Ethiopian government plans to launch national cloud within 24 months
ETHIOPIA 18 MEI

Ethiopian government plans to launch national cloud within 24 months

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has announced at the opening of the Data Sovereignty Summit that the national cloud infrastructure could launch within eighteen to 24 months. It will integrate information systems from sectors including agriculture, trade, investment and media, resolving problems caused by fragmented information systems, and improving access to organised and reliable national data. 

Huawei starts Namibian digital skills drive
NAMIBIA 18 MEI

Huawei starts Namibian digital skills drive

The Namibian government has begun two digital skills initiatives led by Huawei, ITWeb reported. The Women in Tech Namibia scheme and the 2026 National Talent Cultivation Project for young people have been unveiled by ICT minister Emma Theofelus. They aim to expand digital inclusion, strengthen ICT skills development and prepare Namibia's workforce for emerging technologies.

Swedish telecoms and digital regulators PTS and Digg to merge as Digitisation Authority
SWEDEN 18 MEI

Swedish telecoms and digital regulators PTS and Digg to merge as Digitisation Authority

The regulator created by merging Sweden's postal service and telecoms regulator PTS with digital governance agency Digg on 01 January 2027 will be called the Digitisation Authority (Digitaliseringsmyndigheten), PTS said. When the new watchdog starts up, operations will continue at their existing locations initially. The government is attempting to reduce the number of state agencies in order to improve organisational efficiency. Merging Digg with the PTS also should bolster digital infrastructure resilience

Ghanaian govt discusses DTT platform cost-sharing model with broadcasters
GHANA 18 MEI

Ghanaian govt discusses DTT platform cost-sharing model with broadcasters

Ghana's ICT ministry has held a meeting with broadcasters and industry stakeholders on restructuring the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) pricing model. Minister Samuel Nartey George announced a shift from government funding to a sustainable, transparent cost-sharing framework among broadcast operators. The meeting focused on establishing a sustainable pricing model for channel carriage. George said introducing fees is necessary to sustain the platform but decisions will be taken in collaboration with i

EU invests EUR 42.5 mln in Serbian internet networks
SERBIA 18 MEI

EU invests EUR 42.5 mln in Serbian internet networks

The EU has launched two major initiatives, WiFi4WB and the Rural Broadband Rollout, to significantly improve digital connectivity across Serbia. These projects, backed by EUR 42.5 million in EU grants, aim to provide fast and reliable internet accesss, especially those in remote areas.

Portugal approves National Sovereign Cloud Plan
PORTUGAL 18 MEI

Portugal approves National Sovereign Cloud Plan

Portugal's Council of Ministers has approved the National Sovereign Cloud Plan, a strategic initiative designed to modernise the Portuguese state's digital infrastructure, bolster national security, and enhance technological sovereignty. This plan aims to accelerate the digital transformation of the public administration by creating a common, secure infrastructure for hosting, processing and protecting critical state data. The resolution approves a model for determining the importance of various public data

Lagos state government plans cybersecurity centre
NIGERIA 18 MEI

Lagos state government plans cybersecurity centre

The Lagos State Government has announced plans to establish a dedicated Cybersecurity Operations Centre (CSOC), ITWeb reported. It aims to protect the state's Smart City Project and digitised public services. Tunbosun Alake, Lagos commissioner for innovation, science and technology, said the centre would help secure the infrastructure supporting online payments, e-government services, cloud platforms and technology-driven business operations in the state. 

Algeria sets early 2027 as launch target for 5G FWA
ALGERIA 18 MEI

Algeria sets early 2027 as launch target for 5G FWA

The Algerian government has set an early 2027 target to launch nationwide 5G fixed wireless access (FWA), Ecofin reported. This is intended to replace ageing 4G infrastructure and phase out the national copper network. It specifically targets areas where laying fibre optics is difficult or where copper networks are being retired. The project was presented by Algerie Telecom CEO Abdelghani Ait Said during a government meeting on upgrading telecom infrastructure.

OpenAI and Malta launch national ChatGPT Plus access programme
MALTA 18 MEI

OpenAI and Malta launch national ChatGPT Plus access programme

OpenAI and the government of Malta have announced a programme that will provide access to ChatGPT Plus for Maltese citizens who complete a national artificial intelligence literacy course. The initiative, called 'AI for All', combines AI education with one year of free access to ChatGPT Plus. The programme will be managed by the Malta Digital Innovation Authority and is scheduled to begin its first phase in May.

Japan approves five applicants for 26 GHz 5G spectrum auction
JAPAN 18 MEI

Japan approves five applicants for 26 GHz 5G spectrum auction

Japan's ministry of internal affairs and communications said it has approved five applicants to participate in a price-based allocation process for spectrum in the 26 GHz band intended to support 5G. The ministry said applications were accepted between 10 March and 9 April under guidelines covering the allocation process for 26 GHz spectrum for 5G systems. According to the ministry, five organisations submitted applications and all five were notified on 18 May that they had qualified to participate in the a

South Korean government warns of intervention over planned Samsung strike
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 18 MEI

South Korean government warns of intervention over planned Samsung strike

South Korean prime minister Kim Min-seok has warned that the government could consider emergency arbitration measures in response to a planned strike at Samsung Electronics, according to Yonhap, citing government sources. The warning came as Samsung and its largest labour union agreed to resume government-led mediation talks on 18 May, four days before an 18-day strike is scheduled to begin.

Tokyo seeks promoters for next-generation communications startup programme
JAPAN 15 MEI

Tokyo seeks promoters for next-generation communications startup programme

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has opened applications for companies to act as development promoters under its Tokyo NEXT 5G Boosters Project, which supports startups developing products and services using 5G and next-generation communications technologies including Beyond 5G. The programme, launched in fiscal 2023, is aimed at supporting startups pursuing commercial deployment of products and services based on advanced communications technologies while increasing corporate value.

KIRIBATI 15 MEI

NEC completes East Micronesia cable system linking Pacific island nations

NEC Corporation has completed construction of the East Micronesia Cable System (EMCS), a submarine cable network linking the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati and Nauru. The approximately 2,250km cable connects Tarawa in Kiribati, Nauru Island, Kosrae in the Federated States of Micronesia and Pohnpei. The system has been handed over to Federated States of Micronesia Telecommunications Cable Corporation, Bwebweriki Net Limited in Kiribati and Cenpac Corporation in Nauru.

NEW ZEALAND 15 MEI

New Zealand reviews submarine cable resilience in wake of exercise

New Zealand's Ministry of Transport has released a progress report to associate transport minister James Meager on efforts to strengthen the resilience and security of the country's critical underwater infrastructure (CUI), including submarine telecommunications cables and the Cook Strait power cable. The report outlines implementation of 10 no-cost, low-effort options directed by the minister following an earlier review. Eight of the ten initiatives are either complete or progressing on schedule, with two

SOUTH AFRICA 14 MEI

Icasa maintains support for 30% local ownership rule instead of Equity Equivalent Investment Programmes

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has reiterated its commitment to supporting economic inclusion, maintaining its stance on the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) policy direction issued by communications minister Solly Malatsi in December 2025. The Electronic Communications Act (ECA) requires a minimum 30 percent ownership by historically disadvantaged groups for individual licence holders. Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies chairwoman

MEXICO 14 MEI

Only a third of Mexican mobile lines registered ahead of June deadline - CRT

Mexico's Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT) said 48 million mobile lines have been correctly registered, around a third of the country's total of 144 million, ahead of the 30 June 2026 deadline for doing so. All mobile users are required to register their prepay and postpay lines using official ID documents on platforms set up by the country's leading operators to prevent them from being used anonymously.

MAURITIUS 14 MEI

Mauritius launches KaliteNet to monitor internet quality

The ICT ministry of Mauritius has held a workshop to launch the Kalitenet platform, which lets citizens measure actual broadband speeds, latency and data performance directly from their devices. The aim is to use collection of up-to-date user data to hold telecom companies accountable and increase market transparency. It addresses growing public demand for reliable connectivity, and forces internet service providers (ISPs) to align their delivered speeds with advertised services.

EGYPT 14 MEI

Egyptian ICT minister discusses digital cooperation with Ericsson

Egyptian ICT minister Raafat Hendy has met with Kevin Murphy, head of Ericsson's customer unit for the North Middle East, and Dalia Merheb, president and head of sales at Ericsson Egypt, to discuss the company's local expansion. Their talks focused on potential partnerships in network technologies and digital capacity-building.

ANGOLA 14 MEI

Angola plans national education and research network

Angola's government has unveiled the Angolan National Education and Research Network (AngoREN) project, designed to boost connectivity in higher education, reported Jornal de Angola. According to the Secretary of State for Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Alice de Fatima Pinto de Ceita e Almeida, the initial phase of AngoREN involves up to USD 15 million for implementation and an additional USD 10 million for digital transformation within institutions. This initiative is backed by the g

ITALY 14 MEI

Italy completes connected schools project

Italian state infrastructure agency Infratel announced that its 'Connected Schools' high-speed broadband project reached 27,334 activations at the end of April, some five years after its launch. Fibre connections had been activated in 24,087 schools under Infratel's intervention, up from an initial target of 23,594, completing the core initiative.

NEW ZEALAND 14 MEI

Spark and Connexa to upgrade battery resilience at 295 mobile towers

Spark New Zealand and Connexa have been awarded funding by National Infrastructure Funding and Financing (NIFF) to increase battery back-up capacity at 295 mobile cell towers across New Zealand. The companies said the upgrades will extend battery back-up at selected Spark mobile sites to 24 hours, with the aim of maintaining mobile connectivity for longer during power outages. The upgraded coverage area includes up to 1.7 million addresses nationwide.

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 14 MEI

ETRI outlines 'AI highway' strategy centred on 6G and AI networks

South Korea's Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) has outlined a national "AI highway" infrastructure strategy focused on integrating 6G and AI-native networking technologies to support the country's AI competitiveness. The institute presented the strategy during an AI Highway Forum held in Seoul on May 13 to mark ETRI's 50th anniversary. The event brought together government officials and industry, academic and research representatives to discuss national AI infrastructure developm

CANADA 13 MEI

Canadian govt selects 44 projects for AI Compute Access Fund support

The federal Canadian government has announced CAD 66 million of support for 44 projects through the CAD 300 million AI Compute Access Fund. This will help the SMEs access the compute power needed to build and scale AI products. The selected companies are working across key areas of the economy, including energy, healthcare, life sciences, agriculture, finance, advanced manufacturing, transportation and natural resources.

EGYPT 13 MEI

Egypt minister meets Huawei execs to discuss enhancing cooperation in ICT

Egypt's ICT minister Raafat Hendy has held discussions with executive director and CEO of the ICT Business Group at Huawei Yang Chaobi to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation in telecommunications and advanced technologies. The meeting, also attended by Huawei Egypt CEO Benjamin Hou, focused on several areas, including digital capacity building and cloud computing. Chaobin highlighted Huawei's commitment to bringing the latest technologies to the Egyptian market, expressing his aspiration to further stre

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