Operators

Israeli mobile network operator company Partner Communications, formerly known as Orange Israel, has made a bid for Marathon (018) Xfone, offering ILS187 million (USD58 million) for the business activity of its smaller rival.

Indonesian digital telco Indosat Ooredoo launched a commercial 5G network in Jakarta.

Chinguitel, the telecommunications service provider in Nouakchott, Mauritania has announced the launch of its first LTE-based services - 4G services - in the country capital as well as six other regions after being awarded a 4G licence last September.

Cameroon’s state-owned CamTel has revealed that it will begin offering mobile and data services nationwide using the brand name Blue.

MTN Ghana’s CEO Selorm Adavehoh has expressed his hope that the operator will be able to launch 5G services as early as next year.

Namibia’s market leader MTC (Mobile Telecommunications) has been cleared for a public listing by the main board of the Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX).

The government of Kyrgyzstan is reportedly evaluating a number of proposals for the sale of the state-owned mobile provider MegaCom, with the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan one of several potential buyers.

Altice Dominicana and Claro Dominicana have submitted technical and economic offers to The Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel) as the regulator prepares to auction 5G spectrum.

Lebanon’s state-owned provider Ogero confirmed that it is unable to offer connectivity in three locations until further notice, since no diesel is available to fuel electricity generators.

Two of Azerbaijan’s operators have detailed recent deployment expansions, with both noting that they have installed base transceiver stations (BTS) in a region that experienced military conflict during 2020.

If recent reports are anything to go by, another major operator, this time Philippines-headquartered PLDT, is considering selling some of its passive infrastructure.

Axiata Group and its Indonesian subsidiary XL Axiata have signed a non-binding agreement to acquire a 66.03% holding in Indonesian broadband provider LinkNet.

A net profit of $142 million in the recent quarter, almost doubling profit year-on-year, inspired a fairly positive report from Airtel Africa, the pan-African business of Indian telecoms giant Airtel.

The European Commission has granted conditional approval for Orange Group to acquire a 54% controlling stake in Telekom Romania Communications (TKR).

UFINET, which provides wholesale fibre optic services across Latin America, is acquiring a majority holding in the Rio de Janeiro-based carrier NB Telecom.

Hungarian firm 4iG has signed a provisional agreement to acquire Telenor Montenegro from its parent firm PPF Telecom Group.

The launch of a new operator in any country is newsworthy but the launch of South Sudan’s Digitel Telecommunications has been noted by the country’s leader, not too surprisingly perhaps as this is the first-ever South Sudanese-owned mobile telecom company.

Thailand’s Supreme Administrative Court ruled that market leader AIS is not required to pay any additional compensation to state provider CAT Telecom.

Netherlands-headquartered VEON Group has exercised its put option to divest its entire 45.57% holding in its Algerian unit Omnium Telecom Algerie.

Norway’s Telenor Group is considering an attempt to sell its Myanmar unit, reports Reuters.

Croatian regulator HAKOM confirmed that nine firms have applied to bid in the country’s upcoming 5G spectrum auctions.

There have been multiple reports over the past few days suggesting that Mocambique Telecom (Tmcel) may soon be unable to offer voice calls after an interconnection-related spat with fellow operator Vodacom Mozambique.

Orange Centrafrique has been unable to offer mobile services after its core network, data centre and radio installations were destroyed in a fire on 6th June.

Lebanon’s continued rationing of electrical power in the face of national shortages may prevent state operator Ogero from providing internet services, its chairman has warned.

Estonia’s Telia Eesti has stated that it plans to shut down its 3G network by the end of 2023.