Herotel brings Amazon LEO satellite internet to South Africa in 2027 branded as Evry
SOUTH AFRICA 14:01

Herotel brings Amazon LEO satellite internet to South Africa in 2027 branded as Evry

Herotel, a Maziv company and South Africa's largest ISP, has announced a distribution agreement with Amazon's Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network. Through its new service Evry, Herotel will bring high-speed, satellite-powered internet to residential customers in the country, with commercial launch due in 2027. The Amazon LEO satellite network delivers fast internet to underserved areas, bridging the digital divide for customers currently beyond the reach of traditional fibre and fixed wireless networks.

Motorola unveils Edge 70 Max as first smartphone with Qira AI assistant
GLOBAL 13:51

Motorola unveils Edge 70 Max as first smartphone with Qira AI assistant

Motorola Mobility has presented its new Edge 70 Max handset, which comes stocked with a host of premium features, including an inaugural smartphone deployment for Lenovo's ambient AI assistant Qira. Edge 70 Max is built on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 mobile chipset delivering peak CPU speeds of up to 3.8 GHz, which is roughly 36 percent better than the previous generation. GPU speeds are about 11 percent faster, while the latest Qualcomm AI Engine boosts neural processing by 46 percent.

Belarus reaches over 7 mln LTE users, 77% of traffic on 4G
BELARUS 13:49

Belarus reaches over 7 mln LTE users, 77% of traffic on 4G

Belarusian operators cover 94.5 percent of the country's area and 99.6 percent of its population with LTE, according to data from the state-owned infrastructure operator beCloud. The LTE user base exceeds 7 million, and the 4G network carries more than 77 percent of all mobile traffic in the country. 

Poland announces tender for TV multiplex licence
POLAND 13:47

Poland announces tender for TV multiplex licence

Polish telecommunications regulator UKE announced a tender for use of the 470-694 MHz band for operating the terrestrial TV multiplex MUX5. Interested bidders can submit offers until 31 August. MUX5 will carry no more than eight television channels licensed by the National Broadcasting Council. UKE included a condition into a tender that the winner commit to ensuring that MUX5 reaches at least 50 percent of the country's territory within 15 months and 95 percent within 24 months.

Ucell named Uzbekistan's fastest mobile network by Ookla
UZBEKISTAN 13:46

Ucell named Uzbekistan's fastest mobile network by Ookla

Uzbekistan operator Ucell has been recognised as providing the Fastest Mobile Network in Uzbekistan for the fifth consecutive reporting period, based on Ookla's Speedtest Intelligence data.  The awards were presented to Ucell during MWC Shanghai 2026, organised by the GSMA. According to the Speedtest data for the first half of 2026, Ucell received two awards: the Fastest Mobile Network in Uzbekistan (third consecutive year) and the Best Mobile Network in Uzbekistan.

T-Mobile Poland builds 209 base stations in H1
POLAND 13:45

T-Mobile Poland builds 209 base stations in H1

T-Mobile Poland deployed 209 new base stations in the first half of this year, taking its own active base stations tot 6,412 units at the end of June. The operator used 12,806 base stations including infrastructure shared with other operators (mainly Orange). The number of 5G base stations working on the C band increased to 5,110 units (352 new base stations), and the number of 5G base stations working on the 700 MHz band rose to 878 units (351 new base stations). As a result the 5G network working on the C

Bakcell adds Games section to mobile app
AZERBAIJAN 13:43

Bakcell adds Games section to mobile app

Azerbaijan operator Bakcell has introduced a new digital service for its subscribers on the Bakcell app: the Bakcell Games section, where users can play games and win AirPods and bonus mobile internet bundles. The new section features offers such as Collect & Win, Gift Marathon, and Lucky Cards. As part of the new service, users can access Bakcell Games free of charge for the first seven days. By playing the games, users can earn points and get the chance to win AirPods, as well as 1 GB bonus data bundles.

Honor reports double-digit sales growth in Latin America, Asia in 2025
GLOBAL 13:35

Honor reports double-digit sales growth in Latin America, Asia in 2025

Chinese smartphone maker Honor generated revenues of EUR 2.16 billion outside China in 2025, an increase of 6.6 percent from the previous year according to an annual report filed in the Netherlands. The company Honor Technologies (Netherlands) BV is responsible for the company's activities in Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. It recorded an operating profit of EUR 61.7 million for the year, up 5.9 percent, while its net profit fell 15.6 percent to EUR 40.3 million after an increase in financi

Zain Jordan encourages staff to give up smoking
JORDAN 13:33

Zain Jordan encourages staff to give up smoking

Zain Jordan has started the latest programme to encourage employees to stop smoking in collaboration with the Smoking Cessation Clinic at the King Hussein Cancer Foundation & Center (KHCC). The scheme has been organised under Zain's Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (IDE) strategy as the company fosters a workplace health and disease prevention culture. It supports staff who want to give up tobacco by providing specialist, evidence-based treatment services. 

Open Fiber expands FTTH to 39 localities in Marche
ITALY 13:29

Open Fiber expands FTTH to 39 localities in Marche

Italian wholesale-only operator Open Fiber has finalised the cabling of its FTTH infrastructure in nearly 40 new localities in the central Marche region. A total of 114,000 homes, commercial premises and offices across 39 municipalities in the in the provinces of Ancona, Ascoli Piceno, Fermo, Macerata, and Pesaro have been connected to the fibre network, allowing residents and businesses to access the internet at speeds of up to 2.5 Gbps via operator partners.

Mindware becomes Rapid7 distributor in Middle East
MIDDLE EAST 13:26

Mindware becomes Rapid7 distributor in Middle East

Rapid7, which provides AI-powered managed cybersecurity operations, has announced a partnership with Mindware, a value-added distributor in the Middle East and Africa. Mindware will distribute Rapid7's portfolio in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Jordan and Bahrain. The milestone marks Rapid7's ongoing expansion in the Middle East.

Polish govt commits to European AI Gigafactory programme
POLAND 13:25

Polish govt commits to European AI Gigafactory programme

The Polish government has adopted a resolution enabling the country to participate in the European AI Gigafactory programme. This decision guarantees the purchase of a portion of the computing power of the future AI infrastructure, which is one of the conditions for Poland's participation in the EU project. The AI Gigafactories are expected to provide companies, scientists, and the government with access to very high computing power and advanced AI services. It will also provide a significant boost to the d

AFRICA 13:13

WATRA urges stronger regional cooperation to protect West Africa's submarine cables

The West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA) is pushing for stronger regional coordination to protect the undersea internet cables that o the rest of the world. WATRA executive secretary Aliyu Yusuf Aboki warned that the region's digital infrastructure remains highly vulnerable, referring to the March 2024 disruptions that hit trade, financial services and livelihoods. His comments come after working groups from the International Advisory Body on Submarine Cable Resilience published their

POLAND 13:03

Telestrada authorises share buyback

Polish operator Telestrada has approved plans to allocate the net profit from 2025 for the buyback of its shares. The net profit totaled PLN 7.7 million in 2025, down from PLN 8.3 million. The buyback may be carried out until 30 June 2028 and target a maximum 20 percent of outstanding shares. Revenues of the group amounted to PLN 57.1 million in 2025, up from PLN 54.2 million. 

CZECH REPUBLIC 13:00

O2 Czechia upgrades public cloud service for businesses

O2 Czech Republic has modernised its cloud service for businesses. The company claims that the new solution is more flexible, clearer and more secure, responding to the latest changes in the cloud services market and offering greater flexibility with predictable costs. The cloud platform runs exclusively in Czech data centres and is available to new and existing customers from 15 July. O2 will offer existing customers the support during migration and the possibility of a two-month free trial.

SPAIN 13:00

MasOrange latest to change network name to support national team

MasOrange has followed Telefonica in temporarily changing the name of its mobile network in response to Spain's qualification for the final of the 2026 World Cup. Instead of the usual "Orange" network name, customers can now see the text "TodoUnEquipo" ("AllOneTeam") on the status bar of their mobile phones to mark the operator's support for Spain's football team, which has qualified for the World Cup Final on 19 July.

UNITED STATES 12:58

AOI kicks off Texas manufacturing build

Applied Optoelectronics said it has broken ground on two adjacent manufacturing developments in Pearland, Texas. Situated roughly 20 miles south of Houston, the complex will add almost 400,000 square feet of production capacity for AOI's 800G and 1.6 Tbps transceivers.

CANADA 12:46

Bell finishes building Quebec ground station for AST SpaceMobile D2D services

Bell said it has finished building its first sovereign direct-to-device satellite ground station in Canada, advancing its connectivity infrastructure with AST SpaceMobile before D2D service deployment nationwide. Testing has begun at the Quebec facility, which connects with AST SpaceMobile's satellite constellation of satellites. Ground stations in Ontario, Alberta and Newfoundland & Labrador are under way, too.

SPAIN 12:30

MasOrange boosts mobile network with 3,000 upgrades

MasOrange said it has carried out nearly 3,000 upgrades to its mobile network in Spanish localities that see sharp summer population increases, with a view to maintaining service quality and capacity during peak seasonal demand in coastal and holiday areas. The operator completed more than 1,400 interventions on its 5G network and over 1,300 on 4G, including base station optimisation, network densification and the addition of new frequency bands.

EUROPE 12:19

SES signs lease for QKD ground station in Netherlands

SES has signed a lease for building a new satellite ground station in the Netherlands, in support of a European project for secure quantum communications. Signed jointly with contractor Airbus Netherlands, the ground lease agreement with the Dutch municipality of Noordwijk is for a plot at the NL Space Campus, next to the European Space Agency's technical center ESTeC. The facility will host a dedicated optical ground station to communicate with the Eagle-1 satellite and receive quantum safe keys via laser

SPAIN 12:10

Telefonica targets 90% emissions cut by 2030 under new sustainability plan

Telefonica has approved a Global Sustainability Plan for 2026-2030 to support growth, improve efficiency and strengthen risk management, while targeting a 90 percent reduction in direct emissions by 2030. The plan, embedded within the Transform & Grow strategy unveiled in November, describes sustainability as a core driver of the group's competitiveness amid increasing global competition, technological change and geopolitical uncertainty.

GLOBAL 12:01

Adtran clinches contract with New Mexico ISP

Adtran announced it is supplying broadband technology to Oso Internet Solutions, a locally owned ISP active in the Ramah Navajo Indian Reservation in New Mexico. Adtran's equipment supports Oso Internet's fibre-led broadband network, allowing it to tailor a mix of last-mile delivery modes underpinned by a common infrastructure foundation. The network is expected to expand access to essential online services, bringing economic opportunity to residents and businesses across the reservation.

GLOBAL 11:58

Viavi secures over USD 1 mln to create 6G digital twins for Shield-6G threat intelligence project

Viavi Solutions has clinched USD 1.1 million in funding from the EU's Smart Networks and Services joint undertaking (SNS-JU) and the Horizon Europe scheme to advance its contribution to the Shield-6G research project. Shield-6G aims to catalyse AI-driven cyber threat intelligence alongside interoperable security, orchestration and regulatory controls in 6G networks. Viavi's contribution focuses on delivering digital twin models powered by its TeraVM AI RAN Scenario Generator (RSG).

EGYPT 11:50

Egyptian government's Creativa hubs run AI hackathon with Orange Digital Center and Instant educational platform

Egypt's Creativa Innovation Hubs and the Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre (TIEC), part of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), have partnered with Orange Digital Center (ODC) and the Instant educational platform to organise an AI Hackathon from 16-20 August in several governorates. It offers university students and fresh graduates an intensive training program that combines theoretical learning with hands-on practice. Participants will gain practical experience in

Just In

14:01

Herotel brings Amazon LEO satellite internet to South Africa in 2027 branded as Evry

13:51

Motorola unveils Edge 70 Max as first smartphone with Qira AI assistant

13:49

Belarus reaches over 7 mln LTE users, 77% of traffic on 4G

13:47

Poland announces tender for TV multiplex licence

Commentary

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5 MAY 10:55

KPN: the art of making one-offs structural

4 MAY 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