NTT Docomo deploys second quantum computing application for network optimisation
JAPAN 06:13

NTT Docomo deploys second quantum computing application for network optimisation

NTT Docomo has deployed a second quantum computing application in its mobile network operations, using D-Wave's hybrid quantum technology to optimise tracking area lists and reduce network signalling. The application reduced the daily peak volume of location registration signals generated when devices cross tracking area list boundaries by 65.3 percent, while paging signals fell by 7 percent, according to the companies.

ETRI and Busan begin AI-based urban flood prediction trials
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:59

ETRI and Busan begin AI-based urban flood prediction trials

South Korea's Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) and Busan Metropolitan City have begun work on an AI-based platform designed to predict urban flooding and support responses to extreme rainfall. The project brings together ETRI, the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources and the Korea Railroad Research Institute. The organisations plan to develop an integrated digital disaster response system covering fl

KT launches enterprise sovereign AI appliance using Korean NPU and LLM
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:57

KT launches enterprise sovereign AI appliance using Korean NPU and LLM

Korea Telecom (KT) has launched an enterprise sovereign AI appliance combining a Korean-made neural processing unit (NPU), large language model (LLM) and operating platform in a single server. The 'KT NPU LLM Station' combines Rebellions' Atom-Max inference-focused NPU with KT's own Mideum K 2.5 Pro LLM and an API operating platform. KT said the system is designed to allow organisations to run AI processing and data internally.

Korea plans smart watch linked to national disaster communications network
JAPAN 05:55

Korea plans smart watch linked to national disaster communications network

South Korea's ministry of science and ICT and ministry of the interior and safety are funding research into a smart watch that will connect to the country's national disaster safety communications network and use AI to summarise radio communications. The project, titled 'Development of a smart watch linked to the disaster safety communications network and an AI radio communication summarisation and notification system', is intended for personnel including police, firefighters and local government officials

ESR appoints Dalmar Sheikh as CEO of data centre business
SINGAPORE 05:52

ESR appoints Dalmar Sheikh as CEO of data centre business

Asia-Pacific real estate asset owner and manager ESR has appointed Dalmar Sheikh as chief executive officer of ESR Data Centres, effective 1 September 2026. Based in Singapore, Sheikh will be responsible for the data centre business's strategy and performance, as well as development of its platform across Asia-Pacific. ESR said its data centre pipeline exceeds 3.2 GW across markets including Japan, South Korea and Australia.

KDDI launches free savings programme for families with children
JAPAN 05:51

KDDI launches free savings programme for families with children

KDDI and Okinawa Cellular have launched a free programme for families with children aged 12 or under, offering annual au PAY balance benefits and other services. The 'Karugamo Savings Programme' launched on 18 August and is available to parents and guardians regardless of whether they use au or UQ mobile services. Under the programme, members accumulate a right to exchange for JPY 1,000 worth of au PAY balance each year from enrolment until the child reaches age 12. Subject to specified conditions, up to JP

Ucom introduces Back to School 2026 offer with Samsung A27
ARMENIA 05:50

Ucom introduces Back to School 2026 offer with Samsung A27

Armenian operator Ucom has introduced its special Back to School 2026 offer, providing customers with an opportunity to purchase the new Samsung Galaxy A27 5G smartphone on special terms and with additional benefits. Until 10 October, customers buying the phone from Ucom will also receive the Samsung Galaxy Buds Core earbuds, as well as a premium phone number with the Level Up+ 3000 tariff plan free for two months.

Rocket Lab awarded USD 12 mln for US Space Force satellite comms network
UNITED STATES 05:49

Rocket Lab awarded USD 12 mln for US Space Force satellite comms network

Rocket Lab has been added to the US Space Force's Space Data Network (SDN) Consortium and awarded two delivery orders worth a combined USD 12 million to support development of the Space Data Network Backbone (SDN-B). The consortium, managed by the Space Systems Command, is intended to support the development of a secure satellite communications network for military operations. The SDN-B programme is designed to provide high-capacity, low-latency data transport between space and ground systems.

SKT submits proposal for Korean government's 'AI for Everyone' project
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:47

SKT submits proposal for Korean government's 'AI for Everyone' project

SK Telecom (SKT) has submitted a proposal for South Korea's government-backed 'AI for Everyone' project, as part of a 20-company consortium seeking to develop AI services for use across everyday activities. The ministry of science and ICT said on 18 August that it had received proposals from six operators or consortiums for the project. The lead applicants are SKT, MKD, Eastsoft, Xenon, Kakao and Korea Telecom (KT).

S&P upgrades Singtel to A+ on stronger balance sheet and financial flexibility
SINGAPORE 05:45

S&P upgrades Singtel to A+ on stronger balance sheet and financial flexibility

S&P Global Ratings has upgraded Singtel's long-term issuer credit rating to A+ from A, citing an improved balance sheet, stronger financial flexibility and the company's ongoing asset monetisation programme. The outlook is stable. The upgrade is the first S&P rating increase since Singtel was first rated by the agency.

Flexential secures USD 800 mln facility for more than 130 MW of new capacity
UNITED STATES 05:44

Flexential secures USD 800 mln facility for more than 130 MW of new capacity

US data centre operator Flexential has secured an USD 800 million credit facility to fund more than 130 MW of new capacity across four markets in the US. The financing will support data centre projects under construction and in planning in Atlanta-Douglasville, Georgia; Portland-Hillsboro, Oregon; and Denver-Parker, Colorado. Projects under construction include a 36 MW facility in Atlanta-Douglasville, a 36 MW facility in Portland-Hillsboro and a 22.5 MW facility in Denver-Parker. 

Superloop reports 33% rise in underlying EBITDA to AUD 122.7 mln
AUSTRALIA 05:43

Superloop reports 33% rise in underlying EBITDA to AUD 122.7 mln

Australian operator Superloop has reported a 33.1 percent increase in underlying EBITDA to AUD 122.7 million for FY26, exceeding the top end of its upgraded guidance. Revenue rose 21.6 percent to AUD 664.3 million, while free cash flow increased 50 percent to AUD 84.4 million. Net profit after tax increased to AUD 17.5 million from AUD 1.2 million a year earlier. The company said its underlying EBITDA margin increased by 1.6 percentage points to 18.5 percent.

JAPAN 05:41

Zenkyoren selects Fujitsu sovereign cloud and Oracle Analytics Cloud

Japan's National Mutual Insurance Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives (Zenkyoren) has selected Fujitsu Cloud Service powered by Oracle Alloy and Oracle Analytics Cloud as the foundation for its information systems. The Fujitsu cloud service will be operated in Fujitsu's data centres in Japan and will support Zenkyoren's information systems, which are used daily by about 45,000 employees across its national and prefectural headquarters and JA organisations.

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:39

KT and university hospital to develop healthcare AI transformation platform

Korea Telecom (KT) and Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) have agreed to jointly develop a healthcare AI transformation (AX) platform covering clinical care, nursing, research and hospital operations. The two organisations signed an MoU that will focus on identifying and applying a standard model for a healthcare AX platform, as well as testing, developing and commercialising projects linked to government initiatives including AI-native hospitals.

JAPAN 05:38

SoftBank plans JPY 1tn retail bond issue to fund physical AI investment

SoftBank Group is planning to issue about JPY 1 trillion (USD 6.26 billion) in seven-year corporate bonds to Japanese retail investors, the largest retail bond offering by a Japanese company, according to Nikkei, citing industry sources. The planned issue would be SoftBank Group's third retail bond sale this year, following offerings in April and June, as the company seeks to tap Japan's household savings to fund its expanding AI investment programme. The interest rate is expected to be set in early Septemb

TAIWAN 04:52

Chunghwa Telecom's Q2 profit jumps nearly 5% on higher revenue, international ICT projects

Chunghwa Telecom's revenues increased by 8.2 percent to TWD 61.36 billion in the second quarter of 2026. Net income grew 4.7 percent to TWD 10.64 billion, while basic earnings per share reached TWD 1.38.

KAZAKHSTAN 18 AUG

Astel to open data centre in Almaty in 2027

Kazakhstan operator Astel said it's on track to launch its new data centre FCA (Freedom Cloud Almaty) in the city of Almaty in June 2027. Construction of the data centre started earlier this April. Once the data centre opens, 45 permanent jobs will be created.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION 18 AUG

MTS launches subscription for World of Tanks and World of Warships

Russian operator MTS announced a partnership with Lesta Games, a Russian video game developer and publisher, on a new subscription with access to in-game bonuses in two online games: World of Tanks and World of Warships. The subscription costs RUB 319 for 30 days, paid via the MTS mobile account.

SOMALIA 18 AUG

Hormuud Salaam Foundation opens new ICT lab at Somali National University

The Hormuud Salaam Foundation (HSF), the philanthropic arm of Hormuud Telecom, has established a fully equipped ICT laboratory at Somali National University's Gaheyr campus to expand digital education access. The new lab features 34 desktop computers, interactive touchscreens, advanced audio systems, and digital teaching tools. The facility aims to enhance instructional quality, modernize learning environments, and facilitate interactive engagement between students and faculty.

ANGOLA 18 AUG

Angola Telecom achieves strong improvement in profitability in 2025

State-owned operator Angola Telecom achieved a major financial turnaround in 2025, recording a net profit of AOA 14.2 billion, reported Mercado.This represents a strong improvement from 2024's modest AOA 233 million (around USD 253,500), driven largely by strict cost control and operational optimisation. Operating profit rose 17 percent to roughly AOA 77 billion, EBITDA expanded 12 percent to reach AOA 7.6 billion, while operating expenses fell by 7 percent to AOA 16.6 billion. Company leadership attributes

FRANCE 18 AUG

SFR launches 'protected kids' bundle combining mobile plan and Honor smartwatch

French operator SFR has teamed up with Honor to launch a new offer for parents, combining a mobile plan with a smartwatch designed for children aged six and over. As part of this 'protected kids' bundle, the Honor Choice Kids Watch Plus device is priced at EUR 73, with the option to spread the cost across 24 months.

GLOBAL 18 AUG

OpenAI rolls out ChatGPT for Teens with new safeguards on all under-18 accounts

OpenAI has started rolling out a new version of ChatGPT for children. Named 'ChatGPT for Teens', the new version comes with extra guardrails to help protect minors from unintended use of the AI. The new version applies automatically for any ChatGPT account where the user has registered as under-age or OpenAI detects they are not yet 18 years old.

MIDDLE EAST 18 AUG

LG adds STC TV shortcut on smart TVs

LG Electronics has partnered with STC Group to offer quicker access to the latter's streaming platform STV TV on LG TVs in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain. The collaboration integrates STC TV into LG's webOS platform via a dedicated shortcut on the home screen, giving viewers faster access to the content. To mark the launch, new STC TV subscribers on LG smart TVs across the three markets will receive a complimentary three-month subscription to its library of movies, series, sports, and live TV channels.

OMAN 18 AUG

Oman limits hours for marketing calls and SMS, requires ad labels

Oman's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has introduced stricter regulations for promotional calls, SMS, and value-added services, giving businesses and telecom operators six months to comply. Under the new rules, marketing communications are restricted to 8:00hrs - 21:00hrs local time. Companies must clearly display their legal or commercial identity, using "AD" prefixes on promotional SMS and showing caller names for promotional and service calls, while banning individual phone lines for comme

Just In

06:13

NTT Docomo deploys second quantum computing application for network optimisation

05:59

ETRI and Busan begin AI-based urban flood prediction trials

05:57

KT launches enterprise sovereign AI appliance using Korean NPU and LLM

05:55

Korea plans smart watch linked to national disaster communications network

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