All Tech News

The largest mobile network operator in Sri Lanka Dialog Axiata has selected the messaging app Rakuten Viber as an international Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging platform.

Eastern Europe is in the data centre news again, thanks to a new deal planned for Poland and potential investment by a recently established fund in even more data centres across the region.

Operator Africell, which already has a presence in Sierra Leone, The Gambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, has announced plans to deploy a brand-new 5G-ready network in Angola with the help of vendor Nokia.

Mobile operator Orange Mali announced the launch of a 5G pilot in Mali's capital Bamako, inviting customers to be the first to test the new network.

Publicly-listed Filipino telecom, media, and tech conglomerate Now Corporation has increased its stake in affiliate, Now Telecom Company Inc. (NTCI), to prepare for the global post-pandemic turnaround.

Spanish telecommunications tower operator Cellnex has closed the acquisition of the Polish infrastructure company Polkomtel Infrastruktura for some 1.6 billion euros after receiving the green light from Poland's competition watchdog UOKiK.

Network upgrades and expansions in developing regions are very much in the news again – this time through a Millicom announcement involving some of its key Latin American markets and through plans from Hormuud Telecom in Somalia to bring 4G coverage to rural areas.

Brazilian telecom operator Mhnet has finalised the purchase of three regional ISPs -Optinet, Frosinet, and GW Telecom - and expanded its presence. The value of the business was not revealed.

Indian telecom operator Vodafone Idea Limited, doing business as Vi, is engaging with private equity giants TPG Global, Apollo Global, and Carlyle Group to sell You Broadband along with fibre and data centre assets to raise US$1 billion.

Grain Management, a private equity firm focused on digital infrastructure, has acquired Conexao Group, a Brazilian alternative high-speed internet service provider (ISP) operating in the Northeast and Southeast regions of Brazil, from ACON Investments, a private equity firm.

Within the first half of 2021, Cambodia’s Smart Axiata has deployed over 300 new base stations to extend its 4G coverage across nine provinces.

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) has launched a plan to build a network of large-scale data centres across the kingdom. The aim is to attract $18 billion worth of investment by 2030 as part of a drive to transform Saudi Arabia into the main data centre hub for the region.

Pan-African data centre developer and operator Raxio Group is establishing a carrier-neutral data centre in Mozambique.

The Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) is forecasted to have 62 million 5G mobile subscriptions by the end of 2026, representing about 73% of all mobile connections, the second-highest in the world after North America where the adoption rate will be 84%, said a study.

Orange Poland (Orange Polska) has transferred to its joint venture Swiatlowod Inwesticje (Fibre-Optic Investments) fibre connections covering around 672,000 households, as the new company starts operations.

Zain Bahrain, the Mobile Broadband network operator in the kingdom, has selected Ericsson to expand its 4G and 5G coverage as well as introduce 5G low-band (sub-6GHz FDD) and mid-band (sub-6GHz TDD) carrier aggregation.

Smart Communications, a leading mobile services provider in the Philippines, and AST SpaceMobile, which is building a space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by mobile phones, have signed a memorandum of understanding.

Cash-strapped Indian telco Vodafone Idea, rebranded as Vi, is planning to ease its financial woes by selling its fixed-line broadband subsidiary, optic fibre unit, and data centres business.

Russia’s largest wireless carrier Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) has bought GDTs Energy Group for RUB 5.2 billion (USD 71 million), including net debt.

Following hard on the heels of its launch of Hype – the in-browser chat service for Opera Mini users – in a number of African countries, global internet brand Opera has now added interest-based social clubs to the fast-growing chat service.

According to a recent announcement from the country’s telecoms regulator, Subtel, Chile will be the first country in Latin America to be served by Starlink, a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet constellation described (on its website) as ideally suited for areas of the globe where connectivity has typically been a challenge.

Vanuatu’s Telecommunications Radiocommunications and Broadcasting Regulator (TRBR) has confirmed that Digicel Vanuatu, Vodafone Vanuatu and WanTok Network will participate in the second stage rollout of its Universal Access Policy (UAP).

Telecommunications company Telefonica, whose operations in Brazil are branded as ‘Vivo’, has announced that the neutral fibre network operator FiBrasil has officially started operating in the country.

As 5G customers are on the rise on the back of continuing efforts to make the technology more available and accessible in the Philippines, Globe Telecom said it expects a faster rollout of fifth-generation technology in the country.

Singapore’s Ascendas Property Fund Trustee Pte. Ltd, the trustee-manager of Ascendas India Trust (a-iTrust), will build data centres in India and invest around INR 1,200 crore (USD 161 million) to develop phase one of its first data centre campus in the country.

An interesting, and apparently continent-wide, communications deal has been announced involving the Pan African Postal Union (PAPU) and Spanish technology services company Lleida.net.

A reminder of the growing importance of smart mobile devices to African broadcasters has come with the announcement by streaming giant Netflix of a new mobile-only subscription plan for its mobile device-using audience in sub-Saharan Africa.

Sri Lankan operator Dialog Axiata has switched on its 4000th LTE network tower as it takes strides towards boosting rural connectivity nationwide.

Liquid Technologies has partnered with Facebook to build an extensive long haul and metro fibre network in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The UAE’s du has partnered with Wipro to launch a new multi-cloud platform offering management and migration capabilities.

The largest Chilean telecommunications company Entel reached an agreement with Ericsson which will pave the way for the launch of 5G and IoT services.

Brazilian telecommunications company Embratel is using Wi-Fi 6 technology for projects in several segments, such as industry and retail, with plans to expand into healthcare and finance as well, said local media reports.