A dispute over a real estate loan that left operator MTN Cameroon unable to get its hands on over US$20 million worth of assets may finally be over.

After a wait of nearly two and a half years, and following an appeal, a Cameroon appeals court has ordered the release of MTN’s bank accounts in the country. These were seized in 2022, apparently over a loan dispute with a Cameroonian businessman.

A court order froze MTN Group’s Cameroon accounts containing 14 billion CFA francs (about US$23.20 million) in September 2022.

The dispute is said to be over a real estate loan. It involves Cameroonian business mogul Ahmadou Baba Danpullo, the owner of Bestinver Group companies, and lender South Africa’s First National Bank (FNB).

After FNB liquidated a number of properties belonging to Danpullo in South Africa, the businessman was somehow able to convince a Cameroonian court to freeze the accounts of a number of South African companies. These included MTN, whose network in Cameroon has around 15 million users. The other major players in the country are Orange Cameroon, Nexttel Cameroon (a venture between Viettel Group and Danpullo’s Bestinver Cameroon) and Camtel.

Reuters explains that in 2023 MTN Cameroon said its funds were to be transferred into an escrow account managed by the court registrar as part of a third party debt, or « garnishee », order related to the dispute.

After an MTN appeal a court ruled on 24 February that the Bestinver Group companies were not entitled to impose these seizures.

That said, one of Danpullo’s lawyers has said he plans to make a new attempt to seize the assets and is following legal procedures to obtain an enforcement order.

Press Release  

Manchester, UK – Connected North, the North’s leading digital economy event, returns to Central on April 23-24, 2025, and introduces the co-located Data Centre Summit. 

Hosted by telecoms media and events specialist Total Telecom, Connected North is the region’s premier digital economy event.  

Bringing together the telecoms industry, government, and public sector bodies, the event offers a unique forum to discuss the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the North on its digital journey. 

This year, the event will grow to record numbers, with over 200 expert speakers, 200 exhibitors, and more than 2,500 attendees.  

Major topics to be discussed include the rollout of next generation digital infrastructure like fibre and 5G, the rise of AI, regulatory bottlenecks, and how to shrink the digital divide. 

The event features unprecedented access to some of the country’s most innovative and inspirational speakers, including:  

• Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority  

• Ash Evans, EMEA Lead for Data Centre Strategy at Google  

• Georgia Grimes, Director of Fibre Build, Openreach   

• Rob Hamlin, Chief Strategy Officer, CityFibre   

• Katherine Fairclough, Chief Executive, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority   

• Katie Gallagher OBE, Managing Director, Manchester Digital  

• Claire Taylor, Chief Operating Officer, Sheffield City Council  

• Richard Tang, CEO & Founder, Zen Internet 

“The North has enormous potential to become a key driver of the UK’s digital economy, but we still have a long way to go,” said Dominic Beresford-Webb, Connected North’s lead Conference Producer. “Our mission with Connected North is to help companies and communities collaborate on their digital journey and deliver meaningful change.”

Data Centre Summit 

This year, Connected North 2025 will be hosting its inaugural Data Centre Summit on April 22nd at Manchester Central.   

Launched in partnership with the Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region Combined Authorities, the event will bring together policymakers, local mayors, and top industry experts to address the growing importance of data centres in the UK’s technological and economic landscape. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore critical issues such as sustainability, policy planning, and next-generation technologies such as quantum computing and AI. 

“We’re very excited to be launching the region’s first Data Centre Summit in partnership with the Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region Combined Authorities,” said Beresford-Webb. “Data centres are the foundation of our digital world, and the rapid growth of AI means they will only become more integral. We believe this is another area of huge opportunity for the North and we’re working with local authorities and the data centre industry to help them seize it with both hands.”   

Space is limited and by invitation only. You can register your interest subject to approval from the organisers.  

Connected North is a must-attend for businesses, innovators, and policymakers keen to accelerate growth in digital infrastructure and connectivity. For more information or to register, visit Connected North 2025. 

_________________________________________________________________________________ 

About Total Telecom
Since 1997, Total Telecom has provided the connection between the buyers and sellers in the global telecom market. We do this through high quality editorial content and events to facilitate discussion on industry issues, and recognise innovation and excellence by companies and individuals.   

Our community of 120,000+ telecom professionals rely on Total Telecom for daily news and regular in-depth insight, delivered through a number of channels including online, video, social media, and at our series of events.  

Our award-winning event portfolio includes, Broadband Communities Summit, the World Communication Awards, Connected North, Connected Germany, and the UK’s largest connectivity event Connected Britain.   

For more information, contact Dominic Beresford-Webb at dominic.beresford-webb@totaltele.com

An iconic brand has been reborn in the world of subsea cable operators. Global Cloud Xchange has announced that it is rebranding, and will now be known as FLAG. … [visit site to read more]

ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (India) has announced plans open a new artificial intelligence (AI)-ready data centre campus in New Town, Kolkata, the primary financial and commercial centre of eastern and northeastern India, in the second quarter of 2025. The planned investment is said to be INR4.5 billion (aboutUS$52.7 million).

Spanning 5.59 acres, the campus is engineered to support the growing demands of AI computing with high-density rack configurations, advanced cooling systems, and a scalable, modular design, according to STT GDC.

It adds that the campus also provides a significant boost to digital infrastructure creation in the eastern part of the country, with a scalable capacity of up to 25MW in terms of overall IT load.

Bimal Khandelwal, chief executive officer (CEO) of STT GDC India, explains: “Our Kolkata campus is specifically designed to support the burgeoning AI ecosystem, from startups developing local language AI models to enterprises deploying large language models.”

The Economic Times news service points out that the Kolkata facility expands STT GDC India’s nationwide footprint to 30 data centres across ten cities with a total IT load capacity of 390 MW.

It adds that its strategic location in New Town’s Silicon Valley positions it as a crucial hub for AI development, serving enterprises, hyperscale cloud service providers, and government organisations.

Lightpath has announced its entry into a new metro fiber market. Backed by a major hyperscaler partner, the infrastructure provider will be building 102 route miles of fiber and conduit in Columbus OH. … [visit site to read more]

News 

T-Mobile and EQT have finalised their joint venture to acquire US fibre provider Lumos, as the operator looks to expand its fixed broadband offering 

The deal, which was announced last April, will see many Lumos customers transition to T-Mobile Fibre, with the mobile operator assuming responsibility for customer experience, service delivery, and marketing.  

Post acquisition, the business will transition to a wholesale model. T-Mobile will take over customer relationships and use its brand to attract new subscribers.  The joint venture will focus on identifying markets, engineering and designing networks, network deployment, and customer installation. 

As part of the acquisition, T-Mobile will invest $950 million in the JV to fuel the expansion of Lumos’s fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network. 

Lumos currently operates a 7,500-mile fibre network serving around 475,000 homes in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US.

T-Mobile is expected to invest an additional $500 million by 2028, which the joint venture will use to expand its fibre rollout to 3.5 million homes by the end of 2028. Lumos customers will keep their current fibre service, but will gain access to T-Mobile’s support infrastructure, including its retail presence and bundled offerings. 

“T-Mobile is already the fastest-growing broadband provider in America, and expanding into fibre helps us take the next big step in delivering what customers truly want – faster, more reliable internet that simply works,” said Mike Katz, T-Mobile President of Marketing, Strategy and Products in a press release. 

“People deserve better when it comes to their home internet: fewer disruptions, more value, and support that actually feels supportive. We’re excited to welcome Lumos customers to the T-Mobile family and bring them the Un-carrier experience – built around their needs, fuelled by innovation, and focused on making life easier,” he continued. 

Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter 

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Alcatel is planning to restart mobile phone sales in India – or, more accurately perhaps, French technology brand Alcatel, operated independently by China-headquartered TCL Communications under a license from Nokia, is making a comeback in the Indian market.

The brand plans to bring a range of premium smartphones to India, beginning with a model that includes a stylus. It plans to target the mass market.

Importantly this launch seems to be designed to support the aims of the government’s Made in India policy. The smartphones will be made locally, though it’s not clear where the facilities will be sited. There are also plans to establish a pan-India service network to ensure after-sales support.

According to the Economic Times news service, Ansh Rathi, chief operating officer of Alcatel India, says: « By producing our devices within the country, we aim to enhance supply chain efficiency, ensure superior quality, and contribute to India’s growing technology ecosystem.”

India is the world’s second largest smartphone market though not, apparently a fast-growing one. Nevertheless over 150 million shipments every year is a significant number, and one that has already attracted a number of Chinese smartphone brands. India is also receiving a more focused effort from Apple, not yet among the top players, which is now said to be aggressively expanding in India to enter the top five.

The Alcatel announcement follows Acer’s decision last year to sell smartphones through Indkal Technologies. Alcatel started selling mobile phones in India in late 1996, but due to ownership changes was not a part of the smartphone era. It was acquired by Nokia in 2016.

News

The ‘keyless solution’ will allow drivers to access and turn on their vehicle using an app

This week, Vecttor, a subsidiary of Spanish vehicle for hire company Cabify, has announced it will incorporate a new digital key solution from Telefónica Tech and its partner Geotab.

The solution, simply called ‘Keyless’, will allow Vecttor’s drivers to access and turn on their vehicles via the ‘Vecttor Driver’ app, removing the need for a physical key. This, Telefónica Tech explains, will allow Vecttor drivers to share their vehicles more quickly and easily, ‘guaranteeing them a simpler, more comfortable and safer experience, while providing companies with greater flexibility and efficiency in the use of their fleet’.

Use of the app will also provide for extra security by helping to prevent misuse, as well as tracking the real-time location of cars, helping to identify the most efficient drivers.

The deal expands an existing partnership between the three companies, which saw Vecttor implement Geotab’s telematics platform across its fleet back in 2023.

“Technological innovation is fundamental to transform the transport sector and, thanks to the implementation of this solution, it not only improves operational efficiency, but also provides drivers with a smoother and safer experience. The collaboration between Vecttor, Geotab and Telefónica is leading the way towards a more sustainable, innovative and efficient mobility, in line with our commitment to constant improvement,” said Jacobo Domínguez, CEO of Vecttor.

Keyless is compatible with any car model that uses a remotely operated key and is currently being rolled out across Vecttor’s 3,000-strong vehicle fleet in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia, and Malaga.

“Vecttor is at the cutting edge of technology and it is a pleasure that they continue to trust in our experience and that of our partner Geotab so that we can accompany them in their digital transformation with solutions, such as ‘Keyless’, that promote more efficient and sustainable driving. This is yet another example of the important role that connectivity plays in generating data that helps make better business decisions,” explained José Manuel Caramés, IoT pre-sales director at Telefónica Tech.

Keep up to date with the latest telecoms news by subscribing to our newsletter, three times weekly to your inbox. 

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Quickline to extend Yorkshire’s Project Gigabit rollout
‘Adapt or die’: VOX Solutions’ message to telcos in the age of AI
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Three interesting projects from three different corners of the infrastructure sector to catch up with: … [visit site to read more]

News 

Sky has announced 2,000 job cuts across its customer services sector, the Financial Times has reported

The personnel cuts equate to around 7% of the workforce, and would see the closure of three of its ten call centres, Leeds, Sheffield and Stockport call centres, as well as affected operations at its Dunfermline and Newcastle sites. 

The company receives around 25 million customer calls from across Europe each year, which it expects to decrease by a third over the next few years, as customers apparently shift towards AI chatbots and emails. 

A company spokesperson told the FT that its site in Livingston, Scotland will instead receive a multi-million pound investment that will “deliver quicker, simpler and more digital customer service”. 

 The company is seeking to replace “labour intensive “roles with more digital and AI-enabled services, the report read. 

“This is about building a future-ready Sky that continues to put our customers and their needs first,” said a Sky spokesperson. 

“Our customers increasingly want choice, to speak to us on the phone when they need us most and the ease of managing everyday tasks digitally. We’re investing in a new centre of excellence for customer service, alongside cutting-edge digital technology to make our service seamless, reliable, and available 24/7,” they continued. 

Sky says that the implemented changes will “create a faster, smarter and more responsive experience” for customers. 

Keep up to date with the latest telecoms news by subscribing to our newsletter, three times weekly to your inbox. 

Also in the news:
Quickline to extend Yorkshire’s Project Gigabit rollout
‘Adapt or die’: VOX Solutions’ message to telcos in the age of AI
Huawei’s ushers in the AI era with raft of new solutions at MWC 2025