Bharti Airtel reported a 16.7% year-on-year increase in consolidated revenue to INR608.78 billion (US$6.8 billion) for the second quarter of its 2026-27 financial year, driven by growth in India and Africa.

The Indian operator’s customer base expanded by 12 million during the quarter to 693 million across 15 countries. Consolidated EBITDA reached INR352.4 billion, giving the company an EBITDA margin of 57.9%.

India revenue increased 9.4% year on year to INR423.08 billion, with mobile revenue up 10.1%. Average revenue per user (ARPU) rose to INR271, compared with INR256 in the same quarter last year, reflecting higher customer spending and a shift towards more valuable plans.

Airtel added a record 1.2 million postpaid customers during the quarter, taking its total postpaid base to 31.2 million. Its smartphone data customer base grew by 18.8 million over the past year, including 2.9 million additions in the latest quarter.

The operator also continued to expand its network, deploying 497 towers and 11,684 mobile broadband base stations during the quarter. Over the past year, it added 5,649 towers and 44,718 kilometres of fibre.

Homes and enterprise growth

Airtel’s fixed broadband business continued to expand, with revenue rising 25.3% year on year. It added 676,000 customers during the quarter, taking its Homes base to 15.4 million.

Its digital TV business generated revenue of INR7.71 billion, with a customer base of 15.6 million, while enterprise arm Airtel Business recorded 11.4% revenue growth.

Airtel Business also entered a partnership with Indian state-owned telecoms equipment maker ITI Limited to support enterprise digital transformation, including the modernisation of legacy systems, operational efficiency and security.

Africa delivers strong growth

Airtel Africa’s revenue increased 20.6% year on year in constant currency terms, with reported revenue growth of 25.7%. Its customer base reached 193.9 million.

Airtel executive vice chairman Gopal Vittal said the African business had also benefited from the rollout of the group’s technology platform across its markets, alongside operational synergies.

The company is also expanding beyond its core connectivity business. Vittal said Airtel had invested in a strategic land parcel during the quarter as part of its ambition to build 1GW of data centre capacity. Its financial services business, which recently began commercial operations, is also showing early signs of traction.

Vittal said the group would continue to focus on cash generation and disciplined capital allocation while maintaining a strong balance sheet.

Brazil’s telecoms regulator Anatel said on Wednesday its board of directors has endorsed two internal proposals to allocate BRL1.7 billion (almost US$309 million) of leftover funds from its 5G auction in 2021 to two new projects: a sovereign AI data centre and TV 3.0 converter subsidies.

The proposals have already been approved by Anatel’s GAISPI working group, which oversees projects, interference mitigation, and fund allocations related to Brazil’s 5G auction.

Under one proposal, Anatel will allocate BRL375 million to the data centre project, which is intended to boost the federal government’s processing infrastructure.

The facility – which will contain an AI module with liquid cooling, high-capacity servers and redundant power supply – will be built on 5,000 square meters of government land. State-owned telco Telebras will operate the data centre, which will be integrated with the Federal Public Administration’s private network.

Anatel councilor and GAISPI chair Edson Holanda said the sovereign data centre project is strategic for Brazil.

“At a time when digital sovereignty has ceased to be a topic for specialists and has become a matter of national security, this project puts the infrastructure where it needs to be,” he said in a statement.

The second proposal calls for another BRL1.28 billion to be allocated to Anatel’s project to distribute TV 3.0 converters to low-income families.

Brazil officially adopted TV 3.0 (a.k.a. DTV+) as its next-gen digital terrestrial TV broadcasting standard in August 2025, but viewers have to either buy a TV 3.0-compatible television set or a converter box to receive DTV+ channels.

Anatel’s TV 3.0 project plans to serve approximately 910,000 families enrolled in the federal income transfer program in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and the Federal District for 24 months, covering equipment with Android or the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) and all delivery logistics.

« TV 3.0 is the biggest transformation in broadcast television since digitization. Without this project, the technological transition would create a new exclusion: those who can afford the new device enter the new era, and those who cannot are left behind,” Holanda said. “This council decided that no one will be left behind for lack of a converter.”

Anatel’s multi-band 5G spectrum auction, which was completed in November 2021, raked in total commitments of BRL 47.2 billion.

Holanda said the decision to release the BRL1.7 billion in leftover 5G funds to the two projects preserves the obligations of the original tender.

“We did this with a guarantee that I consider non-negotiable: the full reservation of what is needed to complete the original projects, plus a safety margin,” Holanda said. “No obligation of the tender is affected.”

Pan-African telco Paratus Group officially launched its Lesotho unit on Thursday, offering Starlink enterprise connectivity services alongside Paratus network solutions to businesses and organisations in the country.

Paratus Lesotho, a joint venture between Paratus Group and Real Image Lesotho, will offer enterprise connectivity using Starlink’s LEO satellite technology, delivering high-speed, low-latency internet access to locations where fibre and other terrestrial infrastructure may be limited or unavailable.

Paratus said LEO satellite connectivity will be critical to cope with Lesotho’s mountainous terrain, particularly outside major urban centres, which makes terrestrial telecoms infrastructure difficult and expensive to deploy.

Lesotho customers will also benefit from the technical expertise and established network capabilities of the wider Paratus Group, said Paratus Lesotho MD Makali Lepholisa.

“Backed by the Paratus Group’s expertise and track record in other countries, I am very excited about the opportunities for Paratus Lesotho to support the country’s social and economic development through reliable and innovative technology solutions,” she said in a statement.

Paratus Lesotho is an authorised Starlink reseller by virtue of Paratus Group’s deal with Starlink in 2023 to become a distributor for the satellite operator across the African continent. Paratus has also launched Starlink services in Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda.

Starlink is also part of the Paratus Essential Access solution designed by both companies to deliver priority satellite connectivity to communities and emergency services organisations in remote African communities.

That service, launched in April this year, is already available in Lesotho, as well as Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda and Zambia.

Paratus also partners with Eutelsat OneWeb to provide LEO satellite connectivity services across Southern Africa.

TDRA’s spectrum strategy, industry collaboration and commercial deployment are positioning the UAE to expand next-generation connectivity and prepare for an AI-driven digital economy. 

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is taking a lead in transitioning from 5G-Advanced (5G-A) towards 6G by focusing on the commercial deployment of Upper 6GHz (U6GHz) spectrum, which offers wide contiguous bandwidth to expand network capacity, support data-intensive applications and lay the groundwork for the next generation of connectivity. 

Earlier this year, etisalat UAE announced that it was awarded a contract to an infrastructure partner to roll out the world’s first commercial mobile network using U6GHz 256TRX RetinaMIMO technology. Early commercial deployment of U6GHz positions the UAE at the forefront of next-generation network development. Reflecting on this progress during the 20th Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit, Dr. Ayman EInashar, Vice President of Technology Strategy, Architecture & Innovation at etisalat UAE, noted that the operator began its U6GHz journey two to three years earlier with the first prototype in the UAE. 

Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) has played a key role in accelerating the transformation of the networks in the UAE by bringing together spectrum planning, research and industry collaboration. 

The economic potential of U6GHz was also highlighted by Jawad Abbassi, Head of MENA at GSMA, who cited research indicating that licensed use of the band for mobile broadband could deliver seven times the economic benefits of unlicensed use. 

The UAE has taken key steps to establish the regulatory and technical foundations for this transition. For instance, it updated its National Frequency Plan about two years back and identified the 600 MHz and 6 GHz bands for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT), providing a framework for the development of advanced mobile networks. 

“The decisions that we take today will influence the spectrum environment in which 6G develops,” said Dr. Bilel Jamoussi, Deputy Director of ITU Telecommunication Standardization Bureau and Chief, Study Groups & Policy Department (SPD), during the summit. 

During the 20th Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit, senior representatives from regulatory authorities, industry organisations, telecom operators and technology providers gathered to mark the world’s first U6GHz commercial launch, including Eng. Saif Bin Ghalita, Executive Director of Technology Development Affairs at TDRA; Dr. Bilel Jamoussi, Deputy Director of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Bureau and Chief of the Study Groups and Policy Department; Dr. Mahmoud Sherif, Head of Innovation and Technico Business Development at du; Dr. Ayman EInashar, Vice President of Technology Strategy, Architecture and Innovation at etisalat UAE; Allen Tang, President of Huawei’s Wireless Network & Cloud Core Network Marketing and Solutions Sales; Omar Samman, Head of Networks – Gulf at Ericsson; Toni Eid, Founder of Telecom Review Group and CEO of Trace Media International; Issam Eid, Group CMO and Partner at Telecom Review Group; Steven Liu, Vice President of ICT Marketing and Solution Sales at Huawei Middle East and Central Asia; and Jawad Abbassi, Head of MENA at GSMA. 

Speaking at the summit, Dr. Mahmoud Sherif, Head of Innovation and Technico Business Development of du described the U6GHz milestone as “an achievement on behalf of the entire UAE,” highlighting that “5G Advanced is a bridge between 5G and 6G.”

Recognising Huawei’s contribution to the UAE’s U6GHz commercialisation, Eng. Saif Bin Ghalita, Executive Director, Technology Development Affairs, TDRA, mentioned during the panel discussion, “On the commercialisation of U6GHz, I would like to mention Huawei Technologies, with whom the UAE has been working for over 25 years. During this time, Huawei has consistently delivered on its commitments. What is planned in our meetings is quickly translated into action through research and development and the delivery of standards-based equipment. This kind of collaboration is crucial in turning our ambitions into tangible progress.” 

Building AI-Centric Network 

Network transformation is crucial as Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud computing and increasingly data-intensive applications are reshaping the demand for connectivity.  

Huawei Carrier Business, CMO Judy Peng

In her keynote speech, Huawei Carrier Business CMO Judy Peng highlighted that the emergence of the Agentic Internet is fundamentally reshaping the requirements for communication networks. Traditional networks, designed for the mobile internet era, are no longer sufficient to support the demands of an AI-driven world. 

Current mobile networks were built primarily to connect people. In contrast, Agent Internet networks must simultaneously connect people, things, and billions of AI agents collaborating and interacting in real time. This shift is driving four fundamental transformations in communication networks: 

Connected entities are expanding from people and things to people, things, and AI agents; Network architecture is evolving from traffic-centric optimization to integrated computing-network orchestration; Traffic patterns are shifting from predominantly downlink, north-south flows to AI-driven, uplink-intensive east-west interactions; User expectations are advancing from best-effort connectivity to deterministic, end-to-end experience assurance. 

This evolution is particularly significant for the Middle East, where ultra-large-scale AI campuses and digital economy initiatives are accelerating the demand for resilient. To address the requirements of the Agent Internet era, the industry must build a new generation of AI-Centric Networks. Through continuous advancements in network technologies, capabilities, and architectures, mobile broadband (MBB), fixed broadband (FBB), and bearer networks will enable ubiquitous agent connectivity and seamless interconnection of computing resources, establishing the foundation for future communications infrastructure.

ZTE Corporation, a provider of integrated information and communication technology solutions, has partnered with operator Ethio Telecom to deploy what is said to be Ethiopia’s first pre-commercial AIR RAN solution.

This alliance, say the partners, marks an important milestone in the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to mobile network optimisation.

As 4G data traffic continues to grow rapidly in Ethiopia, Ethio Telecom and ZTE have been exploring ways to harness AI to improve the efficiency and performance of the radio access network (RAN). Over the past two years, the two companies have focused on advancing this approach through AI-enabled network innovation.

Building on frequency division duplex (FDD) massive multiple-input multiple-output (massive MiMo) technology, the AIR RAN solution uses ZTE’s AIREngine intelligent computing engine to introduce AI-driven intelligent beam scheduling. This enables more intelligent allocation of radio resources in response to changing network traffic demands.

By optimising the use of existing network resources, say the two companies, the technology helps unlock additional 4G capacity and improve data throughput without relying solely on additional network infrastructure.

The reported 11% increase in 4G capacity and 40% improvement in peak-hour user throughput highlight the solution’s potential to support growing connectivity needs while enhancing network efficiency and service performance, particularly during periods of high demand.

Ethio Telecom says this milestone aligns with its Next Horizon: Digital & Beyond 2028 strategy and supports the company’s ambition to evolve beyond a connectivity-focused telecommunications operator into a leading digital enterprise powered by AI-native networks and digital innovation.

In addition, the company says, this deployment also contributes to Ethiopia’s broader digital transformation ambitions under the Digital Ethiopia 2030 agenda by supporting the development of more efficient, capable and responsive telecommunications infrastructure.

Three domestic and one from overseas: … [visit site to read more]

Veon, a global digital operator, has announced the commercial launch of Mukto Pay, a digital payments platform powered by its Bangladesh operating company, Banglalink.

The launch follows the Payment Service Provider (PSP) licence awarded to Banglalink by Bangladesh Bank, the central bank of Bangladesh, which we reported in August.

Veon says Mukto Pay is designed to make digital payments accessible across Bangladesh. In fact in this first phase anyone can use the Mukto Pay app, regardless of mobile operator – and Banglalink customers can also use a basic phone – to send and receive money, pay utility bills and recharge mobile accounts digitally. Customers can also pay online at more than 9,500 merchants, and a dedicated merchant application lets businesses register, receive payments and track transactions.

The platform is also preparing to introduce and promote Bangla QR, Bangladesh’s national interoperable QR payment standard.

Veon says this launch reflects continued progress under its Invest in Bangladesh NOW initiative, a proposed public-private partnership with the Government of Bangladesh launched in September 2026 but announced in the summer.

Veon’s initial US$250 million anchor investment, committed over the coming years, forms part of that initiative, which aims to attract a total of US$1 billion in foreign direct investment to advance connectivity, digital infrastructure, digital financial services and AI in Bangladesh.

In September, Veon and Square Group, a multinational conglomerate based in Bangladesh, also received Bangladesh Bank’s approval to set up a digital bank. The planned digital bank, backed by Veon Digital Financial Group, the financial services division of Veon, and Square Group, is expected to build on Banglalink’s connectivity, distribution and digital ecosystem to extend access to formal financial services.

Bangladesh now becomes the fourth market in Veon’s digital financial services footprint. its financial services platforms served approximately 59 million active customers across Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in Q2 2026.

News

A tale of telecoms journalists chasing satellites in wet Snowdonia

In Disney’s 1940 film Pinocchio, top hat-wearing conscience-incarnate Jiminy Cricket famously sang: “When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are”. As we discovered on a recent Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) trip to Wales, however, when you wish upon a Starlink satellite, it seems it does matter where you are – at least a little.

VMO2 launched its commercial O2 Satellite offering February, offering customers the chance to access direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity for £3 per month via a partnership with SpaceX’s Starlink.

Roughly eight months later, VMO2’s Director of Mobile Access Engineering, Rob Joyce, led a group of journalists on a wet trek into the hills of Snowdonia to test the service for ourselves.

Rain stops play?

Our first mission – which proved trickier than anticipated – was finding a ‘not-spot’.

Unsurprisingly, given its geography, Snowdonia is littered with not-spots, ranging from small sections of remote road to large swaths of the mountains (check out O2’s coverage checker for a closer look).

However, for our outing to the beautiful Aber Falls (pictured), terrestrial coverage remained robust for longer than expected. Only after a few kilometres off the beaten track were we finally seemingly out of range of O2’s mobile network.

At this point the O2 handsets provided for us should have automatically switched to the satellite network, but no. As we stood in the rain under a heavily overcast sky, we wondered whether the weather was impacting the service.

Water absorbs microwave radiation at different levels at various frequencies; a microwave oven, for example, typically operates at a frequency of around 2.45 GHz, a frequency chosen specifically to dump most of its energy into the water molecules within food.

O2 Satellite uses spectrum in the 1,800 MHz band. In heavy rain, could this cause enough disruption to stop us connecting?

“Rain should cause very little attenuation at 1,800 MHz,” explained Joyce, noting that this band is already widely used for terrestrial 4G LTE services. If rain were to interfere with spectrum at this frequency, terrestrial services would have felt it even more intensely than satellite connections.

“After all, a signal coming from a mobile tower a kilometre away would pass through much more water than the satellite signal coming down from above,” added Joyce.

The most likely explanation for the connection failure, Joyce explained, was that the devices were still attempting to connect to the terrestrial network they had so recently had access to.

A short while later, at a well-known not-spot at Pen-y-Pass – the starting point for various climbs up Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) – our phones began to display the SAT symbol indicating satellite connection.

SAT connection (credit: Paul Lipscombe)

The service itself was intermittent but effective. Using the Satellite Tracker app from Star Walk, we watched Starlink satellites hurtle across the sky above us at 17,000 mph, our connection blinking in and out at regular intervals. This was more than enough to send texts, use various apps, and conduct Internet-based voice calls.

For now, Starlink’s service is limited to just basic data services, with each satellite capable of delivering around 50 spot beams, each covering a diameter of roughly 50km and delivering roughly 4Mbps across its user base.

Nonetheless, in an area where there would previously have been no connection at all, this is transformative for users. While O2 Satellite subscribers will not be downloading Netflix shows or cloud gaming over the service any time soon, they will certainly be able to message loved ones from some of the UK’s most remote locations.

“Obviously, it’s not meant yet for doing high-bandwidth applications. It’s there for reassurance of coverage beyond the current cellular footprint,” said Joyce, noting that satellite has increased O2’s overall network coverage from 89% of the UK to 95%. “That’s why we’re not selling it as a replacement cellular service. It’s sold as a service that reassures you that you have coverage when you need it for those moments that matter.”

Big plans for the future

Joyce’s ‘yet’ is important here.

Starlink’s D2D service is currently reliant on around 650 satellites, but this will not be the case for long. SpaceX is expected to begin launching its V2 satellites next year, with roughly 20x the throughput capability of their V1 predecessors. The Starlink website promises ‘full 5G cellular connectivity with a comparable experience to current terrestrial service’.

“In version two of the satellites […] we’re going to have a lot more bandwidth. I think the figure is 20-times or 100-times the capacity, depending on how much spectrum you deploy,” explained Joyce. “Service could then be comparable to terrestrial.”

SpaceX has also recently bought 14MHz of 800MHz spectrum in the US. If the new Starlink satellites can use this spectrum, then O2 will likely be able to make use of the 10MHz of spectrum it owns in the same band, too.

Taken together, this could mean that O2 soon has even more reliable coverage and a huge boost in capacity.

Despite this, Joyce remains highly sceptical that satellite could ever truly replace mobile services.

“You’re not going to have the coverage deep indoors […] and you’re not going to have the capacity to deliver a service to the amount of traffic that’s now offered to a cellular network,” said Joyce. “The laws of physics say that because of the spectrum and because of the propagation, the satellite can’t replace cellular […] I think it will always be a complementary technology.”

For now, O2’s fledgling satellite services remain limited in scope, if not in coverage. But perhaps it will not be long before they can serenade their customers with the promise that when you wish upon a Starlink your dreams will come true.

How is the UK’s satellite landscape evolving? Join the discussion at Satellite Live 2027, co-located with Connected Britain 2027

Also in the news
Shared Rural Network rollout extends to UK national parks with over 150 4G masts live
Vodafone touts latest attempt to bridge the UK’s digital divide
Virgin Media O2 cuts 5,200 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions

Nigeria’s First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and payment technology giant Mastercard have launched AgroPass, a digital platform designed to expand access to finance, markets and agricultural services for smallholder farmers across Nigeria.

The platform, also known as Community Pass and developed by Mastercard, connects farmers with input suppliers, buyers, lenders, agribusinesses and other participants in the agricultural value chain, aiming to strengthen financial inclusion and improve productivity in one of Nigeria’s most important economic sectors.

The launch combines Mastercard’s technology capabilities with FCMB’s network and presence in farming communities across the country.

FCMB provided more than ₦364.6 billion (about US$236 million) in financing to Nigeria’s agricultural sector last year and supported more than 196,000 smallholder farmers nationwide, with at least half of the beneficiaries being women and youth. 

Mastercard explains that agriculture remains a critical pillar of Nigeria’s economy, contributing more than 20% of GDP and supporting a significant share of employment across the country. Despite its importance, many smallholder farmers continue to face barriers, including access to financing, quality inputs, market opportunities and technical support. 

To address these gaps, FCMB has adopted a value-chain financing model that extends support across the agricultural ecosystem, including input suppliers, seed companies, farmers, processors, distributors and exporters. 

AgroPass builds on Mastercard’s broader efforts to strengthen participation across agricultural value chains through technology and collaboration. By creating trusted digital connections between farmers, service providers and buyers, the platform is designed to improve visibility, strengthen access to services and support greater financial inclusion. 

Mastercard says the platform is expected to improve the efficiency and transparency of agricultural transactions while helping farmers manage their businesses and access new markets.