Aspiring Nigerian mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Vitel Wireless said on Thursday it has been issued  a mobile number series by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), making it the first of the country’s dozens of MVNO licencees to receive one.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) – Nigeria's largest labour union – has reportedly called for a nationwide protest next week to oppose a government-approved plan by telcos to raise tariffs by 50%, as the GSMA has waded in to support the increase.

Safaricom has reportedly sought permission from the Communications Authority of Kenya to build its own subsea cable, aiming to reduce reliance on third-party providers and enhance network resilience following last year’s major cable cuts.

Telefonica is reportedly mulling the sale of its Argentinean unit.

Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Communications Innovation & Digital Economy (FMCIDE) and WIOCC Group, a provider of digital infrastructure and connectivity solutions, have announced a strategic partnership.

Liberty Costa Rica and Claro have each paid $16.2 million for 5G spectrum rights, marking a major step toward launching commercial 5G services in the Central American nation.

South African communications regulator ICASA has approved the transfer of operator Cell C’s spectrum and network licences to Blue Label Telecoms, paving the way, except for one more approval, for the technology company to take control of Cell C.

Cloud technologies provider Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced a plan to invest US$8.3 billion into cloud infrastructure in the AWS Asia-Pacific (Mumbai) Region in Maharashtra, a state in the western peninsular region of India, to further expand cloud computing capacity in the country.

Ericsson has extended its managed services and customer support contract with e& Egypt for another five years, pledging to enhance the operator’s AI integration and operational efficiency as part of the renewed agreement.

The Angolan government plans to sell its shares in the troubled state-owned operator Unitel as part of broader efforts to privatise the country’s economy.

WOM Colombia has announced plans to roll out its 5G networks this year, following a bailout from new investors that rescued the operator from bankruptcy last week.

Independent investment benefit corporation and asset manager Meridiam says it has acquired a majority stake in Ilitha, an innovative telecommunications company whose main objective is to provide affordable, unlimited internet solutions to underserved areas in South Africa.

MTN Nigeria has renewed its spectrum band licence (referred to as Channel 1) in Nigeria for an extra ten years, effective from the start of this year.

Philippines-based PLDT Global said on Thursday it has extended its exclusive partnership with Saudi Arabia’s STC Group for a second year to deliver high-quality international voice services across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.

The board of Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has reportedly approved draft rules that would require telcos to add biometrics to their SIM card registration processes.

Officials from China, Myanmar and Thailand have reportedly reached a consensus on eradicating telecommunication fraud centres in Myanmar, a country with a long-standing fraud problem, exacerbated by the ongoing war in that country.

Indonesia’s antitrust watchdog has ordered technology giant Google to pay IDR202.5 billion (US$12.4 million) for monopolistic practices related to payment services on its app store.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) said on Monday it has launched the AI Skills Coalition, an initiative to bridge the global AI skills gap that has the backing of 27 organizations, including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, the East Africa Community and Cognizant.

This could be the year in which Pakistan starts to roll out 5G, according to documents cited this week in the local press relating to a 5G service launch schedule.

Airtel Malawi, one of the two dominant mobile operators in the Southeast African country along with TNM, has announced plans to boost its network with additional data links and to enhance reliability.

Malaysia’s second 5G operator U Mobile reportedly intends to complete the rollout its 5G network by mid-2026, and says it won’t need to partner with other operators to do it.

Mexican telecoms regulator, the Federal Telecommunications Institute (FTI), has cancelled the auction for 5G spectrum that was scheduled for this month.

The Communications Regulatory Authority of Mozambique has completed a nationwide assessment of telecom operators’ quality of service, revealing significant disparities in performance and compliance. Movitel emerged as the worst-performing operator for data services, while Vodacom demonstrated the highest reliability.

State-owned Ethio Telecom revealed on Thursday that it has initiated strategic discussions with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to finance its digital transformation initiatives, amid reports that the telco also pushed back the deadline of its planned 10% share sale to mid-February.

Globe Telecom hailed the arrest of two Chinese nationals for attempting to sell pre-registered SIM cards.

The mixed fortunes of WOM Colombia, the country’s fourth largest operator, have been at least slightly boosted by news of an acquisition that will allow it to continue to operate.

Kazakhtelecom completed the US$1.1 billion sale of its subsidiary, Mobile Telecom Service LLP, to Qatari Power International Holding (PIH) in a move to align with the Kazakh president’s orders to demonopolise the Kazakh mobile market.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has reportedly issued an ultimatum for nine banks: pay up on their Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) codes or be disconnected before the end of this month.

Local media reported that India-based Adani Group is planning to release the 5G spectrum it acquired in 2022 as India’s telecoms regulator pushes the company to fulfill its coverage obligations.

Veon announced plans to float its Ukrainian operator, Kyivstar, on the Nasdaq stock exchange through the signing of a letter of intent (LOI) with investment company Cohen Circle Acquisition Corp.