Dialog Axiata launches 5G network, connects 1.5 million subscribers
SRI LANKA 16:19

Dialog Axiata launches 5G network, connects 1.5 million subscribers

Sri Lanka operator Dialog Axiata has commercially launched its Dialog 5G Ultra service. Dialog says its 5G network is powered by over 220 live 5G sites serving 1.5 million subscribers. Dialog secured a 100 MHz spectrum block in the 3500 MHz frequency band and a 200 MHz block in the 27 GHz band at the recently 5G spectrum auction held by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL).

UK govt to ban AI-enabled nudification apps to protect women, girls
UNITED KINGDOM 15:56

UK govt to ban AI-enabled nudification apps to protect women, girls

The UK government is planning new laws to band AI-enabled nudification tools to protect women and girls from deepfake abuse. These tools use GenAI to turn images of real people into fake nude videos/pictures without their consent. The new laws are part of the government's strategy to combat violence against women and girls (VAWG). 

3 UK launches last-minute Christmas sale
UNITED KINGDOM 15:42

3 UK launches last-minute Christmas sale

3 UK has launched a last-minute Christmas sales, with offers on the latest phones, SIM plans and Home Broadband available from 18 December 2025 to 07 January 2026. For example, customers can save up to GBP 144 on the iPhone 17 Pro with unlimited data, calls and texts from GBP 40 upfront and GBP 58 per month (GBP 26 airtime and GBP 32 per month device plan).

TNT Sports replaces BBC as live broadcast partner for Commonwealth Games
UNITED KINGDOM 15:34

TNT Sports replaces BBC as live broadcast partner for Commonwealth Games

Warner Bros Discovery has signed a deal with Commonwealth Sport for the exclusive UK live broadcast and digital media rights for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The deal will see TNT Sports provide more than 600 hours of coverage of the games in the UK & Ireland, with every event and sport streaming on HBO Max. The 2026 Commonwealth Games will take place from 23 July-02 August, with 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories competing to win 215 gold medals.

Kenya Space Agency and Dedan Kimathi University of Technology sign research deal
KENYA 14:12

Kenya Space Agency and Dedan Kimathi University of Technology sign research deal

The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) and Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (DeKUT) have agreed to strengthen their partnership to promote research, education and innovation in space technologies. They seek to inspire young people to take an interest in space-related careers and use space science to solve everyday problems. Key areas of cooperation include sharing knowledge and expertise, establishing a research centre of excellence at DeKUT, and developing artificial intelligence technologies to support Kenya'

Bechtle strikes cloud partnerships with Deutsche Telekom, Arvato
GERMANY 14:06

Bechtle strikes cloud partnerships with Deutsche Telekom, Arvato

German IT services provider Bechtle signed two new partnership agreements with Deutsche Telekom and Arvato Systems to further expand its multi-cloud portfolio. Under the agreement, Bechtle will provide to customers Telekom's public cloud platform Open Telekom Cloud. Bechtle has also added the Arvato Systems Private Cloud to its offering, designed for organisations with strict data protection and compliance requirements.

Open Fiber launches FTTH in nine L'Aquila localities
ITALY 14:06

Open Fiber launches FTTH in nine L'Aquila localities

Italian wholesale-only operator Open Fiber said it has completed the cabling of its FTTH infrastructure in several new localities in the central L'Aquila region. Over 5,500 homes, commercial premises and offices in Acciano, Castel di Ieri, Fagnano Alto, Fontecchio, Gagliano Aterno, Goriano Sicoli, Molina Aterno, Secinaro, and Tione degli Abruzzi have been connected to the fibre network, allowing residents and businesses to access the internet at speeds of up to 2.5 Gbps via operator partners.

Telefonica Germany adds RedCap to 5G Plus Pack, forms AI partnership with Capgemini
GERMANY 14:04

Telefonica Germany adds RedCap to 5G Plus Pack, forms AI partnership with Capgemini

Telefonica Germany is offering RedCap in combination with its 5G Plus Pack until December next year. Customers can add RedCap free of charge to existing mobile contracts and benefit for an unlimited amount of time if they book the option between 17 December 2025 and 15 December 2026. Users can activate the 5G Plus Pack including RedCap for all 5G Plus-enabled O2 mobile plans on the Mein O2 app, on the Mein O2 customer portal under "Bookable Data Options", by calling the service hotline or in O2 shops.

French spectrum agency sets higher vigilance threshold for RF exposure
FRANCE 13:58

French spectrum agency sets higher vigilance threshold for RF exposure

France's spectrum agency ANFR has raised the limit at which radio frequency (RF) exposure measurements are classified as 'atypical' from 6 V/m to 9 V/m. This follows the consultation launched in July to gather stakeholders' views on the proposal. Changing this vigilance threshold level does not affect the maximum RF exposure limits that mobile equipment must comply with, which remain set by current regulations at between 28 V/m and 61 V/m depending on the frequency.

Tusass starts DKK 2 mln per annum sponsorship scheme for worthy causes
GREENLAND 13:56

Tusass starts DKK 2 mln per annum sponsorship scheme for worthy causes

Greenlandic operator Tusass has announced a new policy to allocate up to DKK 2 million annually for sponsorships to support education, health, social inclusion and culture. It is taking online applications for sums between DKK 100,000 and DKK 1.00 million until 31 January 2026, with the possibility of long-term partnerships.

Telefonica activates voice over 5G calls nationwide
SPAIN 13:50

Telefonica activates voice over 5G calls nationwide

Telefonica has officially launched Voice over New Radio (VoNR) technology on its 5G standalone (SA) network in Spain, claiming to be the first operator to do so nationwide. The operator said VoNR delivers substantially improved voice quality with greater clarity and stability while allowing users to make calls alongside data-intensive activities such as high-definition video streaming and cloud gaming.

Advania wins IT equipment contract from Norwegian police
NORWAY 13:37

Advania wins IT equipment contract from Norwegian police

Advania has announced a contract from the Norwegian police force for the supply of personal computers including Macs, as well as mobile phones and tablets, and other related equipment. The company said it was chosen because its bid provided the best quality. Advania director for public service business Trym Merg welcomed the police's policy of applying pricing mechanisms that take climate and environmental considerations into account when purchasing, using and disposing of IT equipment.

GLOBAL 13:22

Sequans completes share buyback programme and launches another

Sequans announced the completion of its share buyback programme and has launched another repurchase scheme, having bought back over 1.5 million NYSE-listed American Depositary Shares (ADS) at an average price of USD 6.17, including fees and commissions. Following the repurchases, the French cellular IoT module and chipsets vendor has around 14.5 million shares outstanding, down 9.7 percent from previously. The figure rises to 15.5 million depositary shares if factoring in certain warrants issued by Sequans

RUSSIAN FEDERATION 13:20

Telegram, Twitch, Pinterest, TikTok find in Russia for violating social media content rules

A court of the Taganka municipal district in the city of Moscow fined Telegram, Twitch and Pinterest RUB 6 million each, reports Interfax and Tass. The court also imposed a RUB 4 million fine on TikTok. The companies were fined for not complying with requirements from the federal telecommunications regulator Roskomadzor for social media to monitor content posted by their users against local legal requirements and to promptly remove illegal content. If the violations continue, the regulator may consider bann

ITALY 13:17

Italy business and consumer morale rise again in December

Italy's business confidence rose again in December, while consumer confidence rebounded from the previous month's fall, according to the latest report from national statistics office Istat. Overall business confidence across the manufacturing, retail, construction and services sectors climbed to 96.5 from 96.1 in November, the highest reading since March 2024, led mainly by a surge in market services sentiment from 97.8 to 100.0.

FINLAND 13:15

Digita deploys 5G private network at Outokumpu's Kemi mine

Digita said it will deploy a 5G private network for Outokumpu's Kemi mine to enable digitisation and automation there. The benefits are consistent coverage and capacity throughout the mine, support for live video to assess rock quality and optimise production, better occupational safety, support for drones and remotely controlled equipment, and progress towards increasing automation.

FINLAND 13:05

Traficom announces new sender ID rules from May 2026 to curb scam SMS

Finnish transport and communications agency Traficom has announced new rules from 04 May 2026 requiring telecom operators to ensure that text messages correctly identify the sender. The aim is to curb sender ID spoofing for criminal purposes. When a recipient receives an SMS that appears genuinely to have come from a government agency or bank, the likelihood of successful fraud increases, Traficom said.

NORWAY 12:48

Nkom starts talks with commercial mobile operators over developing new emergency network

Norwegian telecoms regulator Nkom said it has begun talks with the nation's mobile operators to discuss setting up the new Nodnett emergency network due to go on air in 2031. The current Nodnett has about 150,000 users and runs on its own, independent infrastructure, but the replacement one will use the commercial mobile networks. Earlier this year, the government decided to move Nodnett preparations from the Directorate for Civil Protection & Emergency Preparedness (DSB) to Nkom. 

AFRICA 12:41

Bayobab hires Seacom manager as regional MD for South and East Africa

MTN Digital Infrastructure, trading as Bayobab, announced the appointment of Sajid Ahmad Khan as regional managing director for South and East Africa, effective 05 January 2026. In this role, Khan will oversee Bayobab's operations across the region, while directly leading the Bayobab Kenya business.

ITALY 12:37

DHH completes EUR 8 mln capital hike

Milan-based data centre services provider DHH International said it has successfully completed an accelerated bookbuilding procedure involving a total of 354,916 shares, of which 324,916 were newly issued, for a total value of EUR 8.16 million. The price incorporates a premium of around 11 percent compared to the weighted average of the official prices recorded in the 30 days prior to the start date of the procedure.

GLOBAL 12:36

AOI launches 400 milliwatt pump laser targeting silicon photonics and CPO

Applied Optoelectronics (AOI) has introduced a 400 milliwatt narrow-linewidth pump laser for silicon photonic applications and co-packaged optics in AI data centres. The pump laser is designed to drive optical power budgets in 800G and 1.6 Tbps data centre systems, while averting signal losses and staying within thermal limits associated with nearby silicon circuits in switch devices. AOI's product maintains 400 mW optical power at up to 50 degrees Celsius. It is currently sampling with select customers ahe

NORTH AMERICA 12:35

Dubber lures tier-1 North American contract for AI-enabled mobile voice recordings

Australia-based Dubber, provider of enterprise-grade call recording technology, has secured a contract with an unnamed North American telco to supply mobile voice recording and AI-based conversation analytics. The deal will initially run for five years, and Dubber expects to receive an initial payment worth around AUD 4.6 million (USD 3.1 million) by end-Q3 2026. This initial sum includes a licence for the Dubber Cloud Recorder platform, as well as on-going maintenance and support services for the initial f

INDIA 12:34

Realme 16 Pro handset set for India launch on 06 January

Realme's 16 Pro series handset will commence sales to Indian consumers on 06 January. The full list of specifications will be published at a launch event in January. At this stage, Realme has not confirmed the size of the battery, but says it should be sufficient for 9.3 hours of usage in gaming-oriented sessions, or up to 125 hours of audio streams on Spotify. The handset contains an "industry-leading" Snapdragon chipset which will also be specified closer to launch. Realme is a leading contender in the In

LIBYA 12:33

Comarch signs new BSS proof of concept pact with Hatif for fibre broadband

Comarch, Hatif Libya and Makman Technology Consulting have signed a Proof of Concept (PoC) agreement in Tripoli focused on validating selected Business Support System (BSS) capabilities supporting fibre-based broadband services. The new PoC follows an OSS pilot project contract signed earlier in 2025.

Just In

16:19

Dialog Axiata launches 5G network, connects 1.5 million subscribers

15:56

UK govt to ban AI-enabled nudification apps to protect women, girls

15:42

3 UK launches last-minute Christmas sale

15:34

TNT Sports replaces BBC as live broadcast partner for Commonwealth Games

Commentary

13:56

Video market set for slower growth ahead

11:38

Netflix buys Warner Bros to deepen content catalogue

11:11

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

15:26

Stock markets breaking records but what happened to Odido's IPO plans?

Background

01:04

The week in telecom: Wi-Fi bolt-ons take off to boost broadband growth, video market works on consolidation

01:39

The week in telecom: Netflix wins bidding for Warner Bros, Apple poaches new execs, Samsung debuts trifold

13:51

Proximus vs. Telenet: Proximus performs better in Q3 while Telenet uses up cash

14:16

Proximus Domestic still struggling with low margins