Samsung has announced that it will no longer manufacture mobile devices in China.

It looks like the war for subscribers in the highly competitive Indian market is about to hot up – yet again – after a new pronouncement from Gopal Vittal, Bharti Airtel CEO for India and South Asia.

The planned merger of Airtel and Telkom Kenya has been suspended following an order from Kenya’s Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

A report in today's Financial Times suggests that two private equity bidders are vying to buy Bulgaria’s largest telecoms company (and former monopoly), Vivacom, which was put on sale in July.

In the latest development in the ongoing story of Huawei and US sanctions Huawei’s CEO has claimed that the company is already producing 5G base stations without US parts.

An interesting new addition to the growing number of African countries looking at 5G is the Republic of Cabo Verde, some 560 kilometres off the west coast of mainland Africa.

Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is planning to auction 5G spectrum in the 2600MHz, 26GHz and 28GHz bands later this year, but getting hold of that spectrum could be costly.

Latin America is a vast region with huge economic potential – but amid backlash against Brazil’s recent destruction of natural environments for agricultural purposes, it’s clear that industrial growth cannot come at any cost.

Brazilian telecommunications firm Oi SA is said to be in talks with Spain’s Telefonica and Italy’s Telecom Italia to sell its mobile network.

According to recent reports in the Indian press, The Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI) has added its voice to those concerned about prices for 5G spectrum recommended by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

The GSMA, which represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, has announced a new initiative aimed at developing a mobile industry climate action roadmap in line with the Paris Agreement.

El Salvador’s Superintendencia de Competencia has rejected America Movil’s application to acquire Telefonica’s local unit for the second time.

Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei has said that the company would be ready to share its 5G portfolio with a non-Asian company for a one-off fee.

As operators gear up for 4G or 5G rollouts in many regions, spectrum availability and spectrum prices are again in the news. Now the GSMA has intervened in the debate with what may be its strongest message to date on spectrum pricing.

Vietnam’s market leader Viettel has snubbed Chinese suppliers for its 5G network buildout, instead opting for equipment from Ericsson and Nokia.

Apple has conceded that its largest iPhone manufacturing plant broke Chinese labour laws relating to the use of temporary staff.

Axiata and Telenor have dropped the proposed merger of their Asian businesses while noting that talks may resume in the future.

Safaricom’s interim CEO Michael Joseph has dismissed rumours that the company objects to an upcoming merger between its domestic rivals Airtel Kenya and Telkom Kenya.

Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society Ministry is reportedly putting forward a proposal to merge the country’s two state-run operators, CAT and TOT, by the middle of next year.