The National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), the Brazilian regulator, has been allowed to sign commitments with telecommunications operators to expand internet access, especially in locations with low or no connectivity, thanks to a decree from the country’s president.

As broadband demands grow, could satellites be part of the answer? Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NigComSat) a satcoms company under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Communications, seems to think so. It recently announced that Nigeria plans to acquire two new satellites by 2025.

Belize Bank Limited has launched a new banking app developed by Wallet Factory.

Orange MEA is partnering with Ericsson as it looks to accelerate its pan-Africa Orange Money mobile finance service.

Gambian regulator PURA (Public Utilities Regulatory Authority) has ordered mobile provider Comium to suspend its services after it failed to pay a number of required fees.

Brazilian carrier Vivo has announced the start of 5G tests in the millimeter-wave (mmWave) of 26 GHz band in partnership with Finnish vendor Nokia.

In an interesting reminder of the growing relevance of smart grids and the Internet of Things (IoT) to developing markets, it has been reported that Kenyan operator Safaricom is offering to supply a $288 million smart metre system to the country’s main power utility.

Cable & Wireless Panama (CWP), which is 49% owned by Liberty Latin America (LLA), is acquiring Claro Panama from America Movil (AM) for US$200 million.

Liquid Intelligent Technologies is delivering affordable high-speed connectivity to communities in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) using Wireless Optical Communication technology (WOC) from Project Taara.

As part of its drive to address Africa’s vulnerability to climate risk, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has created an independent asset management arm, AFC Capital Partners, with a debut offering: the Infrastructure Climate Resilient Fund (ICRF).

As expected, the Ethiopian government has formally announced its proposal for the partial privatisation of state-owned operator Ethio Telecom.

Nokia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) to drive digital transformation and the knowledge economy for socio-economic development across the continent.

Brazilian telecom operator Mhnet Telecom has finalized negotiations for the acquisition of Creral Telecom, located in the Alto Uruguay region, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

The Angolan government has launched an international public tender offering a concession to manage, operate and expand state-owned operator Angola Telecom’s national and metropolitan transport backbone network.

In yet another example of how the response to Covid-19 has influenced the telecommunications sector in a number of countries, MTN Ghana has announced the launch of a home internet service.

The newly-formed Vodafone Oman has selected Netcracker’s Digital BSS solutions as it prepares to launch its network in the Sultanate of Oman.

Continuing the rural broadband theme that has been in the news lately, NetOne – Zimbabwe’s second-biggest operator and a state-owned entity – has announced the next phase of its mobile broadband expansion project.

With an eye to the continuing drive to boost services to citizens and businesses, Botswana has floated a tender for the design, supply, installation, commissioning, operation and support of internet and backhaul connectivity in 61 of the country’s villages.

Pan-African operator Vodacom has installed three new solar-powered sites in South Africa as part of what it describes as its energy and carbon management strategy and commitment to reducing its impact on the environment.

Satellite networking technology, solutions and services company Gilat Satellite Networks has announced that it has received a $12 million service award for recurring revenues from broadband services in Cusco, Peru.

The giant telecoms corporation America Movil, having decided on a reorganization earlier this year, is now to propose a spinoff of its towers business to shareholders.

Pakistan’s state-owned Ufone obtained a further 2×9MHz of 1800MHz spectrum in the country’s latest spectrum auctions.

Dr. Amr Talaat, Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, has announced plans to provide more than 60 million people in rural areas with high-speed internet under an ambitious drive to unlock new pathways for economic growth.

UAE-headquartered satellite solutions provider Al Yah Satellite (Yahsat) has selected Cobham SATCOM, a provider of satellite communications solutions to the land, aeronautical and maritime industries, to deliver a comprehensive mobile broadband system, including ground infrastructure and products, to operate as part of its next-generation Thuraya 4-NGS system.

African telecommunications giant MTN Group and its Nigerian operation have had a good week with both the announcement of a new multi-country mobile payment deal for MTN Group and also a licence renewal for MTN Nigeria in the past few days.

In an interesting example of cooperation to avoid duplication, Tanzania is planning to use electricity infrastructure to deploy broadband services.

Uganda’s number three operator, Africell, is to leave the country after seven years.

Namibia's largest telecommunications company, Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC Namibia) is set to list on the Stock Exchange (NSX) by the end of November 2021 and 367.5 million shares are to be made available to the general public, MTC chairperson Theo Mberirua said.

The South African dispute that has delayed a planned spectrum auction in the country still hasn’t been resolved. However, communications regulator the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) on Tuesday moved to avoid a lengthy court battle over the issue, saying it believes the auction could still happen by January.

The Peruvian Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) has announced continued enhancements in its drive to expand mobile coverage in rural areas.

Ghana’s Minister of Communications and Digitisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has announced that the country’s national SIM card re-registration process will start at the beginning of October. Ghanaians over the age of 15 will have until 31 March 2022 to re-register their SIM cards.

The UAE has a strong mobile market, dominated by Etisalat and du. Both are majority-owned by the government. In a bid to attract additional foreign investment, it was resolved in early 2021 that the stake held by foreigners in the two companies could be increased.