In a landmark move, Zain Group, Ooredoo, and TASC Towers Holding have officially inked a definitive agreement to merge their tower assets, forming a colossal entity valued at $2.2 billion. This strategic collaboration, originating from talks initiated in July, consolidates a combined total of 30,000 towers spanning Qatar, Kuwait, Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq, and Jordan, establishing the largest tower company in the Middle East and North Africa.
Ooredoo Oman initiates a tender for its tower infrastructure sale and leaseback, inviting top telecom firms to submit bids. This follows a global trend set by major operators like Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, and Telefonica.
Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison and Ericsson have launched Indonesia’s first full-stack Digital Monetization Platform (DMP), marking a pivotal moment in the country’s telecom digital transformation. This innovative solution supports 5G readiness, offering diverse new business models like network slicing.
Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH) and Zurich have announced a groundbreaking partnership to integrate telecommunications and insurance services into a single app. This collaboration leverages Indosat’s expansive network and Zurich’s insurance expertise, aiming to enhance financial inclusion across Indonesia. The joint effort seeks to provide comprehensive protection, particularly benefiting rural and underserved regions.
Qatar’s Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) will shut down 3G networks by December 31, 2025, to bolster 4G LTE and 5G services nationwide. This shift, part of Qatar National Vision 2030, aims to optimize spectrum resources, enhance telecommunication service quality, and drive economic diversification. VoIP users will enjoy improved connectivity and efficiency.
Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (Indosat or IOH) and Google Cloud have announced an expansion of their strategic alliance, focusing on transforming Indosat into an AI-driven technology company. This partnership aims to leverage Indosat’s extensive network and data with Google Cloud’s advanced AI tools to enhance services for over 100 million customers and offer AI solutions for businesses across Indonesia.
A new high-capacity data backbone spanning the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and Norway promises increased capacity and redundancy. XL Axiata and Ericsson team up to integrate 4G and 5G services into a cloud-based network. AppDirect introduces AppDirect AI, a secure marketplace allowing users to create AI apps without coding. Cynomi expands its vCISO services to European MSPs and MSSPs, prioritizing data localization.
Indonesian telecommunications giant Axiata and conglomerate Sinar Mas are in talks to explore merging their respective operations in Indonesia. The potential merger would involve combining XL Axiata, owned by Axiata, with Smartfren, the mobile network subsidiary of Sinar Mas.
A monumental step for Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 appears on the horizon as the Public Investment Fund and stc group plan to merge TAWAL and Golden Lattice Investment Company (GLIC). This partnership, expected to have a value of $5.85 billion and annual revenues near $1.3 billion, could be a game-changer in the telecommunications infrastructure domain.
Axiata Group, a Malaysian telecommunications conglomerate, has announced the sale of its towers operations in Myanmar in a deal worth US$150 million with an undisclosed buyer. This decision reflects a growing trend among international telecom giants to exit Myanmar due to the country’s challenging economic and operational environment amidst ongoing civil conflict.
