Bhutan’s population will soon have access to real time healthcare services via a partnership between the Royal Government of Bhutan, Regal Information Technology and Orange Business Services...

The Patagonian district of Tierra del Fuego will be the site of new manufacturing facilities for the assembly of mobile phones and other wireless devices, following the signing of a letter of intent between distribution specialist Celistics and Cooperative ‘Renacer’...

India’s telecom authorities have reportedly been instructed to ban operators from offering Nokia’s push email services until a system for monitoring its data has been established...

Mexico’s Federal Competition Commission (CFC) has issued a US$1 billion fine to the Mexican branch of America Movil for “monopolistic practices”...

The telecoms regulator of the UAE has gone ahead with the decision to prohibit certain corporate email services offered by Research In Motion, creator of the BlackBerry...

The Packet Transport Network vendor Orckit-Corrigent has established a new research and development branch in the southern Indian city of Chennai...

One of the global telecommunications industry’s highest-profile manufacturers is reportedly on the verge of increasing its presence in Brazil with an investment of billions of dollars...

India’s telecoms regulatory system has come under fire following the 2G licensing scandal that shocked the sector. Many observers have dismissed the framework as antiquated, but this looks set to change, with Telecoms Minister Kapil Sibal revealing several new policies which he aims to enshrine in the country’s new regulatory bill...

Despite the fact that no licences have been issued, two Lebanese operators – MTC and Alfa – have taken steps towards launching 3G services, in a move which has prompted several operators to pursue legal action against them...

In an apparent challenge to the dominance of America Movil, Mexico’s media firm Grupo Televisa has acquired a 50% stake in the country’s third largest operator, Iusacell. Shareholders of both firms will have “equal corporate governance” over the resulting entity...

There could be trouble ahead for Vodafone’s proposed buyout of joint venture partner Essar, as the Indian operator is demanding more for its 33% stake than the pre-agreed fee of US$5 billion – allegedly US$600 to US$700 million...

The largest mobile operator in the Americas, Claro, has implemented a new Dynamic SIM Allocation (DSA) solution to help streamline its SIM card supply chain logistics and optimise its telephone number inventory...

India’s three major state-owned telecoms firms have been advised by the country’s government to merge...

The ITU has announced the launch of a new digital literacy partnership with Philippines-based NGO telecentre.org Foundation that over the next 18 months will train one million unskilled women to use computers and modern information and communication technology (ICT) applications to improve their livelihoods...

After Kazakhstan's mobile market delivered annual growth of 36% in 2008, the 2009 year saw a major slowdown in the market with net growth almost negligible...

The final draft of South Africa’s spectrum allocation process reportedly features a previously mooted clause relating to those who have come to be termed ‘historically disadvantaged individuals’, or HDIs...

The mobile entertainment industry in India is witnessing significant growth, with forecasts predicting that it will reach $4.9 billion in 2015 from $1.2 billion in 2009, growing at a CAGR of 26% in the period 2009-2015...

The largest shareholder in India’s Idea Cellular, the Aditya Birla Group, is reportedly looking to sell a stake in the Indian operator to MTN...

The total number of global mobile subscriptions at the end of 2010 was 5.5 billion. Of this total, the Asia-Pacific region accounted for a whopping 53% (2.9 billion)...

With three potential candidates dropping out of the running in the last few days, the bidding race for Syria’s third mobile licence has come down to two competitors – Saudi Arabian STC and Qatar’s Qtel...

A new Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between two market-leading operators in Asia. China Mobile and South Korean SK Telecom (SKT) have agreed to pool their resources and develop next-generation networks, operating systems, M2M services and applications...

The past weekend marked the first formal charges brought against Indian firms involved in the country’s 2G licensing scandal, with shares of Unitech Wireless and Reliance Communications falling as a result...

After a well-publicised deterioration in relations, Vodafone has announced that it will acquire Essar’s 33% stake in the two firms’ Indian mobile joint venture for US$5 billion...

A major operator in the Philippines is set to purchase a controlling stake in one of its rivals...

Two West African countries are the focus of recent market reports, and encouragingly both have healthy mobile sectors...

Iraq’s largest mobile operator, Zain Iraq, is expanding its voice and data services to the governorates of the Kurdistan region. This expansion is the first phase of the company’s plan to cover all areas in the Northern provinces...

Tajikistan's telecommunications infrastructure was arguably the least developed of all the former Soviet republics. With a telecom network that was at near total collapse, the government has had the daunting task of bringing it up to modern standards...

Following a bribery charge, a Malaysian operator has prohibited international vendor Alcatel-Lucent from involvement in any contracts, tenders and joint ventures for the next year...

The growth of mobile services is a key part of extending the benefits of communications in emerging markets. It is also essential for mobile operators looking for new services to differentiate their offering and generate new income. Mobile banking has been one of the big success stories in the last few years. Now attention is turning to other areas in the financial area. One of these areas is mobile insurance...

Cameroon's economic growth has lagged behind other countries in the region, and this is mirrored by the development of its telecommunications sector...

One of the six GCC countries, Oman has a GDP per capita at a similar level to that of Saudi Arabia but with a much smaller population...

A lengthy saga has finally come to a close, with Etisalat announcing that it is no longer aiming to purchase a controlling stake in the Kuwaiti firm Zain...

Following on from the announcement that acquisition laws could be relaxed, India’s Department of Telecom is reportedly considering further overhauls to the country’s telecoms regulations that would favour equipment manufactured in India...