Saudi Arabian telco stc Group announced on Sunday it has signed a deal to build the Syrian government’s SAR 3 billion (US$800 million) Silklink project that aims to boost Syria’s optical fibre infrastructure and create a regional internet hub.

Cassava Technologies has cleared another regulatory milestone in South Africa for the sale of shares in its Africa Data Centres (ADC) unit to STANLIB Asset Management, a private equity firm backed by Standard Bank and Liberty Global.

Malaysian telco Maxis revealed on Thursday it has migrated its mission-critical workloads – including those for all of its digital services – from the Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) Singapore Region to the AWS Malaysia Region.

PLDT Enterprise said on Thursday it is partnering with local energy solutions provider Lin Man Power Technology to deploy cellular smart meters across the Philippines.

Telenor Pakistan announced on Thursday it has migrated its entire prepaid and postpaid customer base to a next-gen cloud-native charging and billing system (CBS) in one go. 

The People’s Own Savings Bank (POSB) Zimbabwe’s only 100% home grown savings bank, has announced a strategic collaboration with Mastercard to launch POSB Remit Outbound.

The largest IPO in Zimbabwe’s capital markets history may be imminent after Zimbabwean telecoms business Econet Wireless set a US$1 billion valuation for Econet InfraCo, its new infrastructure development and management business.

Singaporean operator Singtel has opened its eighth global office in Brazil as it looks to tap fresh enterprise opportunities in Latin America’s largest economy.

Malaysia has announced an immediate and full ban on the importation of electronic waste (e-waste) – discarded electronic products such as computers, mobile phones and appliances.

ZTE announced on Thursday that Ecuadorian fixed broadband operator Netlife has commercially deployed its Smart Cloud Platform (SCP) to deliver enhanced smart-home network services to its customers.

Brazilian fintech company Treeal said on Thursday it is partnering with Tencent Cloud to launch the Chinese company’s PalmAI biometric payment solution in Brazil as an alternative method for payment processing.

Malaysian telco CelcomDigi said on Wednesday it is collaborating with Google’s Firebase and Telenor Linx to boost its API-as-a-Service (APIaaS) offering for phone number verification.

Ethio Telecom, Djibouti Telecom and Sudatel Group have moved their memorandum of understanding for a cross-border optical fibre network into a binding contractual agreement, aimed at strengthening regional connectivity and network resilience.

ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC), a leading player in the Asia Pacific data centre business, has been acquired in what has been described as one of the largest digital infrastructure transactions in Southeast Asia.

Vodacom reported a strong third quarter, with group revenue rising 11% year on year to ZAR43.9 billion, driven by growth across its operating units and standout performance in Egypt.

India’s Supreme Court has warned Meta it could once again bar WhatsApp from sharing user data with other group companies such as Facebook, as the country revives a long-running dispute over privacy practices.

A ‘digital Liberia — leaving no one behind’ is the promise of a recently launched new five-year roadmap aimed at accelerating the country’s digital transformation and strengthening national control over critical technology systems.

Cambodian telco Smart Axiata announced on Monday it is partnering with FastWin Media to roll out free 5G-powered Wi-Fi at airport shuttle bus stations and onboard buses serving routes to and from Techo International Airport (TIA).

The Jamaican government said on Tuesday it has signed a letter of intent with Trans Americas Fiber System to connect the island to the TAM-1 subsea cable.

The growing focus on satellite communications in Africa has been underlined by a recent launch announcement from Algeria and satellite purchase news from Nigeria.

Customer experience and data monetisation solutions specialist Comviva has announced the launch of the next-generation Digital Distribution Management System for channel partners, working with CelcomDigi, Malaysia’s largest mobile network operator.

Managed IoT connectivity services specialist Vodafone IoT and Hyundai Motor Group have partnered to deploy regulatory-compliant in-car connectivity to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Brazilian operator TIM SA is reportedly in talks to reacquire its stake in fibre company I-Systems in a deal that could be valued at around BRL900 million (US$170 million), Reuters reported. 

Papua New Guinea’s National Executive Council (NEC) – essentially its cabinet – has approved the Pukpuk Connectivity Initiative, which it has described as one of the most important digital infrastructure approvals in the nation’s recent history.

The Indian government has granted international companies, including Apple, a tax break allowing them to supply machinery to contract manufacturing partners without triggering tax liabilities at selected sites for up to five years.

Regulator the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it has teamed with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to tackle telecom-related crimes, including, it seems, damage to fibre optic infrastructure.

United Group has selected Intracom Telecom to upgrade its network as it looks to capture growing enterprise connectivity demand across its southeastern European footprint.

Two Zambian operators have announced major digital finance initiatives in the past week, MTN with an eye to the international market and Airtel focusing on in-country payment requirements.

China’s Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable (YOFC) revealed on Monday it has completed and launched a national broadband network project for Peru commissioned by the government six years ago.

Chad’s Electronic Communications and Postal Regulatory Authority (ARCEP) announced on Thursday it has signed an MoU with Azerbaijan's state space agency Azercosmos to strengthen bilateral cooperation in satellite services.