21
Sep, 2026

Mozambique’s regulator addresses customer concerns

Mozambique’s communications regulatory authority INCM says it is responding to concerns expressed by consumers on social media and elsewhere regarding the rapid exhaustion of mobile data packages.

INCM informs says it is developing what it calls a Tariff Management System, whose start-up is scheduled for November of this year.

This platform will strengthen the monitoring of tariffs and packages offered by operators, compare tariffs, identify the effective price of the service, including conditions and validity, verify the conditions applied to consumers and ensure greater transparency and accountability in the provision of telecommunications services.

In the field of data services in particular, INCM says it intends to ensure that the announced validity of the packages is effective for the consumer and that the depletion of the data volume does not result in an abrupt interruption of service before the scheduled date.

INCM is also conducting a process of restructuring telecommunications packages with a view to adopting fairer and more predictable solutions.

The regulator says it is encouraging operators to provide clear, accessible and verifiable information on consumption, balances and the conditions applicable to each package, explaining the factors that determine the level of mobile data consumption.

INCM says it will continue to monitor the concerns presented and work with operators to ensure greater transparency, better quality of services and more effective consumer protection. Whenever there are indications of irregularities in the accounting of data, the necessary technical checks will be carried out, and the applicable regulatory measures will be adopted.

Consumers are being advised to continue using appropriate complaints channels supplied by operators. If they are not satisfied, they are invited to use INCM channels through its website.

18
Sep, 2026

Construction begins on Asia’s Candle cable system

Indonesian service provider XLSmart has announced that it has begun construction work on the 8,000-kilometre Candle Cable System, a subsea cable linking Southeast Asia and Japan.

The subsea fibre optic network will connect Indonesia with Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan. 

The project was launched in late 2025, as we reported at the time. Some big names are collaborating to develop the Candle submarine cable system.including founding members Meta, SoftBank, IPS Inc., TM Technology Services (part of Telekom Malaysia), NEC and, of course XLSmart. Philippines operator Globe joined the consortium in April this year as both investor and landing party.

According to NEC’s release at the time of the launch, this cable system will be one of the first in the Asia-Pacific region to use a 24-fibre pair cable, which will help to support the strong demand for communications in the region. NEC will provide the subsea transmission technology for the system.

The Telecom Review Asia news service explains that the be cable will land in Indonesia at Tanjung Bemban in Batam, providing an international connectivity point close to Singapore. It notes that Batam has also attracted investment in data centre and telecommunications infrastructure.

The new cable will add capacity to the growing network of subsea systems connecting Southeast Asia with major digital markets in East Asia. The additional route is expected to provide more options for international traffic as demand for cloud, data centre, and AI services grows.

XLSmart says the system is scheduled to be commercially ready in 2028.

18
Sep, 2026

Zambia regulator cancels Beeline licence over regulatory breaches

Zambia’s Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) has cancelled the operator licence of Beeline, which operated under the Z-Mobile brand, for failing to meet several regulatory obligations.

ZICTA announced the decision at a press briefing on Wednesday (September 16), bringing an end to Beeline’s operation five years after it was licensed as Zambia’s fourth mobile operator in 2021.

The licence was intended to increase competition, reduce costs for consumers and expand digital inclusion. However, the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted Beeline’s network deployment, resulting in several extensions to its rollout deadlines before the operator eventually launched commercial services in 2024.

ZICTA said Beeline subsequently failed to meet a number of licence conditions, including network deployment targets and minimum quality of service requirements. The operator also failed to settle outstanding statutory fees.

The regulator said Beeline had been unable to meet the technical and financial requirements of operating a mobile network under its licence. It issued the operator with notice of the cancellation on August 31 and gave it an opportunity to appeal, but found Beeline’s response unsatisfactory.

The licence cancellation took effect on September 15. ZICTA said outstanding fees incurred during Beeline’s period of operation remain payable and will be pursued through legal and administrative measures.

Spectrum and numbering resources allocated to Beeline have also been withdrawn. Z-Mobile customers will be eligible for refunds of unused airtime, while other outstanding financial liabilities will be managed with the Bank of Zambia in the coming days.

17
Sep, 2026

US agency to invest $155 million in WIOCC

African digital infrastructure provider WIOCC is to receive investment of up to $155 million from the US International Development Finance Corporation.

This aid is seen as highlighting Washington’s support for projects it regards as critical to the expansion of US technology companies – and providing alternatives to Chinese technology providers.

As the Reuters news service explains, digital infrastructure such as data centres and fibre networks underpins the deployment of AI services, and the IDFC sees expanding that foundation in Africa as central to US competitiveness.

WIOCC operates undersea cables, fibre networks and data centres in more than 30 African countries. The group operates an open-access and carrier-neutral platform that provides wholesale connectivity and other services.

The Trump administration launched a ‘clean network’ initiative in his first term, aimed at reducing the use of Chinese telecoms technology, apps and carriers from infrastructure in the US and allied nations. It has continued similar efforts during his second term.

Indeed, there was another example of these efforts earlier this week when we reported that pan-African telecoms firm Africell had secured a US$99.6 million direct loan from the US Export-Import Bank (ExIm) primarily to enable the American-owned company to buy only US and European mobile network equipment.

This is the second major investment WIOCC has attracted this month. In early September Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and Saudi Arabian infrastructure investment and development firm Vision Invest announced plans to invest a combined US$300 million in the company.

EllaLink branching units to connect the Brazilian Amazon

EllaLink, which describes itself as the first high-capacity fibre-optic submarine cable directly connecting Latin America to Europe, has announced that two branching units have been successfully laid.

Dedicated to the Brazilian states of Pará and Maranhão, the branching units have been successfully laid on the seabed as part of the Lum@link marine installation campaign. Lum@link is a submarine cable extension of approximately 2,100 kilometres that connects the new cable landing station in Cayenne to the existing EllaLink trunk system off Fortaleza.

The two units, manufactured and installed by Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) are now in place and ready to receive the future submarine branches to Salinópolis, in the State of Pará, and São Luís, in the State of Maranhão.

A branching unit, EllaLink explains, is a subsea device that enables a new cable branch to be added to an existing submarine system without disrupting the main route. By installing these units during the Lum@link campaign, EllaLink is ensuring that future Brazilian branches can be deployed and activated without requiring additional deep-water intervention on the main system.  Planned years in advance, this strategic decision transforms a single route into a scalable network.

The branching units were funded by the governments of Pará and Maranhão, with grant support from the European Union, as part of a broader Amazon connectivity programme co-financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Group.

EllaLink has also completed the cable route study (CRS) for both branches, covering offshore and landing routes, as well as preliminary permitting, environmental assessments and engineering activities.

Together, the two states will benefit from an initial combined capacity of 17 Tbps, with substantial room for future expansion. Beyond increasing bandwidth, the programme aims to extend broadband connectivity to isolated communities and strengthen the resilience of public digital services in healthcare, education, business development  and e-government.

The programme also includes the deployment of SMART sensors capable of collecting environmental and seismic data to support climate and scientific monitoring initiatives, with the support of the European Union.

As with its other dedicated branches, EllaLink acts as an infrastructure operator. The company designs, builds, operates and transfers the ownership of the branch to its customer. The capacity carried on each branch is owned and commercialised directly and fully under the control of the states.

The two branches form the Brazilian component of the Mais Conectado (More Connected) project for the Amazon region, to be co-financed by the IDB Group and the AFD Group. The project is being delivered under the European Union Global Gateway strategy and the EU-LAC Digital Alliance with the support of Team Europe.

Smart Africa and Kitsoft aim to advance public sector digital transformation

The Smart Africa Secretariat, an alliance tasked with driving Africa’s digital agenda, and Kitsoft, an international govtech company with Ukrainian roots, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on public sector digital transformation.

The cooperation will focus on three key areas – digital public infrastructure (DPI), e-governance, and artificial intelligence. Kitsoft and Smart Africa say they plan to exchange practical experience in digital government, hold joint expert and educational sessions, and develop cooperation on building digital public services using low-code technologies.

As part of its cooperation with Smart Africa, Kitsoft will share its experience in using low-code technology to build digital public services. Liquio, Kitsoft’s low-code platform operates at the national level in Ukraine and is battle-tested under the conditions of the war in that country, including large-scale DDoS attacks. The low-code platform, which involves less manual coding, enables governments to rapidly build and scale digital public services.

Kitsoft says the open-source Liquio Community Edition enables governments to deploy the platform on their own infrastructure, adapt it to their needs, and independently develop digital public services. This approach can be particularly relevant for countries building their own digital infrastructure while seeking to maintain digital sovereignty.

Launched in 2013, Smart Africa is an alliance of 42 African countries, international organisations, and global private sector players tasked with driving Africa’s digital agenda. Its vision is to create a Single Digital Market in Africa by 2030.

Oleksandr Iefremov, CEO of Kitsoft, which works with governments and international partners across Europe and Africa, explains: “African countries today face the major task of digital transformation, and for us this partnership is first and foremost about sharing practical experience. Ukraine has come a long way in digitalising public services and continues to develop them even amid the full-scale war and constant cyberattacks. This experience has shown how important it is for governments to have the technology and capacity to independently build, scale, and develop their digital services. This is the experience and the approaches we are ready to share through our cooperation with Smart Africa.”

Lacina Koné, Director General and CEO, Smart Africa, adds: “Africa’s digital transformation must be built on ownership, capacity and solutions that respond to our own realities. This partnership with Kitsoft is an opportunity to turn global experience into practical value for our member states, strengthening their ability to build and scale trusted digital public services while maintaining digital sovereignty. Through cooperation on digital public infrastructure, e-governance and AI, we want to accelerate a transformation that is not only digital, but truly African-led and sustainable.”

Smart Africa and Kitsoft aim to advance public sector digital transformation

The Smart Africa Secretariat, an alliance tasked with driving Africa’s digital agenda, and Kitsoft, an international govtech company with Ukrainian roots, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on public sector digital transformation.

The cooperation will focus on three key areas – digital public infrastructure (DPI), e-governance, and artificial intelligence. Kitsoft and Smart Africa say they plan to exchange practical experience in digital government, hold joint expert and educational sessions, and develop cooperation on building digital public services using low-code technologies.

As part of its cooperation with Smart Africa, Kitsoft will share its experience in using low-code technology to build digital public services. Liquio, Kitsoft’s low-code platform operates at the national level in Ukraine and is battle-tested under the conditions of the war in that country, including large-scale DDoS attacks. The low-code platform, which involves less manual coding, enables governments to rapidly build and scale digital public services.

Kitsoft says the open-source Liquio Community Edition enables governments to deploy the platform on their own infrastructure, adapt it to their needs, and independently develop digital public services. This approach can be particularly relevant for countries building their own digital infrastructure while seeking to maintain digital sovereignty.

Launched in 2013, Smart Africa is an alliance of 42 African countries, international organisations, and global private sector players tasked with driving Africa’s digital agenda. Its vision is to create a Single Digital Market in Africa by 2030.

Oleksandr Iefremov, CEO of Kitsoft, which works with governments and international partners across Europe and Africa, explains: “African countries today face the major task of digital transformation, and for us this partnership is first and foremost about sharing practical experience. Ukraine has come a long way in digitalising public services and continues to develop them even amid the full-scale war and constant cyberattacks. This experience has shown how important it is for governments to have the technology and capacity to independently build, scale, and develop their digital services. This is the experience and the approaches we are ready to share through our cooperation with Smart Africa.”

Lacina Koné, Director General and CEO, Smart Africa, adds: “Africa’s digital transformation must be built on ownership, capacity and solutions that respond to our own realities. This partnership with Kitsoft is an opportunity to turn global experience into practical value for our member states, strengthening their ability to build and scale trusted digital public services while maintaining digital sovereignty. Through cooperation on digital public infrastructure, e-governance and AI, we want to accelerate a transformation that is not only digital, but truly African-led and sustainable.”