Telecom

MTN to sell its stake in BICS as part of divestment plan

South African telecom-giant MTN Group announced on Tuesday that it will sell its 20 percent shareholding stake in Belgacom International Carrier Services (BICS) to Belgian state-controlled telecoms firm Proximus for $121.41 million. However, the timing of closing is dependent on customary regulatory approvals. Once all the saleconditions,legal precedent, has been fulfilled, MTN will receive proceeds […]

Nokia warns of challenges in 2021 as it lags behind rivals

Finnish telecom equipment maker Nokia warned on Thursday of multiple challenges throughout 2021, as the company attempts to close the gap with its rivals, despite a strong finish in 2020. While Huawei’s fall from grace in several fifth-generation markets has translated into good news for Nokia and its rival Ericsson, the Swedish company has made […]

Africell becomes Angola’s fourth operator

Africell announced on Wednesday that it will expand its operations in Angola by the end of the year to become the country’s fourth operator after receiving its telecommunications license. With that, Africell will stand alongside three other operators Movicel, Unitel, and state-owned Angola Telecom, as it expands into its 5th territorial market. The telco will […]

AT&T acquires $14.7 billion loan from BofA to fund spectrum

U.S. telecoms operator AT&T has entered a $14.7 billion loan credit agreement with Bank of America (BofA) in an attempt to massively invest in the ongoing C-band spectrum auction. According to the company’s U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, the funds will be available for AT&T to withdraw at any point before May 29, […]

Ethiopia extends telco license bidding deadline till April 2021

The Ethiopian Communications Authority (ECA) announced on Tuesday that is has delayed the issuing of two new nationwide operating licenses. ECA made the announcement via Twitter confirming that the decision was taken to delay the process following requests received from would-be bidders during the question-and-answer period of the request for proposals (RFP) process for the […]

O2, NEC complete OpenRAN trial

British O2 telecoms and Japanese NEC announced on Monday a successful OpenRAN trial conducted on O2’s network with NEC and its ecosystem of partners. According to a joint statement, NEC helped to define a customized OpenRAN architecture, optimized, and adapted to the requirements of the O2 mobile network. NEC coordinated the overall design of the […]

Orange, Free Mobile network sharing deal falters

French telecoms giant Orange announced late last week that it would be ending discussions with Free Mobile with regards to setting up a mobile network sharing agreement, citing a divergence in deployment strategy. “Given a divergence in deployment strategy, Orange has decided to end these discussions. For Orange, the quality of its networks is a […]

“Try me:” Rouhani warns judiciary prosecuting telecoms minister

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani blasted the country’s judicial body this week over its prosecution of Iran’s telecoms minister following his alleged refusal of blocking Instagram and other social media sites. Rouhani – who’s considered a moderate within the Islamic Republic – questioned the judiciary’s move during a cabinet meeting held on Jan 27, arguing that […]

Sercomtel to layoff 50% of its staff

Regional Brazilian telecoms operator Sercomtel announced on Thursday that it will laying off 50 percent of its workforce in an attempt to ensure its continuity in the market, which is heavily burdened by debt. The mass layoff – which will see its current 456 staff members cut by half – is part of the telco’s […]