SAMENA Daily News - SAMENA Telecommunications Council

'SAMENA Daily' - Archive

SAMENA Daily - Industry News Briefing

Industry News Briefing
August 17, 2026

Featured Member News

AT&T expands video intelligence portfolio with EdgeVis Cloud

AT&T Business introduced AT&T Video Intelligence with EdgeVis Cloud, a new managed cloud deployment option designed to help organizations scale and manage live video monitoring across a wide range of operating environments while reducing deployment complexity and infrastructure requirements...

Member News

•

Most countries in the Americas region tax over-the-top services

Six of eight countries studied across the Americas impose some form of national or local taxation on over-the-top audiovisual providers, according to an updated benchmark from Cullen International examining how streaming...

Recent Developments

•

AT&T expands video intelligence portfolio with EdgeVis Cloud

•

MTN launches AI-powered job board to connect Africa’s youth to the opportunities of the digital economy

•

MTN and IMF leaders in talks on the potential of Africa’s digital economy

•

Zain Group H1 2026 Net Profit soars 73% YoY to reach KD 220 m (USD 717m); Revenue grows 5% YoY to reach KD 1.14 bn (USD 3.71bn)

Policy and Regulation

•	Oman tightens rules on promotional calls and SMS with new anti-spam requirements Oman’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority has introduced new rules governing promotional and service calls, SMS and value-added services, including restrictions on contact hours, clearer caller identification,...

•	Public consultation on updated retail telecom tariff regulations The Communications, Space, and Technology Commission (CST) invites the public to submit their input on the update of Retail Telecom Services Tariff Regulations, which aims to promote access to advanced telecom services,...

Middle East

•	Zain Jordan and Ericsson expand BSS modernisation to postpaid and 5G monetisation Zain Jordan and Ericsson have launched the next phase of their business support systems modernisation programme, extending the transformation to the operator’s postpaid business and strengthening its cloud-native IT...

•	AIREV enters deal with Qualcomm to advance autonomous AI AIREV, the Abu Dhabi-based creator of the OnDemand autonomous AI platform, has entered into a strategic agreement with Qualcomm Technologies to advance autonomous AI across enterprise and government environments...

•	Saudi gaming latency improves 89% as IoT subscriptions reach 13.85 million Saudi Arabia has recorded an 89% improvement in latency rates for some of its most popular electronic games, while Internet of Things subscriptions have reached 13.85 million...

South Asia

•	HUTCH and TRCSL expand rural broadband coverage across Sri Lanka HUTCH Sri Lanka and the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka have expanded the Gamata Sanniwedanaya rural connectivity programme, bringing mobile broadband to previously unserved communities and adding...

•	Bangladesh seeks Omani partnership to develop AI, biotech sectors Bangladesh is in talks with Oman to deepen cooperation in research and advanced technology, including artificial intelligence and biotech, as Dhaka seeks partners to help expand its strategic industries...

3G, 4G, 5G/5G-A, Cloud, AI, Energy

•	Shared Rural Network rollout extends to UK national parks with over 150 4G masts live Over 150 4G mast upgrades are now live across the UK’s national parks, including the Yorkshire Dales and Eryri, Snowdonia, as part of the continued rollout of the Shared Rural Network...

•	Vietnam steps up preparations for 6G as 5G network expands A global technology, 6G requires cooperation between countries, businesses and international standards organisations to ensure the compatibility of telecommunications infrastructure worldwide...

•	U Mobile partners with OpenAI to become Malaysia’s first AI-enabled telco U Mobile announced a strategic collaboration with OpenAI, a leading AI research and deployment company, marking a significant milestone in its ambition to be Malaysia's first AI-enabled telco...

Content & Immersive Technologies

•	KSI and DAZN partner with Dagenham & Redbridge for creator-led football broadcasts KSI and DAZN have agreed a broadcast and digital content partnership with Dagenham & Redbridge for the 2026-27 season, combining selected live match coverage with creator-led programming designed to expand the National...

•	Oneplay prepares advertising tier Czech streaming platform Oneplay is preparing to introduce a lower-priced subscription tier carrying advertising as part of a wider overhaul of TV Nova’s advertising sales...

Global Telecom Update

•	Shentel Business signs MSA with a large hyperscaler Shentel signed a master service agreement with an unnamed hyperscaler data center operator, positioning itself for future service opportunities...

•	Kaspersky calls for embedded protection as digital tech usage in Asia Pacific outpaces global average Kaspersky is calling for more security to be built directly into mobile applications as consumers across Asia Pacific adopt digital services at a faster rate than the global average and mobile cyber threats continue to rise...

•	Vodafone Business, TCS partner to drive UK enterprise transformation The partnership brings together Vodafone Business’ expertise in connectivity, cyber security, cloud and digital services with TCS’ global capabilities in technology, consulting, cloud, AI, sovereign and systems...

North Africa

•	Egypt set to begin trial operation of digital twin for Ismailia Canal The approach is intended to provide accurate and up-to-date data to improve the management of water resources as well as the planning, operation and maintenance of Egypt’s water infrastructure...

Satellite & Hybrid Networks

•	Airtel Africa claims first commercial launch of Starlink Mobile in DRC Airtel Africa and Starlink have launched their satellite-to-mobile service in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the operator claiming the country's deployment is the first commercial launch of Elon Musk's...

•	Vero Fiber completes crane fiber network, bringing high-speed internet to 1,800 locations Vero Fiber is pleased to announce the successful completion of construction on Crane’s new high-speed fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) internet network, marking a major milestone in the city’s digital infrastructure...

About SAMENA Council

• History

• Profile

• Board of Directors

• Working Groups

Industry Matters

• ELITE FWA Club

• 5G Development

• Digital Services

• Industry Fees & Taxation

• Latest Open Consultations

• Industry Issues

• Position Papers

• Articles & Industry Views

SAMENA Trends & Media

• SAMENA Trends

• Industry Updates

• SAMENA Council in Media

• Video Content

Please add news@samenacouncil.org to your E-mail Safe List.

If you received this news update from a colleague and are interested in receiving your own copy, please contact us here »

Disclaimer: Information contained herein has been obtained from sources, which we deem reliable. SAMENA Telecommunications Council is not liable for any misinformed decisions that the reader may reach by being solely reliant on information contained herein. Expert advice should be sought.

To unsubscribe, click Manage Your Subscription below.

SAMENA Telecommunications Council