When we reported early last week on the latest issue facing the Asia America Gateway (AAG) undersea cable – and internet users in Vietnam – it wasn’t clear how long repairs would take. We now know it could be another week before normal service is resumed.

Ncell has paid off the full NPR22.44 billion (US$182 million) capital gains tax (CGT) bill that it was issued by Nepal’s tax authority.

Restrictions on movement due to the coronavirus are not just affecting bandwidth demand and base station rollout in India. Now telecommunications tower companies are looking for guarantees of uninterrupted power supply for the duration of the lockdown.

It will come as no surprise in the circumstances that the South African regulator ICASA has received an enthusiastic response to its offer of temporary spectrum.

Magyar Telekom, Hungary’s biggest telecommunications company, and Ericsson have launched commercial 5G in Hungary.

Croatia’s Optima Telekom is delaying a stake sale originally scheduled for this year, even if it is able to find a buyer.

Local news reports indicate that Liberian mobile operator Lonestar Cell-MTN is succeeding in its efforts to boost coverage to remote towns and villages across the country.

There has been another regulatory shift in India as the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has adjusted its stance on infrastructure installation in response to industry requests. The DoT is also being asked to intervene in the ongoing debt issues facing two state-owned operators.

Telenor Pakistan and Ericsson have signed an agreement through which Ericsson will transform the Telenor Pakistan mobile backhaul network into an IP-based infrastructure.

United Group has been cleared by the European Commission to acquire Bulgarian operator Vivacom.

Kiev’s District Administrative Court has suspended the decision to cancel the licence of CDMA operator Intertelecom.

CSS and Forsway are partnering in Mauritania to deliver affordable broadband in West Africa.

Free, Senegal’s second-largest mobile network operator, has deployed mobiquity Money from Indian mobility solutions provider Comviva to enhance its mobile money service Free Money.

The West Africa Cable System (WACS) has been fully repaired after an outage was registered on 27th March.

The government of Niger has announced the award of a 4G licence to operator Zamani Com.

While many other issues face Indian telecoms at the moment, ongoing questions of debt dating back well before this year are still in the news for Bharti Airtel and MTNL.

The South African government’s request to the country’s communications regulator to issue additional spectrum to operators, reported here recently, has now been taken up by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA).

Senegalese operator Expresso has delayed its launch of commercial 4G services due to the outbreak of Covid-19 (coronavirus).

It appears the Asia America Gateway (AAG) undersea cable has recently experienced another issue, meaning that Vietnamese internet users have yet again had to deal with slow internet connections.

Regional press outlets have announced the launch by the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority (ADDA) of its Abu Dhabi Connect initiative to fast-track digitisation of government services in the Emirate.

CSC e-Governance Services India, a licence holder for the provision of internet services, has claimed a nearly 100 per cent jump in data consumption for rural India in March.

Digicel Group has issued a new restructuring plan intended to cut its debt burden by as much as US$1.7 billion.

Some encouraging news in this difficult time comes from the World Bank, highlighting how distance learning is being rolled out in a number of African countries during the coronavirus pandemic and associated lockdowns.

Slovakia’s regulatory office has opened applications for its upcoming auction of 5G-ready spectrum, including frequencies in the 700MHz, 900MHz and 1800MHz bands.

Japanese operator NTT Docomo is selling its 6.3% stake in Robi Axiata to Bharti International, marking its full exit from the Bangladeshi market.

Some good news from East Africa, where the promised opening of a new data centre facility could offer some economic opportunities for Ugandans.

While more usage of mobile phones may be expected during the Indian lockdown, subscriber acquisitions have not improved. The Indian telecommunications industry has recorded a sharp fall in new subscriber acquisitions during March.

Global communications company Viasat Inc and Brazil-based satellite products distribution company Visiontec have announced the expansion of their partnership to focus on bringing fast, reliable internet service to residential homes across Brazil.

eWallet – a new service from telecoms giant Etisalat and Dubai-based full-service bank Noor Bank – has been launched in the UAE, promising international remittance services from the UAE to 200 countries.