The week in telecoms: Verizon sparks fears of US price war, Apple beats Samsung in Q4, Telekom ramps up fibre marketing
GLOBAL 00:45

The week in telecoms: Verizon sparks fears of US price war, Apple beats Samsung in Q4, Telekom ramps up fibre marketing

The first round of annual financial results shows the US may be set for a price war, with shifting strategies at Verizon and Comcast. Deutsche Telekom kicked off a new FTTH drive, and Canal Plus is hoping to capitalize on its recent African expansion. Apple had a knock-out quarter with stellar iPhone results, and Samsung profited from the boom in memory chips.

Orange Romania expands 5G network coverage to 4.5 million households in 88 cities
ROMANIA 1 FEB

Orange Romania expands 5G network coverage to 4.5 million households in 88 cities

Orange Romania has announced it has expanded its 5G/5G+ coverage to 88 cities, reaching 4.5 million households at end-2025. The most recent cities where the transition to the new technology has been made in the past six months are Bârlad, Buzău, Câmpia Turzii, Câmpina, Câmpulung, Caracal, Comănești, Dej, Fetești, Mediaș, Moinești, Onești, Pașcani, Rădăuți, Râmnicu Sărat, Roman, Slatina, Slobozia, Târgu Jiu, Turda, Valea Prahovei (Azuga, Busteni, Predeal, Sinaia), Vaslui, Zalău. The operator also expanded it

Care Ratings upgrades Vi outlook to 'positive'
INDIA 1 FEB

Care Ratings upgrades Vi outlook to 'positive'

Indian operator Vodafone Idea (Vi) has announced that Care Ratings has officially upgraded its outlook on the company's long-term bank facilities. While Vi's actual credit rating remains confirmed at 'Care BBB-', the outlook has shifted from 'Stable' to 'Positive'.

Alibaba Cloud to launch AI-powered Pin Trading Station at Milano Cortina 2026
GLOBAL 1 FEB

Alibaba Cloud to launch AI-powered Pin Trading Station at Milano Cortina 2026

Alibaba Cloud will introduce an 'Intelligent Pin Trading Station' in the Milan Olympic Village, at Milano Cortina 2026. Alibaba says this station is designed to make pin trading more fun, while also allowing athletes to access a broader selection of pins through a shared pool contributed by athletes across the Village over time. The station is powered by Alibaba's Qwen large language model (LLM).

Maxis launches upgraded Family Plans for residential users
MALAYSIA 31 JAN

Maxis launches upgraded Family Plans for residential users

Malaysian operator Maxis has introduced its upgraded Family Plans, bringing faster home internet speeds and unlimited mobile data. The new all-in-one Maxis Family Plans are available in two options, priced at MYR 299 and MYR 399. The MYR 299 plan offers home fibre speeds of 500Mbps, with three unlimited 4G/5G mobile lines, while the MYR 399 plan offers 1Gbps speeds, with four unlimited 4G/5G mobile lines.

Pakistan to launch 5G spectrum auction on 10 March
PAKISTAN 31 JAN

Pakistan to launch 5G spectrum auction on 10 March

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) will launch a 5G spectrum auction on 10 March. The Pakistani government will auction 597.2 MHz of spectrum below 6 GHz. This includes additional spectrum in two existing IMT bands (1800 and 2100 MHz) and newly available spectrum in four additional IMT bands (700, 2300, 2600 and 3500 MHz) that have not previously been allocated to mobile operators on the local market.

Samsung brings Galaxy A07 5G smartphone to Philippines
PHILIPPINES 31 JAN

Samsung brings Galaxy A07 5G smartphone to Philippines

Samsung Electronics has launched the Galaxy A07 5G smartphone in Philippines. The device features as 6,000mAh battery, 6.7-inch screen, and 50-megapixel rear camera, and 8-megapixle front camera.

BDx, IOH support flood relief efforts in Sumatra
INDONESIA 31 JAN

BDx, IOH support flood relief efforts in Sumatra

BDx Indonesia has partnered with Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH) and Filantra Foundation to deliver urgent humanitarian assistance, standing alongside families who have been affected by the recent floods. This joint relief initiative will provide clean drinking water and public kitchens (Posko Dapur Umum) in flood-affected areas.

Vi, DoT certify inaugural batch of Emerging Tech Skilling Programme graduates
INDIA 31 JAN

Vi, DoT certify inaugural batch of Emerging Tech Skilling Programme graduates

Vodafone Idea Foundation, in partnership with India's Department of Telecommunications (DoT) have officially certified the first batch of 50 students who graduated their Emerging Technologies Skilling Programme. The programme provided students with application-oriented skills in AI, data analytics and cybersecurity, with focus on telecom sector use cases.

Lifecell expands 5G services trial to town of Borodyanka
UKRAINE 30 JAN

Lifecell expands 5G services trial to town of Borodyanka

Ukrainian operator Lifecell has launched a trial of 5G mobile services in the town of Borodyanka, in the Bucha municipality in the Kiev region. The Non-Standalone 5G services are provided on the 3,500 MHz band. The operator has previously launched a 5G services trial in Lviv, which has achieved a maximum download speed of 1.5 Gbps. 

Azercell launches 2026 Bursary Programme for STEM students
AZERBAIJAN 30 JAN

Azercell launches 2026 Bursary Programme for STEM students

Azerbaijan operator Azercell has launched the Bursary Programme 2026, offering scholarships for students with a high academic performance. The programme aims to support the academic and professional development of students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields. 

MTS Belarus named best mobile network in 2025 by regulator
BELARUS 30 JAN

MTS Belarus named best mobile network in 2025 by regulator

MTS Belarus has been recognised by national telecoms regulator BeIGIE as having the best mobile network quality in 2025, scoring 886 out of a possible 1,000 points. MTS achieved an average download speed of 38.76 Mbps in Minsk, 36.9 Mbps in regional centres, and 24.26 Mbps in municipal centres. In 2025, MTS Belarus activated 1,500 additional LTE base stations and over 200 3G base stations across the country.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION 30 JAN

Beeline Russia launches AI-based anti-fraud solution for banks

Russian operator Beeline has announced a new anti-fraud solution for banks and micro-financial companies called 'FraudShield', developed by the Beeline Big Data & AI division. The service analyses customer behaviour to identify potential fraudulent activity. According to recent regulations issued by the Russian Central Bank, banks must submit inquiries to operators for information on abnormal customer activity to help prevent fraud.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION 30 JAN

MTS launches 'Safe Internet' service to protect children online

Russian operator MTS has launched a new service called 'Safe Internet' to protect children from harmful online content. The new service uses AI to analyse over two million websites, blocking access to websites with potentially harmful content by default. The service can be activated through the 'My MTS' mobile app for RUB 99 per month. Customers can test the service for free for one week, and can connect up to three phone numbers.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION 30 JAN

Rostelecom expands fibre network, user base in Volgograd, Kemerovo regions

Russian operator Rostelecom extended the reach of its fibre-optic network to over an extra 4,000 households in the Kemerovo region in 2025. This involved the installation of 57 km of fibre-optic cabling. The operator also connected over 25,000 additional residents to its fixed-line broadband services in the Volgograd region in 2025. 

LITHUANIA 30 JAN

Bite Lithuania makes video cameras mandatory for remote staff

Bite Lithuania has changed regulation of remote and hybrid work of its staff. Employees participating in online meetings will be obliged to switch on their video cameras. The company expects that the change will improve quality of meetings, to strengthen cooperation and engagement of staff-members.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION 30 JAN

MTS disconnects 3G network in Moscow region

Russian operator MTS said that it will start the gradual disconnection of its 3G network in the Moscow region in February. The 3G network working on the 900 MHz band will be switched off so the released frequency resources can be allocated to LTE services. The change is expected to help expand 4G coverage, especially indoors. 

UGANDA 30 JAN

MTN launches school fees campaign in Uganda

MTN Mobile Money Uganda has kicked off the 2026 edition of its Win School Fees with MoMo campaign with a public launch at Old Taxi Park, marking the third consecutive year of the initiative that has transformed how Ugandan families approach school fees payments. In 2025, the campaign counted over 70 winners across the country, distributing more than UGX 150 million in school fees. Beyond the monetary prizes, the campaign also provided scholastic materials to thousands of students throughout the year.

ESTONIA 30 JAN

Elisa Estonia revenues slightly lower in 2025

Revenues at Elisa Estonia totaled EUR 222 million in 2025, down by 0.5 percent year-on-year amid increased security challenges, especially in Q4. The company said it nevertheless demonstrated growth in the second half of 2025. The mobile subscriber base numbered 692,000 at year-end, its fixed internet customers totaled 167,500, and the pay-TV subscriber base amounted to 151,300. The 5G network covers 97 percent of the population, and 18,000 additional households were covered with the fibre-optic network in

UKRAINE 30 JAN

Kyivstar secondary offering priced at discount

Kyivstar announced the pricing of the public offering of 12.1 million shares held by Veon, its principal shareholder, and 400,000 shares held by certain other selling shareholders. The secondary offering was priced at USD 10.50 per share, a small discount to the recent trading level of the stock.

SAUDI ARABIA 30 JAN

Go Telecom wins SAR 43 mln contract from health ministry

Saudi operator Etihad Atheeb Telecom, trading as Go Telecom, announced that it has been awarded a SAR 43 million project with the ministry of health to develop and establish the electronic health record system used in the ministry's medical transport vehicles. The company said in a bourse statement that the financial impact will be determined later after the requirements and procedures for signing the contract are completed.

UNITED STATES 30 JAN

Cohere joins Texas university's 6G research programme

Cohere Technologies, developer of cellular waveform modulation technology including the candidate OTFS waveform for 6G NTN/ISAC applications, announced it is joining a 6G research initiative hosted by the University of Texas at Austin. The company will contribute to the 6G@UT initiative's R&D efforts, focusing on 6G cellular advances, machine learning and wireless sensing. Dr Jeff Andrews, an engineering faculty member who also serves as 6G@UT's director, said collaborating with Cohere was a boost for its b

UNITED STATES 30 JAN

T-Mobile offers highest post-paid mobile customer satisfaction - JD Power

The latest 2026 US Wireless Carrier Satisfaction Study from JD Power puts T-Mobile at the top of the network operator's post-paid segment, with a score of 631 out of 1,000 points. This compares to a segment average score of 603 points. In the MVNO post-paid segment, Consumer Cellular is top with a score of 721 points; followed by Google Fi Wireless in 2nd place with 685 points. 

NAMIBIA 30 JAN

Namibia to start 2G and 3G network shutdowns in 2026

Telecom operators are expected to begin a gradual, phased shutdown of 2G and 3G networks in 2026, according to the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN). This is part of a broader strategy to transition toward 4G, 5G and satellite technologies to deliver broadband services amid accelerated digital transformation. The regulator referred to the high costs of maintaining legacy networks.

Just In

00:45

The week in telecoms: Verizon sparks fears of US price war, Apple beats Samsung in Q4, Telekom ramps up fibre marketing

1 FEB 04:50

Orange Romania expands 5G network coverage to 4.5 million households in 88 cities

1 FEB 04:35

Care Ratings upgrades Vi outlook to 'positive'

1 FEB 04:24

Alibaba Cloud to launch AI-powered Pin Trading Station at Milano Cortina 2026

Commentary

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31 OKT 2025 11:11

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

Background

00:45

The week in telecoms: Verizon sparks fears of US price war, Apple beats Samsung in Q4, Telekom ramps up fibre marketing

26 JAN 00:31

The week in telecoms: Netflix and Ericsson all about cash, EU sketches out rip-and-replace and copper transition plans

22 JAN 14:28

Netflix can spend more on content and still improve its margin

19 JAN 00:42

The week in telecom: Apple holds on to smartphone crown, Ericsson slims down and CommScope changes name