As promised in November last year, Kenyan operator Safaricom, mobile payment giant M-Pesa Africa and global trading and business investment company Sumitomo Corporation have now announced calls for tech start-ups looking to join the Spark Accelerator programme.

Telecoms giant BT and Basrah Gas Company (BGC), Iraq’s largest gas flare reduction company, have announced a new agreement to securely connect BGC's operations in Iraq and help accelerate its digital transformation.

Pakistan’s Ministry of IT and Telecom revealed it is planning to launch a payment plan scheme called ‘Smartphone for All’, to equip more citizens with smartphones and drive up the number of connected citizens. 

The long-awaited Humboldt Cable project to connect Chile directly with the Asia-Pacific took a new turn after Google officially joined the consortium on Friday, along with the Office of Posts and Telecommunications of French Polynesia (OPT).

Togolese operator Togocom secured XOF36 billion (US$60.2 million) from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to fund the upgrade of its infrastructure including the expansion of its 4G network. 

NEC Corporation India (NEC India) has completed a flagship optical submarine cable system in Southern India connecting Kochi and the Lakshadweep Islands.

Regulator the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has published what it calls a pre-enforcement notice regarding unauthorised use of the 5.4GHz frequency band.

Bahrain operator Batelco, part of the technology-focused Beyon Group, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with tech giant Ericsson to expand its sustainability initiatives and circular economy practices.

Marlink, the smart network and digital solutions company, says it will leverage satellite connectivity from satellite operator SES to operate YanaSat, a new publicly owned satellite network service in French Guiana.

Qatar-based communications satellite operator Es’hailSat has joined forces with managed services network infrastructure group Viasat Energy Services to provide high-speed VSAT services across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Algeria Telecom and Ooredoo Algeria signed a memorandum of understanding to exchange ideas on innovative services and share infrastructure, a move to enhance their service in the country. 

The government of Mali has reportedly awarded a contract worth US$117.3 million to China International Telecommunication Construction Corporation (CITCC) to extend its national fibre optic network.

Robi Axiata said on Tuesday that its ICT subsidiaries, Axentec and RedDot Digital, have signed a deal with Electricity Generation Company of Bangladesh (EGCB) to implement an AI-based early fault detection system for its power plants.

Nigerian operator Globacom has denied reports that it still owes MTN Nigeria interconnection charges despite regulator the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) suggesting otherwise.

UAE-based operator du has selected Nokia to modernise its Circuit Switched Core network.

MTN Guinea was reportedly forced to shut its doors by Guinea’s Post and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ARPT) due to unpaid taxes and licence fees, reported Ecofin Agency. 

Orange Finances Money Mali, which issues, manages and distributes electronic money under the Orange Money brand in Mali, has announced a partnership with TerraPay, a global cross-border payments network with an extensive reach.

Nasarawa State in the North Central region of Nigeria has eliminated right of way (RoW) costs for the construction, placement, laying and maintenance of telecoms network equipment in the state.

The Government of Gabon and the World Bank, one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries, have signed a US$68.5 million loan for the Digital Gabon Project.

The government of Paraguay still seems determined to restore state-owned service provider Corporación Paraguaya de Comunicaciones (Copaco) to something like profitability, despite a number of failed attempts in the past.

American Tower Corporation (ATC) signed a deal to sell its entire Indian unit to Data Infrastructure Trust (DIT), an affiliate of Brookfield Asset Management for INR165 billion (US$2 billion).

Regulator the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has a new director general following the early exit of Ezra Chiloba last year. He is David Mugonyi, the former Head of the Presidential Communication Service.

Elea Digital, which describes itself as the largest platform with the highest number of operational data centres in Brazil, has announced a new R$570 million (US$115.9 million) issuance of debentures linked to sustainable goals for the expansion of data centre infrastructure in Brazil.

Reliance Jio could gain landing rights and market access to launch gigabit speed fibre services based on satellite technology. 

Vodafone Idea denied Elon Musk’s SpaceX was looking to buy a stake in the operator as a move to deploy Starlink in India. 

Among news stories that may have sneaked under the radar during the holiday season is an interesting partnership announced about a week ago between Vienna Payment Solutions/VIPASO and technology solutions provider Interswitch East Africa (Kenya) Limited.

As might have been predicted a few months ago when the process appeared to be going slowly, the Namibian government last week extended its SIM card registration deadline.

Somali operator Somtel has launched the country’s first 5G network.