Global smartphone shipments are continuing to grow – and that growth is being led by strong recovery in many emerging markets. That’s the view of market intelligence provider International Data Corporation (IDC) in the latest edition of its Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.

Iraqi operator Asiacell Telecom has chosen Nokia to build its next-generation microwave network.

Israeli mobile network operator company Partner Communications, formerly known as Orange Israel, has made a bid for Marathon (018) Xfone, offering ILS187 million (USD58 million) for the business activity of its smaller rival.

Chinguitel, the telecommunications service provider in Nouakchott, Mauritania has announced the launch of its first LTE-based services - 4G services - in the country capital as well as six other regions after being awarded a 4G licence last September.

Partner Communications Company, formerly Orange Israel, has reported a 9% year-on-year increase in total turnover for the three months ended 30 June 2021, with the company seeing increases in both service and equipment revenues.

Targeting in particular the 1.7 billion consumers that it says have joined the world’s middle class in the past decade, most of them in emerging markets, fintech Boku has launched M1ST (Mobile First), which it calls the world’s largest mobile payments network.

Arc Solutions, a provider of integrated networking solutions that simplify connecting and optimising applications and services across the Middle East, has expanded its network to Bahrain in the digital business platform Global Zone.

EdgeConneX, which provides a full range of data centre solutions worldwide, has agreed to acquire Global Data Center (GDC), an Israel-based data centre operator headquartered in Herzliya, the hub of Israel’s hi-tech district.

Lebanon’s state-owned provider Ogero confirmed that it is unable to offer connectivity in three locations until further notice, since no diesel is available to fuel electricity generators.

The mobile phone operator of Turkey, Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. announced that it has posted robust financial performance despite the impact of the pandemic for the second quarter (2Q) ended June 30, 2021.

Bezeq, Israel's largest telecoms group, has approved plans to spin off Bezeq International's ICT business activities into a separate corporation.

Hyperscalers like Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft adding bandwidth far faster than regional operators in the Middle East.

Telefonica Tech has signed a collaboration agreement with STC’s cybersecurity unit ATCSC to share intelligence and develop responses to cyber threats in their markets.

stc has expanded its strategic partnership with Ericsson for the deployment of 5G Core for New Radio standalone on Ericsson Cloud Native Infrastructure.

Global Technical Realty (GTR), a provider of build-to-suit data centers backed by global investment firm KKR, has announced a new 10.5MW data center in Petah Tikva, Israel.

Bahrain-based telecommunication company Zain Bahrain has promised continued investment to expand its 4G and 5G network footprint in the country, with a strong focus on the 5G and LTE enhancements to further improve reliability and indoor coverage.

Cloud and network connectivity provider Gulf Bridge International (GBI) is expanding its collaboration with Equinix by establishing a point-of-presence at the Equinix data centre in Oman.

A new subsea and terrestrial system linking Europe, the Middle East and India is on the way – and a specialist investment trust has announced a significant financial input into the project.

Bahrain Telecommunication Company (Batelco) reported an increase of 5% in net profits to BD37.5 million ($99.5 million) for H1 2021.

United Arab Emirates (UAE) telecoms group Emirates Telecommunication Group Company (Etisalat) has recorded a 3.9% rise in first-half net profit after federal royalties to AED4.7 billion (USD1.28 billion).

Qatari multinational telecommunications company Ooredoo has posted strong financial results for the first half (H1) of 2021, maintaining its growth momentum despite operational challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Libya's state-owned operator Hatif Libya has signed an agreement to improve its fibre-optic network with US-based company Infinera. Hatif Libya is a subsidiary of the Libyan Telecommunication Holding Company (LPTIC).

Israeli cybersecurity company Cybereason has announced the acquisition of empow, a security analytics company based in Tel Aviv, Israel. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Canadian supplier of mobile and broadband wireless solutions NuRAN Wireless has signed a memorandum of understanding with MTN South Sudan for the deployment of rural sites under the network-as-a-service (NAAS) model.

Israeli real estate group Azrieli is acquiring 100% of Norway's data centre services firm Green Mountain for around $850 million, to expand its data centre activity.

Five of the largest network operators in the Middle East have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that commits them to the support and deployment of Open RAN technology in their future infrastructure rollouts.

Saudi Arabia's Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) announced that it has awarded licences to two new mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), bringing the total number of mobile telecom companies in the country to seven.

The telecommunications giant operating in seven markets across the Middle East and Africa (MENA) region said that its quarterly net profits increased by 17% to reach 41 million dinars (US$138 million).

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), a sovereign wealth fund (SWF) owned by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, has acquired a stake in EdgePoint Infrastructure, a telecom towers platform focused on Southeast Asia.

The launch of a new operator in any country is newsworthy but the launch of South Sudan’s Digitel Telecommunications has been noted by the country’s leader, not too surprisingly perhaps as this is the first-ever South Sudanese-owned mobile telecom company.

The Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) is forecasted to have 62 million 5G mobile subscriptions by the end of 2026, representing about 73% of all mobile connections, the second-highest in the world after North America where the adoption rate will be 84%, said a study.