Italy business and consumer morale rise again in December
ITALY 19 DEC

Italy business and consumer morale rise again in December

Italy's business confidence rose again in December, while consumer confidence rebounded from the previous month's fall, according to the latest report from national statistics office Istat. Overall business confidence across the manufacturing, retail, construction and services sectors climbed to 96.5 from 96.1 in November, the highest reading since March 2024, led mainly by a surge in market services sentiment from 97.8 to 100.0.

UK's AI Security Institute publishes Frontier AI Trends Report
UNITED KINGDOM 19 DEC

UK's AI Security Institute publishes Frontier AI Trends Report

The UK's AI Security Institute has published its inaugural Frontier AI Trends Report, outlining the capabilities of the most advanced AI systems. The report shows that safeguards are improving, with the Institute working with AI companies to strengthen protections and keep people safe. The time taken for Institute red-teamers to find a general way of bypassing an AI model's safety rules (universal jailbreak) has jumped from minutes to several hours between model generations, an around 40-fold improvement.

Hyperscalers driving 'dramatic' data centre capacity growth - Synergy
GLOBAL 19 DEC

Hyperscalers driving 'dramatic' data centre capacity growth - Synergy

The number of large data centres operated by hyperscale providers has climbed to 1,297 worldwide, nearly tripling since early 2018, according to the latest research from Synergy Research Group. Over the same period, total operational capacity has increased more than fourfold as average data centre size continues to rise. The hyperscaler growth has accelerated since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022.

Fixed service complaints are double mobile in Australia
AUSTRALIA 19 DEC

Fixed service complaints are double mobile in Australia

Australian consumers are still experiencing a variety of problems with their telecom services as indicated by the Australian Communications and Media Authority's (ACMA) most recent Telecommunications Consumer Complaints report. The report ranks the performance of 37 of Australia's largest telcos against three key metrics for July to September 2025. Overall, Vonex received the fewest complaints per 10,000 services, while Vodafone was 37th, receiving the most complaints per 10,000 services.

Cloudflare picks 2025 internet trends as Google, Facebook top traffic rankings
GLOBAL 18 DEC

Cloudflare picks 2025 internet trends as Google, Facebook top traffic rankings

Cloudflare has published its annual roundup of key internet trends and its ranking of high-traffic web services. In the trends report, it picked out accelerated AI web crawling activity as an indicator of competition between major tech firms, including search providers and generative AI platforms, with Google's crawling bot leading competitors as the single biggest source of automated internet traffic. 

Brazilian ISPs expand into VoIP, TV and rural markets
BRAZIL 18 DEC

Brazilian ISPs expand into VoIP, TV and rural markets

A study by the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br) indicates that the number of ISPs in Brazil has levelled off, but the sector is expanding into new markets and services. The ICT Providers 2024 survey conducted by Cetic.br estimates that there were 11,853 active ISPs in the country between September 2024 and April 2025, a figure similar to 2022 (11,630). 

Belgian study finds more competitive mobile prices since Digi launch
BELGIUM 18 DEC

Belgian study finds more competitive mobile prices since Digi launch

The mobile services market is more competitive in Belgium than a year ago, according to the latest international price comparison by market regulator Bipt. However prices for fixed broadband and multiplay packages remain relatively high. The study looks at prices in relation to the neighbouring countries Germany, France, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Total Play rating upgraded to B, with stable outlook
MEXICO 18 DEC

Total Play rating upgraded to B, with stable outlook

Mexican triple-play operator Total Play (Grupo Salinas) said international credit rating agency Fitch has upgraded the company's rating to 'B' from 'B-negative' with a stable outlook. Fitch has also raised the rating of Total Play's Senior Secured Notes to 'B' with a recovery rating of 'RR4' from 'B-'/'RR4' and the rating of its Senior Unsecured Notes to 'CCC+'/RR6 from 'CCC/RR6'.

Samsung grows smartphone revenue share to 20% in Russia
RUSSIAN FEDERATION 18 DEC

Samsung grows smartphone revenue share to 20% in Russia

Samsung increased its revenue share in the Russian smartphone market to 20 percent in January to November of this year, according to mobile and electronics retail chain M.Video. That's up from 16.6 percent in the same period of 2024. Total revenues from smartphone sales were around RUB 460 billion in January to November.

Netherlands sees gigabit broadband grow to 1 in 6 households in Q3
NETHERLANDS 18 DEC

Netherlands sees gigabit broadband grow to 1 in 6 households in Q3

One in six Dutch households (16.5%) have broadband speeds of 1 Gbps or greater, a small increase in the third quarter according to the latest market monitor from regulatory agency ACM. The majority of households (74.4%) are in the range 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps, and the remainder have speeds under 100 Mbps. 

Dutch pay-TV revenues fall after two years of inflation-driven growth
NETHERLANDS 18 DEC

Dutch pay-TV revenues fall after two years of inflation-driven growth

The pay-TV market has entered a downturn in the Netherlands, after two years of revenue growth driven by inflation-based price increases. Annual revenues in 2025 are forecast to fall 0.5 percent to EUR 1.75 billion. The contraction will continue through 2029, with an average annual drop of 1.2 percent, according to the latest research from Telecompaper. 

Italian online audience up to 44.1 mln in October, 95.6% via mobile
ITALY 18 DEC

Italian online audience up to 44.1 mln in October, 95.6% via mobile

The number of Italian residents aged two and above connecting to the internet from a PC or a mobile device climbed to 44.14 million in October, up over 100,000 compared to September. The total is equivalent to 75.7 percent of the population in that age range, according to the latest report published by Audiweb and distributed by Audicom.

UNITED STATES 17 DEC

US fibre carriers add coverage, passing 12 million extra homes in year to September

US fibre-to-the-home expansions continued apace in 2025, adding 11.8 million homes passed and marketed in the year to September, up from 10.3 million in the previous twelve months, according to the latest figures from the Fiber Broadband Association. The total footprint of FTTH passings in the US reached 98.3 million, and the association estimates over 60 percent of US households are now in reach of fibre infrastructure. According to its research, fibre is on track to surpass cable as the nation's dominant

PORTUGAL 17 DEC

Portugal pay-TV market grows only 0.7% in Q3

The pay-TV market in Portugal saw a modest 0.7 percent increase in the third quarter of 2025, reaching 4.7 million subscribers, according to the latest data from Anacom. The vast majority (98.3%) of subscribers opted for pay-TV as part of a package deal rather than as a standalone service. Fibre (FTTH/B) was still the preferred delivery technology, accounting for 69.2 percent of subscribers and growing by 5.9 percent year-over-year. 

FINLAND 17 DEC

Finnish video streaming subscriptions decline in autumn

The total number of video streaming subscriptions in Finland fell year on year in autumn 2025, according to consultancy Mediavision. Growth in ad-supported tier subscriptions was not enough to make up for a downtown in subscriptions without adverts. Total paid subscriptions declined by 2 percent year on year, driven by a 10 percent drop in fully paid, advertising-free subscriptions.

SWEDEN 17 DEC

Swedish report says 280,000 Swedes seldom or never go online

Digital exclusion in Sweden remains widespread, according to a report submitted by Swedish telecoms regulator PTS to the government. It said statistics bureau SCB has found that 280,000 Swedes seldom or never go online. Among members of the public in general, approximately 19 percent consider they are not digitally active, even though most of them do use the internet. The rate of digital inactivity rises to 40 percent among disabled people.

PERU 17 DEC

Peru telco revenues rise 3% in year to September

Peru's leading telecom operators reported total revenues of PEN 12.5 billion in the first nine months of 2025, up 3.0 percent from a year earlier, according to the latest figures from regulator Osiptel. The result was mainly driven by higher revenues in mobile (+5.7%) and fixed internet (+8.6%) services, offset by falls in pay-TV and handset sales.

UNITED KINGDOM 17 DEC

Virgin Media O2 reports strong growth in broadband, mobile traffic in 2025

Virgin Media O2 has registered an 8 percent increase in broadband usage and 18 percent increase in mobile traffic on its networks in 2025. The group's 2025 'Year in Review' report shows that data use is driven mainly by live sports and major video game launches. The largest spikes in broadband data traffic were seen during the European football match between Liverpool and Real Madrid, and the launch of the Call of Duty Black Ops 7. 

AUSTRALIA 17 DEC

NBN Co's speed upgrade lifts Australia's high-speed broadband

Households that use high-speed NBN plans with a fibre to the premises (FTTP) or hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) connection are now receiving faster internet speeds following the rollout of NBN Co's recent upgrade program, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) latest Measuring Broadband Australia report has found. In September 2025, NBN Co increased the wholesale plan speeds for certain NBN plans that use a FTTP or HFC connection at no extra charge for retailers. The upgrade was not availabl

AUSTRALIA 17 DEC

Wholesale price increases help NBN Co ARPU - ACCC

Take-up of higher-speed broadband plans in Australia increased, supported by wholesale price reductions on selected higher speed tiers, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) annual telecommunications market report for 2024–25. Despite this, government-owned broadband access provider NBN Co raised its average wholesale pricing by 4.08 percent in 2024–25, contributing to an increase in residential average revenue per user from AUD 47 to AUD 50 per month over the financial ye

HONG KONG 16 DEC

Hong Kong sheds more than 30,000 fixed subscribers in September

Hong Kong lost 30,148 fixed-line subscribers in September this year, ending the month with 1.751 million users. The total includes 656,612 residential fixed-lines and 1.094 million business lines. The number of non-exchange lines (which includes IP telephone and fixed wireless services) was almost flat month-on-month at 1.392 million, according to figures from the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA). The number of leased lines increased to 136,349 in September this year from 136,084 in August.

SLOVAKIA 16 DEC

Slovakia survey shows cybersecurity habits deteriorating, fewer parental controls

Slovakia does not struggle with access to technology, but with its secure use, according to a new public survey. The majority of residents appear to be taking more risks online than in 2024, and significant gaps persist in practical cybersecurity habits, awareness of threats, and the protection of children online, according to survey conducted by the SCIO agency for the Cybersecurity Competence and Certification Centre (KCCKB) in October on a sample of 1,000 respondents.

BRAZIL 16 DEC

Claro and TIM stand out for tower sharing in Brazil

Claro Brasil and TIM Brasil are the leading providers of towers for sharing among large mobile operators, according to research by the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel). Claro experienced a significant peak in tower supply in 2021, followed by a steady decline, while TIM showed moderate growth between 2020 and 2024, with a slight dip in 2025. In terms of demand, Vivo and TIM have the highest number of fulfilled requests for tower sharing. The report indicates approximately 6,000 requests for shari

DENMARK 16 DEC

Big 5 social media networks reap DKK 327 mln ad revenue by targeting minors in 2024

Major technology companies make hundreds of millions of kroner in annual advertising revenue by targeting Danish children and teenagers online, says a report by Copenhagen Economics for the Centre for Social Media, Tech & Democracy at Denmark's Ministry of Digitisation. Minister Caroline Stage described the business model as "preying on children" and "deeply grotesque" for putting profit ahead of well-being. The study estimates that Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube generated DKK 327 million

Just In

19 DEC 16:42

SLT-Mobitel launches 5G network in Sri Lanka

19 DEC 16:19

Dialog Axiata launches 5G network, connects 1.5 million subscribers

19 DEC 15:56

UK govt to ban AI-enabled nudification apps to protect women, girls

19 DEC 15:42

3 UK launches last-minute Christmas sale

Commentary

13:56

Video market set for slower growth ahead

11:38

Netflix buys Warner Bros to deepen content catalogue

11:11

KPN's mixed performance in Q3 raises questions for strategy day

15:26

Stock markets breaking records but what happened to Odido's IPO plans?

Background

01:04

The week in telecom: Wi-Fi bolt-ons take off to boost broadband growth, video market works on consolidation

01:39

The week in telecom: Netflix wins bidding for Warner Bros, Apple poaches new execs, Samsung debuts trifold

13:51

Proximus vs. Telenet: Proximus performs better in Q3 while Telenet uses up cash

14:16

Proximus Domestic still struggling with low margins