Globe Telecom announced on Wednesday that it has become the second Philippine telco to join the GSMA’s Open Gateway Initiative for standardised open network APIs, just after rival PLDT did the same.

PLDT – along with wireless subsidiary Smart Communications and B2B arm PLDT Enterprise – announced on Thursday they are joining the GSMA’s Open Gateway initiative for standardised open network APIs.

TrueBusiness – the enterprise unit of Thai telco True Corp – announced on Wednesday it has partnered with cloud communications service provider Infobip to launch a Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) offering with AI capabilities.

Malaysian 5G network operator Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) says it has struck a partnership with e-commerce firm Shopee that aims to encourage micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and other sellers on Shopee’s platform to adopt 5G.

Malaysian mobile operator U Mobile says it has successfully wrapped up a private 5G network proof-of-concept (PoC) with Enfrasys Solutions to automate the container inspection process for transport and logistics company Transocean Logistics.

Angola Cables and Camtel have partnered to expand digital and connectivity services in Cameroon and the West Africa region.

Uzbekistani operator Perfectum will use solutions from Qvantel to help monetise the 5G SA network that it is deploying in the market.

Qatar-based multinational telecommunications company Ooredoo Group has partnered with Nokia to “upgrade connectivity and drive 5G enterprise innovation”, as the two companies put it.

Thai telco True Corp has launched artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for local businesses as it seeks to increase the share of AI-driven revenue in its digital services business to 30% by 2027.

Two recent announcements from Saudi Arabia highlight the growing momentum in that country behind smart city development.

UAE telco du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), says it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with global internet provider Expereo to help it provide network connectivity to global enterprises with a local presence.

Telkom Indonesia announced on Monday it is collaborating with IT firm Scala Japan to develop digital innovations and utilise Telkom’s digital agriculture platform to strengthen Indonesia’s agricultural ecosystem and food sustainability.

Digital support for Africa’s MSMEs is again making headlines thanks to news stories about companies in Zambia and Cote d’Ivoire being enabled to digitally boost their businesses.

CMC Networks announced on Tuesday it has launched its Air Connect solution in South Africa, which promises to deliver broadband wireless connectivity to businesses in remote and rugged environments.

Nokia announced on Sunday it has signed an exclusive partnership agreement with Bahrain operator Batelco, part of the technology-focused Beyon Group, to deliver mission-critical private 5G networks across Bahrain.

Telecoms and agriculture are in the news yet again. Service provider MTN Nigeria has announced plans to partner the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), in disseminating weather and climate information to farmers and other users across Nigeria.

Telekom Malaysia’s enterprise unit, Unifi Business, says it has launched an “e-Pharmacy” mobile application that it says enables e-prescriptions via teleconsultation for pharmacists and their walk-in patients.

At Mobile World Congress 2024, Developing Telecoms spoke to Atilio Rulli, VP of Public Relations at Huawei Latin America & Caribbean, to discuss how Huawei’s solutions are enabling smarter connected farming in Brazil, a market where agribusiness is an enormous contributor to GDP.

Indonesian telco XL Axiata announced it has partnered with Cisco to introduce a cloud-based IoT connectivity management platform to help customers in Indonesia securely scale their IoT businesses.

At Mobile World Congress 2024, Amazon Web Services (AWS) signed separate deals with Malaysian telcos CelcomDigi and Maxis to collaborate on generative AI solutions to improve network operations and develop use cases.

Telkomsel has signed an agreement with Google Cloud to integrate enterprise-grade generative AI (gen AI) into its operations and core product offerings for consumers and businesses.

Orange Middle East & Africa (OMEA), a major telecom player in the region, has announced at MWC 2024 a strategic partnership with Tencent Cloud, the cloud business of global technology company Tencent, to enrich the ecosystem and service offering of its super-app Max it for businesses and populations in the region.

G+D a major name in digital security, financial platforms and currency technology, and operator China Unicom have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at this year’s MWC to establish a strategic partnership in the areas of eSIM technology and services.