Telecom

Malaysia accelerates 5G rollout, reversing prior stance

Malaysia announced late last week that it’s going to accelerate development and deployment of fifth generation networks, Prime Minister Muhiyddin Yassin unveiled during his digital economy blueprint. The announcement reverses the government’s previous stance of postponing the launch to better focus on 4G technology. According to media reports, the blueprint will include 15 billion ringgits […]

MTN Group pledges net zero emissions by 2040

South African telecom giant MTN Group announced late last week that it will pledge to achieve net zero emissions by 2040, as it plans to lead by example combatting climate change on the African Continent. With global warming on the rise and impacting countries, communities, and people everywhere, MTN has set science-based targets to achieve […]

New submarine network cable systems launched by Ocean Networks

U.S.-based Ocean Networks (ONI) – which develops submarine network cable systems for governments – announced on Thursday the launch of Caribbean Express (CX) Project, an 18-fiber pair submarine cable system linking West Palm Beach Florida to Panama reaching all the way to Mexico and Colombia. According to the company, the CX system will use space […]

The year of disruptive tech: telecom trends in 2021

The year 2020 will go down in history as a defining one in the age of global telecommunications. In the beginning, a sudden data explosion occurred. The COVID-19 pandemic shook businesses, brands, and individuals to their core, but telcos around the world put their heads down and worked on meeting and preserving the rising demand […]

Singapore’s Singtel breached via 20-year-old file transfer system

Singapore’s largest telco, Singtel, has been the subject of a cyberattack earlier last week after hackers breached the company via its use of legacy third-party file-sharing system by Accellion that compromised user data. The attack – which occurred on January 20 – was part of a wider global breach of File Transfer Appliance (FTA) file […]

United Group acquires Bulgarian Net1 & ComNet Sofia

Amsterdam-based telecoms provider United Group acquired earlier this week 100 percent of the share capital in both Bulgarian operators Net1 and ComNet Sofia, as it expands its foothold in the country. The deal – which was settled at an undisclosed sum – will be carried out as an add-on acquisition by Vivacom, United’s Bulgarian operator, […]

Telenor faces troubling times as Myanmar coup intensifies

Norwegian telecom operator Telenor is facing increased pressure on multiple fronts in Myanmar, as it stands toe-to-toe with the country’s junta over its employees’ safety, while confronted with a draconian cybersecurity bill. Following its military coup on February 1, the junta has repeatedly forced Internet services providers to shut down or restrict access to the […]

O2 UK slapped with £10.5m for overcharging customers

British telecoms regulator Ofcom has fined O2 UK £10.5m late last week for overcharging its customers over an eight-year span, as the regulatory authority identified issues within its billing processes dating back to 2011. According to the watchdog, its rules require telecoms companies to provide customers with accurate bills and charges. In 2019, Ofcom opened […]

Telecoms energy consumption to triple over next decade

Telecoms has become the lubricant that keeps societal communication wheels turning forward, especially so with the rising demand of individual and businesses for increased connectivity during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Categorized as an essential industry, the telecoms industry beefed up its capabilities during worldwide lockdowns to accommodate all of humanity to remain connected. With that […]