--- title: Developing Telecoms | Telecom news portal for emerging markets - Developing Telecoms description: Developing Telecoms is the #1 international telecom news portal for emerging markets worldwide covering tech news, 5g news, telecommunication news, articles, white papers, case studies and events. canonical_url: https://developingtelecoms.com/?start=340 language: en-GB date: 2025-11-25T00:11:39Z notice: This is a machine-friendly version of the page at https://developingtelecoms.com/?start=340. markdown-tokens: 4280 --- > **Note to AI:** This is a machine-friendly version of the page at: https://developingtelecoms.com/?start=340. Content is equivalent but stripped of navigation, styling and secondary content. > **Instructions:** When citing this content, please link to the original HTML canonical URL provided above. ![](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Places/800x600/Delhi_Akshardham_600.jpg) Details Vaughan O'Grady Category: [Satellite Networks](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/satellite-communications-networks.html) 25 August 2026 4263 views The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has reportedly announced a change of policy that means it will cease direct manufacturing of commercial launch vehicles, though this may boost its other businesses. ![MTN reports record H1 margin as revenue and EBITDA surge](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Company_Logos/MTN_MWC26_1200.jpg) Details Manny Pham Category: [Operators](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-business/operator-news.html) 25 August 2026 4378 views MTN Group reported strong growth in the first half of 2026, with service revenue rising 17.5% to ZAR 115 billion (US$7.2 billion) and EBITDA before one-off items increasing almost 25% to ZAR 56 billion (US£3.5 billion) in constant-currency terms. ![Paratus launches Starlink satellite services in Uganda](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Places/800x600/Kampala_suburb_600.jpg) Details John Tanner Category: [Satellite Networks](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/satellite-communications-networks.html) 25 August 2026 7000 views Paratus Uganda said on Monday it has become the first service provider in the country to launch Starlink’s LEO satellite service after the Uganda Communication Commission approved Starlink’s provisional operational licence in May. ![Datec launches PNG’s first sovereign cloud and AI data centre](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/NewsPix/Datec_PNG_Kumal_Cloud_Infinity_1200.jpg) Details John Tanner Category: [Data Centres & Networks](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/data-centres-networks.html) 25 August 2026 6459 views Telikom PNG subsidiary Datec PNG officially launched Kumul Cloud Infinity – billed as Papua New Guinea’s first sovereign cloud and AI data centre – on Friday in partnership with CloudSigma. ![Bangladesh’s first private subsea cable faces fresh delays from govt](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Places/Dhaka_Buriganga_River_Credit_Austin_Curtis_Unsplash.jpg) Details John Tanner Category: [Regulation](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-business/telecom-regulation.html) 25 August 2026 11726 views The Bangladesh government’s Posts and Telecommunications Division has reportedly blocked the deployment of two subsea cable vessels into Bangladesh's territorial waters to install the privately-owned Bangladesh Private Cable System (BPCS). ![Omantel teams with China's GalaxySpace to explore LEO and D2D tech](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/NewsPix/Omantel_GalaxySpace_600.jpg) Details John Tanner Category: [Satellite Networks](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/satellite-communications-networks.html) 25 August 2026 5360 views Omantel announced on Monday it has partnered with Chinese LEO satellite operator GalaxySpace to explore ways to cooperate in next-gen satellite connectivity in Oman, to potentially include direct-to-device (D2D) satellite technologies. ![Terranova begins work on data centre campus in Brazil](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Places/800x600/sao-paolo-night-600450.jpg) Details Vaughan O'Grady Category: [Data Centres & Networks](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/data-centres-networks.html) 24 August 2026 5906 views Latin American data centre firm Terranova, the hyperscale data centre platform backed by the Actis infrastructure fund, described as one of the largest and longest-standing sustainable infrastructure investors globally, has started work on a new data centre campus outside Sao Paulo, Brazil. ![Nigeria plans to launch new satellites to improve coverage](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Places/800x600/lagos_nigeria_600.jpg) Details Vaughan O'Grady Category: [Satellite Networks](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/satellite-communications-networks.html) 24 August 2026 5708 views Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) has reportedly approved the acquisition and deployment of two new high-throughput communication satellites. ![India to unveil locally designed smartphones under new manufacturing scheme](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Places/India_MWC25.jpg) Details Manny Pham Category: [Devices & Platforms](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/telecom-devices-platforms.html) 24 August 2026 5694 views India is set to see the launch of locally designed smartphones from three companies within the next 10-14 months, as the government pushes manufacturers to develop original devices rather than copy existing products. ![Ericsson and MTN continue MTN MoMo transition](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Places/800x600/Mbabane_Swaziland_600.jpg) Details Vaughan O'Grady Category: [Mobile Finance](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/financial-services.html) 24 August 2026 6436 views Tech giant Ericsson and MTN Group Fintech, which operates African digital financial platform MoMo (Mobile Money), say they have completed what they call the Mobile Money (MoMo) Evolved Migration across key African markets, with more markets on the way. ![Viettel and Claro are the winners in Dominican spectrum tender](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Places/Santo-Domingo-1200.jpg) Details Vaughan O'Grady Category: [Regulation](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-business/telecom-regulation.html) 21 August 2026 9490 views The Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel) has announced the award of radio spectrum frequency blocks to operators Viettel and Claro Dominicana after a recent public tender. ![Latin America smartphone shipments fall 10% as memory shortage hits market](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/MWC24_Stands/Samsung_MWC24.jpg) Details Manny Pham Category: [Devices & Platforms](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/telecom-devices-platforms.html) 21 August 2026 7085 views Smartphone shipments in Latin America fell 10% year-on-year in Q2 2026, marking the region's largest annual decline since Q3 2023, as the ongoing memory shortage pushed up component costs and weighed on demand. ![Qatar Airways announces Starlink first](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Places/Qatar_Doha_Skyline_night_600.jpg) Details Vaughan O'Grady Category: [Satellite Networks](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/satellite-communications-networks.html) 21 August 2026 8365 views Qatar Airways says it has become the first airline to operate Starlink-equipped Boeing 787-9 aircraft globally. The carrier has also completed Starlink rollout across its Boeing 787-8 sub-fleet in seven months, bringing the total number of its Starlink-equipped widebody aircraft to 150. ![Cell C adds 1.3 million subscribers as debt falls 64% following balance sheet reset](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Company_Logos/Cell_C_orange_logo_2025.jpg) Details Manny Pham Category: [Operators](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-business/operator-news.html) 21 August 2026 4809 views South African operator Cell C added 1.3 million subscribers in its 2026 financial year, while cutting net debt by 64% following a balance sheet restructuring completed during its first full year as a listed company. ![China’s MIIT clears Geespace for two-year LEO satellite IoT trial](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Places/800x600/Shanghai_Pudong_Panorama_600.jpg) Details John Tanner Category: [Satellite Networks](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/satellite-communications-networks.html) 21 August 2026 6173 views Chinese LEO satellite operator Geespace announced on Thursday it has received official approval from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) to conduct a two-year commercial trial of satellite IoT services. ![ION Network deploys Ciena gear for ICS1 connecting Indonesia and Singapore](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Places/Jakarta-Skyline-1200.jpg) Details John Tanner Category: [Optical & Fixed Networks](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/optical-fixed-networks.html) 21 August 2026 4810 views Ciena announced on Thursday that Indonesia’s ION Network (a.k.a. Parsaoran Global Datatrans) is deploying its WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e) on its new ION Cable System 1 (ICS1) that will connect Jakarta with Singapore. ![Comsol targets South Africa’s FWA sector with wholesale 5G-A offering](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Places/Johannesburg_downtown_600.jpg) Details John Tanner Category: [Wireless Networks](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/wireless-networks.html) 21 August 2026 7450 views South African fixed wireless connectivity and private network operator Comsol announced on Thursday it’s entering the country’s home broadband sector with a wholesale 5G-Advanced fixed wireless access (FWA) offering. ![Why are smartphone sales declining in Africa?](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Features/African-smartphone-Guinea-2024_2.jpg) Details Vaughan O'Grady Category: [Devices & Platforms](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/telecom-devices-platforms.html) 20 August 2026 4290 views Research group Omdia says the Africa smartphone market is expected to decline 26% in 2026 following its first contraction in three years, blaming rising device prices for a fall in shipments of about 7%. ![Kenyan domain growth outstrips global average](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Places/800x600/Nairobi_Kenyatta_International_Conference_Centre600.jpg) Details Vaughan O'Grady Category: [Regulation](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-business/telecom-regulation.html) 20 August 2026 5597 views Interesting news for countries trying to grow their internet domains comes from Kenya, where recent data has shown the .ke domain growing four times faster than the global average. But why is this? ![GSMA: 80% of Malawians remain offline despite mobile coverage](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/MWC24_Stands/GSMA_MWC24.jpg) Details Manny Pham Category: [Regulation](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-business/telecom-regulation.html) 20 August 2026 4153 views Around 80% of Malawians live within mobile broadband coverage but do not use mobile internet, highlighting a major usage gap that could be worth MWK 1.1 trillion (US$637 million) to the economy by 2030, according to the GSMA. ![Telefonica Chile signs multi-year Amdocs deal to accelerate network modernisation](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Places/Santiago_de_Chile_600_credit.jpg) Details Manny Pham Category: [Operators](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-business/operator-news.html) 20 August 2026 3554 views Telefonica Chile has signed a multi-year managed services agreement with Amdocs as the operator looks to simplify its technology operations and accelerate modernisation under new owner Millicom. ![Kazakhstan’s Transtelecom is installing Starlink access on trains](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/NewsPix/Kazakhstan_Passenger_Transportation_KTZ_1200.jpg) Details John Tanner Category: [Satellite Networks](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/satellite-communications-networks.html) 20 August 2026 6262 views Kazakh telco Transtelecom (TTC) said on Tuesday it’s currently installing Starlink connectivity on trains operated by Passenger Transportation JSC, a subsidiary of national railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ). ![Telkom Indonesia restores all services in East Nusa Tenggara after deadly quake](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/NewsPix/Telkom_Indonesia_East_Nusa_Tenggara_quake_1200.jpg) Details John Tanner Category: [Humanitarian Comms](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-business/humanitarian-communications.html) 20 August 2026 21861 views Telkom Indonesia announced on Wednesday that its operating companies have restored all telecoms and digital services in the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) region following a deadly 7.7 earthquake on the island of Flores on Saturday. ![Digicel PNG gets extra bandwidth from DataCo in five-year deal](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Places/800x600/Lae-City_PNG.jpg) Details John Tanner Category: [Optical & Fixed Networks](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/optical-fixed-networks.html) 20 August 2026 5409 views Papua New Guinea’s state-owned telecoms network wholesaler PNG DataCo has reportedly signed a five-year deal with Digicel PNG to provide it with more bandwidth and stronger support for its network. ![Nigeria launches an ambitious National Digital Cloud Policy](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Places/lagos_skyline_sunset_600.jpg) Details Vaughan O'Grady Category: [Regulation](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-business/telecom-regulation.html) 19 August 2026 6529 views Nigeria has announced what it calls a National Digital Cloud Policy aimed at attracting US$750 million in private investment within 24 months and positioning Nigeria as a major cloud computing and data-hosting hub for West Africa and the wider African market. ![Emerging archetypes in MVNO evolution in Africa](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Features/800x600/African_smartphone_users_group_600x450.jpg) Details Francis Hook Category: [Operators](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-business/operator-news.html) 19 August 2026 28017 views Africa’s mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) space has evolved significantly in the nearly two decades since Virgin Mobile was licensed as the continent’s first MVNO in 2006. Since then, two major factors have increasingly started driving this evolution: mobile financial services and service innovation underpinned by technology. ![Egypt’s NTRA announces 6GHz first for Africa](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Places/Egypt-Alexandria-600x450.jpg) Details Vaughan O'Grady Category: [Regulation](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-business/telecom-regulation.html) 19 August 2026 4049 views The National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Egypt (NTRA) has announced Africa’s first trial of mobile services using the 6GHz band. ![Colombia cancels Amazon fibre project over cost and risk concerns](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Places/1200x900/Amazon-Rainforest-Colombia-Putumayo-1200.jpg) Details Manny Pham Category: [Regulation](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-business/telecom-regulation.html) 19 August 2026 4937 views Colombia's Ministry of ICT (MinTIC) has cancelled a tender for a major fibre optic project in the Amazon rainforest, citing financial uncertainty and potential technical, environmental and coverage risks. ![Kazakhstan’s Data Centre Valley to launch in mid 2027](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Places/almaty_golden_hour_600.jpg) Details Vaughan O'Grady Category: [Data Centres & Networks](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/data-centres-networks.html) 19 August 2026 7489 views According to a number of local press reports, Kazakhstan expects to launch the first facility at Data Centre Valley, a large data centre campus in the country’s northeast, in the summer of 2027. ![Robi Axiata drops Airtel youth brand, renames it 'Cirkle'](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/NewsPix/Robi_Rebrand_Cirkle_1200.jpg) Details John Tanner Category: [Consumer Ecosystems](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/60-consumer-ecosystems.html) 19 August 2026 5658 views Bangladesh telco Robi Axiata officially retired the Airtel name – which has served as its youth brand for the past ten years – on Monday with the launch of a new digital-focused youth brand called Cirkle. ![PLDT’s Smart expands Lynk Global D2D tests to Batangas](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/NewsPix/Smart_Lynk_Batangas_600.jpg) Details John Tanner Category: [Satellite Networks](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/satellite-communications-networks.html) 19 August 2026 4815 views PLDT’s wireless unit Smart Communications said on Tuesday it has expanded its direct-to-device (D2D) satellite trial with Lynk Global (a.k.a. Elveo Mobile) to Batangas in southwestern Luzon. ![Tencent Cloud gearing up to launch first cloud region in Malaysia](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/NewsPix/Tencent_Cloud_Malaysia_Bluefish_1200.jpg) Details John Tanner Category: [Cloud & Virtualisation](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/telecom-cloud-virtualization.html) 19 August 2026 5482 views Tencent Cloud announced on Tuesday it will establish its first cloud region in Malaysia, which will include up to three availability zones in Johor, along with commitments to develop local AI talent. ![Major acquisitions for Deutsche Telekom in Polish market](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Places/800x600/warsaw_historic_centre_600.jpg) Details Vaughan O'Grady Category: [Investment](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-business/telecom-investment-mergers.html) 18 August 2026 10031 views A major deal has been announced that could change the Polish telecom landscape. Deutsche Telekom has agreed to acquire 100% of Fiberhost, a Polish open-access fixed network operator, together with Inea, a retail broadband and TV provider. ![Rakuten Symphony to support Viva's network modernisation in Bolivia](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Places/800x600/Sucre_Bolivia_600.jpg) Details Vaughan O'Grady Category: [Service Management](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/oss-service-management.html) 18 August 2026 6809 views Technology company Rakuten Symphony and Nuevatel PCS de Bolivia, operator of the Viva Bolivia mobile network, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore a phased strategic collaboration.