Kazakh telco Transtelecom JSC says it has signed a partnership agreement with national postal operator QazPost to expand telecoms services to rural areas in Kazakhstan’s Kyzylorda region.

Under the framework agreement announced on Tuesday, Transtelecom and QazPost aim to connect rural settlements and develop digital infrastructure of Kyzylorda, which sits in the southwest on the Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan border.

The agreement calls for QazPost employees to help residents in Kyzylorda connect to Transtelecom services.

Kanat Syrlybayev, MD of Transtelecom’s Kyzylorda branch, said the partnership will get people connected faster and make the Internet more accessible in remote areas, reducing the gap in telecoms services acces access between cities and the countryside.

« It is important for us that residents of rural settlements have the same access to communication as in cities,” Syrlybayev said in a statement. “Partnership with QazPost allows us to bring our services faster to people where it is really needed.”

Five bits of regional news to catch up with from around North America: … [visit site to read more]

Amazon announced on Tuesday it will officially acquire LEO satellite operator Globalstar in a deal valued at up to US$11.5 billion as part of its strategy to enter the direct-to-device (D2D) satellite sector.

As part of the agreement – rumours of which have been circulating since the beginning of this month – Amazon will acquire Globalstar’s existing satellite operations, infrastructure and assets, including its mobile satellite services (MSS) spectrum licenses with global authorizations.

Globalstar currently operates 31 LEO satellites, including seven HIBLEO-4 satellites licensed by the US and 24 HIBLEO-X satellites licensed by France. Globalstar is currently in the process of replacing its HIBLEO-4 fleet with 17 new satellites supplied by MDA Space.

Amazon said Globalstar’s existing satellite fleet and its new satellites with expanded MSS capabilities will operate alongside its LEO satellite constellation, enabling its Amazon Leo unit to add D2D to its service portfolio ahead of its own planned next-gen D2D satellite system, which is scheduled to start deploying in 2028.

Amazon said its D2D LEO system will offer substantially higher spectrum use and efficiency than existing D2D systems, which translates into faster speeds and better performance for customers. It will also integrate seamlessly with Amazon’s first- and second-generation LEO systems, combining fixed and mobile satellite services to support a wide range of customers and use cases.

Financial breakdown

The financial terms of the deal give Globalstar stockholders a choice between US$90.00 in cash per share of Globalstar common stock they own, or 0.3210 shares of Amazon common stock with a value capped at $90.00 per share. Amazon said Globalstar stockholders holding around 58% of the combined voting power of the outstanding shares of Globalstar common stock have approved the transaction in writing.

The transaction is expected to close in 2027, pending the usual regulatory approvals. The deal also hinges on Globalstar staying on track with its HIBLEO-4 replacement plan.

“By combining Globalstar’s proven expertise and strong foundation with Amazon’s customer-obsession and innovation, customers can expect faster, more reliable service in more places,” said Panos Panay, Amazon’s SVP of devices and services, in a statement.

“The combination [of Globalstar] with Amazon Leo will advance innovations in digital connectivity that will benefit our customers and advance us toward a more intelligent, continuously connected world,” added Globalstar CEO Paul Jacobs.

D2D satellite race

The acquisition essentially enables Amazon Leo to get into the D2D satellite game earlier, as rivals like Starlink have already launched commercial services in a handful of markets.

It also gives Amazon Leo access to MSS spectrum that is already allocated and licenced, which MSS satellite players argue gives them an edge in the D2D race over operators such as Starlink, Lynk Global and AST Spacemobile that use existing terrestrial mobile network spectrum.

D2D satellite has been pitched in the past couple of years as a way to bring mobile voice and data services to underserved and unserved areas, particularly in emerging markets.

However, mobile operators from emerging markets warned at this year’s Mobile World Congress that the regulatory environment has not kept pace with the rise of D2D, which creates risks for terrestrial mobile operators.

Satellite operators themselves have expressed similar concerns over regulatory readiness for D2D services.

Apple iPhones to stay connected

On a side note, Amazon also announced on Tuesday that it has signed an agreement with Apple to continue to provide satellite connectivity via the Globalstar network for current and future iPhone and Apple Watch features.

That agreement is an extension of a current partnership established in 2022 between Globalstar and Apple to power satellite service on iPhone 14 or later, as well as Apple Watch Ultra 3, allowing users to text emergency services, message friends and family, request roadside assistance and share their location.

Apple currently owns a 20% equity stake in Globalstar, which it bought in November 2024 as part of a deal to invest US$1.5 billion in Globalstar to fund its new satellites.

Three network expansion projects on three continents to catch up with: … [visit site to read more]

TM Nxera – the JV comprising Telekom Malaysia and Singaporean data centre operator Nxera – completed construction of its first hyperscale AI-ready data centre in Johor on Friday.

The Tier-III data centre, located in Iskandar Puteri in Johor, will initially support 64MW of capacity, and is designed to scale up to 200MW as demand increases, supporting large computing and AI capabilities required by customers such as cloud hyperscalers and GPU-as-a-Service providers.

TM Nxera said in a LinkedIn post that its topping out ceremony “marks a significant milestone, reflecting the progress, effort, and dedication that have brought us to this stage.”

The company said it’s also looking forward to making the facility ready for service, although it didn’t provide a specific target date. TM Nxera has previously said the facility would start commercial operations sometime this year.

The data centre has been in the works since June 2024, when TM and Nxera announced they were forming a JV to develop data centres in Malaysia.

In January, TM Nxera signed a multi-year agreement with Tenaga Nasional (TNB) to supply 280MW of power for the data centre.

Nxera CEO Bill Chang said in a separate LinkedIn post on Friday that he was “really happy to see the rapid, smooth and safe progress of the buildout of this large scale AI DC specially designed to host some of the most demanding AI workloads in the industry.”

Operator Telecom Namibia and regulator the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) have officially entered into a strategic partnership.

Described as a  milestone event, the partnership marks the commencement of Phase 2 of the Universal Service Fund (USF) project, a critical initiative designed to bridge the digital divide in Namibia’s underserved rural areas.

The agreement followed a successful bidding process in which Telecom Namibia was awarded a subsidy of N$9,796,650 (just under US$600,000). These funds are dedicated to the deployment of vital telecommunications infrastructure across key sites, ensuring that remote communities gain access to reliable and high-quality communication services.

Under the terms of the signed agreement, Telecom Namibia will facilitate the construction of new radio access network (RAN) sites, engineered to significantly improve mobile broadband and voice services.

A central component of this partnership is a commitment to provide free connectivity to all educational and health facilities within the coverage of these RAN sites for a period of seven years, directly supporting socioeconomic development. The infrastructure deployment will target underserved areas in at least eight regions. 

Mrs Emilia Nghikembua, CEO of CRAN, says: “The Universal Service Fund is a cornerstone of our strategy to ensure inclusive communication services. Through a transparent and rigorous selection process, we have partnered with Telecom Namibia to accelerate our 2024–2027 digital infrastructure goals. We are confident that this phase will have a lasting, positive impact on the lives of those in the most remote regions of our country.”

Social media platform TikTok and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the institutional representative of more than 45 million companies in over 170 countries, have announced the launch of the Digital Commerce Labs programme.

This is described as a global programme designed to unlock digital commerce opportunities for small businesses in select markets across Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia.

As TikTok points out, businesses of all sizes use the platform to reach new customers and build their brands. The initiative will leverage TikTok’s suite of digital commerce tools and reach with ICC’s expertise on international trade, powerful network of national committees and chambers of commerce to expand access to training, mentorship and digital resources.

Through this partnership, TikTok and ICC say they will equip small businesses with digital skills and tools to increase revenue opportunities, expand market access and build long-term resilience.

They add that by connecting global expertise with local business communities, the Digital Commerce Labs will create a scalable education model that can be replicated across markets to help entrepreneurs translate digital knowledge into real-world growth opportunities.

The programme is designed to build long-term digital commerce ecosystems by working in close collaboration with national chambers and local organisations. The programme will deliver learning and economic impact through three integrated components: community building – bringing small businesses together through virtual and in-person sessions with relevant local ecosystem partners; self-led online training modules hosted on a dedicated learning platform; and virtual classrooms providing instructor-led learning opportunities where entrepreneurs can engage directly with industry experts.

The Digital Commerce Labs programme is expected to launch across ten countries, supporting entrepreneurs through community programming, digital learning resources and virtual training sessions.

The programme will launch in select markets across Latin America and Africa this spring, followed by a broader expansion across Africa and to Thailand later this year.

This Industry Viewpoint was authored by Tony Thakur, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Great Plains Communications (GPC)

Across the Midwest, in emerging growth corridors and across the nation, we’ve seen a recurring pattern: organizations believe they are protected because they have redundant connectivity until an outage proves otherwise. The issue is rarely bandwidth. It is about overall network resiliency and a strategy to mitigate during an outage. … [visit site to read more]