Over 85% of Malawi's schools lack internet access
MALAWI 13:36

Over 85% of Malawi's schools lack internet access

Malawi's ministry of education, science and technology has launched the School Connectivity Landscape Analysis report, revealing that up to 85.8 percent of primary and secondary schools are not connected to the internet, while 46.9 percent of schools have no source of electricity, Xinhua reported. According to the findings, even among the connected institutions, access to digital devices remains "critically limited," with an average of one computer serving 356 students.

Morocco moves ahead with broadband coverage plan
MOROCCO 12:23

Morocco moves ahead with broadband coverage plan

Morocco has covered 10,690 out of 10,740 targeted areas with 2G, 3G and 4G services, according to a parliamentary briefing from Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni, delegate minister for digital transition. This means the first phase of the National Broadband Development Plan has been nearly completed, and so the government has officially launched the second phase. This next stage aims to extend and enhance connectivity across an additional 2,000 rural areas by 2026, Moroccoworld News reported.

Dutch parliament wants Solvinity DigiD contract ended if takeover goes ahead
NETHERLANDS 07:50

Dutch parliament wants Solvinity DigiD contract ended if takeover goes ahead

The Dutch parliament approved a resolution calling on the government to not renew a contract with IT services provider Solvinity if the latter's takeover by a US-based company goes ahead. The broadly supported motion concerns the contract for running the DigiD national digital ID platform, which comes up for renewal in 2028. 

Spain to require all operators to cut rates by 25% for low-income customers - report
SPAIN 07:19

Spain to require all operators to cut rates by 25% for low-income customers - report

The Spanish government plans to require all telecommunications operators to offer at least a 25 percent discount on tariffs for low-income users under a new universal service framework set to take effect in 2027, according to a proposal by El Pais. The measure would extend reduced rates to around 800,000 households receiving minimum living income benefits (IMV), as part of a wider push to make connectivity more affordable for a greater number of vulnerable users.

Rakuten Symphony to lead Open RAN trials in seven Global South markets
GLOBAL 05:04

Rakuten Symphony to lead Open RAN trials in seven Global South markets

Rakuten Symphony has been selected for a grant from Japan's ministry of economy, trade and industry to support the deployment and testing of Open RAN and RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) technologies across markets in the Global South. The funding, provided under METI's subsidy programmes for future-oriented co-creation projects, will support a demonstration initiative focused on radio access network control optimisation using AI and machine learning. The project forms part of Japan's broader industrial coo

Dutch central bank opts for German cloud provider Schwarz Digits
NETHERLANDS 21 APR

Dutch central bank opts for German cloud provider Schwarz Digits

The Dutch central bank, DNB, is working with the German cloud provider Schwarz Digits, Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported.  A director at the German company told the paper that the contract will be signed at the Hannover trade fair. The DNB did not confirm the contract but said it was working on backup options for critical systems hosted in the cloud to ensure continuity of its core tasks. 

Honor meets Egyptian minister to discuss local smartphone production
EGYPT 21 APR

Honor meets Egyptian minister to discuss local smartphone production

Egypt's ICT minister Raafat Hendy met with Honor executives to discuss scaling the company's manufacturing footprint in the country. The talks focused on boosting output at the Honor facility operated in partnership with Etisal Trading to meet both local demand and increase exports. The company's plans to expand its manufacturing operations in Egypt are part of its strategy to establish Egypt as a major regional hub for its operations in the Middle East and Africa.

Kenya talks digital infrastructure partnership with Guodong Networks Group
KENYA 21 APR

Kenya talks digital infrastructure partnership with Guodong Networks Group

Kenya is exploring fresh investment opportunities in its digital infrastructure following a high-level consultative meeting between the ICT ministry and Guodong Networks Group. Principal Secretary in the ministry John Kipchumba Tanui led discussions with the international Guodong Networks Group focusing on strategic partnerships to expand the country's fibre-optic network and 5G capabilities. The talks aimed at leveraging Guodong's expertise to bridge the digital divide and accelerate Kenya's transition int

Mozambican parliament approves cybersecurity and cybercrime laws
MOZAMBIQUE 20 APR

Mozambican parliament approves cybersecurity and cybercrime laws

The Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique has approved the Cyber Security Act and the Cybercrimes Act, LUSA reported. The laws provide for a new regulatory body called the National Cyber Security Authority, with powers to oversee digital sectors and impose sanctions. The Cyber Security Act protects government institutions, citizens and critical infrastructure by establishing a legal framework for preventing digital risks, coordinating incident responses and bolstering the resilience of public and private o

Norwegian govt plans municipal guide to telecoms infrastructure analysis
NORWAY 20 APR

Norwegian govt plans municipal guide to telecoms infrastructure analysis

The Norwegian government plans to publish a guide this autumn to help municipalities to analyse vulnerabilities in their mobile and broadband networks. It aims to assist them to understand their own digital infrastructure better and enhance regional cooperation in contingency planning. Minister of Digitisation and Public Administration Karianne Tung said the guide will provide specific advice to municipal councils intending to map their digital infrastructure.

Mexico's ATDT to connect 640,000 users in digital divide areas
MEXICO 20 APR

Mexico's ATDT to connect 640,000 users in digital divide areas

Mexico's Digital Transformation and Telecommunications Agency (ATDT) has published its Connectivity Programme in Public Sites and Priority Attention Areas (PCSP-AAP) for the year 2026, pledging to connect around 640,000 inhabitants in the country's most underserved regions. The ATDT was set up by president Claudia Sheinbaum last year to take over all matters relating to radio spectrum, coverage and service continuity, with a particular focus on closing the country's digital divide.

US moves ahead with freeing up 2.7GHz band for mobile
UNITED STATES 20 APR

US moves ahead with freeing up 2.7GHz band for mobile

The US has taken a step forward on opening up the 2.7 GHz band to mobile networks. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) said it had completed a technical review confirmed the band can is suitable for mobile and the existing federal agencies using the frequencies can obtain public funding for moving their services.

JAPAN 20 APR

Japanese operators selected for autonomous driving connectivity trials

Japanese operators including NTT Docomo Business, KDDI, NTT East, NTT West and SoftBank have been selected to participate in government-backed trials to validate communication systems for Level 4 autonomous driving. Japan's ministry of internal affairs and communications has appointed 12 consortia to carry out the trials under its regional digital transformation programme, which aims to support deployment of advanced technologies and communications infrastructure to address demographic and economic challeng

EGYPT 17 APR

Orange Digital Centre Egypt renews partnership with government's Creativa hubs and ITIDA's TIEC

Creativa Innovation Hubs and the Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre (TIEC), an affiliate of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), have renewed their 2022 partnership with the Orange Digital Centre (ODC). Creativa is a national initiative by the Ministry of ICT to foster an enabling environment for students, graduates, entrepreneurs and start-ups to play a role in extending digital modernisation in every sector of the economy. Schemes will be delivered through Creativ

EUROPE 17 APR

EU announces four winners in EUR 180 mln tender for sovereign cloud

The European Commission has awarded a tender that allows EU entities to procure sovereign cloud services for up to EUR 180 million over six years. The winners are a consortium led by Luxembourg's Post Telecom, Belgian group Proximus, Iliad subsidiary Scaleway, and StackIT, part of Germany-based conglomerate Schwarz Group. The Post Telecom-led consortium is formed with French partners OVHCloud and Clever Cloud, while the services provided by Proximus will rely on a technical environment built on Google Cloud

COLOMBIA 17 APR

Colombia opens call to allocate 900 MHz spectrum to rural providers

Colombia's Ministry of Information Technology and Communications (Mintic) has launched a call to grant spectrum usage permits in the 900 MHz band to local operators with a view to enhancing fixed residential connections and IoT uses in rural and remote areas where coverage by commercial operators is currently insufficient or non-existent.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION 17 APR

Russia freezes international bandwidth expansion in effort to curb VPN use - report

About 20 Russian companies that own communications links running from Russia to Europe have signed a moratorium on expanding that capacity, RBC sources in the telecommunications industry said. The moratorium was signed at a recent meeting with Digital Development Ministry head Maksut Shadaev focused on restricting VPN use, one source told RBC. Participants included MMTS-9 (MSK-IX), Transtelecom, mobile operators MTS, Beeline and T2, as well as Ufanet. The operators were not told how long the moratorium woul

UGANDA 17 APR

MTN Uganda petitions Parliament to scrap import duties on entry-level smartphones

MTN Uganda has petitioned Parliament to abolish import duties on entry-level smartphones, arguing this would make devices more affordable and boost the uptake of digital services, Nile Post reported. Denis Kakonge, MTN Uganda general manager for corporate services, made the request while presenting the company's views on the tax amendment bills for the 2026/27 financial year. He told the Finance Committee that low-income earners are currently priced out of the smartphone market.

UNITED KINGDOM 17 APR

UK govt announces first British firms supported by Sovereign AI Unit

The UK government has announced the first British AI firms to be supported through the new GBP 500 million Sovereign AI Unit fund. The unit's first equity investment will be in AI infrastructure start-up Callosum; with six additional start-ups getting access to UK supercomputing capacity - Odyssey, Twig Bio, Doubleword, Cursive, Cosine and Prima Mente. The Sovereign AI Unit is also in talks with around 30 other firms about potential access to the AI Research Resource (AIRR) supercomputer AI network.

SPAIN 17 APR

Vodafone Spain joins state cyber defence network

Vodafone Spain (Zegona) has reached an agreement with the National Cryptologic Centre (CCN-CERT) to join the latter's network of cybersecurity operations centres (SOCs), a public-private platform aimed at strengthening collective defence against cyber threats. The network was created to respond to increasingly sophisticated and fast-moving cyberattacks by enabling real-time sharing of threat intelligence across participating organisations, helping prevent attacks detected by one entity from affecting others

BAHRAIN 17 APR

Bahraini iGA expands e-government services beyond 900

The Bahraini Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) says it now offers over 900 online services. They are available via government portals and mobile apps and allow citizens and residents to handle civil records, business licensing and administrative tasks remotely, removing the need to visit physical service centres. The expansion reflects Bahrain's sustained investment in e-government infrastructure.

JAPAN 17 APR

Sony gets Japanese public subsidy for new image sensors plant

Sony is set to receive up to JPY 60 billion (USD 376 million) in subsidies from the Japanese government to support its production of image sensors. The public funding will support Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp's new plant under construction in Kumamoto Prefecture, in southwestern Japan, Kyodo news agency reported.

ITALY 16 APR

Italian FTTH project up to 27,334 connected schools in March

Italian state infrastructure agency Infratel announced that its 'Connected Schools' high-speed broadband project reached 27, 334 activations at the end of March, around five years after its launch. Fibre connections had been activated in 24,087 schools under Infratel's own core initiative plus a further 3,247 schools from regional partner companies.

NETHERLANDS 16 APR

Dutch parliament approves cybersecurity laws implementing EU directives

The lower house of the Dutch parliament has approved the Cybersecurity Act and Act on the Resilience of Critical Entities. This extends cybersecurity obligations to thousands of new companies and organisations, and significantly expands the work of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). The laws still need approval from the upper chamber before they can take effect. The plan is for the measures to apply by the end of June. 

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Background

19 APR 23:04

The week in telecoms: SFR takover moves ahead, Amazon bags Globalstar and Netgear in favour in US

12 APR 23:28

The week in telecoms: Samsung profits soar, Netflix targets kids and telcos build defence vertical

9 APR 15:58

Ziggo Group creation at 2026 low point sets stage for growth ahead

7 APR 11:48

Netherlands TV-video market revenues up just 0.5% in Q4