The 5G debate in India continues. The latest submission, according to the Indian press, comes from the industry think-tank Broadband India Forum.

State-run operator Baharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) reportedly flagged to India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) any disinvestment from 2G networks will hit its revenue, and massively affect its standing in the Indian market.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) revealed it approved MTN Nigeria and Emerging Markets Telecommunication Service (EMTS) to carry out a network sharing trial, a move to spur resource sharing among operators to improve connectivity services.

Philippines operator PLDT announced it secured permission to double its tower presence in the country, as part of plans to meet growing connectivity demands and government targets.

Microsoft has announced a cloud deal in Brazil and a virtual conferencing facility agreement in Kenya.

Telecom Egypt announced plans to construct Egypt’s largest international data centre, in a move to fortify its standing in the country as the largest subsea cables operator in the region.

A dramatic response from Cambodia’s Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPTC) to apparently unacceptable business practices has seen the ministry suspend or revoke the licences of 17 telecommunications operators.

STC reportedly took a step forward in the potential IPO of its products and services arm Solutions by STC, by hiring banks to arrange the sale of shares in the subsidiary.

Liquid Telecom is set to receive an equity investment of $40 million from CDC Group.

T-Mobile’s Czech unit will switch on its non-standalone 5G network on November 1 in two locations with the aim to cover 25% of the population by the end of the year.

Telenor Myanmar has apparently lost more than six million customers in the third quarter of this year. However, as parent company Telenor of Norway points out in its recent third quarter results summary, much of this is related to SIM deactivation.

Airtel Lanka, a Sri Lankan operator and subsidiary of Bharti Airtel, this week announced that it has been awarded 4G spectrum in the 850MHz band.

The Liberia Telecommunications Authority slapped Orange Liberia and Lonestar Cell-MTN with fines amounting to more than $4 million, punishing the operators for illegally raising floor prices on voice and data tariffs.

Indonesian operator Telkomsel announced an IDR10.3 trillion ($701 million) deal to sell 6,050 towers to tower company PT Dayamitra Telekomunikasi (Mitratel), a deal to support its focus on main parts of the business.

Chad’s regulator ARCEP (L’Autorite de Regulation des Communications Electroniques et des Postes,) has ordered parity between on-net and off-net tariffs.

Globe Telecom announced it completed the removal of consumer 3G SIM cards across its retail and distribution chains, a move in line with a goal to migrate customers to 4G and 5G services.

Zambian operator Zamtel announced it switched on 744 towers to vastly expand its network coverage, with its chief executive claiming the move repositioned the operator to have the largest coverage in Zambia.

Saudi Arabia watchdog the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) revealed it is on track to becoming a 5G regulator, while unveiling a strategy to leverage multiple facets of communications and technologies to spur the telecoms sector.

Reliance Jio partnered with Qualcomm to develop open and virtualised 5G network infrastructure, to fast-track the development and rollout of the next-generation technology, and services based on it in India.

Swedish vendor Ericsson beat rivals to supply equipment for Czech operator CETIN’s 5G network, Reuters reported.

A letter from the GSM Association (GSMA), apparently sent to India’s secretary for telecommunications in September but only being widely reported recently, revisits the ongoing challenges in rolling out telecommunications infrastructure in India.

Zain Group will transfer management of state-owned operator Touch to the Lebanese government by the end of this month, reported Lebanon’s official National News Agency.

Pakistan’s telecom market has had to transition from a regulated state-owned monopoly to a deregulated competitive structure. The transition, and the development of the telecom sector generally, has been greatly aided by foreign investment.

The debate over India’s 5G future continues. India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has reportedly asked the government to free up 3000 MHz in the 26GHz-28GHz band for 5G. Meanwhile, operator Reliance Jio has indicated its support for a home-grown 5G standard.

Following a referendum, oil-rich South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011 and became an independent nation. Having been deprived of investment for decades, it inherited one of the least developed telecommunications and internet markets in the world, while other infrastructure is also lamentably poor.

Malaysian operator Digi Telecommunications announced it chose ZTE to supply equipment for its nationwide network modernisation project, as part of plans to prepare for a commercial 5G launch.

Vodacom KwaZulu Natal Region pledged to invest over ZAR320 million ($19.3 million) for infrastructure in the South African region, with a major focus on building new LTE base stations.