IoT connectivity sales up 5% globally in FY25 - Berg Insight
GLOBAL 10:49

IoT connectivity sales up 5% globally in FY25 - Berg Insight

IoT connectivity revenues increased by 5 percent globally in 2025 to hit EUR 14.5 billion, according to Berg Insight's latest dataset. Monthly ARPU fell 7 percent to EUR 0.31, with IoT currently trending at around 1-4 percent of total service revenues in leading mobile operator groups. Cellular IoT connections increased 11 percent to 4.2 billion by end-2025, accounting for roughly 32 percent of total mobile subscriptions. This growth is a little lower than acceleration in cellular IoT module shipments. Berg

TIM Brasil approves BRL 670 million to settle debts at I-Systems and V8.Tech
BRAZIL 10:47

TIM Brasil approves BRL 670 million to settle debts at I-Systems and V8.Tech

TIM Brasil's board of directors has authorised capital injections of up to BRL 670 million into two of its technology and infrastructure subsidiaries. The company will allocate up to BRL 600 million to wholesale fibre operator I-Systems and up to BRL 70 million to IT solutions firm V8.Tech. Funded entirely through TIM's existing cash reserves, the capital deployment's primary purpose is to enable the early settlement of financial obligations at both entities recently fully consolidated by TIM. By prepaying

United Telecoms launches AI voice agent platform for South African businesses
SOUTH AFRICA 10:45

United Telecoms launches AI voice agent platform for South African businesses

South African unified communications provider United Telecoms has launched a new AI voice agent platform. This proprietary platform is built for businesses of all sizes, from large contact centres and corporates to sole proprietors such as plumbers, electricians, and medical practitioners. The platform allows organizations to deploy intelligent voice agents capable of handling live phone calls, qualifying leads, routing inquiries, scheduling appointments, and transferring complex issues to human staff. By a

Cellhire makes new appointments to channel team
UNITED KINGDOM 10:44

Cellhire makes new appointments to channel team

York-based Cellhire, mobile and IoT connectivity specialist, has made four appointments to its channel team to help expand its channel presence and partner network. It has appointed Julia Paterson as Channel Development Manager; Eleanor Langan as Campaign Manager;  Danielle Morris as Channel Development Manager; and Ellie Whytock as Channel Business Development Executive.

South Africa publishes draft mobile spectrum roadmap
SOUTH AFRICA 10:43

South Africa publishes draft mobile spectrum roadmap

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) has published its draft International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) Roadmap 2026 and implementation plans for public comment. The roadmap outlines a five- to ten-year framework for managing and assigning radio frequency spectrum for current and next-generation mobile broadband, including IMT-2030 technologies. Aligned with the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 and the SA Connect Broadband Policy, the initiative aims to bridge the digital

ZOI and Tata Communications agree collaboration on wholesale roaming platform
GLOBAL 10:40

ZOI and Tata Communications agree collaboration on wholesale roaming platform

Zain Omantel International (ZOI) and Tata Communications have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on a next-generation inter-operator roaming platform. The partnership will explore using blockchain technology to modernise the end-to-end roaming lifecycle, streamlining partner management, commercial agreements, reconciliation, settlement, and dispute resolution. Together, ZOI and Tata Communications aim to evaluate a secure, data-driven platform that leverages automation to simplify roa

Crnogorski Telekom launches large 5G bundles for summer holidays
MONTENEGRO 10:37

Crnogorski Telekom launches large 5G bundles for summer holidays

Montenegrin operator Crnogorski Telekom has launched a series of data-rich prepaid and eSIM packages on its 5G network, featuring dedicated regional data allowances for the Western Balkans and Croatia. The plans include 500 GB for 15 days (EUR 15) with 9 GB of regional roaming data; 500 GB for 10 days (EUR 15) with local calls and SMS within Montenegro; 1 TB for 30 days (EUR 20) with 11 GB of regional roaming data; unlimited internet for 30 days (EUR 25) with 15 GB of regional roaming data; and Online Exclu

OXG Glasfaser starts FTTH network build in Essen
GERMANY 10:37

OXG Glasfaser starts FTTH network build in Essen

OXG Glasfaser, fibre network JV between Vodafone Germany and Altice, has started the construction of a new full-fibre network to connect more than 91,300 homes in Essen. The FTTH network is being delivered by construction partners including Kabel X Deutschland, DK Hoch und Tiefbau, and Grund Tief und Kabelbau. It will operated on an open-access model, with households able to select services from a range of ISP partners. 

Lenovo becomes founding partner of Esports World Cup 2026
GLOBAL 10:32

Lenovo becomes founding partner of Esports World Cup 2026

The Esports Foundation (EF) and Lenovo said that the electronics equipment vendor has become a founding partner of the Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC) running in Paris from 06 July until 23 August. The event will welcome more than 2,000 players, 200 esports teams and fans from over 100 countries to compete in 24 games and 25 tournaments for a share of a USD 75 million-plus prize pool. Lenovo brings its latest Legion desktop PCs and monitors to competition arenas, training facilities, broadcast studios and fest

Giffgaff adds over 142,000 mobile customers in 2025, as revenue jumps 5%
UNITED KINGDOM 10:28

Giffgaff adds over 142,000 mobile customers in 2025, as revenue jumps 5%

UK MVNO giffgaff, a subsidiary of Virgin Media O2 operating on the O2 mobile network, has reported revenue of GBP 633.8 million for the 12 months to 31 December 2025, up 5 percent from GBP 605.9 million a year earlier. Accounts filed with Companies House show that it added 142,035 mobile customers in 2025, compared to additions of 100,274 in 2024, to end the year with a total of 4.26 million mobile customers, up from 4.12 million a year earlier. It has also signed up 672 broadband members since the launch o

Baidu, Lyft start testing autonomous ride-hailing platform in London
UNITED KINGDOM 10:18

Baidu, Lyft start testing autonomous ride-hailing platform in London

Baidu has started road testing of the 'Apollo Go' autonomous ride-hailing platform in London with Freenow by Lyft. Testing is starting in the London Borough of Brent with safety operators inside the vehicle. Subject to regulatory approvals, the partners aim to welcome public riders from 2027. This builds on a partnership announced by Baidu and Lyft in 2025 for the latter to roll out Apollo Go autonomous vehicles across several European cities. 

Meta and BlackRock announce 1 GW data centre campus in El Paso
UNITED STATES 10:15

Meta and BlackRock announce 1 GW data centre campus in El Paso

Meta Platforms and BlackRock have announced a venture to develop and own a data centre campus in El Paso, Texas. The campus will have 1 gigawatt of compute capacity and should accelerate progress on AI models as well as support enhancements to the core business. The transaction is expected to close in the coming days and the venture expects to start bringing this capacity online in 2028.

UNITED KINGDOM 10:11

Ofcom to block new Openreach volume offer over competition concerns

UK regulator Ofcom has made a provisional decision to block Openreach's new 'Incremental New to Openreach Offer' to help protect fair competition and keep prices low in the long-term. Ofcom believes that limiting aggressively discounted pricing to specific customers is "nor fair and reasonable", and could damage competition. Ofcom is now proposing to intervene in other offers notified by Openreach. A consultation is open until 27 August, with Ofcom expecting to announce a final decision by end-September. 

UNITED KINGDOM 10:00

VodafoneThree deploys temporary mast for National Eisteddfod festival

VodafoneThree is providing dedicated 4G and 5G coverage across the National Eisteddfod site from 01 August to support the largest cultural festival in Wales. The week-long festival is expected to attract up to 175,000 visitors, with Vodafone using a temporary most mast, or Cell on Wheels (COW), to boost network capacity. 

GLOBAL 09:54

Cato achieves 42% ARR growth in Q2 amid strong demand from large enterprises

Cato Networks has reported annual recurring revenue (ARR) of USD 415 million in the second quarter, an increase of 42 percent year-on-year. The SASE and AI enterprise security provider said sales momentum had crystallised in Q2, driven by material growth in customer accounts with Fortune 500 and Global 2000 businesses. Incremental recurring revenue includes a number of multi-million dollar contracts in telecoms as well as manufacturing, robotics and data analytics. Cato's client base now totals more than 4,

ARGENTINA 09:53

Starlink to connect 6,000 rural schools in Argentina

Argentina's president Javier Milei said the government has reached an agreement with SpaceX's Starlink to provide satellite internet to 6,000 rural schools, as part of efforts to improve connectivity in underserved areas. The announcement was made during the 138th International Livestock, Agriculture and Industry Exhibition in Buenos Aires, where Milei highlighted satellite technology as key to reaching regions where traditional infrastructure is limited or unfeasible.

UNITED STATES 09:50

Boldyn deploys mobile, fibre network for new Chicago Fire FC stadium

Boldyn Networks has been selected by Major League Soccer (MLS) team Chicago Fire FC to design and implement a converged network at its new McDonald's Park stadium. Opening in 2028, this will be an all-year entertainment destination and primary anchor of a new mega-development (The 78) in Chicago's South Loop district.

GERMANY 09:45

Bechtle lifts FY forecasts after Q2 sales rise 16% and pre-tax profit climbs 20%

German IT services provider Bechtle has raised its full year forecasts following significant growth in its business volume and pre-tax earnings in the second quarter. Preliminary figures for Q2 indicate a business volume of around EUR 2.27 billion, up by approximately 18 percent over the second quarter of 2025, broadly supported by every business segment and customer group. Sales reached around EUR 1.73 billion, up by more than 16 percent. The Q2 pre-tax profit climbed by 20 percent to some EUR 80 million a

UNITED STATES 09:41

Telesat GEO to implement Upper C-band transition plan

Telesat GEO, subsidiary of satellite operator Telesat, is planning to implement its Upper C-band transition after the US FCC's adopted its Upper C-band Report and Order. This FCC order creates a framework for reusing 160 MHz of Upper C-band spectrum in the US for next-generation terrestrial wireless services.

NIGERIA 09:32

Dimension Data raises NGN 4 bln in first tranche of NGN 20 bln bond programme

Dimension Data has announced the signing ceremony for the issuance of a NGN 4.05 billion (approximately USD 2.9 million) corporate bond. This is the first tranche under its NGN 20 billion (USD 14.7 million) bond programme, following a successful subscription period for its Series 1 offering. Proceeds from the issue will go toward expanding DiData's fibre-optic infrastructure to keep pace with Nigeria's growing demand for high-speed digital connectivity.

PORTUGAL 09:30

Vodafone Portugal wraps up tech pilots funded by EU recovery plan

Vodafone Portugal announced it has finalized 71 technological pilot projects conducted with support from the European Union's Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), collaborating with local startups, SMEs, and innovation partners to test and commercialize emerging digital solutions. The majority of these initiatives (61) were developed through the Vodafone Boost Lab Test Bed, a consortium alongside Capgemini and Ericsson that surpassed its initial target of 59 pilots. Leveraging Vodafone's 5G, edge computing a

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 09:28

BH Telecom reports strongest H1 in over a decade

Bosnia and Herzegovina operator BH Telecom reported BAM 275.2 million in revenue for the first half of 2026, a 12-year high. The company realised a 12 percent increase in gross profit to BAM 42.7 million, marking its best half-year earnings in 11 years. Efficiency improvements and tighter cost management helped reduce total expenses by BAM 2.4 million, pushing EBITDA up 5 percent to BAM 88.3 million. Backed by cash reserves exceeding BAM 413 million, BH Telecom said it maintains a robust financial position

INDONESIA 09:28

XLSmart offers 6-month access to Google Gemini Plus Package for XL, Axis, Smartfren subscribers

Indonesian operator XLSmart has launched a Google Gemini Plus offer for subscribers to its XL, Axis, and Smartfren brands. XL, Axis, and Smartfren customers with receive six months of access to the Google Gemini Plus Package when they purchase qualifying internet packages. The offer is designed to support customers' learning, work, creative activities, and digital productivity.

URUGUAY 09:15

Antel to invest over USD 750 mln in AI, fibre expansion by 2030

Uruguayan state-owned operator Antel said it plans to invest more than USD 750 million between 2025 and 2030 to expand infrastructure, deploy AI capabilities and strengthen digital services, its president Alejandro Paz announced at the company's 52nd anniversary.

Just In

10:49

IoT connectivity sales up 5% globally in FY25 - Berg Insight

10:47

TIM Brasil approves BRL 670 million to settle debts at I-Systems and V8.Tech

10:45

United Telecoms launches AI voice agent platform for South African businesses

10:44

Cellhire makes new appointments to channel team

Commentary

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

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KPN: the art of making one-offs structural

4 MEI 14:25

Open Dutch Fiber outlook: time to restart roll-out?

Background

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19 JUL 23:41

The week in telecom: OnePlus exits tough smartphone market and Apple takes on OpenAI

12 JUL 23:30

The week in telecom: European telcos take shape as Xavier Niel buys more of Vodafone, Telenor expands in Sweden

5 JUL 23:03

The week in telecom: Comcast gives up on vertical integration, BT and Verizon agree global alliance