Operators

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.

Vodafone Idea (Vi) showcased how it opened nearly 1,100 retail shops across 18 Indian states in the last three months, a move to serve growing demand in rural locations.

Philippines-based operator Globe Telecom blocked 2.72 billion fraudulent calls and messages in 2022, more than double the 1.15 billion figure from 2021.

Polish broadband provider Vectra was slapped with a PLN22 million (US$5m) fine for illegally raising subscription fees by Poland's consumer watchdog, which stated the company had taken advantage of consumers. 

XL Axiata hailed its deployment on the island province of Kalimantan in Borneo, where it increased base station presence by 1,100 sites (42% year-on-year), with coverage now reaching 75% of the location.  

Maxis, the last Malaysian operator yet to sign an access agreement with state-owned 5G agency Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), said it would refrain from seeking shareholder approval to join the scheme until the government completes its review of the 5G strategy implemented by the previous administration.

Tigo Panama pledged to invest US$100 million into its network this year as part of its long-term modernisation and expansion strategy, to plug in coverage gaps and ready itself for 5G.

Madagascar’s Agency for Regulation of Technology and Communication (Autorite de Regulation des Technologies de Communications, ARTEC), revealed technical challenges are preventing operators from launching 5G services but stated commercial launches are on the horizon.  

Polish operator Play hailed its fixed network build-out in 2022 which resulted in the deployment of 10,500 base stations and over six million FTTH connections.

Tele2 Latvia announced it will invest €20 million to upgrading its network and the deployment of 5G this year, as well as constructing a new data core.

Guinea has reportedly made progress on its pledge to relaunch state-owned operator Sotelgui, which is apparently going to be operational at the end of January and rebranded as Guinee Telecom.

Thai operators True and Dtac revealed they are meeting to shape up their corporate structure, and forecasting the end of March as the completion of their long-awaited merger.