America Movil's Claro Uruguay unit began technical tests in 5G in the 28 GHz band in the country after receiving authorization from the Communication Services Regulatory Unit (URSEC).

Claro Argentina, a part of the América Móvil group, has partnered with DOCOMO Digital, the integrator of digital app stores, to facilitate the purchase of applications and content with direct carrier billing (DCB), within the Samsung Galaxy Store, using Claro's pre-paid or post-paid accounts.

Google has announced plans to build Firmina, an open subsea cable that will run from the East Coast of the United States to Las Toninas, Argentina, with additional landings in Praia Grande, Brazil and Punta del Este, Uruguay.

It looks like Hype –the in-browser chat service for Opera Mini users – is not just hype after all. This week has seen the launch of the service by global internet brand Opera in South Africa, Zambia and Ghana.

Venezuela’s fixed-line teledensity was relatively high for the region before the steady growth in the number of lines came to an end in 2015. Since then, the number of lines has plummeted, and by late 2020 teledensity had fallen to about 18.6%.

Cuba’s telecom sector remains a peculiarity, with state control having stymied rather than promoted the development of all sectors.

Indosat Ooredoo, the telecommunications provider in Indonesia, will soon launch its fifth-generation or 5G network.

Orange Centrafrique has been unable to offer mobile services after its core network, data centre and radio installations were destroyed in a fire on 6th June.

Lebanon’s continued rationing of electrical power in the face of national shortages may prevent state operator Ogero from providing internet services, its chairman has warned.

Orange Jordan has signed a three-year agreement with Nokia to deploy more than 100,000 units of Nokia WiFi Beacons across the country.

Colombia’s national spectrum agency (ANE) sanctioned Avantel, a telecommunications company based in Mexico City, for the illegal use of WOM's spectrum.

South Africa’s number three operator is claiming an African first. Telkom says it has launched Africa’s first virtual card for transacting on WhatsApp, enabling Telkom Pay customers to make e-commerce payments.

A new deal will, it is claimed, create South Africa’s first commercial network driven by segment routing.

IoT solutions for machines and fleet management are coming to India and Qatar, according to recent partnership announcements in both countries.

Vodafone Idea signed an agreement with Huawei to expand its 4G network shortly ahead of the Indian government’s March announcement that operators must procure all equipment from trusted providers.

Pan-African operator MTN has announced plans to commit $25 million to develop Ghana’s digital ecosystem.

Health technology is a growing theme – and opportunity – across the MEA region, so it’s perhaps little surprise that a major operator is now getting involved.

Orange Botswana has announced the launch of a new TD-LTE network for consumers and enterprises, branded as Konnecta Max.

Telit, a global enabler of the Internet of Things (IoT), has expanded its partnership with Hi-Mix Eletrônicos S/A, a Brazilian Electronic Manufacturing Service (EMS) provider, for the production of LTE modules.

Mauritius is the latest African country to be able to boast a presence in space. The first Mauritian satellite (a CubeSat – MIR-SAT1) was successfully launched yesterday on board the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

Peru’s government has implemented a new law requiring operators to guarantee a minimum connection speed of 70% of the contracted rate – an increase of 30%.

With a population approaching 125 million and with relatively low broadband and mobile penetration, Mexico’s telecom sector retains significant potential for growth.

A major drawback for Paraguay’s telecom sector is that the country is landlocked, making it dependent on neighbouring countries for interconnection with submarine cable networks.

Peru’s Programa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (Pronatel), has awarded Gilat Satellite Networks, a leader in satellite networking technology, solutions and services, a $13 million contract for the delivery of internet services to hundreds of sites in Peru.

Ethio Telecom’s new mobile money service Telebirr apparently registered over one million users in the week after its launch. Now, according to some reports, registrations have passed the three million mark.

Following yesterday’s news that CG NET will deploy a new fibre-to-the-home network across the Kathmandu Valley, Nokia has confirmed that it is the sole supplier for the system.

Chaudhary Group, a Nepalese conglomerate which boasts over 100 companies under its umbrella and an investment outlay of over $1 billion, has announced the launch of a fibre internet service in Nepal.

UFINET, a neutral infrastructure wholesale operator in Latin America, has announced its selection of ICE6 800G coherent technology from Infinera, a global supplier of open optical networking solutions, for its new national long-haul network in Colombia.

More tower deals have been announced in what has become an increasingly busy market for both buyers and sellers. The latest two deals involve American Tower Corporation (ATC) buying in Latin America and Airtel Africa selling in Tanzania.