Catalytic People acquires 25% stake in Selectel
RUSSIAN FEDERATION 12 JAN

Catalytic People acquires 25% stake in Selectel

Russian company Catalytic People, a joint venture of T-Technologies and Interros, acquired a 25 percent stake in the data centre and cloud services provider Selectel, reports Kommersant. The deal is worth around RUB 16 billion, and the shares were acquired from existing shareholders of Selectel. 

SberMobile subscriber base grows 160% in 2025
RUSSIAN FEDERATION 12 JAN

SberMobile subscriber base grows 160% in 2025

Russian MVNO SberMobile, run by the bank Sber, said that its subscriber base reached 6.3 million at the end of 2025. That means growth of 160 percent year-on-year, up from 3.9 million at the end of 2024. Services from the MVNO are available in 89 regions across the country.

MTS covers 94,000 households with GPON network in Moscow in 2025
RUSSIAN FEDERATION 12 JAN

MTS covers 94,000 households with GPON network in Moscow in 2025

Russian operator MTS covered 94,000 households with its fixed internet network in the city and region of Moscow in 2025, reports Msk.kp.ru. The coverage now reaches over 5.3 million households there. Around 312 km of fibre-optic network was built by the operator there in 2025, and 200 apartment buidlings were connected to the GPON network.

Plus introduces roaming pack for winter sports fans
POLAND 12 JAN

Plus introduces roaming pack for winter sports fans

Polish operator Polkomntel, trading under the Plus brand, introduced a new roaming package for fans of winter sports. The package is available for both prepaid and postpaid customers and is valid in Czechia, Italy, Slovakia, Austria and France. Customers receive a 6 GB package valid for a month, at a cost of PLN 30. The offer will be valid until 30 April.

LepsiaTV adds 2 new TV channnels
SLOVAKIA 12 JAN

LepsiaTV adds 2 new TV channnels

Slovak online TV service LepsiaTV has expanded its pay TV lineup with the channels 360 Tune Box and Erox HD. Both channels are added to the Classic package, costing EUR 9.59 monthly, as well as the Top package, costing EUR 12.59 monthly. 

Play ends reliance on roaming as network reaches maturity
POLAND 12 JAN

Play ends reliance on roaming as network reaches maturity

The Iliad Group announced two major milestones in the development of its telecom infrastructure in Poland, further reinforcing the group's strategy to build one of Europe's most advanced, resilient and energy-efficient networks. Its subsidiary Play has successfully launched a 1.2 Tbps connection in its backbone network — the highest capacity ever deployed on its infrastructure. At the same time, Play has surpassed the symbolic threshold of 13,000 base stations, marking a decisive step toward full technologi

Atende appoints Nokia manager as new VP
POLAND 12 JAN

Atende appoints Nokia manager as new VP

Polish IT company Atende appointed Piotr Kaczmarek vice president of the management board. Kaczmarek comes from Nokia, where he had an over 20-year career working with telecom operators, most recently as senior country officer and network infrastructure partner manager for central and south Europe. In a post on LinkedIn, he said he was "pleased to be able to leverage my experience and expertise to actively contribute to the further development" of Atende. 

Play offers promo of 5G smartphone contracts
POLAND 12 JAN

Play offers promo of 5G smartphone contracts

Polish operator Play, controlled by Iliad, started s a promotion of 5G smartphones in its shops. Up to 50 percent discounts are offered to customers buying devices and connecting to S+, M, L or Homebox plans from the operator using number porting. That means the Xiaomi 15T Pro 5G costs PLN 1,799 instead of PLN 3,599, the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE 5G is reduced to PLN 1,499 from PLN 2,999, and the Motorola Edge 60 Pro 5G is offered for PLN 1,199 instead of PLN 2,399. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro is down to PLN 5

Polish president vetoes law implementing DSA
POLAND 12 JAN

Polish president vetoes law implementing DSA

Polish president Karol Nawrocki has vetoed a law implementing the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) in the country. The president claims that this law, de facto, means implementation of censorship. The Ministry of Digitisation responded with a statement saying the law is focused on expanding citizen rights against digital corporations and the fight against illegal online content.

Kyivstar launches 5G pilot in Lviv
UKRAINE 12 JAN

Kyivstar launches 5G pilot in Lviv

Veon has announced that its Ukrainian subsidiary Kyivstar has launched a 5G test zone in the historical centre of the city of Lviv in Ukraine. This marks Kyivstar's first local pilot 5G project and it is being implemented in coordination with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.

A1 Bulgaria intros discounts of up to 80% on smartphone purchases
BULGARIA 12 JAN

A1 Bulgaria intros discounts of up to 80% on smartphone purchases

A1 Bulgaria has launched a promotion, slashing smartphone prices by up to 80 percent for customers looking to upgrade their devices. This promotion will offer discounts on cash purchases and flexible leasing options paired with Unlimited plans.

Hungary sets up Artificial Intelligence Council
HUNGARY 12 JAN

Hungary sets up Artificial Intelligence Council

Hungary has set up the Hungarian Artificial Intelligence Council (MMIT), tasked with implementing the European Union's AI Act in Hungary and developing the country's AI strategy. Led by Government Commissioner László Palkovics and with the participation of the National Media and Communications Authority (NMHH) as a permanent member, the MMIT will serve as a crucial professional forum. Its work aims to boost Hungary's digital competitiveness, foster innovation, and ensure regulatory alignment with EU law. Th

HUNGARY 12 JAN

One Hungary fined over misleading pricing

The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) has issued a HUF 352 million fine to One Hungary, the successor to Vodafone Hungary, for failing to clearly communicate inflation-linked price adjustments to consumers between October 2022 and May 2024. The GVH's investigation found that Vodafone Hungary's advertising of loyalty packages was misleading. While promotions highlighted monthly fees, they did not adequately inform consumers about the potential for annual price increases due to inflation. This meant custo

BELARUS 9 JAN

A1 Belarus adds partner promos to loyalty programme

A1 Belarus has added a new option to its loyalty programme AI Plus, allowing customers to use their accumulated points for promotions at partners of the operator. Up to 100 percent of the price of a partner purchase can be covered in this way.

SLOVAKIA 9 JAN

UPC Slovakia expands pay-TV lineup with 6 new channels

UPC Slovakia has expanded its pay-TV lineup with six additional channels. The list includes the Ukrainian channel Dim, as well as five Slovak regional and local channels: TV Vega, TV Zemplin, TV Vychod, TV Sirava and TV Michalovce. This follows the end of the channels MTV 80s, MTV 90s, MTV 00s, MTV Live HD and Club MTV, which were withdrawn from the market. 

CZECH REPUBLIC 9 JAN

T-Mobile Czechia supports Jizerska 50 ski race

T-Mobile Czech Republic extended its partnership with the Jizerska 50 ski race. The operator will use IoT sensors placed on selected sections of the race course to monitor snow conditions, air temperature and humidity, wind speed, and precipitation in real time, providing up-to-date data via a special website. Four IoT sensors and two weather stations will be used to help the competitors prepare for the course and choose the right wax for their skis. The technology will remain in the field throughout the wi

POLAND 9 JAN

Samsung, Xiaomi, Apple lead Play bestsellers list in 2025

Polish operator Play, controlled by Iliad, announced the best-selling smartphones in its shops in 2025. The top sellers, in alphabetical order, were the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G, Samsung Galaxy A36 5G, Samsung Galaxy A56 5G, Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 and Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G. Among premium devices (also in alphabetical order) the bestsellers were the Apple iPhone 15 128 GB, Apple iPhone 16 128 GB, Apple iPhone 16 Pro 128 GB, Samsung Galaxy S24 FE 5G 128 GB and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 5G 256 GB.

POLAND 9 JAN

T-Mobile leads Polish fixed and mobile internet speeds in 2025 - Speedtest.pl

T-Mobile Poland supplied the fastest fixed broadband, mobile internet and 5G speeds the country in 2025, according to a study from Speedtest.pl. Orange Poland provided the quickest service on FTTH networks.

HUNGARY 9 JAN

Yettel Hungary sets new mobile internet and TV usage records in festive period

During the 2025 holiday season, Yettel Hungary customers set new records for mobile internet and TV usage, with significant increases compared to the previous year. Between 24 December and 1 January, mobile internet traffic surged by nearly 30 percent, reaching almost 30 million GB of data consumed – the highest ever recorded. Over a third (34%) of all data traffic in December was carried over the 5G network. TV viewing also saw a boost, with households spending approximately 10 per cent more time watching

POLAND 9 JAN

Kino Polska Group offers localised version of DocuBox

Polish broadcaster Kino Polska Group, part of SPI International is offering new version of the television channel DocuBox tailored for Polish viewers with dedicated programming and voice-over. DocuBox now offers a brand new schedule with a carefully curated selection of content but also the ability to watch every title from its library with Polish narration. 

POLAND 9 JAN

NASK PIB picks contractors to supply AI laboratory kits for schools

Polish national telecommunications R&D institute NASK PIB said it has completed a tender for the supply of 12,000 AI laboratory kits for schools. The volume of the investment is PLN 1.86 billion and it is funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Programme.

POLAND 9 JAN

Orange Poland runs promotion for VoLTE smartphones after 3G switch-off

Orange Poland has introduced a promotion for VoLTE smartphones aimed at customers handing in obsolete devices after the operator switched off its 3G network in December. Orange is sending messages about the promotion to postpaid customers who are using smartphones that only support GSM/3G services. Customers can obtain a discount of up to PLN 500.

POLAND 9 JAN

T-Mobile Poland adds Eurosport 3 to TV lineup

T-Mobile Poland has added the channel Eurosport 3 from Warner Bros Discovery to the lineup of its pay-TV service Magenta TV. The channel will be available in an open window for all subscribers of the operator until 31 March. The lineup already included Europsort 1 and Eurosport 2.

POLAND 9 JAN

NASK PIB appoints head of business support and standardisation

Polish national telecommunications R&D institute NASK PIB has announced the appointment of Eliza Pogorzelska as director for business support and standardisation. She previously worked in the department of project portfolio management at the eHealth Centre. Pogorzelska was director of the office for telecommunications and cyber-security projects at the Project Centre Digital Poland (CPPC) for around ten years until December of 2024.

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