Fiji’s Amalgamated Telecom Holdings (ATH) has completed a full takeover of three ICT businesses via its majority stake in Vodafone Fiji.

Burundi’s Telecommunications Regulation and Control Agency (ARCT) has earmarked July 2024 as a target for the launch of commercial 5G in the market.

Telefonica announced it will sell off shares in its Peruvian fibre optic unit PangeaCo in a move that will shave €200 million off its debt pile, and continue its asset-selling strategy.

Kenyan operator Safaricom is apparently planning to set up two venture capital firms with the aim of buying into promising technology start-ups. According to local press reports, Safaricom wants shareholders to approve the establishment of the two firms during its annual general meeting on 28 July.

Ericsson is building a next-generation smart manufacturing and technology hub in Tallinn, Estonia.

MXT Holdings (MXT), a telecommunications infrastructure company based in Mexico, has received a major investment boost with the news that private investment house Ardian has signed an agreement to acquire a 50% co-control equity interest in the company.

Globe Telecom announced plans to follow the trend and tap into AI technology to automate routine tasks to significantly improve customer experience, cut costs and improve efficiency.

The Philippines' third operator DITO Telecommunity stated ambitions to turn a profit in 2028, as it continues to invest in coverage expansion to fulfil regulatory coverage targets.

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has announced its first 5G spectrum awards. Reports suggest that a little over 68% of available 5G spectrum has gone to market leaders MTN Uganda and Airtel Uganda.

Reliance Jio launched an affordable 4G feature phone in a move to gain more subscribers from remote locations in India to its digital services.

Hungarian operator group 4iG struck a deal to sell its mobile network assets and spectrum to Budapest-based wireless communications company Pro-M for HUF68 billion (US$199 million), via its subsidiary Antenna Hungaria. 

Operator iliad has sold its current stake (30%) in OnTower Poland, the Polish telecommunications infrastructure company controlled by Cellnex (which holds 70%). The company was set up by both operators in 2021 as part of Cellnex’s acquisition of the network of some 7,000 sites from mobile operator Play in Poland.

The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) has announced an alliance with the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) to spearhead the widespread adoption of .ng domains.

As promised late last year and confirmed in May, Ethiopia has launched a tender for a new mobile telecoms licence – the country’s second new licence, opening the door to the third national operator in the country alongside state-owned incumbent Ethio Telecom and recent entrant Safaricom Ethiopia.

Botswana’s Consumer and Competition Authority has unconditionally approved the proposed acquisition of 100% of the issued share capital and all sale claims of MTN Business Solutions Botswana by Mascom Wireless Botswana, the country’s leading mobile telecoms company.

Chinese equipment vendor ZTE aided a project to win the ‘5G Industry Challenge Award’ at the GSMA 2023 Asia Mobile Awards (AMO) held during MWC Shanghai. 

Thai operator AIS partnered with ZTE and Qualcomm to complete a trial of mmWave 5G standalone technology in Bangkok, a step towards the operator commercialising the technology. 

The ongoing Digicel debt saga has seen an agreement between Denis O’Brien, the founder of the group, which is active as a mobile operator across Caribbean and Central America, and bond investors that will see the businessman lose most of his stake in the telecoms group in exchange for a US$1.7 billion debt write-off.

Indonesia’s new Telecommunication Equipment Testing Center (BBPPT) has selected Spirent Communications technology to conduct high-speed Ethernet network equipment and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing.

Cambodian operator CamGSM, which is branded as Cellcard, has listed its Class A common stock on the Cambodia Securities Exchange (CSX).

Globe Telecom showcased Voice over New Radio (VoNR) in the Philippines as it moves to enhance its service against rival offerings.

Venezuela’s National Telecommunications Commission (Comision Nacional de Telecomunicaciones, Conatel) has published its National Telecommunications Plan for 2023-2025.

Indian operator Vodafone Idea (aka Vi) says it is in advanced talks with various network vendors for finalisation of its 5G rollout strategy and has concluded device testing of all major OEMs on its upcoming next-generation mobile broadband network.

In a rather surprising move, an Angolan government minister has said that plans to privatise the troubled state-owned operator Angola Telecom have been cancelled and the government is now focusing on restructuring the company.

Mobile service revenue in Indonesia was predicted to stay flat over the next four years as the decline in revenues from voice services outweighs steady data returns.

The Philippines’ telecoms regulator revealed over 100 million SIM cards have been registered since the country-mandated SIM registration programme, in a bid to tackle cyber-crime as the Philippines connects more citizens to the internet. 

Reliance Jio is reportedly negotiating loans with several banks to raise US$1.6 billion to purchase equipment from Finnish vendor Nokia.