Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Kuwait has become one of the first countries worldwide to complete a nationwide 5G Advanced rollout, with Huawei and Knetco deploying the technology for Ooredoo, Zain, and stc. The upgrade strengthens Vision 2035 goals, supports smart city and industrial applications, and lays the foundation for Kuwait’s future 6G journey.
Nepal imported goods worth 341.1B rupees from China in FY 2024–25, with telecom equipment, garments, machinery, textiles, and electrical goods topping the list. Smartphones made up the bulk of telecom imports, while the five categories represented 37% of total imports from China.
ZTE and GO Telecom have completed Saudi Arabia’s first long-distance 5G-A mmWave trial, achieving 6 km coverage and 1 Gbps speeds on the 26 GHz band. The technology supports enterprise private networks, FWA, and industry applications, advancing Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 digital transformation goals.
Cisco, in partnership with MCIT and NTI, has launched Egypt’s first CCIE Mobile Lab in Cairo. The facility allows engineers across the region to pursue one of Cisco’s top global certifications locally, strengthening Egypt’s skilled talent base and supporting digital transformation.
Bangkok is launching Thailand’s first 191 Emergency Location Service (ELS) through a collaboration between AIS, Google, and the police. Using Android’s built-in AML technology, the system securely shares precise caller coordinates with emergency services, improving response times for both residents and tourists without the need for apps or mobile data.
Topnet has launched Smart ADSL+, Tunisia’s first Internet offer without a telephone subscription, delivering speeds up to 20 Mbps with simplified single billing. The new service combines affordability, convenience, and nationwide availability, aligning with Topnet’s strategy to enhance Internet access and enrich customer experience.
e& UAE outperformed rivals in the Opensignal 2025 report, won 12 of 13 national awards, and set a world record 5G uplink speed of 600Mbps. It launched the UAE’s first enterprise 5G slicing, partnered with Ericsson to expand 5G RAN, and continues to power the UAE’s global leadership in digital transformation under Vision 2031.
ZTE and GO Telecom have achieved Saudi Arabia’s first long-distance 5G-A mmWave trial, covering 6 km with nearly 1 Gbps speeds. The trial supports Vision 2030 by enabling enterprise-grade connectivity, smart industries, and FWA solutions, positioning the partners at the forefront of Saudi digital transformation.
Bangladesh plans to expand its fibre optic network to 500,000 km, shifting from overhead to underground systems to boost resilience. With Bakshi as a key manufacturer, the government aims to modernise infrastructure, unify networks, and position fibre optics as a growth sector for digital transformation.
Nokia will modernize INX-ZA’s Internet Exchange Points in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, introducing 400GE and expanded 100GE services. The upgrade expands JINX to ten data centers, improves scalability, reduces latency, and enhances South Africa’s digital infrastructure, enabling ISPs, enterprises, and cloud providers to meet rising demand.