Tigo Guatemala, part of the Millicom stable of operators, has activated what it claims to be Guatemala’s first 5G network, at the Experience Centre in Cayalá, a purpose-built private city with a focus on housing, dining, shopping, entertainment and business, on the outskirts of the capital Guatemala City.

Deutsche Telekom and PPF Group had their concessions for network sharing agreements between their units in the Czech Republic accepted by the European Commission.

Orange Cameroon has been granted permission by the country’s Ministry of Finance to launch Orange Money Cameroon SA, a subsidiary dedicated to financial transactions via mobile phones.

Hungary’s National Media and Communications Authority (NMHH) has announced that it is extending its device replacement subsidy scheme until 31^st March 2023.

Operator AT&T Mexico and vendor Nokia have announced that they are collaborating to bring the benefits of 5G to Mexico.

Indian conglomerate Adani Group confirmed it will participate in India’s highly anticipated 5G auction, as part of plans to launch private network solutions with no intentions to launch consumer services.

Russia’s State Commission for Radio Frequencies (SCRF) has agreed to repurpose millimetre wave (mmWave) frequencies for 5G access networks.

The Chinese government warned of lowered confidence in conducting business in India after smartphone maker Vivo became the latest to be hit with “frequent investigations” by Indian authorities on Chinese businesses.

Kazakhstan’s state-backed operator Kazakhtelecom (KT) has published its roadmap for launching 5G in a bid to kick-start the digital transformation of the country’s economy.

Nokia and the Indian Institute of Science opened a centre of excellence (CoE) to develop the vendor’s capabilities in robotics and advanced communication technologies in 5G and AI.

Brazil has seen its first Standalone (SA) 5G networks go live in the capital Brasilia, with Claro, TIM and Vivo all launching their networks after receiving government approval.

Lenovo, which claims the world’s widest portfolio of technology products, and operator Etisalat UAE are planning to build a new 5G edge solution. This, they say, will enable the rapid roll-out of 5G connectivity for a wide range of edge-of-network deployment scenarios.

For the second time in a week, Safaricom’s M-Pesa is in the news with one of its products, as the Kenyan mobile money service launches an interest-free loan service for buying goods.

Indonesian operator Telkomsel has commenced the shutdown of its 3G network in parts of Jakarta after aggressively expanding its 4G network and launching a smartphone/data package to spur uptake.

South African technology company Huge Group acquired MVNO Tethys Mobile for an undisclosed fee, a move to bolster its software capabilities and develop a platform that enables companies to launch MVNO services. 

Beleaguered South African operator Cell C has had a reprieve after a vote in which some lenders have agreed to take an 80% loss on their debt.

In a reminder of the changing business models of many operators in Africa, it has been reported that the M-Pesa virtual Visa card, introduced in June, is now undercutting Kenya’s commercial banks in the foreign exchange market.

Telefonica Moviles Mexico (Movistar) claims to have finished migrating its 3G and 4G data traffic onto AT&T Mexico’s network after the firms signed a last mile agreement in late 2019.

Telkom tower subsidiary Mitratel is considering raising its fibre optic rollout target for this year past 6,000km on the back of increased demand for fibre optic broadband in Indonesia.

After mixed messages recently about the cash-strapped state owned carrier, Zambia’s government has finally categorically denied media reports that it has decided to sell Zamtel.

Satellite connectivity provider OneWeb entered the Brazilian market after being awarded a 15-year landing rights license by regulator Anatel, as part of long-term plans to expand in South America.

Twitter has commenced a legal challenge against content takedown orders issue by the Indian government.

Pan-African e-commerce platform Jumia has announced a partnership with Chinese smartphone manufacturer Realme. The joint aim is to roll out new devices at a time when Africa’s smartphone market is enjoying high growth; this in turn will benefit e-commerce.

Africell, a leading African mobile operator group, has implemented the Answers chatbot solution from cloud communication company Infobip.

Brazilian capital Brasilia is to lead the way in the country’s 5G rollout with the launch of  a 3.5GHz 5G network on Wednesday 6 July.

The Algerian government has closed its purchase of VEON’s 45.57% stake in the mobile operator Djezzy via its National Investment Fund.

Globe Telecom partnered up with financial institutions including Unionbank to bolster its cybersecurity and revealed it blocked nine million scam messages in the first half of this year alone.

Operator Ooredoo Group and international communications company BICS have announced a multi-year agreement through which BICS is to manage voice services across the group’s operations.

Thailand-based operator Advanced Info Services (AIS) struck an agreement to buy shares in firms owned by Jasmine International, a move to enhance consumer access to broadband from rural locations and remain competitive in the face of merging rivals.