The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) said on Monday it has launched the AI Skills Coalition, an initiative to bridge the global AI skills gap that has the backing of 27 organizations, including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, the East Africa Community and Cognizant.

According to the ITU, the coalition will serve as an online platform for AI education and capacity building that will also encourage inclusive participation by offering open and accessible skills training on generative AI, machine learning and applying AI for sustainable development.

The rise of AI has prompted the telecoms and ICT sectors to prep their digital infrastructures and data centres to support bandwidth and compute-intensive AI workloads. Meanwhile, an estimated 94% of global business leaders already see AI as critical for the success of their organizations, according to a recent AI for Good Impact Report published by ITU and Deloitte.

However, insufficient technical skills and the need for extensive upskilling and reskilling are among key barriers to broader AI adoption globally, as well as a considerable lack of trust in AI amid fears that it will replace human jobs, the ITU said. Recent announcements regarding the launch of AI cloud infrastructure investments in developing markets by big-name players like Google, AWS and Microsoft have typically come with promises of local AI skills training, but the ITU says a more global and inclusive approach is needed to address the issue and ensure more stakeholders are involved.

The AI Skills Coalition aims to will provide educational materials that can bolster skills for the future and address global inequalities in AI knowledge. Meanwhile, the ITU will work with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to leverage UNDP’s presence in over 170 countries and territories to deliver AI capacity development directly to partner countries.

“Capacity development is the number one ask from the developing countries that we work in,” said Achim Steiner, administrator of UNDP. “As part of this Coalition, we will work with our partners to deliver crucial foundational AI training, so that policy-makers and national governments can responsibly harness AI to achieve sustainable development.”

The initiative will also addresses underrepresentation of marginalized groups such as women, youth, and persons with disabilities in the development of AI products and services, the ITU said.

The coalition initiative will be rolled out in phases, starting with the launch of a new training platform developed by the ITU in March 2025. The platform will include a comprehensive training portfolio and a customizable digital library of AI material supplied by coalition members, as well as self-paced courses, webinars, access to in-person workshops, and hybrid programs tailored to diverse learning needs – all offered free of charge,

The coalition will also develop specialized government training in AI governance, ethics, and policymaking to address the specific needs of developing countries and least developed countries (LDCs), the ITIU said.

There has been a significant fiber M&A in the North Atlantic. The pan-European network operator EXA Infrastructure has agreed to acquire Ireland-based Aqua Comms. It’s a rare example of the inorganic purchase of a nearly pure play subsea cable business. … [visit site to read more]

The middle mile and metro fiber sector has been an organic story over the past few years after all the M&A in the prior decade.  Bluebird Fiber is one of the regional operators that emerged from that era, and backed by Macquarie they have been quietly investing in fiber and data center assets across a footprint centered on Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa.  With us today to talk about their approach is Jason Adkins, who was named CEO of Bluebird Fiber in March of 2024.  He moved over from UPN, where he was CEO up until the Cox Communications transaction.  … [visit site to read more]

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Multiple network expansion projects from around the world to catch up with: … [visit site to read more]

The Communications Regulatory Authority of Mozambique has completed a nationwide assessment of telecom operators’ quality of service, revealing significant disparities in performance and compliance. Movitel emerged as the worst-performing operator for data services, while Vodacom demonstrated the highest reliability.

Movitel recorded the highest rate of non-compliance with regulatory standards for data services at 74%, according to a statement from the regulator. Tmcel followed at 25%, and Vodacom had the lowest rate of non-compliance at just 6%.

The average 3G download speed in Mozambique was measured at 3 Mbps. Vodacom stood out with an average speed of 4.55 Mbps, followed by Tmcel at 3.79 Mbps and Movitel at 2.10 Mbps.

For 4G services, Vodacom again led the market with an impressive 26.57 Mbps average download speed. Tmcel achieved 11.47 Mbps, while Movitel trailed at 9.37 Mbps.

In voice services, Tmcel struggled the most with regulatory compliance, showing a 66% non-compliance rate. Movitel followed at 54%, and Vodacom was slightly better at 53%.

The success rates for completing 2G and 3G calls were: Movitel and Vodacom both achieved 95.93% and Tmcel lagged behind at 85.14%..

Coverage and network compliance

The study noted that 2G remains the dominant network technology in Mozambique, with 3G and 4G networks primarily available in urban areas.

For 2G network compliance across 31 tested areas Movitel achieved compliance in 20 locations (65%); Tmcel complied in 16 locations (52%); Vodacom met standards in 13 locations (42%).

On the 3G network; Vodacom complied in 25 locations (81%); Movitel followed with 22 locations (71%); Tmcel met targets in 13 locations (42%).

For 4G services; Vodacom complied in 24 locations (77%); Movitel followed with 22 locations (71%); Tmcel met compliance in 17 locations (55%).

The Communications Regulatory Authority emphasised the challenges of extending reliable network services across Mozambique. While Vodacom generally outperformed its rivals, particularly in 3G and 4G services, Movitel and Tmcel face ongoing issues in meeting regulatory standards.

The findings highlight the need for continuous investment and oversight to improve network quality, especially in rural areas where services remain inconsistent.

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Malaysia’s mobile data service company U Mobile has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation Berhad (SDEC), the implementing agency driving Sarawak digital economy initiatives for the East Malaysian state that is home to an estimated 2.5 million people.

The aim of the MoU is to establish a strategic partnership aimed at realising the ambitions of the Sarawak Digital Economy Blueprint 2030, which envisions a robust digital economy as well as an inclusive digital society for the state by 2030.

To achieve this, says U Mobile, it will work with SDEC on initiatives that accelerate digital transformation for SMEs in Sarawak, as well as initiatives that narrow the digital divide for those in underserved areas.

Through this partnership, U Mobile and SDEC will collaborate to drive the adoption of 5G technologies and solutions in Sarawak’s SMEs. This includes providing 5G network connectivity, educational programmes, devices and innovative use case solutions to empower local businesses and enhance their competitiveness in the digital economy.

Additionally, following the success of a small cell proof of concept (POC) in providing coverage to a longhouse (a large communal village house) in Long Lawen, Sarawak, U Mobile and SDEC will collaborate to further narrow the digital divide by exploring similar solutions to provide connectivity to rural and underserved areas.

Beyond this MoU, both parties say they are also currently collaborating on the Sarawak Multimedia Authority Rural Telecommunication 600 (SMART600) project, where U Mobile’s 4G coverage will be made available to serve rural communities in Sarawak through multi-operator core network (MOCN) technology.

We reported on Wednesday that U Mobile announced had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CIMB Bank to extend financing support for its upcoming 5G network rollout.

This has been a big week for data center builders in the financial markets. Four data center development companies separately tapped into big money for expansion: … [visit site to read more]

UAE-based satellite firm Space42 said on Wednesday it has successfully deployed the second of its Foresight earth observation LEO satellites in partnership with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation operator ICEYE.

The Foresight-2 satellite, supplied by ICEYE, was launched on Tuesday aboard the Transporter-12 Rideshare mission with SpaceX. The satellite has established communication, and early routine operations are underway, Space42 said. The launch also included four satellites for ICEYE’s own constellation.

The Foresight-2 satellite joins Foresight-1, which was launched in August 2024 by Bayanat and Yahsat prior to the finalisation of their merger as Space42. With Foresight-2 now in orbit, Space42 said the second phase of the SAR constellation will boost its geospatial insights and capabilities with increased speed and precision.

The Foresight satellites use an SAR active sensing system to produce high-fidelity images of the Earth’s surface around the clock, regardless of weather conditions or solar illumination, at the highest resolution in the industry for small satellites. According to Space42, this allows smaller objects and minute surface changes to be tracked from space, which can address critical challenges such as disaster mitigation, maritime surveillance, and urban mobility.

Space42 MD Karim Michel Sabbagh added that Foresight constellation will support the UAE’s Earth Observation (EO) Space Program, which was created in 2023 to build up the country’s satellite remote sensing and EO capabilities.

“With cutting-edge technology, this spacecraft enhances our capacity to deliver precise, real-time geospatial insights, advancing the UAE’s earth observation capabilities,” he said in a statement.

The launch of Foresight-2 comes a month after ICEYE and Space42 announced a JV to manufacture SAR satellites in the UAE.

Space42 plans to complete the Foresight SAR constellation by 2027.