Nepal is set to begin 5G testing in the cities of Biratnagar, Birgunj, Kathmandu and Pokhara, according to the country’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MOCIT).

To strengthen its leadership in 5G business transformation, Huawei is increasing investment in carrier software as a strategy to support 5G business success.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) has finally indicated that both fixed and mobile number portability (FNP and MNP, respectively) are expected to be introduced in October 2021.

Somaliland’s Somtel has begun its initial public offering (IPO), with interested parties able to acquire a minimum of 20 shares for US$100 apiece.

We briefly noted earlier this week that Liquid Intelligent Technologies, formerly Liquid Telecoms, had deployed a fibre network in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The company has now supplied more details of the deployment – and it makes some impressive claims for the new network.

IBM has announced the opening of its first IBM Cloud Multizone Region (MZR) in Latin America. Building on its existing data centre footprint in Brazil, IBM says that the MZR is a result of the company's continued investment in cloud infrastructure to accelerate hybrid cloud adoption and help foster business growth in Latin America.

January 2021 saw Vodafone Idea (Vi) register its first monthly increase in subscribers for over a year, amid a broader nationwide trend towards subscriber growth.

United Group has selected Nokia to provide equipment for its next generation fibre networks across its southeastern European markets including Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia.

After a legal challenge from operator Vivacom, Bulgaria’s Communications Regulation Commission (CRC) has revoked its decision to award 3.6GHz spectrum without an auction and will instead hold a bid on 6th April 2021.

Senegalese operator Expresso has launched its 4G network after extensive delays.

The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) has published its Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector annual market report for the year 2020, and many of its findings – and predictions – are positive.

Algeria’s telecoms minister Brahim Boumzar has confirmed that the government’s current focus is on improving 4G services rather than introducing 5G.

Digital fintech enablement provider Ukheshe Technologies and Infobip, a global cloud communications platform that enables businesses to build connected customer experiences, say they have developed South Africa’s very first WhatsApp payment gateway. It is to be used by mobile operator Telkom.

Bulgaria’s Vivacom has issued a legal challenge to the regulator’s decision to allocate 5G spectrum frequencies without conducting a scheduled auction.

UAE-based operator du has signed a four-year 5G expansion deal with Nokia.

Infinera, a supplier of networking solutions, and American Tower, a leading independent owner, operator and developer of multi-tenant communications real estate, have announced the successful completion of the first point-to-multipoint coherent optical transmission in a carrier network environment in Latin America.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the country’s main regulatory body for telecommunications, has invited companies to take part in a satellite broadband scheme that aims to serve a number of hard-to-reach areas of the country.

Pan-African technology group Liquid Telecom has rebranded itself as Liquid Intelligent Technologies, the culmination, it says, of its extensive business transformation from being a telecommunications and digital services provider to a full one-stop-shop technology group.

Botswana Fibre Networks (BoFiNet), a wholesale provider of national and international telecommunication infrastructure, has announced plans to build a data centre at the Science and Technology Park in Gaborone, the country’s capital.

Brazil’s Oi has sold off a data centre unit to Piemonte Holding for BRL367 million ($65.3 million) in a further manouevre to restructure its debt burden.

Orange Cameroon has extended its Network as a Service (NAAS) contract with NuRAN Wireless to add a further 120 sites to its footprint in the market.

MTS Belarus registered a year-on-year mobile data traffic increase of 43.6% during 2020, driven by a 56.5% rise in smartphone subscribers on its network.

LogRhythm has partnered with Mideast Communication Systems (MCS) to deliver next-generation security information and event management (NextGen SIEM) solutions to organisations across the Middle East and East Africa.

The woes of state-owned Indian operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) have apparently deepened after a request to use 4G core technology from established names for a future rollout was turned down.

Oman has blocked the American audio app Clubhouse. The reason given was that it did not have the right permit.

Israel’s Bezeq has begun the commercial rollout of its fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) network.

A busy period for pan-African operator MTN Group – and its ongoing plan to sell assets, pay down debt and invest in expansion – looks set to continue.

A Zimbabwean union of communications workers is calling for the beleaguered state-backed mobile firm Telecel to enter receivership or a corporate rescue process.

Pakistan's media has recently reported on government plans for significant tax cuts for telecommunications companies and services.