Operators

South African operator Telkom said it could put up for sale a minority stake in its core fibre business by March, as the company explores options to improve profits, Reuters reported.

Ooredoo Group reported a revenue lift of 4% in its 2022 full financial year, from QAR21.9 billion to QAR22.7 billion, as the company saw gains across most of its units.  

Dialog Axiata dropped to a loss in its full financial 2022 year due to one-off costs and rising operating expenses, despite also seeing growing revenue across its segments.

Tizeti, described as West Africa’s pioneer solar-based internet service provider (ISP), is launching its 4G LTE network in ten new states in Nigeria.

Millicom reported a “strong” 2022 in its latest Q4 financial report despite macroeconomic challenges and stated market share growth in mobile and fixed lines in the majority of its units.

Jordanian operator Umniah will launch 5G in phases across the country and will do so in partnership with Ericsson which will be its main equipment supplier.

Saudi Arabian operator Zain KSA has announced the signing of two significant agreements in recent days during the global tech event, LEAP2023, hosted at the Riyadh Front Expo Centre.

America Movil infrastructure company Sitios Latinoamerica concluded a deal to buy 1,388 towers from Claro in the Dominican Republic, boosting its presence in Latin America.

Reliance Jio expanded its standalone 5G network to 10 more cities in India taking its total base of cities to 236.

The pressure is still on Vodafone Idea (aka Vi), despite the Indian government taking a massive stake in the beleaguered operator. Third quarter dues are apparently overdue for payment, on top of which the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is planning to closely monitor Vodafone Idea’s performance for the next three months.

United Group, the parent company of Croatian operator Telemach, denied it is putting the unit up for sale but rather its passive infrastructure to pay off debts, as part of wider plans for all of its units in Eastern Europe.

Having confirmed its acquisition of a 32% stake in Vodafone Idea, and helped to alleviate bankruptcy concerns hovering over the company, the Indian government is reportedly insisting that the country’s third-largest operator must press ahead with 5G rollout.

Orange Cameron pledged to spend CFA150 billion (US$244 million) to upgrade its network over the next five years, as the operator aims to support the surge in data traffic on its network.

Globe Telecom recorded profit and revenue gains in 2022 but will bring down capex and operating expenses in 2023.  

Vodafone Idea partnered with Lenovo-owned Motorola Mobility to deliver 5G smartphones for its growing 5G network. 

Indian operator Vodafone Idea (Vi) has been directed by the country’s government to convert its outstanding dues on both Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) and deferred spectrum payments into equity.

MTN Group successfully argued against a massive GHS8.2 billion (US$665 billion) tax bill from the Ghana government, which withdrew the bill after accusing the operator of under-declaring revenue for four years.  

Oi, described as the largest landline telephone operator in Brazil, has reportedly filed its second request for judicial recovery with the aim of protecting cash resources and avoiding bankruptcy.

Airtel Africa booked higher revenues and profits on the back of rising subscriber numbers and service uptake.

A Russian government commission has reportedly cleared Veon’s sale of its Russian unit Vimpelcom to the operator’s senior managers.

The government of Guinea-Bissau is reportedly reviving plans to divest stakes in state-owned Guine Telecom and Guinetel.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) is preparing a non-binding offer for Telenor Pakistan pitching up to US$1.2 billion for the unit, reported local newspaper The News.

Hungarian operator 4iG and the government sealed the acquisition of Vodafone Hungary, a major move in a series of acquisitions to mount a challenge against market leader and Deutsche Telekom–owned, Maygar Telekom. 

Bangladesh’s Grameenphone has recorded increased year-on-year revenue for its seventh consecutive quarter, shrugging off a months-long government-imposed ban on SIM sales.

Bite Lithuania hailed 5G data speeds up to 2.679Gbps, which it claimed bested rival records, as the operator edges closer to launching its commercial network for smartphones next month.

Telecom Egypt acquired 5MHz of spectrum in the 1,800MHz band for US$125 million as the operator looks to support rising traffic on its network.

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH) said it is nearing complete nationwide network integration, a move that will boost coverage and customer experience.

The Russian government has reportedly objected to operator Veon planning to join a raft of companies in selling off assets in the country and exiting the market.

Nigerian operator Mafab Communications met its deadline extension and finally launched 5G services after months of delay.