KDDI launches Starlink Direct international roaming in the US
UNITED STATES 02:52

KDDI launches Starlink Direct international roaming in the US

KDDI and Okinawa Cellular have begun international roaming support for their au Starlink Direct satellite-to-smartphone service in the United States from 4 March 2026. The operators said the launch represents the first cross-border roaming connection for direct satellite communications between smartphones and Starlink satellites. Initially, the service is supported on selected Google Pixel devices, with additional models expected to be added later.

Australia sees 211-day average approval time for new mobile towers
AUSTRALIA 01:17

Australia sees 211-day average approval time for new mobile towers

Delays in planning approvals remain a significant barrier to improving mobile coverage across Australia, according to recent analysis cited by industry representatives. The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) analysed 477 development applications for mobile towers and found that the average approval timeframe for new facilities was 211 days. The analysis also identified council requirements that add compliance burdens without what the industry considers a commensurate public benefit.

Soracom opens pre-orders for SGP.32-compatible Connectivity Hypervisor
GLOBAL 01:15

Soracom opens pre-orders for SGP.32-compatible Connectivity Hypervisor

Soracom has opened pre-orders for Connectivity Hypervisor, its SGP.32-compatible capability for remote management and switching of multiple operator profiles on a single IoT eSIM. The announcement was made during Mobile World Congress 2026, where SGP.32 readiness is increasingly referenced in enterprise and automotive IoT procurement processes. Soracom said the platform enables devices to activate initially on a Soracom profile and dynamically switch to local or application-specific carrier profiles, includ

Optus, Ericsson and FrontierSI trial 5G Advanced positioning for emergency services
AUSTRALIA 01:11

Optus, Ericsson and FrontierSI trial 5G Advanced positioning for emergency services

Optus, Ericsson and FrontierSI have completed a public safety proof-of-concept on the Optus 5G Standalone network, demonstrating centimetre-level positioning for emergency response operations on a live commercial network. The trial paired a first responder vehicle with an autonomously tracking drone, using 5G Advanced Global Navigation Satellite System Real-Time Kinematic positioning correction data and a dedicated public safety network slice. 

KDDI agrees Yokosuka digital trial using number verification and RCS
JAPAN 00:54

KDDI agrees Yokosuka digital trial using number verification and RCS

KDDI has agreed to conduct a joint proof of concept with Yokosuka City and Toppan Edge to address challenges in digital administrative services, including identity fraud in online procedures and communication during disasters. Under the agreement, KDDI will provide its "Number Verification" telephone number authentication technology via API, along with technical support and RCS messaging APIs. The technology will be integrated by Toppan Edge into an RCS-based messaging platform and Japan's Public Key Infras

Microamp partners High Tech Inter for 5G mmWave deployment in Japan and APAC
JAPAN 00:47

Microamp partners High Tech Inter for 5G mmWave deployment in Japan and APAC

Polish company Microamp and Japanese firm High Tech Inter have entered into a strategic partnership to accelerate the deployment of 5G millimetre wave networks in Japan and across the Asia-Pacific region. The companies said the agreement combines Microamp's end-to-end 5G mmWave network technology with High Tech Inter's system integration and deployment capabilities, targeting commercial and mission-critical applications requiring high resilience, ultra-high capacity and low latency connectivity.

Anritsu test systems integrated into ETS-Lindgren 5G FR2 OTA platform
UNITED STATES 00:43

Anritsu test systems integrated into ETS-Lindgren 5G FR2 OTA platform

Anritsu has announced that its MT8000A and MT8821C wireless communication test systems have been integrated into a CTIA-certified 5G FR2 over-the-air (OTA) test platform developed by ETS-Lindgren, headquartered in Cedar Park, Texas. The US company specialises in electromagnetic and acoustic measurement and shielding systems. Its FR2 OTA system has obtained certification under the CTIA specification for millimetre wave testing, enabling spatial evaluation of 5G millimetre wave radio performance.

Smart revenue grows 5% in Q4, amid expanding ARPU and 5G adoption
PHILIPPINES 3 MRT

Smart revenue grows 5% in Q4, amid expanding ARPU and 5G adoption

Philippines operator Smart Communications saw its fourth-quarter revenue grow 5 percent sequentially. Fourth-quarter revenue growth was mainly boosted by higher ARPU, the company said. Smart reported 606,079 net additions in the fourth quarter, while churn reached 2.5 percent at end-2025.

PLDT offers free emergency calls for Filipinos in Middle East conflict areas
PHILIPPINES 3 MRT

PLDT offers free emergency calls for Filipinos in Middle East conflict areas

In light of the escalating conflict in the Middle East, PLDT Group chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan has announced that the PLDT Group will provide communication assistance to overseas Filipinos in affected areas. PLDT and Smart will offer free calls for Filipinos in countries affected by the conflict in the Middle East.

Vodafone Ukraine signs MoU for mobile satellite services with AST SpaceMobile
UKRAINE 3 MRT

Vodafone Ukraine signs MoU for mobile satellite services with AST SpaceMobile

Vodafone Ukraine said that it has signed a memorandum on understanding with the company AST SpaceMobile to work on the launch of mobile satellite services across the country. The agreement was signed during MWC Barcelona. While no launch date was given, Vodafone Ukraine said it plans to offer a full satellite broadband service over the low-orbit satellites from AST SpaceMobile, supporting its strategy for resilient services throughout the country. It will work with AST SpaceMobile on the commercial launch,

Beeline Uzbekistan offers free roaming in Middle East
UZBEKISTAN 3 MRT

Beeline Uzbekistan offers free roaming in Middle East

Beeline Uzbekistan, a subsidiary of the Veon Group, is offering customers roaming in the Middle East a free 1 GB mobile data bundle and 10 minutes of calls. The bundles are valid in the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan and Oman for 30 days.

Ruckus installs Wi-Fi 7 network at LAFC stadium
UNITED STATES 3 MRT

Ruckus installs Wi-Fi 7 network at LAFC stadium

Ruckus Networks, enterprise networks division of Vistance Networks, has deployed a next-generation Wi-Fi 7 network at the BMO Stadium of the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC). The deployment includes a combination of Ruckus Wi-Fi 1 Access Points - including the T670 for under-seat coverage, and the T670SN with hyper-directional antenna for precise, high-density targeting in club spaces and concourses. 

SWITZERLAND 3 MRT

Sunrise partners Satellite Connect Europe to try D2D services

Swiss operator Sunrise is partnering with Satellite Connect Europe to assess the latter's direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity service, and how it could improve 4G and 5G coverage in Switzerland. The partners will test whether smartphones seamlessly transition from mobile to satellite signals in areas with limited or no coverage. Satellite Connect Europe is the joint venture set up by Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile for D2D services which is partnering also with other European mobile network operators

RUSSIAN FEDERATION 3 MRT

Russian operators offer free roaming in Middle East

Russian operator Megafon offers its customers roaming in the Middle East a 2 GB bundle and 30 minutes of calls free, as well as free calls to its support centre. The mobile operator T2 also introduced free data and voice services in the Middle East to support customers there during the military conflict. MTS is waiving commissions for money transfers over its payment system My MTS to the UAE.

POLAND 3 MRT

Play offers eSim confirmation with photo of ID

Polish operator Play, controlled by Iliad, has introduced a new authorisation option for customers buying eSIMs remotely. Prepaid customers purchasing eSIMs in this way can authenticate by sending a photo of their ID taken on their smartphone. This adds to the existing options over electronic banking or the service MyID.

GERMANY 3 MRT

Telefonica Germany moves 5G core functions to AWS Outposts

Telefonica Germany has moved the operation of its 5G core network to cloud-based architecture from Amazon Web Services, using its own data centre based on the AWS Outposts service. The cloud-based architecture operates in parallel with Telefonica's existing 5G core network, using AWS machine learning services, including large language models (LLMs) from Amazon Bedrock, to automate complex 5G maintenance workflows. Telefonica uses equipment provided by Nokia to run its 5G core network on AWS infrastructure u

GLOBAL 3 MRT

Vantiva introduces Hawk 5G FWA terminal with Wi-Fi 8

Vantiva launched its evolved fixed-wireless access terminal to market in the US, Australia and EMEA. The Hawk 5G FWA terminal builds on Vantiva's Condor 5G product introduced in March 2025, while introducing broader processing capabilities for 5G Standalone links. For example Hawk 5G leverages the Dragonwing FWA Gen 4 Elite platform, continuing Vantiva's relationship with Qualcomm that saw Condor 5G deploy the Gen 3 model.

POLAND 3 MRT

Plus offers promo of Motorola smartphone, sells new Huawei smartwatches

Polish operator Polkomtel, trading under the Plus brand, has introduced a promotion to customers buying the Motorola Edge 70 smartphone in its shops. Customers purchasing the model Edge 70 5G 12/512GB are able to buy it for PLN 3,499. They are also offered a PLN 700 cashback. The promotion is valid buying the smartphone until 31 March.

GLOBAL 3 MRT

Comba Telecom intros indoor 5G cell for high-density enterprise environments

Comba Telecom Systems announced the launch of a 5G small cell product targeting high-density commercial environments. Comba's 5G Enterprise Picocell product delivers 5G coverage across up to 128 simultaneous users, with support for sub-6 GHz 5G time and frequency division duplex bands (TDD, FDD) as well as 4G FDD to ease integration with legacy infrastructure. The system's physical profile is designed to be compact and it supports power-over-Ethernet to limit cable sprawl in space-constrained environments,

POLAND 3 MRT

T-Mobile Poland and Plus offer free services to customers in Middle East

T-Mobile Poland is offering a free 15 GB data package, as well as free calls and SMSs, to customers using its roaming services in the Middle East. The offer is valid in ten countries until 16 March. T-Mobile's prepaid subscribers are being offered a 100-day validity extension for their handset balances. Polkomtel, trading under the Plus brand, is offering a 15 GB mobile bundle to affected customers as well as 120 minutes of outgoing and incoming calls.

AFRICA 3 MRT

GSMA plans affordable 4G smartphone pilots in six African countries this year

The GSMA has announced that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda have been selected by the GSMA Handset Affordability Coalition for pilots to introduce affordable 4G smartphones this year. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the GSMA and by the G6 group of leading African operators and original equipment manufacturers (OEM) partners formalises the cooperation. A current challenge is the surge in the global cost of memory prices. The GSMA and coalit

POLAND 3 MRT

Polkomtel wins contract to provide mobile services to Warsaw municipal council

Polish operator Polkomtel, trading under the Plus brand, has won a tender on providing mobile telephony services to Warsaw city municipality administration. Duration of the contract is three years, a size of the deal totals PLN 9.955 million.

GLOBAL 3 MRT

Infovista launches AI insights platform VistaOne

Infovista has announced VistaOne, a network intelligence and experience platform with AI features. VistaOne is built on Infovisa's agentic AI framework, VistAI, which launched in January. The platform includes three functional profiles: VistAI Ask permits queries of customer journey and network data, VistAI Automate supports automated workflows such as incident management and optimisation, and VistAI Monetise uncovers revenue opportunities such as service quality-based promotions.

GLOBAL 3 MRT

TCL introduces 5G CPE, mobile hotspot and Wi-Fi 7 mesh router

TCL has announced new home broadband routers including a 5G broadband device at MWC 26 in Barcelona. Its fully fledged 5G CPE B50 home router is marketed towards entry-level Wi-Fi 7 purchases and provides dual band connectivity for up to 3.6 Gbps over Wi-Fi, and up to 5.7 Gbps from 5G transmitters. Compliant with the EasyMesh R6 protocol, the device boasts high-gain 5G antennas with full-band 4x4 MIMO for better coverage with reduced interference, and supports up to 128 simultaneous end connections.

Just In

02:52

KDDI launches Starlink Direct international roaming in the US

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SKT advances modular and CXL-based AI data centre strategy

01:23

LG Uplus CEO Hong Beom-sik outlines AI voice strategy at MWC26 keynote

01:17

Australia sees 211-day average approval time for new mobile towers

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Background

1 MRT 13:21

The week in telecoms: Paramount tops bidding for WBD, Samsung S26 kicks off MWC showcase

23 FEB 00:28

The week in telecoms: Liberty Global tackles cable vs fibre question, Orange promises dividends and MEA market goes wholesale

16 FEB 00:17

The week in telecoms: Cisco rides AI investment wave and European telcos invest in South America

9 FEB 01:54

The week in telecoms: hyperscalers vie for capex crown, Telenor and Vodafone profit from smaller footprints