Open RAN (O-RAN) has long been touted as a disruptive technology in mobile infrastructure with the concept of splitting the RAN into three components, encouraging a more modular architecture that claims to improve operator bottom lines.

Around 3.1 billion people are not connected to the internet despite living in coverage areas, highlighting a massive global usage gap.

Malaysian operator U Mobile launched Device Care, a subscription service that allows postpaid and business customers to swap their smartphones for a different model, brand, or colour from MYR4 ($1) per month.

Connectivity solutions provider iBASIS has acquired Telstra International’s wholesale voice, mobile, and messaging customer contracts in a move to expand its footprint across the Asia-Pacific.

UPDATE: The BBC has reported that Nepal has lifted a social media ban, which sparked protests and led to clashes with police that left at least 19 people dead and injured more than 100 others.

Nokia has announced that it has been selected by Indian next-generation connectivity solutions provider Vortex Group to modernise its IP edge and transport network across the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat in the west of India, and Goa in the southwest.

Thai operator True Corporation has partnered with China Mobile International, T3 Technology and Tuya Smart to enhance its smart-home platform TrueX, aiming to migrate more than 3 million Thai users from Tuya’s ecosystem.

Techno Digital, the digital infrastructure arm of India’s Techno Electric & Engineering Company Limited (TEECL), has announced the inauguration of its 36MW data centre at SIPCOT IT Park in Chennai.

Digicel Tonga announced that CEO Daniel Horan will step down from his role next month after just two years, citing personal reasons.

A statement from Vietnam's Ministry of Science and Technology, following a meeting this week between a minister and a Project Kuiper representative, indicates that Amazon is aiming to deploy its Kuiper satellite services in Vietnam.

Two Malaysian companies, clean energy solutions provider Gentari, the renewable energy arm of Malaysian oil and gas company Petronas, and construction and engineering company Gamuda, through its energy arm Gamuda Energy, have entered into a data centre-focused energy collaboration.

Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, is to launch the country’s first-ever 191 Emergency Location Service (ELS), a strategic collaboration between the Patrol and Special Operations Division of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, leading mobile operator AIS, and global technology giant Google. As its name suggests, the service will automatically provide precise location data from callers.

Malaysia operator CelcomDigi announced CEO Datuk Idham Nawawi (pictured) will step down from the market leader, citing personal reasons.

Philippines-based challenger operator Dito Telecommunity has partnered with Rakuten-owned messaging app Viber to offer zero-rated plans on the platform, aiming to strengthen its competitiveness and attract new customers.

Indian operator Vodafone Idea (Vi) has announced a strategic collaboration with tech giant IBM to help streamline operations, improve service reliability, enhance the customer experience, and accelerate the seamless delivery of digital initiatives, using artificial intelligence (AI) and the implementation of a unified DevOps execution model fuelled by automation.

State-owned telecom service provider BSNL has enjoyed a couple of decent headlines in the past week, unlike its much smaller sister company MTNL, whose financial woes seem to be worsening.

In a move that, unlike some regulatory initiatives, may actually prove popular with mobile operators and consumers, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued a manual to aid in the assessment of digital connectivity in properties.

Pixxel, an Indian space technology company, has announced that a consortium it leads, along with partners Dhruva Space, PierSight and SatSure, has been selected by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) to design, build, own, and operate a national Earth observation constellation under a public-private partnership (PPP) framework.

A busy week for telecommunications news in Vietnam has seen yet another agreement between a state-owned Vietnamese business and a major Korean company, along with the launch of a terrestrial fibre optic cable directly connecting Vietnam to Singapore.

LG CNS, a Korean information technology solutions provider and part of multinational conglomerate LG Group, has announced plans to construct a hyperscale artificial intelligence data centre in Vietnam. This announcement follows hard on the heels of news that the company has secured a data centre deal in Indonesia.

The role of ICT in business efficiency has been in the news in Vietnam recently with plans announced for a national database dedicated to construction activities and news of the launch of SAP Labs Vietnam.

Chinese LEO satellite operator Geespace reportedly launched another batch of 11 LEO satellites into orbit on Saturday, bringing it past the halfway point of the first phase of its planned constellation.

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH) partnered with Indonesia’s Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs (Kominfo) to launch an AI-powered solution designed to protect citizens from the growing threat of digital fraud.

Malaysian clean energy solutions provider Gentari and cloud services giant Amazon Web Services (AWS) have signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for an 80MW wind power project in Tamil Nadu, India, a state on the south-eastern coast of the Indian peninsula.

Indian state-owned operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), an oil and gas refinery in Assam in northeastern India, have signed what they call a landmark memorandum of understanding (MoU) relating to private network provision.

Xtelify, a fully owned subsidiary of Indian operator Bharti Airtel that houses Airtel’s digital assets and capabilities, has announced the launch of what it describes as a sovereign, telco-grade cloud platform called Airtel Cloud, along with software platform deals in a number of territories.

Nxtra by Airtel, a data centre-focused subsidiary of Indian technology giant Bharti Airtel Limited, and Indian renewable energy transition company AMPIN Energy Transition say they have strengthened their partnership.

Provider of integrated information and communication technology solutions ZTE Corporation has announced the successful completion of what it calls a landmark nationwide deployment in collaboration with Pakistan-based digital operator Jazz.

India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has set up ambitious targets to achieve 100% population coverage with 4G and 90% coverage with 5G, according to a draft of the country’s National Telecom Policy 2025, now being circulated for public consultation.

Philippines-based challenger operator Dito Telecommunity has reached 15 million mobile subscribers, four years after launching commercial services.

China is reportedly planning to build a network to connect thousands of new data centres in the country with the aim of selling the excess compute power and alleviating a capacity glut.