Malaysian telco U Mobile revealed on Monday it has signed a strategic collaboration deal with the Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA) that will see U Mobile leverage its newly launched 5G network to help accelerate digitalisation of Malaysia’s retail sector.

Kuwait Airways announced on Monday it has signed a joint cooperation protocol with stc Kuwait to explore ways to integrate digital services in the telecoms and aviation sectors in ways that can benefit customers of both companies.

Indonesian telco XLSmart says its business unit has unveiled an autonomous 5G drone for goods delivery, developed in collaboration with polytechnic university ASTRAtech as a logistics solution for the manufacturing sector.

Service provider Orange Egypt says it has signed an exclusive money transfer partnership with Enjaz Payment Services, one of the largest fintech companies in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.

Malaysian telco CelcomDigi says it has partnered with Huawei to launch a fibre-to-the-room business (FTTR-B) solution for enterprises in Malaysia that promises high-speed connectivity in every corner of their premises.

Telecom Fiji announced on Saturday it has launched NetSafe, a new network-based cybersecurity service for businesses delivered in partnership with telecoms software firm Allot.

Legislation intended to make it easier for new players to enter the Philippines’ data services market lapsed into law on Sunday over the objection of telcos that have complained the bill is unfair to them and raises cybersecurity issues.

Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, is to launch the country’s first-ever 191 Emergency Location Service (ELS), a strategic collaboration between the Patrol and Special Operations Division of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, leading mobile operator AIS, and global technology giant Google. As its name suggests, the service will automatically provide precise location data from callers.

Japanese agriculture fintech Degas Limited has announced a US$100 million investment over the next four years to help establish Ghana as Africa’s first AI-powered agricultural hub, expanding a model that, it says, has already financed more than 86,000 smallholder farmers across 122,000 acres nationwide.

Cirion Technologies, a leading provider of infrastructure and digital technology in Latin America, has announced the expansion of its data centre in Buenos Aires, known as BUE1, which, it says, is the most connected in the region.

Whish Money, a Lebanese fintech company, has collaborated with payments giant Mastercard to enable inbound and outbound remittance flows for consumers in Lebanon.

A feared increase in telecom service prices, an apparent extension of a 5% excise tax previously earmarked for telecommunications services in Nigeria, may not now happen.

Malaysia operator CelcomDigi announced CEO Datuk Idham Nawawi (pictured) will step down from the market leader, citing personal reasons.

PLDT’s Smart Communications aims to expand eSIM adoption in the Philippines with the launch of a “pluggable eSIM adapter” for Android users whose phones don’t support eSIM.

Indonesian telco Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison announced on Thursday it has launched a new AI-powered semantic search feature powered by Google Cloud in its customer service apps, which it says will enable smarter and more intuitive digital experiences for customers.

The Kenyan government is mulling a division of the nation’s largest publicly listed company, Safaricom, into mobile, tower, and mobile money units, citing potential efficiency and value gains.

NaiTel, a licensed telecommunications service provider in Jordan and the telecom arm of Aqaba Digital Hub (ADH – Jordan's largest carrier-neutral data centre), and telecom services provider Telecom Egypt, have announced the completion of the laying of the 15-kilometre express subsea cable Coral Bridge connecting Egypt and Jordan, the first direct subsea cable between the two countries in over 25 years.

Technology giant Nokia says it has been selected by INX-ZA, the internet exchange point division of the Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA), a South African internet industry representative body, to modernise its exchange infrastructure. INX-ZA says it operates the only completely neutral and community-run internet exchange points in South Africa.

Turkey is officially going ahead with 5G spectrum auction plans. Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu announced earlier this week that the 5G frequency tender would take place in October.

Bharti Airtel subsidiary Bharti Hexacom has reportedly received approval from the majority of its shareholders to sell 3,400 telecoms towers to Indus Towers after its minority shareholder Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd (TCIL) initially opposed the deal.

Nokia announced on Wednesday that Indian ISP Netplus has deployed its 400G routing technology and software-defined access network (SDAN) platform to scale its high-speed broadband and IPTV services across Punjab and other cities.

Philippines-based challenger operator Dito Telecommunity has partnered with Rakuten-owned messaging app Viber to offer zero-rated plans on the platform, aiming to strengthen its competitiveness and attract new customers.

Ghana and Burkina Faso have reportedly begun a bilateral meeting to address cross-border signal interference. The National Communications Authority (NCA) of Ghana and Autorité de Régulation des Communications Électroniques et des Postes (ARCEP) of Burkina Faso began the meeting, held virtually, on 19 August.

Chinese technology company Lenovo has announced plans to establish a regional headquarters (RHQ) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, along with the appointment of its executive leadership team for the country, marking what Lenovo describes as a key milestone in the company’s regional growth strategy.

Thai telco True Corp said on Tuesday it has deployed an AI-powered solution for monitoring and managing base station signals to enhance the performance and stability of its networks along the Thai-Cambodian border.

Airtel Tanzania has reportedly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Zanzibar Communication and ICT Infrastructure Agency (ZICTIA) that outlines a framework to collaborate on key infrastructure projects in Zanzibar to expand access to telecoms and internet services.

The UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) and e& money, the fintech arm of technology group e&, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to provide wage protection services via the e& money platform. This enables individuals to manage salary payments for domestic workers in line with applicable legislation and regulatory frameworks.

Indian operator Vodafone Idea (Vi) has announced a strategic collaboration with tech giant IBM to help streamline operations, improve service reliability, enhance the customer experience, and accelerate the seamless delivery of digital initiatives, using artificial intelligence (AI) and the implementation of a unified DevOps execution model fuelled by automation.

Namibian operator Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) says it has launched a strategic rural network optimisation initiative following a comprehensive network audit in northern Namibia. The audit aimed to gain first-hand insight into coverage gaps and service quality challenges in underserved and uncovered rural areas.

Apple is reportedly ramping up iPhone production at five factories in India as part of its ongoing strategy to reduce reliance on China-based manufacturing.

Vodafone Idea has continued its rapid 5G rollout in India, with Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram the latest cities to go live.

Malaysian telco U Mobile on Monday officially launched Ultra5G – its standalone 5G network – in two locations with an initial focus on delivering 5G experiences in indoor environments.

State-owned Telkom Indonesia said on Monday it is set to carry out repairs on a damaged subsea cable that has disrupted internet connectivity in South and Central Papua since Saturday.