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SAMENA Daily - Industry News Briefing

Industry News Briefing
August 25, 2026

Featured Member News

SAMENA Council Welcomes Zetrix AI to Advance Telco-Led AI Services and New Digital Revenue Opportunities

The SAMENA Telecommunications Council has announced that Zetrix AI Berhad, a Malaysia-headquartered technology company developing AI platforms, agentic solutions, digital identity, blockchain infrastructure, and automation technologies, has joined the Council as its newest member...

Member News

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MTN Group delivers record margin in H1 2026, with strong earnings, cashflow and returns; initiates share buyback programme

After launching the Ambition 2030 strategy to guide the next phase of MTN’s value creation, the Group also advanced various strategic initiatives – most notably the planned acquisition of tower group IHS Holdings...

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stc Group and Huawei Complete World's First Commercial MB² Deployment

With this solution, a single MB² antenna covers eight frequency bands ranging from 13 GHz to 38 GHz and supports up to 10 concurrent beams, which helps carriers reduce antenna count by as much as 90%...

Policy and Regulation

•	TDRA Launches “Digital Enablers Experts” Programme Through the Digital Government Academy Empowering Government and Private Sector Entities to Accelerate Secure and Efficient UAE PASS Integration The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) has launched the “Digital Enablers Experts” (DEE) Programme, an integrated digital training pathway designed to enhance the readiness of...

Middle East

•	Mindstream expands Al-Risha infrastructure ecosystem Mindstream has partnered with Park Place Technologies and Orange Jordan to expand the technology and infrastructure ecosystem supporting its Al-Risha Sovereign AI & Digital Infrastructure Campus in Jordan...

•	Bahrain Civil Service Bureau taps Beyon Solutions for sovereign cloud HR transformation Bahrain’s Civil Service Bureau has signed a strategic agreement with Beyon Solutions to implement a comprehensive digital transformation programme for government human resources, using Oracle Fusion Cloud and a locally...

•	Oman’s first AI SEZ to attract $275mln The move is a part of Oman's strategic commitment to building a knowledge- and innovation-based economy...

North Africa

•	Algerian startup Nroho uses AI-powered carpooling to tackle urban transport costs Algerian mobility startup Nroho is using a technology-based carpooling model to connect drivers and passengers travelling along similar routes, aiming to reduce commuting costs and make better use of vehicles already on the...

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

•	Salt and Sunrise plan deeper rural RAN sharing in Switzerland In Switzerland, operators are moving decisively towards 4G and 5G networks, with Sunrise having shut down its 3G network in 2025 and Salt planning to retain 3G only until the end of 2026...

•	Cell C launches 5G network in South Africa The company's network coverage map shows that 5G coverage is now live across major cities including Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, and Gqeberha...

•	CelcomDigi launches Agentic AI to help Malaysian SMEs transform operations The AI-powered digital workforce is designed to help enterprises and SMEs move beyond using AI as an assistant and advance towards agentic AI solutions that can execute tasks, connect systems, and orchestrate business...

Content & Immersive Technologies

•	wedotv expands global footprint with renewed VIDAA distribution deal Streaming channel operator wedotv has renewed and significantly expanded its global distribution agreement with V, the company behind the VIDAA smart‑TV operating system, adding carriage in the MENA region and South...

Satellite & Hybrid Networks

•	Geespace provides the commercialization answer for China's domestic space infrastructure. China’s commercial aerospace industry is entering a new phase as Geespace becomes the first private company approved to commercially test satellite IoT services, marking a broader shift from building satellite...

•	Plumas-Sierra Telecommunications secures 15 million to expand high speed broadband in Rural Northern California Plumas-Sierra Telecommunications announces it has accepted grant awards totaling almost $15 million to bring high-speed broadband internet to areas in Plumas, Sierra and Lassen counties...

South Asia

•	GIKI and IRADA partner to advance chip design, AI and indigenous technology development Pakistan’s Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology and the Indigenous Research and Development Agency have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on research, innovation,...

•	Nepal Telecom launches 4G service at high-altitude site Nepal Telecom has extended 4G mobile and internet services to the Badimalika area of Bajura district, bringing connectivity to a remote religious and tourism destination located more than 4,200 metres above sea level...

Global Telecom Update

•	Terranova begins work on data centre campus in Brazil Latin American data centre firm Terranova, the hyperscale data centre platform backed by the Actis infrastructure fund, described as one of the largest and longest-standing sustainable infrastructure investors globally, has...

•	LG accelerates robotics collaboration with Nvidia LG Electronics (LG) has announced that it is accelerating its robotics collaboration with NVIDIA. LG is combining decades of manufacturing and logistics data with NVIDIA’s open robotics development platform to build a...

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