Today’s telecom news includes announcements on ARCEP, Ufone, Zong, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), InterDigital, Turk Telekom, MWC 2026, among others.
Togo Revolutionizes Mobile Service Rules to Protect Consumers
Togo’s telecommunications regulator, ARCEP, has introduced new consumer protection regulations for mobile services after consultations with operators YAS Togo and Moov Africa Togo and consumer groups. Key measures allow users to recover unused voice and data bundles if they renew the same plan within a set retention period (10 days for short plans, 30 days for longer ones). Billing transparency is improved by mandating data be charged by the byte, ensuring consumers pay only for what they use. Additionally, the inactivity period before SIM deactivation has been extended from three to six months, protecting users’ numbers and credit.
Pakistan’s 5G Race Heats Up Ahead of Spectrum Auction
Two major Pakistani telecom operators, Ufone and Zong, have deposited $15 million each in earnest money totaling $30 million with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to participate in the upcoming 5G spectrum auction on March 10, 2026. The payment is part of the pre‑bid process and will count toward the final licence fee if they win spectrum. Industry insiders expect Jazz to also submit its deposit soon, signaling strong competition. The government is set to auction 597 MHz of spectrum, aiming to raise significant funds for expanding high‑speed mobile services across Pakistan.
Revolutionary 6G Breakthrough: InterDigital and Turk Telekom Unite Cellular and Wi‑Fi Sensing
InterDigital and Turkiye’s operator Turk Telekom have announced the world’s first implementation of collaborative cellular and Wi‑Fi sensing using preliminary 6G architecture. The joint research, conducted at Türk Telekom’s Innovation and Test Center in Ankara, fuses sensing data from both cellular and Wi‑Fi networks to improve accuracy, continuity, and reduce blind spots, especially indoors. This milestone will be showcased at Mobile World Congress 2026. At its core is Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), enabling networks to simultaneously communicate and sense their environment, potentially benefiting sectors like manufacturing, healthcare, and intelligent buildings.
Telstra Smashes Global 5G Uplink Speed Record at 682 Mbps!
Australian telco Telstra achieved a new global milestone for 5G standalone (SA) uplink speeds, reaching 682 Mbps on its live commercial network in Queensland, a 32 percent increase over its previous uplink performance. This was made possible through optimizations using Ericsson’s 5G‑Advanced technology and advanced uplink transmit switching features on mid‑band spectrum in the 2.6 GHz and 3.6 GHz bands. The breakthrough highlights the growing importance of uplink capacity for applications like high‑resolution video sharing, live streaming, and real‑time collaboration, with Telstra, Ericsson, and Qualcomm leveraging 3GPP Release 17 features to enhance upload performance and overall 5G customer experience.
Shafana Fazal