Telecoms

Iran to rollout 5G services in March 2021

Hamrave Aval, operator of the Mobile Company of Iran (MCI), has announced that it will begin its 5G rollout efforts by the 20th of March 2021, as the country began commissioning fifth generation networks in March of 2020. While details and size of the project remain unknown, the director general of MCI suggested that the […]

TOT, CAT merge to form National Telecom, 2 decades later

Thailand’s state-owned telecommunications operator TOT has finally completed a long-awaited merger with CAT Telecom, which aims to become one of the top three mobile service provider in the country by the end of the year. Under the merger, the company has rebranded itself as National Telecom (NT) and will look to capitalize on overlapping administrative […]

French Orange acquires Anytime to boost FinTech presence

French telecom giant Orange has acquired homegrown digital banking service provider Anytime for an undisclosed sum, in a bid to tap into the independent professionals and small business market. Anytime – which currently has a customer base of 100,000 – will part of the telecom company’s three-year-old Orange Bank division which will open it up […]

Telecom Egypt, Google strike network infrastructure deal

Telecom Egypt has struck a deal with Google to provide it with a first-of-its-kind layer three meshed solution on its redundant and resilient Egypt-crossing network infrastructure. In parallel, Google will also be given capacity on Telecom Egypt’s Mediterranean submarine cable, TE North. According to the operator, which is the country’s first integrated telecom operator and […]

Zain KSA, Nokia to offer 5G fixed wireless access

Saudi Arabian operator Zain has turned to Finnish Nokia to broaden its 5G partnership by deploying 60,000 units of the vendor’s FastMile 5G Gateway wireless broadband hub with eSIMs, across the Kingdom over the next 12 months. The technology will deliver stronger signal, better connectivity, and ultra-high data speeds to every corner of homes and […]

Vodafone becomes Oman’s third operator

Telecoms giant Vodafone has officially become Oman’s third operator following a royal decree granting it a first-class license to establish and operate public telecommunications services in the Sultanate. Vodafone, which owns and operates networks in 22 countries and has partner networks in 48 further countries, will stand toe-to-toe with the local Oman Telecommunication Company (Omantel) […]

Global telecoms industry lost $43 billion in 2020

While people, companies, and governments around the world leaned on connectivity to keep the lights on, many expected that the global telecoms industry would be riding high and mighty during one of the hardest years humanity has ever faced. Contrary to that, the reality of the situation is much bleaker than many could imagine. Telcos […]

NYSE withdraws plans to delist 3 Chinese phone carriers

The New York Stock Exchange has withdrawn plans to remove shares of three Chinese state-owned phone carriers under an order by President Donald Trump that Beijing warned might lead to retaliation. The exchange cited “further consultation” with regulators but its announcement late Monday gave no other details. The NYSE said Thursday it would remove China […]

Ooredoo Maldives launches 5G services and broadband

Ooredoo’s Maldives branch announced the rollout of its 5G commercial services within the country, covering a large percentage of the capital city of Male, including key business hubs, hospitals, public spaces and more. The announcement was made during an event celebrating the company’s start within the 5G era, as it also launched its 5G AirFibre […]

Taiwan telcos surpass 1 million 5G subscribers

Taiwan has onboarded more than one million 5G subscribers, six months after the country’s rollout of 5G commercial services by its plethora of carriers, industry statistics highlighted. The small East Asian country began distribution of its first 5G wave back in June 2020, with Chunghwa Telecom being the first to rollout fifth generation services in […]