Humanitarian Comms

SES, a space solutions company, says it is expanding humanitarian connectivity at the Farchana refugee settlement in Chad.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) announced at Mobile World Congress 2026 on Monday that Saudi telco Mobily and Qatar-based Ooredoo Group have made fresh pledges for its Partner2Connect Digital Coalition to bridge the digital divide, bringing total commitments to the coalition to over US$82 billion.

UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children, has launched a procurement initiative for internet connectivity in Africa, inviting internet service providers to deliver managed connectivity services to schools, health facilities, and other child-serving institutions across 54 countries.

Eutelsat said on Wedneday it is partnering with global non-profit organization unconnected.org to deploy satellite-powered community Wi-Fi in underserved aras in Tanzania, with plans to expand the project across Africa.

Malaysian satellite operator MEASAT and healthcare technology company Mudah Healthtech announced on Friday they have expanded their Sihat Xpress telehealth service to two new rural villages in Sabah.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has announced the launch of Airbel Ventures, a new humanitarian impact investing fund designed to accelerate the entry and scale of breakthrough technologies in crisis-affected communities.

Philanthropic organisation the Gates Foundation and AI research organisation OpenAI say they plan to invest US$50 million to use AI to ease the impact of chronic staff shortages in 1,000 primary health clinics and surrounding communities in Rwanda and other African countries by 2028.

Telkom Indonesia said on Friday that it has completed restoration of network and telecoms services in the Sumatra region that was devastated by floods and landslides last month.

Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and operator Orange Egypt have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at expanding the use of telemedicine and delivering integrated, high-quality digital healthcare services to villages and to remote and deprived areas.

More reminders of the importance of satellites, Wi-Fi and cellular to emergency communications come from recent events in Sri Lanka and on the Thai–Cambodian border.

Emergency communications are in the news again, with operator CelcomDigi in Malysia highlighting its support for flood relief efforts in the country and another service provider, Edotco Bangladesh, announcing a partnership to enhance disaster preparedness.

New data released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on Monday indicates that while the number of internet connections is growing, the digital divide is still deepening in other key metrics such as speed, reliability, affordability and skills.

UN partners, including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and GSMA, announced on Monday they are working on expanding efforts in Chad and other refugee-hosting countries to provide affordable connectivity to millions of forcibly displaced people and local communities in the next five years.

NEC Africa announced on Wednesday it has kicked off a project with Cote d'Ivoire’s Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Food Production that aims to improve and upgrade agricultural efficiency with digital technology.

The World Bank Group has approved the Digital Zambia Acceleration Project (DZAP), a project that aims to support Zambian government efforts to increase access to, and inclusive use of, the internet and digitally enabled services.

Satellite operator Intelsat has partnered with actor Forest Whitaker’s non-profit organisation, Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI), to deliver for the first time high-speed internet connectivity to WPDI’s Community Learning Centres in South Sudan and Uganda.

The GSMA released a new white paper on Monday calling for stakeholders in the mobile sector, including governments and regulators, industry, civil society, and youth, to support stronger protections for children online across Africa.

Telekom Malaysia (TM) said on Friday it will rebuild network infrastructure damaged by a gas explosion in the township of Putra Heights in Subang Jaya on Tuesday and provide assistance to customers affected by the blast.

Viettel’s Myanmar operator Mytel said on Thursday that it has restored International and mobile connectivity following last week's 7.7 magnitude earthquake, although questions remain over how much ordinary users can access it in the midst of reported internet shutdowns by the ruling military junta. 

Globe Telecom announced on Wednesday it has become the first mobile network operator to join the UN Global Pulse's Data Insights for Social and Humanitarian Action (DISHA) coalition as part of a pilot project in the Philippines to harness data and AI for better disaster preparedness and response.

Intelsat and MaxIQ Space are expanding efforts to deliver Intelsat’s Africa Space STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) Program to schools in four different countries across Africa.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) says that its Partner2Connect (P2C) Digital Coalition has now reached US$73 billion in pledges for universal connectivity, including fresh commitments this week from South Africa’s MTN Group and LEO satellite operator Globalstar.

From the legendary Maasai warriors to the annual great migration of wildebeest and zebra, Kenya has no lack of cultural and natural wonders. One thing the country does lack, however, is the application of digital technologies. According to data from the Communications Authority of Kenya, just 58% of Kenyans were connected to the Internet in 2024.

Satellite operator Eutelsat has renewed its partnership with Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) to supply satellite connectivity for the NGO’s operations, while separately announcing it has hit its ITU Partner2Connect target of connecting 1 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa well ahead of schedule.

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.

Ufone 4G, the mobile unit of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), said on Thursday it has partnered with local assistive technology startup ConnectHear for a GSMA-funded project that will use AI to improve disaster-response communications for deaf people.

Service provider Telekom Malaysia has announced an allocation of at least MYR4 million (about US$895,861), including cash assistance, to support immediate flood relief efforts for affected customers, communities, and employees nationwide. This is in support of an initiative aimed at ensuring timely support for those in need.

Satellite operator Sateliot, which says it is the first company to operate a  constellation of 5G NB-IoT satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), has formalised a collaboration agreement with UNESCO Santiago, the regional office for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Recently in the news for a strategic partnership with Jaza Energy to deploy solar-powered hubs at 250 towers in underserved communities across Nigeria, IHS Nigeria, a subsidiary of the IHS Towers group, has now made headlines with another solar-related contribution: the donation of four solar-powered boreholes to support victims of recent floods in Maiduguri, Borno State.

American Tower (ATC), a provider of digital communications infrastructure, and ProFuturo, a digital education programme promoted by the Telefonica Foundation and Spanish not-for-profit banking foundation la Caixa Foundation, have jointly announced the expansion of their alliance to Nigeria to foster digital inclusion in schools in Africa.

According to industry body the GSMA, 43% of the global population still does not use mobile internet, highlighting device affordability and digital skills as the main barriers.

Somalian operators Hormuud Telecom, Golis Telecom, and the GSMA have moved to deepen their collaboration with NGOs by developing a strategy to fully harness mobile technology for humanitarian efforts.