Satellite communications operators the Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) and Azerbaijan’s  Azercosmos have signed a cooperation agreement relating to satellite communications and broadcasting services.

Satellite-based systems designer Thales Alenia Space has signed a contract with the Egyptian operator Nilesat to build the Nilesat-301 geostationary communications satellite.

Ooredoo Kuwait has selected Fortinet to provide its secure SD-WAN managed service.

If you needed further proof of the diversification of what was once a dedicated e-commerce company, the fact that the Amazon subsidiary Amazon Web Services recently announced the expansion of AWS Ground Station in the Middle East should give some indication.

Zain, a major mobile operator in eight markets across the Middle East and North Africa, has claimed a first in the MENA region with a new 5G roaming service.

Following requests from interested parties, the Israeli Ministry of Communications has postponed a 5G frequency tender.

The city of Jerusalem is deploying Siklu’s millimeter wave (mmWave) core and access network equipment for an ongoing project which will become one of the largest municipal networks in the world.

Zain, an operator with a commercial footprint in eight Middle Eastern and African countries, has selected Ericsson to build its 5G network in Bahrain.

Gulf Bridge International (GBI) and Microsoft have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will support regional cloud adoption amongst key organisations in the region.

du and Batelco have launched Arc, a joint venture aimed at simplifying intra-regional connectivity in the Middle East.

Ooredoo Tunisia is deploying the Nokia AirGile cloud-native core and services to power its current 2G/3G/4G network in order to prepare for the transition to 5G.

Plans for a new cable system, which will directly connect Muscat, Oman, to Perth, Australia, have been announced. It will be called Oman Australia Cable (OAC).

5G may not be here yet as an end-user offering in most countries, but trials and announcements in South America and the Middle East indicate that it may not be too far off.

Morocco has developed one of the most advanced telecommunications markets in Africa, reports Research & Markets.

Energy solutions provider IPT PowerTech Group has received a round of financing from Finnfund, DEG, Proparco and the European Investment Bank that will allow it to modernise the energy supply infrastructure in Lebanon and Guinea. 

Nokia’s Nuage Networks SD-WAN 2.0 solution has been picked up by two major cloud/digital service providers active in the Middle East.

The CTO of the UAE’s du has stated that the operator has no issues concerning the security of Huawei’s network equipment.

Vodafone is using technology from Parallel Wireless to deploy macro OpenRAN pilots in Turkey and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as part of an initiative to reduce deployment and maintenance costs for RAN platforms.

Moroccan operator inwi has recently launched a new mobile money service called ‘inwi money’. The service works on mobiquity Money, a platform offered by mobile solutions provider Comviva.

Networking systems, services and software company Ciena has announced the completion of a ‘significant’ upgrade to the SEA-ME-WE 5 submarine cable system to support enterprise data exchange, internet TV, and online gaming.

Mobile penetration is high in Saudi Arabia and the market is heavily saturated, reports Research & Markets.

ORIS Telekom is deploying Epsilon’s SDN (software-defined networking) platform Infiny in Turkey.

Algérie Telecom Satellite (ATS) has selected the Hughes Jupiter System to enable satellite broadband service to home users and small-to-medium enterprise (SME) customers.

Oman has established a progressive mobile sector which has substantial coverage of both 3G and 4G LTE networks, reports Research & Markets.

The government of Morocco has agreed to invest MAD10 billion ($1 billion) into market leader Maroc Telecom across the next three years.

Zain Group is adding a new platform to its Zain Cash mobile finance offering that will allow refugees in Iraq to cash-out their financial assistance via iris identification.

G-Core Labs is expanding its infrastructure in the Middle East by opening a new point of presence for its content delivery network in Tel Aviv.

BSS and IoT provider Nexign has signed a value-added reseller (VAR) agreement with Cairo-based, systems integrator Giza Systems.

FVC has partnered with Avaya Holdings to help businesses across North, West, East, Central Africa and Egypt (NWECA) deliver customer experiences with UCC and cloud solutions.

Libya's civil war has crippled the country's economy and disrupted its telecommunications sector. Much of the telecom infrastructure has been destroyed or stolen, including about a quarter of the country's mobile tower sites, according to Research & Markets’ latest report.