Tele2 to spin off Baltic towers in €560 million JV

Swedish operator Tele2 has announced plans to spin off its infrastructure assets into a dedicated tower company serving all three Baltic nations, under a 50/50 joint venture with tower specialist Global Communications Infrastructure (GCI).

Armenia denies reports of Viva stake sale

The Armenian government has dismissed media claims that it authorised the sale of its 20% stake in Viva.

IOH launches AI-powered anti-fraud solution with Indonesian government

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH) partnered with Indonesia’s Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs (Kominfo) to launch an AI-powered solution designed to protect citizens from the growing threat of digital fraud.

4iG Group secures $282M for space and defence unit

Hungarian telecom and technology firm 4iG Group has announced a HUF96 billion (US$282 million) investment into its B2B subsidiary, 4iG Space and Defence (4iG SD), to address a growing backlog of demand in the space and defence sectors.

PTCL–Telenor merger inches forward amid regulatory concerns

The long-running merger between Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL) and Telenor Pakistan is slowly progressing, as PTCL works to address regulatory concerns raised by the country’s competition authority.

Vodacom Eastern Cape boosts Addo coverage to fight crime

Vodacom Eastern Cape said on Tuesday that it has completed targeted network upgrades in the Addo region and along the R335 route to fill mobile coverage gaps in a bid to combat truck hijackings.

Ncell launches outbound VoLTE roaming, starting with India

Nepalese telco Ncell says it has become the first mobile operator in the country to expand its Voice over Long-Term Evolution (VoLTE) international roaming service to include outbound travellers.

Vodacom ramps up investment in Mpumalanga with ZAR620 million broadband boost

Vodacom has committed to investing ZAR620 million ($34.5 millon) in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province during its 2025–26 financial year, as it seeks to meet rising demand for connectivity.

Dialog Axiata expands 5G roaming, launches low-cost 5G smartphone

Sri Lanka-based operator Dialog Axiata has expanded its 5G roaming footprint to 40 countries through partnerships with more than 150 operators worldwide.

Vodafone Idea launches 5G in Meerut and eight other cities this week

Indian telco Vodafone Idea said on Thursday it is launching 5G service in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh as of today, making it the ninth city this week and the 13th city in the past month where Vi has switched on its 5G network.

Kyrgyzstan government takes over internet access

Kyrgyzstan has decided to nationalise access to international internet traffic for a year. A presidential decree earlier this week said the government was "establishing a temporary 100% state monopoly on the supply and provision of international internet traffic on the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic”.

Globe Telecom nears completion of tower sale deals

Philippines-based Globe Telecom has closed the sale of 96 more towers raising a total of PHP89.3 billion ($1.5 billion) since kicking off its sale-and-leaseback initiative three years ago.

Reliance reportedly eyes 5% Jio Platforms IPO in India

Reliance Industries, the parent company of Jio Platforms, is reportedly considering listing a 5% stake in its mobile unit in India, which could raise an estimated US$6 billion.

Orange raises full-year outlook on strong Africa, Middle East performance

Orange has raised its full-year targets after its Africa and Middle East unit was once again recognised as the group’s primary growth engine.

Lat Am-focused banks invest in El Salvador’s Tigo

Two banks with a strong Latin American focus, development bank IDB Invest and multinational bank Bladex, have joined forces to provide a financing package to Millicom-owned operator Telemovil El Salvador – aka Tigo – of up to US$205 million.

Morocco awards 5G licences to Maroc Telecom, Inwi and Orange

Morocco’s telecommunications regulator, the ANRT, has awarded 5G licences to the country’s three main operators - Maroc Telecom, Inwi, and Orange Morocco - raising MAD2.1 billion (US$210 million) for state coffers and marking a major step forward in the country’s national digital transformation agenda.

NBTC orders AIS and True to give roadmap for 2G/3G shutdown

Thailand’s telecoms regulator has reportedly instructed Advanced Info Service (AIS) and True Corp to submit detailed plans to shut down their 2G and 3G networks by the third quarter of 2026, ostensibly as part of an anti-fraud strategy.

India’s DoT outlines new policy to boost telecoms coverage

India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has set up ambitious targets to achieve 100% population coverage with 4G and 90% coverage with 5G, according to a draft of the country’s National Telecom Policy 2025, now being circulated for public consultation.

Orange appoints Brelotte Ba as CEO of Sonatel

Orange has continued its senior leadership overhaul with the appointment of Brelotte Ba (pictured), Deputy CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa (MEA), as the new Director General of its Senegalese subsidiary, Sonatel.

Sudan’s blocking of WhatsApp calls goes into effect

The Sudanese authorities’ decision to block voice and video calls on WhatsApp for an unspecified period came into effect on Friday 25 July. It seems that text messaging and group chats remain unaffected.

2015 wiresDeveloping Telecoms 2015 Emerging Markets Trends Survey is now complete! Submissions have been collated and analysed and are now available to download as a complete package, in PDF format, for reading off-line.

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