Middle East & Africa Archives

Ooredoo and du to land FIG cable in the UAE

by Harry Baldock | May 7, 2026

Ooredoo Group today announced a partnership with du to land the Fibre in the Gulf (FIG) subsea cable system in the UAE

African Development Bank approves $200m loan for Nigeria’s fibre Project BRIDGE

by Harry Baldock | Apr 13, 2026

Nigeria’s push to expand its digital infrastructure has gained fresh momentum after the African Development Bank (AfDB) approved a $200 million loan for Project BRIDGE, a major fibre-optic programme aimed at widening broadband access and strengthening the country’s digital economy.

‘Innovation has no ZIP code’: Azercell talks AI leadership

by Harry Baldock | Mar 25, 2026

Interview At MWC 2026, we caught up with George Held, CTIO of Azercell, on how the company’s...

War in Iran sees 2Africa’s Pearls extension paused

by Total Telecom Staff | Mar 16, 2026

Work on the Middle Eastern portion of the 2Africa Pearls subsea cable has been suspended after Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) invoked force majeure

Indosat and Safaricom partner to share AI learnings

by Total Telecom Staff | Mar 16, 2026

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison and Safaricom have form a partnership combining Indosat’s AI ambitions with Safaricom’s mobile finance expertise, aiming to improve both parties’ customer experience.

Could war with Iran halt America’s blossoming data center boom?

by Harry Baldock | Mar 11, 2026

All eyes are shifting to the Strait of Hormuz as analysts warn of dire economic consequences resulting from war in the Persian Gulf.

AI and the digital divide: Technology cannot be allowed to outpace inclusion

by Harry Baldock | Mar 6, 2026

At the Huawei TECH Cares Forum, industry leaders and partners joined to discuss digital inclusion and why embracing AI requires a foundation of digital skills as well as infrastructure.

MTN to take control of IHS Towers for $2.2 billion

by Harry Baldock | Feb 24, 2026

African telco giant MTN Group is set to take full control of IHS Towers, one of Africa’s largest independent tower companies, in a deal valued at $6.2 billion.

The Silklink project: STC pledges to help reconnect war-torn Syria

by Harry Baldock | Feb 9, 2026

This week, Saudi Arabian communication giant STC Group has announced it has won a roughly $800 million contract to lead Syria’s Silklink infrastructure project.

North Africa’s 5G wave continues with Libya launch

by Harry Baldock | Jan 29, 2026

Libya’s second largest state-owned telco, Almadar Aljadid, has announced the launch of 5G in parts of the capital, Tripoli.

Syntys expands Qatar hyperscale footprint through Q Data acquisition

by Rob Chambers | Jan 21, 2026

Ooredoo Group and Syntys announced today that Syntys has acquired Q Data QFZ LLC, which operates hyperscale data centre facilities in Qatar serving leading cloud and AI customers, with 5MW live and 7.5MW under development.

Iran jams Starlink, enters fourth day of internet blackout

by Harry Baldock | Jan 12, 2026

News ‘Military grade’ signal jamming is reportedly being used to cripple the satellite...

Huawei betting big on telecoms’ Agentic AI revolution 

by Harry Baldock | Dec 19, 2025

The Chinese tech giant says AI agents will not only help telcos become more efficient, but...

World Communication Award Winners 2025

by Harry Baldock | Dec 10, 2025

World Communication Awards Total Telecom is thrilled to unveil the exceptional winners of the 2025...

Vodacom buys $2.1bn stake in Safaricom, gains majority control

by Harry Baldock | Dec 4, 2025

The shares, purchased from the Kenyan government and Vodacom’s parent company Vodafone, give it a 55% stake in the business

World Communication Awards 2025 shortlist announced

by Harry Baldock | Nov 25, 2025

The World Communication Awards has announced its 2025 shortlist, highlighting the telecom industry’s leading innovators.

STC, Mobily, and OneWeb NEOM among winners at inaugural Connected World KSA Awards

by Harry Baldock | Nov 18, 2025

Connected World KSA is proud to reveal the winners of its first-ever Connected World KSA Awards, presented today during the event at Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center.

Safaricom rebuffs govt calls to spin off mobile money platform M-Pesa

by Harry Baldock | Nov 13, 2025

“We do not want to list the financial services companies separately because we believe they are closely related to the value proposition we offer to our clients”

Vodacom taps Starlink for mobile backhaul across Africa

by Harry Baldock | Nov 12, 2025

Today, African mobile operator Vodacom has announced a new deal with SpaceX’s Starlink, aiming to use the latter’s satellite constellation to improve connectivity in rural Africa.

Ericsson’s 5G kit to connect Saudi Arabia’s railway system

by Harry Baldock | Oct 27, 2025

Ericsson and Saudi Railway Company (SAR) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on advancing rail operations through 5G technology.