FDI in Brazil telecom sector reaches record high in H1
BRAZIL 31 JUL

FDI in Brazil telecom sector reaches record high in H1

Data from Brazil's Central Bank, compiled by the country's Ministry of Communications, shows that foreign direct investment (FDI) in Brazil's telecom sector climbed to USD 3.582 billion (BRL 18.4 billion) between January and June 2026. This marks a 7.8 percent year-on-year increase over H1 2025 and represents the highest first-half total ever recorded in the Central Bank's time series.

EE starts offering 'Advanced Full Fibre' broadband at up to 8 Gbps
UNITED KINGDOM 31 JUL

EE starts offering 'Advanced Full Fibre' broadband at up to 8 Gbps

BT Group-owned EE has started offering what it calls 'Advanced Full Fibre' broadband, provides download speeds of 2.3 Gbps and 8 Gbps on XGS-PON equipment. The new FTTH service has launched in Guildford, Woking and surrounding areas following a successful customer trial earlier this year. The 2.3 Gbps plan is available from GBP 54.99 per month and the 8 Gbps tier costs from GBP 74.99 per month.

V.tal and Meta begin landing Malbec subsea cable in Southern Brazil
BRAZIL 31 JUL

V.tal and Meta begin landing Malbec subsea cable in Southern Brazil

V.tal and Meta have initiated the shore-end landing operation for the extension of the Malbec submarine cable system in Balneario Pinhal, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. This crucial phase connects the ocean infrastructure to the local Cable Landing Station, linking the subsea system to a new terrestrial network under construction to Porto Alegre. Expected to go live in the first quarter of 2027, the 280-km extension will establish the first direct international data route to southern Brazil, positioning Porto

Sparkle backs postgrad programme in submarine cables
ITALY 31 JUL

Sparkle backs postgrad programme in submarine cables

Italian telecommunications services provider Sparkle, the University of Genoa and the SubOptic Foundation have launched the first edition of a Second-Level University Master in Digital Subsea Infrastructure (DSI), described as the world's first postgraduate programme focused on submarine communications and digital critical infrastructure. The course responds to the growing strategic importance of subsea digital and energy infrastructure for economic development, security and global connectivity. 

Claro Costa Rica expands 5G to over 2 million, launches mid-year promo
COSTA RICA 31 JUL

Claro Costa Rica expands 5G to over 2 million, launches mid-year promo

Claro Costa Rica (America Movil) said it has expanded its 5G network coverage across all seven provinces of the country, reaching more than 2.1 million people, with the highest concentration of users in the Greater Metropolitan Area and sustained growth in Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Limón. Users can access the 5G service without additional cost, reaching speeds up to 10 times faster than 4G LTE, said Claro, which has launched a mid-year campaign to mark the milestone.

Vodafone Germany brings 130,000 new fibre connections to market in June
GERMANY 31 JUL

Vodafone Germany brings 130,000 new fibre connections to market in June

Vodafone Deutschland said there are now 31 million households in Germany able to access its gigabit-speed broadband services via coaxial cable or fibre, or about three quarters of the population. It began marketing another 130,000 fibre connections in June, bringing its fibre reach to 14.8 million households.

India unveils proposal to create telecoms production powerhouse in Madhya Pradesh
INDIA 31 JUL

India unveils proposal to create telecoms production powerhouse in Madhya Pradesh

India is preparing to establish a dedicated telecom manufacturing and research zone (TMZ) in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The policy envisages the construction of a 350-acre industrial cluster in the city of Gwalior, capitalising on Madhya Pradesh's arterial location within India. The national government believes the project will attract an influential congregation of telecom manufacturers and innovators, with a focus on building turnkey production and research capacity to encourage domestic businesses.

Helios Towers expects satellite technology to complement terrestrial networks as data demand grows
AFRICA 31 JUL

Helios Towers expects satellite technology to complement terrestrial networks as data demand grows

Helios Towers has published a white paper detailing how communications infrastructure should evolve to meet surging connectivity demand across Africa and the Middle East. It says terrestrial networks will continue to provide core capacity but that satellite technologies will support them by providing backhaul service and filling coverage gaps. Over the past five years, data consumption has climbed six-fold on Helios' footprint, driving record tenancy additions in the first quarter of 2026. Driven by populat

Ennoconn tender for Kontron still pending German foreign investment clearance
GERMANY 31 JUL

Ennoconn tender for Kontron still pending German foreign investment clearance

Almost 12.3 million shares in Kontron, equal to 19.5 percent of the outstanding shares, were tendered in Ennoconn's public bid for an increased stake in the company. In a statement, Kontron noted that the transfer of the shares to Ennoconn still requires regulatory approval, with Germany yet to decide on the transaction. 

Rostelecom expands fibre network in Kirov, Yugra
RUSSIAN FEDERATION 31 JUL

Rostelecom expands fibre network in Kirov, Yugra

Russian national operator Rostelecom has deployed its fibre-optic network in the town of Pizhanka in the Kirov region to 1,350 households, delivering broadband at up to 700 Mbps for customers on the GPON network. The operator also covered 2,000 households with its fibre-optic network in the Nefteyugansk municipality in the Yugra region, providing broadband at up to 350 Mbps. In addition, Rostelecom said it upgraded the telecom infrastructure exchange in the city of Maykop in the Krasnodar region.

Open Fiber, INRiM launch test of certified time, quantum-secure networks
ITALY 31 JUL

Open Fiber, INRiM launch test of certified time, quantum-secure networks

Italian wholesale fibre operator Open Fiber and the National Institute for Metrological Research (INRiM) have begun a 14-month collaboration to test ultra high precision time synchronisation, quantum communications and distributed fibre sensing technologies on optical networks. The aim is to integrate advanced metrology with telecommunications to make digital infrastructure more precise, secure and resilient for critical applications such as financial trading, energy grids, data centres and industrial platf

Eaton Fiber secures USD 1.5 bln investment, acquires Ripple Fiber
UNITED STATES 30 JUL

Eaton Fiber secures USD 1.5 bln investment, acquires Ripple Fiber

Tillman Global and Bain Capital will invest USD 1.5 billion in Tillman affiliate Eaton Fiber to help accelerate the expansion of Verizon fibre broadband across the US. This investment, led by Bain Capital, will fully fund the takeover of Ripple Fiber and the next stage of Eaton Fiber's network roll-out. The acquisition of Ripple Fiber is the first step in Eaton Fiber's strategy to bring Verizon fibre broadband to more than one million locations outside Verizon's existing fibre network footprint.

PORTUGAL 30 JUL

DStelecom expands fibre network across Cabeceiras de Basto

The Portuguese network operator DStelecom said it plans to significantly upgrade its fibre-optic network throughout Cabeceiras de Basto by September. This expansion marks the first time high-speed internet will reach Gondiaes and Vilar de Cunhas, alongside capacity boosts for existing network infrastructure in Cavez and Cabeceiras de Basto. The upgrade will connect roughly 1,000 additional homes, providing residents with fast, reliable internet on par with major metropolitan areas. This brings DStelecom's t

UNITED STATES 30 JUL

Shentel revenue up 5.5 percent to USD 93.5 million in Q2

Shenandoah Telecoms (Shentel) has reported total revenue of USD 93.5 million for Q2 2026, up 5.5 percent year-on-year; with adjusted EBITDA up 12.9 percent to USD 32 million. The net loss reduced to USD 7.7 million, from a net loss of USD 9 million in Q2 2025. Revenue in Glo Fiber expansion markets was up 32.8 percent year-on-year to USD 26.3 million, with the fibre business now accounting for 51 percent of Shentel's total revenue.

TIMOR-LESTE 30 JUL

Timor-Leste launches commercial internet services with new fibre backbone

The government of Timor-Leste launched commercial fibre-optic internet services through state company Timor-Leste Cables, reported Tatoli news agency. The launch follows the completion of a 607-kilometre undersea cable connecting Timor-Leste to Darwin, Australia, capable of delivering data transmission speeds up to 27 Tbps. Commercial internet access will be delivered to consumers through three primary telecom operators, TT, Telemor and Telecomcel, alongside more than 20 local service providers, while the M

RUSSIAN FEDERATION 30 JUL

Fingrid to cut fibre backbone line to Russia in 2027

Finnish energy company Fingrid has informed Russian telecom operators that it will stop servicing electricity transmission towers connecting the two countries in 2027, reports Kommersant. Fibre-optic backbone lines connecting both countries are carried on the same poles. After the termination of supplies of Russian electricity to Finland in 2022, the operation of cross-border power supply lines became economically unviable for both Fingrid and Russian power supplier Rosseti. 

UNITED KINGDOM 30 JUL

CityFibre looks to raise GBP 900 million for acquisitions - report

CityFibre is looking to raise GBP 900 million (USD 1.2 billion) from shareholders to finance fresh acquisitions and challenge larger rivals such as BT Openreach, reports Bloomberg News citing an unnamed source familiar with the plans. Investors looking to provide fresh equity investment include Mubadala Investment, Antin Infrastructure Partners, Goldman Sachs Group and Interogo Holding, according to the report. This follows a GBP 2.3 billion financing round in July 2025. 

ISLE OF MAN 30 JUL

Manx Telecom raises fibre broadband speeds, confirms 3% price increase

Isle of Man-based Manx Telecom has announced changes to its fibre broadband speeds from 01 September 2026; along with an annual inflationary price increase of 3 percent to all fixed, broadband, mobile and SIP tariffs. The Fibre 1000 plan will remain unchanged; with the Fiber 500 increasing by 40 percent to Fibre 700; the Fibre 200 increasing by 100 percent to Fibre 400; the Fibre 100 speed doubling to Fibre 200; and the Fibre 30 speed increasing by 233 percent to Fibre 100. The Fibre 40 and Fibre 20 plans a

AUSTRIA 30 JUL

Magenta venture Alpen Glasfaser activates new lines in Carinthia as fibre expansion continues

Magenta has presented the progress of its fibre deployment in the state of Carinthia through its Alpen Glasfaser joint venture with Meridiam. Lines recently began going live in Voelkermarkt and Spittal an der Drau. Many customers in the Reifnitz and Raunach areas of Maria Woerth in the district of Klagenfurt-Land have gained fibre connections, as well as those in Villach and Wolfsberg, Magenta said.

GLOBAL 30 JUL

Broadband access equipment market to grow little through 2030 on higher component costs - Dell'Oro

The worldwide market for broadband access equipment will achieve annual sales growth of about 0.5 percent on average from 2026 to 2030, according to Dell'Oro Group forecasts. The estimate has been upgraded slightly since the January forecast to factor in higher prices for access equipment in the coming year due to component cost inflation. Global revenues will peak in 2028 amid ongoing Docsis 4.0 spends in the cable broadband segment, as well as fibre infrastructure builds by both cable and fibre ISPs.

FRANCE 30 JUL

Bouygues Telecom service revenues rise 1% in Q2, mobile ARPU down 3%

French operator Bouygues Telecom has confirmed its full-year financial targets after reporting a year-on-year increase of nearly 1 percent in service revenues for the three months to June (-0.2% in Q1). The second quarter benefited from a 25 percent increase in 'Other sales' to EUR 403 million, helping drive overall revenue growth of nearly 5 percent to EUR 2.01 billion. EBITDAaL was nearly stable at EUR 539 million, compared with EUR 541 million in the year-earlier period, representing an EBITDAaL margin o

IRELAND 30 JUL

NBI rural fibre network roll-out reaches over 500,000 premises

National Broadband Ireland (NBI) has now passed more than 500,000 premises with the National Broadband Plan (NBP) high-speed rural fibre network. It has passed 89 percent of the around 566,000 premises included in the NBP Intervention Area across Ireland. It remains on track to complete the roll-out by end-2026.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION 30 JUL

Rostelecom expands fibre network in Dagestan, LTE coverage in Saratov

Russian national operator Rostelecom has expanded the coverage of its fibre-optic network in apartments in the city of Derbent in the Republic of Dagestan. Almost 5 kilometres of fibre lines have been built, and 200 additional households covered. More than 12,000 households in total are covered with digital services from Rostelecom in Derbent, based on FTTH technology in the city.

UNITED STATES 30 JUL

Ribbon cuts FY guidance after year-on-year Q2 sales dip despite sequential growth

Ribbon Communications is forecasting an extended run of sequential sales growth through the rest of the year, after reporting a turnover of USD 192 million for the three months to end-June, 18 percent higher than in Q1. However group revenues fell 13.1 percent year-on-year and the company is lowering its full year forecast.

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Background

26 JUL 23:19

The week in telecom: Samsung works on foldable challenge, US telcos try FMC

19 JUL 23:41

The week in telecom: OnePlus exits tough smartphone market and Apple takes on OpenAI

12 JUL 23:30

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5 JUL 23:03

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