SoftBank to launch RCS across three mobile brands in spring 2026
JAPAN 06:40

SoftBank to launch RCS across three mobile brands in spring 2026

SoftBank will begin offering Rich Communication Services (RCS) from spring 2026 across its SoftBank, Y!mobile and "LineMo" mobile brands. RCS, standardised globally by the GSMA, is positioned as a successor to SMS and MMS. While SMS enables the exchange of text and emoji using mobile numbers, RCS supports additional features including the sending and receiving of photos, videos and stickers, as well as group chat and read receipts. SoftBank said the introduction of RCS is intended to provide a more consiste

LG Uplus to showcase AI call agent and human-centric AI at MWC26
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 06:38

LG Uplus to showcase AI call agent and human-centric AI at MWC26

LG Uplus will present an upgraded version of its AI call application, branded 'ixi-O Pro', at MWC26 in Barcelona, outlining its vision for a next-generation AI call agent built around personalised and security-focused services. The operator said ixi-O Pro extends its existing AI assistant beyond call recording and reactive responses, evolving into a proactive agent that analyses call, messaging and calendar data to provide contextual information and recommendations.

Chorus reports fibre growth and stable EBITDA in first half
NEW ZEALAND 06:36

Chorus reports fibre growth and stable EBITDA in first half

New Zealand wholesale operator Chorus has reported operating revenue of NZD 506 million for the six months to 31 December 2025, up 1 percent YoY, with EBITDA rising 3 percent to NZD 357 million. Net profit after tax was NZD 15 million, compared with a net loss of NZD 5 million in the prior corresponding period. Operating expenses fell by NZD 5 million to NZD 149 million, reflecting lower labour and consulting costs and reduced copper-related expenditure.

NBN Co deploys first DAA node on HFC network as modernisation gathers pace
AUSTRALIA 06:35

NBN Co deploys first DAA node on HFC network as modernisation gathers pace

Australian government-owned broadband access provider NBN Co has deployed its first Distributed Access Architecture (DAA) node on its Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) network, marking the start of live customer migrations as part of a broader network modernisation programme. In a LinkedIn post, chief technology officer Guy Scott said the first DAA node had been cut over in Collingwood, Victoria, with two additional nodes brought online in the following days.

Cisco and Sharon AI launch sovereign AI facility in Australia
AUSTRALIA 06:33

Cisco and Sharon AI launch sovereign AI facility in Australia

Cisco and startup Sharon AI have announced the launch of what they describe as Australia's first Cisco Secure AI Factory with Nvidia, providing in-country AI infrastructure designed to support enterprise and government workloads. The facility, launched in partnership with Nvidia, is intended to deliver secure, high-performance AI compute with all data processing remaining within Australia. The companies said the initiative aligns with Australia's National AI Plan and is aimed at strengthening sovereign AI c

Aussie Broadband reports EBITDA growth and acquisitions
AUSTRALIA 06:31

Aussie Broadband reports EBITDA growth and acquisitions

Aussie Broadband has reported revenue of AUD 637.8 million for the half year to 31 December 2025, up 8.4 percent YoY, alongside underlying EBITDA of AUD 74.7 million, an increase of 13.5 percent. On a like-for-like basis, excluding the Origin contract that expired in the prior corresponding period, revenue rose 13.5 percent and underlying EBITDA increased 27 percent. Underlying NPAT grew 40.9 percent to AUD 22.3 million. Reported NPAT was AUD 5.1 million, reflecting a AUD 14.8 million non-cash goodwill impa

Cargill deploys NTT Data private 5G network across 50 global sites
GLOBAL 06:28

Cargill deploys NTT Data private 5G network across 50 global sites

Cargill has deployed a private 5G network from NTT Data across 50 manufacturing and processing facilities worldwide, as part of a programme to modernise operations and support increased automation. The deployments, most of which are in the United States, also include sites in Europe, with additional regions under consideration. The companies said further sites are scheduled for completion in 2026.

Samsung expands Galaxy AI with additional multi-agent integration
GLOBAL 06:26

Samsung expands Galaxy AI with additional multi-agent integration

Samsung Electronics has announced an expansion of its Galaxy AI platform, introducing additional AI agents as part of what it describes as a broader multi-agent ecosystem across Galaxy devices. The company said Galaxy AI is designed to operate at system level within the operating system, enabling contextual interactions across apps and services rather than functioning solely within individual applications. According to Samsung, the approach is intended to reduce the need for users to switch between apps or

SKT to present full-stack AI portfolio at MWC Barcelona 2026
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 06:24

SKT to present full-stack AI portfolio at MWC Barcelona 2026

SK Telecom (SKT) has announced plans to showcase its AI capabilities across infrastructure, models and services at MWC Barcelona 2026, taking place from 2–5 March in Barcelona. Under the theme "AI for Infinite Possibilities", the operator said its exhibition will focus on how telecommunications infrastructure supports AI technologies and how AI is being applied within telecom networks and services.

Nokia and KDDI demonstrate quantum-safe optical transport at Sakai data centre
JAPAN 06:21

Nokia and KDDI demonstrate quantum-safe optical transport at Sakai data centre

KDDI and Nokia have demonstrated quantum-safe optical transport capabilities at KDDI's new Sakai Data Center in Japan, aimed at supporting AI workloads and distributed data centre infrastructure. The demonstration took place at the Sakai facility, which is designed to support real-time AI training, inference and data analytics. According to the companies, the network architecture incorporates built-in cryptography and is intended to ensure the secure and uninterrupted transport of sensitive AI workloads, wh

Samsung launches new Bixby with conversational device control
GLOBAL 06:19

Samsung launches new Bixby with conversational device control

Samsung Electronics has announced a beta programme for a new version of Bixby integrated into One UI 8.5, positioning the voice assistant as a conversational device agent designed to simplify control of Galaxy smartphones. The updated Bixby enables users to manage device settings and features using natural language, without needing to reference specific menu structures or command phrases. 

J:Com expands online telemedicine with Nippon Chouzai nationwide
JAPAN 06:15

J:Com expands online telemedicine with Nippon Chouzai nationwide

Japanese cable company J:Com has expanded its partnership with Nippon Chouzai to enable online medication guidance and prescription fulfilment at the company's pharmacies nationwide. Under the agreement, J:Com's telemedicine platform, J:Com Online Medical Care, will now be linked to Nippon Chouzai's pharmacy network across Japan, with the exception of certain outlets. The expansion allows patients to select Nippon Chouzai pharmacies when using the service and complete consultations, medication guidance and

NEW ZEALAND 06:14

One NZ completes ten mobile site builds and upgrades

One New Zealand completed ten mobile site builds and upgrades in January 2026 as part of its ongoing network investment programme across the country. The works, carried out in Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Marlborough, Tasman, Waikato, Wellington and the West Coast, focused on expanding 5G coverage and increasing network capacity. The operator said the upgrades are intended to improve performance for services such as streaming and video calls, particularly during periods of high demand.

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 06:12

SKT publishes third 6G white paper outlining AI-native vision

SK Telecom (SKT) has published its third 6G white paper, titled 'Athena', setting out its medium- to long-term network evolution strategy and outlining how it expects communications infrastructure to develop in the AI era. The latest edition follows earlier papers released in 2023 and 2024, which addressed 6G standardisation requirements and the direction of infrastructure in an AI-driven environment. 

AUSTRALIA 06:10

La Trobe University leads quantum-AI data centre energy project

Australia's La Trobe University will lead a national project aimed at improving the energy efficiency and emissions profile of Australian data centres using quantum and AI technologies, supported by a AUD 1.1 million grant under the Federal Government's National Critical Technologies Challenge Program. The project will bring together researchers from La Trobe and The University of Western Australia's Centre for Quantum Information, Simulation and Algorithms, alongside industry partners including NextDC, Fuj

UNITED STATES 06:08

Johnson Controls to acquire Alloy to expand data centre cooling portfolio

Johnson Controls has signed an agreement to acquire Alloy Enterprises, a Boston-based developer of direct liquid cooling technologies for high-performance data centres and other mission-critical industrial applications. The transaction is intended to strengthen Johnson Controls' position in the data centre thermal management segment, particularly as demand rises in line with AI-driven compute workloads. Financial terms were not disclosed.

INDIA 04:26

India hits 1 billion broadband subscribers

Indian operators added 8.53 million telephone subscribers in December 2025, ending the month with 1.30 billion fixed and mobile users nationwide, according to the latest figures from market regulator Trai. This represents an increase of 0.66 percent from November. India ended 2025 with a mobile penetration rate of 88.41 percent and fixed penetration at 3.33 percent.

THAILAND 03:56

True to merge AWC, BFKT, TeleAssets units into True Move H

Thai operator True has announced it is revamping its internal group structure through a formal amalgamation of its subsidiaries. This process involves four subsidiaries, namely True Move H Universal Communication, Asia Wireless Communication, BFKT (Thailand), and TeleAssets.

INDIA 03:39

Samsung launches new Bixby in One UI 8.5

Samsung Electronics has announced the beta programme for its latest version of Bixby, upgraded to operate as a conversational device agent. Samsung says the update makes interacting with Galaxy devices more intuitive, as users can ask for what they need through natural language. Additionally, it expands access to up-to-date answers from the open web.

GLOBAL 00:28

The week in telecoms: Liberty Global tackles cable vs fibre question, Orange promises dividends and MEA market goes wholesale

It was all about consolidation in Europe last week, with major takeovers in the UK and Netherlands and Orange laying out its new financial targets. India held a major AI summit with Google announcing plans to turn the country into a new global connectivity hub, while Ooredoo and MTN are working on similar plans for the MEA region.

ROMANIA 22 FEB

1.5 million phone numbers ported in Romania in 2025

Romania reached 1.5 million ported phone numbers in 2025. Since the service was first introduced in October 2008, the cumulative total of ported numbers in Romania has surpassed 14.1 million, according to a report from market regulator Ancom. Of the total 1.49 numbers ported last year, around 97 percent were mobile numbers.

INDONESIA 22 FEB

Telkomsel, Topgolf launch mobile data and leisure services bundle

Telkomsel has teamed up with sports entertainment complex Topgolf to launch a services bundle that pairs mobile connectivity with experiential leisure. Dubbed 'Telkomsel x Topgolf Package', the offer provides customers with a 30 GB internet quota alongside a 2-hour session at Topgolf.

INDONESIA 22 FEB

Telkomsel intros biometric facial recognition for mobile number registration

Indonesian operator Telkomsel has introduced biometric facial recognition for mobile number registration, supporting the Indonesian Ministry of Communication's 'Comfortable Smile with Biometrics' (SEMANTIK) programme. This initiative is designed to protect the public against digital threats such as scams and phishing, Telkomsel said.

INDIA 22 FEB

Samsung India integrates pharmacy, diagnostic services into Health App

Samsung India has announced a partnership deal between its global wellness platform Samsung Health and health-tech providers PharmEasy and Tata 1mg. This collaboration introduces the 'Find Care' integrated healthcare feature, which will be accessible on the app following an update. Starting February 24, the Samsung Health app will allow consumers order medicines, book diagnostic tests and online medical consultations. The app already tracks wellness metrics like activity, heart rate, sleep, and more, with m

Just In

06:40

SoftBank to launch RCS across three mobile brands in spring 2026

06:38

LG Uplus to showcase AI call agent and human-centric AI at MWC26

06:36

Chorus reports fibre growth and stable EBITDA in first half

06:35

NBN Co deploys first DAA node on HFC network as modernisation gathers pace

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

00:28

The week in telecoms: Liberty Global tackles cable vs fibre question, Orange promises dividends and MEA market goes wholesale

16 FEB 00:17

The week in telecoms: Cisco rides AI investment wave and European telcos invest in South America

9 FEB 01:54

The week in telecoms: hyperscalers vie for capex crown, Telenor and Vodafone profit from smaller footprints

2 FEB 00:45

The week in telecoms: Verizon sparks fears of US price war, Apple beats Samsung in Q4, Telekom ramps up fibre marketing