Telcos stories

Small Cell Forum opens entries for its 2026 Mobile Network Awards, adding AI, cloudification and Open RAN categories plus a Judge’s Choice.

Tata Communications names Ganesh Lakshminarayanan MD and CEO-designate, to succeed A.S. Lakshminarayanan following April 2026 retirement.

CelcomDigi finishes IOI estate-wide 4G rollout, linking over 100 plantations and nearby rural communities for digital operations and services.

AEM has launched FiBLU, an app-native fibre tester that turns smartphones into the main interface for certification, reporting and collaboration.

Virgin Media O2 will donate 12,000 refurbished smartphones in 2026 to help tackle digital exclusion and cut electronic waste across the UK.

Simwood launches on-net conversational AI agents for carriers and MSPs, embedding voice and WhatsApp bots directly into UCaaS networks.

DE-CIX data traffic surged 16% to 79 exabytes in 2025, fuelled by AI workloads and record-breaking live sports streaming demand.

Deutsche Telekom Security taps Akamai’s certified service scheme to bolster API defences and microsegmentation for high‑risk sectors.

Vodafone teams with Netcompany on a global travel eSIM, promising instant, data-only connectivity in 200-plus destinations worldwide.

Singapore cements its status as Asia’s AI and digital gateway, boosted by low-carbon data centres and world-class, neutral connectivity.

Vincent Lomba joins ENISA’s Advisory Group, bringing industry insight to EU efforts on NIS2, the Cyber Resilience Act and digital sovereignty.

NETSCOUT upgrades 5G tools to give operators full Standalone slice visibility, aiming to protect SLAs and tap $67.5 billion market growth.

Kearney refreshes Asia Pacific leadership in ANZ, Japan, Malaysia and CMT as it prepares to enter its centenary year in 2026.

Selector secures eight US patents for AI-driven observability, spanning causal inference, LLM training, path tracing and predictive maintenance.

Zayo Europe and Reintel have lit a 400GE Iberian fibre corridor, linking key cities to meet surging AI and cloud bandwidth demand.

Anthropic is setting up an Australian office in Sydney as Claude adoption soars, anchoring a wider global expansion and hiring push.

Avetta rolls out digital ESG social audit in Australia to help companies tackle modern slavery risks in supply chains amid tighter rules.

Australia’s power, water and telecoms at risk as report warns critical infrastructure lacks defences against emerging drone-borne cyber threats.

Indonesia launches a six-month cyber resilience drive to train over 1,000 leaders and practitioners in practical defence and governance.

One NZ is beginning a phased shutdown of its 3G network in Dunedin from tomorrow, reallocating spectrum to boost 4G and 5G services.