Safaricom announces a milestone of 5 million customers in Ethiopia, making significant strides towards their goal of 10 million by next March. However, a stiff competition lies ahead as they trail the market leader, Ethio Telecom, by a considerable margin. Safaricom breaks into the Ethiopian market as the first private player, with significant growth potential and challenges on the horizon. They are poised to disrupt Ethio Telecom’s monopoly with the introduction of M-Pesa, keenly eyeing financial inclusion. Amid anticipation of new competitors, Safaricom’s persistent efforts and ambitions could potentially shake up the Ethiopian telecom market.
The US government has recently provided clarity regarding foreign equipment purchases under the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) programme. The emphasis is on minimizing exceptions to ‘buy American’ rules, particularly reflected in the fibre-optic sector. Notwithstanding, one significant provision allows sourcing glass used in fibre optics from overseas. This comes as a relief for firms worried about supply sufficiency and costs. The spotlight of foreign vendors, meanwhile, is potentially electronics, with proposed exemptions including most semiconductors.
Rogers Communications takes a gigantic leap forward, ushering in 5G services across Toronto’s subway system. While this promises enhanced network coverage and emergency call dependability, it raises concerns among competitors Bell and Telus, about potential market limitations. This unfolding drama in the Canadian telecoms industry draws the industry’s anxious gaze.
Reports indicate covert Huawei involvement in the establishment of chip plants to bypass US export controls. These allegations stem from Huawei’s shift to predominantly Chinese suppliers due to trade restrictions, despite their struggle to match the performance of manufacturers like TSMC and Samsung. Amidst ongoing US-China tensions, this move could potentially provoke a stronger stance from the US against sanction violators, reshaping the telecommunications landscape.
Delving into a recent decision by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), we uncover the reasoning behind a stop order on EE’s 5G-related adverts, which competitors said lacked clarity on EE’s claims to operate the ‘UK’s No.1 5G network’. Without fully revealing the specifics of this heated dispute, let’s dive into selected highlights of the adjudication, considering various past incidents and the industry’s ongoing dialogue surrounding telco advertising transparency.
AT&T has delicately entered the 5G fixed-wireless access (FWA) industry with its Internet Air product, targeting a specific demographic and remaining wary of impacting its mobile and fibre operations. Discussing the challenges and benefits of this strategic approach, we examine its potential against market leaders T-Mobile and Verizon. Are they being too cautious? Are they possibly missing out on the emerging FWA boom in the U.S?.
Welcoming Nokia’s latest innovation — the 25G Passive Optical Network (PON) starter kit. Aimed at enhancing 10Gbs+ deployments, the kit empowers operators to expedite high-speed connectivity for diverse businesses. With the capacity to connect up to ten businesses, this move is amplifying the importance of 10Gbs business connectivity globally. Utilizing existing fiber assets, it offers unique prospect for delivering exceptional speeds to different enterprises, from schools to farms. Discussing the transformation this 25G PON technology brings, we delve into the views of industry insiders and parallel innovations in the works.
Development Capital has announced a €6 million investment in Internet Protocol Telecom Limited (IP Telecom), a leading Irish provider of cloud-based voice over internet protocol (VoIP) and unified communications telephony services to SME & Enterprise customers in Ireland. The minority investment will be used to accelerate the company’s organic and acquisitive expansion plans in the business telephony sector, with intention to increase annual revenues from a forecast of €6m in 2023 to €11m in FY2024. The investment in IP Telecom brings Development Capital’s total investments in Irish SME’s to €100m since 2013.
Nokia’s revamped home wifi software suite, now known as Corteca, promises to revolutionize in-home connectivity management and user experience. This holistic solution boasts advanced features like Corteca Cloud for network management and Corteca Device Software for device administration. More intriguing is the upcoming Corteca Marketplace, offering ‘try-before-you-buy’ applications, potentially opening new revenue horizons. Despite the anticipation, the question remains – will this alleviate users’ connectivity woes and truly enhance their in-home broadband experience? Stay tuned as the story unfolds.
Norway’s Telenor pushes forward with a dramatic leadership change aimed at augmenting its growth trajectory in line with its 2025 vision. Notable moves include former Head of Telenor Asia, Jørgen C. Arentz Rostrup, stepping in as Head of Telenor Nordics, while his predecessor Petter-Børre Furberg takes over his former position. Google Cloud’s ex-head of telecoms, Amol Phadke, also joins the team as EVP and group CTO, with a focus on technology transformation.
