ORG warns of "unaccountable" public sector AI deployment in UK
UNITED KINGDOM 15:37

ORG warns of "unaccountable" public sector AI deployment in UK

Public sector AI adoption in the UK is "opaque, unaccountable and for the benefit of Big Tech", according to a new report from the Open Rights Group (ORG). The report shows a lack of scrutiny of public sector AI deployments, and that systems are being deployed for the benefit of big corporations and not the general public. It also warns of potential abuses of power from government-private sector partnerships, as Big Tech lobbies for further roll-out of their technology across government departments.

Canada publishes Responsible Data Centre Development Principles
CANADA 15:21

Canada publishes Responsible Data Centre Development Principles

The Canadian government has announced new Responsible Data Centre Development Principles. This creates a common national framework for building data centre capacity across the country, with five clear expectations for developments - data centres must not transfer electricity costs onto Canadians; must minimise waster use and environmental impacts; must deliver strategic value to Canada; must creating lasting local benefits; and must be transparent about their impact on local communities.

WOW! migrates Florida residential TV customers to YouTube TV
UNITED STATES 15:05

WOW! migrates Florida residential TV customers to YouTube TV

US fibre broadband provider WideOpenWest (WOW!) has announced the next stage of a plan to migrate residential cable TV customers to YouTube TV. Cable TV customers in Florida will be moved to YouTube TV in autumn 2026, with the existing WOW! TV service withdrawn on or after 13 November. The transition will be rolled out across other WOW! markets in 2027.

Rogers, Quebecor sign new sub-licensing deal for NHL games in French
CANADA 14:40

Rogers, Quebecor sign new sub-licensing deal for NHL games in French

Rogers Communications and Quebecor have signed anew 12-year sub-licensing deal for National NHL games in French, starting with 2026/27 season. All games covered by the new agreement will be distributed by TVA Sports and TVA Sports Direct, as the official French-language NHL broadcaster.  

TDS offers TV customer free preview of Outdoor, Sportsman channels
UNITED STATES 14:31

TDS offers TV customer free preview of Outdoor, Sportsman channels

US operator TDS Telecom is giving TDS TV+ customers a free preview of the Sportsman Channel and Outdoor Channel from 28 September to 31 October. The Outdoor Channel focuses on real-life outdoor action and adventure programming. The Sportsman Channel focuses on hunting, shooting sports and fishing, with entertaining and educational programming. 

BDUK launches latest review of gigabit infrastructure roll-out
UNITED KINGDOM 14:24

BDUK launches latest review of gigabit infrastructure roll-out

Building Digital UK (BDUK) has launched the latest National Rolling Open Market Review, requesting suppliers to submit information about their existing and planned gigabit-capable broadband infrastructure build across the UK over the next three years. The review takes places three times a year - in January, May and September. This latest review focuses on the following areas  - Wales, SW England, SE England, Scotland, N Ireland, NW England, NE England, London England, East of England, Yorkshire and the Humb

Netflix raises UK prices by up to 33 percent
UNITED KINGDOM 14:12

Netflix raises UK prices by up to 33 percent

Netflix has raised its prices in the UK, with the cost of the Standard with ads plan rising 33 percent to GBP 7.99 per month (from GBP 5.99); the Standard plan by 8 percent to GBP 13.99 per month (from GBP 12.99); and the Premium plan by 10.5 percent to GBP 20.99 per month (from GBP 18.99). 

Cnam offers grants for media literacy, countering disinformation projects
IRELAND 14:04

Cnam offers grants for media literacy, countering disinformation projects

Irish broadcasting and media regulator Coimisiun na Mean (Cnam) is inviting funding applications for projects supporting Media Literacy and Countering Disinformation. The Irish government has allocated EUR 1.1 million to support implementation of the National Counter Disinformation Strategy through initiatives such as media literacy, fact checking, and research. Applications close on 09 October 2026, with a webinar for potential applicants planed for 16 September. 

Video behaviour of Dutch consumers 2026-Q2
NETHERLANDS 13:33

Video behaviour of Dutch consumers 2026-Q2

This report looks at consumer video services and how they are used. The report shows market penetration of all major video services, including breakdowns by age, type of household, TV provider and income. The following types of video services are covered:

Netflix increases prices of all subscriptions in Germany by EUR 2 per month
GERMANY 13:10

Netflix increases prices of all subscriptions in Germany by EUR 2 per month

Netflix is increasing the prices of all its subscriptions in Germany again, by EUR 2 per month. This means that the Premium subscription costs EUR 21.99 per month instead of EUR 19.99 monthly. The Standard subscription with ads now costs EUR 6.99 per month instead of EUR 4.99 and the Standard subscription without ads costs EUR 15.99 instead of EUR 13.99. Subscribers deciding to add a viewer to the plan will pay EUR 4.99 instead of EUR 3.99 per month for subscriptions with ads, and EUR 5.99 instead of EUR 4.

Motorola prepares Edge 70 Plus and Swarovski crystal Razr for commercial release
GLOBAL 13:02

Motorola prepares Edge 70 Plus and Swarovski crystal Razr for commercial release

Lenovo's Motorola subsidiary is debuting a new addition to its Edge 70 smartphone line-up and an LTE-capable Moto Watch. Presented at the IFA 2026 consumer expo in Germany, Motorola's Edge 70 Plus smartphone follows the launch of the Edge 70 Pro model earlier this year. While pricing was not discussed, in the coming weeks the handset will roll out in selected countries in Europe and the Middle East, while Indian consumers will be offered a distinct model called Edge 70 Neo. Also launching is a premium Swaro

CMA Media's revamped streaming service arrives on French IPTV platforms
FRANCE 12:55

CMA Media's revamped streaming service arrives on French IPTV platforms

CMA Media, part of French conglomerate CMA CGM, has confirmed that its new RMC+ streaming service has replaced RMC BFM Play, the company's previous content offering acquired from Altice France in mid-2024. The ad-supported service features several thematic TV channels, including BFMTV, BFM Business, RMC Decouverte, RMC Story and RMC Life. Viewers also have access to the catalogue of Brut.media, which focuses on short-form video content, as well as vertical TV series from social media outlet Liik. Overall, a

SAUDI ARABIA 12:54

Salam ties up with Hala, Zid and FutureWorks to serve freelancers

Etihad Salam Telecom Company (Salam) has partnered with fintech provider Hala and e-commerce platform Zid to launch SoHo for freelancers and the independent workforce. Their memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed at LEAP 2026. Salam is cooperating with Future Work, a national organisation supporting the Saudi freelance sector by enabling licence validation, supporting flexible work models and driving labour market innovation.

AFRICA 12:47

AfDB and Axian provide access to capital and training for businesswomen

Axian Group and the African Development Bank (AfDB) are enabling access to capital and business support for over 34,000 enterprises led by women in five African countries. The programme is supported by AfDB's Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative and the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi). It will be delivered through Axian's digital financial services platforms, Mixx and Mvola. It combines digital lending with financial literacy training, business development service

SPAIN 12:38

Movistar, LaLiga kick off latest edition of interactive roadshow

Movistar (Telefonica) has again teamed up with LaLiga, the organising body of the top two divisions of Spanish club football, to launch the fifth edition of their 'Estadio Movistar LaLiga' roadshow. The interactive exhibition will offer football fans the opportunity to enjoy a series of immersive experiences when it visits a number of Spanish cities over the course of the 2026-27 season, including open urban spaces for the first time.

SAUDI ARABIA 12:34

Salam becomes Zoom distributor inSaudi Arabia

Saudi's Etihad Salam Telecom Company (Salam) has signed a strategic reseller agreement with Zoom at LEAP 2026.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 12:27

Space42 launches 'Future Spacers' training programme for students

Space42 has launched the sixteen-week Future Spacers Programme at its premises to introduce Emirati students to career paths in STEM, AI, data management and emerging technologies. The inaugural cohort includes students from Khalifa University, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), Zayed University, and ADEK-identified schools. The scheme supports the National Space Strategy 2031.

GLOBAL 12:09

Wearables pioneer Ultrahuman picks up Qualcomm Ventures for USD 70 million fund raise

Qualcomm Ventures has backed a USD 70 million venture financing round for India-based health wearables and monitoring startup Ultrahuman, the latter said. The transaction also includes Labcorp's Venture Fund, Alpha Wave, Blume Ventures, Nexus Venture Partners and Alteria Capital. According to TechCrunch, Ultrahuman will work with Qualcomm on future product hardware based on its partner's silicon chips, but will continue to also deploy chipsets from its existing supplier Nordic Semiconductor.

ITALY 12:04

Italian retail sales down 0.4% in July, online up 2% year on year

Italy's retail sales declined 0.4 percent in value and 0.5 percent in volume in July compared to June, according to the latest preliminary data from national statistics office Istat. Shoes, leather goods and travel items fell 2.8 percent while the largest increases were recorded in electric household appliances, audio-video equipment (+6.1%) and other goods (+5.0%).

EUROPE 12:00

ETSI introduces data quality metrics framework to build trust in AI and data ecosystems

ETSI has published a proposed framework for objective data quality assessments in digital and AI ecosystems. The specification builds on an open proof of concept (PoC) Data Quality Validation System developed for ETSI by stakeholders including South Korea's Sejong and Daejeon universities, the national South Korean Telecommunications Technology Association, Italian non-profit research consortium CNIT, and the French ICT firm EGM.

PHILIPPINES 11:56

Globe At Home intros GFibre GG Bundles for gamers

Philippines operator Globe Telecom has announced that its broadband business Globe At Home has introduced GFiber Plan GG Bundles, a new set of home internet plans aimed at PC, console and mobile gamers. The plans combine fibre connectivity with network optimization features and gaming-related rewards.

DENMARK 11:49

Telenor become exclusive Danish distributor of Anio 6 smartwatch for children

Telenor Denmark said it has become the exclusive Danish distributor of the Anio 6 a smartwatch developed for children by German company Anio GmbH. The watch allows voice calls, messages and location services but has no camera, social media capability or access to apps. This makes it suitable for younger children who need to be able to reach their parents but who are not ready for a smartphone.

HONG KONG 11:46

SmarTone FY profit rises 10% on revenue diversification, cost discipline

Hong Kong mobile operator SmarTone Telecommunications posted profit of HKD 525 million for the year ended 30 June 2026, which represents an increase of 10 percent year-on-year. Against an intensely competitive mobile market, SmarTone said it delivered profitable growth during the year. Profit growth was mainly boosted by revenue diversification and strong cost discipline, the company said.

GREECE 11:36

Cosmote rebrands a Telekom in Greece

OTE Group is changing the name of its commercial brand in Greece from Cosmote Telekom to Telekom. The change will be introduced gradually across the group's customer-facing channels, with the transition expected to be completed on 8 September.

Just In

15:37

ORG warns of "unaccountable" public sector AI deployment in UK

15:21

Canada publishes Responsible Data Centre Development Principles

15:05

WOW! migrates Florida residential TV customers to YouTube TV

14:40

Rogers, Quebecor sign new sub-licensing deal for NHL games in French

Commentary

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?

5 MEI 10:55

KPN: the art of making one-offs structural

Background

30 AUG 23:50

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

27 AUG 10:09

Viaplay sports content to help Videoland towards goal of becoming largest streamer in Netherlands

16 AUG 23:57

The week in telecom: Lenovo and Cisco profit from AI-driven demand in Q2, Google updates Pixels and reaches 1 bln Gemini users

9 AUG 23:44

The week in telecom: Starlink's mobile ambitions and LEO challengers, plus Hollywood studios try streaming shorts and sports