HBO Max agrees investment in French productions
FRANCE 13:12

HBO Max agrees investment in French productions

HBO Max has signed its first agreements with industry groups in France committing to an unspecified amount of investments in local production, as required under French law. The agreements with AnimFrance, USPA, SPI, SATEV, SEDPA, SACD and LaScam follow several months of negotiations on how the streaming service owned by Warner Bros Discovery will invest in French audiovisual production. The pact covers the period 2026-27 and will be integrated in HBO Max's convention with the media regulator Arcom. 

Global AI spending set for near-50% growth in 2026 - Gartner
GLOBAL 13:11

Global AI spending set for near-50% growth in 2026 - Gartner

Global spending on AI hardware, software and services is forecast at USD 2.7 trillion this year, marking growth of 49.5 percent since 2025, according to the latest Gartner figures. The growth in expenditures is expected to slow to around 36.2 percent in 2027 based on a forecast USD 3.6 trillion spending.

WOW! extends availability of Wi-Fi 7 devices
UNITED STATES 13:11

WOW! extends availability of Wi-Fi 7 devices

WideOpenWest (WOW!), US provider of fibre broadband internet and connectivity services, is now offering Wi-Fi 7 devices to Whole-Home WiFi and Whole-Business WiFi customers. The eero Pro 7 Wi-Fi 7 devices were previously only available in WOW! fibre markets, with availability now expanded across all service areas in six US states. Aaron Brace, chief technology officer (CTO), said the expanded deployment will allow WOW! to provide more customers with an "exceptional WiFi performance" with faster speeds, incr

Ziply Fiber expands presence across Washington data centre market
UNITED STATES 13:05

Ziply Fiber expands presence across Washington data centre market

Ziply Fiber has expanded its presence in data centre markets across Washington state. It has completed a new fully redundant fibre ring in Quincy, Washington, to provide high-capacity, diverse connectivity for companies building and operating data centre infrastructure in the region. It has also extended its presence to another 3rd-party data centre in Washington data, connecting to Csquare's Lynnwood campus. The 400H-ready network backbone of Ziply Fiber now reaches over 70 data centres.

NextNav advances US trial of 5G PRS positioning
GLOBAL 13:04

NextNav advances US trial of 5G PRS positioning

US geolocation vendor NextNav has completed an early field validation of a component technology for its proposed 3D positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) network powered by terrestrial 5G base stations. Over-the-air tests reported 5G positioning reference signals (PRS) down to single-figure metre accuracy from NextNav's 5G PNT station in Santa Clara County, California. Tests were performed in ten outdoor and seven indoor RF environments across urban and suburban locations within NextNav's coverage area.

Dutch Consumer TV-Video Market 2026-Q2
NETHERLANDS 13:00

Dutch Consumer TV-Video Market 2026-Q2

This report estimates the value of the Dutch video market, consisting of both the traditional pay-TV market (TV) and the internet-based (over-the-top) services market (OTT video). It offers an overview of Dutch consumer TV and video revenues in the second quarter of 2026, and compares the findings with results from previous quarters. The report covers revenues generated by more than 25 companies in the Netherlands ranging from TV operators including Ziggo, KPN, Delta, Caiway, Canal Digitaal, Odido and Tele2, premium-TV providers like Film1, ESPN Compleet, Viaplay TV+ and Ziggo Sport Totaal as well as OTT video services including Netflix, Videoland, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Disney+, Pathé Thuis, Viaplay, HBO Max, SkyShowtime and Canal+.

EU countries move ahead with public support for European AI stack
EUROPE 12:55

EU countries move ahead with public support for European AI stack

The European Commission said it welcomes an initiative by nineteen member states to create a first 'Important Project of Common European Interest' (IPCEI) in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). The project aims to develop a range of decentralised and commonly accessible AI services. The project was notified to the Commission under state-aid rules, as the EU body must approve any large amounts of public aid from the member states, in order to limit the impact on competition in the EU. Once they have t

Amazon launches AI-powered virtual assistant Alexa+ in India
INDIA 12:35

Amazon launches AI-powered virtual assistant Alexa+ in India

Amazon has launched Early Access for Alexa+, an AI-powered version of its virtual assistant in India. Amazon also reports that, over the past eight years, Indian users have recorded over 9 billion interactions with Alexa annually. The new iteration expands functionality to include multi-modal task execution, broader device and third-party service integration, localized language support, and personalized context management across home and mobile platforms.

Disney+ signs 5-year deal to air NHL in Sweden and Finland
SWEDEN 12:19

Disney+ signs 5-year deal to air NHL in Sweden and Finland

Disney+ and the National Hockey League (NHL) have announced a five-year broadcasting agreement for Sweden and Finland from the 2026/27 season. The men's ice hockey games included in the deal will stream live on ESPN on Disney Plus. Selected matches will be available on Star Channel in Finland, too. Disney+ customers will have access to live and exclusive coverage of 160 regular season games, which include 50 guaranteed games in Nordic primetime.

Rivera to take over as CEO of Spain's Lyntia
SPAIN 12:09

Rivera to take over as CEO of Spain's Lyntia

Spanish wholesale fibre operator Lyntia Networks has announced the appointment of Luis Rivera as its new chief executive, succeeding José Antonio López after more than five years at the helm. López will remain as a senior advisor at the group until 31 December to facilitate the transition.

Nkom survey reveals high dependence on satellite navigation
NORWAY 11:57

Nkom survey reveals high dependence on satellite navigation

Norwegian telecoms regulator Nkom recently carried out a survey that found that less than half of the national population believes they know how to use analogue maps and compasses well. The watchdog said this poor knowledge is a matter of concern, given that satellite navigation could suddenly stop working. The comments come as Nkom takes part in the annual Jammer Test from 14 to 18 September on Andoeya to test how modern positioning technology withstands jamming attacks.

Dutch regulator publishes draft letter for end-of-contract tariff recommendations
NETHERLANDS 11:57

Dutch regulator publishes draft letter for end-of-contract tariff recommendations

The Consumer and Markets Authority in the Netherlands (ACM) has published its proposal for the information that telecom providers must give customers at the end of their contracts. This includes a recommendation for the lowest available new tariff for their needs, information on ending the customer relationship and a price overview. Market parties can comment on the proposal until 27 October. 

EUROPE 11:46

EU confirms plans for minimum age of 13 for social media

The EU is ready to set a minimum age of 13 for accessing social media, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in her annual 'State of the union' address. The age restrictions will be part of a new 'EU Kids Act', to be presented 17 September. Von der Leyen said the Commission also plans a 'Digital Fairness Act' for later this year, to put greater obligations on digital platforms to design their services with safety and well-being in mind. 

ITALY 11:45

Italian inflation confirmed at 3.3% in August

Italy's main domestic inflation rate (NIC) rose sharply to 3.3 percent on an annual basis in August, compared with 2.9 percent in July, according to data from statistics agency Istat that confirmed the preliminary estimate. The figure is the highest annual inflation rate in nearly two years and was mainly due to higher energy and durable goods prices.

DENMARK 11:35

Denmark publishes draft bill on use of AI by public organisations to process personal data

The Danish Data Protection Authority said the Ministry of Research, Education and Digitisation has released a new draft of the AI Authorisation Act for public consultation with a 12 October deadline for comments. The data protection body will now review the proposal and take a closer look at the changes that have been made since the previous consultation.

SOUTH SUDAN 11:12

MTN South Sudan network expansion raises broadband cover to 85% of population in 2 years

MTN South Sudan is accelerating nationwide digital connectivity through a major infrastructure modernisation project. The operator has upgraded over 500 network sites in partnership with Communication & Renewable Energy Infrastructure (CREI) and backed by development finance partners including Finnfund. Over the past two years, this has boosted broadband coverage from 76.6 percent of the population to 85 percent and raised overall network availability from 97 percent to 99 percent.

MALAWI 11:01

Helios Towers commits to keep expanding connectivity across Malawi

Helios Towers Malawi has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding connectivity, with a focus on underserved rural communities. At a meeting with Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) director general Mayamiko Nkoloma in Blantyre, Helios Towers Group general counsel Paul Barrett pledged to keep supporting national digital infrastructure growth and facilitating the transition from 2G to 3G, 4G, and eventually 5G services.

JAPAN 10:38

Japanese mobile carriers to collaborate on 28 GHz 5G mmWave expansion

Japanese mobile operators NTT Docomo, KDDI Corp, SoftBank and Rakuten Mobile are joining forces on an exploratory 5G mmWave study that could open up expanded access to these higher-capacity wavelegnths. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) envisions technical feasibility work to expand 5G mmWave base stations, while creating a reliable deployment framework to address signal attenuation and obstruction challenges. These characteristics have made rapid coverage builds difficult as they require investment in la

CHILE 10:30

Wom pays USD 13.5 mln bond guarantee for national fibre project breaches

Chilean operator Wom has paid CLP 12.9 billion (around USD 13.9 million) in bond guarantees for breaches in the rollout of the National Fibre Optic (FON) network backbone project, reports La Tercera. The penalty was imposed last month after telecommunications regulator Subtel detected "serious, persistent and widespread" breaches of performance levels across five network macro-zones.

BAHRAIN 10:27

Batelco launches iPhone 18 offerings via interactive campaign

Batelco, part of Beyon, is marking the launch of the iPhone 18 in Bahrain with 'The 18K Challenge', a three-day public fitness campaign from 18 to 20 September. It invites residents to cover a cumulative distance of 18 km by walking or running. Participants can monitor their progress at their own pace using the Strava physical exercise tracking app and joining the official Batelco x iPhone 18 Fitness Challenge Public Club. Eighteen randomly selected finishers will win prizes.

UNITED STATES 10:21

Ooma launches home phone solution for Starlink internet users

Ooma, US-based communications services provider, has launched a new home phone solution called Ooma StarDial for Starlink broadband users in remote and rural locations. The service includes a base station and cordless HD handset, which connect to Starlink internet and provide users with unlimited nationwide calls at no extra charge except for applicable taxes/fees. StarDial also provides customers with an address-based 911 service to contact emergency services in areas with limited cellular coverage. 

GLOBAL 10:15

Zyxel introduces Lite-L3 managed switches with 10G Ethernet, SFP+ ports

Zyxel Networks has announced the launch of its XS1935 series smart managed switches, enabling Lite-Layer 3 network fabrics in the enterprise. The XS1935 line-up provides 10G Ethernet and SFP+ interfaces designed to produce multi-gigabit Lite-L3 bandwidth with future headroom for expansion in SMBs. Compact 10 and 12-port designs will link SMB endpoints such as Wi-Fi 7 APs, servers, NAS/storage systems and professional AV-over-IP devices. 

PERU 10:12

Peru to block a further 300K 'high-risk' handsets in September

Peruvian telecom services regulator Osiptel has announced that it will block another 300,000 devices in September as part of its campaign against the use of stolen or illegal handsets linked to criminal activities. The latest initiative will be carried out in three stages of 100,000 devices each on 15, 22 and 29 July.

SENEGAL 10:10

Cybastion pledges USD 300 mln to accelerate Senegal's digital infrastructure

US-based cybersecurity firm Cybastion has pledged roughly USD 300 million towards Senegal's digital transformation, Ecofin reported. Announced following a Washington meeting between Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye and a Cybastion delegation on 14 September, the funding will target cybersecurity, cybercrime defence, data centre creation, technology transfers and workforce training.The initiative will directly involve local start-ups in project implementation to build domestic capacity and

Just In

13:12

HBO Max agrees investment in French productions

13:11

Global AI spending set for near-50% growth in 2026 - Gartner

13:11

WOW! extends availability of Wi-Fi 7 devices

13:05

Ziply Fiber expands presence across Washington data centre market

Commentary

8 SEP 10:16

Odido matches KPN and VodafoneZiggo on cash flow margin, but growth remains limited

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?

Background

14 SEP 00:34

The week in telecom: iPhone comes to foldable market, European satellite summit underlines sovereign push

7 SEP 11:54

Citymesh capital injection eases doubts over Digi Belgium future

6 SEP 21:46

The week in telecom: smart wearables at Ifa, Deutsche Telekom reshuffle and Vodafone tries premium 5G

30 AUG 23:50

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