Indian operator Reliance Jio has reportedly started using its own network products for planned small cell-led densification of its pan-India 5G network.

Some years after Google’s failed attempt  to commercialise high altitude platform stations (HAPS), AALTO HAPS, a subsidiary of aerospace corporation Airbus based in the UK, says it is still on track for commercial HAPS services to begin in 2026 and that it has set a world record for global aviation with its solar-powered Zephyr HAPS.

Indian telco Reliance Jio reportedly acknowledged it has been using unlicenced spectrum as well as 5G spectrum to connect some customers for its 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) services, which it says is helping lower deployment costs.

UAE-based telco du says has officially set a new Guinness World Record for the "longest promotional livestream” with TikTok Live MENA, in which a single smartphone livestreamed across the country’s seven emirates for 48 hours straight over du’s 5G network.

Polish telecoms operator Exatel said it is deploying pluggable optical transceivers from Ciena in its multi-vendor SDN infrastructure to improve capacity and performance for its national fibre-optic network.

It now seems that the Democratic Republic of Congo has granted a licence to satellite communications company Starlink – despite an earlier ban, which finally appears to have been rescinded.

Last week’s news that Pedra Agroindustrial Group, one of the leading conglomerates in the Brazilian sugarcane and energy sector, will expand the digitisation of processes in three of its plants and a unit dedicated to livestock and soybean production through a new partnership with operator TIM is a reminder of the growth of wireless connectivity in the agribusiness sector.

Multinational technology company Meta has been in the news lately in Nigeria and Ghana – but not necessarily for positive reasons.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced plans to embed its cloud technology within Orange’s mobile networks in Morocco and Senegal this year, aiming to significantly improve connectivity speed and reduce latency.

Malaysian operator Maxis has unveiled plans to significantly expand its fibre network in the state of Penang, aiming to connect over 100,000 homes by 2027 in support of the government’s digital transformation agenda.

Global satellite operator Intelsat announced on Thursday it is expanding its partnership with Hispasat’s teleport operator and satellite services provider Axess Networks to provide satellite communications services throughout the Americas.

Zain Iraq says it has signed a strategic MoU with Krafton Europe – the global games company behind hit titles such as PUBG: Battlegrounds – to develop Iraq’s growing gaming and esports sector and improve the player experience.

There’s bad news and good news for ICT-related employment in India, with Zoho holding back on plans to put money into a semiconductor facility and Rakuten boosting its investment in the country.

Last week’s agreement between Togo and Burkina Faso to end roaming charges for incoming calls comes into effect at the end of this month. But is it really part of a growing wave of roaming initiatives across West Africa?

The global smartphone market recorded flat growth in the first quarter of 2025, as signs of saturation emerge in key developing regions, according to the latest report from analyst firm Canalys.

Cataleya and Aarenet have announced that they have established full interoperability to facilitate their expansion into Southeast Asia.

State-owned operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and telecom and digital infrastructure solutions provider ACES India have signed an agreement to deliver seamless voice and data connectivity across the Kanpur Metro's deep underground stations and tunnels.

Magalu Cloud, a cloud computing services platform, and data centres and connectivity company Ascenty, have committed to continuing a partnership to support the digital transformation of Brazil’s retail sector.

Digital infrastructure company Khazna Data Centres, part of UAE-based artificial intelligence-focused technology group G42, has announced plans to build an AI-capable data centre in Turkey, with a potential capacity of up to 100MW, after securing a site in Başkent Organized Industrial Zone in Ankara.

Airtel Uganda has expanded its 4G network to Kazo District with the establishment and launch of new base stations in Rwemikoma as part of a broader drive to deploy more base stations and upgrade existing ones in the Ankole sub-region.

Cambodian telco Cellcard and ISP Ezecom – both owned by Royal Group – said they have formed an alliance with cybersecurity company Nexusguard to provide DDoS protection services to critical sectors across Cambodia.

Ericsson said on Tuesday it is partnering with Ooredoo Qatar to modernize its charging system with a cloud-native solution to help the telco more flexibly monetise its  5G standalone (5G SA) network.

UAE-based telco du says it has joined the FreeMove Alliance between Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telia, and TIM, which expands the reach of the alliance’s global mobile connectivity solutions for multinational corporations (MNCs) into the Middle East.

Malaysian telco Maxis said on Tuesday it is expanding its solar energy-as-a-service solution for households across Peninsular Malaysia, following its initial launch in 400 homes in the Klang Valley late last year.

Amazon's Project Kuiper broadband internet constellation is up and running – at last. The first 27 satellites were finally launched into space from Florida on Monday after bad weather meant an initial launch attempt on 9 April was abandoned.

Payment services are again making headlines in India. Both Shriram Finance, an Indian non-banking finance company (NBFC), and online retail giant Amazon have recently made news with their plans for the sector. 

Aspiring LEO satellite player Rivada Space Networks announced on Monday it has signed new deals enabling it to launch its "Outernet" services in Costa Rica and the Czech Republic.

Indian telco Vodafone Idea announced on Monday it has expanded its 5G service to the metropolitan region of Chandigarh in Punjab and Patna in Bihar, just an month after debuting the service in Mumbai.

Operator Ethio Telecom, in partnership with Siinqee Bank, an Ethiopian provider of banking and microfinance services, has launched a new range of mobile financial services and smartphone financing solutions.

Egyptian fintech company Fawry has partnered with global communications platform Truecaller, which calls itself the world’s best caller ID and spam blocking app, to provide its customers with a more secure, transparent, and seamless calling experience.

MTN has revealed that hackers gained access to some customers’ personal information, but emphasised that the core functions of its business remained unaffected and fully operational throughout the incident.

At the Mobile World Congress 2025 in Barcelona, we caught up with two special guests to chat about global efforts to bring high-quality Internet connectivity to everyone.

SpaceX’s LEO satellite unit Starlink is one step closer to launching services in Bangladesh after the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) reportedly approved its application for a satellite internet licence.