amounting to ARS 55 billion (around USD 40 million) from the country's main ICT service providers. The new Payment Facilitation Plan covers debts incurred up to 31 December 2025 due to non-payment of control, inspection and verification fees, radioelectric rights, contributions to the universal service fund and fines, said the watchdog.

ETHIOPIA 11:31

Ethio Telecom launches RFID digital toll payments via Telebirr

Ethio Telecom has launched an RFID-powered digital payment system and service management platform for Ethiopian Toll Roads Enterprise (ETRE). It is integrated with Telebirr and enables "non-stop" travel on the Addis Ababa-Adama Expressway, allowing automated toll payments. This is done using through RFID tags linked to Telebirr accounts, letting vehicles pass toll gates without stopping. The system also enables digital payment of road service fees, penalties and instant Tolo account top-ups through the Tele

CONGO 11:20

MTN Skills Academy runs second edition in Congo

MTN Congo has officially launched the second edition of the MTN Skills Academy, welcoming 200 young Congolese participants eager to develop their skills and professional potential.

CANADA 11:05

CRTC invites new applications for Broadband Fund

The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecoms Commission (CRTC) is seeking new proposals for its Broadband Fund to help boost internet access for Canadians. The programme helps territorial, provincial and federal governments to connect underserved remote, rural and Indigenous communities. The Broadband Fund has helped more than 320 communities to date, including 135 Indigenous communities.

GLOBAL 11:01

Norton 360 adds agentic AI protections

Gen Digital's Norton subsidiary has announced the beta launch of an agentic AI protection tool that helps Norton 360 customers use AI agents safely. Created by Gen's Threat Labs and AI Foundry subsidiaries, AI Agent Protection extends the security perimeter in Norton360, Norton's consumer-grade platform suite available in monthly and annual subscriptions. The technology is compatible with various GenAI and agentic AI tools, including Claude Code, Cursor and OpenClaw. This beta release is currently available

FRANCE 10:56

French mobile service revenues decline 4% in Q4 with fixed segment down 1%

The French mobile market saw service revenues decline year-on-year in each quarter of 2025, according to telecom regulator Arcep. These revenues fell 4.1 percent to EUR 3.61 billion in the three months to December, broadly matching the fall in the previous quarter. The downward trend reflects the drop in mobile prices that started in 2024, as average monthly ARPU declined for the fifth quarter running to EUR 14.10 (excluding VAT and value-added services). This compares with EUR 14.20 in Q3 2025 and EUR 14.8

NETHERLANDS 10:46

VodafoneZiggo extends Axians contract for Avaya managed services

Dutch operator VodafoneZiggo has extended its network services contract with Axians for another four years. This deal focuses on serving enterprise customers, with support for Avaya deployments of UCaaS and CCaaS systems. The companies work together already since 2018 on the services, and the focus in the new contract is on the Omnia managed cloud platform for telephony and contact centres. Axians said the extension confirms the shared focus on continuity, flexibility and further development of communicatio

UNITED STATES 10:41

F-Secure confirms deal with Verizon to upgrade Digital Secure

F-Secure says it has now signed a binding agreement to provide the technology for Verizon's Digital Secure service. In March, the Finnish company had announced a deal with Verizon that was not yet binding and which it estimated would boost its revenue by approximately EUR 13 million in the first year,.

NORWAY 10:28

Telia Norway stops over 8 mln scam calls to mobile lines in Q1

Telia Norway said it prevented 8.4 million fraudulent calls from reaching Norwegian mobile customers in the first three months of 2026. It estimates that this may have averted losses of around NOK 250 million. Telia added that there has been an increase in targeted fraud attempts via SMS. This is called "spearfishing" and is a type of phishing attack aimed at specific people or businesses, aiming to steal sensitive information or install malware.

MIDDLE EAST 10:26

OpenMind eases 5G standalone messaging upgrades with launch of 5G SMS module

Messaging solutions specialist OpenMind Networks announced general availability of its 5G SMS Function (SMSF) module,  designed to streamline upgrades to 5G Standalone signalling protocols. The module is designed to dovetail natively with OpenMind's existing OpenCore Short Message Service Centre (SMSC), a mobile network node responsible for handling SMS signalling operations deployed from OpenMind's Traffic Control 6000 messaging platform. Co-location within the OpenCore SMSC creates a unified architecture

Just In

14:05

Openreach awarded BDUK Project Gigabit contract for Peak District

13:57

Google Search offers agentic restaurant bookings in AI Mode in UK

13:21

UK govt amends Crime Policing Bill to tackle harmful pornography

13:11

KDDI and Okinawa Cellular's au Starlink Direct now supports iPhones in US

Commentary

11 FEB 12:29

Odido shareholders face tricky exit after abandoned IPO

2 FEB 13:49

KPN results show little bother from the competition

2 JAN 13:21

Open Dutch Fiber's new management team takes up turnaround challenge

15 DEC 2025 13:56

Video market set for slower growth ahead

Background

9 APR 15:58

Ziggo Group creation at 2026 low point sets stage for growth ahead

7 APR 11:48

Netherlands TV-video market revenues up just 0.5% in Q4

5 APR 23:40

The week in telecoms: Free goes all-in on roaming, AT&T tries FMC innovation and Starlink gets bigger

29 MAR 22:46

The week in telecoms: Italy brings back PTT, US bans foreign routers and social media on trial