Lots of interesting news from around the industry to catch up with before Easter: … [visit site to read more]

Telecoms infrastructure provider Helios Towers has unveiled a plan to invest US$100 million to expand its telecoms infrastructure in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with backing from the National Agency for the Promotion of Investments (ANAPI).

Under an agreement between Helios Towers DRC and ANAPI, Helios’ expansion program will cover all 23 provinces including Kinshasa, Upper Katanga, Kongo Central, Maniema, Ituri, Kasai Central, Eastern Kasai, Kwilu, Mai-Ndombe, Mongala, North Kivu, North Ubangi, Sankuru, South Kivu, Lualaba, Tanganyika, Tshopo, Ecuador, Upper Uélé, South Ubangi, Upper Lomami and Kasai.

Helios said it aims to significantly strengthen network coverage throughout the DRC and meet growing demand for connectivity and digital services.

ANAPI said it has been supporting Helios Towers projects in the DRC since 2011, injecting more than US$200 million across several phases of investment.

ANAPI director general Rachel Pungu Luamba said that apart from the telecoms infrastructure gains, the latest expansion project will also create around a hundred direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs for young Congolese.

« This investment illustrates the renewed confidence of international partners in the economic potential of the DRC, as well as the effectiveness of the reforms undertaken to improve the business climate, » she said at a press event in Kinshasa announcing the investment plan on Tuesday.

She added that the Helios investment also serves the government’s National Digital Plan « Horizon 2025 » and the « DRC Digital Nation 2030 » vision, which aim to make digital tech a pillar of economic and social development.

BDx Data Centers, an owner and operator of data centres in Asia, has announced the successful close of a US$320 million loan facility, marking what it calls a major milestone in the company’s commitment to building world-class digital infrastructure across Asia.

The transaction is led by Bank Permata, BCA, and KB Bank.

This facility will support several strategic initiatives, including the further development of CGK3, BDx’s AI-focused data centre campus in Jakarta’s emerging central business district, which went live in September 2025.

Purpose-built to meet the rapidly growing demand for high-density compute infrastructure, CGK3 is among the first liquid-cooled campuses in Jakarta, which is designed to support the most advanced and power-intensive AI workloads being adopted by enterprises and hyperscalers.

In addition, the loan proceeds will be used to refinance existing debt on more favourable terms and to fund investments to increase the high-voltage grid capacity at BDx’s Jatiluhur (CGK4) and Suryacipta (CGK5) campuses, also in Indonesia, to 1.2 GVA. BDx says these campuses are being developed to cater to the increasing demand from US and regional hyperscaler and AI customers.

The focus on Indonesia appears to be no coincidence. BDX says Indonesia represents one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic digital growth markets, and BDx’s investments in energy-efficient facilities designed for long-term resilience and sustainable growth are aligned with the region’s accelerating AI and cloud adoption.

Mayank Srivastava, CEO of BDx Data Centers, adds: “By investing in AI-optimised liquid-cooling infrastructure, high-voltage power platforms, and scalable campuses, we are developing the next generation of infrastructure for ‘AI factories’ with ultra-high-density GPU workloads.”

The rumor mill went from zero to 60 late yesterday afternoon after a report by TMT Finance. Uniti Group might be getting an offer soon, with T-Mobile and TPG looking to divide things up. T-Mobile is interested in the last mile, while TPG would be looking at the wholesale and enterprise fiber. … [visit site to read more]

African ministers and partners have adopted a declaration agreeing to develop telecoms infrastructure as a strategic pan-African foundation for sovereignty, resilience, inclusion and economic transformation.

The Algiers Declaration on African Telecommunications Sovereignty and Integrated Connectivity (2026–2030) was adopted on Sunday in Algiers at the end of a ministerial summit during the first Global Africa Tech event, which wrapped up on Monday.

The declaration lays out a shared commitment to deliver meaningful and affordable connectivity for all, with priority to rural and underserved communities.

The declaration also calls for building integrated continental infrastructure that links terrestrial, subsea and satellite networks; strengthening local digital infrastructure such as data centres, internet exchange points and trusted cloud capabilities; and protecting critical telecoms infrastructure and enhancing resilience and cybersecurity.

Signatories also pledged to promote trusted, secure, and interoperable digital ecosystems, and invest in human capital and local industry to anchor long-term digital sovereignty.

William Kabogo Gitau, cabinet secretary for Kenya’s Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy (MICDE), said in a Facebook post on Sunday that the Algiers Declaration recognises that the digital divide is not only a development challenge, but a question of sovereignty and that inclusion and sovereignty must advance together.

“As a continent, we must now focus on implementation, coordination, and measurable progress ensuring that this shared vision translates into tangible outcomes for our citizens,” Gitau said. “Africa is moving with clarity and purpose towards a connected, resilient, and sovereign digital future.”

Five priorities for the work ahead

Selma Malika Haddadi, deputy chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), said in a keynote address at Global Africa Tech on Saturday that while various countries across Africa have made individual progress in developing their own digital infrastructure and striking interconnectivity agreements, more needs to be done to unify those efforts for Africa as a whole to reach its full digital potential.

“No matter how interoperable our systems become, no matter how advanced our networks grow, no matter how many platforms, protocols and networks we develop, they will remain incomplete if they are not underpinned by a shared continental and political will,” Haddadi said. “We cannot build systems that connect Africans if we remain disconnected in vision. We cannot build a trusted continental infrastructure without also building trust in one another. We cannot speak of interoperability while tolerating fragmentation of purpose. Pan-Africanism reminds us that Africa rises most strongly when it acts in coherence.”

Haddadi illustrated the scope of the work ahead with statistics from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) showing that mobile broadband covered 86% of Africa’s population at the end of 2024, yet 14% still had no way of connecting at all, especially in rural areas where that figure rose to 25%.

“Even more telling is the usage gap: millions live within network coverage, yet remain excluded by the cost of devices, the cost of data, limited digital skills, and low trust in digital systems,” she said. “This is not a marginal issue for the Africa we are building.”

Haddadi outlined five priorities that should guide work going forward: a resilient and diversified connectivity architecture across land, sea, and emerging space-based systems, closing the usage gap with affordable services and digital literacy, localisation of compute and data capacity, interoperability and reduction of regulatory fragmentation, and cross-border spectrum and technical coordination.

“The moving pieces are already in place,” she said. “What is now required is disciplined alignment, deliberate investment, and collective resolve.”

Three bits of FTTx news, plus two international projects: … [visit site to read more]

Intelligent transport solutions company Siemens Mobility has been awarded a contract to deliver the advanced signalling and rail infrastructure technology solution European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 1 for the Mexico City – Querétaron – Irapuato railway corridor.

Siemens Mobility, a separately managed company of technology giant Siemens, will be delivering the solution alongside digital transformation services company Sonda Mexico.

Spanning more than 300 kilometres and serving eleven passenger stations, the project is part of Mexico’s federal initiative to modernise passenger rail infrastructure. This is Siemens Mobility’s first ETCS contract in Mexico.

Siemens Mobility will also deliver, for the first time in Latin America, its TPS.plan software, a powerful train planning system that optimises timetables and rail operations, alongside ETCS Level 1 wayside signalling, an operational control centre and backup, as well as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems. Consortium partner Sonda will provide telecommunications, CCTV and civil works. 

ETCS is a standardised signalling and control system that enhances rail safety by continuously supervising train speed and movement authority. It replaces fragmented national systems with a common standard.

TPS.plan is a cutting-edge software solution developed by Siemens subsidiary HaCon. This application enables precise timetable and track path optimisation by leveraging microscopic infrastructure modeling to create conflict-free schedules. TPS.plan also simplifies coordination by granting stakeholders full access to the most up-to-date planning status, ensuring efficient and seamless rail operations.

The project, say the partners, will significantly enhance mobility for workers, students and commuters in the Bajío region. By connecting the capital with the states of Hidalgo, Querétaro, and Guanajuato, they add, the line strengthens regional connectivity to Mexico City, boosts economic competitiveness, and aligns with federal goals for sustainable passenger rail

The rise of AI is changing not just the data center world, but the network infrastructure that connects it.  It seems like just yesterday that intercity and last mile fiber were things that didn’t get invested in. That has all flipped, and network operators have been moving rapidly to meet demand.  We spoke with Dan Stoll, President of Commercial and Carrier at Fidium, about how the network landscape is evolving. … [visit site to read more]

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has refuted media reports claiming that its recently updated technical specs for type-approval of mobile devices is a move to ban or phase out low-cost or entry-level devices.

The new specs, published last Tuesday, include a requirement that all mobile devices seeking type approval – including smartphones, feature phones, and tablets – must use a USB Type-C charging interface. The specs also state that the charging cable must be detachable from the power adapter.

Some local media reports took this requirement as a move to ban existing low-end legacy handsets that mostly use Micro-USB or proprietary charging ports.

In a statement issued Thursday, the CA said this was not the case, clarifying that the new specs only apply to new devices that have not yet been type-approved for sale, importation, assembly or use in Kenya, regardless of price point.

“Phones and tablets that were already type-approved prior to March 24th, 2026, or that are already in circulation and in use by Kenyans, remain fully legal,” the CA said. “There is no ban on the use, ownership, or continued sale of existing stock that was previously approved.”

The CA added that type-approved mobile devices that are in shipment and enroute to Kenya or awaiting shipment are also not affected by the new requirements.

The regulator said that the new USB-C specs are intended to promote consumer protection and safety, enhance interoperability and standardization of devices, reduce electronic waste by minimizing the proliferation of incompatible chargers, and align Kenya with emerging global best practices in device manufacturing and sustainability.