KDDI expands free data service to all stations on nine additional railway operators
JAPAN 05:40

KDDI expands free data service to all stations on nine additional railway operators

KDDI and KDDI Digital Life are expanding the availability of their povo Data Oasis service to all stations operated by nine additional railway companies in the Kanto region from 25 August. The expansion adds Saitama Rapid Railway, Metropolitan Intercity Railway (Tsukuba Express), Seibu Railway, Tama Urban Monorail, Chiba Urban Monorail, Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation, Toyo Rapid Railway, Hokuso Railway and Yokohama Municipal Subway. Together with 11 operators already participating, the service

Aussie Broadband reports 41% rise in on-net connections as FY26 earnings grow
AUSTRALIA 05:39

Aussie Broadband reports 41% rise in on-net connections as FY26 earnings grow

Aussie Broadband has reported a 41 percent increase in on-net broadband connections to 1.11 million in FY26, while revenue rose 9.2 percent to AUD 1.3 billion and underlying EBITDA increased 19.6 percent to AUD 165.3 million. The operator said its share of on-net NBN services increased by 3.7 percentage points to 12.1 percent at 30 June 2026, excluding NBN satellite services. Mobile connections also increased, rising 22 percent to 263,000 after the addition of 48,000 services during the financial year.

LG Uplus opens global bug bounty programme with HackerOne
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 05:36

LG Uplus opens global bug bounty programme with HackerOne

LG Uplus has launched a global bug bounty programme with HackerOne, becoming what it claims is the first South Korean operator to operate a programme through a global bug bounty platform. The programme covers all LG Uplus services, including mobile, internet and enterprise services. It is intended to identify potential security vulnerabilities that may not be detected through the operator's existing domestic security testing processes.

StarHub's giga! provides one-year plans to MILK Fund scholars
SINGAPORE 05:35

StarHub's giga! provides one-year plans to MILK Fund scholars

Singapore mobile brand giga!, owned by StarHub, has partnered with the MILK (Mainly I Love Kids) Fund to provide all eligible scholars aged 17 to 25 with a complimentary one-year gigaFLEX+ plan. The sponsorship covers more than 2,000 MILK Fund scholars, with the gigaFLEX+ plan valued at SGD 19.90 per month. The sponsorship applies for one year from each scholar's plan activation date.

SK Telecom and Seoul National University launch AI industry-academia course
KOREA, DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF 05:33

SK Telecom and Seoul National University launch AI industry-academia course

SK Telecom (SKT) has partnered with Seoul National University to launch a 15-week AI course for graduate students in the university's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering during the second semester of 2026. The SKT-Seoul National University AI joint course will cover three areas: AI applications and services, AI modelling, and AI infrastructure. SKT said the curriculum will draw on its AI technology research and commercialisation experience.

Comms Group reports record FY26 revenue as earnings rise 52%
AUSTRALIA 05:31

Comms Group reports record FY26 revenue as earnings rise 52%

Australian operator Comms Group has reported a 31.6 percent increase in FY26 revenue to AUD 74.5 million, with underlying EBITDA rising 52 percent to AUD 8.7 million as the telecommunications and cloud services provider completed the integration of TasmaNet and moved to sell its managed IT business. Net profit before tax increased to AUD 1.4 million from a AUD 0.6 million loss in FY25, while underlying NPATA rose 41.4 percent to AUD 4.1 million. Operating cash inflow increased to AUD 4.7 million from AUD 4.

Naver's digital twin platform adopted as Saudi national standard
SAUDI ARABIA 05:29

Naver's digital twin platform adopted as Saudi national standard

South Korean internet giant Naver said its cloud-based digital twin platform has been approved by Saudi Arabia's Digital Government Authority for use by municipalities and adopted as the government's national standard digital twin platform. Following the approval, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Municipalities and Housing has issued a notice recommending that municipalities give priority to Naver's platform when undertaking digital twin projects. The ministry said the approach is intended to avoid duplicated inv

Japan's CoeNova adds three-carrier option to IoTBiz SIM service
JAPAN 05:27

Japan's CoeNova adds three-carrier option to IoTBiz SIM service

Japanese communications provider CoeNova has added a new fixed-price plan for IoT and machine-to-machine communications to its IoTBiz SIM service, offering customers a choice of networks from NTT Docomo, KDDI or SoftBank. The IoTBiz Just Plan is designed for applications with predominantly upstream traffic, including surveillance cameras, sensors and solar power systems. Plans range from 100 MB to 1,000 GB of monthly upstream data, with prices starting at JPY 280 per month, excluding tax.

The week in telecom: Deutsche Telekom buys Polish FTTH, Cox-Charter seal merger and 5G business case takes shape
GLOBAL 23 AUG

The week in telecom: Deutsche Telekom buys Polish FTTH, Cox-Charter seal merger and 5G business case takes shape

Deutsche Telekom has made another big acquisition in the FTTH market, expanding its convergence strategy in Eastern Europe, and the US's biggest cable operators completed a mega merger. Qualcomm and Xiaomi are plotting strategies for a maturing smartphone market while 5G monetisation takes shape in markets around the world.

Cell C full-year revenue rises 14%
SOUTH AFRICA 21 AUG

Cell C full-year revenue rises 14%

South African telecommunications operator Cell C has reported a 14 percent year-on-year increase in revenue, reaching ZAR 12.64 billion for the financial year ended 31 May. Reported EBITDA reached ZAR 5.51 billion, which includes one-off gains from the restructuring transaction, while adjusted EBITDA stood at ZAR 2.38 billion when excluding those items.

Ericsson migrates MTN MoMo to cloud-native system
AFRICA 21 AUG

Ericsson migrates MTN MoMo to cloud-native system

Ericsson and MTN Group Fintech have successfully migrated MTN's Mobile Money (MoMo) platform to cloud-native technology in markets including Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda and Eswatini. Powered by the Ericsson Fintech Platform, the migration is now expanding to Cameroon, with plans for Benin, Republic of the Congo and Zambia. By replacing legacy systems with a scalable, standardised architecture, and exploring public cloud integration for select operating companies, this modernisation boosts platform performance and

TDC Business joins TCCA
DENMARK 21 AUG

TDC Business joins TCCA

The Critical Communications Association (TCCA) has announced that Danish company TDC Business (TDC Erhverv) has joined the organisation. TDC Erhverv says it is "among the few" in Denmark able to combine WAN, LAN, mobility and cybersecurity into one coherent delivery. Its insights from more than 50 percent of Danish business traffic enable its security specialists to deliver unique insight into threats, trends and developments in the digital landscape. John Henriksen, CEO of TDC Business and chief business d

SPAIN 21 AUG

Spanish mobile users port nearly 500K lines in June

A total of 498,234 mobile numbers were ported in Spain in June 2026, up 7.9 percent year on year, according to the latest mobile sector data from the CNMC that complements the regulator's fixed segment update. The month saw the total number of active mobile (voice, internet) lines rise by almost 1 million year on year to 63.24 million, with M2M lines more than doubling to 56.95 million.

NORWAY 21 AUG

Nkom discontinues half-yearly statistical reports

Norwegian regulator Nkom said it has switched to publishing telecommunications market statistics annually from 2026 instead of twice a year. It made the announcement after receiving several requests for figures for the first six months of 2026. The change has been made to streamline reporting and concentrate information collection on a complete and consistent annual basis. The full-year statistics continue to follow the main data trends and provide a good basis for monitoring and analysing developments in t

DENMARK 21 AUG

3 Denmark survey finds 47% of SMEs lack skills to tackle cyber concerns

Mobile operator 3 Denmark said Danish small and medium-sized businesses in Denmark are very aware of the risk of cyber attacks but many find cybersecurity  difficult to understand and skills to act on their concerns. A new study done for the operator by Wilke has found that 61 percent of respondents were worried about cyberattacks but 47 percent did not consider themselves equipped to handle an attack. Thirty-three percent said  lack of specialist knowledge is their biggest programme.

SPAIN 21 AUG

Spanish FTTH lines jump 84,000 in June, Digi overtakes Vodafone

The total number of active fibre to the home (FTTH) connections in Spain rose to 18.22 million in June 2026, up well over 1 million year on year and around 84,000 compared to May, according to the latest official monthly update from sector watchdog CNMC that complements its mobile report. Fibre connections account for over 91 percent of the fixed line total of 19.93 million, the latter up from 19.18 million a year earlier and equivalent to around 40 lines per 100 inhabitants.

GLOBAL 21 AUG

What happens when the payment stops stalling?

Customer support has a design problem. Not in how it looks, but in how it works. Every ticket system, every phone queue, every chatbot is built around the same assumption: wait for the customer to have a problem, then try to solve it.

PHILIPPINES 21 AUG

Globe Telecom capex jumps 39% to more than PHP 26 billion in H1

Philippines operator Globe Telecom posted PHP 26.3 billion in capital expenditures in the first half of 2026, which represents an increase of 39 percent year-on-year. The company said the spending was focused on network expansion, digital infrastructure and service improvements, while maintaining its target of keeping full-year capital expenditures below USD 1 billion.

DENMARK 21 AUG

3 Denmark uses old Steppenwolf hit in new Oister commercial

3 Denmark's budget mobile telecoms brand, Oister, has brought out a new advertisement featuring a version of 'Born to be wild', recorded by Steppenwolf in 1967 and released the following year. The advert will be played on streaming channels, television and the radio. In the animated film, three talking purple oysters ride in formation on the back of a trio of whales and sing the praises of the operator, culminating in them singing the line 'Born to be Oister'. Head of marketing Maj-Brit Dam Kjaergaard said

EL SALVADOR 21 AUG

El Salvador consults on project to build first subsea cable

The Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) has launched a call for proposals to finance studies for what will be El Salvador's first submarine cable. The project, first announced two years ago, would connect the country directly to global internet networks, reducing its reliance on terrestrial operators.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 21 AUG

TDRA starts training scheme to foster integration of UAE PASS national ID service

The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) has begun the 'Digital Enablers Experts' (DEE) programme through its Digital Government Academy. The DEE training aims to enhance the readiness of technical staff at government entities and private sector organisations, enabling them to integrate UAE PASS national identity services into their operational systems.

THAILAND 21 AUG

CP Group, True to stream ASEAN Championship 2026 finals on TrueVisions Now platform

CP Group and True have announced they will provide free access to the two 2026 ASEAN Championship final matches on TrueVisions Now if Thailand reaches the final. The offer will be available to Thai viewers regardless of their mobile network provider. Under the 'Unlock TrueVisions Now for Thai People – ASEAN Final' campaign, viewers can download and register for the TrueVisions NOW application at no cost. The two final matches will be available on smartphones, tablets, smart TVs and other supported devices.

MALTA 21 AUG

BMIT to acquire capacity rights on Arsinoe submarine cable system in first investment outside Malta

BMIT Technologies has agreed to acquire long-term capacity rights on the Arsinoe submarine cable system for EUR 6.9 million, in its first strategic investment outside Malta. The rights are being acquired from Cablenet Communication Systems and cover capacity on a system linking Egypt, Cyprus and France. The transaction will be completed through a new subsidiary, BMIT Technologies Cyprus.

GLOBAL 21 AUG

Samsung announces record dividend plan to pay out KRW 100 trillion to shareholders

Samsung Electronics announced plans to share some of its record profits from the AI boom with shareholders. The company's board approved a plan to pay out KRW 90-110 trillion (USD 65-79 billion) to shareholders this year, around five times more than last year and a record for Korea, according to Samsung. 

Just In

05:40

KDDI expands free data service to all stations on nine additional railway operators

05:39

Aussie Broadband reports 41% rise in on-net connections as FY26 earnings grow

05:36

LG Uplus opens global bug bounty programme with HackerOne

05:35

StarHub's giga! provides one-year plans to MILK Fund scholars

Commentary

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ACM blocks Delta/Glaspoort deal - what can KPN do?

5 MEI 10:55

KPN: the art of making one-offs structural

Background

16 AUG 23:57

The week in telecom: Lenovo and Cisco profit from AI-driven demand in Q2, Google updates Pixels and reaches 1 bln Gemini users

9 AUG 23:44

The week in telecom: Starlink's mobile ambitions and LEO challengers, plus Hollywood studios try streaming shorts and sports

2 AUG 23:37

The week in telecom: Telcos resist economic slowdown in Q2 while big tech gears up for more AI investment

26 JUL 23:19

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