Namibia to start 2G and 3G network shutdowns in 2026
NAMIBIA 14:14

Namibia to start 2G and 3G network shutdowns in 2026

Telecom operators are expected to begin a gradual, phased shutdown of 2G and 3G networks in 2026, according to the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN). This is part of a broader strategy to transition toward 4G, 5G and satellite technologies to deliver broadband services amid accelerated digital transformation. The regulator referred to the high costs of maintaining legacy networks.

Silicom contains Q4 net losses as sales growth accelerates to 17%
GLOBAL 13:37

Silicom contains Q4 net losses as sales growth accelerates to 17%

Silicom has reported a net loss for the fourth quarter of USD 2.5 million, reduced from USD 6.1 million one year earlier. Improved profitability in Q4 capped off a better-than-projected growth rate for FY25 as a whole, with FY sales up 7 percent to USD 61.9 million, and Q4 turnover up 17 percent to USD 16.9 million. Quarterly revenue growth outpaced Silicom's 5.4 percent uplift in Q3 and were on trend with its target to restore double-figure growth levels throughout 2026.

Telecom Argentina integrates Nokia core in 5G upgrade
ARGENTINA 09:45

Telecom Argentina integrates Nokia core in 5G upgrade

Telecom Argentina announced it is adopting Nokia equipment for its 5G mobile core network, as part of a multi-vendor strategy for the Personal mobile network. The new core is rolling out first in the Buenos Aires metro area and other regions, including Mar del Plata, Tucuman, Rosario, and Cordoba, and will expand to other areas in the coming months. Personal has already completed integration and validation of the first network nodes and started migrating traffic. 

Gigaclear connects first customer in Cotswolds village of Kemble
UNITED KINGDOM 09:43

Gigaclear connects first customer in Cotswolds village of Kemble

Gigaclear, UK rural fibre broadband provider, has connected its first customer in the Cotswolds village of Kemble, at it continues its government-funded Project Gigabit network roll-out across rural Gloucestershire. The roll-out in Kemble is part of Gigaclear's Project Gigabit contract covering East Gloucestershire. Residents and businesses in the commuter village now have access to ultrafast broadband speeds up to 900 Mbps. 

Eutelsat stops sale of ground stations after French govt opposition
FRANCE 09:06

Eutelsat stops sale of ground stations after French govt opposition

Eutelsat has put an end to the disposal of its passive ground infrastructure, after failing to secure approval for the transaction. France's economy and sovereignty minister Roland Lescure stated in a TV interview that he decided to oppose the sale because Eutelsat's ground stations represent a strategic asset. He noted that the antennas also serve the military, highlighting that Eutelsat is Starlink's ‌only European competitor.

Ethio Telecom H1 revenues up 37% on mobile data and payments growth
ETHIOPIA 09:02

Ethio Telecom H1 revenues up 37% on mobile data and payments growth

Ethio Telecom recorded strong growth in mobile data usage, digital finance adoption and network expansion during the fiscal first half ended in December 2025. Revenue rose 37 percent year-on-year to ETB 85.02 billion, though was below internal plan targets. Voice and data services remained the largest contributors, while international services, digital finance, enterprise solutions and infrastructure leasing provided additional revenue streams. EBITDA reached ETB 42.36 billion, with a gross margin close to

Telekom Srbija and M:tel upgrade cross-border network with Ciena
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 08:10

Telekom Srbija and M:tel upgrade cross-border network with Ciena

Telekom Srbija and its subsidiary M:tel are upgrading their network with Ciena's optical technology to boost connectivity between Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. This upgrade uses Ciena's 6500 Packet-Optical Platform and WaveLogic 5 Extreme, enabling 800 Gbps speeds over a new 150-kilometre fibre link. This will create a high-capacity, low-latency network, supporting regional growth and future 5G services. The project is a collaboration with Ciena's partner, Igmako Smart Solutions.

Rakuten Mobile verifies Intel Xeon 6 processors for 5G core
JAPAN 05:41

Rakuten Mobile verifies Intel Xeon 6 processors for 5G core

Rakuten Mobile has completed verification of Intel's Xeon 6 processor with efficiency cores for use in its 5G core network, as it prepares for commercial deployment. The testing was carried out using containerised 5G core applications running on Rakuten Symphony's Rakuten Cloud platform. The verification showed that the Xeon 6 processor sustained throughput of 30 Gbps while reducing power consumption by around 30 percent compared with a currently deployed Intel Xeon Scalable platform, according to the opera

Surf Internet secures continued investment from Macquarie
UNITED STATES 29 JAN

Surf Internet secures continued investment from Macquarie

US fibre broadband provider Surf Internet has secured investment from Macquarie Capital, supported by Bain Capital and Future Standard. This completes a USD 175 million equity investment announced in February 2025. This new investment supports the next phase of the company's fibre network roll-out to underserved and rural communities cross Indiana, Illinois and Michigan. The Surf Internet network is on track to reach over 330,000 premises by end-2026. 

Iliad's Free Mobile seeks investor for French tower venture
FRANCE 29 JAN

Iliad's Free Mobile seeks investor for French tower venture

Iliad subsidiary Free Mobile has launched a new project aimed at expanding its cell site footprint, according to information gathered by La Tribune. Under the proposed initiative, code‑named Nemrod, a 50:50 joint venture will be created with a yet‑to‑be‑identified partner to deploy several thousand new masts and rooftop sites across both densely and non‑densely populated areas of France.

Infovista marks release of agentic AI telecoms framework
GLOBAL 29 JAN

Infovista marks release of agentic AI telecoms framework

Infovista has launched a new agentic AI network optimisation layer for telco operators. The French vendor's VistAI tool will be on show at Mobile World Congress Barcelona, alongside additional capabilities joining its intelligent networks line-up. VistAI is available immediately for Infovista's Automated Assurance and Network Testing customers. Cloud hosted deployments are available for both customer groups, while on-premises integrations solely target Automated Assurance clients for the moment.

O2 UK's 5G Standalone network goes live across Dorset
UNITED KINGDOM 29 JAN

O2 UK's 5G Standalone network goes live across Dorset

Virgin Media O2 has activated the O2 5G Standalone mobile network in several major towns across the English county of Dorset - including Poole, Bournemouth, Swanage, Dorchester and Christchurch. This provides local residents and businesses with faster speeds, lower latency and enhanced coverage.

JAPAN 29 JAN

NEC confirms telecom restructuring with Q3 charges

NEC has confirmed a restructuring of its telecom business with its third-quarter results. The Japanese company took JPY 18 billion in charges in the quarter to wind down its conventional base station business and shift the focus to virtual RAN and software products. Parts of the business will also transfer to or work more closely with other divisions at NEC, such as those focused on national security and IT services. The new organisation is aimed at maximising synergies across the business and improving pro

GLOBAL 29 JAN

Calix expands share buybacks as FY turnover tops USD 1 billion

Calix's board of directors has sanctioned a move to increase its existing budget for share repurchases by USD 125 million. The extra headroom will be added to USD 109.3 million that Calix still had to deploy from the earlier authorisation as of end-Q4, bringing its overall scope for buybacks to USD 234.3 million. This decision highlights further upside for shareholders amid a strong set of Q4 and FY financials from the US-focused vendor, including 20 percent growth in annual turnover to around USD 1 billion

GLOBAL 29 JAN

Google Fiber rolls out multi-gig plans following 25G PON upgrades

Google Fiber subscribers in Des Moines, Iowa's state capital, will be the first transitioned to commercial multi-gigabit internet plans by default, and the operator plans to leave monthly pricing unchanged despite the higher speeds. The revised service line-up sees Google Fiber's existing 1 Gbps symmetrical plan upgraded to 3 Gbps, while the Home 3 Gig subscription becomes Home 5 Gig. Users on Edge 8 Gig services, where available, will be offered a new Wi-Fi 7 router to make the most of top speeds. As state

GLOBAL 29 JAN

Dell'Oro predicts flat broadband access market to 2030 on slower 50G PON ramp-up

The global broadband access equipment market will expand at a compound average rate (CAGR) of just 0.3 percent annually from 2025 to 2030, according to Dell'Oro Group. The headline forecast is lower than in the July 2025 estimate from the market researcher. This is because Dell'Oro has adjusted its estimate for global 50 Gbps PON fibre deployments, anticipating 50G PON growth will be slower than expected. Fibre and Docsis 4.0 cable expansions will account for most of the remaining increase, with broadband c

BRAZIL 29 JAN

Padtec rolls out new pluggable module for 400 Gbps networks

Optical communications equipment manufacturer Padtec is introducing a new compact pluggable module, the QSFP-DD 400G Ultra Long Haul, to enable ultra-long distance 400 Gbps network transmissions. This transceiver uses coherent modulation technology for increased range, capacity, and energy efficiency.

GLOBAL 29 JAN

Nokia maintains dividend after FY profit falls 49%

Nokia has proposed a stable dividend for 2025 despite profits nearly halving on costs for restructuring and acquisitions and limited sales growth. The company said it aims for a stable to higher adjusted operating profit this year, as it starts the year with a new structure aimed at capturing the growth from data centre networking and AI computing. 

JAPAN 29 JAN

SoftBank deploys AI-based Massive MIMO control system at major event venues

SoftBank has begun deploying an AI-powered external control system to optimise Massive MIMO coverage at large-scale event venues in Japan, following a commercial network demonstration at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. The system, developed with Ericsson, is designed to automatically adjust base station coverage patterns in response to rapid changes in user distribution, which are common at events held in arenas, domes and theme park-style venues.

JAPAN 29 JAN

NEC develops compact amplifier for 5G base stations

NEC Corporation has developed a high-efficiency, compact Power Amplifier Module (PAM) for the sub-6 GHz band, designed for integration into 5G base station Radio Units (RUs). PAMs are electronic components that amplify signals for long-distance radio transmission, and their power consumption accounts for approximately 75 percent of the total power consumed by an RU. By integrating this high-efficiency PAM into RUs, NEC aims to reduce device power consumption and size, thereby contributing to reduced operati

AUSTRALIA 29 JAN

Osmose expands Australian telecom engineering capabilities through acquisitions

US-based Osmose Utilities Services said it has acquired Western Australia-based contractor Mainswest and substantially all assets of Centillion Solutions, expanding its underground construction and telecommunications engineering capabilities in Australia. The acquisitions were completed through Osmose's Australian subsidiaries.

UNITED STATES 28 JAN

Towardex deploys Huber+Suhner 400G muxponder for 100G service lanes in Boston wholesale network

Huber + Suhner said it has delivered an order of its CUBOsystem 400G muxponder for its long-standing customer Towardex, an internet infrastructure provider active in New England. The deployment is now active at the customer edge in Towardex's Boston metro network, enabling high-bandwidth connectivity towards customer demarcation points and campus locations. H+S said its equipment would help Towardex respond to growing enterprise demand for 100G fibre services, while providing an architecture for future migr

GLOBAL 28 JAN

Aglocell debuts SpectraMax site optimisation integrated with Ericsson's EIAP suite

US software vendor AgloCell has partnered with Ericsson to launch an AI-equipped RAN software optimisation that maximises spectrum efficiency at clusters of transmission towers operating at the cellular edge. Available via an integration with Ericsson's Intelligent Automation Platform, AgloCell's SpectraMax optimisation is packaged as an rApp executed from the Open RAN-defined non-real time intelligent controller (RIC), which delivers configurations at single-second latency or greater.

ALGERIA 28 JAN

ZTE powers Ooredoo Algeria's 5G digital summit

ZTE says it participated in the 5G vertical industry summit held by Ooredoo Algeria (OA) in Algiers. At the event, Ooredoo Algeria demonstrated the power of 5G through live speed tests and interactive zones showcased real-world 5G applications, such as a robot dog that interacted with the audience. ZTE provided technical support and assurance for the event, after earlier providing radio equipment for the 5G network.

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Commentary

2 JAN 13:21

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

15 DEC 2025 13:56

Video market set for slower growth ahead

8 DEC 2025 11:38

Netflix buys Warner Bros to deepen content catalogue

31 OKT 2025 11:11

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

Background

26 JAN 00:31

The week in telecoms: Netflix and Ericsson all about cash, EU sketches out rip-and-replace and copper transition plans

22 JAN 14:28

Netflix can spend more on content and still improve its margin

19 JAN 00:42

The week in telecom: Apple holds on to smartphone crown, Ericsson slims down and CommScope changes name

16 JAN 09:51

Belgian mobile market under pressure from Digi, broadband impact still to come