Vodacom announced it will invest ZAR500 million (US$27.4m) into its network and power backup across the Eastern Cape of South Africa in its 2023/24 financial year, as part of plans to expand its 5G network.

SIGET (Superintendencia General de Electricidad y Telecomunicaciones), the telecommunications regulating agency in El Salvador, has issued a new resolution which aligns it with the growing number of countries that have completely freed up the 6GHz band for use in WiFi 6E networks.

US-based neutral host and telecom infrastructure company Torrecom plans to expand its tower portfolio in Latin America with the help of multilateral development bank IDB Invest.

Orange Jordan claimed to be the first to launch commercial 5G services in the country and was the second Orange unit in the Middle East and North Africa to deploy next-generation connectivity.

African telecommunications and network company Paratus, and Ceragon Networks, a provider of innovative wireless backhaul and fronthaul solutions, have signed a multi-year agreement to provide high-capacity wireless offshore communication solutions to the oil and gas industry in Namibia, Angola and Mozambique.

Challenger Guyanese operator ENet has launched a range of new mobile services unlimited data, calls and text on its 4G/5G network nationwide to compete against its large-scale rivals.

Liquid Dataport is set to expand its fibre backbone to connect Luanda, Angola and Lusaka, Zambia directly.

Navégalo, a provider of data centre and telecommunication services with a strong presence in Latin America, has announced the arrival of a new state-of-the-art data centre in San José, Costa Rica. The opening is scheduled for 15 August 2023.

Axian Telecom revealed Telco Oi chief executive Pierre-Antoine Legagneur took over as head of Togocom.

Recent spectrum-related events in Ecuador appear to have worried the GSMA, the global association gathering the world’s biggest mobile operators. It has claimed that the ongoing suspension of spectrum renewals puts key investments at risk for the future of the country.

Georgia is set to commence 5G auctions next month after the country’s Communications Commission approved the sale of airwaves in the 700MHz, 800MHz, 1800MHz, 2600MHz and 3.5GHz bands.

Kyrgyzstan’s Fund for State Property Management is set to auction off 100% of shares in the state-owned mobile operator MEGA.

Orange and e& are reportedly considering bids for the 45% stake on offer in Ethiopia-owned operator Ethio Telecom, Bloomberg reported.

Burundi’s Telecommunications Regulation and Control Agency (ARCT) has earmarked July 2024 as a target for the launch of commercial 5G in the market.

Telefonica announced it will sell off shares in its Peruvian fibre optic unit PangeaCo in a move that will shave €200 million off its debt pile, and continue its asset-selling strategy.

Kenyan operator Safaricom is apparently planning to set up two venture capital firms with the aim of buying into promising technology start-ups. According to local press reports, Safaricom wants shareholders to approve the establishment of the two firms during its annual general meeting on 28 July.

MXT Holdings (MXT), a telecommunications infrastructure company based in Mexico, has received a major investment boost with the news that private investment house Ardian has signed an agreement to acquire a 50% co-control equity interest in the company.

Surinamese operator Telesur has gone live with its implementation of Cerillion’s BSS/OSS suite.

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has announced its first 5G spectrum awards. Reports suggest that a little over 68% of available 5G spectrum has gone to market leaders MTN Uganda and Airtel Uganda.

Megatelecom, which operates in Brazil’s corporate market as a provider of telecommunications services, has acquired the G8 Telecomunicações group, also a provider of telecom and multimedia connection services for the corporate market.

Brazilian data centre and digital infrastructure group V.tal has acquired a plot of land in Fortaleza in Ceara, a state in the northeast of the country, for what is expected to be its first hyperscale data centre.

Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN), Elettra, a specialist in marine works related to optical submarine cable systems, submarine infrastructure operator Medusa and operator Orange have announced the coming into force of the construction contract for the Medusa Submarine Cable System, an ambitious project that will boost connectivity across the Mediterranean.

Reliance Jio launched an affordable 4G feature phone in a move to gain more subscribers from remote locations in India to its digital services.

The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) has announced an alliance with the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) to spearhead the widespread adoption of .ng domains.

As promised late last year and confirmed in May, Ethiopia has launched a tender for a new mobile telecoms licence – the country’s second new licence, opening the door to the third national operator in the country alongside state-owned incumbent Ethio Telecom and recent entrant Safaricom Ethiopia.

Botswana’s Consumer and Competition Authority has unconditionally approved the proposed acquisition of 100% of the issued share capital and all sale claims of MTN Business Solutions Botswana by Mascom Wireless Botswana, the country’s leading mobile telecoms company.

Telecommunications giant Huawei is to offer equipment and solutions to help the ICE Group deploy private 5G networks for companies in Costa Rica.

DZS and Summit Technology Solutions have partnered to deliver hyper-fast fibre optic broadband connectivity to Africa’s tallest building.