TTK Reports Wi-Fi Traffic up 78% at Train Stations in Q1
Russian telecom operator TTK reported that public Wi‑Fi traffic in railway stations surged 78% year‑on‑year in Q1, reaching 1,717 TB of data. The networks, operated in partnership with Russian Railways since 2015, are seeing unprecedented usage as travelers increasingly rely on mobile connectivity. TTK attributes the growth to expanding smartphone penetration and the rollout of higher‑capacity access points across major stations. The spike underscores the strategic importance of digital services in Russia’s transport infrastructure.
Austria Raises EUR 39 Mln in Auction of 2.3, 2.6 GHz Bands
Austria’s telecom regulator RTR auctioned 2.3 GHz and 2.6 GHz spectrum, raising €39.41 million (about $43 million). A1 bought 50 MHz for €11.01 million, Magenta Telekom secured 100 MHz for €13.18 million, and Hutchison Drei acquired another 100 MHz for €15.21 million. The proceeds bolster the regulator’s fund and signal strong demand...
Beltelecom Offers Business Wi-Fi Packages
Beltelecom, Belarus’s state‑owned telecom operator, has launched a new business‑focused Wi‑Fi tariff line. The offering lets companies create branded Wi‑Fi networks with a custom SSID while Beltelecom handles equipment deployment and technical support. Three plans provide varying authentication and usage...
Spanish Mobile Users Port 523K Lines in February, Led by Digi and Movistar
In February 2026, Spain saw 523,520 mobile numbers switched between carriers, a 2.8% year‑on‑year rise. The surge was driven primarily by Digi and Movistar, which together accounted for the bulk of the activity. Active mobile lines climbed to 62.5 million, adding...
Ooredoo Qatar Launches New Family Mobile Plans
Ooredoo Qatar has rolled out a new family‑oriented mobile offering that consolidates multiple lines under a single account and bill. The plans provide unlimited local calls among family members and allow customers to designate a home region or country for...
E& Money Offers Gold Trading in UAE
E& Money has introduced a digital gold investment service in the United Arab Emirates, partnering with SafeGold to let users buy and sell 24‑karat gold of 99.99% purity through its mobile app. Customers can start with as little as AED 10...
MTN Zambia Runs Promotion to Reward MoMo Transactions with Prizes Including New House
MTN Zambia has rolled out the "Wina Nyumba na MoMo" promotion, offering a brand‑new house and thousands of cash prizes to users who make transactions via the MTN MoMo app or the star‑115 shortcode. The campaign, which runs from April...
MTN Liberia Uses GWCU Credit Scoring Product for Mobile Money
MTN Liberia has partnered with Canadian fintech GWCU to embed its proprietary credit‑scoring product into the operator’s Mobile Money platform. The integration enables instant liquidity for MTN’s more than one‑million subscribers via USSD codes and a mobile app, effectively doubling...
STC Bahrain Provides Frontline Workers with 100 GB Data
STC Bahrain launched a national initiative that grants frontline personnel a 100 GB data allowance. The program targets the Bahrain Defence Force, Ministry of Interior, National Guard and Ministry of Health, acknowledging their critical work. By expanding data access, STC aims...
KDDI and Okinawa Cellular's Au Starlink Direct Now Supports iPhones in US
KDDI and Okinawa Cellular have upgraded their au Starlink Direct service to work with 22 iPhone models, spanning the iPhone 13 through iPhone 17 line‑ups and the iPhone Air. The service delivers direct satellite‑to‑smartphone connectivity for customers roaming in the United States, bypassing traditional cellular...
Samsung Starts Selling Galaxy A57 5G and A37 5G in Poland with Launch Promotion
Samsung has begun selling its mid‑range Galaxy A57 5G and Galaxy A37 5G smartphones across Poland’s physical stores, online shop, and mobile app. Buyers receive a launch‑time discount of up to PLN 250 (about $65) on the handsets and up to PLN 100 (about...
Russian Telecom Tower and Antenna Count Rises 9% in 2025
Russia’s telecom infrastructure expanded by 9% in 2025, with towers and antennas rising from 114,400 to 125,200 units, according to TelecomDaily. The growth was led by Pilar, which added 22% to its portfolio and now operates 35,500 towers. New Towers...
Global Cellular IoT Antenna Shipments to Record 8% CAGR Through End-2030 - Berg Insight
Berg Insight forecasts global cellular IoT antenna shipments to reach 1.1 billion units by 2030, reflecting a 7.9% compound annual growth rate. Shipments already climbed to 757 million units in fiscal year 2025, up 23% from the prior year. The research spans...
Telia Norway Stops over 8 Mln Scam Calls to Mobile Lines in Q1
Telia Norway reported that it blocked 8.4 million fraudulent calls from reaching mobile users in Q1 2026, potentially preventing roughly NOK 250 million (about $27.5 million) in losses. The telecom operator highlighted a surge in targeted SMS‑based attacks known as spearfishing, which aim at extracting...
OpenMind Eases 5G Standalone Messaging Upgrades with Launch of 5G SMS Module
OpenMind Networks announced the general availability of its 5G SMS Function (SMSF) module, a software component that streamlines upgrades to 5G Standalone (SA) signaling protocols. The SMSF integrates directly with OpenMind’s OpenCore Short Message Service Centre (SMSC), which runs on...
Claro Peru 5G Network Reaches 110 Districts
Claro Peru, part of América Móvil, announced its 5G network now covers 110 districts nationwide after a year‑long activation. The rollout brings ultra‑fast mobile connectivity to major hubs such as Lima, Callao, Arequipa and secondary markets like Puno and Abancay. By...
Arqiva Helps United Utilities Roll Out 200,000 Smart Water Meters
United Utilities, the North‑West England water provider, has installed more than 200,000 smart water meters in the past year, a rollout enabled by Arqiva and its Network Plus platform. The initial phase covered households in Greater Manchester, Cumbria and Merseyside. United...
Econet InfraCo Provides Rural Clinics with Free Solar Energy
Econet InfraCo, the infrastructure arm of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, is supplying free solar power to rural clinics located within five kilometres of its telecom base stations. The scheme, launched in 2025, taps existing tower infrastructure to run vaccine refrigerators and...
Egypt Plans SIM Cards with Child Protection by June
Egypt’s National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority announced that child‑protection SIM cards will be launched within 60 days. The new SIMs, offered by Vodafone, Orange, WE and Etisalat, will let parents block adult or violent content and disable bypass tools. NTRA chairman...
Melon Digital Agrees eSIM Deal with Airalo in South Africa
Melon Digital, a mobile‑virtual network operator platform, has struck a partnership with global eSIM provider Airalo to serve international visitors in South Africa. The deal enables travelers to download a local data, voice and messaging profile instantly upon arrival, bypassing...
Kore Group to Launch Kigen eSIM-Powered Connectivity Suite for Enterprise IoT
Kore Group has teamed with eSIM specialist Kigen to launch an enterprise IoT connectivity suite that complies with the GSMA’s SGP.32 standard. The product, slated for release later this year, will enable businesses to remotely provision eSIMs, manage device lifecycles,...
Asus Expands ProArt Creators' Brand Into Networking with First Wi-Fi 7 Router, Ethernet Switch
Asus has launched its first networking devices under the ProArt brand, unveiling the PRT‑BE5000 Wi‑Fi 7 router and the PQG‑U1080 Ethernet switch. The move mirrors the company’s earlier strategy with the Republic of Gamers line, extending a creator‑focused portfolio that already...
O2 UK Activates 5G+ Network Across the West Midlands
Virgin Media O2 has switched on its 5G+ mobile network across the West Midlands, delivering standalone 5G service to roughly 5 million people. The rollout covers 47 cities, 79 towns and 597 rural villages, marking a significant expansion of high‑speed mobile...
Namibia Plans NAD 78 Mln Telecom Investment Tackle Digital Divide as Part of 2026-27 Budget
Namibia will allocate NAD 78 million (approximately $5.2 million) from its 2026‑27 budget to expand telecom infrastructure in underserved regions. The funding is part of a broader NAD 682 million (about $45.7 million) ICT ministry budget aimed at deploying new towers and free public Wi‑Fi. ICT...
Telefonica Germany Expands 5G to Braderup, Juetrichau, Lindenau
Telefonica Germany has rolled out 5G service to three new locations – Braderup in Schleswig‑Holstein, Juetrichau in Saxony‑Anhalt, and the Lindenau district of Leipzig. The expansion adds three active sites and is part of roughly 8,000 network projects slated for...
Jordan's Orange Money Waives Commission on Transfers to Egypt
Jordan’s Orange Money announced a limited‑time promotion that eliminates transfer commissions for payments sent to Orange Cash in Egypt. Recipients receive a cashback of EGP 500 (≈ $16) when they receive at least EGP 5,000 (≈ $160), and EGP 700 (≈ $22) for transfers of EGP 10,000 (≈ $320)...
Soracom Extends IoT Professional Services Offering to North America
Global IoT platform provider Soracom announced the launch of its Professional Services offering across North America, covering the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The new service delivers end‑to‑end solutions‑architecture support, including software and middleware development, connectivity design, billing‑platform integration, and...
Korean Operators Scale Back Flying Car Ambitions as KT Continues Trials
South Korea’s urban air mobility (UAM) sector is being reshaped as telecom giants SK Telecom and LG Uplus withdraw from the government‑backed K‑UAM programme. SK Telecom has reduced its equity stake in Joby Aviation, while LG Uplus pulled out of the second‑phase...
HAPS Alliance Outlines Role of Stratospheric Platforms in Future 6G
The HAPS Alliance released a whitepaper describing how high‑altitude platform stations (HAPS) and non‑terrestrial networks (NTNs) will be woven into emerging 6G architectures. It proposes a multi‑layered model that combines terrestrial base stations, stratospheric platforms at roughly 20 km, and satellite...
SKT Deploys AI-Driven Network Management at Seoul Spring Festivals
SK Telecom used an AI‑driven integrated network monitoring platform to keep its mobile network stable during Seoul’s cherry‑blossom festivals, handling a total of 44.9 TB of data traffic. This represented a 1.5‑fold increase over the previous weekend, with a peak of...
LG Uplus Exits Mobile Streaming to Focus on IPTV Services
LG Uplus announced it will discontinue its in‑house mobile streaming platform, U+ Mobile TV, by the end of May. The company will replace the service with a new offering tied to its IPTV infrastructure. This follows similar withdrawals by SK...
BH Telecom Expands Internet Allowance in TeenZ Package
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s BH Telecom has boosted its TeenZ mobile plan, offering 30 GB of data per month – four times the previous allowance – for customers who sign a 24‑month contract under the “Giga for everyone” campaign. The promotion runs...
Yandex Leads Russian Smart Speaker Market in 2025
Yandex dominated Russia’s smart‑speaker market in 2025, according to M.Video’s retail study. The Yandex Station Light 2 was the top‑selling model by unit volume, while the higher‑priced Station Midi generated the most revenue. Competitors VK and Sber held the second and third...
MTS Plans to Deploy 2,600 More Irteya Base Stations by Beginning of 2027
MTS, Russia’s leading mobile operator, will add 2,600 LTE base stations built by Irteya by early 2027, raising the total to 3,800 across 76 regions. The expansion supports both GSM and LTE technologies, enhancing network density in urban and remote...
Senegal's Regulator Issues Formal Warning on Illegal Wi-Fi Services
Senegal’s telecom regulator, the Autorité de Régulation des Télécommunications et des Postes (ARTP), issued a formal warning to operators of illegal “community Wi‑Fi” services. The warning targets networks that frequently rely on Starlink satellite antennas to provide unauthorised broadband. ARTP...
Orange Money Botswana Signs up Taxi Association to DuelaEasy for Fare Payments
Orange Money Botswana has struck a nationwide partnership with the country’s Taxi Association, integrating its DuelaEasy digital payment platform into taxis and kombis. The collaboration will see extensive branding of participating vehicles and allow passengers to settle fares directly from...
Telenet Delivers 5G Network Slice for Colruyt Trial of Unmanned Delivery Vehicle
Telenet Business is providing a dedicated 5G network slice to support Colruyt’s trial of an unmanned delivery vehicle in Leuven, Belgium. The pilot runs from mid‑May through August, with the vehicle transporting groceries from the supermarket chain to customers. Connectivity...
Bouygues Telecom Secures ISO Energy Certification for Mobile Network
Bouygues Telecom has earned ISO 50001 certification for energy management on its mobile network after a Bureau Veritas audit. The certification joins earlier ISO 50001 approvals for its data‑centre, tech hub, and customer‑support facilities, together covering over 85 % of the operator’s total...
Life Belarus Lauches 5G Network in Major Cities
Life Belarus announced the commercial launch of 5G services across five major Belarusian cities—Minsk, Brest, Vitebsk, Mogilyov and Gomel. The rollout leverages the state‑owned beCloud’s 5G infrastructure and is already active on more than 1,000 base stations. The deployment follows...
T2 Grows Online Sales Thanks to Integration with 2GIS Mapping Service
Russian mobile operator T2, a Rostelecom subsidiary, integrated its online storefront with the 2GIS mapping service. The move drove a 218% surge in sales generated through the platform. T2’s presence on 2GIS now reaches over one million users, highlighting rapid...
Kenyan Parliamentary Committee Evaluates USF-Supported Connectivity in Garissa County
Kenya’s National Assembly ICT committee conducted on‑site visits in Garissa County to evaluate connectivity projects funded by the Universal Service Fund (USF). MPs met directly with residents to gauge how the initiatives are being rolled out. The USF‑backed deployments are...
MTN South Sudan Changes MoMo Agent Airtime Sale Process, Grants Top-Up Bonuses to Customers
MTN Fintech South Sudan upgraded its MoMo service, shifting airtime top‑up from agent‑driven purchases to customer‑initiated self‑recharges. Agents now earn a 10 percent commission on every cash‑in deposit, turning each wallet refill into a revenue event. The new workflow eliminates the...
Yettel Hungary Extends Portable Internet Option for Easter Holiday
Yettel Hungary is extending its OtthonNet Anywhere Mode, allowing home‑internet subscribers to take their router on the road. The carrier will automatically add ten free days of the portable service for OtthonNet and OtthonNet Basic users, with the promotion running...
Plus Cuts Unlimited Package to PLN 60 on 2-Year Contract
Polkomtel, operating under the Plus brand, announced a 24‑month promotion that slashes its unlimited L post‑paid plan to PLN 60 per month (≈ $14.4), down from the regular PLN 100 (≈ $24). The same deal reduces the 60 GB M plan to PLN 50 (≈ $12) and...
T2 Offers Connected Car Service for Russian Electric Car Atom
Russian mobile operator T2, a Rostelecom subsidiary, has rolled out an eSIM profile for every version of Kama’s Atom electric car. The eSIM creates a secure mobile‑network link that feeds the vehicle’s multimedia platform, enabling on‑board navigation, music streaming, video...
O2 Slovakia Offers Data Sharing for Extra Devices
O2 Slovakia launched O2 Connect, a data‑sharing add‑on that lets post‑paid customers extend their mobile plan to tablets, laptops or smartwatches. The service costs €4 per extra SIM, roughly $4.40, and can be ordered and activated through the O2 app....
Telefonica Germany Improves Mobile Coverage with 2,000 Expansion Measures in Q1
Telefonica Germany deployed 2,000 network expansion measures in Q1, a 25 percent year‑on‑year rise, targeting under‑served regions, rail lines and roads. The carrier also launched over 600 new 5G sites, extending 5G coverage to roughly 99 percent of the German population. These...
Mtel Germany Introduces New 'Worry-Free' Tariffs for Roaming in Balkans
German MVNO Mtel Germany has launched its new ‘Worry‑Free’ mobile tariffs aimed at eliminating roaming anxiety for travelers. The core offering provides unlimited data across the Balkans and the broader EU, covering Bosnia‑Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia. A complementary...
Rwandan Banks Deliver Debt Financing for Paradigm Tower Takeover
Rwandan banks have closed a landmark debt financing deal, dubbed Project Zorro, to fund the acquisition of IHS Rwanda, now Ishara Towers Rwanda, by Paradigm Tower. The consortium, led by Bank of Kigali and joined by Development Bank of Rwanda,...
Lenovo Unveils David Beckham Partnership Ahead of 2026 World Cup
Lenovo announced a global partnership with football legend David Beckham, launching a marketing campaign in May ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The collaboration will showcase Lenovo’s AI‑driven technology aimed at enhancing fan experiences, optimizing team performance, and unlocking...
