All Tech News

Following yesterday’s news of a potential agreement to set up a new fibre optic broadband wholesaler in Brazil, this deal has now been confirmed.

The  Raxio Group, a pan-African data centre developer and operator, has claimed a first. It will establish and invest in Raxio Kinshasa, the first in a series of state-of-the-art, privately owned, carrier-neutral data centres in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The theme of environmental responsibility has been making news in Middle East telecommunications in recent days.

Spacecom, a satellite service provider and the owner and operator of the AMOS satellite fleet, together with its local partner in Nigeria, Intertel, and in partnership with Zinox, a leading Nigerian internet and e-learning service provider, has signed a multi-year contract to enable internet connectivity and e-learning solutions for schools in Nigeria.

The Chinese cloud company Tencent Cloud has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) that will see the company build a data centre in the kingdom. This will be its first MENA facility in Bahrain.

At MWC Shanghai 2021, Bill Tang, President of Huawei Global Technical Service, launched the General Digital Engine (GDE) platform.

Telefonica is reportedly close to agreeing a deal with Canadian pension fund CDPQ (Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec) to set up a new fibre optic broadband wholesaler in Brazil.

Hard on the heels of the news of a big Nokia agreement for 5G rollout with rival operator Globe, Philippines operator PLDT is now claiming that it has the widest 5G network reach in the country.

Vodacom DRC has partnered with mobile technology firm Mondia to roll out a new healthcare service aimed at new mothers across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Somalia’s Hormuud Telecom already offers mobile money services but, in an effort to formalise the country’s fast-growing digital payments infrastructure and integrate it with the global financial system, Somalia’s central bank has now awarded the country’s first mobile money licence to the operator.

Ecuadorian operator CNT (Corporación Nacional de Telecommunicaciones) has chosen Nokia to help it deploy the country’s first 5G network.

As the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown extend into their second year, monetisation platform-as-a-service will shape the digital ecosystem argues Olivier Letant of Centili.

Zimbabwean state-owned operator NetOne is collaborating with Huawei on the second phase of its ICT services upgrade.

Digital and mobile finance and payment services are continuing to make advances in developing regions – as recent announcements involving Latin America and the Middle East suggest.

The Maldives Sri Lanka Cable system (MSC) is set to deliver high speed broadband connectivity between the two nations.

ZTE Corporation has released its Intelligent Orchestration Radio Network solution, which employs an innovative AI-based intelligent orchestration engine to enable MNOs to achieve maximum value from 5G networks.

If India is to successfully pursue its self-reliance aims it will need skilled workers. However, a new report commissioned by Amazon Web Services (AWS) from strategy and economics consulting firm AlphaBeta indicates a massive shortfall in one key area: digital technology.

Digital infrastructure company Equinix Inc and telecoms giant Vodafone are to build a new subsea hub as part of the massive 2Africa cable system that will directly connect 16 countries in Africa to Europe and the Middle East.

A 1,200-kilometre advanced subsea fibre optic cable system is being planned by FB Submarine Partners, Xtera, IT International Telecom and GigNet. It will connect Florida in the US and Cancun in Mexico.

The global internet brand Opera has announced the launch of a new dedicated chat service, for which Africa will be one of the target markets.

Indian communications solutions provider Bharti Airtel and wireless technology company Qualcomm have announced what they describe as a collaboration for accelerating 5G in India. 

O2 Slovakia has selected Ericsson to modernise its RAN and deploy its 5G network.

Adani Enterprises, the flagship company of the Adani Group, one of India’s largest multi-infrastructure organizations, and EdgeConneX, a leading global data centre operator with 50 facilities in 30 markets around the world, have announced a 50:50 joint venture to develop and operate data centres throughout India.

IXAfrica, the new-entrant data centre operator in Kenya, has announced plans to build what it describes as a world-leading and sustainable campus at a newly secured location in Nairobi.

KKR, a leading global investment firm, has entered into an agreement with international operator Telefónica to establish Chile’s first open access wholesale fibre optics company.

Brazilian operator Altarede Telecom has made what it calls a record investment in products from DWDM specialist Padtec to expand routes in the states of Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo.

Ethio Telecom has expanded its 4G coverage to six new regions in Ethiopia while at the same time pledging to extend this reach further in the near future.

UAE-based operator du has selected Ericsson to deploy 5G radio access network (RAN) products and solutions as part of a major network expansion and modernisation.

Thailand’s dtac is picking up the pace of its low-band network deployment using the 700MHz spectrum it acquired in December 2020.

Telcel, AT&T and Movistar, the three major operators in Mexico, can now connect to the Altán Shared Network, an LTE network that aims to cover most areas of the country, but in particular its underserved areas.

Ocean Networks (ONI), which develops submarine cable systems for governments, carriers, content providers and research and education groups, has announced the launch of its Caribbean Express (CX) project, an 18-fibre pair subsea cable system linking Florida to Panama and taking in Mexico and Colombia.

This new report from Upstream, conducted by Technology Innovation Council (TIC), examines the shift in the digital transformation plans of telcos for 2021 and beyond.