This week has seen the reported launch of 16 broadband internet satellites into low Earth orbit by Russian aerospace company Bureau 1440. News reports are calling this the country’s first operational step towards building a domestic satellite network.

MTN has announced plans to wind down its super app Ayoba, after the platform struggled to gain meaningful traction across its African markets.

Mobile money transactions have surged to US$2 trillion globally, doubling in value over the past four years, according to the GSMA.

IFC, a global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets and a member of the World Bank Group (WBG), has announced an investment to expand clean and reliable power for telecom networks in three African countries.

Brazil-based RW Telecom has rebranded as Conecta Infra with the launch of a new neutral optical infrastructure platform that aims to connect data centre hubs across South America.

Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is reportedly planning to establish tighter regulatory oversight over the country’s fast-growing data centre market.

Digicel Samoa announced on Tuesday it’s teamed up with Euronet Worldwide subsidiary Ria Money Transfer to enable people outside of Samoa to transfer money to Digicel’s MyCash mobile wallets.

M-Pesa Ethiopia, the digital financial services arm of operator Safaricom Ethiopia, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Amhara National Regional State Revenue Bureau to enable taxpayers in the region to conveniently pay their taxes using the M-Pesa platform.

Princeton Digital Group (PDG), which develops and operates data centres in Singapore, Japan, India, Indonesia, China, Malaysia and South Korea, has announced a strategic multi-site acquisition in India that adds 210 MW of capacity to its current platform.

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has received regulatory approval to merge its subsidiary, Pak Telecom Mobile Limited (PTML), with Telenor Pakistan, following its recent acquisition of the operator.

Turkcell a leading service provider in Turkey, says it has signed a landmark US$1 billion syndicated international Murabaha financing agreement with 14 banks.

As cybersecurity threats continue to grow in size and seriousness throughout Africa, a new initiative has been launched in Rwanda that aims to build Africa’s cyber resilience.

Two Zimbabwean companies, Hurudza AI and Paltech Africa, have announced a strategic partnership to launch The Farmers’ Bench, an AI-powered solution aimed at transforming access to agricultural knowledge across Zimbabwe and beyond.

Late last week saw the opening of what is described as the largest commercial space component and sub-systems manufacturing site on the African continent.

Cambodian telco Cellcard revealed on Friday it has signed an MoU with local ride-hailing firm PassApp, which will leverage Cellcard’s 5G network to enhance the travel experience for its drivers and passengers.

Vodafone Idea (Vi) and state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) have reportedly kicked off discussions on ways to share infrastructure and spectrum as a way to save costs and potentially speed up 5G rollouts for both operators.

Digital infrastructure operator BW Digital announced on Friday that it has successfully landed the Hawaiki Tonga subsea cable in Vava’u, giving Tonga extra international capacity as well as needed resilience.

Philippine broadband provider Converge ICT Solutions inaugurated a new 12MW data centre inaugurated in Angeles City, Pampanga on Friday as it also announced the completion of its national digital infrastructure buildout.

Vodacom Lesotho is investing more than US$40 million (LSL 700 million) to upgrade its network infrastructure and expand connectivity, as it looks to improve service quality and extend coverage to underserved areas.

Globe Telecom has expanded its LTE and 5G footprint in the Philippine province of Tarlac, as it moves to meet rising demand for faster and more reliable connectivity.

Indonesian telco Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison says it will utilise Nvidia’s latest Nemotron open models as part of its ambition to spread AI accessibility to all corners of the country.

Nokia announced on Thursday it has successfully completed a project with Turkcell that leverages AI analytics to enable a data-driven and proactive management approach to its fixed network operations.

Jazz, Zong and Ufone officially received their 5G licences from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Thursday, after which Jazz and Zong immediately launched 5G services in various capital cities and metro hubs.

Smart Communications is encouraging its postpaid subscribers to adopt auto debit arrangements (ADA), as it looks to simplify bill payments and accelerate the shift towards digital channels.

América Móvil plans to invest US$597 million in Ecuador over the next three years through its Claro unit, as it looks to strengthen coverage and services amid growing competition from Millicom’s recent entry into the market.

Millicom has pledged to invest US$1 billion in Honduras over the next five years through its Tigo Honduras unit, as it looks to deepen its push into digital services and extend connectivity to more remote areas.