Glasnet hires former Freedom director Welboren as commercial lead
NETHERLANDS 12:28

Glasnet hires former Freedom director Welboren as commercial lead

Former Freedom Internet director Twan Welboren has joined Glasnet, where he will focus on commercial strategy and growing the operator. This follows his departure in June from Freedom, where he worked as commercial and operational director from the start of the Dutch ISP. 

Building Digital Trust and an Inclusive Future for ASEAN in the AI Era
ASIA 12:24

Building Digital Trust and an Inclusive Future for ASEAN in the AI Era

This year's GSMA M360 ASEAN was strategically co-located with the 15th ZTE Global Summit & User Congress. Together, they provided an unparalleled platform for global ICT leaders, policymakers, and ecosystem partners to exchange high-level insights and forge stronger industry partnerships. ZTE Corporation actively participated in GSMA M360 ASEAN 2026 and through keynote speeches, panel discussions, and joint forums, ZTE comprehensively showcased its strategic vision and practical achievements in advancing ASEAN's digital transformation in the AI era.

3 Sweden expands access to 5G standalone network
SWEDEN 12:15

3 Sweden expands access to 5G standalone network

3 Sweden is expanding access to its 5G standalone network to all mobile customers, consumer and business. The new technology was first introduced at the start of this year to businesses for data applications. It can now be used by all voice customers with compatible devices. The first phones to support the service on the Tre network are the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 and Flip8. 

Beeline Kazakhstan starts Amazon Bedrock pilot
KAZAKHSTAN 12:01

Beeline Kazakhstan starts Amazon Bedrock pilot

Beeline Kazakhstan, a subsidiary of Veon Group, has introduced to corporate customers access to AI tools over Amazon Web Services, including Anthopic's Claude models. The services can be assessed through a pilot project using Amazon Bedrock, the AWS service that provides access to leading AI models via a unified API. The feasibility of a Proof of Concept (PoC) is evaluated on a case-by-case basis following an analysis of the business use case. If the task is suitable for a pilot, Beeline experts assist in c

Azerbaijan holds talks on strategic partnership with Huawei
AZERBAIJAN 11:59

Azerbaijan holds talks on strategic partnership with Huawei

The possibility of elevating cooperation between Azerbaijan and Huawei to the level of a strategic partnership, particularly through joint projects in artificial intelligence, data centres, 5G, and cloud technologies was discussed, according to Azerbaijan minister of digital development and transport Rashad Nabiyev. The discussions were held during the minister's meeting with Philip Gan, senior vice president of Huawei Technologies, writes Report.az. The sides also exchanged views on developing human capita

Afghanistan signs deal for 52 new towers with Afghan Telecom
AFGHANISTAN 11:58

Afghanistan signs deal for 52 new towers with Afghan Telecom

Afghanistan's ICT ministry has signed a USD 6.45 million contract with state-owned operator Afghan Telecom to construct 52 telecommunications towers across remote and border regions. The strategic infrastructure deployment will prioritize frontier districts in northern Badakhshan alongside eastern Kunar, Nangarhar, Nuristan, Paktia and Khost provinces, addressing persistent connectivity deficits in historically underserved areas.

Brisanet adds 36,300 mobile lines in August
BRAZIL 11:55

Brisanet adds 36,300 mobile lines in August

Brazilian fixed broadband and mobile operator Brisanet announced it added around 36,300 mobile accesses in August (+3.3% MoM, +77.7% YoY) to reach 1.145 million active lines across 357 Northeast municipalities (covering 16.7 million residents). Direct fixed broadband reached 1.5 million (+3.4% YoY / +3,122 MoM), split into 1.546 million FTTH and almost 41,000 FWA lines. After factoring in Agility Telecom franchises (44 partners, 97,127 clients) the total broadband base is close to 1.7 million. The footprint

R&S intros dual-band Wi-Fi AP with Active Radio Control
GLOBAL 11:52

R&S intros dual-band Wi-Fi AP with Active Radio Control

Rohde & Schwarz's Networks and Cybersecurity unit, formerly Lancom Systems, is adding a outdoor Wi-Fi access point to its enterprise-grade wireless LAN line-up. Retailing for EUR 879 RRP plus VAT, Lancom OW-702 is targeted towards multi-gigabit Wi-Fi deployment, looking to attract enterprises with "small to medium" numbers of users such as parking lots, warehouses and cold storages. The device supports dual-band Wi-Fi 7 for an aggregate throughput of up to 3.6 Gbps, with R&S's Active Radio Control 2.0 platf

Eltel inks two-year extension of FMV deal
SWEDEN 11:49

Eltel inks two-year extension of FMV deal

Equipment vendor Eltel has extended its framework agreement with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) to deliver telecoms installation and contracting services at military garrisons across Sweden. The SEK 100 million contract covers the installation, maintenance and related services for data and telecommunications systems within FMV's fixed passive network infrastructure.

AccelerComm, Antwerp Space to commence ESA-funded regenerative 5G satellite development
EUROPE 11:38

AccelerComm, Antwerp Space to commence ESA-funded regenerative 5G satellite development

AccelerComm said it will participate in an R&D programme funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) to catalyse regenerative 5G satellite architectures alongside Belgian space engineering specialist Antwerp Space. The contract forms part of ESA's ARTES (Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems) programme, specifically the Space for 5G/6G & Sustainable Connectivity element. AccelerComm and Antwerp Space will look at ways of deploying 5G base station functions directly from low Earth orbit satellites. S

Iliad Italia announces iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max pricing
ITALY 11:15

Iliad Italia announces iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max pricing

Iliad Italia has launched pre-sales of the new Apple iPhone 16 18 Pro, Pro Max and iPhone Duo smartphones via its online store, which will be available in zero-interest monthly instalments thanks to its agreement with Findomestic. Customers can pay for the devices over 12 or 24 months, with the entry-level iPhone 18 Pro 256GB costing EUR 62 a month over 24 months, rising to EUR 68 for the Pro Max 256GB.

Smart pilots Ericsson On-Demand roaming breakout service
PHILIPPINES 10:58

Smart pilots Ericsson On-Demand roaming breakout service

PLDT's mobile unit Smart Communications and its technology partner Ericsson report they have completed a live demo of Ericsson On-Demand's Roaming Breakout (RBO) service, to enhance data roaming services for Filipino travelers around the world.

PHILIPPINES 10:42

Smart launches PHP 99 5G-ready SIM card for Home WiFi routers

Philippine operator Smart Communications has launched the Smart Home WiFi SIM 99, a dedicated 5G-ready SIM card designed exclusively for Smart or PLDT Home WiFi routers. Available for PHP 99, the standalone SIM includes 2GB of non-expiring data, allowing customers to reuse existing router hardware without purchasing new equipment.

IRELAND 10:32

Microsoft study shows Irish workers recognise value of AI skills

Almost half (47%) of workers in Ireland now say AI is making them consider a career change, up from 34 percent in 2025, according to the 2026 Work Trend Index from Microsoft Ireland. The latest report shows that Irish workers are more focused on future-ready skills, with 75 percent saying those with a wide range of skills will become more valuable. Two thirds (65%) of Irish workers expecting the future of work to focus more on flexible skills over fixed roles. 

CHINA 10:31

ZTE debuts AI Video Solution at IBC

ZTE formally introduced its end-to-end AI Video Solution at the IBC 2026 conference in Amsterdam. The platform is designed to help OTT and IPTV operators modernise service delivery by integrating AI and smart home enhancements. Key features include an AI EPG+ tool that lets end users discover content through natural voice commands and multi-faceted search queries based on a programme's plot, dialogue and cast. AI EPG+ supports self-service troubleshooting and automatically streamlines on-board memory usage.

MALAYSIA 10:20

CelcomDigi brings new iPhone 18, iPhone Duo smartphones to Malaysia

CelcomDigi has announced it will offer Apple's latest products including the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5, on the local market. Pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple Watch models, and AirPods 5 are currently open, with general availability starting 18 September. Pre-orders for the iPhone Duo begin on 16 October, ahead of its retail release on 23 October.

SENEGAL 10:05

Sonatel obtains court suspension of Starlink services in legal licensing appeal

Senegal's Supreme Court has temporarily suspended Starlink's operating authorization following a legal petition by telecom operator Sonatel, Ecofin reported. Starlink launched commercial internet services there in February under a five-year ministerial permit granted in late 2025. Sonatel argues that Starlink is exempt from the heavy regulatory and financial obligations imposed on traditional tier-one licensees, breaching competition rules and damaging its business. 

ZAMBIA 10:02

MTN Mobile Money Zambia hosts presidential team for strategic talks

MTN Mobile Money Zambia said it hosted senior leadership from the Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU) and the Public Private Dialogue Forum (PPDF) to discuss strategic partnerships aimed at driving the national digitalization agenda and expanding financial inclusion. The visiting delegation, led by PDU Head Kusobile Stewart Kamwambi and PPDF Deputy Director General Jacqueline Saidi Chishimba, met with MTN Mobile Money Zambia CEO Komba Malukutila, chief channel and commercial officer Malunga Siwela, and chief p

HONG KONG 09:38

Hong Kong loses more than 91,000 5G mobile subscriptions in May

Hong Kong lost 315,482 mobile lines in May, ending the month with a total of 34.07 million mobile lines, according to the latest figures from the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA). The prepay base stood at 23.08 million in May, down from 23.44 million in April, while the number of postpaid lines increased to 10.99 million from 10.95 million.

UNITED STATES 09:27

Visible becomes helmet bumper partner of Minnesota Gophers

Verizon's digital-first mobile brand Visible has announced a partnership with Gopher Athletics and Learfield's Gopher Sports Properties to become the first-ever helmet bumper partner of Minnesota Football. The Visible logo will feature on the back of all Minnesota football helmets from 12 September, making the Gophers one of the first college athletics programmes to have a corporate brand on its football helmet. 

BRAZIL 09:24

Brazilian antitrust clears sale of Oi fixed telephony unit

The Brazilian antitrust authority (Cade) approved transferring Oi Servicos Telefonicos (via an isolated production unit) to Metodo, with the ruling becoming final 15 calendar days after Official Gazette publication. Signed in July for BRL 60.1 million following a competitive court process, the acquisition covers legacy fixed assets like voice lines, emergency/short-code services (190/192/193), payphones, and towers. These were put up for sale during Oi's court-led bankruptcy procedure.

GLOBAL 09:20

ZTE AI Smart Display Makes Global Debut at IBC 2026, Pioneering a New Era of Proactive Home Intelligence

ZTE Corporation announced the global debut of the AI Smart Display at IBC 2026. Compact yet powerful, the device redefines the connected home by fusing 4K entertainment, whole‑home IoT control, and agentic AI into a single, voice‑first platform that anticipates and serves the needs of every family member.

NIGERIA 09:19

Digital Parks Africa launches Lagos facility in West African expansion

Digital Parks Africa (DPA), in association with the Master Power Technologies Group, is expanding into West Africa with the development of a carrier-neutral data centre in Lagos, Nigeria. Named Nigeria Data Centre 1 (NDC1), the new facility is tailored for enterprises, financial institutions, cloud providers, and connectivity partners seeking reliable and flexible local infrastructure. NDC1. The project reinforces DPA's investment in the digital infrastructure required to drive Africa's growing connected ec

GLOBAL 09:17

Huawei debuts 3.2 Tbps and 7.2 Tbps near-packaged optical transceivers

Huawei has unveiled plans to launch a 7.2 Tbps near-packaged optical transceiver (NPO) chip. The NPO module will target AI data centre applications with strict requirements on power consumption and latency.  South China Morning Post (SCMP) reports that Huawei's module features 36 x 200 Gbps channels, putting it in the same ball park as Broadcom's 6.4 Tbps co-packaged optical (CPO) engine. Later this year, Huawei will advance live deployments of first-generation NPO modules with 3.2 Tbps bandwidth, before in

Just In

12:28

Glasnet hires former Freedom director Welboren as commercial lead

12:15

3 Sweden expands access to 5G standalone network

12:01

Beeline Kazakhstan starts Amazon Bedrock pilot

11:59

Azerbaijan holds talks on strategic partnership with Huawei

Commentary

8 SEP 10:16

Odido matches KPN and VodafoneZiggo on cash flow margin, but growth remains limited

11 AUG 10:49

Can Ziggo Group creation improve visibility for the Dutch market?

2 JUL 11:26

Canal Plus misses chance to strengthen Dutch business, time for exit?

23 JUN 09:56

ACM blocks Delta/Glaspoort deal - what can KPN do?

Background

00:34

The week in telecom: iPhone comes to foldable market, European satellite summit underlines sovereign push

7 SEP 11:54

Citymesh capital injection eases doubts over Digi Belgium future

6 SEP 21:46

The week in telecom: smart wearables at Ifa, Deutsche Telekom reshuffle and Vodafone tries premium 5G

30 AUG 23:50

The week in telecom: Meta pays up, SKT and MTN monetise data centres, and mobile network-sharing in demand