Operators

Indonesian telco Telkomsel and Ericsson subsidiary Vonage revealed on Tuesday they have agreed to collaborate on communications and network APIs for developers, enterprises, and communications service providers (CSPs).

MTN South Africa has launched a new collaboration with the Gauteng Provincial Community Police Board in a bid to address network infrastructure theft and vandalism.

MTN Group warned that its annual profits could plunge by 90% due to the devaluation of the Nigeria’s currency affecting its MTN Nigeria unit. 

Ooredoo Group revealed on Sunday that it has partnered with Microsoft Azure and over-the-top (OTT) streaming solutions provider MediaKind to launch its first OTT streaming platform in six markets.

Nepalese telco Ncell revealed on Friday it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Saudi Arabian telco e& international to collaborate on delivering key digital services, products, and platforms in Nepal.

Cisco and NEC announced a collaboration with TIM Brazil to improve the operator’s network performance, service quality and end-to-end visibility. 

China Mobile International (CMI) announced at Mobile World Congress 2024 that it has struck an alliance with stc Group to advance deployment and implementation of IoT connectivity services for businesses.

UAE-based operator du is looking to build on its success in fixed wireless access (FWA) by launching more specialised consumer and enterprise products, as the operator pushes for more market share gains against main rival Etisalat (e&).

Equitel, Finserve's mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), has announced the debut of its 5G network in Kenya. It is the first Kenyan MVNO to roll out 5G.

Among a number of significant announcements at MWC 2024 by Orange Middle East & Africa (OMEA), a major telecom player in the region, have been collaborations with Microsoft and the World Bank.

Telecom Egypt released a barrage of announcements at Mobile World Congress this week covering two 5G partnerships, Africa’s first 1.2 Tbps fibre connection and a 50G PON trial.

Global digital operator Veon announced on Tuesday that its digital operator in Pakistan, Jazz, has launched a new mobile service brand called ROX that targets digital natives with an “integrated lifestyle experience”.

At Mobile World Congress 2024, Malaysian operators CelcomDigi and U Mobile agreed to share 100 multi-operator core network sites across Malaysia, as well as collaborate on developing use cases for 5G-Advanced (5G-A).

As 4G delays and subscriber losses continue, it has been reported that the Indian government is looking at ways to improve operational efficiencies in state-owned operator BSNL to enhance its competitiveness.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has reportedly urged the country’s  four main state-owned telcos to lead the charge in implementing the government’s semiconductor growth strategy.

Veon’s Ukrainian subsidiary Kyivstar revealed at Mobile World Congress 2024 on Monday it intends to purchase and deploy Open RAN and 5G technologies from Japan’s Rakuten Symphony into its network.

Malaysian telco Maxis announced on Monday at Mobile World Congress 2024 it has expanded its strategic collaboration with Google Cloud by integrating generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into its workflow and service offerings.

ABS-CBN Corporation and PLDT mutually agreed to terminate the sale of the former’s broadband and TV unit Sky Cable to the operator. 

Thai telco True Corp revealed on Tuesday its new Business and Network Intelligence Center (BNIC), which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to boost network reliability for True’s mobile and fixed broadband network services.

Vodafone Group announced it will install new Open RAN sites in 20 cities across Romania, to enhance industrial efficiency and boost innovation in the country.

The workers union of state-owned Indian operator BSNL said the operator is “sinking” into “crisis”, after claiming equipment from Tata Consultancy Services needed for its long-delayed 4G launch will take a year to be ready for commercial use.

An intervention by the employees union of Indian state-owned operator BSNL, suggesting that BSNL should engage in a limited network sharing deal with private operator Vodafone Idea, has highlighted concerns about the speed – or otherwise – of BSNL’s 4G rollout.

South Africa-based service provider CMC Networks announced it has partnered with diagnostic services provider Cerba Lancet Africa to drive innovations in digital health and boost healthcare across the continent.

Bayobab Group landed its 45,000km 2Africa cable in Ghana and Nigeria, marking the third and fourth in a series of six landings from the 2Africa subsea cable system. 

Telecoms tower company IHS Nigeria, a subsidiary of IHS Towers, announced on Wednesday that Airtel Nigeria has signed a deal renewing its contract and expanding its tenancies to almost 10,000 over the next five years.

Veon-owned Ukrainian operator Kyivstar revealed plans to broaden its capex spend up to US$1 billion in the next five years, as the operator rebuilds its operations stricken by war. 

Telefonica Peru reported over half of data traffic stemmed from fibre optic cables and is now aiming to have over three-quarters of traffic on fibre by the end of 2024. 

Vodacom Group reported revenue increased by 26.8% to ZAR8.9 billion (US$477 million) in Q3, fuelled by its acquisition of Vodafone Egypt, as well as hitting the 200 million customers milestone in the quarter, doubling its base since 2018. 

Polish IT company Comarch announced that it has signed a deal with Ukrainian telco Kyivstar to help modernize and update its field service maintenance activities.

Veon subsidiary Banglalink said on Wednesday it has completed the sale of part of its tower portfolio in Bangladesh to Summit Towers for BDT11 billion (US$100 million).

Liberty Latin America (LLA) switched on its 5G network in Costa Rica for localised tests as part of plans for commercial launch this year.