New French operator Meowan intros offers with network partners Orange, Bouygues
FRANCE 06:03

New French operator Meowan intros offers with network partners Orange, Bouygues

Meowan announced the launch of its first fixed and mobile offers for French B2C and B2B customers, using the networks of Orange and Bouygues Telecom. The operator's website lists six mobile plans and two 4G/5G Box packages marketed as fixed offers for residential customers, all with no minimum contract period. The portfolio will soon expand to include 1 Gbps FTTH plans starting at EUR 25.99 per month.

NTT Docomo offers discounted data transfers to encourage mobile phone recycling
JAPAN 05:47

NTT Docomo offers discounted data transfers to encourage mobile phone recycling

NTT Docomo has been selected to take part in a Tokyo Metropolitan Government project to recover and recycle used mobile phones, offering discounted data-transfer support at around 200 Docomo shops across Tokyo from 23 October to 27 November 2026. Customers who hand in a used mobile phone, smartphone or tablet for recycling while using the service will be able to access data-transfer support for JPY 220, down from the usual JPY 2,200. The offer is limited to the first 10,000 applications and covers contacts,

SoftBank completes further HAPS communications trials in Japan
JAPAN 05:45

SoftBank completes further HAPS communications trials in Japan

SoftBank and US-based high-altitude platform developer Sceye have completed trial communications services in Japan using a high-altitude platform station (HAPS), demonstrating smartphone connectivity, drone communications and onboard edge computing. The trial used Sceye's lighter-than-air platform, which travelled more than 15,000km from New Mexico across the Pacific over approximately 13 days before reaching Japanese airspace on 23 August. It then operated near Cape Muroto in Kochi Prefecture, where the co

Korean operators promote iPhone Duo with trade-in discounts and subscriptions
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:42

Korean operators promote iPhone Duo with trade-in discounts and subscriptions

South Korean mobile operators SK Telecom (SKT) and LG Uplus are offering discounts, subscriptions and other incentives for pre-orders of Apple's iPhone Duo foldable smartphone, ahead of its scheduled release on 23 October. SKT opened pre-orders on 16 October, offering customers purchasing through its T Direct Shop a voucher worth up to KRW 300,000, alongside trade-in rewards and credit-card discounts. The operator said eligible customers could receive combined benefits worth up to KRW 2.21 million, dependin

NTT speeds up distributed quantum computing research
JAPAN 05:40

NTT speeds up distributed quantum computing research

NTT has developed a computational method to estimate the maximum success probability of quantum operations between chips in distributed quantum computers, with the operator reporting calculations more than 100 times faster and over 10 times more accurate than previous methods. The research, conducted jointly with Hiroyuki Osaka, a professor at Ritsumeikan University's College of Science and Engineering, addresses a challenge in scaling quantum computing. 

Spark abandons plan to replace New Zealand phone booths
NEW ZEALAND 05:39

Spark abandons plan to replace New Zealand phone booths

Spark New Zealand has abandoned plans to invest in modern public phone booths offering free calls, Wi-Fi and phone charging, after failing to secure the agreements needed to proceed in Auckland. The proposal would have used digital advertising to fund the services rather than charging users or relying on public funding. Spark said a nationwide rollout was necessary for the project to be commercially viable.

Microsoft disrupts Japan-linked global cybercrime network
GLOBAL 05:37

Microsoft disrupts Japan-linked global cybercrime network

Microsoft and Health-ISAC have moved to dismantle three online services used to support international cybercrime, after an investigation found they had been used to send more than one billion malicious messages since January 2026. The messages targeted more than 75,000 organisations across over 150 countries, according to Microsoft.

Symbio completes SIP interconnection with all Tier 1 operators in Singapore
SINGAPORE 05:35

Symbio completes SIP interconnection with all Tier 1 operators in Singapore

Australian operator Aussie Broadband's subsidiary Symbio says it has completed Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) interconnection with all licensed Tier 1 voice carriers in Singapore. The company said the milestone follows the launch of its Singapore voice network in 2021 and the transition of all its existing carrier interconnections to SIP-based technology. The move is intended to support more scalable and flexible voice services, with improved call management capabilities.

Half of South Korea's government-backed GPUs remain unused
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:33

Half of South Korea's government-backed GPUs remain unused

Just 51.8 percent of South Korea's 10,104 government-allocated graphics processing units (GPUs) were in use as of September, despite a large-scale investment to strengthen the country's AI capabilities, according to Newsis, citing industry sources. The GPUs, comprising 7,848 Nvidia B200s and 2,256 H200s secured through a supplementary budget in 2025, were allocated across 215 projects involving industry, academia, research institutions and national AI initiatives. Projects involving 25 government ministries

Australia consults on 6 GHz spectrum sharing framework for standard-power Wi-Fi
AUSTRALIA 05:30

Australia consults on 6 GHz spectrum sharing framework for standard-power Wi-Fi

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is seeking industry feedback on proposals to introduce automatic frequency coordination (AFC) for standard-power radio local area network (RLAN) operations in the 5925-6585 MHz frequency range. AFC systems coordinate wireless transmissions to protect existing licensed services from interference while allowing additional spectrum sharing. The ACMA said deployments in other jurisdictions across all or parts of the 6 GHz band had informed its considerati

NTTSportict launches AI-powered baseball streaming service in Hokkaido
JAPAN 05:29

NTTSportict launches AI-powered baseball streaming service in Hokkaido

NTTSportict and two Hokkaido organisations have moved an AI-powered sports streaming project into full operation at Moerenuma Park Baseball Stadium in Sapporo, following a trial lasting more than a year. The initiative, called Machispo, uses AI cameras to automatically film and livestream amateur baseball matches, allowing families and fans to watch remotely.

CJ ENM and MBC Group expand Korean content distribution across MENA
MIDDLE EAST 05:27

CJ ENM and MBC Group expand Korean content distribution across MENA

South Korean entertainment company CJ ENM and Middle Eastern media group MBC Group have signed a long-term strategic partnership to expand Korean entertainment distribution across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), covering streaming and broadcast television. The agreement centres on a dedicated Tving-branded section on MBC's Shahid streaming platform. The service is scheduled to offer more than 13 new Korean titles during 2026, alongside more than 20 titles from CJ ENM's existing library. The catalog

GLOBAL 05:22

Honor unveils X9e Pro smartphone with 11,000mAh battery

Honor has announced the X9e Pro smartphone, featuring an 11,000mAh battery, multiple water and dust resistance ratings, and a 108-megapixel main camera. The device has an 8.08mm-thick body and weighs 203g, according to the company. HONOR said the battery is designed for six years of durability and supports 80W wired charging and 27W reverse charging. The X9e Pro has a 6.8-inch display with a 1.5K resolution, a refresh rate of up to 120Hz and a claimed peak brightness of 10,000 nits. 

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:20

Samsung showcases AI-native network tech at 6G summit

Samsung Electronics has brought together more than 100 telecommunications industry representatives at events in Mountain View, California, to discuss AI-native networks, 6G development and collaboration across the telecom sector. The Silicon Valley Future Wireless Summit 2026, held on 15 October, followed a Partner Day at Samsung Research America on 14 October. Participants included representatives from operators, equipment manufacturers, government agencies and academia.

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:18

KT partners South Korea's safety agency to promote workplace safety

Korea Telecom (KT) has signed a two-year agreement with the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) to promote workplace safety and reduce disparities in safety management between businesses. Under the agreement, the organisations will combine KOSHA's occupational safety expertise with KT's telecommunications infrastructure and customer networks to promote safety awareness among telecom workers and contractors, distribute public safety messages, and identify and share examples of effective workp

PAPUA NEW GUINEA 05:17

Digicel PNG and Telikom agree to share tower infrastructure

Digicel PNG and Telikom Limited have signed an agreement to share telecommunications tower infrastructure across Papua New Guinea, allowing both operators to install equipment at suitable sites owned by the other. The agreement establishes a process for co-location subject to technical, operational, safety and commercial requirements. Both companies will retain independent network operations.

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:15

SK Telecom holds AI challenge for young people with disabilities

SK Telecom (SKT) has held a two-day AI competition for young people with disabilities, with 110 students and 44 teachers taking part at the company's training centre in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, on 14 and 15 October. The 2026 Happiness AI Challenge, held under the theme 'Connecting Ideas, Meeting the Future', focused on using AI tools to solve problems and express ideas creatively. Activities included quizzes on AI ethics, robot navigation tasks, cultural heritage research and QR code puzzles.

NEW ZEALAND 05:14

InternetNZ partners with Auckland FC to promote .nz domains

Domain registrar InternetNZ has become an official partner of Auckland Football Club, with its domain brand appearing on the club's training kit and at its home stadium. The partnership coincides with the start of Auckland FC's 2026/27 A-League Men season. InternetNZ said the sponsorship forms part of its five-year strategy to promote .nz as a trusted online identity for New Zealand businesses and organisations. Auckland FC has used the aucklandfc.co.nz domain since its establishment in 2024. 

AUSTRIA 05:11

LG Uplus showcases AI-managed Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi 8 technology

LG Uplus has demonstrated AI-based network management technologies and shared results from a proof of concept for Wi-Fi 8-based edge AI at Network X 2026 in Vienna, Austria. The event, held from 12 to 15 October, provided a platform for the company to present its commercial deployment of Wi-Fi 7 routers supporting the 6 GHz band, which it introduced last year. The routers use the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands.

GLOBAL 05:10

Volvo expands Nvidia partnership on automated driving

Volvo Cars is expanding its partnership with Nvidia to develop automated driving technology for future vehicles, combining Volvo's vehicle safety systems and engineering expertise with Nvidia's AI computing and driving software. The technology is intended to support navigation in complex environments, including motorways, urban streets and parking scenarios.

IRELAND 15 OKT

Eir registers peak 5G speeds of over 2 Gbps in busy city locations

Irish operator Eir has achieved peak fibre-like speeds of over 2 Gbps on its 5G mobile network at selected high-footfall locations across Dublin (Grafton Street), Cork (St Patrick's Street), Galway (Eyre Square), Limerick (O'Connell Street) and Waterford (Barrowstrand Street). The testing is part of the company's wider investment to improve the speed, capacity and resilience of its nationwide mobile and fibre networks. 

UNITED STATES 15 OKT

Boost Mobile teams with Mike Tyson for new brand campaign

US mobile carrier Boost Mobile, an EchoStar company, has partnered with former boxer Mike Tyson on a new brand campaign. The 'What's Your Plan?" plays on his famous quote that "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth" - with Boost Mobile claiming that customers are getting punched in the mouth by hidden fees, confusing small print and contract traps. 

UNITED KINGDOM 15 OKT

Openreach connects more Scottish premises through R100 programme

The Scottish government's Reaching 100% (R100) programme has provided full-fibre broadband access to over 7,600 additional hard-to-reach homes and businesses in Perth & Kinross; over 1,600 premises in Angus; over 2,000 premises across the Falkirk region; more than 7,200 premises across Fife; more than 6,200 premises across the Highlands; and over 3,600 hard-to-reach homes and businesses on Orkney. The R100 project is being delivered by Openreach. 

UNITED KINGDOM 15 OKT

BBC News channel launches on YouTube in UK, US

The BBC has announced the launch of the BBC News channel on YouTube in the UK and US. Making the BBC News channel available to stream live on YouTube will help expand access to impartial, trusted journalism. The trial launches on 15 October, providing YouTube viewers in the UK and US with extensive coverage of domestic and international news, politics, business, technology, culture and breaking news.

Just In

06:03

New French operator Meowan intros offers with network partners Orange, Bouygues

05:47

NTT Docomo offers discounted data transfers to encourage mobile phone recycling

05:45

SoftBank completes further HAPS communications trials in Japan

05:42

Korean operators promote iPhone Duo with trade-in discounts and subscriptions

Commentary

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What is KPN's response to the brand expansion at Odido and VodafoneZiggo?

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?

Background

11 OKT 23:39

The week in telecom: DT puts a figure on telco AI potential, SpaceX threatens mobile launch and Paramount seals WBD deal

4 OKT 23:20

The week in telecom: FTTH sparks UK competition, AI coming to telco bundles and Samsung raises prices

3 OKT 18:20

Belgian Weekly - Week 40

3 OKT 18:04

German Weekly - 40