News 

Despite weaker sales abroad, BT’s leaner strategy is paying off, resulting in stronger margins 

BT has ramped up its full fibre rollout plans after hitting record build and connection highs during FY25, even as overall revenue declined 2% to £20.4 billion. 

Chief Executive Allison Kirkby described the year as one of “strong progress,” highlighting the group’s network buildout, customer experience improvements, and over £900 million in annualised cost savings.  

BT’s full fibre footprint now reaches 18 million UK premises, with more than 6.5 million already connected, a 36% take-up rate. Openreach passed 4.3 million new premises with full fibre this year, 1.8 million of which are already in use by customers. The company has now upped its FY26 build target by 20% to 5 million, keeping it on course to hit 25 million premises passed by the end of 2026. 

BT’s revenues fell slightly this year, driven by weaker handset sales and international performance, but profit before tax rose 12% to £1.3 billion.  

In mobile, EE retained its crown as the UK’s best network for the eleventh year running, with 5G standalone now live in 50 towns and cities and coverage reaching over 40% of the population. BT’s 5G customer base grew 15% to 13.2 million. 

“BT Group delivered strong progress against its strategic priorities in FY25, as we stepped up the pace of build of the UK’s leading next generation networks,” Kirkby in a company press release. 

“With the leadership team now in place to take our strategy forward, I am confident that as we build and connect at pace, our transformation will accelerate and deliver a better BT for all of us – our customers, our colleagues, the country and our owners,” she continued. 

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Also in the news:
AT&T agrees $5.75 billion deal for Lumen’s consumer fibre assets
Telefónica exits Uruguay in $440m Millicom deal
“You’re not keeping your word”: Louisiana fibre firm rails against Trump govt over BEAD delay

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The long-running story of service quality issues in Cameroon rumbles on with news that the country’s Telecommunications Regulatory Board (ART) has initiated a new restricted tender for an audit of Cameroon’s national fibre optic network.

This move, which apparently took place on 12 May but is only now being widely reported, comes amid persistent criticism over the quality of telecom services across the nation. 

State-run Camtel, which owns and manages the country’s terrestrial optical fibre network, estimated at 12,000 kilometres or more, appears to be the main focus of what will be a six-month-long XAF350 million (about US$602,106) operation, which aims to assess the performance and integrity of the fibre optic network.

This isn’t the first time Camtel, which manages the network, handling its maintenance and reselling access to other operators, has been under fire. While operators Orange Cameroon and MTN Cameroon manage their own mobile infrastructure, they rely largely on Camtel’s backbone for data transmission and interconnectivity. However, various news outlets say that operators Orange and MTN frequently accuse Camtel of causing outages and disruptions affecting their subscribers.

Its less than a year since the regulator published, in September 2024, an audit on the Camtel network’s management, following repeated complaints over mobile service quality. It described an infrastructure “in a state of ongoing degradation, with current maintenance conditions needing reassessment”. Electricity supply, fuel procurement and frequent breaks in fibre optic cables were highlighted.

The latest audit will, it is hoped, assess the current operational status of Camtel’s fibre infrastructure, identify technical bottlenecks, and propose steps to improve network performance and reliability.

The continuing news about these issues is a little surprising given our report in January this year that Camtel had revealed a budget of XAF326.2 billion (US$514.7 million) for 2025 to upgrade its network infrastructure and improve service quality, along with a strategic roadmap to steward its evolution to 2027.

Connectivity in Africa has been a hot topic for decades, often framed as a bastion of opportunity due to the continent’s immense population still awaiting digital access.

But where opportunity exists, so do challenges – and Africa faces unique obstacles in its efforts to connect its population and deliver life-changing benefits.

According to industry body the GSMA, Sub-Saharan Africa still has a substantial usage gap. At the end of 2023, mobile internet penetration stood at 27%, but a staggering 60% of the population remained unconnected.

The GSMA reported that the mobile industry contributed US$140 billion to GDP in the region and suggested this could increase by US$30 billion if key barriers to connectivity are lowered. Beyond economic gains, improved connectivity can also support development goals across healthcare, education and finance, thus driving broader socio-economic growth.

A significant number of the unconnected population live within network coverage areas but remain offline due to adoption barriers such as affordability and lack of digital skills. Additionally, 13% of the Sub-Saharan population is not covered by 4G – the minimum standard required to effectively participate in the digital economy.

These regions are often overlooked by pan-African mobile network operators. The return on investment in sparsely populated rural areas is simply not there, especially compared to the densely populated urban centres of Accra, Kinshasa and Lagos.

GlobalData senior analyst Ismail Patel (pictured, below) said Sub-Saharan Africa is “at the bottom of the table for fixed connectivity” and noted there has been “no serious prospect” of laying fibre or even copper cables in African soil, particularly in low-ARPU rural locations that have remained “untapped for the past two decades”.

This is where satellite connectivity is stepping in. Elon Musk’s SpaceX has launched its low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, Starlink, which has become a major disruptor – not just in satellite but in the connectivity industry as a whole – by connecting consumers directly without traditional telco partnerships, unlike many of its satellite peers.

Also on the horizon is Amazon’s Kuiper constellation, which appears to be embracing the partnership model. Other satellite players like Intelsat, Eutelsat, and SES are also active, with operations across both LEO and Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO).

Patel noted that satellite connectivity isn’t new – satellites in Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) or Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) have long existed – but have historically been “price prohibitive”. LEO providers such as SpaceX and Amazon are now breaking down that cost barrier to make satellite communications accessible to mass markets.

“What the LEO market has done is potentially unlocked this opportunity, not only for Africa, but also for the rest of the world, as either a replacement for fixed and mobile traditional connectivity, or as a technology to install where there is no fixed or mobile connectivity with any scale of robust data connectivity or broadband,” said Patel.

In Africa, some areas will see LEO satellites become the primary source of connectivity, while in others, traditional fibre and cellular networks will continue to carry the load.

Despite the buzz around Starlink and the anticipation surrounding Kuiper, Patel said it would be misguided to assume they will simply displace traditional operators. Instead, he believes collaboration is key to achieving widespread connectivity in Africa.

Rhys Morgan (pictured, below), Intelsat’s EMEA Regional VP for Sales, said partnering with mobile network operators (MNOs) is “fundamental” to extending connectivity and delivering tangible benefits to Africa’s growing, youthful population.

“If you’re deploying infrastructure locally, you’ll need to operate under somebody’s licence – work with them. So obviously, the mobile operators have got fairly broad often, but certainly very meaningful licences to operate on the ground. So that partnership is important, but equally, we develop the services in conjunction with our partners, so that those services are relevant and compelling in the market,” said Morgan.

He added that operator trust and reputation are also crucial, especially as concerns over data sovereignty rise among African nations.

Barriers to connectivity adoption

One of the key barriers to getting online in Sub-Saharan Africa is cost – whether it’s the price of terminals, handsets, or the data itself.

But Morgan believes that if the right solutions and use cases are provided – delivering clear productivity gains – users will pay, provided the pricing is reasonable.

He pointed to mobile money as a hugely successful example, empowering small businesses and fuelling local economies. However, he again stressed the importance of partnerships to ensure infrastructure is widespread enough to make such use cases viable. As an example, he cited a successful deployment with Orange in Mali, where Intelsat worked with the operator to provide the appropriate bandwidth and dimensions to strike the right balance between quality and cost.

Patel acknowledged affordability as a key issue, but noted privacy is also a concern. Foreign providers may be viewed warily by governments keen to protect their citizens’ data.

“A foreign operator like Starlink obviously poses problems for national governments, so it’s going to be a trade-off between that and an operator like Starlink offering the services. Starlink obviously is headed by Elon Musk, who has demonstrated in recent months that he might not be the most palatable partner for any sort of business transactions. So this is why some would be reticent to giving Starlink carte blanche to operate in that particular market without assurances of privacy – or either that, or governments might be incentivising operators to go into partnership with Starlink so they retain some degree of control of data being trafficked in and out of the country,” explained Patel.

Disruptive Starlink and Kuiper

Despite being in direct competition with Starlink and Kuiper, Morgan welcomed the innovation they bring – both in terms of satellite technology and user-friendly tools – helping move satellite out of its niche and into the mainstream.

Patel noted that these two players also represent a threat to traditional operators, echoing comments made by Nitesh Singh of Accenture during last year’s Africa Tech Festival.

According to Patel, Starlink’s entry into the DRC directly triggered the recent partnership between Vodacom and Orange.

“So that partnership is as a direct result of Starlink entering the competitive scene. These rural and semi-rural areas that haven’t been previously well [served], are now being looked [at] as a new organic growth opportunity so that an LEO company like Starlink doesn’t eat into that opportunity,” said Patel.

He added that while these regions may not deliver “huge gains,” they represent the only logical path for future organic growth – a path that could be lost to the likes of Starlink and Kuiper if operators don’t move quickly.

Still, Patel criticised major players like Vodacom and Orange for not acting sooner.

“It might already be too late for them (operators)… in certain segments it’s going to get to market far too quickly compared to MNOs deploying that requisite infrastructure,” said Patel.

“That’s just one market of many, where Starlink is licenced or is about to be licenced – the operators dropped the ball there. They viewed these markets as a low ARPU market, so they focused supply on urban areas or areas where there’s high ARPU, so I think this might be a little too late.”

Governments in Sub-Saharan Africa now face a dilemma: whether to license LEO providers to deliver widespread connectivity – potentially undermining the financial viability of traditional MNOs, which are often among the largest contributors to national economies.

Patel said it’s still unclear how governments will strike the right balance, though some regulators have taken note of MNOs failing to meet coverage obligations outlined in their licences.

“They are using Starlink to either incentivise MNOs to deploy in those regions, or to simply boost connectivity and economic growth – or stimulate economic growth, rather – in these regions that have been underserved.”

Looking ahead, Patel expects more mature markets such as Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa to benefit first from satellite deployments – particularly for small businesses that require robust connections. He predicts that private home connectivity will mature further within five years.

From the perspective of satellite providers, Morgan said governments need to provide a clear and fair regulatory environment to ensure widespread access.

“Where regulators have a good, comprehensive framework, as most regulators do today across the continent, and they enforce it uniformly – we wouldn’t view it as a hurdle. In fact, we would say that that’s a well-managed telecoms market, and somewhere that we would be comfortable to operate,” said Morgan.

He added that LEO will not dominate the market alone; a mix of LEO, GEO, and MEO satellite systems will be necessary to meet Africa’s growing demand for data.

Africa remains a bastion of opportunity, and with its young, tech-savvy population, the future looks bright. To support this next generation, satellite technology may well be the tool that helps the continent realise its full potential and rise to new heights.

Claremont, NC, May 21, 2025 – CommScope (NASDAQ: COMM), a global leader in network connectivity, and Emtelle, an industry leader in manufacturing blown cable, announced today a collaboration to manufacture hardened connectivity for blowable fiber optic drop cable. CommScope’s Prodigy® solution, which supports ubiquitous legacy hardened connectivity, will be combined with Emtelle’s blowable fiber optic micro-cable as the first offering of its kind in North America.

The combination of Emtelle’s REVOLink3™ cable, a versatile pre-connectorized 3-in-One drop cable, and CommScope’s Prodigy hardened connectivity technology creates a powerful solution for fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) deployments. It enables fast, cost-effective installation while delivering the quality and performance service providers expect. Through this agreement, Emtelle has the ability to manufacture drop cables pre-terminated with the Prodigy universal FTTH connector—adding a consistent, installation-friendly option to their portfolio that supports faster rollouts, reduced costs and flexible integration across diverse network environments.

Tony Rodgers, Emtelle Group Chief Executive, said, “Emtelle is renowned throughout the world for producing innovative, ground-breaking solutions that not only simplify the installation process but also set new standards in the passive network solutions industry. Our REVOLink3 is the perfect example of this: since its introduction it has been hailed as a major leap forward in telecommunications infrastructure technology. To that end, we are delighted to be collaborating with CommScope to combine REVOLink3 with their proven Prodigy solution. Together this new, unique hardened connectivity will set a new benchmark for FTTH deployment in the North American market.”

“We’ve always been proud of the innovative technology behind the Prodigy solution which allows it to service multiple types of terminals, and we’re now pleased to see it utilized with a pushable and blowable fiber solution,” noted John Chamberlain, VP Technology, Connectivity and Cable Solutions, CommScope. “We are excited to collaborate with Emtelle through this agreement. The interoperability, speed and simplicity provided with the Prodigy solution makes it an ideal option for the next generation for FTTH hardened connectivity and it’s great to work with Emtelle to extend its availability in the North American market.”

CommScope’s Prodigy hardened connector product line offers the flexibility to mate to any legacy fiber optic hardened connector. In addition, the Prodigy connector’s smaller footprint allows for smaller handholes and less visual impact, resulting in a more sustainable solution.

For additional information on the Prodigy universal connector platform, please visit the CommScope website.

Xiaomi reportedly revealed plans to invest CNY50 billion (US$6.9 billion) over the next 10 years to develop its own mobile processors, and is set to unveil such chips this week.

Bloomberg reported, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer’s co-founder Lei Jun said “chips are at a peak we need to climb and a hard battle we cannot escape if we want to become a hard tech company”.

Lei confirmed the company will unveil its first internally developed processor the Xring O1 on May 22^nd, following speculation on the chipset.

The Xring O1 had been development since 2021 on the back of an investment of CNY13.5 billion along with CNY6 billion spent on R&D in 2025 alone, noted the co-founder. Xiaomi currently has 2,500 people in its semiconductor ream.

The chipset will see its debut in the Xiaomi 15S Pro smartphone and the Xiaomi Pad 7 Ultra, reported Reuters.  

News 

By joining the Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence (IPAI) platform, the German operator looks to play a more active role in shaping how AI is developed and used across industry and public services 

IPAI is a growing initiative backed by the state of Baden-Württemberg, the Dieter Schwarz Foundation, and a range of private and public partners. It is designed to bring together businesses, researchers, and policymakers to test and apply AI in real-world settings. Over 70 organisations are already involved, with the aim of building a European AI hub focused on responsible and practical deployment. 

Deutsche Telekom will contribute its experience in rolling out AI across network operations, customer service, and enterprise products. The company said its focus will be on supporting scalable and secure AI solutions that serve both business and public sector use cases. 

The IPAI campus in Heilbronn is currently under development and will eventually cover 30 hectares and support more than 5,000 workers. Facilities will include data centres, lab space, and collaborative work areas, with the first phase expected to open later this year. 

“AI reaches its full potential only when we collectively bring it into practice,” said Klaus Werner, Director Business Customers at Telekom Deutschland in a press release. “Europe needs to invest in AI now. That’s why initiatives like IPAI are essential: for the digital sovereignty of Germany and Europe, enabling them to further expand their independence and drive innovation.” 

This partnership is the latest in a long line of AI collaborations for Deutsche Telekom. The operator was notably a founding member of the Global Telco AI Alliance in June last year, along with SK Telecom, e&, Singtel and SoftBank. The initiative aims to develop Large Language Models (LLMs) that are specifically designed to meet telco needs, in areas such as improving customer interactions via digital assistants and chatbots.  

The LLMs will be tailored to the needs of the five companies in their respective markets, allowing them to reach a combined customer base of around 1.3 billion people in 50 countries 

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Also in the news:
SKT data breach potentially leaks data from 26.9 million users
Building the UK’s digital infrastructure based on tomorrow’s needs
Thailand’s AIS and True circling National Telecom’s subscriber base 

News 

Verizon says the deal will allow it to upgrade its fibre network in 25 states 

Verizon has been given approval from the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for its $20 billion acquisition of Frontier Communications, in part for agreeing to drop its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. 

In a letter to FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, Verizon said it would eliminate DEI-focused roles, drop diversity targets from hiring plans, and remove DEI language from training, recruitment, and public messaging. The changes will also apply to Frontier following the close of the acquisition. 

The move comes in a wider political and regulatory push in the US against corporate DEI frameworks, with government bodies and large firms under pressure to scale back such efforts. Major tech firms like Meta, Amazon, and Google have all rolled back their DEI programmes to align with the Trump administration. 

The Frontier deal, which was announced in September last year, gives Verizon access to a major fibre footprint across the US, helping it reach an additional one million homes per year with broadband, including in hard-to-reach rural areas. The telco is aiming to strengthen its fibre business as competition ramps up in both fixed and mobile markets.  

State-level approvals are still needed to close the deal. In Connecticut, regulators have given provisional support, with a final decision due next month. Verizon expects to complete the acquisition early next year. 

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Also in the news:
Charter and Cox reveal agreement to combine companies
BT in final talks to sell 50% stake in TNT Sports to Warner Bros Discovery 
BT creates standalone international unit as strategic restructuring continues 

According to analyst firm Canalys, the Southeast Asian smartphone market declined in Q1 2025, marking the end of five consecutive quarters of growth due to economic headwinds.

Canalys reported that the market contracted by 3% year-on-year, with total shipments falling to 22.8 million units in the first quarter of 2025.

Samsung led the market with 4.3 million units shipped, capturing a 19% market share. Xiaomi followed in second place with 4 million units and a 17% share – notably, it was the only vendor in the top four to post growth, recording a 4% year-on-year increase.

Transsion ranked third with 3.3 million units shipped, accounting for 15% of the market. Chinese brands OPPO and vivo followed with 3.2 million units (14%) and 2.7 million units (12%) respectively.

Canalys research manager Le Xuan Chiew noted that vendors built up inventory as a hedge against anticipated macroeconomic risks, while consumer demand was impacted by inflation. This combination led to a 5% year-on-year rise in average selling prices, which Canalys warned is “expected to further dampen consumer demand.”

Le also identified Vietnam as a potential bright spot amid the broader economic challenges.

“Its stable governance, improving infrastructure, and proximity to component suppliers make it an attractive destination for long-term investment in smartphone production. Beyond economic advantages, Vietnam’s push for 5G presents a valuable opportunity for brands to expand their 5G portfolios and tap into the growing middle class,” said Le.

Digital infrastructure company Equinix has inaugurated its first International Business Exchange data centre in Jakarta under a joint venture with Indonesian conglomerate Astra International.

The data centre, called JK1, provides access to more than 50 global and local network service providers and internet exchanges.

Equinix says that by leveraging its cloud-dense and highly secure platform, businesses in Indonesia can deploy data networks and services rapidly and at scale with a global footprint and an extensive digital ecosystem.

Haris Izmee, Managing Director of Equinix Indonesia, points out that “e-commerce remains Indonesia’s largest sector in the digital economy, with the industry potentially reaching US$120 billion in 2025. This growth is further accelerated by a remarkable surge in cloud adoption.” He adds: “As the nation gears for Indonesia Emas 2045 vision, establishing itself as a key digital hub in Asia will be crucial for long-term economic transformation.”

Indonesia Emas 2045 is a vision for Indonesia to become a prosperous, advanced, fair and sovereign nation by 2045, its centennial year of independence.

Equinix JK1 is located in Jakarta’s Central Business District, close to major internet exchanges in the region. It is an eight-storey facility that offers 550 cabinets in the first phase, with a total capacity of 1,600 cabinets and colocation space of 5,300 square metres when fully built. The facility will provide interconnection services, including Equinix Fabric and Equinix Internet Access.

JK1 leverages innovative technologies such as cooling array and liquid cooling technology, ensuring efficient heat management for high-density and high-performance computer workloads such as artificial intelligence.

JK1 is designed to achieve an average power usage effectiveness (PUE) of 1.41 at full load and is 100% covered by renewables through the purchase of renewable energy credits (RECs). 

This news follows our announcement last week of further growth for the company in the Asia-Pacific region as Equinix completed the second phase of its KL1 International Business Exchange (IBX) data centre in Cyberjaya in Malaysia.