Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has highlighted Pakistan’s growing interest in enhancing space cooperation with China, focusing on satellites, telecommunications, and satellite internet. Discussions with Galaxy Space’s delegation could lead to joint projects, while Pakistan continues to advance its space technology with satellite launches and plans for satellite internet services.
Ericsson is expanding its antenna manufacturing in India, aiming to localize 100% of passive antenna production by June 2025. This strategic move will support India’s 5G rollout, accelerate time to market, and strengthen Ericsson’s position in the global supply chain, with significant export opportunities alongside domestic demand.
MTN has officially exited Afghanistan, transferring its stake to M1 Group, which will now operate the company under the brand name ATOMA. The handover ceremony marked the completion of MTN’s strategic shift to focus on African markets, with ATOMA pledging to improve network services and user experience in Afghanistan.
KAFD and Huawei have launched Saudi Arabia’s first Smart WiFi-7 service, enhancing connectivity across the King Abdullah Financial District. This partnership aims to advance the district’s position as a global smart city, providing fast, reliable internet and personalized digital services to residents, visitors, and businesses.
Pakistan plans to expand its fiber-optic network, aiming to connect 7.5 million households and achieve 80% FTTS coverage within five years. This effort is part of the National Fiberization Policy under the Digital Economy Enhancement Project (DEEP), focusing on boosting broadband speeds and preparing for emerging technologies like 5G and IoT.
Iraq’s iDATA platform, supported by the UNDP Accelerator Lab, is transforming data access and usage across key sectors. It aggregates government and World Bank data into interactive dashboards, empowering policymakers, researchers, and entrepreneurs. The platform aims to address challenges like youth unemployment and education reform while fostering sustainable development.
The Bangladesh government has committed to reforming the internet sector by abolishing policies enabling shutdowns, reducing costs, and improving service quality. Key measures include deregulation, a new network topology, and expanded fibre infrastructure. The move aims to enhance digital access, affordability, and efficiency for businesses and consumers.
The Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture in Bahrain signed an MoU with Batelco to enhance digital infrastructure, including connectivity, voice communication, and smart security. The partnership will focus on providing technical expertise and innovative solutions to improve municipal services, with Batelco offering support in smart city infrastructure.
The Bangladesh government expects mobile operators to reduce internet prices soon after wholesale price cuts at key distribution layers. Policy support and infrastructure improvements, including access to Dark Fiber and DWDM, aim to lower costs for consumers. Mobile operators are urged to pass on these benefits to ease inflationary pressures.
Vodafone Qatar’s net profits for Q1 2025 increased by 8.1%, reaching QR 162.3 million compared to QR 150.1 million in Q1 2024. Earnings per share also rose to QR 0.038, up from QR 0.036 during the same period last year, as reflected in the company’s financial statements.
