Optical & Fixed Networks

Google has announcing a major expansion of its global network infrastructure in the Americas with three new subsea cable systems: Alisios, Canoa and OlaLuz.

Singapore-based connectivity provider Lightstorm says it has secured approximately US$262million in debt financing for the development of the recently announced I-2SEA subsea cable project, which will link India with Malaysia and Singapore.

Three companies – UNIFI Communications, Syrian Telecom, and CYTA – have signed a construction and maintenance agreement for UGARIT 2 – a new subsea cable that, at the outset, will connect Syria to Lebanon and Cyprus.

Nigeria has moved its planned nationwide fibre infrastructure programme, Project BRIDGE, from the planning phase into execution following the incorporation of Bridge Open Access (Bridge OA), an independent company established to oversee delivery of the initiative.

Telkom Indonesia announced on Friday it has executed the second phase of the two-phase spinoff of its network infrastructure assets to operating subsidiary InfraNexia, with a total transaction value of IDR85.7 trillion (US$4.8 billion).

e& UAE announced on Wednesday it’s deploying a future-ready DWDM network using next-gen optical and software solutions from Ciena to prepare for growing traffic demand driven by hyperscale cloud and AI services.

A Japanese company has announced plans for a major investment in optical fibre and cable capacity that could benefit facilities in India and Brazil.

State-owned Cabos de Timor-Leste (CTL) has commercially launched the Timor-Leste South Submarine Cable System (TLSSC), which provides the country’s first international subsea connection.

Kazakhstan said on Friday that the first phase of the Trans-Caspian Submarine Cable System connecting Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan is now being deployed, and is on track to be ready for service by the end of this year.

PLDT, Globe Telecom and Converge ICT Solutions have reportedly submitted a proposal to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to build a new US$500-million subsea fibre network to boost connectivity across the Philippines.

Liberty Networks announced on Friday it is teaming with state-owned Compañía Anónima Nacional Teléfonos de Venezuela (CANTV) to launch a new subsea cable linking Venezuela to the island nation of Curaçao.

America Movil has agreed to acquire Peruvian fixed broadband provider Wow from Liberty Latin America and its partners, strengthening the operator's position in Peru's growing fibre broadband market.

Real-time communications technology, IP routing and optical networking specialist Ribbon Communications has announced a major deal with leading Indonesian provider of internet and network access services Jala Lintas Media (JLM).

Telkom Indonesia’s international arm Telin and BW Digital announced on Monday that they have successfully landed the Nongsa Changi Cable (NCC) linking Singapore and Indonesia at Nongsa Digital Park (NDP).

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has invited telecoms players to submit draft proposals to build a new subsea cable connecting peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak under the Universal Service Provision (USP) framework.

Equatorial Guinea’s state-owned telecommunications operator Getesa has signed a collaboration agreement with Huawei to optimise the country’s national telecommunications network.

Underlining the continuing difficulties faced by telecoms companies in extending broadband rollout is news of complaints from a recent forum hosted by the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria in Lagos.

Latin American digital infrastructure provider Cirion Technologies confirmed that it has restored 62% of the services knocked out by the two recent earthquakes in Venezuela.

ZTE revealed on Monday it has signed an MoU with Indonesian telecoms infrastructure and network provider MoraRepublic to collaborate on developing and expanding fixed wireless access (FWA) and fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) services for residential and enterprise customers.

Paratus Zimbabwe and Powertel Communications, the ICT arm of Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), announced on Friday that the first phase of their national fibre backbone project is now live and carrying traffic.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) announced on Friday that international connectivity services on the SEA-ME-WE 5 subsea cable system have been fully restored following a fault on the cable a day earlier.

The Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Digital Affairs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Genew Technologies for a major fibre optic initiative covering the Congo River.

Indonesian telecoms infrastructure and network provider MoraRepublic and Chinese subsea cable firm HMN Tech announced on Thursday that they have completed factory acceptance testing of wet plant gear for the Moratelindo International Cable System-3 (MIC-3).

Indonesian telco Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison announced on Thursday it has successfully spun off its fibre business, which has relaunched as Infra Fiber Teknologi (IFT), an independent fibre infrastructure platform backed by Indosat and Arsari Group.

Yet another India-Southeast Asia undersea cable is in the news after an announcement that a consortium plans to build a new undersea cable linking India with Malaysia and Singapore.

Communications technology giant Tata Communications has announced strategic investments in subsea cable infrastructure to strengthen its connectivity solutions between the emerging AI hubs of Mumbai and Chennai in India and Singapore.

The approval, early last week, of the installation of Google’s underwater cable linking Chile to Asia-Pacific means the Humboldt Cable, as it is known, is on track to be installed in the last quarter of 2026 and become operational in 2028.

China Mobile, the GSMA, Huawei and other partners have officially launched “OpenAN”, an open-source project that aims to enable collaboration and interoperability between O&M agents in autonomous networks, allowing them to evolve to Level 4 autonomy.

The government of Zanzibar has announced a public-private partnership agreement with Yas Fibre, the broadband division of operator Yas Tanzania, to expand broadband infrastructure in the semi-autonomous archipelago off the coast of East Africa in Tanzania.

ICT provider Seacom says it has launched a new high-capacity terrestrial network route between Nairobi and Kampala, reinforcing one of East Africa’s most critical digital corridors.

Nokia announced on Wednesday that it has been selected by Thai telecoms and digital infrastructure provider Symphony Communication to upgrade the optical equipment of the Malaysia-Cambodia-Thailand (MCT) subsea cable system.

Telecom Namibia has signed its second open-access fibre deal in the past week – this one with fibre infrastructure provider Lightstruck – as part of its ongoing plan to accelerate its fibre broadband business and replace its fixed copper network.

Telecom Namibia says it has signed a strategic partnership agreement with local open-access fibre network provider Demshi Investment Holdings to accelerate its fibre service rollout and replace its copper network with fibre in areas prone to cable theft and vandalism.