East African press outlets are reporting that Uganda is to begin manufacturing its first smartphones. The manufacturing partner will be Chinese brand SIMI.

Indian space technology company Vestaspace Technology has announced plans to launch more than 35 high-speed 5G satellite constellations across India. Plans are for beta versions of the constellations to launch in September 2020 and fully operational satellites in early 2021.

Nothing, it seems, can stop the onward march of data centres in developing markets – as recent news from Brazil, India and South Africa indicates.

Belarusian market leader A1 together with ZTE has launched a standalone (SA) test 5G network across the country.

Intelsat and Mindset Network NPC have extended their partnership to provide students, teachers, healthcare professionals and patients across Africa with access to free online educational content.

Although delayed by the long civil war which ended in 1992, Mozambique was one of the first countries in the region to embark upon telecom reform, reports Research & Markets.

Latvia is expected to be one of the first countries to launch a smartphone app using a new toolkit created by Apple and Alphabet’s Google to help trace coronavirus infections.

Regulatory issues continue to be in the news for operators in India as they look for progress on 5G spectrum pricing and the apparently more urgent issue of the fixing of floor prices for tariffs.

KKR has become the fifth major foreign investor in Jio Platforms in a month, acquiring a 2.32% stake in the digital unit for INR113.7 billion (US$1.5 billion).

Jamaican operator Digicel has filed for Chapter 15 recognition in a US federal bankruptcy court as it moves to the next stage of its debt restructuring strategy.

Among recent financial results from telecommunications service providers are two contrasting reports from Malaysia.

Intelsat and Andesat are partnering to bring end-to-end mobile broadband (3G) service to remote communities across Peru.

Operator MTN Zambia has selected Vanu, a provider of equipment, tools and services that allow mobile network operators to profit by serving off-grid communities, to supply equipment and services for as many as 300 mobile network sites throughout the country.

Nigerian financial services firm Carbon is enabling its customers to access its offering from within whichever app they are using.

The Niger government’s response to the coronavirus is being supported with satellite capacity and equipment after a recent agreement with a leading provider of satellite technology.

According to reports in the West African regional press, the World Bank has allocated $30 million to Gambia for use in telecommunications and energy.

Angola’s government has issued the country’s fourth mobile licence to Africell Holdings.

As 5G, cloud, and AI pick up pace, amid their pursuit for digital transformation enterprises of all sizes are confronting once-in-a-generation challenges.

It now looks pretty certain that there won’t be a 5G spectrum auction in India this year. However, there may be an auction of some sort – involving 4G.

Telecommunications company takeovers and sales have been in the news in Brazil recently as a regional broadband provider plans to buy up three rivals and a delayed auction of a power group’s communications subsidiary is put back to later this year.

Two news stories related to the ever-topical subject of taxation of service providers have recently emerged: in Indonesia a new tax is about to be imposed, while in Syria an unpaid tax is being pursued.

Press outlets in Papua New Guinea (PNG) have reported that PNG DataCo, a telecommunications carrier established by the PNG government, along with its partners, has landed the Kumul submarine cable in Kokopo, the capital of East New Britain.

Reliance Industries is on something of a hot streak of overseas investment, having sold a 1.34% stake in its digital unit Jio Platforms to US-based private equity firm General Atlantic.

The three leading Indian operators may be looking at even more fines – this time for missing rollout targets, though at least some of the blame for this is being assigned to the recent lockdown.

Saudi Arabia offers one of the most progressive telecoms markets in the Middle East and is well positioned to capitalise on the potential opportunities offered by 5G, reports Research & Markets.

China Telecom Global (CTG) has selected Angola Cables as its preferred carrier to bolster its long-haul links between Asia, Africa and Latin America.