Korea opens formal antitrust case against Google over app store practices
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 07:05

Korea opens formal antitrust case against Google over app store practices

South Korea's Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) has begun formal proceedings against Google over alleged abuse of its dominant position in the Android app marketplace, accusing the company of using agreements with major game developers to restrict competition from rival app stores. The regulator said it has issued an examiner's report to Google, formally commencing the review process. The report alleges that Google entered into Games/Google Velocity Program (GVP), also known as Project Hug, agreements with leadi

Zain Group wins license to take over MTN Syria network for USD 747 mln
SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC 06:58

Zain Group wins license to take over MTN Syria network for USD 747 mln

Zain Group said it has secured a license to operate a mobile telecommunications network in Syria. Following a competitive tender process managed by Syria's ICT ministry for taking over the existing MTN network, Zain won the contract with a bid totaling USD 747 million. Under the agreement, Zain will establish a new operating entity in Syria, holding a 75 percent majority stake alongside a Syrian government entity which will retain the remaining 25 percent. The commercial launch of the Zain Syria brand is pr

NTT develops modular hyperscale data centre design to halve delivery times
JAPAN 06:49

NTT develops modular hyperscale data centre design to halve delivery times

NTT Facilities has begun developing a modular construction approach for hyperscale data centres that it says could reduce the time from project approval and design through to completion by up to 50 percent. The operator said its new Hyper Ready Module concept standardises the design and construction process by using prefabricated building and equipment modules manufactured off-site and assembled on location. The approach is intended for hyperscale facilities ranging from tens to hundreds of megawatts.

US lifts ban on foreign use of Anthropic AI models
GLOBAL 06:39

US lifts ban on foreign use of Anthropic AI models

The US government has lifted the export controls applied to Anthropic's most advanced AI models, Claude Fable 5 and Claude Mythos 5, just over two weeks after imposing the ban on use of the AI by foreigners due to security concerns. Anthropic had been forced to suspend access for all users to the two models, as it had no way to verify a user's nationality. The company said it is now opening up access again, from 01 July.

BAI Communications appoints three non-executive directors
AUSTRALIA 06:26

BAI Communications appoints three non-executive directors

BAI Communications has appointed Jean-Baptiste Rousselot as a non-executive director and confirmed the earlier appointments of Jan Heydolph and Jung-Yup Lee to its board, strengthening its governance as the company expands its communications and digital infrastructure businesses. Rousselot was appointed by minority shareholder Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo). He most recently served as CEO of New Zealand operator Chorus, and previously held senior executive roles at NBN Co, including chief

Dish files for Chapter 11 to speed up debt restructuring
UNITED STATES 06:23

Dish files for Chapter 11 to speed up debt restructuring

US pay-TV operator Dish, owned by Echostar, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US, in an effort to complete a debt restructuring deal first agreed with creditors in March. Dish DBS, including its subsidiary Dish Wireless, fall under the revised plan, and the company said it has holders of over 88 percent of its secured and unsecured notes backing the restructuring. Following approval by the court in Texas, Dish is hoping to proceed with the unwinding of its mobile business and continuatio

DigitalBridge and JEXI launch Japanese data centre platform with NEC assets
JAPAN 06:06

DigitalBridge and JEXI launch Japanese data centre platform with NEC assets

DigitalBridge and Japan Extensive Infrastructure (JEXI) have launched a new colocation data centre platform in Japan, following the acquisition of a portfolio of facilities from NEC Corporation. The new company, Nippon Gateway Infrastructure (NGI), will begin operations with data centre assets in the Greater Tokyo and Greater Osaka regions acquired from NEC. NEC will remain a strategic customer of the platform, while NGI plans to expand its enterprise colocation business.

NZ proposes dedicated private 5G spectrum as govt confirms mid-band policy
NEW ZEALAND 05:38

NZ proposes dedicated private 5G spectrum as govt confirms mid-band policy

New Zealand's Radio Spectrum Management (RSM) has proposed reserving dedicated spectrum for private mobile networks in the 3340-3460 MHz band, while the government has confirmed its policy for allocating expiring 2300 MHz and 2600 MHz spectrum rights. The consultation on the remaining unassigned portion of New Zealand's 3.3 GHz band identifies private mobile networks as the primary new use case after they were excluded from the country's previous 3.5GHz spectrum allocation process. 

NBN removes high-speed plan requirement for FTTC fibre upgrades
AUSTRALIA 05:35

NBN removes high-speed plan requirement for FTTC fibre upgrades

Australian government-owned broadband provider NBN Co has removed the requirement for customers on its fibre to the curb (FTTC) network to subscribe to a high-speed broadband plan before becoming eligible for a full fibre upgrade. The change, which takes effect from 1 July, applies to around 860,000 premises served by FTTC. Customers can now request an upgrade from FTTC to fibre to the premises (FTTP) through their retail service provider regardless of the broadband speed tier they choose.

South Korea links public investment fund with manufacturing AI initiative
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:34

South Korea links public investment fund with manufacturing AI initiative

South Korea's Financial Services Commission and ministry of trade, industry and energy have launched a joint initiative to support companies developing physical AI technologies through closer coordination between industrial policy and public investment. At a meeting held on 1 July, the two ministries discussed the M.AX Frontier Project, which is designed to support companies developing technologies in areas including AI factories, robotics and software-defined vehicles. 

Japan proposes overhaul of telecom consumer protection rules
JAPAN 05:31

Japan proposes overhaul of telecom consumer protection rules

Japan's Information and Communications Council has published a draft interim report for public consultation on proposed reforms to telecommunications consumer protection rules, with comments invited until 30 July before the report is finalised. The draft, compiled by the council's Telecommunications Business Policy Subcommittee following a referral from the ministry of internal affairs and communications in October 2025, proposes measures aimed at improving transparency around bundled services, digital cont

LG creates robotics business centre to accelerate AI-driven strategy
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:29

LG creates robotics business centre to accelerate AI-driven strategy

LG Electronics has established a new Robotics Business Centre reporting directly to the chief executive as part of a reorganisation aimed at accelerating its robotics business. The new organisation, which takes effect from 1 July, will bring together business development, sales and operational functions within a single unit responsible for commercialising the company's robotics activities. Song Si-yong, head of the Robotics Business Centre, will lead the new organisation.

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND 05:27

Australia launches SMS Sender ID Register to combat text message scams

Australia's SMS Sender ID Register has come into effect, introducing new requirements for operator aimed at reducing SMS impersonation scams. From 1 July, SMS messages sent using registered sender IDs will continue to display the name of the business, government agency or organisation. Messages sent using unregistered sender IDs must instead be labelled "Unverified" by operators and grouped into a single message thread to help consumers identify potentially fraudulent messages.

JAPAN 05:26

KDDI and Samsung complete AI-based 5G optimisation trial in Japan

Samsung Electronics and KDDI have completed a trial of an AI-based radio access network (RAN) optimisation system on KDDI's commercial 5G Standalone network in Japan. The trial began in late 2025 and ran for several months across hundreds of cells in and around Tokyo, covering urban, suburban and rural environments. It used 100 MHz of 3.7 GHz TDD spectrum to train and evaluate Samsung's AI-powered RAN Speed Optimizer (RSO) under commercial operating conditions.

JAPAN 05:24

NTT Docomo wins Japan's national 26 GHz 5G spectrum auction

NTT Docomo has secured Japan's nationwide 26 GHz spectrum licence, while JTower and High Tech Inter won regional licences, following the ministry of internal affairs and communications' (MIC) auction for millimetre-wave spectrum to support 5G. The auction covered 400 MHz of nationwide spectrum in the 25.8-26.2 GHz band and regional licences in the 26.8-27 GHz band. Five companies qualified to participate, including NTT Docomo, KDDI/Okinawa Cellular Telephone, SoftBank, JTower and High Tech Inter.

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:22

South Korea to introduce facial recognition for mobile activations

South Korea's ministry of science and ICT has announced a package of measures to reduce the fraudulent use of mobile phone services, including the phased introduction of facial recognition for new mobile service activations from 6 July. The measures form part of a broader strategy to tackle identity theft, illegally obtained mobile subscriptions and the misuse of corporate mobile accounts, as well as strengthening enforcement against operators and retailers found to have enabled fraudulent activations.

JAPAN 05:18

Japan proposes Bill & Keep as default voice interconnection model

Japan's ministry of internal affairs and communications (MIC) has opened a public consultation on draft recommendations that would overhaul the country's telecom interconnection framework, including making Bill & Keep the default approach for voice interconnection and phasing out the long-standing Long Run Incremental Cost (LRIC) model for calculating certain interconnection charges. The draft first report, prepared by the Information and Communications Council's Telecommunications Policy Committee, has bee

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:14

SK Telecom and T1 launch esports exhibition at T Factory Seoul

SK Telecom (SKT) has announced a new interactive exhibition developed with esports organisation T1, which will open at the operator's T Factory brand experience centre in Seoul on 2 July. The exhibition, titled Amhaeng Cheonmun: Counting the Stars, will run until 13 September before moving to other Asian cities, including Hong Kong and Taipei. Visitors will be able to view displays covering T1's history, including championship trophies, player-worn jerseys and memorabilia associated with the team's competit

JAPAN 05:13

KDDI launches Ponta Pharmacy with online consultations

KDDI has announced the launch of Ponta Pharmacy, a digital pharmacy service operated by Palm Healthcare, a joint venture between KDDI and Mitsubishi Corporation. The service, which opened on 1 July, allows users to access pharmacist consultations, receive online medication guidance and seek advice through the Ponta Pharmacy Line account or its website using a smartphone. Prescription medicines can be delivered to users' homes or collected from participating Lawson convenience stores across Japan.

JAPAN 05:11

Japan approves NTT West group restructuring

Japan's ministry of internal affairs and communications has approved a restructuring plan under which NTT West will absorb parts of the businesses of three of its wholly owned subsidiaries as part of a wider effort to simplify the group's operations. The approval, granted under Japan's NTT Law, covers an absorption-type company split proposed by NTT West on 17 June and is scheduled to take effect on 1 July 2026. As a condition of the approval, the ministry said NTT West must continue to implement measures t

NEW ZEALAND 05:10

One NZ appoints CFO Nick Judd as CEO following Jason Paris's departure

One New Zealand has announced that chief financial officer Nick Judd will succeed Jason Paris as chief executive officer after Paris decided to step down following almost eight years in the role. The leadership transition was announced on 1 July. The company said Judd, who is currently chief financial officer, will take over as CEO as the business enters its next phase. During Paris's tenure, One NZ completed its separation from Vodafone Group ownership and rebranded. The operator also launched a nationwide

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:08

KT trials 5G network slicing at World Cup public viewing event

Korea Telecom (KT) has completed a trial of 5G Standalone (SA) network slicing during a World Cup public viewing event in Seoul, using the technology to provide dedicated communications for event staff in a high-traffic environment. The trial took place in the Gwanghwamun area, where large crowds gathered for the event. KT said it allocated separate network resources to event personnel, including staff and officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Jongno District Office, creating a communications

JAPAN 05:07

Japan says its mobile prices remain internationally competitive

Japan's ministry of internal affairs and communications (MIC) has published its annual international telecommunications pricing survey, finding that mobile pricing in Tokyo remains broadly competitive with major cities including New York, London, Paris, Dusseldorf and Seoul. The survey compared mobile, FTTH and fixed-line services across the six cities using purchasing power parity rather than exchange rates, based on publicly available pricing as of December 2025.

AUSTRALIA 05:04

Australian commercial radio code introduces AI disclosure requirements

Australia's revised Commercial Radio Code of Practice 2026 has come into effect, introducing new requirements for broadcasters to disclose when a synthetic voice is used to present a regularly scheduled programme or news bulletin. The new code marks the first time provisions covering transparency in the use of AI have been included in an Australian broadcasting code of practice. Under the rules, commercial radio stations must inform listeners when AI-generated voices are being used to host regular programmi

Just In

07:05

Korea opens formal antitrust case against Google over app store practices

06:58

Zain Group wins license to take over MTN Syria network for USD 747 mln

06:49

NTT develops modular hyperscale data centre design to halve delivery times

06:39

US lifts ban on foreign use of Anthropic AI models

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Background

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The week in telecoms: Apple raises prices, Qualcomm tries server market and Jio going public

21 JUN 22:52

The week in telecom: sovereignty debate comes to VivaTech, Ericsson succession and Fox buys Roku

1 JUN 00:13

The week in telecom: EU telcos push sovereign services as governments question foreign tech investors

23 MAY 23:42

The week in telecom: Starlink ready to go public, Singapore telco M&A and Google courts AI subscribers at I/O