Global infrastructure operator Telxius said that its new Mistral subsea cable is now ready for service. Running up the western coast of South America, the Mistral cable links Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile.

The telecoms regulators UCC in Uganda and ARTP in Senegal have introduced quality-measuring apps for various communications networks.

Liberty Latin America (LLA) has extended its reach in the Latin American market with the confirmation of its latest acquisition.

Venezuelan mobile operator Digitel has signed an agreement with Optiva for a multi-year support renewal and upgrade of its online charging system.

The Ethiopian authorities are to allow the new licence offered to a Safaricom-led consortium in May to be upgraded to include mobile financial services.

Two recent news stories from Nigeria underline the fact that efforts are continuing in the country to expand connectivity to less-well-served areas, in these two cases through rural satcoms and urban Wi-Fi.

Argentina's telecommunications regulator Ente Nacional de Comunicaciones (Enacom) approved funding totalling ARS 671.6 million (USD 33.5 million) to improve broadband connectivity in the country.

It wasn’t too long ago that pan-African operator MTN seemed keen to have another try at the second Ethiopian telecoms licence it failed to win in May. That opportunity has now been offered, but MTN may no longer be as keen to get involved.

Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC), a mobile telecommunications company and internet service provider in Namibia, announced the commercial launch of Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) communications technology.

The private equity investor I Squared Capital (ISQ), which owns HGC Global Communications, is to buy Mexico’s largest data centre operator KIO Networks.

Brazilian investment fund The Bordeaux Participações fund transferred BRL 2.5 billion (US$ 4480 million) in the account of the government of Parana and took the last step towards the purchase of Copel Telecom.

MTN Nigeria, the biggest operator in the pan-African MTN Group in terms of subscriber numbers, says it is planning to invest 600 billion naira (about $1.46 billion) over the next three years to expand broadband access.

We reported in early July that Djibouti was planning to open up its telecoms sector to competition. Now the country has set Thursday 16 September as the deadline for investors to express interest in taking a 40 percent stake in the incumbent operator.

South African operator MTN has announced plans to invest some $11.8 million in network expansion in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province.

Somalia’s National Communications Authority (NCA) has set a deadline of 31st August for all unlicensed service providers nationwide to apply for an operating permit.

Uruguay’s state operator Antel is aiming to invest US$147 million into upgrading its fibre-optic network throughout 2022.

Jamaica’s telecom sector has for many years been propped up by the mobile sector, which accounts for the vast majority of internet connections and voice lines – as well as just over half of telecom sector revenue.

Although Bolivia had enjoyed strong economic growth prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, GDP remains among the lowest in South America.

In common with several other mid-sized countries in the region, Ecuador has a small telecom market dominated by the mobile sector.

Honduras is among the poorest countries in Central America and has long been plagued by an unstable political framework which has rendered telecom sector reform difficult.

Silkbank, a leading commercial and Islamic bank in Pakistan, has gone live with digital banking platform Temenos Infinity from banking software company Temenos.

Over 1,300 rural sites will gain access to connectivity in Peru as part of Peru's national programme to bridge the digital divide, according to the two signatories of a new satellite backhaul deal.

Neptune Communications has partnered with Parallel Wireless to deliver the Caribbean’s first O-RAN compliant 4G LTE solution in Barbados.

The Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA) has opened a public consultation inviting stakeholders to provide feedback on its proposals for 5G spectrum bands.

Angolan President Joao Lourenco published an order that authorises the privatisation of the 90% participation that the state holds in the Multitel's share capital, through a public tender.

Brazilian internet service provider (ISP) Unifique Telecomunicações said it raised BRL818 million ($158 million) in an initial public offering (IPO) after pricing its shares at BRL8.60 each, not far from the bottom end of the indicative range.

Two Nigerian communications industry associations have backed a proposed move by the country’s regulator towards collocation and infrastructure sharing.

International (and pan-African) operator Orange and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH have inaugurated a new Orange Digital Centre in Bamako.

Telecom company Lumen Technologies is selling its Latin American network services to private equity firm Stonepeak Partners for $2.7 billion.

The mobile money bandwagon continues to gather pace in Africa. Local press reports indicate that leading Angolan operator Unitel is about to launch a service called Unitel Money.

Bolivia is to expand its deployment of fibre and of cellular antennas to more municipalities across the country’s nine departments, according to recent reports from the Bolivian public works, services and housing ministry.