Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Senegal’s ARTP and the International Telecommunication Union have signed a partnership to support young women in digital development. Launched during CMDT-25 in Baku, the initiative will build skills, strengthen digital trade participation, and create supportive commercial ecosystems. Detailed implementation plans will be released, reflecting Senegal’s push to expand its digital economy.
Bangladesh will auction the 700MHz band for the first time on 14 January 2026, offering 25MHz to the country’s four mobile operators. The band—critical for long-range 4G and future 5G expansion—comes to auction after years of disputes and legal delays. With reduced spectrum prices and strong industry demand, the auction is expected to reshape nationwide coverage and improve mobile broadband quality.
Bangladesh is drafting a national AI policy to guide the use of artificial intelligence in government offices, aiming to strengthen digital governance and inter-agency integration. At the TechConnect Summit 2025, officials and industry leaders highlighted priorities in AI, cloud, 5G, and cybersecurity, reaffirming long-term collaboration between the ICT Division and Huawei.
Oman’s TRA clarified that all licensed telecom operators manage their social media accounts from within the country, despite the use of automated digital tools that may suggest external involvement. The Authority reaffirmed its regulations requiring local oversight and thanked the public for contributing to transparent and participatory regulatory discussions.
BTRC has cancelled 16 ISP licences for failing to renew after their validity expired. The decision, made following due legal procedure, declares any continued operations illegal and subject to penalties. Operators must return licence certificates and clear dues within 30 days. Officials say the move aims to enhance regulatory compliance and strengthen oversight of Bangladesh’s telecom sector.
Bahrain and the UK signed a new Memorandum of Understanding to deepen cooperation across rail, smart mobility, maritime, aviation and sustainable transport. During a meeting in London, both countries agreed to expand technical collaboration, launch capacity-building initiatives and improve public transport systems, reinforcing longstanding bilateral ties in infrastructure development.
Saudi Arabia’s Communications Ministry, together with GO Telecom, has launched the GO AI HUB platform—a unified national gateway for discovering, comparing and adopting AI solutions. The platform supports both government and private sectors, aligns with Vision 2030 goals and enhances the Kingdom’s position as a regional innovation and digital-economy leader.
Nepal is closer to a long-awaited 5G auction after the regulator sent the proposal to the ministry for approval. While Nepal Telecom and Ncell prepare their rollout strategies, uncertainties persist around investment, spectrum pricing and geopolitical speculation. Experts warn Nepal risks falling behind as AI adoption rises and future devices phase out 4G support.
Bahrain and Malta held discussions to strengthen cooperation in transportation, telecommunications and digital transformation. Ministers from both countries explored investment prospects, opportunities for knowledge exchange and pathways to deepen bilateral relations. The meeting underscored shared interest in advancing infrastructure, supporting economic development and pursuing joint initiatives that benefit both nations.
A BTRC inspection has exposed serious gaps in Bangladesh’s 4G network performance despite operators’ claims of 98–99 percent population coverage. Inspectors found no-coverage zones, weak signals, call drops, indoor connectivity issues, and faulty billing processes across multiple districts. The regulator has recommended adding more BTS sites, enforcing stricter rollout benchmarks, and improving monitoring and customer grievance mechanisms to restore service quality and reliability.