Saudi Arabia is to provide 60,000 free Wi-Fi points in a number of public places thanks to a newly announced initiative.

Employees of Indian operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) will hold a strike in protest of the government limiting the operator from acquiring 4G equipment vital for deployment plans.

Nokia has announced plans to deploy an internet gateway for a government-owned network in Iraq.

Covid-19 was supposedly a boost to mobile money use in Kenya after the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) allowed free M-Pesa and mobile banking transactions until the end of the year. However, Safaricom is apparently not thrilled by the possibility that this ruling may be extended into 2021.

The Ghana Ministry of Communications through the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), announced a €155 million project to boost basic telephony services in rural areas.

Uruguay announced preparations are underway for a 5G spectrum auction in the first quarter of 2021, according to telecoms regulator Ursec.

Safaricom is expected to revise down its bid for an operating licence in Ethiopia following the revelation that mobile money offerings will be the exclusive preserve of local financial institutions.

Russian operator Rostelecom Group acquired a stake in the telecommunications arm of energy conglomerate Lukoil for RUB2 billion ($25.8 million), a move to expand its B2B propositions.

The GSMA urged Russia to readjust its safety guidelines for radio spectrum, or risk hindering the rollout of 5G and potential gains to the economy through adopting new technologies. 

Oman’s ministry of finance (MoF) in partnership with Ericsson will open a centre of excellence (CoE) to explore the full potential of telecoms technologies, and facilitate 5G and IoT in the country.

Philippines operator Globe Telecom made good on a pledge to ramp up connectivity coverage, announcing the construction of 107 new cell towers and laid more fibre lines in October.

China Unicom announced it is accelerating the switch-off of its 2G and 3G networks, as the operator pushes 4G and 5G upgrades.

Hungary’s telecoms regulator Nemzeti Media- es Hirkozlesi Hatosag (NMHH) stated the Metropolitan Court dismissed mobile operator DIGI’s case, which opposed its exclusion from the country’s 5G auction earlier this year.

Suriname’s Telesur is offering high-volume mobile data bundles for users on both its 4G and 5G networks.

Indosat Ooredoo chose Cisco for the construction of its 5G-ready transport network for the island of Java, a move to deliver one of the most advanced transport networks in Southeast Asia.

Development within Benin’s telecom market continues to be restricted by the poor condition of the country’s fixed-line infrastructure. The use of fixed-line voice and internet services is low, and consequently little revenue is derived from these sectors.

Samoa was one of the first Pacific Island countries to establish a regulatory infrastructure and liberalise its telecom market. In 2006, it became the first in the region to see the market entrance of Digicel, which has since launched services in other Pacific nations.

Over the years, efforts to expand the telecom sector in Nepal have met with many challenges. The fixed line market in Nepal remains underdeveloped.

Mobile Internet Holdings BV (MIH) is set to receive around $75 million in growth financing from a group of investors led by Gemcorp Capital.

Chinese manufacturer Vivo said it will manufacture its mid-range V20 SE smartphone in India, pledging to support the government’s national Make in India initiative.

MTN Rwanda opened its mobile money API platform to third-party developers, as part of plans to stimulate the growth of its monetary technology ecosystem.

Lithuania’s Communications Regulatory Authority (Rysiu Reguliavimo Tarnyba, RRT) scheduled a sale of 5G spectrum in the first quarter of 2021.

Estonia’s first commercial 5G network is now live, with Telia Eesti launching services in the city centres of Tallinn, Tartu and Parnu.

There’s been yet another major deal involving Amdocs in recent days. The software and services giant and Indian operator Airtel have announced plans to extend their existing partnership to deliver what is referred to as a differentiated experience to customers.

Despite the recently reported prospect of a Competition Commission of India (CCI) probe into Google Pay, the CCI has approved Google’s 7.73 percent stake in technology company (and subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited), Jio Platforms.

Some months after the guidelines were first unveiled, India’s Union Cabinet has given clearance – in principle – to the application of the Production Linked Incentives (PLI) scheme to telecommunications and networking products.

India antitrust watchdog the Competition Commission of India (CCI) opened an investigation into Google, after accusation surfaced surrounding the US company abusing its dominant app store market share to promote payment services.

A1 Bulgaria, part of the A1 Telekom Austria Group, has announced a partnership with software and service company Amdocs to modernize and digitize its contract management and document life cycle.

Senegal’s postal authority has signed an agreement with satellite communication service provider Spacecom. The deal will help the public company in charge of postal services in Senegal to provide internet services to the country’s rural population.

Econet Group tapped Alphabet’s Moonshot Factory for its high-speed internet solution to roll out affordable broadband offerings across its subsidiaries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Copel Telecom – Brazil’s only remaining state-owned telecommunications company – has finally been sold.