Airtel Africa acquired spectrum to expand its 4G network in the Democratic Republic of Congo to support growing data demand in the country.

Following last week’s report that ExpressVPN has decided to remove its servers from India, a second VPN provider, Surfshark, has also shut down its physical servers in the country.

­­Finnish vendor Nokia has secured an early ten-year contract extension with Orange's Poland unit. 

Last week came news from The Federation of Businesses of the Congo (FEC)’s telecom commission that a hike in telecoms tariffs was on the way. But the telecoms regulator ARPTC has responded by saying it can’t happen.

IHS Towers has completed the acquisition of 5,701 towers from MTN South Africa for ZAR6.4 billion (US$412.5 million) as part of a leaseback agreement.

Google has backed India's ShareChat social media platform in a major funding round that implies a $5 billion valuation of the company – up from a previous valuation of $3.7 billion.

Described as a key milestone in the company's regional expansion, the recent launch of Virgin Mobile Kuwait isn’t just a first for Virgin Mobile Middle East And Africa (VMMEA); this is, we are told, the first mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in Kuwait.

The Communications Regulatory Commission (CRC) of Colombia is easing regulation around rural network deployments to incentivise regional ISPs to expand into previously unconnected areas.

Elisa has bagged the first available concession in Estonia’s 3.5GHz spectrum auctions.

Pakistani operators Jazz and Telenor Pakistan have paid the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) the next instalment of their licence renewal fees despite their objections to the increases imposed by the regulator.

Chilean regulator Subtel (Subsecretaria de Telecomunicaciones / Department of Telecommunications) has plotted a course towards settling an ongoing dispute over 3.5GHz spectrum licensing.

MTN Group has formed a strategic alliance with BT Group that will see the UK-based firm offer business services to MTN’s African enterprise customers.

Malawian service provider Nyasa Mobile Limited (NML) is said, according to a number of reports, to be partnering the vast Vodafone Group in a deal that will lead to the rollout of the country’s third operator. However, Vodafone has clarified that its role is mainly a consulting one.

Ukraine’s Kyivstar is providing free fixed broadband services to families in temporary housing as a result of being displaced by the country’s ongoing war against Russia.

Lithuania’s Communications Regulatory Authority (RRT / Rysiu Reguliavimo Tarnyba) has commenced the sale of 700MHz spectrum for 5G mobile use.

Telefonica-owned Mexican operator Movistar has said that it is considering a launch of 5G in Mexico via a network sharing agreement with fellow operator AT&T.

Tele2 Russia is reportedly suing Finnish vendor Nokia, claiming the company failed to complete network contracts, as Nokia announced previously it would cease business in Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine.

The government of Botswana is implementing new measures to help expand connectivity across the country.

The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has outlined a five-year plan to spur the adoption of ICT services in rural and remote locations in the country.

Dito Telecommunity is reportedly aiming to deploy connectivity services in the Camotes Islands, according to Cebo province governor Gwendolyn Garcia. 

Lesotho has joined the rush to register SIM cards, threatening that mobile network users who fail to comply with the legal registration of SIM cards will be cut off until they do so.

Free Caraibe has launched mobile services in serval locations in the Caribbean and territory of France, laying out a plan that mirrors the strategy of disruption from parent company Illiad.

Ericsson has been chosen to supply Baltics operator Bite Group with 5G RAN equipment in Lithuania and Latvia, as the operator aims to challenge fixed-line broadband and TV providers by tapping into the next-generation technology. 

The silver jubilee celebrations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) seem to have been the occasion for some important announcements too – notably announcements involving 5G and long-awaited Department of Telecommunications (DoT) reforms.

More controversy seems imminent in the row about Safaricom’s alleged dominance of the Kenyan market. African press reports now suggest that the operator’s mobile termination rates (MTRs) are soon going to be controlled by the government in a bid to protect Safaricom’s smaller rivals.