Gulf Bridge International (GBI) has partnered with Iraq IXP to extend low-latency Peering services from the Gulf to Iraq, enhancing Iraq’s connectivity and access to global digital services.

Tanzania and Uganda have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to integrate their national information and communication technology (ICT) networks in a deal said to be worth US$28.8 million.

In an interesting recent development, Nigeria’s mobile operators are threatening to abandon uniform tariffs. Thus subscribers could be charged differently for telephony services depending on their locations.

Kenyan operator Safaricom has announced an upgrade to its local cloud computing platform and cloud services suite.

African e-commerce platform Jumia has announced an agreement with satellite internet service Starlink to retail the Starlink Residential Kit in Africa.

MTN has partnered with global consulting firm Accenture and customer experience solutions provider Genesys on an intiative that aims to boost customer care for MTN’s subscriber via cloud-native solutions and advanced AI capabilities.

MTN revealed plans to expand its fintech arm to include remittance services in a move to tap into the 15% of South Africans who are unbanked. 

Two stories involving enhanced coverage and connectivity have emerged from Brazil this week – one involving satellite networks for enterprises, operators and aviation, and the other involving terrestrial internet access for schools.

State-backed Argentinean provider ARSAT is reportedly planning to deploy fixed wireless access (FWA) services using its 700MHz and AWS spectrum holding.

Telecom Egypt finalised a deal to host AFR-IX Telecom's  Medusa subsea cable which will connect to the Red Sea through the operator's network by the end of 2025.

The Costa Rican government reportedly gave permission for Elon Musk’s broadband provider Starlink to operate in the country in Q4 this year. 

A Federal Court in Argentina has issued several directives to the country’s regulator ENACOM relating to its upcoming 5G spectrum auction, just days ahead of the deadline for bids.

Saudi Arabia’s digital regulator the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) announced caller IDs will appear on all phone calls from next month, a move to safeguard callers from scammers. 

Service provider du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), and technology giant Nokia have signed a frame agreement aimed at heralding what they call a new era of 5G-driven advanced technology possibilities for UAE enterprises.

Smartphone shipments in Africa saw growth of 7.6% to a total of 19.6 million units in Q2, snapping seven quarters of continuous year-on-year decline.

TM Forum's annual Digital Transformation World (DTW) is a major event in the communications industry, where innovation comes to life, inspiration is sparked, connections are made, and knowledge is gained. Around 3500+ attendees, 50+ CSP VPs, and above from 100+ countries joined this event.

Orange Guinea and Huawei have deployed FDD Massive MIMO across the operator’s entire network.

The Gulf of Suez Petroleum Company (GUPCO), which carries out oil and gas exploration, development and production operations in Egypt, has deployed a fixed wireless broadband network from networking solutions provider Cambium Networks’ to connect onshore and offshore operations and thus improve efficiency and safety.

Nokia is launching an Open Innovation lab in Dubai, UAE, with a focus on accelerating adoption of technologies including AI and machine learning for network automation and optimisation.

Indian feature phone vendor Lava International stated ambitions to take a third of the feature phone market in India within 12 months and transform into a significant player in the budget segment.

Counterpoint Research predicted Apple will gain a larger share of the Indian smartphone market on the back of its latest iPhone 15 range launched last week. 

SpaceX has reportedly opened discussions with the government of Burundi over a potential launch of its Starlink Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite broadband service in Q2 2024.

Brazilian fintech firm EBANX is expanding into eight new African markets.