Smart utilities are again in the news after InfraX, a subsidiary of Digital DEWA, the digital arm of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, and technology giant Ericsson recently announced that they had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to accelerate the digital transformation of the utility sector in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Wingu Africa, a specialist provider of carrier-neutral, Tier III-standard data centres in East Africa, has entered a strategic partnership with Africa Data Centres, which operates the continent’s largest network of interconnected facilities.

MTN said on Friday it has migrated its Enterprise Value Analytics (EVA) platform in South Africa to Microsoft Azure, which it says will give the telco greater agility and intelligence in how it uses data to enhance customer experience, improve operational efficiency, and enable responsible AI deployment.

Ukrainian telco Kyivstar said on Friday that it’s preparing to expand its testing of Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell (D2C) satellite service to all areas of Ukraine, apart from border zones, temporarily occupied territories and areas where fighting is happening amid the ongoing invasion by Russia.

Qatar-based Ooredoo Group announced it is collaborating with Ericsson-led open network API joint venture Aduna to make its open network APIs available to businesses across the MENA region and around the world via the Aduna platform.

Telecom Fiji and Solomon Telekom announced on Friday that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen technical cooperation and support skills development in the telecoms field.

Mozambique’s government has made 5G coverage compulsory in all provincial capitals, while scrapping its earlier plan to auction spectrum licences to mobile operators.

There is a shortage of high-quality teaching in schools across the globe, but a new, innovative model is equipping teachers with the tools they need to prepare the next generation of minds.

Indonesian data centre firm NeutraDC Nxera Batam announced on Thursday it has topped off its new hyperscale data centre in the Kabil industrial estate in Batam, and has also secured Tier III design certification from the Uptime Institute.

Reliance Industries announced on Thursday that its AI arm Reliance Intelligence has struck a partnership with Google Cloud that will, among other things, give Reliance Jio users 18 months of free access to Google’s AI Pro plan and expand access to Google Cloud’s AI hardware accelerators in India.

Ecuador’s state-owned operator Corporación Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (CNT) has launched the country’s first commercial 5G network in partnership with Nokia, marking a major milestone in Ecuador’s digital development.

It may come as a surprise to some readers to hear that, more than three years after the telecommunications regulator laid the groundwork for MVNOs to come to market, only this week is Nigeria preparing to welcome its first virtual mobile operator (MVNO).

Two MoUs announced in the past week underline the ongoing focus of many major corporations in telecommunications and energy supply on pursuing – or being seen to pursue – sustainable strategies, notably in the area of energy efficiency.

MTN MoMo South Africa is expanding its strategic collaboration with Mastercard in a bid to increase access to digital financial services and support greater financial inclusion across South Africa.

Saudi Arabian telco stc Group announced on Wednesday it has signed a strategic agreement with LEO satellite operator AST SpaceMobile to develop direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity services across Saudi Arabia and select markets in the Middle East and Africa.

Singapore-headquartered global payment platform Thunesand pan-African financial institution Ecobank Group signed an agreement on Wednesday to collaborate on enabling instant cross-border payments for individuals and businesses across Sub-Saharan Africa, starting in Togo.

Safaricom has officially confirmed it is partnering with Meta subsidiary Edge Network Services to establish the Daraja subsea cable system that will connect Kenya and Oman.

Fibre network operator Cabos de Timor-Leste (CTL) and Telin – the international arm of Telkom Indonesia – signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wednesday to explore ways to collaborate on digital infrastructure and connectivity between Timor-Leste and Indonesia.

Open RAN pioneer Rakuten Symphony and SLT-Mobitel, the national telecommunications services provider in Sri Lanka, are to collaborate on a pilot project to build an open radio access network (open RAN) comprising 4G and 5G NSA/SA (non-standalone and standalone) sites within Sri Lanka.

Humain, a global artificial intelligence company based in Saudi Arabia building end-to-end AI capabilities, and AirTrunk, a data centre platform in the Asia Pacific region, have agreed to establish a strategic partnership to build data centres in Saudi Arabia.

Communications and technology provider Liberty Caribbean, part of Liberty Latin America, has announced a partnership with satellite communications company Starlink to support emergency communications on the storm-hit island of Jamaica.

Indian operator Vodafone Idea finally has some good news to celebrate after a reported gain in subscriber numbers and a potentially positive outcome in its pursuit of relief from AGR debt demands. But will this good fortune last?

Logistics solutions company DP World says it has launched the rollout of its Port Community System (PCS) platform in Kenya, marking what it calls a major milestone in the country’s journey towards more efficient and transparent trade.

Philippine operator PLDT is upgrading its digital infrastructure using optical technology from US vendor Ciena to improve data transmission from the Asia Direct Cable (ADC) system to local users.

As 5G applications continue to extend well beyond outdoor use, Ericsson and Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) are the latest companies to discuss 5G-powered rail operations after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on advancing rail operations through 5G technology.

Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has inaugurated Oppo’s new smartphone factory, marking another milestone in the country’s expanding electronics manufacturing sector.

Ownership of 5G phones in Nigeria is greatly outpacing coverage, leaving many users unconnected to 5G, according to a new report conducted by Ookla and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

PLDT’s mobile arm Smart Communications announced on Tuesday it has partnered with direct-to-device (D2D) LEO satellite operator Lynk Global to provide its services in the Philippines, starting with basic text messaging over LTE.

Malaysia and Timor Leste reportedly signed two MoUs to cooperate on telecoms and media development just before Timor Leste officially became a member of ASEAN on Sunday, while also revealing that data roaming services have been activated between the two countries.

Tajikistan’s darya.ai Ltd, a company with a focus on sustainable AI infrastructure, and Yotta Data Services, an Indian AI, hyperscale data centre, cloud infrastructure and platform services provider, have announced the signing of a strategic collaboration agreement with the aim of developing a 'green' AI data centre in the district of Darvoz near the Afghan border.

EMIS, a provider of geospatial information systems (GIS) in Slovakia, and ICEYE, a leader in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite data, have announced a strategic partnership to expand access to critical, near real-time hazard information for Slovak authorities.