Azerbaijan’s largest mobile network operator (MNO) by subscriptions, Azercell Telekom has announced its LTE network now covers 85.65% of the population and 74.30% of territory following additional site deployments and upgrades in the first nine months of the year.

Globe Telecom, the provider of telecommunications services in the Philippines, said it recently expanded its fifth-generation (5G) network coverage in new areas. It has completed site upgrades of its 3G legacy network to 4G LTE in key cities in Visayas and Mindanao while also expanding 5G coverage in these areas.

Airtel Networks Kenya has taken aim at regulator the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK), alleging bias in favour of Airtel’s rival Safaricom.

As many commentators inside and outside Nigeria expected, the country’s federal government has approved the extension of the deadline for national identity number (NIN)-subscriber identity module (SIM) data verification to the end of this year.

Montenegrin regulator EKIP (Agency for Electronic Communications and Postal Services) has announced that it plans to hold an auction for 5G-ready spectrum in December.

The government of Djibouti is talking up the “sustained” network deployments by national carrier Djibouti Telecom as it prepares to sell a 40% stake in the incumbent operator.

In relation to its telecom sector, Nepal has several topographical and economic constraints which have impeded efforts to expand network infrastructure and improve the quality of service for end-users.

Armenia had to battle through 2020 on two fronts: the Covid-19 pandemic that effectively shut down the economy, and a brief but brutal war with neighbouring Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Lebanon’s economic crisis has had a dire effect on the country’s telecom services. Although some progress has been made with developing 5G, the poor economic conditions have contributed to an erratic electricity supply and a lack of fuel to maintain generators.

The telecommunications provider in Indonesia PT Indosat Tbk, doing business as Indosat Ooredoo, said that its revenue increased by 12% year-on-year to IDR 23 trillion in the nine months ended 30 September 2021.

The West African Telecoms Regulators Assembly (WATRA) has acknowledged the need to develop technical and regulatory means to combat the rising wave of electronic fraud. It also hopes to address the standardisation of roaming tariffs in the sub-region.

Russia’s MegaFon is spinning off its tower infrastructure into a new independent joint venture with the domestic tower firm Vertical.

El Salvador’s Superintendency of Competition confirmed that it has received a request for approval of General International Telecom’s acquisition of Movistar (Telefonica Moviles) and Telefonica Multiservicios.

Indian telecommunications company Reliance Jio has paid INR 10,792 crore (GBP 1.04 billion) to the Department of Telecomm­un­ications (DoT) for 269.2 MHz of the spectrum it acquired in 2016.

Digicel Haiti has confirmed that 15% of its cell sites are currently unable to function due to ongoing fuel shortages and other issues around security.

Hungary’s 4iG has signed a final agreement with PPF Telecom Group to acquire 100% of Telenor Montenegro.

Qatari multinational telecommunications company Ooredoo Group QPSC reported QR22.1bn (GBP4.4bn) revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2021, representing an increase of 3% compared to the same period last year.

Riding on the waves of 5G subscriptions, the total mobile service revenue in Thailand is poised to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.3% from US$8.9bn in 2021 to US$12.1bn in 2026.

Will millions of Nigerians lose their mobile phone lines on 31 October? Or will the federal government extend the national identity number / subscriber identity module (NIN-SIM) linkage deadline yet again?

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has revoked the operating licences held by Wi-Tribe after the fixed wireless provider violated the terms of its concessions by failing to maintain services.

Lithaunia’s Communications Regulatory Authority (Rysiu Reguliavimo Tarnyba, RRT) has outlined its auction plans for 5G-ready 700MHz spectrum.

Mexico’s Federal Telecommunications Institute (Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones, IFT) has submitted new proposals for 5G spectrum to the country’s Senate.

Philippine mobile services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) and Korea's largest telecommunications company KT Corp. are joining forces to explore and develop consumer 5G use cases for Filipinos.

Unifique, Brazil’s seventh-largest ISP in terms of subscribers, has agreed to acquire regional ISP Click SBS, owner of a fibre network in Itapoa, State of Santa Catarina.

Indonesia-based mobile telecommunications services operator XL Axiata has revealed that under its ongoing 4G LTE network rollout programme it has now switched on its signal in most of the sub-districts in West Kalimantan province.

Hard on the heels of yesterday’s reports that 5G trials in India may have to continue beyond the planned deadline, thus delaying spectrum auctions, comes news that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has concerns about 5G millimetre wave (mmWave) spectrum.

India's Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has notified the amendment to the Unified Licence (UL) Agreement for calculation of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) for computation of licence fee.

Chinese telecom equipment and networking gear provider ZTE Corp has reported a more than 100% jump in nine-month financial results to the end of September.

Ukraine is set to broaden the remit of its telecoms regulator NCCIR (National Commission for State Regulation of Communications & Informatization) as the country looks to align its legislation with Europe’s.