Telecom

Corporations gave over $50M to voting restriction backers

When executives from Coca-Cola and Delta Air Lines spoke out against Georgia’s new voting law as unduly restrictive last week, it seemed to signal a new activism springing from corporate America. But if leaders of the nation’s most prominent companies are going to reject lawmakers who support restrictive voting measures, they will have to abruptly […]

EXPLAINER: What Biden's new $100B plan for broadband means

The problems with U.S. broadband networks have been obvious for years. Service costs more than in many other rich nations, it still doesn’t reach tens of millions of Americans and the companies that provide it don’t face much competition. Now the Biden administration is promising to do something about all of those issues as part […]

MTN Nigeria restored on banking platforms

MTN Nigeria’s access to banking platforms has been restored earlier this week following a dispute between the telco and most lenders across the country over commission percentages. Bloomberg had initially reported that the spat ignited when MTN cut the commission it pays to banks per airtime transaction from 4.5 percent to 2.5 percent. The move […]

China's Huawei says 2020 sales rose despite US sanctions

Chinese tech giant Huawei said Wednesday it eked out higher sales and profit last year but growth plunged after its smartphone unit was hammered by U.S. sanctions imposed in a fight with Beijing over technology and security. China’s first global tech brand reported sales of phones, network gear and other technology rose 3.8% over 2019 […]

AT&T, Ericsson execs head The Next G Alliance’s 6G R&D efforts

Executives from U.S. telecoms provider AT&T and Swedish Ericsson have been announced as The Next G Alliance’s chair and vice chair respectively following an election conducted by the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS). According to a statement by ATIS, Andre Fuetsch, Executive Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, AT&T, has been named chair of […]

Zain, Mobily merge tower business while seeking external investment

Saudi Arabian telecom providers Mobile Telecommunications Company Saudi Arabia (Zain KSA) and Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily) jointly announced on Thursday plans to merge their telecom towers under a registered entity called Towers Company based in the Kingdom. According to a statement by both telcos, the duo has received in-principal approval from the board of Communications […]

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 […]