AT&T offers free international calls to countries playing in World Cup semi-finals
UNITED STATES 07:24

AT&T offers free international calls to countries playing in World Cup semi-finals

AT&T said existing postpaid wireless customers will be offered free international long-distance voice calls from the US to countries playing in the Fifa World Cup 2026 semi-final, third-place and final matches on 14, 15, 18 and 19 July 2026. The four remaining teams are Spain, France, England and Argentina, with the benefit applying only to voice calls made during the 24-hour windows on eligible match days.

Jazz acquires controlling stake in TPL Insurance for USD 16 million
PAKISTAN 07:20

Jazz acquires controlling stake in TPL Insurance for USD 16 million

Veon, via its subsidiary Jazz International, and its subsidiary Jazz International has completed the acquisition of a controlling stake in Pakistani insurance company TPL Insurance for PKR 4.55 billion (approximately USD 16.4 million). Jazz International now holds 76.33 percent of the issued share capital of TPL Insurance.

Keells joins Dialog Pay merchant ecosystem
SRI LANKA 07:05

Keells joins Dialog Pay merchant ecosystem

Dialog Axiata has launched its digital payments platform dubbed 'Dialog Pay' at all Keells supermarket locations across Sri Lanka. Customers can use the system to complete scan-and-pay transactions at any of the chain's 150 stores, and receive mobile data rewards on eligible purchases.

SK Telecom to build AI-RAN test network for physical AI services
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 07:03

SK Telecom to build AI-RAN test network for physical AI services

SK Telecom (SKT) has been selected by South Korea's ministry of science and ICT and the National Information Society Agency (NIA) to lead a national demonstration project to build an AI-RAN test network and validate physical AI services, as part of the government's Hyper AI Network initiative. The two-year project will deploy an AI-RAN network using equipment from Samsung Electronics, HFR, Ericsson and Nokia, enabling SKT to evaluate multi-vendor interoperability, AI computing resource configurations and ne

Court dismisses Inwit request to block TIM's exit from tower contract
ITALY 06:56

Court dismisses Inwit request to block TIM's exit from tower contract

Italian mobile towers group Inwit has confirmed that a judge dismissed its urgent request to suspend the decision of Telecom Italia (TIM) to withdraw from a longstanding lease contract. Inwit is currently involved in a legal dispute with its two key tenants, TIM and Fastweb+Vodafone, who announced within days of each other that they intended to end their deals ahead of schedule.

US states sue to block Paramount-Warner merger
UNITED STATES 06:53

US states sue to block Paramount-Warner merger

Twelve states in the US have filed a lawsuit seeking to block Paramount Skydance's planned takeover of Warner Bros Discovery. The case filed in federal court in California seeks a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to block the deal from progressing. The states claim the merger would likely lead to higher prices for audiences, lower quality, and less content for film and television.

Singtel, Thales and Bridge Alliance launch multi-operator IoT eSIM platform
ASIA 06:48

Singtel, Thales and Bridge Alliance launch multi-operator IoT eSIM platform

Thales, Singtel Group and Bridge Alliance have launched what they describe as the world's first multi-operator enterprise IoT eSIM connectivity network, enabling businesses to deploy and manage connected devices across multiple mobile operators and countries through a single platform. Following interoperability testing with Singtel, Optus, AIS and Globe Telecom, the platform is now ready for commercial IoT deployments across the Asia-Pacific region, with plans to extend support to additional Bridge Alliance

IQE secures USD 14 mln AI and data centre chip order
UNITED KINGDOM 06:45

IQE secures USD 14 mln AI and data centre chip order

UK compound semiconductor manufacturer IQE has secured a multi-year production order worth US$14 million from a strategic global technology customer to supply advanced wafer products for AI and data centre applications. The order will be fulfilled at IQE's Newport, Wales manufacturing facility and will support technologies used in AI infrastructure and data centres, where growing data volumes and hyperscale deployments are increasing demand for high-performance storage and data communications solutions.

Dialog Axiata to sponsor President's Gold Cup Volleyball Championship 2026
SRI LANKA 06:36

Dialog Axiata to sponsor President's Gold Cup Volleyball Championship 2026

Sri Lankan operator Dialog Axiata will sponsor Dialog President's Gold Cup Volleyball Championship for the 19th consecutive year. The event will take place in September. Organized by the Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation, this annual open tournament allows community-level teams from across the country to compete for a spot on the national stage.

Ericsson profits under pressure in Q2 on rising component costs
GLOBAL 06:33

Ericsson profits under pressure in Q2 on rising component costs

Ericsson reported a fall in second-quarter profits, hurt by rising component prices and negative currency effects. Revenues for the three months fell 6 percent year-on-year to SEK 52.7 billion, with an organic fall of 1 percent, and adjusted EBITA declined 7 percent to SEK 6.9 billion. Net income dropped 12 percent to SEK 4.1 billion. The company said the cost pressure is expected to build in the coming quarters, requiring price increases and cost reductions to offset the effect on margins. 

Globe Telecom deploys mobile cell site for Ormoc City festival
PHILIPPINES 06:19

Globe Telecom deploys mobile cell site for Ormoc City festival

Philippines operator Globe Telecom has enhanced its network infrastructure in Ormoc City to support the increased demand for mobile services during the 2026 Pina Festival. To manage the influx of attendees at the Ormoc City Plaza, Globe has deployed a mobile cell site (Cellsite-on-Wheels) to increase its network capacity.

NEC develops AI technology for one-minute 3D digital twin generation
JAPAN 05:56

NEC develops AI technology for one-minute 3D digital twin generation

NEC has developed what it claims is the world's first AI technology capable of generating highly detailed 3D digital twin models from footage captured using general-purpose cameras such as smartphones, while automatically removing temporary objects from the scene. The company said the technology can produce 3D models in as little as one minute and plans to commercialise it during fiscal 2027.

JAPAN 05:54

NTT East rolls out AI-powered workforce management platform

NTT East has begun deploying a new AI-assisted human capital management platform across its approximately 30,000 employees, using data analytics and AI recommendations to support career development, employee wellbeing and manager-employee engagement. The initiative, which began rolling out in July 2026, combines employee performance, behavioural characteristics and wellbeing data to provide managers with AI-generated insights designed to improve one-to-one discussions and deliver more personalised career de

JAPAN 05:52

NTT to trial autonomous bus service with 5G remote monitoring in Hokkaido

NTT Docomo Business, the City of Monbetsu, Hokumon Bus and Advanced Smart Mobility will conduct an autonomous bus trial in Hokkaido from 27 July to 9 August, marking the first autonomous bus demonstration in the Okhotsk region. The project will evaluate the use of self-driving technology to improve regional transport and tourist mobility while informing plans to introduce Level 4 autonomous public transport by fiscal 2028.

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:50

Korean mobile operators launch caller video profile service

SK Telecom (SKT), Korea Telecom (KT) and LG Uplus have jointly launched V Profile, a new mobile service that allows callers to display a personalised video on the recipient's screen while a call is connecting, extending the operators' existing V Coloring platform. Unlike V Coloring, which displays a video to incoming callers, V Profile enables the person making the call to share a customised video, allowing users to present personal or business branding before the recipient answers. The operators said the s

SAMOA 05:49

Digicel Samoa invests WST 22 mln in mobile network expansion

Digicel Samoa has invested more than WST 22 million (USD 8.2 million) in its mobile network over the past 18 months, expanding infrastructure to improve coverage, capacity and resilience across the Pacific island nation. The investment includes the deployment of additional mobile towers across Upolu and Savaii, together with network upgrades designed to enhance voice and data services. Digicel has also increased fibre connectivity to key network sites, upgraded its core network and expanded backup power sys

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:44

SKT expands AI foundation model consortium with industry AI partners

SK Telecom (SKT) has expanded its consortium developing a domestic AI foundation model by adding SK AX and Technomatrix as participating companies, with the aim of strengthening the industrial deployment capabilities of its AI platform. The consortium, part of South Korea's government-backed independent AI foundation model project, will work across four areas: model and infrastructure, research, data, and service expansion. SKT said the expanded collaboration is intended to connect AI model development, dat

GLOBAL 05:42

LG Channels surpasses 5,000 FAST channels globally

LG Electronics has expanded its free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service LG Channels to more than 5,000 channels worldwide, following its launch in Poland and continued international expansion of its webOS smart TV platform. The company said LG Channels is now available in 37 countries, with Poland becoming its latest market and the 17th in Europe. The Polish launch includes international news, sports, entertainment and movie channels, alongside Korean content delivered through a partnership wi

JAPAN 05:40

NTT Data, Toppan to build AI-ready datasets for Japan's Government AI platform

Toppan, NTT Data and Fides Policy & Strategy Consulting (FPSC) have been selected by Japan's Digital Agency to prepare large-scale AI-ready datasets for the government's Government AI GenAI platform, supporting the use of generative AI across public administration. The project will see the consortium collect, process and structure an estimated 18 million pages of government-wide and domain-specific data, including cabinet decisions, Diet proceedings, white papers and ministry-specific documents. The dataset

JAPAN 05:38

SoftBank expands OpenAI-powered cybersecurity patching service

SoftBank and SB OAI Japan have fully launched their OpenAI-powered "Patching as a Service" cybersecurity offering, expanding its availability to 3,000 eligible companies in Japan. The managed service is designed to help organisations operating critical infrastructure identify and remediate software vulnerabilities. It combines AI technology from OpenAI, provided through SB OAI Japan, with SoftBank's operational expertise to deliver vulnerability assessments, attack simulations, remediation recommendations a

AUSTRALIA 05:37

eSafety finds gaps in platforms' response to sexual extortion and child abuse

Australia's eSafety Commissioner has identified significant gaps in how major technology platforms detect and respond to sexual extortion and child sexual exploitation, despite some improvements in safety measures. The findings are contained in the third of four transparency reports examining compliance with the Basic Online Safety Expectations by Apple, Discord, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Snap and WhatsApp. The reporting focuses on how the companies address child sexual exploitation and abuse, including groo

JAPAN 05:34

Rakuten Mobile deploys 1Finity Open RAN radios across 5G network

Rakuten Mobile has commercially deployed Open RAN 5G radio units supplied by Fujitsu subsidiary 1Finity across its nationwide mobile network, supporting continued expansion of its 3.7 GHz 5G Sub-6 coverage in Japan. The deployment, completed in May 2026, follows plans announced by Rakuten Mobile and Fujitsu in March 2025 and uses 1Finity's O-RAN-compliant 44R21 compact radio units to increase network capacity and coverage density. The radios are designed to deliver high output in a smaller, lighter form fac

JAPAN 05:33

SoftBank becomes Sierra's exclusive partner for AI customer service platform

SoftBank and Sierra have formed a strategic partnership where SoftBank will become the exclusive provider of Sierra's conversational AI platform in Japan from 14 July 2026. The agreement is aimed at expanding the deployment of AI agents for customer service operations in the Japanese market. SoftBank said it will offer Sierra's platform to enterprise customers through its existing customer network, while Sierra will provide the technology and expertise to design, deploy and optimise AI agents.

UNITED STATES 05:31

Meta highlights local investment as Louisiana AI data centre expands to 5 GW

Meta has announced additional community investment initiatives linked to the expansion of its Hyperion AI data centre campus in Richland Parish, Louisiana, including support for schools, local businesses and infrastructure. According to Reuters, citing company sources, the Hyperion campus is being expanded to provide 5 GW of compute capacity, up from a previously announced 2 GW, with total investment in the project increasing to more than USD 50 billion. The facility was originally announced to support the

Just In

07:24

AT&T offers free international calls to countries playing in World Cup semi-finals

07:20

Jazz acquires controlling stake in TPL Insurance for USD 16 million

07:05

Keells joins Dialog Pay merchant ecosystem

07:03

SK Telecom to build AI-RAN test network for physical AI services

Commentary

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KPN: the art of making one-offs structural

4 MEI 14:25

Open Dutch Fiber outlook: time to restart roll-out?

Background

12 JUL 23:30

The week in telecom: European telcos take shape as Xavier Niel buys more of Vodafone, Telenor expands in Sweden

5 JUL 23:03

The week in telecom: Comcast gives up on vertical integration, BT and Verizon agree global alliance

3 JUL 07:46

TP:Talks - Billogram cuts customer service billing tickets by 40 percent with automated invoicing

28 JUN 23:51

The week in telecoms: Apple raises prices, Qualcomm tries server market and Jio going public