Telecoms

VEON acquires Pakistani telco Jazz for $273 million

Amsterdam-based telco VEON Ltd announced earlier this week its acquisition of a 15 percent minority stake in Pakistan Communications Limited (PMCL), which is the operating company of the country’s leading operator Jazz, from Dhabi Group for a sum of $273 million. The deal follows the Dhabi Group’s exercise of its put option announced on 28 […]

GSMA urges Myanmar military to lift nationwide Internet blackout

The GSMA expressed last week a deep concern regarding Myanmar’s Internet blackout following Norwegian telecoms provider Telenor’s local operation confirmation of restrictions since March 15. The industry body issued an appeal to the Myanmar military – who forcefully took power following an election that saw Aung Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy gain over 80 […]

STC Kuwait, Virgin Mobile receive Kuwait’s first MVNO license

STC Kuwait and Virgin Mobile Middle East and Africa (VMMEA) announced on Sunday that they have received approval of a license as Kuwait’s first virtual network operator (MVNO) from the country’s Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA). The announcement, made during a press conference attended by senior government and industry figures, will allow STC […]

China slams US plan to expel phone carriers in tech clash

China’s government on Thursday called on Washington to drop efforts to expel three state-owned Chinese phone companies from the United States in a new clash over technology and security. The Federal Communications Commission voted Wednesday to begin revoking the companies’ U.S. licenses. It said they are security risks controlled by the communist Beijing government. The […]

TPG acquires 7.5% of Airtel Africa’s mobile money business

U.S.-based private equity firm TPG announced on Thursday that it has acquired a 7.5 percent stake in Airtel Africa’s mobile money business for a sum of $200 million, the telco said in a statement. Airtel Africa, the African arm of India’s Bharti Airtel, is also currently holding further negotiations with other companies to sell off […]

FCC eyes up 3 new Chinese telecoms companies for CCMC designation

The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) is eyeing up to three new Chinese telecoms companies for potential addition to the U.S.’ Communist Chinese military companies (CCMC) designation, the regulator announced on Wednesday. The FCC launched proceedings to determine whether to end authorization, China Unicom Americas, Pacific Networks and its wholly owned subsidiary ComNet’s authority to provide […]

Ooredoo reaches top 40 global telcos for the first time

Qatari telecoms giant Ooredoo Group announced on Sunday that it has reached the 40th position in the top 50 global telecommunications brands, up one place from 41 in 2020, as confirmed by the Brand Finance Telecoms 150, 2021 report. This is the fifth consecutive year where Ooredoo Group has appeared on the list, as it […]

Huawei tops the global telecoms kit market, despite all odds

Despite all odds, Huawei has increased its market share as the top telecoms equipment vendor worldwide, mainly due to strong demand within mainland China through all of 2020, a recent report stated on Monday. According to a report by U.S.-based telecom insights company Dell’Oro Group, the Chinese vendor’s share by revenue rose by 28 percent […]