The week just ended seems to have been a busy one for regulator Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA), with important rulings related to MVNOs and 5G reported by the local press.

Sri Lankan operator Dialog Axiata has announced what it calls a landmark strategic partnership with UnionPay International (UPI), a China-headquartered company described as one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing global payment networks.

Technology company ACES India and state-owned operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) have signed a strategic agreement to deploy advanced telecom and digital connectivity infrastructure at Noida International Airport in Uttar Pradesh, a state in northern India.

Ocean Network Express (ONE), one of the world's leading liner shipping companies, and Japanese technology group MTI have established a joint venture called Quaveo in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City.

As predicted in recent days by many news outlets, including this one, Indian operator Vodafone Idea today confirmed that its adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues for the period from FY 2006–07 to FY 2018–19 are to be frozen from 31 December 2025.

The rush to develop data centre infrastructure in Malaysia continues with Tien Wah Press Holdings saying that its joint venture (JV) with Singapore-listed property developer Lum Chang Holdings is entering the data centre business to tap into the growing demand for such infrastructure.

State-owned operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has announced the awarding of two more BharatNet contracts as the village connectivity project enters its third, and presumably final, phase.

Chinese smartphone maker Oppo is set to bring Realme back under its core brand structure as a sub-brand, as parent company BKK Electronics looks to better integrate resources and align its brand strategy alongside OnePlus.

RANext Technologies has been empanelled by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) as a Digital Connectivity Rating Agency (DCRA), meaning it is authorised to evaluate the digital connectivity infrastructure of properties to ensure seamless connectivity and readiness for smart technologies.

Though it does not yet seem to have been formally confirmed by the Indian government, beleaguered operator Vodafone Idea (Vi) has apparently been granted a ten-year grace period before it has to pay more than 95% of its adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues.

Cambodian mobile users now have access to 5G services after the country’s three main operators, Cellcard, Metfone and Smart,  launched their respective networks at the start of the new year.

Telenor Group, a leading telecommunications and technology company in the Nordic countries and Asia, has successfully completed the sale of its Telenor Pakistan business to Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), a part of the global technology group (and UAE-headquartered) e&.

India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has formally announced its National Frequency Allocation Plan 2025 (NFAP-2025). It took effect from 30 December 2025 but is already attracting negative comments from operators.

SpaceX’s LEO satellite operator Starlink has shut off service in Papua New Guinea – at least for now – and has reportedly withdrawn from the market amid ongoing legal tangles that have delayed approval of its licence to operate there.

Professional services company Deloitte India says it has expanded its strategic partnership with cloud computing services business Google Cloud. The firm will serve as a premier partner, reseller and managed security service provider (MSSP) for Google Cloud in India.

The Government of Pakistan has reportedly approved a process for the auction of 600MHz of spectrum within two months. 

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison has signed an investment agreement with a consortium comprising Arsari Group and Northstar Group to form a new joint venture focused on fibre digital infrastructure in Indonesia.

Underlining the continuing government push not only to make Malaysia an attractive home for data centres but for renewable energy to power those data stations is a recent announcement of a 250MW solar initiative positioned to supply AI data centres in Malaysia.

Indian state-run telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) seems to be enjoying a period of making positive business headlines lately, with initiatives in airport communications and fixed broadband in the news this week.

Uruguay-headquartered dLocal, which describes itself as the leading payment platform connecting global merchants to emerging markets, has announced a new strategic partnership with commercial payments specialist Convera.

PLDT reported a decline in cable and telecoms equipment theft across most of 2025, citing closer cooperation with local government units, police and community groups.

Google plans to build three subsea cables in Papua New Guinea, funded by Australia under a mutual defence agreement between the two countries.

Two new renewable energy agreements involving Malaysia are a reminder of the growing power demands of data centres and of date centre owners’ need to find cleaner, cheaper and more demand-responsive ways to meet them.

GIBO Holdings, which describes itself as an Asia-based AI-generated animation platform, has announced a strategic initiative to develop Malaysia's first phase of a high-performance AI data centre, beginning with a 30MW deployment featuring a 14,000-GPU supercomputing cluster.

Globe Telecom has announced plans to build new subsea cables to improve connectivity for communities on the island of Mindanao.

More reminders of the importance of satellites, Wi-Fi and cellular to emergency communications come from recent events in Sri Lanka and on the Thai–Cambodian border.

Emergency communications are in the news again, with operator CelcomDigi in Malysia highlighting its support for flood relief efforts in the country and another service provider, Edotco Bangladesh, announcing a partnership to enhance disaster preparedness.

Telecom services revenue in Indonesia is predicted to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 3.7% between 2024 and 2029, a trend underpinned by the increasing adoption of mobile data and fibre connectivity.

API-enabled technology platform Setu, owned by payments technology company Pine Labs, has announced the launch of what it calls India’s first agentic bill-payments experience.

Mobile industry association the GSMA has urged what it calls a sharper, investment-led push to accelerate Indonesia’s digital transformation and drive innovation.

Southeast Asian wholesale connectivity provider SEAX has acquired a major stake in ITEL (Interlink Telecom), a Thai fixed network telecommunications provider.