MobiFone Corporation, a leading mobile network operator in Vietnam, and open RAN pioneer Rakuten Symphony have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on a pilot project to jointly deploy a 4G and 5G open RAN mobile network in Vietnam.

The MoU, say the partners, will position MobiFone as one of the first mobile operators in Southeast Asia to deploy open RAN, showcase the technology as a viable and efficient solution for mobile network expansion, and provide technical validation to support the commercial operations of open RAN technology in Vietnam.

A pilot programme will see Rakuten Symphony supplying open RAN solutions and engaging with its ecosystem partners to support the project and provide necessary expertise throughout the pilot phase. MobiFone will ensure required cell and core sites are allocated, that the sites are fully prepared to host open RAN technology, and that a mobile core is available to execute the pilot project.

Mr Vinh Tuan Bao, Deputy General Director, MobiFone, says: “MobiFone has identified open RAN as a strategic pathway to gradually establish technological autonomy in next-generation mobile networks. This collaboration will extend far beyond a mere proof of concept. It will pave the way for deeper, more comprehensive partnerships in the near future.

Rakuten Symphony says it is committed to be a global leader in advanced standardised open RAN innovation and technology, automated quality assurance systems and edge cloud capabilities for next-generation communications.

In what is said to be the first time Google has made a deal with an entire country, the Alphabet Inc-owned technology company has this week signed a major submarine cable agreement with the Chilean government.

The deal involves the deployment of a 14,800-kilometre submarine data cable across the Pacific Ocean to connect with Australia and Asia.

Claimed to be the first submarine cable in the South Pacific, scheduled for deployment next year and set to be operational by 2027, the cable will, the partners suggest, bolster Chile’s digital connectivity with Asian nations, including China, its largest trading partner.

Indeed, Reuters reports that the initiative coincides with intensifying competition between China and the US for influence in Latin America, with submarine cables emerging as crucial infrastructure in their technological rivalry.

However, links with Australia seem to be an equally important driver for the cable’s development. The cable will connect Valparaiso in Chile’s central region to Australia and could support mining operations in both Chile and Australia – for example, allowing mining companies that have operations in Chile and Australia, to have a shared command centre.

The cable could also play a part in advancing Chile’s ambitions to become a regional hub for Latin America. Cristian Ramos, head of telecommunications infrastructure for Alphabet’s Latin American unit, has apparently said that the cable would be open for use by other entities, including technology firms operating in Chile. In addition, Desarrollo Pais, a state-owned partner in the venture involved in developing infrastructure projects, is reportedly looking into linking the cable to Argentina via a border crossing.

Reuters adds that unofficial estimates of the cable’s costs range from US$300 million to US$550 million, with Chile potentially contributing US$25 million.

The Chile-Australia link has been on the drawing board for some time, though not always involving China. In fact Google is not the only partner to have been announced over the years; 2021 saw the involvement of aSingaporean cable company called H2.

In addition, this is not the only submarine cable venture planned between Chile and other countries. As we reported in 2023, Chile is planning a submarine cable to link the southern tip of South America with Antarctica, primarily for research purposes.

ZTE Corporation has released its Sustainability Report 2024, marking the 17th consecutive year the company has proactively disclosed its sustainable commitments and progress to the public.

The ZTE Corporation Sustainability Report 2024 highlights ZTE’s ESG strategies and achievements, showcasing how the company is leveraging digital innovation to drive sustainable transformation across the globe.

Amid the accelerating wave of global digitalization, ZTE remains committed to its role as a « Driver of the Digital Economy », advancing its sustainability agenda on two fronts: by making significant strides in green operations guided by science-based carbon targets, and by enabling digital and low-carbon transformation across industries through cutting-edge technologies.

Xu Ziyang, Executive Director and CEO of ZTE, states in the report, « The new wave of AI-driven technological revolution, particularly the boom of large models and generative AI, has propelled global digital and intelligent transformation. In this critical year filled with both challenges and opportunities, ZTE, as a ‘Driver of Digital Economy’, stayed true to its original aspiration and responded to the call of the times. »

The report reveals that ZTE continues to strengthen its underlying capabilities, scaling up R&D investment to build stronger core competence, with R&D expenses accounting for 19.81% of operating revenue. As of December 31 2024, ZTE had filed 93,000 global patent applications, with over 48,000 granted. Specifically, in the field of chips, ZTE had filed about 5,500 patent applications, with over 2,000 granted. In the field of AI, the company had filed more than 5,000 patent applications, with nearly half of them already granted, demonstrating strong innovation and technological capabilities.

Advancing Green Strategies to Tackle Climate Challenges

ZTE centers its core drive on technological innovation, continuously deepening its green development strategy to address climate change challenges and promote the coordinated advancement of digital intelligence and sustainability across industries. In 2024, ZTE received official approval from the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for its near-term 1.5°C target and long-term net-zero targets. In the same year, ZTE published the ZTE Net-Zero Strategy White Paper.

The company continues to advance its « Green Digital Path » initiative across four dimensions: green corporate operations, green supply chain, green digital infrastructure, and green empowerment. ZTE has been named to the prestigious CDP A list for leading climate action for two consecutive years, reinforcing its global climate leadership.

In terms of green corporate operations, ZTE has achieved the remarkable feat of increasing revenue while reducing energy consumption, thanks to years of continuous effort. In 2024, the company improved its energy efficiency by 20% compared with 2021, and recorded a 13.4% reduction in Scope 1&2 emissions compared to the previous year. Its telecom products saw an 8.39% reduction in physical emissions intensity during the use and maintenance phase, while its terminal products achieved a 5.02% year-on-year reduction in absolute emissions over the entire product lifecycle. ZTE reduced its Scope 1&2&3 carbon emissions by 14.317 million tons in 2024 compared to 2023 levels.

For green supply chain, in 2024, ZTE has integrated dual-carbon strategy requirements into supplier management IT systems, including agreement signing, on-site audits, and performance assessments. In this year, ZTE conducted onsite CSR audits for 261 production suppliers (representing 86.9% of the top 90% suppliers by procurement amount).

Regarding green digital infrastructure, ZTE boasts over 800 green innovation patents. As of 2024, the company has conducted carbon footprint assessments for 154 products, covering all its product categories. Through its end-to-end green solutions, ZTE continues to help global operators save over 10 billion kWh of electricity annually.

In green empowerment of industries, ZTE has actively integrated cloud and network infrastructure, IoT, big data, AI and other cutting-edge technologies with traditional industries to achieve a win-win outcome of development and emission reduction. The company has partnered with over 2,000 leading industry players to carry out 5G-powered innovative green practices across 18 sectors—including steel, metallurgy, electronics manufacturing, ports, rail transit, mining, and power—pioneering more than 100 innovative application scenarios.

Upholding a People-Centered Approach to Foster an Inclusive Society

ZTE has pursued sustainable development by advancing both technological leadership and CSR fulfillment. By leveraging its technological advantages, it provides tailored digital solutions to global customers, helping to bridge the digital divide and accelerate digital transformation worldwide. For example, ZTE and Orange have jointly launched the « Enhance Rural Area » project, delivering communications infrastructure to rural regions in Liberia and enabling digital access for more than 580,000 people in remote areas. In Anyang, Henan, the company supported the development of a drone-based blood delivery system, effectively addressing the « last mile » challenge in urban medical logistics. In Hainan, ZTE ensured uninterrupted emergency communications with satellite terminals during Typhoon Yagi.

ZTE upholds a people-oriented philosophy. In 2024, ZTE achieved 100% employee training coverage and its ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems certification now covers offices in 30 countries.

In 2024, ZTE carried out 310 regular public welfare activities across various fields, including rural revitalization, education support, and medical and disaster relief. With the joint efforts of 15,000 employee volunteers, the company has provided assistance to over one million people in need, continuously delivering warmth and creating social value.

Strengthening Governance to Enhance Corporate Resilience

Xie Junshi, EVP and COO of ZTE, states in the report, « Committed to innovation-driven and sustainable development, ZTE has embedded ESG into every aspect of its operations. By harnessing digital and intelligent technologies, we are developing a development model that coexists harmoniously with nature and society, while exploring a path for business continuity in the new era. »

Integrating sustainable development with its corporate strategies, ZTE aspires to strengthen its core competitiveness with a focus on its vision and three strategic cornerstones—internal control, compliance, and talent. In 2024, ZTE upgraded the corporate governance system and established the Strategy and Sustainability Committee to better incorporate the philosophy of sustainable development into its strategies and business activities.

In terms of corporate risk prevention and control, ZTE places particular emphasis on identifying and responding to emerging risks. As AI technology rapidly transforms the world, it brings immense business opportunities while also raising widespread concerns over ethical risks such as privacy infringement and algorithmic bias. To proactively address these challenges, ZTE established the Science and Technology Ethics Committee in 2024, demonstrating high-level organizational commitment to ethical governance. In addition, the company has put in place a technology ethics governance framework to review and assess AI-related R&D projects individually, ensuring the safe, reliable, and inclusive development of AI.

As a member of the UN Global Compact and the Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative and a key participant and a pioneer in the Partner2Connect (P2C) Digital Coalition initiated by the International Telecommunication Union, ZTE has received widespread recognition from numerous global authoritative organizations and rating agencies for its exemplary sustainability practices.

In 2024, ZTE was recognized with EcoVadis Gold Medal for sustainability excellence. In addition, the company was selected for the S&P Global’s Sustainability Yearbook 2024 (China Edition) and honored with the title of « Industry Mover ». It was also listed among the 2024 Forbes China ESG 50 list and received the World Internet Conference Distinguished Contribution Award. Furthermore, ZTE won two BDO ESG awards, as well as the LinkedIn MostIn Awards – Global Talent Magnet Employer, among others.

Moving forward, ZTE will continue to promote sustainable development globally, leveraging technological innovation and international collaboration to inject digital vitality into efforts toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, working toward a greener, more inclusive, and resilient future.

For more details of ZTE Sustainability Report 2024, please download:

https://www.zte.com.cn/content/dam/zte-site/investorrelations/en_announcement/ZTE_Sustainability_Report_2024_EN.pdf

At a recent roundtable discussion, Veon’s Lasha Tabidze described how the group is positioning itself as a service delivery company with LLMs at the core of its AI strategy.

The group has just launched AI Tutor, a Kazakh-language AI-powered learning assistant built on the locally developed KazLLM large language model created by its local operating and software development units, Beeline Kazakhstan and Qazcode. AI Tutor is embedded into Beeline’s Janymda super-app and offers modules to support Kazakh language learning for children and adults, although its capabilities will be expanded in the future.

Tabidze noted that operators are playing a ‘different game’ from hyperscalers with their approach to AI, noting that operators offer the cheapest digital distribution channel, allowing them to push products at a mass level. This is essential for customer-facing AI, as it allows consumers to see the value immediately. Similarly, it allows easier access for businesses to use KazLLM ‘as a service’ and train it using their own data to tailor it for their specific industry.

This ‘LLM-as-a-service’ concept leans on Veon’s tech expertise, with proprietary AI built on top of foundational models, i.e. the more widely known generative AI models such as Meta’s Llama, Google’s Gemini, or DeepSeek, which are used as a baseline. The LLM can then be monetised on a subscription basis to educational institutions etc – Tabidze claims that the main component for creating value is “where AI touches the people”, i.e. augmented and agentic intelligence. By putting this value in people’s hands, they understand it and so are willing to pay for it. Veon intends for companies to use KazLLM to develop internal agents that will help improve the model’s efficiency and drive digital inclusion in this market, for example by helping small businesses upscale their operations. Tabidze notes that developing Kazakh-language educational services delivered a huge nationwide benefit, highlighting the importance of identifying the key focus areas for each market.

“On top [of foundational models] you create the layer where data is secured, created by local people, which is trusted by not only governments or the private sector, but also people like us. When…you trust the company, you start to use it more in your daily work and life. [Our] Kazakh language [LLM], now it’s very good – it’s 40% more precise than if you try to do the same thing through – for example – ChatGPT in the Kazakh language. We started small, and then we scaled – and on the way, we’re learning…it’s very important that several parties are involved. You cannot develop it yourself. You have to have good relationships with every academic institution.”

By forming both public and private partnerships, operators foster trust from all sides, allowing them to become service enablers. International partnerships provide access to databases across different languages, improving its offering and thereby underlining the value of the LLM to the user base. Telcos have spent years amassing data on customer behaviour in a single silo, which is a huge advantage as most siloed data is unstructured and in different formats. Tabidze stated that while the model is transferrable, the datasets are not; structuring the data to be fed into the model is challenging, as is data enrichment on locally developed LLMs where wider datasets are not available. “We’ll have [data] specifically tailored for farming… for healthcare. if some other companies, startups or regular companies, have different very good data sets, that’s where partnership with companies comes into [play]…so you cannot have the closed ecosystem.”

Veon aims to create versions of KazLLM for its other markets, using local insight to help train the model in linguistic nuances, on top of the foundational models. Tabidze named Bangladesh, Pakistan and Ukraine as potential target markets.

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) announced on Tuesday it has formed a partnership with technology solutions provider DWP Technologies to modernize its data centre infrastructure with software-driven enterprise and mid-tier storage platforms from Dell Technologies.

PTCL said its modernisation project aims to upgrade its storage infrastructure to streamline its operations, boost operational efficiency, enhance performance, and ensure scalability to meet the growing data demands of its network.

Among the operational benefits promised by the upgrade include a significant reduction in PTCL’s data centre footprint, along with its power and cooling requirements, leading to lower operational costs and greater energy efficiency, the telco said.

The upgraded infrastructure will also be designed to elevate PTCL’s service delivery and operational effectiveness by incorporating a three-site active-active metro architecture. PTCL said this will enable it to maintain continuous service even during localized disruptions.

PTCL added that its current mission-critical platform and ecosystem that supports PTCL and Ufone4G spanning three sites using enterprise replication services (SRDF) will remain fully supported and maintained throughout the modernisation initiative with no service interruptions.

By modernizing our infrastructure, we are not only enhancing our operational capabilities but also reinforcing our commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions to our enterprise customers,” said Jafar Khalid, group chief technology and information officer for PTCL and Ufone 4G.

Qatar regulator the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) has announced that it has opened access to more than 4,860 kilometres of government telecom duct infrastructure across Qatar.

This move forms part of CRA’s broader regulatory mandate to optimise the use of national telecom assets, enable licensed service providers to scale their networks more efficiently, and support the delivery of high-quality digital services to homes and businesses.

The CRA says the initiative also reflects CRA’s strategic objective to promote fair and open access to essential telecom infrastructure – reducing duplicate deployments, improving investment efficiency, and accelerating the rollout of next-generation technologies such as fibre to the home (FTTH) and 5G. 

Delivered in collaboration with the country’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal), the infrastructure spans 60 projects and covers over 40,000 residential, commercial, and government premises nationwide. The rollout is governed by a 2014 memorandum of understanding (MoU) between CRA and Ashghal, which formalised planning, construction and transfer protocols.

This isn’t a new concept. In fact it seems that, to date, more than 15,500 premises have been connected via the CRA-managed government telecom duct infrastructure. Operator Ooredoo has utilised 468 kilometres of ducts to serve 2,010 consumers’ premises, while another operator, Vodafone Qatar, has deployed 251 kilometres to connect 1,150 of its consumers.

CRA oversees access to the network through its Duct Management System (DMS), a geographic information systems (GIS)-based digital platform that facilitates real-time capacity visibility, application processing, and coordination for network extensions. This, says CRA, ensures transparency, efficiency, and alignment with national infrastructure policy.

GoTo, described as the largest digital ecosystem in Indonesia, and service provider Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH) have announced the launch of a new, enhanced version of Sahabat-AI, an Indonesian large language model launched in mid-November last year.

Launch versions of Sahabat-AI offered a mere eight or nine billion parameters. Now upgraded to 70 billion parameters, Sahabat-AI offers enhanced accuracy, enabling the launch of the new Sahabat-AI chat service, which is built with strong reasoning capabilities, enabling users to ask questions and receive insightful, natural-language responses. It is one of the many use cases made possible by the more powerful model.

More importantly perhaps, the latest model can now operate across five local languages: national language Bahasa Indonesia, as well as Javanese, Sundanese, Balinese and Bataknese, in addition to a number of international languages.

As news service Forbes points out, this development is part of a drive to preserve local culture and dialects amid a global surge in AI development, currently led by models trained in the US and China.

Of course the term ‘local languages’ may imply modest numbers of speakers. However, local languages in Indonesia can boast tens of millions of speakers. This LLM therefore gives the new service access to many rural Indonesians that may not speak English or even Bahasa Indonesia.

There is, inevitably, a digital sovereignty angle to all of this. All data and GPU infrastructure used to serve the model are stored within Indonesian territory or on users’ own servers, ensuring compliance with national data regulations. By localising data storage and processing, its creators argue, Sahabat-AI also opens up new opportunities for the Indonesian government and public sector to build secure, sovereign AI-powered services.

Indeed, the model is optimised to run on locally accessible infrastructure, enabling a broader range of users, from early-stage startups and university labs to large-scale public service institutions, to integrate AI into their workflows.

For developers, the LLM can be freely downloaded, an open access approach that GoTo and IOH say empowers Indonesia’s broader AI ecosystem to build, experiment, and collaborate – encouraging the creation of AI applications tailored to local needs.

Real estate companies Greykite and White Star Real Estate say that their joint venture has successfully converted a former logistics facility in Warsaw into a state-of-the-art data centre, now known as Digital Ursus and claimed to be Poland’s largest data centre.

Launched last year, Greykite is an independent European real estate investment firm established and headquartered in London. White Star Real Estate is an international real estate company active in Central and Eastern Europe since 1997.

The two companies launched a US$339 million Polish logistics and data centre joint venture last year. It took over three sites (in Warsaw, Gliwice, and Strykow) that White Star had developed under its Diamond Business Park brand. The Ursus site was built by White Star between 2013 and 2019.

The reported site transformation includes a significant upgrade in power capacity, increasing from 18 MW to an anticipated 65 MW within the next year. This enhancement, the partners say, positions Digital Ursus as a critical node in Europe’s expanding digital landscape.

This 20,000 square metre facility, strategically located just eight kilometres from downtown Warsaw and six kilometres from Chopin Airport, has secured a long-term lease with a leading global data centre operator, believed to be EdgeConneX, which, the Data Centre Dynamic website reports, has signed a 15-year lease.

The site adds that EdgeConneX, in turn, is reportedly leasing the site for use by one of the ‘five largest tech companies’ globally and is to invest hundreds of millions of euros into the project. The company currently operates 2.5MW of capacity and 1,400 square metres of data centre space across three facilities in Warsaw.

Poland’s data centre market in general – and Warsaw in particular – is experiencing rapid growth, with projections indicating a tripling of power resources by 2030.

The latest spectrum licence auction in Thailand has apparently only attracted two bidders: True Corporation and Advanced Info Service (AIS) – and they do not seem interested in all the spectrum on offer. So what happens now?

The Bangkok Post reports that AIS and True submitted bid proposals to regulator the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) along with bank guarantees of 10% of the reserve price of each spectrum band for which they plan to bid, as required by the auction rules, after the NBTC opened the one-day period to submit licence bid applications on Thursday.

The NBTC plans to auction four spectrum bands on 29 June: 850MHz, 1500MHz, 2100MHz and 2300MHz. However, reports suggest that AIS and True will be targeting only the 2100MHZ and 2300MHz bands 

For the 850MHz band two 2x5Mhz lots are available at a minimum  bid per lot of 7.738 billion baht (about US$235.8 million). For 2100 MHz, the three lots (each 2×5 MHz) require a minimum bid per lot of 4.5 billion baht (US$137.1 million). For 2300 MHz there are seven 10Mhz lots priced at a minimum per lot of 2.596 billion baht (US$79.1 million).

Finally 1500 MHz will need to attract a bid per 5MHz lot of at least 1.057 billion baht (US$32.2 million); there are 11 lots.

Following the application period, the NBTC will review applicants’ qualifications from 30 May to 5 June, then submit results to its own board for consideration. We can expect announcements between 6-13 June. Appeals can be filed from 16-18 June.

Qualified bidders will be announced on 19 June. A mock auction will then take place on 23 June, followed by the real thing on 29 June.

It’s not clear what will happen to the unsold spectrum. In addition, according to the Bangkok Post, a group led by the Thailand Consumer Council recently submitted a joint petition to the Central Administrative Court seeking to scrap the auction, claiming it could affect consumer interests and will lead to a market monopoly.

Vitel Wireless claims to be the first Nigerian MVNO to achieve full interconnection with all major mobile network operators (MNOs), as it prepares for a nationwide launch later this year.

In a statement, Vitel said the milestone will allow its subscribers to make and receive calls with users on MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom (Glo), and 9mobile.

The interconnectivity was established through a combination of direct fibre connections and indirect routing via third-party providers.

This development follows several other firsts for Vitel. It was the first of 46 MVNOs licensed by the Nigerian Communications Commission to be allocated a numbering plan, as well as national and international routing codes. Vitel also launched a location awareness network and was the first to announce a strategic nationwide rollout plan.

“We are gathering momentum for our big launch,” said Kenneth Emeka Nwabueze, MFR, Chairman and CEO of Vitel Wireless. “We are proud to be showing what’s possible for MVNOs, while also creating a path for others to follow. By leveraging our years of experience in Nigeria’s telecom industry, we are opening up new possibilities where there used to be none.”

Vitel plans to pilot its network in May 2025, with a full nationwide deployment scheduled for July, aiming to connect “millions across Nigeria.”