Telecom

India’s relief package may not resurrect Vodafone Idea

Indian telecom operator Vodafone Idea might not have enough financial sturdiness to pull itself out of its accumulated $30 billion debt, despite governmental deliberation of a four-year moratorium on paying overblown past dues. Vodafone Idea’s extravagant debt of almost $30 billion is a result of the Indian government’s pressure on its telecom sector and telcos. […]

Trudeau: Canada's decision on whether to allow Huawei coming

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday that Canada will decide within weeks whether to allow Chinese tech giant Huawei into the country’s next-generation 5G wireless networks and noted that major telecommunication companies have already started to remove Huawei from their networks. Canada and its security agencies have been studying whether to use equipment from Huawei […]

FCC’s $1.9 billion program to slay Chinese clout on U.S. turf

In a move to fortify national security, the U.S. Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) finalized Monday its latest draft of a $1.9 billion program to endorse domestic and modest telecom carriers at the expense of extracting Huawei and ZTE’s Chinese influence in the American market. As the East and the West indulge in their personal vendettas, […]

Pakistan, UAE’s Etisalat rectify 14-year-old valuation quarrel

The Pakistani government has decisively reached a settlement with UAE’s Etisalat over what seemed to be a never-ending quarrel following the Emirati operator’s acquisition of a faction of shares in Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL). The achieved settlement focuses on the assessment of multiple properties initially planned to become a segment of PTCL after its […]

Subscription rates reshuffles power among India’s telcos, report finds

India’s telecom sector witnessed a striking fluctuation in its telcos’ subscribers, with Reliance Jio gaining 6.5 million and Airtel adding 1.9 million to its userbase during July, whereas Vodafone Idea’s consumer base went down by over 1.4 million, according to a data report by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). With the emergence of […]

One to charge them all: EU demands single plug for phones

The European Union announced plans Thursday to require the smartphone industry to adopt a uniform charging cord for mobile devices, a push that could eliminate the all-too-familiar experience of rummaging through a drawer full of tangled cables to find the right one. The European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, proposed legislation that would mandate USB-C […]

Considerations for starting a mobile virtual network operator company

In a previous article, we discussed what a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO, is and what their role is in the wider telecommunications ecosystem. We also discussed what sets them apart in the industry and their importance to the consumer. What we did not discuss is what an enterprising telecoms entrepreneur ought to consider […]

Saudi Arabia’s STC seals $966 million in IPO

Saudi Telecoms Company (STC) raised on Wednesday $966 million from its Initial Public Offering (IPO) following completion of the institutional subscription of its subsidiary Arabian Internet and Communications Services Co. Last week, the Kingdom’s state-owned telco set a price for its IPO at the highest rank of an analytical price range for Solutions by STC, […]

India alters KYC process flow to support telecom sector

India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) disclosed on Tuesday the administration of a set of directives aimed to simplify Know Your Customer (KYC) processes for the sector’s latest mobile connections and prepaid to postpaid transfers to supplement telecom upgrades. Following the Cabinet’s issuance of its latest relief package directed at the telecom sector, the DoT, Minister […]

Orange MEA chooses Ericsson to boost African financial presence

In a bid to heighten Orange Money’s offering, Orange Middle East and Africa (MEA) joins forces with Swedish telecom vendor Ericsson to deploy mobile financial service solutions over phases spread across 14 countries in the region by mining into Ericsson Wallet Platform. Under the deal’s terms, Orange will tap into Ericsson’s Wallet Platform to enhance […]