Google and Telstra expand partnership across terrestrial and subsea networks
AUSTRALIA 06:19

Google and Telstra expand partnership across terrestrial and subsea networks

Google and Telstra have announced a partnership aimed at strengthening Australia's digital infrastructure through the integration of terrestrial fibre and subsea cable networks. Under the agreement, Google will secure inter-city dark fibre capacity on Telstra's Aura Network, while Telstra will gain access to fibre pairs on Google's Tabua, Proa and Bulikula subsea cable systems through the company's Pacific Connect and Australia Connect initiatives.

Google to open first overseas company-owned retail store in Tokyo
JAPAN 06:15

Google to open first overseas company-owned retail store in Tokyo

Google will open its first company-owned retail store outside the United States this summer, with a flagship location planned for Tokyo's Omotesando district. The store, Google Store Omotesando, will be located on the ground floor of Tokyu Plaza Omotesando and will offer customers the opportunity to purchase and experience Google's hardware products, including Google Pixel smartphones, Google Nest devices, Fitbit products and accessories.

Firmus and Subco to build new Tasmania-Mainland Australia fibre link
AUSTRALIA 06:08

Firmus and Subco to build new Tasmania-Mainland Australia fibre link

Australian AI infrastructure company Firmus and subsea cable company Subco have announced plans to build a new submarine fibre optic cable connecting Tasmania to mainland Australia, marking what they say will be the first new subsea fibre connection for the state in more than 20 years. The cable, named Bernacchi-1 after Tasmanian-raised physicist and Antarctic explorer Louis Bernacchi, will connect Tasmania to Subco's Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth (SMAP) cable system. 

KDDI acquires Vietnamese software developer Vietlink
VIETNAM 06:06

KDDI acquires Vietnamese software developer Vietlink

KDDI Agile Development Centre (KAG) has acquired Vietnam-based software development company Vietlink Solutions joint stock company, strengthening its software engineering and AI development capabilities as part of its digital transformation strategy. The acquisition brings Vietlink into the KAG group as a consolidated subsidiary. The companies said the move builds on several years of collaboration on KDDI projects and is intended to create a more integrated development organisation spanning Japan and Vietna

J:Com upgrades standard fibre broadband offering for apartment buildings to 2.5 Gbps
JAPAN 06:01

J:Com upgrades standard fibre broadband offering for apartment buildings to 2.5 Gbps

Japanese cable operator J:Com has launched a new 2.5 Gbps plan for its J Hikari Direct fibre broadband service for multi-dwelling residential buildings, replacing the previous 1 Gbps service as the standard offering. The new plan became available on 2 June and is designed to address growing bandwidth demand in apartment complexes driven by applications such as video streaming, remote working and connected devices.

KDDI and Mitsui test drone-based building inspections inside office tower
JAPAN 06:00

KDDI and Mitsui test drone-based building inspections inside office tower

Mitsui Fudosan and KDDI SmartDrone have completed a trial using a specialised indoor drone to inspect building infrastructure at the Iidabashi Grand Bloom office complex in Tokyo. The companies used the IBIS2 drone, designed for confined spaces, to assess whether drone-based inspections could improve safety and efficiency in areas that are difficult to access, including ceiling voids, air-conditioning ducts, underground water tanks and electrical facilities.

HAPS Alliance outlines framework for integrating terrestrial, HAPS and LEO networks
GLOBAL 05:57

HAPS Alliance outlines framework for integrating terrestrial, HAPS and LEO networks

The HAPS Alliance has published a white paper examining how terrestrial mobile networks, high-altitude platform stations (HAPS) and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites could operate together as part of future communications infrastructure. The paper argues that no single network layer can meet all future requirements for coverage, latency, resilience, scalability and cost as the industry moves towards 6G and increasingly integrated non-terrestrial network architectures.

SK Broadband expands use of AI agents for network operations
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:55

SK Broadband expands use of AI agents for network operations

South Korea's SK Broadband (SKB) has introduced an internal platform that enables employees to develop and deploy AI agents for network operations, as the company seeks to increase the use of AI in network management and service quality assurance. The operator said it launched the platform, known as Playground, in February through a collaboration between its network organisation and AT·DT Centre. The platform provides tools for network data analysis and coding support, allowing employees to create AI applic

KDDI expands free mobile data to more than 600 railway stations in Greater Tokyo
JAPAN 05:53

KDDI expands free mobile data to more than 600 railway stations in Greater Tokyo

KDDI and KDDI Digital Life, in partnership with the Pasmo Association and Pasmo Co., will expand the availability of the povo Data Oasis service to more than 600 private railway stations across the Greater Tokyo region from 3 June 2026. The expansion adds all stations operated by eight rail operators, including Tokyu Corporation, Odakyu Electric Railway, Keio Corporation, Yurikamome and Yokohama Minatomirai Railway. The new locations join stations operated by Keisei Electric Railway, Sotetsu and Tokyo Metro

TPG reports mobile subscriber growth and reaffirms FY26 guidance
AUSTRALIA 05:51

TPG reports mobile subscriber growth and reaffirms FY26 guidance

TPG Telecom has forecast total mobile subscriber growth of approximately 70,000 to 80,000 in the first half of 2026, driven primarily by its digital-first and MVNO channels, while continuing to shed NBN customers in a competitive fixed broadband market. The figures were released on 2 June 2026 as part of a trading update accompanying the company's annual investor day in Sydney. Postpaid mobile numbers are expected to be broadly flat against the prior corresponding period, while digital-first brands are fore

HPE reports strong networking growth and raises outlook
GLOBAL 05:48

HPE reports strong networking growth and raises outlook

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) reported record quarterly revenue of USD 10.7 billion for the three months ended 30 April 2026, driven by growth in its networking and AI infrastructure businesses. The company said revenue increased 40 percent year-on-year, with networking emerging as the fastest-growing segment. Networking revenue rose 148.2 percent to USD 2.7 billion during the quarter.

Australian operator associations seek member approval to merge
AUSTRALIA 05:43

Australian operator associations seek member approval to merge

The Australian Telecommunications Alliance (ATA) and the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) have proposed a merger that would combine the two industry bodies under a single organisation representing the Australian telecommunications sector. The boards of both organisations have approved the proposal, which will now be put to members for approval at separate general meetings. If endorsed, the merger is expected to be completed by 30 June 2026, with AMTA's operations incorporated into the

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:41

SK Telecom applies digital twin technology to SK Hynix chip fabs

SK Telecom (SKT) has applied digital twin technology to SK Hynix semiconductor fabrication facilities using Nvidia Omniverse libraries, as part of a collaboration focused on industrial physical AI applications. The operator said it completed a proof of concept for the use of digital twins in an SK Hynix semiconductor fab last year and plans to commercialise the technology in stages in line with SK Hynix's objective of establishing an autonomous fab by 2030.

UNITED STATES 05:40

Samsung to relocate US headquarters to Texas

Samsung Electronics plans to relocate the headquarters of its US subsidiary from Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, to Plano, Texas, later this year, according to Yonhap, citing industry sources. The company has informed employees of its intention to complete the move before the end of 2026. The relocation follows a previous move of the US headquarters from Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, to Englewood Cliffs approximately one year ago.

UNITED STATES 05:38

Iren secures USD 3.65 bln facility to support Microsoft AI cloud contract

Australian-headquartered neocloud provider Iren has completed a USD 3.65 billion investment-grade financing facility to support the deployment of GPU infrastructure for its AI cloud contract with Microsoft. The financing package consists of a USD 2.1 billion private placement in the United States at a fixed rate equivalent to SOFR plus 2.13 percent, and a USD 1.55 billion delayed draw term loan priced at SOFR plus 2.25 percent. The company said the blended cost of debt across the facility is 6 percent.

GERMANY 05:36

Virtus installs 185 MVA transformers at Berlin-Brandenburg data centre campus

Virtus Data Centres, part of ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC) has completed the installation of two 185 MVA super-grid transformers at its Wustermark campus in Berlin-Brandenburg, supporting the site's initial 300 MW capacity and planned future expansion. The company said the transformers are among the largest deployed at a European data centre and form part of a power architecture that includes a dedicated 500 MW substation and dual direct connections to the 380 kV transmission network operated b

GLOBAL 05:34

Motorola Solutions to acquire D-Fend Solutions for USD 1.5 billion

Motorola Solutions has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire counter-drone technology company D-Fend Solutions for USD 1.5 billion, expanding its portfolio in airspace security and drone threat mitigation. D-Fend develops radio frequency-based counter-drone systems designed to detect, take control of and safely redirect unauthorised drones. The company serves government, public safety and enterprise customers and has deployed its technology in more than 30 countries.

INDIA 04:47

Vi expands 5G footprint to 16 more cities in Gujarat

Indian operator Vodafone Idea (Vi) has expanded its 5G services to 16 cities in Gujarat state. Vi's 5G services are now available in Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Morbi, Surendranagar, Bhuj, Gandhidham , Nadiad, Anand, Bharuch, Ankleshwar, Navsari, Vapi, Daman and Silvassa. Following this expansion, Vi's 5G services are now available in 20 cities across the state of Gujarat.

MALAYSIA 04:40

U Mobile launches Ultra Business Merchant 360 services bundle

U Mobile, through its enterprise division U Business, has launched Ultra Business Merchant 360, an all-in-one subscription-based digital services bundle specifically designed for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia's Food & Beverage (F&B) and retail sectors. The bundle includes POS hardware, business software and U Mobile's Ultra5G connectivity.

ROMANIA 03:24

M247 to triple data centre capacity in Bucharest

Romania-based M247 Global has announced a multi-million euro investment aimed at tripling its Bucharest data centre capacity. The project will expand the company's existing 2MW facilities to 7MW, introducing 200 high-density racks designed to support AI projects.

MOLDOVA, REPUBLIC OF 03:06

Moldova crosses milestone of 732,000 ported numbers since 2013

The Republic of Moldova reached 732,000 ported numbers since the launch of the number portability system in 2013. Around 67,751 numbers were ported in 2025 alone, according to a report from Moldova telecoms regulator ANRCETI. Of the total numbers ported last year, 63,719 (94%) were mobile numbers, and 4,032 (6%) were fixed numbers.

UNITED STATES 1 JUN

Morse Micro debuts HaLoW module powered by second-generation RF chip

Wi-Fi HaLow silicon specialist Morse Micro is preparing to launch its latest connectivity module based on its latest generation RF chip technology. Set initially for distribution to US and Canadian product teams, the MM8108-M2 is a high-powered module built on Morse Micro's second-generation MM8101 system on a chip. The SoC is coupled with an external power amplifier that transmits at up to 28.5 dBm output power, and a surface acoustic wave (SAW) tuned for 902-928 MHz ISM frequencies as allocated in North A

BELARUS 1 JUN

MTS Belarus expands LTE network by 100 more base stations in May

MTS Belarus said it has started providing LTE services on more than 100 additional base stations in May. The majority of upgraded base stations provide services on the 1,800 MHz band. The upgrades were done in Brest, Grodno, Minsk, Baranovichi, Novopolotsk and numerous other locations.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION 1 JUN

MTS Russia offers 700 MB free monthly roaming data in popular tourism destinations

Russian operator MTS is offering free roaming services in popular tourism destinations. Customers can obtain a free 700 MB monthly mobile data bundle, unlimited outgoing calls to the MTS Russia network, as well as free access to navigation, translation and banking applications under the free Light service.

Just In

06:19

Google and Telstra expand partnership across terrestrial and subsea networks

06:15

Google to open first overseas company-owned retail store in Tokyo

06:08

Firmus and Subco to build new Tasmania-Mainland Australia fibre link

06:06

KDDI acquires Vietnamese software developer Vietlink

Commentary

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20 APR 10:36

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11 FEB 12:29

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Background

1 JUN 00:13

The week in telecom: EU telcos push sovereign services as governments question foreign tech investors

23 MEI 23:42

The week in telecom: Starlink ready to go public, Singapore telco M&A and Google courts AI subscribers at I/O

18 MEI 00:31

The week in telecom: US operators mount rural satellite challenge, Cisco cashes in on AI boom

11 MEI 00:53

The week in telecom: Lumen, NTT turn to data centre market to revive growth, Hutchison exits UK