Wireless Networks

The United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has announced funding for a feasibility study to install approximately 1,500 turnkey mobile communications base stations across Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria.

Indian telco Bharti Airtel launched its 5G network slicing service for postpaid customers on Tuesday, making it the first such service in India.

Critical event management company Everbridge has announced the next phase of Estonia’s nationwide public warning modernisation initiative, adding end-to-end cell broadcast capabilities across government agencies and all three mobile network operators in the country.

Edotco Malaysia said on Friday it has deployed a new fixed wireless access (FWA) solution in Uma Lesong, Sarawak that it’s also pitching as a viable and scalable model for other underserved communities in geographically challenging areas.

Ericsson, China Mobile and Chinese handset maker Oppo revealed on Wednesday they have successfully tested network slicing at the consumer device and app level on a live 5G Standalone (SA) network.

Ericsson announced on Tuesday that Telekom Slovenije has switched on Slovenia’s first 5G Standalone (5G SA) mobile service after completing an extensive modernization and expansion of its 5G network.

MagtiCom, the largest telecommunications provider in Georgia, has selected cloud-native software company Mavenir as its strategic small cell technology partner for a nationwide small cell deployment project.

U Mobile, Malaysia’s newest 5G network provider and wholesale operator, has announced that it has added VIBE Mobile, part of the Elite Links supply chain and distribution company, to its list of strategic mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) partners.

Thai telco AIS has launched its 5G-Advanced service that leverages the 3GPP Release 18 standard, as well as carrier aggregation for faster downlinks and uplinks.

South African network planning and installation specialist Duxbury Networking has announced a new distribution partnership with Northwest Towers, a manufacturer of hardened, mission-critical network infrastructure designed for deployment in demanding environments.

Burundi’s state-owned telco Onatel has signed a US$5.9 million contract with PAFEN Burundi to deploy 4G in underserved rural communities.

The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE),  the Costa Rican government-run electricity and telecommunications services provider, has awarded a contract relating to its 5G network to tech giant Ericsson.

Malaysian telco U Mobile has partnered with Pavilion Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) to enable seamless 5G-Advanced indoor coverage in high-traffic commercial and lifestyle locations in Kuala Lumpur.

Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC) has reportedly launched Afghanistan’s first trial of 5G in Kabul, six weeks after the telco began testing the technology.

Edotco Malaysia announced on Friday that its subsidiary Vista Bumiria has been appointed by the provincial government of Terengganu as a state-backed company (SBC) to develop telecoms infrastructure.

Poland’s railway infrastructure manager, PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe (PKP PLK), is apparently close to completing the installation of a GSM-R-based system on the country’s Central Railway Line (CMK), with testing planned for later this year.

Cirpack Software and Summa Networks are deploying Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services for Vodafone Polynésie.

Operator Telecom Namibia and regulator the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) have officially entered into a strategic partnership.

Comba Telecom, a provider of wireless communication solutions, and SICOTEL Communications (SCOMM), a Moroccan telecom and ICT solutions integrator, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) linked with enabling indoor coverage.

Open RAN vendor Parallel Wireless says it has extended its collaboration with Mtel Banja Luka, Telekom Srbija’s Bosnia and Herzegovina unit, to test AI RAN technology.

UAE telco du announced on Sunday it has successfully completed a proof of concept (PoC) with Ericsson using millimeter-wave extended range technology to provide 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) in residential areas across the UAE.

Turkey officially joined the 5G era on Wednesday after the country’s three main mobile operators – Turkcell, Turk Telekom and Vodafone Turkey – launched 5G services in all 81 provincial centres.

Netmore Group, which describes itself as the leading network operator and platform provider for massive IoT, has announced a partnership in Brazil with Allcom Telecom, an American company that operates in the Latin American market of M2M and IoT solutions and is also an MVNO.

Sri Lankan telco Dialog Axiata says it has expanded its 5G network to over 800 live sites spanning 24 districts, compared to just over 220 sites at the service’s initial launch three months ago.

Jazz, Zong and Ufone officially received their 5G licences from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Thursday, after which Jazz and Zong immediately launched 5G services in various capital cities and metro hubs.

Ooredoo Algeria says it has expanded its 5G network to all provinces in the country, well ahead of the government’s rollout schedule, although actual coverage in each province remains limited.

State-owned Uzbektelecom (a.k.a. Uztelecom) revealed on Tuesday it has expanded its 5G network coverage across the country over the past two months as part of its broader infrastructure modernisation programme.