Turn AI Pilots Into Trusted, Scalable Production by Design
TM Forum’s AI & Data Mission introduces an AI&D blueprint that unites scale, trust, and deployment for communications service providers (CSPs). The framework splits into three pillars—AI for Leaders, AI for Delivery, and AI for Practitioners—offering governance models, ROI‑focused case studies, and a model‑control plane (MODaaS). It also delivers an AI‑native ODA Canvas with declarative operators and a "Hello World" test harness to move pilots into production. The initiative will be showcased at DTW‑Ignite 2026, positioning TM Forum as a catalyst for trusted, scalable AI in telecom.
Du Pay, GCash Digital Wallets Unite to Elevate OFW Remittances
du Pay, the digital financial arm of UAE telecom operator du, has signed an MoU with the Philippines' leading super‑app GCash to streamline remittances for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the UAE. The collaboration enables near‑instant transfers from du Pay...
Sofrecom Appoints Davy Letailleur as CEO
Orange Group subsidiary Sofrecom has appointed Davy Letailleur as its new chief executive officer. Letailleur, an engineering graduate of Télécom Paris, has spent his entire career within Orange, most recently serving as Sofrecom’s deputy CEO since 2021. He will lead...
Digital Diplomacy: How Nations Are Collaborating on AI and Data
Nations are accelerating digital diplomacy to harmonize AI governance, data flows, and cybersecurity standards as the global digital economy surpasses $7 trillion. The Middle East is emerging as a strategic bridge, with the UAE launching a Regulatory Intelligence Office and Saudi...
Growing Up and Growing Old Online: A Regional Connectivity Reckoning
Middle Eastern governments have poured billions into fiber, 5G and smart‑city projects, but the region now faces a digital‑wellbeing dilemma across generations. Youth remain the most connected, with 82% online, while older adults lag in digital‑payment adoption and are vulnerable...
Smart City Reality Check 2026
Smart‑city initiatives across the Gulf are accelerating, but Salience Consulting’s Smart City Reality Check 2026 finds telecom and digital infrastructure, not technology hype, determines success. The whitepaper compares retrofitted cities with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 greenfield giga‑projects, highlighting that early decisions...
Digital Infrastructure in the GCC: Becoming the Cornerstone of Economic Power
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is rapidly shifting from a technology consumer to a producer, with its ICT market projected to grow from $141 billion in 2025 to over $220 billion by 2030. Sovereign wealth funds are fueling a surge in digital‑infrastructure...
AI Comes to Life Inside Data Centers
Artificial intelligence is no longer a cloud‑only service; it now relies on purpose‑built, AI‑native data centers that combine massive GPU clusters, high‑speed interconnects, and autonomous management. The Middle East is leading the expansion, with du’s AED 2 billion (~$540 million) hyperscale facility in...
Nokia Strengthens MEA Leadership to Accelerate Network Evolution and Growth
Nokia announced three senior appointments for its Middle East and Africa (MEA) operations, naming Mikko Lavanti as President, Roque Lozano Barbero as Senior Vice President of Network Infrastructure, and Danial Mausoof as Senior Vice President of Mobile Infrastructure. The new...
Es’hailSat, EgyptSat Expand Partnership with New Satellite Capacity Agreement
Es’hailSat and EgyptSat have signed a multi‑year satellite capacity agreement to expand VSAT services across Egypt and the broader MENA region, building on a partnership established last year. The deal taps Es’hailSat’s two high‑throughput satellites at 25.5°/26° East and its Tier‑4...
World Backup Day 2026: A Telecom B2B Guide to Data Protection in the AI Age
World Backup Day on March 31 highlights telecoms’ need for robust data protection amid AI‑driven growth. AI adoption has surged, with 77% of telecom executives citing operational benefits and 61% using AI for analytics, but it also inflates data volumes and...
World’s First Robot Phone Debuts with AI-Powered Multi-Modal Intelligence
HONOR has unveiled the world’s first robot phone, featuring a 4‑degrees‑of‑freedom gimbal that shrinks motor size by roughly 70 percent. The device pairs a three‑axis mechanical gimbal with an AI stabilization engine, allowing fluid motion during AI‑enhanced video calls and...
China’s Next-Gen Battery Pushes EV Energy Density Beyond 700 Wh/Kg
Chinese researchers have unveiled a lithium‑metal battery that surpasses 700 Wh/kg energy density at room temperature and retains about 400 Wh/kg at -50 °C. The new electrolyte replaces oxygen with fluorine, boosting ion conductivity and stability. Integrated into a FAW Hongqi prototype, the...
Next-Gen Silicon Chips Achieve Fiber-Optic-Like Performance
Researchers at Caltech have unveiled a photonic platform that routes light across silicon wafers with loss levels comparable to optical fiber, even at visible wavelengths. The waveguides, made from germano‑silicate glass, are fabricated using lithography on standard 8‑inch and 12‑inch...
“Think Before You Speak” Takes On a Whole New Meaning with RAG
Retrieval‑augmented generation (RAG) enriches AI responses by actively pulling relevant data instead of relying solely on model memory. The market is projected to expand at a 45.8% compound annual growth rate, reaching roughly $1.57 billion by 2034. Adoption spans enterprise search,...
How to Turn Customer Conversations Into Operational Intelligence
Organizations are sitting on massive, untapped operational intelligence hidden in fragmented customer conversations across voice, messaging, social and digital channels. A three‑layer architecture—AI‑powered engagement, omnichannel operations, and a unified cloud platform—converts every interaction into structured, searchable data. Napster’s AI Omniagents,...
MWC Barcelona 2026 Through Comarch Communications’ Eyes: Agentic AI, Satellites, and Cross-Industry Convergence
At MWC Barcelona 2026 the telecom sector signaled a pivot from pure 5G rollout to extracting commercial value through agentic AI, open network APIs and satellite‑terrestrial convergence. Operators are recasting themselves as orchestrators of digital ecosystems that serve energy, logistics,...
UAE Maintains Top Spot in Global Fiber Coverage for 10th Consecutive Year
The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) confirmed that the UAE has retained its position as the world’s top provider of fiber‑to‑the‑home/business (FTTH/B) coverage for the tenth straight year. The achievement reflects sustained investment by local operators e& and...
Shane Heraty to Spearhead Cisco’s AI Infrastructure Push in MEA–TRC
Cisco has named Shane Heraty as Vice President and General Manager for its Middle East, Africa, Türkiye, Romania and CIS region, effective May 1. Heraty will drive Cisco’s AI infrastructure, security and workplace modernization strategy across a market of over 1.5 billion...
Globe CEO Carl Cruz Champions AI‑Enabled Customer Innovation and Organizational Transformation at MWC 2026
Globe Telecom’s CEO Carl Cruz announced the company’s AI‑driven transformation at MWC 2026, highlighting its appointment of the Philippines’ first Chief AI Officer and the launch of an AI Innovation Hub aligned with the GSMA Responsible AI Maturity Roadmap. The firm...
Mikko Lavanti on How Nokia Charts the Path to the AI-Native Future
At Mobile World Congress 2026, Nokia unveiled its first agentic AI‑powered network slicing demo, drawing more than 150 visiting teams. The company outlined a rollout plan that moves from pilots to live operator trials for 5G‑Advanced slicing, bundled with its...
GCAA and TDRA Launch AI Initiatives to Improve Digital Government Services
The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) convened a workshop to accelerate AI integration across UAE federal agencies. Participants demonstrated AI‑driven virtual assistants and unified platform tools designed to streamline citizen services...
Asia-Pacific Telcos Urged to Balance AI Innovation with Trust, Governance, and Local Readiness
Telecom Review Asia’s March 17 webinar highlighted how AI is reshaping APAC telcos, delivering measurable gains in network reliability and customer experience. Operators such as Telekom Malaysia and Globe Telecom showcased proactive monitoring, computer‑vision‑driven field work, and low‑code platforms that...
From Steppe to Speed: Freedom Telecom’s FWA Strategy for a Connected Kazakhstan
Freedom Telecom Kazakhstan is accelerating broadband rollout by deploying fixed wireless access (FWA) across the steppe, leveraging rare n79 spectrum to deliver up to 3 Gbps speeds. The company’s initial ROI horizon has shrunk from a seven‑year payback to roughly six‑and‑a‑half...
Du and Huawei Partner to Deliver 10 Gbps 5G-A Network Experience
UAE telecom du has signed an MoU with Huawei to roll out a 10 Gbps‑class 5G‑Advanced (5G‑A) network across the United Arab Emirates. The partnership will deploy Huawei’s U6G radio and 3‑component carrier aggregation to deliver ultra‑large bandwidth in both outdoor...
Saudi Arabia Marks 2026 as the Year of Artificial Intelligence
Saudi Arabia’s cabinet has proclaimed 2026 the “Year of Artificial Intelligence,” cementing the Kingdom’s AI push under Vision 2030. The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) drives a six‑pillar national strategy, propelling the country to 14th place in the 2025...
The Techco of Tomorrow: Comarch Communications’ Autonomous Approach to Satellite-Terrestrial Convergence
At Mobile World Congress 2026, Comarch Communications’ CSO Tymoteusz Wrona outlined the company’s push to embed agentic artificial intelligence into its OSS/BSS platforms to create autonomous, API‑driven networks. The strategy targets measurable efficiency gains and positions telcos to monetize satellite‑terrestrial...
Netcracker CTO: Achieving High Value with AI Is Telecom’s Next Inflection Point
At MWC26 Netcracker CTO Bob Titus warned that AI marks a critical inflection point for telecoms, promising new revenue, cost reductions, and superior customer experiences. He emphasized that operators must upgrade talent, build robust, governable AI architectures, and prioritize high‑value...
Ground Control: The Strategic Backbone for Telcos’ Space-Based Infrastructure
Telcos are transforming ground infrastructure into the operational backbone of space‑based connectivity, merging teleports, gateway stations and edge data centers with cloud and 5G networks. e& showcased this shift by delivering the Middle East’s first 1.25 Gbps satellite link from its...
Freedom Telecom International and Nokia Sign Strategic Cooperation Agreement to Begin Joint Innovation Work
Freedom Telecom International (FTI), a subsidiary of Freedom Holding Corp., has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Nokia to launch an Innovation Lab on Nokia’s Sunnyvale campus. The lab will design next‑generation AI data‑center blueprints, run feasibility studies in Kazakhstan...
Scaling Digital Learning in Public Education: What Governments and Industry Must Get Right
The International Day for Digital Learning highlights how public education has rapidly embraced digital tools after COVID‑19 forced school closures for 1.6 billion learners. By 2023 the global e‑learning market surpassed $300 billion, driven by adaptive platforms, AI analytics, and hybrid classroom...
Middle East Telco Brands Climb Global Rankings
Middle East telecom operators have secured eight spots in the Brand Finance Telecoms 150 2026, underscoring the region’s rising brand equity. Saudi Arabia’s stc topped the regional list, ranking ninth worldwide with a 9% brand‑value increase to $17.6 billion and an...
Engineering the Outcome-Driven, Premium Experience in 2026
In 2026 telecom premium shifts from raw speed to guaranteed business continuity, latency certainty, and trust‑by‑design. Surveys show roughly 80% of customers now rate experience on par with service quality, and half of enterprises are ready to pay extra for...
Why CPE Security Is Now a Strategic Imperative for Telcos
Telecom operators moving to all‑IP, software‑defined networks have pushed the security perimeter to the customer premises, turning CPE devices into exposed, internet‑facing nodes. Legacy firmware, slow patch cycles and overlooked set‑top boxes create easy entry points for attackers, exposing core...
Her Voice. Her Vision. Her Impact: Women Leadership in Telecom in 2026
Telecom Review’s International Women’s Day 2026 feature spotlights senior female leaders from Mobily, du, Huawei and Ericsson, illustrating how the industry’s "Give to Gain" theme translates into concrete actions such as sponsorship, mentorship and strategic project access. The executives argue...
Ericsson Showcases 5G Core SaaS Innovation at MWC 2026
Ericsson demonstrated a 1 Tbps 5G Core network capable of handling 1 million concurrent subscribers, fully hosted on Google Cloud, at MWC 2026. The solution leverages Google Kubernetes Engine for automatic elasticity, a planet‑scale fiber backbone, and AI‑driven telemetry to optimize resources....
Nokia Expands Network as Code Ecosystem; Advances API-Based Agentic AI with Google Cloud Partnership
Nokia announced an expanded Network as Code ecosystem at Mobile World Congress, now encompassing over 75 global partners including major operators such as Deutsche Telekom, Orange, and Vodafone. The initiative provides secure API access that streamlines complex network functions and...
Du Maintains Full Operations, Robust Liquidity, and Strategic Momentum
du confirmed uninterrupted network operations across mobile, fixed and enterprise services, serving 9.7 million mobile and 735,000 fixed customers. The telecom operator reported AED 4.2 billion of available liquidity and a board‑approved dividend of 64 fils per share for 2025. CEO...
Syria Opens International Bidding Process for 20-Year Mobile Network License
Syria’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has launched an international Request for Applications for a 20‑year mobile network operator license, with proposals due by 2 April 2026. The award will replace the MTN Syria concession, keep the market two‑operator for five...
Huawei and E& Unveil Next-Gen, 10-Gbps Access Network and AI-Driven Smart Home Use Cases
Huawei and e& UAE have launched the Optical Innovation Center to accelerate AI‑ready connectivity in the UAE, unveiling five high‑value use cases across a 10 Gbps intelligent access network and AI‑driven smart home solutions. The network upgrades include a 50G PON...
MWC 2026 Officially Opens, Paving the Way to ‘The IQ Era’
Mobile World Congress 2026 kicked off in Barcelona on March 2, under the GSMA‑driven theme “The IQ Era.” The three‑day launch gathered thousands of telecom executives, AI innovators, and policy makers to showcase next‑generation wireless, intelligent connectivity, and IoT solutions....
Leading with Intention: How Readiness, Intelligence, and Trust Shape Asiacell’s Digital Vision for Iraq
Asiacell CEO Amer Al Sunna outlines the operator’s deliberate approach to AI integration and a 2026 5G rollout in Iraq, emphasizing readiness, intelligence, and trust. The company says AI is already embedded in its network to anticipate issues and optimize...
Huawei to Launch Open-Source Project for A2A-T Software at MWC26
Huawei announced at MWC 2026 the launch of an open‑source project for its A2A‑T (Agent‑to‑Agent for Telecom) protocol software, including an SDK, Registry Center, and low‑code Orchestration Center. The A2A‑T protocol, built on the IG1453 beta and IG1453A meta‑model, aims...
MWC 2026 Spotlight: MobiMind Builds the Foundation for Recurring Digital Growth
At MWC 2026, MobiMind announced a strategic pivot from pure aggregation to an AI‑powered intelligent monetization engine that emphasizes recurring, value‑based revenue. The company is investing in AI‑driven revenue orchestration, API‑first infrastructure, and advanced behavioral intelligence to boost yield per...
Optimizing, Securing, and Monetizing the Future of Telecom: Enea’s Strategic Vision
At Mobile World Congress 2026, Enea unveiled a three‑pillar portfolio—Optimize, Secure, Monetize—to help telecom operators and CPaaS providers cut costs, defend against AI‑driven threats, and generate new revenue streams. The strategy addresses shrinking margins, rising regulation, and sophisticated attackers by...
FTI CEO Johannes Hummer on Rewriting the Telecom Playbook Through Fintech Integration
Freedom Telecom International (FTI) CEO Johannes Hummer says telecom operators are uniquely positioned to dominate the next wave of fintech by exploiting their massive customer bases, rich data intelligence, and existing billing infrastructure. He outlines three high‑impact focus areas: embedded...
Du-Backed UAE-IX Becomes Middle East’s First 800 GE-Ready Internet Exchange
The UAE‑IX exchange, operated by DE‑CIX and du’s datamena platform, is now technically ready for 800 gigabit Ethernet and offers 400 GE ports, making it the first Middle Eastern IX with such capacity. The upgrade pushes peak traffic beyond 1 terabit per second,...
TDRA Reinforces Efforts for Integrated Digital Payment Ecosystem
The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) convened a workshop to accelerate a unified digital payment ecosystem across UAE federal entities. Participants outlined a vision that blends digital identity, multiple payment channels, and secure settlement to simplify government transactions....
KAPP Secures Approval for Fixed-Line Telecom Project
Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP) received State Audit Bureau approval for a KWD 19.928 million contract to revamp the country's fixed‑line telecommunications infrastructure. The public‑private partnership with the Ministry of Communications will design, fund, build, operate and maintain active and...
Du and Federal Youth Authority Power Next-Gen Talent for Digital Economy Success
du concluded its Youth Council Retreat 2026, bringing together the telecom’s youth representatives, senior executives and the Federal Youth Authority. A fireside chat between CEO Fahad Al Hassawi and Chief People & Impact Officer Fatema Al Afeefi gave emerging talent...
