Wireless Networks

LATAM Airlines, a leading airline group in Latin America, with a presence in five domestic markets in the region – Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru – in addition to international operations within Latin America and to Europe, Oceania, Africa, the US and the Caribbean, has announced the launch of its own global travel eSIM.

Embraer, a global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil, satcoms giant Viasat, and Latin American airline Aeromexico have announced the installation of advanced in-flight internet connectivity on Aeromexico’s E190 jets, further integrating the airline’s fleet with fast Wi-Fi for its customers.

Ericsson said on Wednesday it has signed yet another new agreement with Indian telco Bharti Airtel – this one to support Airtel’s rollout of 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) services by enhancing its core network.

Nokia said on Tuesday it has completed what it says is the first deployment of shared 5G Standalone (5G SA) indoor coverage in Saudi Arabia in a proof-of-concept pilot with Mobily, Zain KSA, neutral host specialist ACES NH and the Communications, Space & Technology Commission (CST).

At DTW2025, a panel featuring representatives from TM Forum, Huawei and Telkomsel discussed how intelligent core networks empower high stability autonomous networks.

MTN South Sudan has launched service in Abuyong Payam in Lakes State courtesy of the government’s universal service and access fund (USAF), although state officials said the network's coverage is too limited and needs to be expanded soon.

Technology giant Huawei and Saudi Arabian operator Zain KSA have announced the launch of the Riyadh Antenna Platform, which the partners describe as a groundbreaking innovation tailored to meet the unique needs of the Saudi telecommunications market.

Turkish service provider Turkcell, along with Beko, a leading home appliances company in Europe, and Ericsson, a global leader in information and communication technology, say they have successfully concluded the EU-supported VERGE project to develop next-generation communication technologies.

Malaysian telco YTL Communications launched a fully operational multi-operator core network (MOCN) 4G base station site in Penang on Tuesday as part of Malaysian government initiatives to share infrastructure and provide 100% mobile coverage of roads.

Telecoms tower company IHS South Africa announced on Thursday it has kicked off an initiative with non-profit organization Project Isizwe in KwaMashu, Durban to provide free, uncapped public Wi-Fi for local residents, students, job seekers and entrepreneurs.

Digicel Tonga announced on Wednesday it has completed the first phase of its 5G rollout, with its network now covering about 30% of the population in Nuku’alofa.

ZTE announced on Friday that Indonesian mobile operator Telkomsel has commercially deployed a simplified 5G site solution developed by both companies to make Telkomsel’s 5G network rollout easier, cheaper and more energy-efficient.

Saudi Arabian telco Zain KSA has launched the first phase of its commercial deployment of 5G Standalone (SA) using the 600-MHz band, with initial rollouts in Riyadh and Jeddah scheduled during the fourth quarter of this year.

Indian state-owned telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) reportedly soft-launched a 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) offering in Hyderabad and other select cities on Wednesday.

Tarana and Microsoft are partnering to expand internet access in rural and underserved communities across Africa.

Orange Egypt and Huawei have partnered to deploy 5G technology to provide advanced connectivity solutions to consumers and businesses in Egypt.

Nokia announced on Thursday that O2 Czech Republic has deployed its cloud-native 5G standalone (SA) core software that will enable the telco to offer advanced 5G services such as network slicing to deliver a better customer experience.

U Mobile says it has signed on OCK Telco Infra – a subsidiary of Malaysian telecoms network solutions provider and regional towerco OCK Group – as its latest preferred 5G in-building coverage infrastructure partner for its nationwide 5G rollout.

MTN Rwanda commercially launched its 5G service on Tuesday, starting with 51 sites in Kigali, with plans to scale up the network to target enterprise sectors including industrial, healthcare, and education.

Ericsson says it has signed a strategic partnership deal with Orange Maroc to modernize and expand its core network infrastructure to support a planned rollout of standalone 5G in Morocco later this year.

MobiFone Corporation, a leading mobile network operator in Vietnam, and open RAN pioneer Rakuten Symphony have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on a pilot project to jointly deploy a 4G and 5G open RAN mobile network in Vietnam.

After procuring a US$80m loan to cover the cost of its 5G licence, Orange Egypt has now officially launched 5G services in the market.

Nokia announced on Monday it has signed a deal with Vodafone Qatar to lead a nationwide network modernisation project to drive expanded 5G coverage, reliability and services for consumers and businesses.

IHS Towers subsidiary IHS Brazil announced on Thursday it has completed its upgrade of the distributed antenna system (DAS) at the Nilton Santos Stadium (Engenhão) in Rio de Janeiro to support 5G connectivity.

Japanese Open RAN solutions provider Rakuten Symphony said on Monday it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Zain Kuwait to collaborate on a pilot project to deploy cloud-native 5G Open RAN sites in Kuwait.

Telekom Malaysia (TM) announced on Monday that it has been appointed by the country’s second 5G operator U Mobile as a fibre backhaul partner in a deal valued at MYR2.4billion (almost US$570 million) over the next ten years.

Indian IT services group Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and networking company Tejas Networks have been the beneficiaries of a new contract from state-controlled operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).

e& UAE announced on Tuesday it has launched what it claims is the first commercial 5G network slicing product in the MENA region for business customers on its standalone 5G network.

Operators MTN Uganda and Airtel Uganda and digital infrastructure company ATC Uganda, alongside regulator the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), have launched a nationwide anti-vandalism campaign aimed at safeguarding the country’s telecom infrastructure.

Indian telco Vodafone Idea (Vi) launched its 5G service across the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) on Thursday in partnership with Ericsson, and said it was on track to roll out 5G in all 17 priority circles where it holds 5G spectrum by August this year.

Claro Colombia, a leading mobile telecommunications operator with more than 40 million users, has announced that it is implementing the modernisation of its more than 10,000 antennas nationwide.

Indonesian telco Telkomsel says it has expanded its 5G network coverage in Makassar, on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, with the installation of 73 new 5G base stations in the city.