Russian router sales up 10% in Q1
RUSSIAN FEDERATION 14:31

Russian router sales up 10% in Q1

Sales of routers in Russia reached 2.4 million units in the first quarter of this year, according to data from the mobile and electronics retail chain M.Video. The unit sales grew by 10 percent year-on-year, but revenues fell to RUB 7.6 billion from RUB 7.8 billion. TP-Link, Keenetic and Huawei lead among brands. 

GSA survey finds less than quarter of live 5G networks using standalone technology
GLOBAL 14:10

GSA survey finds less than quarter of live 5G networks using standalone technology

Less than a quarter of 5G operators have launched standalone 5G networks, underlining the significant room for expansion still in the 5G market, a survey from the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) shows. As of the end of March, there were 95 operators with 5G standalone networks live, up 42 percent from a year earlier, while the total number of 5G networks worldwide rose 14 percent in the same period, to 392. 

Swedish paid streaming subscriptions reach record in Q1 but churn is high
SWEDEN 13:47

Swedish paid streaming subscriptions reach record in Q1 but churn is high

The number of paid streaming subscriptions in Sweden reached a record high of 11 million in the first quarter of 2026, up by 2 million from Q1 2025, according to consultancy Mediavision. Churn is high, though, with over 4 million subscriptions canceled over the past year. New households are subscribing for video streaming and existing households are accumulating more subscriptions, said Fredrik Liljeqvist, principal analyst at Mediavision.

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.

DR Congo mobile data revenues up 31% in December quarter
CONGO, THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE 13:26

DR Congo mobile data revenues up 31% in December quarter

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) experienced continued growth in mobile data revenues during the last quarter of 2025, with a year-on-year increase of 31 percent to USD 356 million, according to telecom authority ARPTC. In comparison, overall mobile service revenues grew 15 percent annually to reach USD 648 million. Mobile data accounted for over 55 percent of total service revenues, a new record almost 7 percentage points higher than in Q4 2024. Over the same period, mobile internet connections rose

Hyperscaler investment drives upgrade in Gartner forecast for ICT spending in 2026
GLOBAL 12:33

Hyperscaler investment drives upgrade in Gartner forecast for ICT spending in 2026

Gartner has updated its forecast for worldwide IT spending this year, projecting slightly faster growth of 13.5 percent to around USD 6.32 trillion. That compares to an outlook of 10.8 percent growth issued in early February. The upgrade comes from greater investment in AI infrastructure and advanced computing memory, with data centre systems expected to show the strongest growth in 2026, with 56 percent higher investment. The slowest growth is predicted for communication services, at an increase of 4.8 per

Hungarians prefer fixed over mobile internet at home - study
HUNGARY 10:34

Hungarians prefer fixed over mobile internet at home - study

Mobile internet in Hungary complements, rather than replaces, wired home internet services, according to a 2025 study by the National Media and Communications Authority (NMHH). While mobile internet use has become more widespread than fixed-line services, most households (over 70%) use both, with only 8 percent relying solely on mobile internet. Exclusive mobile internet users are more likely to be those with lower incomes or single-person households, the study found.

Fonecta Caller users block phone numbers 700,000 times in one year
FINLAND 10:20

Fonecta Caller users block phone numbers 700,000 times in one year

Finnish caller identification service provider Fonecta said that over 50,000 users of the Fonecta Caller app provided with its Caller Pro subscription have blocked phone numbers almost 700,000 times in the past year. Research done for Fonecta by Iro in February has found that only 25 percent of Finns never block unknown numbers. Iro Research's study found that 7 percent of Finns always block unfamiliar numbers, and 21 percent do so regularly. Forty-seven percent of respondents block unknown numbers on some

Dutch regulator flags continued problems with business cloud switching
NETHERLANDS 09:36

Dutch regulator flags continued problems with business cloud switching

Switching cloud providers remains difficult for many businesses, despite EU efforts to simplify the process, research by the Consumer & Market Authority in the Netherlands found. A survey of 420 mainly small or medium-sized businesses found significant barriers to switching, even with the EU's Data Act taking effect in September 2025. 

South Korea keeps top place in OpenSignal network index for Overall Rank in Q1
GLOBAL 21 APR

South Korea keeps top place in OpenSignal network index for Overall Rank in Q1

OpenSignal's Global Network Excellent Index for the first quarter of 2026 has South Korea staying in first place in the Overall Rank List as well as first in the Time on 4G/5G Category again and still second worldwide for Download Speed. In the Overall Rank, Denmark retains second position and the Netherlands rises from fourth place to third, tying with Sweden, which improves its ranking from fifth place. There is therefore no fourth place holder for Overall Rank, and Estonia goes up two notches to fifth pl

Netgem fixes UK price of Pleio TV streaming device at GBP 99
UNITED KINGDOM 21 APR

Netgem fixes UK price of Pleio TV streaming device at GBP 99

Netgem has announced a new permanent price of GBP 99 for the Pleio TV streaming device in the UK. Managing Director Sylvian Thevenot said it had made the decision to absorb the costs of rising RAM prices, instead of passing them onto customers, to help drive user base growth. He said Netgem was focused on long-term market presence and keeping the product price at an accessible point to encourage customer take-up. Netgem has also confirmed the availability of the Pleio device on eBay in the UK.

Oman's mobile base grows to 8.3 mln on IoT expansion
OMAN 21 APR

Oman's mobile base grows to 8.3 mln on IoT expansion

Oman's mobile subscriptions reached 8.29 million in February, the Times of Oman reported citing data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information. Postpaid mobile services rose by 4 percent to 1.28 million subscriptions, while prepaid recorded a more modest 1 percent increase, reaching 5.34 million. IoT connections surged by 14 percent to 1.65 million.

SWEDEN 21 APR

Swedish Internet Foundation sees battle for first-time voters focusing on TikTok and podcasts

As Swedes prepare to go to the polls on 13 September to vote in parliamentary elections, the Internet Foundation (Internetstiftelsen) has published a report saying that efforts to attract first-time voters are concentrated on TikTok and podcasts. 'Swedes and the Internet: Election Special 2026' says that almost one in two first-time voters watches political material on TikTok, up from fewer than one in four in the 2022 election. Among the adult public, not even one person in ten engages with political conte

SWEDEN 21 APR

Telenor Sweden says 9 out of 10 children worry about AI

Nearly nine out of ten children in Sweden worry about Artificial Intelligence, according to a survey by Telenor carried out with Plan International. It found that 93 percent of 16 to 19-year-olds have used AI in the past year. At least once a week, 42 percent of children and young people have had difficulty in working out whether something was real or created by AI. Forty-one percent said they did nothing about it the last time this happened.

SPAIN 21 APR

Telefonica tops GlobalData enterprise mobility ranking

Spain's Telefonica has been ranked a global leader in enterprise mobility services by research firm GlobalData, which cited the company's strengths in connectivity, device management and mobile security in its recent report on the competitive landscape. GlobalData highlighted Telefonica's capabilities across operations, managed and professional services, as well as its portfolio spanning unified device management, lifecycle services and enterprise applications.

INDIA 21 APR

India smartphone shipments drop 5% in Q1 amid inventory caution and pricing pressures

India's smartphone shipments fell by 5 percent year-on-year to 30.9 million units in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting seasonally weak demand compounded by cautious channel inventory strategies, according to a report from Omdia. The report also shows that demand was pressured by macro headwinds, including rupee depreciation and rising inflation weighing on affordability and delayed consumer upgrades. Additionally, earlier front-loading ahead of expected price increases limited incremental channel intake

GLOBAL 21 APR

AI optical transceiver market to reach USD 26 bln in 2026 - TrendForce

The global market for AI-focused optical transceivers is expected to grow to USD 26 billion in 2026, up from USD 16.5 billion in 2025, representing year-on-year growth of more than 57 percent, according to the latest figures from analysts TrendForce. The growth is being driven by increasing demand for high-speed optical interconnects, particularly 800G and higher modules used in AI server clusters, as hyperscale data centre traffic continues to expand. 

AUSTRALIA 21 APR

Australian operators expand AI deployment across operations - ACMA

Australian operators are increasingly embedding AI into core operations, with deployments spanning customer service, workforce tools, network security and infrastructure management, according to a new report from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). The report highlights that operators including Telstra, Optus, TPG Telecom and Superloop have shifted from isolated AI use cases to integrating AI into existing systems and workflows. 

POLAND 20 APR

Polish video time down in March - Nielsen

Video time in Poland was down in March, according to The Gauge study from Nielsen. The average time spent in front of the TV screen was 3 hours and 53 minutes, representing a 22-minute decrease compared to February and 9 minutes less than in March 2025. Despite the structural decline, cable showed a notable increase in share, to 38.4 percent of viewing, ahead of satellite (22.8%) and terrestrial (21.2%), while streaming's share of TV time dropped to 10.5 percent.

IRELAND 20 APR

Most Irish SMEs worried about mobile security risks - Vodafone

Seven in ten Irish SMEs (70%) are more worried about spyware, malware, data leakage and phishing risks on mobile devices than last year, according to the latest Vodafone Business Cybersecurity Report. The survey of 300 Irish SMEs found 20 percent do not proactively monitor for security threats, with 40 percent granting wide access to business resources to workers on the go without implementing dedicated mobile security controls. 

GLOBAL 20 APR

Global telecom connectivity revenues up 4% in 2025, capex falls 2%

Global connectivity revenues were worth USD 333 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025, up 5 percent year-on-year, according to data released by Omdia. That covers fixed and mobile broadband and voice services. Over the full year 2025 the revenues rose 4 percent to USD 1.3 trillion. At the same time annual capital expenditure by telecom operators fell to USD 303 billion, down 2 percent compared to 2024. 

UNITED KINGDOM 20 APR

Study shows UK youth groups struggling with digital inequality

Many youth organisations in the UK are struggling with digital inequality, restricting their ability to effectively support young people, according to new research from charity UK Youth, commissioned by international legal practice Osborne Clarke. The study also highlights patchy digital confidence among youth workers, with many saying they have limited access to training in areas such as online safety, digital delivery and data management. The report makes seven recommendations to improve digital support a

KOSOVO 20 APR

Kosovo fixed calls traffic up 10.5% in February

Fixed telephony users in Kosovo increased by 2.0 percent year-on-year in February to a total 68,884, and traffic surged by 10.5 percent annually to 1.89 million minutes. Mobile telephony also grew, with prepaid users increasing by 1.10 percent to 1.50 million and postpaid users rising by 0.77 percent to 317,245.

UNITED KINGDOM 20 APR

Talkmobile tops Which? mobile customer satisfaction survey

Talkmobile has topped the latest Which? mobile provider satisfaction survey in the UK with a customer score of 83 percent. It was named by Which? as one of five Recommended Providers along with Giffgaff (79%), Smarty (79%), 1p Mobile (78%) and Lebara Mobile (78%). Talkmobile, Smarty, Asda Mobile (77%) and iD Mobile (73%) were also named Great Value providers. 

Just In

14:46

TTK adds corporate messenger to PBX service

14:42

Oi's IT arm valued at over BRL 1.2 billion

14:31

Russian router sales up 10% in Q1

14:30

Polish tech industry group calls for greater flexibility in 5G private network rules

Commentary

20 APR 10:36

Netflix back to organic growth and doing just fine

11 FEB 12:29

Odido shareholders face tricky exit after abandoned IPO

2 FEB 13:49

KPN results show little bother from the competition

2 JAN 13:21

Open Dutch Fiber's new management team takes up turnaround challenge

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