Foxtel and Netflix renew multi-year Australian partnership
AUSTRALIA 03:41

Foxtel and Netflix renew multi-year Australian partnership

Australian broadcaster Foxtel and Netflix have extended their partnership under a new multi-year agreement, keeping Netflix integrated into Foxtel's iQ platform and included in the Platinum Plus Foxtel subscription. The agreement continues a relationship that began with the integration of Netflix into the iQ platform in 2019. Netflix content will remain accessible through the Foxtel iQ interface alongside Foxtel's own programming.

SoftBank launches AI service to support teachers in children's mental health
JAPAN 03:39

SoftBank launches AI service to support teachers in children's mental health

SoftBank has launched Mentari, an AI-powered service designed to help teachers identify and respond to students who may need emotional or mental wellbeing support. The service targets primary, secondary and high schools and will initially be provided free of charge for a period to evaluate its effectiveness.

SKT forms security AI consortium with major Korean cybersecurity companies
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 03:38

SKT forms security AI consortium with major Korean cybersecurity companies

SK Telecom (SKT) has formed a 14-member consortium with AI developer Upstage, nine major Korean cybersecurity companies, two universities and the Korea Information Security Industry Association (KISIA) to develop a cybersecurity-focused AI foundation model under a South Korean government initiative led by the ministry of science and ICT. The consortium brings together two of the three teams that passed the second-stage evaluation of the government's independent AI foundation model project, with SKT and Upst

Nifty opens pre-orders for new 5G mobile broadband service
JAPAN 03:36

Nifty opens pre-orders for new 5G mobile broadband service

Japanese ISP Nifty has begun accepting pre-orders for @nifty WiMAX +5G, a new mobile broadband service scheduled to launch in late October. The service will use the WiMAX network to provide fixed-wireless and mobile connectivity without requiring a line installation, with theoretical download speeds of up to 4.2Gbps and no monthly data allowance, although speeds may be restricted during periods of congestion or exceptionally heavy usage.

Swoop reports 22% revenue growth as it shifts focus to core services
AUSTRALIA 03:34

Swoop reports 22% revenue growth as it shifts focus to core services

Australian operator Swoop has reported FY26 revenue of AUD 115.9 million, up 21.8 percent year on year, as its focus on NBN and mobile services drove subscriber growth. NBN services increased 23 percent to around 73,000 and mobile services rose 5 percent to approximately 133,000, taking total services in operation to about 224,000. Underlying EBITDA fell AUD 2.8 million to AUD 6.1 million, however, with higher fees from telecom suppliers and increased marketing expenditure weighing on earnings. 

NEC and partners launch domestic cybersecurity service for supply chains
JAPAN 03:32

NEC and partners launch domestic cybersecurity service for supply chains

NEC and three Japanese technology companies have developed a cybersecurity service designed to protect organisations across the supply chain, combining domestically developed security technologies with managed monitoring and incident response. NEC, NEC Networks & System Integration Corporation, Digital Arts and FFRI Security said that the NEC Cyber Secure Package powered by CyIOC would begin sales from 31 August. The service will be offered by NEC, NEC Networks & System Integration, NEC Fielding and NEC Nex

2degrees and One NZ propose j-v to combine mobile RAN infrastructure
NEW ZEALAND 03:31

2degrees and One NZ propose j-v to combine mobile RAN infrastructure

New Zealand operators 2degrees and One NZ have proposed combining their radio access network (RAN) infrastructure in a jointly owned company that would operate the shared network on a wholesale basis. The proposed entity, provisionally referred to as RANCo, would own, manage and operate the operators' RAN assets, including antennas, base stations and active network equipment. It would provide network services to 2degrees and One NZ under separate wholesale agreements.

2degrees opens AST SpaceMobile ground station and completes smartphone tests
NEW ZEALAND 03:28

2degrees opens AST SpaceMobile ground station and completes smartphone tests

New Zealand operator 2degrees has opened a satellite ground station in Marton and completed tests of voice, video and data services using standard smartphones over AST SpaceMobile's satellite network. The operator said the site is one of the first commercial AST SpaceMobile ground stations globally and will support the planned rollout of direct-to-device satellite connectivity in New Zealand.

TikTok estimates K-culture generated KRW 31.4 tn in economic impact in 2026
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 03:26

TikTok estimates K-culture generated KRW 31.4 tn in economic impact in 2026

TikTok estimates that its contribution to the economic impact of South Korean culture will reach KRW 31.37 tn in 2026 and increase to KRW 40.64 tn by 2030, according to a report produced with management consultancy Kearney. The report, based on a survey of 3,300 consumers aged 16 to 49 across 10 countries including the US, UK, Japan, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, examined the economic effects associated with six areas of K-culture: K-pop, media and intellectual property, beauty, food, fashion and tourism.

IOH, Arsari launch Raia Grid AI-powered digital infrastructure platform in Indonesia
INDONESIA 03:25

IOH, Arsari launch Raia Grid AI-powered digital infrastructure platform in Indonesia

Infra Fiber Teknologi, a digital infrastructure joint venture between Arsari Group and Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, has launched the 'Raia Grid' AI-powered open-access digital infrastructure platform designed to serve as Indonesia's digital superhighway. Raia Grid is an AI-powered digital infrastructure platform with an 86,000 km fibre footprint.

SKT deploys AI system for fencing analysis ahead of Asian Games
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 03:24

SKT deploys AI system for fencing analysis ahead of Asian Games

SK Telecom (SKT) has introduced an AI-based fencing analysis system as part of its support for athletes preparing for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The operator said its 'Team SKT' athletes had held a send-off event at the Jincheon National Training Centre ahead of the Games. Eight athletes supported by SK Telecom attended the event, including four fencers, along with athletes competing in weightlifting, swimming, athletics and sport climbing.

InternetNZ-backed programme connects former refugees within days of arrival
NEW ZEALAND 03:23

InternetNZ-backed programme connects former refugees within days of arrival

A five-year digital inclusion programme in New Zealand has provided newly arrived former refugees with internet access and devices as part of their settlement support. Awhi Matihiko, established in 2021, is a collaboration between the Spark Foundation, New Zealand Red Cross, Digital Inclusion Alliance Aotearoa and InternetNZ | Ipurangi Aotearoa. The programme provides families with a year of free internet access through Skinny Jump and a refurbished Chromebook.

GLOBAL 03:21

Apple's September launch puts foldable iPhone and new CEO in focus

Apple will hold its next major product event on 9 September, with the company expected to unveil its iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max alongside its first foldable iPhone. The event will also be the first major product launch under John Ternus, who takes over as Apple CEO on 1 September, replacing Tim Cook.

UNITED KINGDOM 26 AUG

Ofcom consults on revoking code powers from multiple companies

UK regulator Ofcom is consulting on plans to revoke code powers from companies who have informed it that they no longer need code powers and want them to be revoked. This includes companies which have been dissolved or closed, and no longer operate communications networks/services. The consultation closes on 25 September 2026. 

UNITED KINGDOM 26 AUG

Vodafone Business announces new UK partnership with Tech Mahindra

VodafoneThree's enterprise unit, Vodafone Business, has signed an agreement with Tech Mahindra to help UK businesses to accelerate their digital transformation and adopt emerging technology. This will combine Vodafone's enterprise and digital infrastructure with Tech Mahindra's AI-enabled managed services expertise. They will co-develop solutions using private 5G, IoT, automation, AI, cloud and data to help enterprises upgrade operations and boost resilience. 

FRANCE 26 AUG

Altice France reports heavier postpaid net loss in Q2, operating FCF rises on lower capex

SFR parent company Altice France reported another quarter of declining revenue and EBITDA in the three months to June, reflecting customer losses at both its fixed and mobile operations. Across prepaid and postpaid connections, the mobile base declined by just over 1 percent year-on-year to 19.1 million, hurt by net losses of 161,000 and 165,000 in the second and first quarter respectively. The quarterly net loss in the postpaid segment worsened to 84,000, from a comparable drop of 21,000 in the first quart

UNITED STATES 26 AUG

Lumen expands Multi-Cloud Gateway access to over 10 mln locations

Lumen Technologies has extended access to its Multi-Cloud Gateway service, allowing enterprise customers to connect over 10 million business locations across the US to private cloud networking. This expands the Multi-Cloud Gateway service beyond the Lumen fibre network footprint, allowing third-party connected locations access to the same cloud networking environment as Lumen on-net sites.

NETHERLANDS 26 AUG

Dutch watchdog compiles new list of Russian media sites banned in EU

A new list of over 200 Russian media websites subject to EU sanctions has been published by the Consumer and Markets Authority of the Netherlands in an attempt to help internet providers with compliance with the sanctions. The ACM devised the list as part of its enforcement of the EU's net neutrality regulation, which normally prohibits discriminating between different content online in the provision of internet access services. 

CANADA 26 AUG

Cisco rolls out Sovereign Critical Infrastructure offering in Canada

Cisco has announced the launch of its Sovereign Critical Infrastructure offering in Canada. The service can be configured for on-premises and air-gapped deployment if needed, giving government, financial services, healthcare and other critical infrastructure providers more control and flexibility for deploying and operating their own infrastructure. 

UNITED STATES 26 AUG

Meta to pay up to USD 18 bln to settle US states case over social media harm to children

Meta has reached an agreement with public attorneys across the US to settle their claims that its social media services harm children. The Facebook owner agreed to implement new measures to protect children online and pay USD 18 billion to the states to bring an end to the litigation. For up to ten years, the company will impose daily time limits on Instagram and Facebook for children under 18 years old, block the apps at night, mute notifications during school hours, and allow an algorithm-free version of

UNITED STATES 26 AUG

Glo Fiber upgrades Circleville network with XGS-PON technology

Glo Fiber, subsidiary of Shenandoah Telecoms (Shentel), has completed network upgrade work in Circleville, Ohio. This has upgraded the FTTH network to XGS-PON technology, supporting broadband speeds of up to 8 Gbps for households and up to 100 Gbps for businesses. Existing customers can upgrade their plan to multi-gigabit speeds by calling the company. 

NETHERLANDS 26 AUG

Ziggo to replace modems for 11,000 business customers after service issues

Ziggo is moving to replace the modems of around 11,000 business customers following recurring problems. Around 2,000 customers have had no internet connection for several days. The hardware problem cannot be resolved with a remote patch, so the Dutch operator is swapping out the defective equipment for a new modem, the company confirmed to the site Tweakers. 

SWEDEN 26 AUG

Sweden's two-year streaming subscription growth peters out in Q2 - Mediavision

Two years of unbroken growth in streaming subscriptions in Sweden ended in the second quarter of 2026, according to consultancy Mediavision. Subscriptions there had risen sharply throughout 2025 and reached around 11 million by the end of the first quarter of this year. The slowdown came after a period when cheaper, ad-supported subscriptions drove a new wave of increases in the market, but customer profitability and loyalty will gain importance now.

UNITED KINGDOM 26 AUG

Wavenet launches new secure mass communications platform

UK managed services provider Wavenet has introduced a new secure mass communications platform called 'Shadow-Planner Alert' to keep businesses connected during cyber incidents, outages and operational emergencies. The solution will allow businesses to contact employees, response teams and suppliers quickly through a single, auditable system. It operates independently from the main IT environment, allowing security/IT teams to send urgent updates via SMS or e-mail. 

Just In

03:41

Foxtel and Netflix renew multi-year Australian partnership

03:39

SoftBank launches AI service to support teachers in children's mental health

03:38

SKT forms security AI consortium with major Korean cybersecurity companies

03:36

Nifty opens pre-orders for new 5G mobile broadband service

Commentary

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?

23 JUN 09:56

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