Former Breezeline, KPN exec Van der Post takes over as Wow CEO
UNITED STATES 6 JAN

Former Breezeline, KPN exec Van der Post takes over as Wow CEO

US cable operator WideOpenWest (Wow!) has a new CEO, just days after DigitalBridge and Crestview Partners completed the takeover of the company. Frank van der Post takes over from 06 January, succeeding Teresa Elder, who is retiring after eight years at the helm. Van der Post previously led the US business of Cogeco as President of Breezeline, and before that served as Chief Commercial Officer of Dutch operator KPN. His management experience further includes time at British Airways, InterContinental Hotels

Bite Latvia to invest EUR 20 mln in network upgrades in 2026
LATVIA 6 JAN

Bite Latvia to invest EUR 20 mln in network upgrades in 2026

Bite Latvia plans to invest EUR 20 million in network upgrades this year, reports Db.lv. The operator plans to build 55 new base stations, of which 10 percent in the capital city and the rest in regions, mainly Vidzeme and Latgale, said Aleksandrs Belajevs, head of the mobile radio network. Around 170 existing base stations should be upgraded to 5G.

Starlink to help connect remote schools in Armenia
ARMENIA 6 JAN

Starlink to help connect remote schools in Armenia

Armenia will receive over 100 terminals from Starlink to improve internet access in schools in remote communities, reports Arka.am citing the minister of high-tech industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan. Starlink satellite internet services are available in Armenia since March 2025. 

AT&T teams up with iM Media on in-car 5G audio hub
UNITED STATES 6 JAN

AT&T teams up with iM Media on in-car 5G audio hub

AT&T announced at CES a partnership with iM Media Labs to develop in-vehicle entertainment services powered by AT&T's 5G connectivity. The combined offer will be available with custom configuration to automotive manufacturers looking to develop new service revenue opportunities.

AT&T sponsors free Wi-Fi on American Airlines flights
UNITED STATES 6 JAN

AT&T sponsors free Wi-Fi on American Airlines flights

AT&T announced a deal to sponsor free Wi-Fi for premium customers at American Airlines. Beginning this month, AAdvantage members will receive free satellite-based Wi-Fi across more than 2 million American Airlines flights a year, sponsored by AT&T.

Kazakhstan near 12 mln users for eGov Mobile app
KAZAKHSTAN 6 JAN

Kazakhstan near 12 mln users for eGov Mobile app

The user base of the application eGov Mobile in Kazakhstan exceeded 11.7 million at the end of 2025, reports Profit.kz. Around 6.4 million people use it on a monthly basis. 

VK's Max app reaches over 80 mln users
RUSSIAN FEDERATION 6 JAN

VK's Max app reaches over 80 mln users

Russian internet company VK said that the user base of its messaging platform Max has passed 80 million. The daily audience on the app hit a new high of 51 million in December 2025. More than 2.2 billion calls have been made and more than 10 billion messages sent using the messenger since its launch early last year. Bloggers, companies and state entities have opened more than 140,000 public accounts on the messenger. 

Bite Lithuania appoints new sales chief
LITHUANIA 6 JAN

Bite Lithuania appoints new sales chief

Bite Lithuania announced that Vaidas Butrimas has started work as head of sales and customer service, effective 01 January. Butrimas replaces Giedrius Skliutas, who was appointed CEO of sister company All Media Group. Bite Lithuania and All Media Group are controlled by the same owner, Providence Equity Partners, and belong to the Bite Group. Butrimas has worked in telecoms since 2008 and was previously head of the Customer Contact Centre at Bite Lithuania for more than three years.

BT sells US govt contracting arm to TSCTI
UNITED STATES 6 JAN

BT sells US govt contracting arm to TSCTI

BT Group has completed the sale of its US government contracting subsidiary, BT Federal, to public-sector IT systems integrator 22nd Century Technologies (TSCTI) for an undisclosed sum. The acquired unit will now operate as 22nd Century Networks, a wholly owned TSCTI subsidiary, expanding the company's managed network services across all 50 US states, said the partners.

TNM sees FY net profit more than doubling
MALAWI 6 JAN

TNM sees FY net profit more than doubling

Malawi operator TNM said its net profit for the year 2025 is expected to increase by between 108 and 128 percent, reaching a range of MWK 20.915 billion to MWK 22.879 billion compared with MWK 10.05 billion in 2024. The estimate was released in a trading statement to the stock market, and the company must still review its full annual accounts with auditors.  

Sony's Altair unit pushes 5G eRedCap modem project to prepare for cellular IoT transition
GLOBAL 6 JAN

Sony's Altair unit pushes 5G eRedCap modem project to prepare for cellular IoT transition

Sony Semiconductor Israel has announced plans to commercialise wireless IoT chips powered by the 5G enhanced reduced capability (eRedCap) standard. Sony is publicising the roadmap for its upcoming 5G eRedCap modem, the Altair ALT1550 5G, and says it believes the future of IoT is clearly converging around eRedCap as device makers seek efficient means of facilitating 4G to 5G transitions over the next 10-20 years. ALT1550 5G is currently undergoing physical silicon testing, and will also support 4G/LTE-based

MTS sees 36% jump in spending on gaming
RUSSIAN FEDERATION 6 JAN

MTS sees 36% jump in spending on gaming

Russian operator MTS said that spending on gaming grew by 36 percent year-on-year on its mobile payment service MTS Oplata in January to November 2025. The average bill totaled RUB 1,810, up by 13 percent. The majority of payments were performed on the online service Steam, which enables access to more than 50,000 games. The game Pubg Mobile was the bestseller among mobile games and Genshin Impact led among PC games. 

UNITED KINGDOM 6 JAN

Channel 4 debuts UKTV shows on streaming service

UK public service broadcaster Channel 4 said users of its streaming app can now access titles from the BBC's ad-funded U service (previously UKTV Play). The launch comes after the partners reached a deal in October to give viewers access to hundreds of British shows on catchup and as full boxsets without needing to switch between platforms.

CHAD 6 JAN

Chad talks with Huawei on advancing 2030 digital plan

Chad's digital economy minister held talks with Huawei to discuss accelerating the rollout of the country's national digital strategy, Tchad Connexion 2030, Ecofin reported. The discussions focused on several strategic projects, including the expansion of telecommunications infrastructure, wider access to connectivity services, and faster digitization of public services. 

UNITED STATES 6 JAN

Charter Communications plans to issue senior notes

Charter Communications has announced that subsidiaries CCO Holdings LLC and CCO Holdings Capital Corp will offer senior unsecured notes. The net proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, including to repay debts such as full redemption of the 5.500 percent senior notes due 2026 and partial redemption of the 5.125 percent senior notes due 2027.

GLOBAL 6 JAN

TCL Mini-LED TVs among first to get new Gemini smart assistant features

Google announced that select smart TVs from TCL's 2026 product slate will be the first with built-in GenAI features powered by its Gemini assistant, which is also expected to launch in other Google TV products in the coming months. New Gemini features include Google Photos search and access to the Nano Banana and Veo language models for photo edits and media creation. Natural language instructions can be used to configure the Google TV platform, for example to adjust screen brightness or sharpen audio clari

POLAND 6 JAN

CrossMobile offers annual package for new customers

Polish MVNO CrossMobile started a promotion for new customers, offering an annual package including unlimited calls and SMS with VoLTE and Wi-Fi Calling services plus 22 GB per month on the 5G network for PLN 100. The MVNO provides services on the Polkomtel network. 

MIDDLE EAST 6 JAN

STC Group plans issue of Islamic bonds

STC Group announced its intention to issue US dollar-denominated Islamic bonds under a USD 5 billion international Trust Certificate (sukuk) issuance programme established on 6 January. The issuance will be through an offshore special purpose vehicle established outside Saudi Arabia for this purpose. The sukuk may be issued in one or more tranches or series by way of an offer to eligible investors in Saudi Arabia and foreign countries.

GLOBAL 6 JAN

Edgecore, Synaptics to present Wi-Fi HaLoW-capable edge intelligence hub at CES

Edgecore Networks will join Synaptics for a presentation of a multi-mode AIoT edge connectivity hub at CES 2026. The co-developed hub utilises Synaptics' silicon platforms, including the embedded IoT processor Astra SL1620 for edge AI processing, and the triple-mode wireless platform Veros SYN4612, which enables Wi-Fi, Bluetooth/BLE, and Thread/Zigbee functionality. The hub additionally incorporates chip technology from Wi-Fi HaLow vendor Morse Micro, tailored to long-range, low-power communications across

GLOBAL 6 JAN

Infinix to launch Note Edge with MediaTek Dimensity 7100 and XOS 16 on 19 January

Infinix has announced the launch of the Infinix Note Edge on 19 January and said it will be the world's first smartphone to adopt the new MediaTek Dimensity 7100. The new system-on-a-chip platform accompanies the debut of Infinix's first in-house Android 16-based operating system, called XOS 16. The aim is to offer a 5G product that is accessible at 4G-level pricing, the company said.

PORTUGAL 6 JAN

Portugal commits EUR 6.4 million to microelectronics projects

Portuga's National Innovation Agency (ANI) committed EUR 6.4 million to two strategic microelectronics projects. Led by the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) and the Telecommunications Institute (IT), this funding supports Portugal's involvement in European Chips Joint Undertaking Partnership (CHIPS JU) projects, a key component of the European Chips Act. This initiative is a crucial step in implementing Portugal's National Semiconductor Strategy, aiming to bolster the country's technolo

GLOBAL 6 JAN

Amplitech aims to double revenues again in 2026

Amplitech, supplier of RF components including Open RAN radio units and satcom equipment, has posted a full-year turnover ahead of initial internal forecasts, with unaudited FY25 revenues of USD 25 million up 163 percent from 2024. The company is bullish on the coming fiscal year, setting a FY25 sales target of at least USD 50 million, an increase of 100 percent or greater. 

BRAZIL 6 JAN

TCS opens Gemini Experience Centre in Brazil

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) opened its sixth global Gemini Experience Centre (GEC) in Sao Paulo, Brazil, located within its AI-Powered Research & Innovation Centre at Insper University. The Sao Paulo GEC serves as a dedicated innovation hub for Latin American businesses to prototype and scale solutions using generative, predictive and agentic AI, combining TCS's industry knowledge with Google Cloud's technologies.

BELGIUM 6 JAN

Bipt rules out universal service provider as social internet tariff gains traction

Basic internet services remain widely available and affordable in Belgium, making the designation of a universal service provider unnecessary, according to an annual assessment by the regulator Bipt. Its research shows 99.4 percent of households can access fixed internet services with speeds of at least 10 Mbps. The few un-served spots are in rural areas, mainly in Wallonia, and these areas are served by mobile and satellite networks.

Just In

6 JAN 16:37

Former Breezeline, KPN exec Van der Post takes over as Wow CEO

6 JAN 16:08

Bite Latvia to invest EUR 20 mln in network upgrades in 2026

6 JAN 16:05

Starlink to help connect remote schools in Armenia

6 JAN 16:02

AT&T teams up with iM Media on in-car 5G audio hub

Commentary

2 JAN 13:21

Open Dutch Fiber's new management team takes up turnaround challenge

15 DEC 2025 13:56

Video market set for slower growth ahead

8 DEC 2025 11:38

Netflix buys Warner Bros to deepen content catalogue

31 OKT 2025 11:11

KPN's mixed performance in Q3 raises questions for strategy day

Background

5 JAN 00:52

The week in telecom: Finnish security check, M&A completions and telco job cuts

23 DEC 2025 10:32

Netherlands TV-video market grows 2.6% in Q3 to EUR 759 mln

22 DEC 2025 00:25

The week in telecoms: YouTube, Instagram take on TV market and WBD rejects Paramount

15 DEC 2025 01:04

The week in telecom: Wi-Fi bolt-ons take off to boost broadband growth, video market works on consolidation